Explaining online communities’ contribution to socio-economic development

In recent times, online communities are emerging as a potential source of information technology-led socio-economic development by enabling new generative mechanisms. Existing studies provide useful insights yet do not recognize the contributions of online communities in achieving socio-economic development. To address this knowledge gap, this paper documents a netnography study conducted on an online community for teaching the youth how to earn income online legitimately. We applied the theoretical notion of IT affordances to examine the possibilities for socio-economic action via online communities in the context of a developing country. Preliminary findings show how the online community contributes to socio-economic development by fostering collaboration, information sharing, and learning leading to income generation

Framework for studying reflective social capital in ICT4D

Social capital is an important concept in Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) research. It is tightly linked with reflexivity and more research is needed on how reflective practices contribute to the sustenance of social capital in ICT4D interventions. Also, there is a call for greater probe of how ICT4D interventions translate into quality of life. This exploratory study looks at the relationship between reflexivity and social capital and how this relationship translates into wellbeing of individuals using information and communications technology in the developing countries. The study is based on critical incident reflection methodology and analyzes twenty incidents from two ICT4D projects in India. Our study indicates that in ICT4D initiatives social capital helps achieve the desired individual outcomes, but its activation does not translate into overall wellbeing of the users of social capital. Also, users of social capital are reflective about its use and produce reaffirmation schemas about their social context

Aproximación a la incorporación del capital digital en la escuela

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are currently part of school dynamics and an element of continuous analysis in education. This text presents a discussion of the relationship of the concept Capital explored by Pierre Bourdieu with the incorporation of ICT in the school. The methodology of documentary research is used using conceptual cartography as a strategy. As a result, a proposal was obtained to analyze the incorporation of ICT in education that exceeds the limits of the understanding that the physical provision of digital devices in the classroom and the teacher training to know how to use them are sufficient to achieve changes in teaching. On the contrary, it is argued that the most important element to assess incorporation is to examine a set of indicators that account for the affinities of teachers with these tools from the perspective of the accumulation of digital capital. It is concluded that a balanced accumulation represents having a better probability of using technologies successfully to achieve a change in teaching practice.Las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC), actualmente son parte de la dinámica escolar y un elemento de continuo análisis en la educación. En este texto se presenta una discusión de la relación del concepto Capital explorado por Pierre Bourdieu con la forma incorporación de las TIC en la escuela, Se emplea la metodología de la investigación documental utilizando como estrategia la cartografía conceptual. Como resultado se obtuvo una propuesta para analizar la incorporación de las TIC en la escuela que rebasa los límites del entendimiento de que la dotación física de dispositivos digitales en el aula y la capacitación docente para saber utilizarlos, son suficientes para lograr cambios en la enseñanza. Por el contrario, se sostiene que el elemento más importante para evaluar la incorporación es examinar un conjunto de indicadores que den cuenta de las afinidades de los docentes con dichas herramientas desde la perspectiva de la acumulación de capitales digitales. Se concluye que una acumulación balanceada representa tener mejores probabilidades de usar con éxito las tecnologías para lograr un cambio en la práctica docente

A framework for building an information society for selected countries in the southern African development community

Text in EnglishIn line with the World Summit on the Information Society and with the expectation that this would enable them to advance their development and improve the lives of the population, almost all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries had developed national information and communications technologies (ICT) policies. The purpose of this doctoral research was to investigate the theoretical underpinning(s) of the national ICT policies of the SADC countries in order to develop a theoretical framework for building an information society for development. The research employed a grounded theory design, utilising the NVivo11 software as a tool to support the analysis of the national ICT policies for the selected 12 of the 15 SADC countries, as well as the interviews of five knowledgeable informants. Content analysis and open-ended interviews were the research methods applied sequentially to develop the Capacitating Theory for Building the Information Society for Development (CaTBIS-4D) for SADC countries, which is the core of the theoretical framework that this thesis proposes. The research found that building an information society continues to remain relevant for SADC countries, and its achievement is dependent on capacitating human, infrastructure and financial factors. Significantly, the research concluded that the perceived failure of the information society project within the SADC countries is due to the arcaneness or obscurity of the recognition that development and the information society mutually reinforce upon each other such that the improvement of one contributes to the advancement in the other. Based on the research findings and conclusions, this research proposes a framework that contends that to build an information society for development, it is necessary/ crucial to capacitate the human, infrastructure and financial factors by focusing on identified economic sectors and social categories within an effective governing and implementation monitoring environment. The research recommends that as the national ICT policies within SADC countries are updated and implemented, the framework proposed in this research be utilised as a basis. Furthermore, the research recommends that the broadest range of local role-players should participate in the information society development project to ensure its endurance and relevance.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science

Exploring the dynamics of inclusive innovation systems through event history analysis

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation is commonly viewed as an important factor in stimulating economic growth. Despite the positive effect of innovation, it is often focussed on high-income groups, excluding economically marginalised individuals and groups. This results in a distancing of economic growth from the marginalised groups and leads to inequality. In response, the Innovation for Inclusive Development (I4ID) model has been introduced, which draws on the theory of the conventional Innovation Systems (IS) perspective, to include the marginalised in the process or outcome of innovation. Many I4ID projects have been implemented, but with limited success. In fact, the successful projects are consistently outnumbered by the failed ones, particularly in developing countries. It is argued that reasons for this are the weak understanding of the definition, nature and dynamics of I4ID, among others. This research project addresses the weak understanding, by specifically focussing on enhancing the understanding of the dynamics within I4ID. The Event History Analysis (EHA) research method is used, together with feedback loops and causal loop diagrams (CLDs) (methods from the System Dynamics domain), to formulate an analytical approach to analyse three successful I4ID projects – identifying the core dynamics consisting of causal relationships between the system functions of innovation that are present within each case. The findings of each case are synthesised to identify five core dynamics across the three cases. Lastly, these five dynamics are combined into one CLD that explains the development of the combined I4ID system, with reference to the system functions. The findings of each case are synthesised to identify five phases that translate to five core dynamics across the three cases. There are: Pre-engagement Project Preparation (First Phase), Obtain Buy-in from Target Audience (Second Phase), Training and First Usage (Third Phase), Routine Usage, Feedback and Adjustment (Fourth Phase) and Project Disengagement and Handover (Fifth Phase). Lastly, these five dynamics from the five phases are combined into one final CLD that explains the development of the combined I4ID system, with reference to the system functions.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Innovasie word oor die algemeen beskou as ‘n belangrike stimulant van ekonomiese groei. Ten spyte van die positiewe gevolge van innovasie, is dit dikwels gefokus op hoër inkomstegroepe en in die proses word ekonomies gemarginaliseerde individue en gemeenskapsgroepe meestal uitgesluit. Dit veroorsaak dat die ekonomies gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe nie deel het aan die ekonomiese groei nie, wat lei tot ongelykheid. Om hierdie negatiewe gevolge te oorbrug, is die model van Innovasie vir Inklusiewe Ontwikkeling (IVIO) in die onlangse verlede ontwikkel, wat die teoretiese beginsels en perspektief van die konvensionele Innovasie-Sisteem (IS) gebruik om gemarginaliseerde gemeenskappe te bevoordeel. Hierdeur word gepoog om die gemeenskappe óf te bevoordeel deur die eindproduk van die innovasieproses, óf om die gemeenskappe deel te maak van die innovasieproses. Heelwat IVIO-projekte is as gevolg hiervan geïmplementeer, maar ongelukkig met beperkte sukses - die meerderheid van hierdie projekte is onsuksesvol, veral in ontwikkelende lande. ‘n Verskeidenheid faktore is geïdentifiseer wat moontlik die groot aantal onsuksesvolle projekte kan verduidelik, onder andere ‘n swak begrip van die definisie, aard en dinamiek van IVIO-projekte. Hierdie navorsingsprojek spreek spesifiek die swak begrip van IVIO-projekte aan, deur te poog om die begrip van die dinamiek in hierdie projekte te verbeter. Die Historiese Gebeurtenis Analise-navorsingsmetode word saam met terugvoerlusse en kousale lusdiagramme (vanuit die gebied van sisteemdinamika) gebruik om ‘n analitiese metode te formuleer wat gebruik word in die analise van drie suksesvolle IVIO-projekte, om sodoende die kern-dinamiek in elk van die drie gevallestudies te identifiseer. Hierdie dinamieke bestaan uit die kousale verhouding tussen die funksies eie aan die IS-perspektief, en word saamgevat om uiteindelik vyf gemeenskaplike kern-dinamieke te identifiseer. Laastens word die vyf kern-dinamieke gekombineer binne een finale kousale lusdiagram, wat die ontwikkeling van die gekombineerde IVIO-sisteem verduidelik binne die konteks van die funksies.Master

Translation and/in development: promoting more effective policy Interventions in Vietnam

Development necessitates specialised communication involving multiple actors at many levels, especially in Global South contexts. However, this communication is hindered because the discourse, concepts and terminology of development developed in the West are introduced into communities in many parts of the world, including Vietnam, with little evidence that they are being understood or used as intended. Problematic translations of development concepts could have significant real-word impacts on the multidirectional communication between key stakeholders involved in development, impede policy-making and prevent the implementation of development initiatives at local levels. This interdisciplinary PhD project—combining perspectives from Translation Studies and Development Studies with insights gained from real-world development practice—addresses the problem space of communication and mutual understanding in development settings to answer the following overall research question: What role(s) do translation and terminology have in development practice and policy in Vietnam? This research was undertaken using a methodology that combined a case study approach with an ethnographic orientation. Data from in-depth, online interviews with 18 development stakeholders in Vietnam were triangulated with analysis of a 1.1 million-word corpus of development texts, the researcher’s autoethnographic accounts, grey literature, and a specially-designed workshop for stakeholders. Findings suggest that translation of key development concepts in Vietnam is problematic with under-recognised impacts on development practice and policy, and this situation could be improved through policy interventions, better tool use, new translation workflows and practices, and greater shared learning. Overall, analysis in this study suggests that translation and terminology are used by various stakeholders in Vietnam as important enablers to local participation and ownership, achieve meaningful development outcomes through local empowerment and contribute to the decolonisation of development. Keywords: Translation, terminology, development practice, development policy, Vietnam, interdisciplinarity, vernacular knowledge, practice theory