Community Informatics

Estratégias de Comunicação Política Online: Uma Análise do Perfil de José Serra no Twitter / Political Campaigns and Online Strategies: The case of the 2010 Brazilian Elections

by Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques

Co-authored with Fernando Wisse and Nina Matos. Published in Revista Contemporanea. vol.09 – n.03 – setembro-dezembro 2011.

Title in English: Political Campaigns and Online Strategies:
The case of the 2010 Brazilian Elections. Text in... more Title in English: Political Campaigns and Online Strategies:
The case of the 2010 Brazilian Elections. Text in Portuguese. Abstract in English: This article examines some of the main changes that Brazilian elections have faced thanks to the new media. More specifically, it studies how the candidate José Serra (PSDB, Brazilian Social Democracy Party) used Twitter over the 2010 presidential race. The text analyzes the new behaviors perceived once the digital media play an important role in getting votes. Are there new methods to run political campaigns? Or indeed one sees the continuity in the ways to reach voters? The study investigates the messages (tweets) posted by José Serra (@ joseserra_) during the 15 days before the 2nd round of presidential elections (17 to October 31, 2010). The empirical sample is based on the 221 messages posted by the candidate in the chosen period of time. On the one hand, we can say that the use of Twitter becomes important (a) to promote the public image of Serra; (b) to build a network with thousands of users willing to support him; and (c) to stimulate informal styles of interaction. On the other hand, it becomes evident that electoral strategies, even on Twitter, remain constrained by traditional conceptions of political marketing. KEYWORDS: Democracy. Elections. Internet. Online Campaigns. Twitter.

The Web-based Face-to-Face Economy

by Fabian Bethge

Evaluating Community Informatics as a means for local democratic renewal

by Ian Goodwin

Published in Understanding Community Media (ed. Kevin Howley)

Theorizing Community as Discourse in Community Informatics: "Resistant identities" and contested technologies

by Ian Goodwin

Published in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies

Community informatics (CI) is a form of activism that involves the application of information and communication... more Community informatics (CI) is a form of activism that involves the application of information and communication technologies in pursuit of community development within localities. This article draws on discourse theory (DT) to re-evaluate activists’ self-interpretations that rely on community, and to make sense of the political struggles at the heart of CI. It is argued that activists’ community discourse constructs, through articulation, locally “resistant” collective identities and an associated collective agency capable of appropriating technology in pursuit of unfulfilled social demands. However DT also suggests that the socially progressive nature of CI is not guaranteed by recourse to the social ideal of community.

COMMUNITY INFORMATICS AND THE LOCAL STATE IN THE UK: Facilitating or assimilating an agenda for change?

by Ian Goodwin

Published in Information, Communication and Society

The emerging discipline of community informatics (CI) has begun to trace out a distinct agenda for change in the... more The emerging discipline of community informatics (CI) has begun to trace out a distinct agenda for change in the social uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Focusing upon the appropriation of ICTs by local communities who have been disenfranchised by technological development, this agenda foregrounds uses of the Internet in the pursuit of distinctly community-related objectives. However, the role that the local state ought to play within this agenda for change remains marked by a degree of controversy and ambiguity. Assertions of the need for community autonomy coexist uneasily with a recognition that the local state can help develop and sustain CI. Much current work therefore focuses upon exploring notions of ‘partnership’ between the local state and local groups in developing CI. Against this background, this paper draws on a case study of Birmingham City Council (BCC) in order to explore a series of significant organizational changes to local government, which have seen BCC adopt a fundamentally new ‘community leadership’ role. This shift to community leadership is being expedited by innovative uses of Internet technology. It is argued that, rather than straightforwardly re-creating BCC as a better partner to community groups in developing CI, such changes are deeply paradoxical. In the first instance shifts to community leadership have enabled BCC to develop valuable web resources that enhance their role as a partner facilitating citizen-led CI. Conversely, however, these changes are bound up in a broader attempt by BCC to reassert managerial control at a time when its legitimacy as a social institution is being questioned. Faced with a series of external challenges, BCC has replicated important CI activities in the pursuit of its own interests. Ultimately it is argued that this assimilation of CI could eventually undermine the broader CI agenda for change.

Community Informatics, Local Community and Conflict: Investigating under-researched elements of a developing field of study

by Ian Goodwin

Published in Convergence

Conflict within local communities is an under-researched theme in Community Informatics (CI). This article therefore... more Conflict within local communities is an under-researched theme in Community Informatics (CI). This article therefore aims to contribute to the development of CI as a field of study by analysing forms of internal conflict within Moseley Egroup — a CI initiative developed in Moseley, Birmingham (UK). Ultimately it is argued that conflict is an inherent part of local community and is important to CI for a number of reasons. Conflict impacts on the appropriation and social shaping of internet technology by local communities, and has broader implications on the extent to which CI regenerates localities and empowers citizens. In this sense conflict is identified as a productive force, shaping and reshaping both local community and internet projects mobilized in its name. Conflict also draws attention to the contested and mutable relationship that exists in CI between the online spaces that are created and the localities they are set up to serve. It is concluded that conflict and forms of social struggle within communities should form a central part of the developing CI research agenda.

Connecting people: investigating a relationship between internet access and social cohesion in local community settings: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the …

by Jocelyn Williams

Free internet as an agent of community transformation

by Jocelyn Williams

Research informing practice: Toward effective engagement in community ICT in New Zealand

by Jocelyn Williams

Co-authored with Barbara Craig; published in Journal of Community Informatics (2011, Special Issue - Research in Action: Linking Communities and Universities)

New Zealand’s Computers in Homes has been researched since its inception in 2000, through both participatory action... more New Zealand’s Computers in Homes has been researched since its inception in 2000, through both participatory action research and multiple mixed methods case studies, by the authors of this paper who are now collaborating to find the most meaningful way to assess social outcomes in the scheme as it evolves.  Computers in Homes (CIH) not only continues to be informed by the research but it is also beginning to make use of social media for community participant engagement.  This paper traces the inter-relationship between the ongoing research and evolution of practice, reflecting on a shift in epistemology and thus research design.  Our work now extends to explore the relationship between community blogging, adopted by CIH as a way of engaging the community in making sense of their own experience and thus owning their own research, and the role of social relationships in facilitating a sense of belonging.  Our paper examines how the use of social media in this way may challenge the more traditional ideas and power relations inherent in the researcher-participant relationship in community ICT research.

"Muro Baixo, O Povo Pula": Iniciativas Institucionais de Participação Digital e seus Desafios Fundamentais / Is a short wall easy to climb? Digital democracy and participatory tools

by Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques

Title in English: Is a short wall easy to climb? Digital democracy and participatory tools. Text in Portuguese.... more Title in English: Is a short wall easy to climb? Digital democracy and participatory tools. Text in Portuguese. Abstract in English available: The article examines the difficulties faced by government projects aimed at fostering citizens' political participation by using the Internet. After presenting the participatory tools found on two institutional websites (the Brazilian Presidency and the House of Representatives), I examine how the constraints pointed out by a relevant part of the literature in e-participation are reflected on such initiatives. The discussion grounded on empirical evidences highlights the argument that promoting online participation needs more than providing communication resources, since civic culture and other issues are still key factors in influencing our patterns of political involvement. A participatory use of digital tools will then depend more on circumstances such as institutional willingness than on the technical mechanisms available.

Participation and Deliberation on the Internet: A case study on Digital Participatory Budgeting in Belo Horizonte

by Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques

Co-authored with Rafael Sampaio e Rousiley Maia.

This paper aims to examine how political conversations take place on the digital discursive tools offered as part of... more This paper aims to examine how political conversations take place on the digital discursive tools offered as part of the Digital Participatory Budget (OPD) in Belo Horizonte (Brazil). The authors propose an analytical model based on deliberative theories in order to investigate the discussions over this participatory program. The main sample consists of the messages posted by the users (n=375) on the commentaries section. The results show that reciprocity and reflexivity among interlocutors are rare; however, the respect among the participants and the justification levels in several arguments were high during the discussion. The authors conclude that, even in a situation in which there is no empowerment of the digital tools, the internet can effectively provide environments to enhance a qualified discursive exchange. In spite of low levels of deliberativeness, the case study shows that there are important gains concerning social learning among the participants.

Government and E-Participation Programs: A Study of the Challenges Faced by Institutional Projects

by Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques

This paper examines the difficulties faced by government projects aimed at fostering citizens political participation... more This paper examines the difficulties faced by government projects aimed at fostering citizens political participation by using the Internet. After presenting the participatory tools found on two institutional Web sites (the Brazilian Presidency and the House of Representatives), I examine how the constraints pointed out by a relevant part of the literature in e participation are reflected in such initiatives. Promoting online participation needs more than providing communication resources, since civic culture and other issues are still key factors in influencing our patterns of political involvement. A participatory use of digital tools depends more on circumstances, such as institutional willingness, than on technical mechanisms available.

Sobre a Comunicação Político-Partidária na Internet: Um Estudo dos Informativos Digitais do PT e do PSDB / Political party communications on the Internet: a study of the digital newsletters of the PT and the PSDB

by Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques

Title in English: Political party communications on the Internet: a study of the digital newsletters of the PT and the... more Title in English: Political party communications on the Internet: a study of the digital newsletters of the PT and the PSDB. Text in Portuguese. Abstract in English available: The purpose of this work is to evaluate how Brazilian political parties use their newsletters distributed by e-mail, which are intended to provide opinion-forming information for citizens with access to the Internet. The main question here is how President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva s administration is characterized in two specific newsletters: the first, called Informes PT, produced by the leadership of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers Party) in the Chamber of Deputies; the second, called Diário Tucano, published by the leadership of the PSDB (Brazilian Social Democratic Party), which opposes President Lula's administration in Congress. At certain points, the argumentative dispute about certain issues extends beyond the floor of Congress, reaching the Internet through party websites and newsletters. The news and opinions set forth in the aforementioned newsletters is analyzed to ascertain to what extent these two main Brazilian parties use the Internet as another instrument to compete for citizens votes and political support. The main conclusion is that the conventional media (such as radio and television) still receives the major portion of attention and investment by Brazilian parties and their media consultants, who have yet to learn how to deal with a medium that can provide more interactive opportunities for political participation and discussion..

Internet e Eleições 2010 no Brasil: Rupturas e continuidades nos padrões mediáticos das campanhas políticas online / Internet and Elections in Brazil: A study on the transformations of political campaigns over the last years

by Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques

Co-authored with Rafael Sampaio. Revista Galáxia, São Paulo, n. 22, p. 208-221, dez. 2011. Keywords: internet; democracia; representação; eleições; campanhas online, internet; democracy; representation; elections; online campaigns.

Title in English: Internet and the 2010 elections in Brazil: disruptions and continuities on the mediatic standards of... more Title in English: Internet and the 2010 elections in Brazil: disruptions and continuities on the mediatic standards of online political campaigns. Text in Portuguese. Abstract in English: This paper aims to identify some of the contemporary transformations in Brazilian online campaigns by analyzing three factors: (1) the new possibilities of providing political information, (2) the availability of mechanisms for participation and (3) the use of tools directed to improve accountability in electoral contexts. Paradoxically, such transformations have proven to be a kind of trend that directs how consultants manage online campaigns. In this sense, once the candidates – in case they wish to legitimize their political positions before their electorate – watch themselves being forced to offer the users abundant political information, as well as mechanisms of intervention and accountability, we consider this scenario and stand by the idea that improvement demands aimed at democracy as a whole end up being transferred to deputation candidates themselves.

Crafting supportive communication online: A communication design analysis of conflict in an online support group

by Mark Aakhus

Aakhus, M., & Rumsey, E. (2010). Crafting Supportive Communication Online: A Communication Design Analysis of Conflict in an Online Support Group. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 38(1), 65-84.

This study examines the constitution and maintenance of supportive communication at a distance by analyzing an episode... more This study examines the constitution and maintenance of supportive communication at a distance by analyzing an episode of conflict in an online cancer support community. Reconstruction of the flaming and hostile communication at the conflict's surface revealed a deeper struggle among community members about how interaction generates supportive communication. Findings indicate that, unlike conventionally understood sources of online conflict, the conflict in this context develops over (a) the right to criticize, (b) the role of venting, and (c) the value of disagreement in communicating support.

Argumentation Support: From technologies to tools

by Mark Aakhus

Moor, A. de, & Aakhus, M. (2006). Argumentation Support: From technologies to tools. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 93-98.

A plethora of technologies exist that are not necessarily tools. For technologies to become a tool, we contend,... more A plethora of technologies exist that are not necessarily tools. For technologies to become a tool, we contend, argumentation routines and design must coevolve. Argumentation is a crucial communicative activity in society. Many technologies exist that support argumentation, such as mailing lists, group decision-support systems, co- authoring, and negotiation support systems. However, many of these technologies do not work very well in practice; they often support discussions that do not sufficiently contribute to the purposes of their users. An important question therefore is: How to select or design information technologies that better support the argumentative practices of their community of use? In other words, how do technologies that support argumentation become real argumentation tools?

Argumentation support: from technologies to tools

by Mark Aakhus

Moor, A. D., & Aakhus, M. (2003). Argumentation support: from technologies to tools. In H. Weigand, G. Goldkuhl, & A. de Moor (Eds.), Proceedings of the 8th International Working Conference on the Language-Action Perspective on Communication Modelling (Vol. 49, pp. 93-98). Tilburg, The Netherlands: Working Conference on the Language Action Perspective.

A revised and updated version was published as:

Moor, A. de, & Aakhus, M. (2006). Argumentation Support: From technologies to tools. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 93-98.

Electronic argumentation support is increasingly important in today’s networked society. Virtual research... more Electronic argumentation support is increasingly important in today’s networked society. Virtual research collaboration, e-business, and many other domains of professional life critically depend on adequate support of tools for productive argumentative interactions. However, a plethora of technologies exist that are not necessarily tools. A technology only is a tool if it serves the purposes of the community in which it is used. In this paper, we outline an approach to diagnose to what extent a particular argumentation technology is a tool. We do this by combining a socio- technical view on technologies with a pragma-dialectical approach to argumentation analysis. We argue that for technologies to become a tool, argumentation routines and design need to co-evolve. We illustrate our approach by applying it to a case on group report authoring.

Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique: a Map

by Sara Vannini

White Paper

Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in Mozambique have been setup for a decade and represent the most common model of... more Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in Mozambique have been setup for a decade and represent the most common model of public access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) venues in the country.
This report briefly presents the history and typologies of CMCs in Mozambique, as well as an updated map of their current number and location. Finally, it casts a closer look to a sample of 10 CMCs, one per each province of the country, describing their context, cluster of services, technical instruments, group of people who manages CMCs and people who access them.
The information provided on the paper has been collected mostly in March – April 2011 within the field work of the project RE-ACT: social REpresentations of community multimedia centres and ACTions for improvement, a research and development project run by the NewMinE Lab: New Media in Education Laboratory of the Università della Svizzera italiana, University of Lugano, Switzerland, in collaboration with the Centre for African Studies and the Department of Mathemathics and Informatics of the University Eduardo
Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique.
This report is addressed to researchers and practitioners in the ICT for Development (ICT4D) field, as well as to policy makers working in the area.

Alone together: why we expect more from technology and less from each other

by Tara Brabazon

Times Higher Education, March 3, 2011

Evaluating ICT Adoption in Rural Brazil: A Quantitative Analysis of Telecenters as Agents of Social Change

by Mauro Câmara

This quantitative study surveyed 538 adults in isolated rural settings in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to... more This quantitative study surveyed 538 adults in isolated rural settings in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to examine whether telecenters operated by the non-profit organization Gems of the Earth improve digital literacy and promote social change. Using multivariate logistic regression, the study examined how individuals use information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the telecenter, and tested for predictors of their use. The findings confirm that these rural communities use ICTs for entertainment, to engage in civic participation, and to practice professional skills. The findings suggest that digital inclusion impacts these isolated communities by creating opportunities that may foster human development.