Closing the Digital Divide in Low-Income Urban Communities: A Domestication Approach
ARTICLE
Patrick Wamuyu
IJELLO Volume 13, Number 1, ISSN 1552-2237 Publisher: Informing Science Institute
Abstract
Aim/Purpose: Significant urban digital divide exists in Nairobi County where low income households lack digital literacy skills and do not have access to the internet. The study was undertaken as an intervention, designed to close the digital divide among low income households in Nairobi by introducing internet access using the domestication framework. Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to help reduce social inequality and have been hailed as critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs). Skills in use of ICTs have also become a prerequisite for almost all forms of employment and in accessing government services, hence, the need for digital inclusion for all. Methodology: In this research study, I employed a mixed methods approach to investigate the problem. This was achieved through a preliminary survey to collect data on the existence of urban digital divide in Nairobi and a contextual analysis of the internet domestication process among the eighteen selected case studies. Contribution: While there have been many studies on digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, within the African continent, among genders and between rural and urban areas at national levels, there are few studies exploring urban digital divide and especially among the marginalized communities living in the low-income urban areas. Findings: Successful domestication of internet and related technologies was achieved among the selected households, and the households appreciated the benefits of having and using the internet for the first time. A number of factors that impede use of internet among the marginalized communities in Nairobi were also identified. Recommendations for Practitioners: In the study, I found that use of differentiated costs internet services targeting specific demographic groups is possible and that use of such a service could help the marginalized urban communities’ access the internet. Therefore, ISPs should offer special internet access packages for the low-income households. Recommendation for Researchers: In this research study, I found that the urban digital divide in Nairobi is an indication of social economic development problems. Therefore, researchers should carryout studies involving multipronged strategies to address the growing digital divide among the marginalized urban communities. Impact on Society: The absence of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) inclusion policy is a huge setback to the achievement of the SDGs in Kenya. Digital inclusion policies prioritizing digital literacy training, universal internet access and to elucidate the social-economic benefits of internet access for all Kenyans should be developed. Future Research: Future studies should explore ways of providing affordable mass internet access solutions among the residents of low-income communities and in eliminating the persistence urban digital divide in Kenya.
Citation
Wamuyu, P. (2017). Closing the Digital Divide in Low-Income Urban Communities: A Domestication Approach. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 13(1), 117-142. Informing Science Institute. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/181955/.
Keywords
References
View References & Citations Map- Aarsand, P.A. (2007). Computer and videogames in family life: The digital divide as a resource in intergenerational interactions. Childhood, 14(2), 235-256. Https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568207078330
- Abuiyada, R., Rauff, S., & Eteiwi, A. (2016). The effect of internet usage on relations between members of the Omani family in the Dhofar region. Asian Social Science, 12(4), 131-137.
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall.
- Bhattacherjee, A. (2001). Understanding information systems continuance: An expectation-confirmation model. MIS Quarterly, 25(3), 351-370.
- Best, M.L. (2004). Can the internet be a human right? Human Rights& Human Welfare, 4(1), 23-31. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.501.4365
- Belanger, F., & Carter, L. (2009). The impact of the digital divide on e-government use. Communications of the ACM, 52(4), 132-135.
- Bhuiyan, S.H. (2011). Modernizing Bangladesh public administration through e-governance: Benefits and challenges. Government Information Quarterly, 28(1), 54-65.
- Bolin, G. (2010). Domesticating the mobile in Estonia. New Media and Society, 12(1), 55-73.
- Candiracci, S., & Syrjänen, R. (2007). UN habitat and the Kenya slum upgrading programme strategy document. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHABITAT): Nairobi.
- Chen, W. & Wellman, B. (2004). The global digital divide within and between countries. IT& Society, 1(7), 3945. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.207.1713
- Chen, Y. (2013). How we share: Across-cultural comparison of tablet adoption and usage between the United States and Taiwan. Intercultural Communication Studies, 22(2), 134-150. Retrieved from http://www.uri.edu/iaics/content/2013v22n2/Yi-FanChen.pdf
- Chigona, A., Chigona, W., Kausa, M., & Kayongo, P. (2010). An empirical survey on domestication of ICT in schools in disadvantaged communities in South Africa. International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT, 6(2), 21-32. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1085003
- Collier, P. (2008). The bottom billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Communications Authority of Kenya. (2016). Quarterly Sector Statistics Report Third Quarter for the Financial Year 2015/2016. Retrieved from http://ca.go.ke/images/downloads/STATISTICS/Sector Statistics Report Q3
- Creswell, J.W., & Miller, D.L. (2000). Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory into Practice, 39(3), 124130.
- Davis, F.D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340.
- Donnermeyer, J.F. & Hollifield, C.A. (2003). Digital divide evidence in four rural towns. IT& Society, 1(4), 107117. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.200.7942
- Ferrari, A. (2012). Digital competence in practice: An analysis of frameworks. Sevilla: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective, Technological Studies.
- Fischer, C.S. (1992). America calling: A social history of the telephone to 1940. California: University of California Press.
- Fong, M.W. (2009). Digital divide: The case of developing countries. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 6, 471-478.
- Frissen, V.A.J. (2000). ICTs in the rush hour of life. The Information Society, 16, 65-75.
- Government of Kenya. (2007). Kenya vision 2030: A globally competitive and prosperous Kenya. Nairobi: Government Printers.
- Gulyani, S., & Talukdar, D. (2008). Slum real estate: The low-quality high-price puzzle in Nairobi’s slum rental market and its implications for theory and practice (article), World Development, 36(10), 1916-1937.
- WamuyuHabib, L. & Cornford, T. (2001, June). Computers in the home: Domestic technology and the process of domestication. Paper presented at the European Conference on Information Systems, Bled, Slovenia.
- Haddon, L. (2006). The contribution of domestication research to in-home computing and media consumption. The Information Society, 22, 195-203.
- Hahn, H.P., & Kibora, L. (2008). The domestication of the mobile phone: oral society and new ICT in Burkina Faso. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 46(1), 87-109.
- Holcomb, L.B., Brown, S.W., Kulikowich, J.M., & Zheng, D. (2003, May). Raising educational technology self-efficacy through assessment. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Atlanta, USA.
- Hynes, D., & Richardson, H. (2009). What use is domestication theory to information systems research? In Y. Dwivedi, B. Lal, M.D. Williams, S.L. Schneberger, & M. Wade (Eds.), The handbook of research on contemporary theoretical models in information systems. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
- Johnson, M.P. (2006) Decision models for the location of community corrections centers. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 33(3), 393-341.
- Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (2010). The 2009 Kenya population and housing census, counting our people for the implementation of Vision 2030 volume 1A: Population distribution by administrative units. Nairobi: Government Printer.
- Kher, H.V., Downey, J.P., & Monk, E. (2013). A longitudinal examination of computer self-efficacy change trajectories during training. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1816-1824.
- Kim, J. (2015). Basic infrastructure services are essential for urbanization – but who will pay? Retrieved from https://newcities.org/basic-infrastructure-services-are-essential-for-urbanization-but-who-will-pay/
- Kiri, K., & Menon, D. (2006). For profit rural kiosks in India: Achievements and challenges. Information for Development, 4(6), 14-16. Retrieved from http://www.i4donline.net/articles/currentarticle.asp?articleid=700 & Typ=Features
- Kvasny, L., Payton, F.C., Mbarika, V.W., Amadi, A., & Meso, P. (2008). Gendered perspectives on the digital divide, IT education, and workforce participation in Kenya. IEEE Transactions on Education, 51(2), 256-261.
- Letsie, M., Kabanda, S., & Chigona, W. (2015). Economically disadvantaged families domesticating mobile devices: Case of South African. Proceedings of the 9th IDIA conference, 72-83. Retrieved from http://www.developmentinformatics.org/conferences/2015/papers/5-letsie-kabanda-chigona.pdf
- Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
- Mayer, R.E., Quilici, J.L., & Moreno, R. (1999). What is learned in an after-school computer club? Journal of Educational Computing Research, 20(3), 223-235. Https://doi.org/10.2190/V1UG-2W6F-4RYH-5R9T
- Mesch, G. (2006). Family relations and the internet: Exploring a family boundaries approach. The Journal of Family Communication, 6(2), 119-138.
- Mor, D., Laks, H., & Hershkovitz, A. (2016). Computer skills training and readiness to work with computers. Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and LifeLong Learning, 12, 95-112. Https://doi.org/10.28945/3451
- Ochara, N.M., & Mawela, T. (2015). Enabling social sustainability of e-participation through mobile technology, Information Technology for Development, 21(2), 205–228.
- Olatokun, W.M. (2008). Gender and national ICT policy in Africa: Issues, strategies, and policy options. Information Development, 24(1), 53-65.
- Ono, H., & Zavodny, M. (2007). Digital inequality: A five country comparison using microdata. Social Science Research, 36(3), 1135-1155.
- Oxfam. (2009). Urban poverty and vulnerability in Kenya. Background analysis for the preparation of an Oxfam GB urban programme focused on Nairobi. Nairobi: Oxfam.
- Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, B., & Adeya, N.C. (2004). Internet access in Africa: Empirical evidence from Kenya and Nigeria. Telematics and Informatics, 21(1), 67-81. Https://doi.org/10.1016/S0736-5853(03)00023-6
- Pedersen, P.E., & Ling, R. (2002) Modifying adoption research for mobile internet service adoption: Crossdisciplinary interactions. Proceedings of the 36th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences. IEEE Computer Society.
- Pierson, J. (2006). Domestication at work in small businesses. In T. Berker, M. Hartmann, Y. Punie, & K. Ward (Eds.), Domestication of media and technologies (pp. 205-226). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
- Polit, D.F., & Beck, C.T. (2010). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams& Wilkins.
- Ragnedda M. (2017). The third digital divide: A Weberian approach to digital inequalities. London: Routledge.
- Rao, S.S. (2005). Bridging digital divide: Efforts in India. Telematics and Informatics, 22, 361–375.
- Richardson, H.J. (2009). A ‘smart house’ is not a home: The domestication of ICTs. Information Systems Frontiers, 11(5), 599-608.
- Rogers, E.M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th Ed.). New York: Free Press.
- Scott, J. (1997). Changing households in Britain: Do families still matter? The Sociological Review, 45(4), 591-620.
- Silverman, D. (2007). Interpreting qualitative data. (3rd ed.). London: SAGE Publications.
- Silverstone, R. (1994). Television and everyday life. New York: Routledge.
- WamuyuSilverstone, R. (2006) Domesticating domestication: reflections on the life of a concept. In B. Thomas, H. Maren, P. Yves, & K.J. Ward (Eds.), Domestication of media and technology (pp. 229-248). Maidenhead, UK: Open
- Silverstone, R., Hirsch, E., & Morley, D. (1992). Information and communication technologies and the moral economy of the household. In R. Silverstone & E. Hirsch (Eds.), Consuming technologies: Media and information in domestic spaces (pp. 15-31). London: Routledge.
- UN-HABITAT. (2003). The challenge of slums – Global report on human settlements 2003. London and Sterling, Earthscan Publications. Retrieved from http://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=1156
- Tharanganie, T.H., Wickremasinghe, W.N., & Lakraj, G.P. (2011). An assessment of computer awareness and literacy among entry-level University of Colombo undergraduates: A case study. International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions, 4(1), 15-25.
- Toyama, K. (2011). Technology as amplifier in international development. Proceedings of the 2011 iConference, 7582.
- Unwin, T. (2009). The technologies: Identifying appropriate solutions for development needs. In T. Unwin (Ed.), ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development: Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~ihw/papers/09-IHW-DB-ICT4DChapter4.pdf
- Vaičiūnienė, V., & Mažeikienė, V. (2016) Media literacy and information literacy: Conceptual convergence into a composite notion of MIL. Societal studies, 8(1), 78-94.
- Van Dijk, J.A.G.M. (2005). The deepening divide. Inequality in the information society. London: Sage.
- Vehovar V., Sicherl P., Hüsing T., & Dolnicar V. (2006). Methodological challenges of digital divide measurements. The Information Society, 22, 279-290.
- Vuojärvi, H., Isomäki, H., & Hynes, D. (2010). Domestication of a laptop on a wireless university campus: A case study. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2), 250-267. Https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.1094
- Waema, T., & Miroro, O.O. (2014). Access and use of ICT and its contribution to poverty reduction in Kenya. In O.E. Adera, T. Waema, J. May, O. Mascarenhas, & K. Diga (Eds.), ICT pathways to poverty reduction: Empirical evidence from East and Southern Africa (pp. 102–131). Ottawa: Practical Action, IDRC.
- Wamuyu, P.K. (2015). The impact of information and communication technology adoption and diffusion on technology entrepreneurship in developing countries: The case of Kenya. Information Technology for Development, 21(2), 253-280.
- Wolcott, P., Press, L., McHenry, W., Goodman, S., & Foster, W. (2001). A framework for assessing the global diffusion of the internet. Journal of the Association for the Information Systems, 2(6), 1-50. Retrieved from http://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1181&context=jais
- Wyche, S.P., Forte, A., & Schoenebeck, Y. (2013, April). Hustling online: Understanding consolidated Facebook use in an informal settlement in Nairobi. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 2823–2832). New York: ACM.
These references have been extracted automatically and may have some errors. Signed in users can suggest corrections to these mistakes.
Suggest Corrections to References