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Theme 5: Transfer of Information Technology
and Knowledge - Development and Underdevelopment |
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Number of abstracts
currently posted to this Theme: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
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to List of Themes |
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(Last updated:
September 28th, 2005) |
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The Urgent Need to Rewire and
Reboot the WSIS Machine |
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Amy West, Researcher |
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ARTICLE 19: The Global
Campaign for Free Expression, Manchester, Connecticut,
USA |
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Audrey Selian, PhD
Candidate |
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Fletcher School of Law
& Diplomacy, Tufts University, Manhasset, New
York, USA |
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ICTs ascribe a cosmetic sense of progress
and modernization counterproductive to developing
countries burdened by the effects of poverty,
illiteracy, conflict and health crises. Our paper
explores the dangers of a WSIS that assumes ICTs
bring development, information and participation
while overlooking the ramifications of funding
technologies inappropriate to the capacity of
targeted populations and their governments. Most
research concerning ICT project implementation
fails to acknowledge the variance of political
systems and social strata existent in the developing
world. There is a clear dearth of
best practice related to the way ICTs can empower
the marginalized to exercise their rights and
responsibilities, as part of a cohesive network
pursuing sustainable development. |
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Based on technology and policy research,
along with interviews, we consider a number
of alternative approaches to communication
infrastructure. We start by analyzing governmental
structures responsible for the adoption of
ICTs in the effort to deliver “basic
services” to their citizenry. We then
investigate a number of communities in the
developing world, and employ a micro-analytical
lens on several cases. Through these,
we assess the relevance of ICTs (such as computer
technologies, use of government portals on
the internet, etc.) and juxtapose this with
the presence of more informal, low-tech communications. Research
will be conducted in the Caucasus and sub-Saharan
Africa, as we use examples from the developing
world to argue a) against transplanting
ICT solutions from one country to the next;
b) for hybrid solutions to ICT penetration
and connectivity in areas with critical infrastructure
and capacity challenges. |
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The Global Spread of the
Internet: |
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The Role of International
Diffusion Pressures and Politics in Technology
Adoption |
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Helen
V. Milner, B.C.
Forbes Professor of Politics and International
Affairs |
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Woodrow Wilson School & Department
of Politics, Princeton University |
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Princeton, New Jersey,
USA |
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What factors have promoted and retarded the spread
of the internet globally? Much as other technologies,
the internet has diffused unevenly across countries.
The main proposition is that its spread is neither
purely economic nor entirely domestic. International
diffusion pressures exert a powerful influence.
The adoption of new technology depends on domestic
policy, and this in turn depends on the choices
that political leaders make about rules governing
new technologies. I examine the impact of international
diffusion pressures on political leaders, testing
the role of five types of such pressures. The distribution
of capabilities globally may shape the spread of
the internet, as dominant power(s) may directly
or indirectly coerce others into adopting. Patterns
of adoption may also be shaped by competitive pressures
from the world market. Technological change especially
may depend on network externalities, involving
the number of adopters already in existence. Learning
from other countries or from participating in international
organizations may stimulate adoption. Finally,
countries may simply copy the policies and hence
the adoption patterns of other countries with whom
they share sociological similarities. Data from
about 190 countries since 1990 shows that diffusion
pressures matter, even when controlling for domestic
factors. Economic competition and sociological
emulation play consistently important roles in
affecting the spread of the internet. The effect
of democracy is also strong. |
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New Forms of Structural
Inequalities in the World, |
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Regional Subglobalization
and Dependent Modernization of the Balkans |
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Ljubisa
Mitrovic, Professor |
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Faculty of Philosophy,
University of Nis, Serbia and Montenegro |
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In the paper, the author discusses, starting
from the paradigm of the world-system analysis
and the theory of dependence, the sources of
structural inequalities in the modern world.
A special emphasis is laid upon the exploration
of new forms of dependence embodied in an information
gap between the developed and the underdeveloped
countries and in the monopolies over new technologies
and mass media. In this context the role of symbolic
power and “symbolic repression” (Pierre
Bourdieu) in the production of structural violence,
in the reproduction and expansion of the culture
of dependence and cultural imperialism is analyzed. |
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The author at the same time especially analyzes
contradictions and peculiarities of the regional
subglobalization of the Balkans illustrating
it with numerous indicators and pointing out
critically to the devastating consequences of
the process of cloned dependent modernization
that has brought about peripherization of economy
and societies of the Balkan countries. At the
end of the paper, the author puts an emphasis
upon the necessity of the region’s Eurointegration
since it is the necessary prerequisite of its
pacification, democratic transition and development. |
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Open Source Software, Digital Divide, and Development |
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Giampaolo Garzarelli, Professor |
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Universitita
degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza",
Rome, Italy |
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Bjorn Thomassen, Lecturer |
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Department of International
Relations, The American University
of Rome, Italy |
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Yasmina
Reem Limam, Affiliate
(pictured) |
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Faculté de Sciences
Economiques et de Gestion de Nabeul, Route Hammamet
El Mrezga, Nabeul, Tunisia |
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Computer technology is arguably at the very center
of the globalization process and its attendant
digital divide, namely, the uneven spread of such
technology. Some studies suggest that social and
economic inequalities are deepening with the ongoing
globalization process since access to such technology
keeps concentrating in the Most Developed Countries.
This problem is most often addressed by focusing
on how to diffuse computer hardware technology
in the Least Developed Countries. But it is seldom
acknowledged that there is a complementary aspect
of the digital divide that must be overcome as
well: its software counterpart. The paper therefore
questions the often-made claim that the unilateral
source of the digital divide is the uneven distribution
of the hardware that promotes worldwide communication,
i.e., computers and its related hardware (e.g.,
network access). We shall argue that just as computer
technology is an engine of development so too is
software. But the software we have in mind as an
engine of development is not the proprietary one
(e.g., Microsoft) but the Open Source Software
(OSS) one (e.g., Linux, Apache). A fundamental
advantage of OSS vis-à-vis its proprietary
alternative is that it has licensing schemes that
specify that the source code is available, can
be freely copied, modified, and distributed. Moreover,
often times OSS is also available gratis. Our argument
will be grounded in an emerging theoretical framework
recently developed in the economics literature – called
General Purpose Technology – from which we
will derive novel policy implications. (242 words.) |
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Have Nots in the Global Academy: The Information
Society and the Digital Divide in the Academic
Workplace |
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Catherine
Cassara, Associate
Professor |
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School of Communication
Studies, Bowling Green State University |
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Laura Lengel, Associate
Professor |
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School of Communication
Studies, Bowling Green State University |
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Bowling Green, Ohio, USA |
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Democracies function best where there is free
access to information and where unhindered discussions
allow citizens to examine all sides of civic issues.
Because higher education is known as a birthplace
for civic debate, it is an essential partner in
any society’s transition to democracy. As
Tunisia, and other Middle East and North African
(MENA) nations move toward democracy, it is imperative
that their university teachers and researchers
have access to current research literature, access
to civil society debates, and access to make their
voices heard. |
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Formerly defined as a Global North and South
issue, the academic digital divide is now a resource
issue that affects universities in all global regions.
This paper addresses how sustainable university
partnerships can bridge the academic digital divide
by collaborative research, access for academics
in less-privileged environments to well-funded
university research databases, and online interaction
between students in various international contexts.
It explores the benefits of university partnerships
for well-funded universities, through exposure
to other cultures and perspectives on modernization
and development. |
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Based on over a decade of research on information
and communication technology in locations such
as North Africa and the former Soviet Union, the
paper examines the structure of inequality for
university teachers and researchers in under-funded
universities. The authors draw from personal interviews
and a survey of academic researchers, librarians
and university administrators in countries across
four continents. The paper also discusses the importance
of developing partnerships with government, education
and industry for information and communication
technology initiatives to sustain and flourish. |
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Encountering the Information
Society through a National Variation Lens: The
Peculiarities of the 'Greek Model' |
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Dimitris
Boucas, Researcher |
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London School of Economics,
London, England, United Kingdom |
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The concept of the ‘information society’ has
been systematically deployed to denote a set of
significant economic and social transformations
with implications for governance and potential
for development and quality of life. |
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This paper argues that, instead of viewing ‘information
society’ as an abstract device, one should
examine the rich articulation of ICTs with thick
social, political and institutional contexts. In
particular, it claims that the national frame is
always characterised by a historically developed
specific relationship between the state, the economy
and the national society, which inflects global
information society tendencies and processes. |
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Moreover, while ICT-related social change and
relevant information society initiatives have been
studied in both developed and developing nations,
limited research has been undertaken in semi-peripheral
middle-income countries. This is the gap that this
paper seeks to fill, notably in the south European
context. Examining the case of Greece, it attempts
to highlight the ways in which the emerging information
society (following EU goals and promoted through
recent national initiatives) is in historical continuity
with certain characteristics of the Greek social
formation, namely incomplete industrialisation,
complex state/industry relationships, clientelistic
relations, anti-developmental state administration
and weak civil society. All these can highlight
potential advantages, impediments and implementation
prospects and contribute to what can be called ‘a
Greek information society model’. |
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The paper claims that such social, economic and
cultural particularities have to be carefully considered,
analysed and even exploited, if development and
quality of life are to follow from the information
society project. |
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Transfer of Information
Technology and Knowledge: The PETREL Experience |
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Adesida
Adelola |
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The Federal University
of Technology, Akure, Nigeria |
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Development has been the word since Schlumberger
donated PETREL software to six universities in
Nigeria last quarter 2004. Prior to this event,
undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers
and lecturers, hardly had access to latest software
technology for training and research. However,
things have since changed and have led to the development
and empowerment of both the trainers and the trainees
in these Nigerian universities. This programme
has enhanced the productivity of the trainers,
empowered the students and placed within our reach
the latest fast growing static and dynamic 3D modelling
tool in the industry. It is indeed a transfer of
technology and knowledge that has metamorphosed
into a single word: development. This type of synergy
between the academia and the industry should be
encouraged in all other countries because it helps
to bridge the divide between the have and the have-nots.
Moreover, it is important for the success of our
research efforts, advancement of our profession
and safekeeping of our future. |
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Transfer of Information
Technology and Knowledge: The PETREL Experience |
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Olajide
Adekeye, |
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University of Ilorin,
Lagos, Nigeria |
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The global development lesson for the survival
of societies and nations of the future has been
boldly written and document within the development
context and process of the 19th century.
In the 21st century, the greatest challenge facing most African nations is the
digital divide challenge! Lesson from global 19th century development have shown
that science and technology formed the bedrock of classification of the growth
and development stations of Africa – this created the industrial divide.
In other words, we all live under the face of this planet before the Agricultural
Revolution was transformed into Industrial Revolution, which consequently led
to mass production of goods and services. But while some nations became conscious
of the consequences and the future impact of such development phase, others were
as it were, asleep and unaware.
The consequences thereafter, as we all know witness today – are that suddenly
the world became classified into “industrialized” (or developed)
and “non – industrialized” (or non – developed) nations.
These process classifications further led to what we now know as “first
world, second world, third world and so on”. That is the rich and the poor
nations.
This century therefore will create a “digital divide”. And just as
the industrial divide created” rich nations” and “poor nations”,
so will digital divide create” super rich nations “ and” super
poor nations” of the future. The equation will remain the same: that is,
the competition between creative production and docile consumption.
That digital divide will occur within the next three decades is indeed crystal
clear. What is not clear is how it will impact of nations who are now not consciously
aware of the advantages of the momentum. The digital divide, therefore will be
determined by the efforts of each nation on how timely and effectively it address
issue of its national informatics development policy- both in its framework design
and implementation.
The engine room of information societies is the information infrastructure software
is the heart of this informatics infrastructure and will be the main determinant
of future global development competition…………………… |
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Providing Universal Access
to Basic Telecommunication Services in Developing
Countires - An Institutional Economics Approach |
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Thorsten
Scherf, Research
Assistant, Lecturer, and Doctoral Student |
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Institute for Co-operation
in Developing Countries (ICDC), University
of Marburg, Marburg, Germany |
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A critical element of most national telecom
policy objectives in developing countries is
advancing universal access. Due to specific
characteristics, rural areas in developing
countries are of the most challenging regions.
It is widely recognized that there are limits
to how well the market can or will function
in extending service in these areas. Therefore
telecom policy has to intervene in the market
to ensure the provision of telecommunications.
This paper examines some frequently implemented
measures for providing universal access in
rural areas: universal access obligations,
universal access funds in conjunction with
minimum-subsidy competitive auctions, build-operate-transfer
contracts and regional co-operatives. Despite
experiencing that results and satisfaction
with them are far from uniform across countries,
there is no systematic theoretical analysis
of relative effectiveness of these measures.
This article addresses this lack by applying
a principal agent model to explore the incentive
schemes of the announced mechanisms. This is
done by taking into account the impact of economic,
institutional and governance characteristics
of developing countries. This paper carves
out relative advantages of implementing one
or another measure depending on the features
existing institutional frameworks. It is shown
that successful measures in one institutional
setting may be only second or third best in
another. Formal analysis is illustrated by
some actual universal access experiences in
Peru, Bolivia and Uganda. |
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