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ICTs and Technical Agency: A Case Study of a Rural Brazilian Community

Melgaço, Lorena LU and Willis, Katharine S. (2015) p.101-117
Abstract
This paper explores the role of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in rural, marginalised communities. We explore Feenberg’s concept of technical agency in order to understand the ways in which technological capacity might contribute to community development. We discuss three conditions of technical agency as outlined by Feenberg; power, knowledge and appropriate occasion. We consider how this framework might enable an approach to understanding the role of ICTS in the particular social-spatial contexts in marginalised communities. In order to test Feenberg’s approach we discuss a case study of a village in rural Brazil: Noiva do Cordeiro. The community is recognized regionally as a pioneer in the way that it has mobilized a... (More)
This paper explores the role of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in rural, marginalised communities. We explore Feenberg’s concept of technical agency in order to understand the ways in which technological capacity might contribute to community development. We discuss three conditions of technical agency as outlined by Feenberg; power, knowledge and appropriate occasion. We consider how this framework might enable an approach to understanding the role of ICTS in the particular social-spatial contexts in marginalised communities. In order to test Feenberg’s approach we discuss a case study of a village in rural Brazil: Noiva do Cordeiro. The community is recognized regionally as a pioneer in the way that it has mobilized a range of ICTs for the benefit of the community. We will conclude by discussing how ICTs can reinforce existing or introduce technical agency in a Feenberg framework and how this might contribute to community development. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Citizen’s Right to the Digital City
editor
Foth, Marcus ; Brynskov, Martin and Ojala, Timo
pages
17 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85008929971
ISBN
978-981-287-917-2
978-981-287-919-6
DOI
10.1007/978-981-287-919-6_6
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
8aceb504-fcb9-44b9-8dcf-5c1e45c67db2
alternative location
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-287-919-6_6
date added to LUP
2021-08-30 17:05:23
date last changed
2024-06-15 16:09:01
@inbook{8aceb504-fcb9-44b9-8dcf-5c1e45c67db2,
  abstract     = {{This paper explores the role of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in rural, marginalised communities. We explore Feenberg’s concept of technical agency in order to understand the ways in which technological capacity might contribute to community development. We discuss three conditions of technical agency as outlined by Feenberg; power, knowledge and appropriate occasion. We consider how this framework might enable an approach to understanding the role of ICTS in the particular social-spatial contexts in marginalised communities. In order to test Feenberg’s approach we discuss a case study of a village in rural Brazil: Noiva do Cordeiro. The community is recognized regionally as a pioneer in the way that it has mobilized a range of ICTs for the benefit of the community. We will conclude by discussing how ICTs can reinforce existing or introduce technical agency in a Feenberg framework and how this might contribute to community development.}},
  author       = {{Melgaço, Lorena and Willis, Katharine S.}},
  booktitle    = {{Citizen’s Right to the Digital City}},
  editor       = {{Foth, Marcus and Brynskov, Martin and Ojala, Timo}},
  isbn         = {{978-981-287-917-2}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{101--117}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  title        = {{ICTs and Technical Agency: A Case Study of a Rural Brazilian Community}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-919-6_6}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-981-287-919-6_6}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}