My work is really rooted in several other projects that I am working towards (namely my dissertation). Much research has been done on the impacts of aid delivery to impoverished, but I have had a very hard time finding research that has been conducted on the impacts that aid delivery has had on culture. What do I want to know? What are the different impacts of different aid delivery models on the local culture? At one level, it is great to argue that all children should receive an education, or not be allowed to go hungry, or have access to clean water, or not have to worry about infectious diseases that have been eradicated in the first world. But, one has to wonder what are the costs that they have to pay to achieve these basic things?
When one thinks of Africa one of the first things that comes to mind is corruption. Corruption is everywhere (including, shockingly, the U.S.) This song by Wyclef Jean has always been an inspiration to me...
Probably the second thing that comes to mind is that we are spending too much in foreign assistance and should instead focus our attentions inward (I recently had a dispute with my best friend over this very subject). Yet...foreign assistance is a miniscule amount of our budget...and only accounts for about 0.18% of our GNI.
Or...and Jeffrey Sachs puts it...one year of Pentagon spending is more than the entire world has ever given to Africa throughout history. The same is true of the latest stimulus package.
As many of you know, I will be flying to Uganda in April to live in the the Bead for Life village.
And visit the Boomu Women's Group
I wonder how different these two are from the Millennium Village project?
All of the aforementioned really pertain more to my ongoing research. For this project I am still searching for what I want to do, but I think I will focus on the digital divide. Maybe something like this...
In the richest countries in the world, there is at least some control over how we are portrayed on the internet. In the poorest areas, this is not the case. Much of the time they are at the whim of perception. Is all of Kampala slums? Are all Ugandan children either staring at people with sad eyes, or dancing and singing beautiful rhythmic music...begging for attention? That appears to be how they are portrayed on the internet.
I truly wonder what would happen if we were to put a camera or computer in the lap of a child. What would they say to the rest of the world? How would they portray themselves? If they snapped the pictures, what would they take pictures of? I wonder what the world looks like through African eyes.
This is not a new idea.
http://www.aed.org/News/Releases/visualgriots.cfm
I know that not too long ago there was a group that actually did this very thing (I think it was Canon...but I am unable to locate the footage that I have seen).
Dr. Wesch informed me of a piece (that I am still trying to locate) written by Edmund Carpenter and/or Marshall McLuhan that discusses how when people are given cameras for the first time, they actually quickly turn to what they know about "western" photography (if you know this piece, please let me know as I would love to read it). When Dr. Wesch first mentioned this, I thought "well, there goes that idea." However, the more I think about it, the more I think it really fits in with the message from ONE...and how Mark Leibowitz phrases it in his blog, "Give a child a camera, give a child a voice."
http://leibowitzpictures.blogspot.com/2009/09/give-child-camera-give-child-voice.html
This:
Certainly looks different than these...hmmm?
And vlogs in the "rich" world are commonplace, discuss any topic imaginable, and provide a revealing glimpse not only into the individuals uploading them, but also society at large.
I am sure that there are vlogs uploaded in Uganda, by Ugandans...but I am having troubles finding any (again, if you know of any, I would be indebted if you would share them).
The digital divide, and/or global digital divide...is not just a distinction between those who have access to information and communication technology and those who do not. It can, and does, have stimulus or magnifying effect on socioeconomic disparities. As a PhD student/GTA, I know that this is the point where my students' eyes glaze over, heads hit the desk, and drool starts rolling down their chins. I have learned that showing pictures and graphs will hold their attention longer than spewing numbers (regardless of how important those numbers are). Unfortunately, I am not sure how to post jpg files on this blog. :-) So, I will just share one set of numbers.
It has been estimated that only 15% of the world's population accounts for nearly 90% of the world's internet use. Some would argue that this is a result of wealth disparity...and they would be partially correct. However, a simple cause/effect relationship misses the bigger picture...and the impact the effect has on perpetuating the cause. I heard long ago that it is never just one thing. I think that saying gets at the idea of complexity...and the current world situation is exactly that, complex. This video really demonstrates the story.
A report from UC Atlas at the University of California, Santa Cruz (http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/communication/digitaldivide.php) delves into this a bit farther:
"Global Digital Divide The Issue
There are striking international differences in access to computers and the Internet. This global digital divide may hinder the ability of non-industrialized economies to 'catch up' with the living standards and productivity of the industrialized world. The growth of personal computers has been rapid. Chinn and Fairlie note "There were only 2.5 personal computers per 100 people in the world in 1990. By 2001, the number ... had climbed to nearly 9. Internet use grew from essentially zero in early 1990s to 8.1 percent of the world's population by 2001" (2004: 7).
But access was uneven, particularly between regions of the world. In 2001, there were 61 computers per hundred people in North America, and only 1 per 100 people in sub-Saharan Africa and 0.5 per 100 in South Asia.
Internet Use: From 1990, when the Internet was in its early stages and few people could use it, access has grown rapidly in the industrialized world. In 2002, there are few users in West, Central and sub-Saharan Africa. By contrast, nearly half the population in North America, Australia, South Korea and Scandinavia, and about a third of the population in the rest of Europe, Malaysia and Japan, could use the Internet. Nonetheless, access is growing in much of Asia, and Latin America.
Use of personal computers: The number of Personal Computers (PCs) per 100 people follows a similar progression as Internet use, although a disparity of use was already prevalent in 1990 with a high concentration of PCs in the West, particularly the U.S. As of 2002 the United States, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, South Korea, and Australia have the highest concentration of PCs in the globe with more than half their populations in possession of PCs. When compared to much the of the rest of the world, especially in non-western developing regions, the difference in the dispersion of PCs in the population is huge. For example throughout most of Africa there has been little to no increase in the number of PCs since 1990. Notable exceptions are South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia which all increased from 1 percent of population penetration rates to between 5 and 15 per cent penetration rates of the population. However, according to Chinn and Fairlie (2004:7) and reflected in the maps, as of 2001 in the sub-Saharan region of Africa there is an overall computer penetration rate of below 2 per 1000 people.
Hopeful signs?
The growth rate for PC and Internet use is highest in developing countries. As stated by the United Nations,"These now account for 34 percent of all Internet users in 2002: a dramatic increase from the 2 percent share in 1991" (2004). However this dramatic growth, while impressive does not belie the fact that a substantial disparity still exists and a 'considerable amount' of time will be needed for developing nations to 'catch up' (Chinn and Fairlie: 2004:7). Factors contributing to the increasing ubiquity of PCs and access to the Internet are related to "Growing investment in information technology, falling prices through technological improvement and reductions in trade barriers, domestic production, and greater functionality..." (UNSD: 2004).
The growth rate for PC and Internet use is highest in developing countries. As stated by the United Nations,"These now account for 34 percent of all Internet users in 2002: a dramatic increase from the 2 percent share in 1991" (2004). However this dramatic growth, while impressive does not belie the fact that a substantial disparity still exists and a 'considerable amount' of time will be needed for developing nations to 'catch up' (Chinn and Fairlie: 2004:7). Factors contributing to the increasing ubiquity of PCs and access to the Internet are related to "Growing investment in information technology, falling prices through technological improvement and reductions in trade barriers, domestic production, and greater functionality..." (UNSD: 2004).
Where does the data come from?
Statistics for personal computers per 100 people and Internet users per 100 people comes from the International Telecommunications Union's World Telecommunication Indicators Database. The ITU derives its statistics from annual questionnaires and estimates based on a multitude of factors, such as Internet Service Provider subscriber accounts and supplementation by other sources (Chinn and Fairlie: 2004: 24).
Statistics for personal computers per 100 people and Internet users per 100 people comes from the International Telecommunications Union's World Telecommunication Indicators Database. The ITU derives its statistics from annual questionnaires and estimates based on a multitude of factors, such as Internet Service Provider subscriber accounts and supplementation by other sources (Chinn and Fairlie: 2004: 24).
What could change this inequality?
According to Chinn and Fairlie both Internet penetration rates and PC penetration rates are most greatly affected by per capita income. However this is not the only factor, both telecommunications infrastructure and the quality of regulation (property rights and effective institutions) also have a significant influence on the diffusion. Also increased education (years of schooling) is associated with greater Internet and, particularly, PC use. Changing these conditions could reduce the digital divide. But there may also be an effect in the opposite direction, that is increased spread of PC and Internet use could raise productivity and education. The maps show that there is general improvement across the globe in both PC and Internet use rates. There remains, nevertheless, a long way to go to achieve global digital equality.
According to Chinn and Fairlie both Internet penetration rates and PC penetration rates are most greatly affected by per capita income. However this is not the only factor, both telecommunications infrastructure and the quality of regulation (property rights and effective institutions) also have a significant influence on the diffusion. Also increased education (years of schooling) is associated with greater Internet and, particularly, PC use. Changing these conditions could reduce the digital divide. But there may also be an effect in the opposite direction, that is increased spread of PC and Internet use could raise productivity and education. The maps show that there is general improvement across the globe in both PC and Internet use rates. There remains, nevertheless, a long way to go to achieve global digital equality.
URL for maps: http://gis1.ucsc.edu/~ericw/index1.html Suggested further reading:
Warschauer, Mark. 2003. Technology and Social Inclusion: Rethinking the Digital Divide. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
References: Chinn, Menzie D., Robert W. Fairlie. 2004. "The Determinants of the Global Digital Divide: A Cross-Country Analysis of Computer and Internet Penetration." California Digital Library. Retrieved 13 July 2004. http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgirs/CGIRS-2004-3/
United Nations Statistics Division. 23 March 2004. "Goal 8 -- DDevelop a global Partnership for Development." Progress Towards the Millennium Development Goals, 1990 "2003. Retrieved 13 July 2004. http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_coverfinal.htm"
So, at least preliminarily, this is the direction I am heading. As always, I am open to, and welcome input.
Warschauer, Mark. 2003. Technology and Social Inclusion: Rethinking the Digital Divide. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
References: Chinn, Menzie D., Robert W. Fairlie. 2004. "The Determinants of the Global Digital Divide: A Cross-Country Analysis of Computer and Internet Penetration." California Digital Library. Retrieved 13 July 2004. http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgirs/CGIRS-2004-3/
United Nations Statistics Division. 23 March 2004. "Goal 8 -- DDevelop a global Partnership for Development." Progress Towards the Millennium Development Goals, 1990 "2003. Retrieved 13 July 2004. http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_coverfinal.htm"
So, at least preliminarily, this is the direction I am heading. As always, I am open to, and welcome input.
No comments:
Post a Comment