Unpacking Empowerment in ICT4D Research

Pandey, P. and Zheng, Y. 2019. Unpacking Empowerment in ICT4D Research. in: Nielsen, P. and Honest Christopher, K. (ed.) Information and Communication Technologies for Development. Strengthening Southern-Driven Cooperation as a Catalyst for ICT4D Springer.

Chapter titleUnpacking Empowerment in ICT4D Research
AuthorsPandey, P. and Zheng, Y.
EditorsNielsen, P. and Honest Christopher, K.
Abstract

Information and communication technology is said to provide paths to empowerment, yet the current ICT4D literature weakly conceptualises how this occurs. This article questions the conceptual alignment between the empowerment concept and the actual empowerment outcome attained through technology. We use Alsop and Heinsohn’s measuring empowerment framework and Zimmerman’s individual empowerment framework to analyse the missing links between empowerment and technology within current ICT4D research. We argue that research on empowerment in ICT4D needs to (1) be more specific about what type of empowerment takes place; (2) take into account both agency level changes and socio-institutional structures, (3) consider the dual effect of both empowerment and disempowerment.

KeywordsEmpowerment
Disempowerment
Structure
Agency
ICT4D
Book titleInformation and Communication Technologies for Development. Strengthening Southern-Driven Cooperation as a Catalyst for ICT4D
Year2019
PublisherSpringer
Publication dates
Published27 Apr 2019
ISBN9783030191146
9783030191153
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19115-3_8
Web address (URL)https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-19115-3_8

Related outputs

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Pandey, Priyanka and Zheng, Yingqin 2023. Technologies of Power in Digital Inclusion. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 24 (5), pp. 1334-1357. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00822

Social positioning matters: A socialized affordance perspective of mHealth in India
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Power, Technology and Empowerment: A Case Study of Community Health Workers in India
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