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Can Community Informatics/Networking ever become an academic subject?

Can Community Informatics/Networking ever become an academic subject?. Brian D. Loader & Leigh Keeble CIRA, University of Teesside, UK. Towards a new subject?. Community informatics/networking appearing on curriculum in H.E. & F.E. New academic networks emerging CIRN, CRACIN

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Can Community Informatics/Networking ever become an academic subject?

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  1. Can Community Informatics/Networking ever become an academic subject? Brian D. Loader & Leigh Keeble CIRA, University of Teesside, UK

  2. Towards a new subject? • Community informatics/networking appearing on curriculum in H.E. & F.E. • New academic networks emerging CIRN, CRACIN • New CI journal to be launched • Academics involved in community informatics/networking projects.

  3. Community informatics/networking as a course subject? • ICT becoming part of mainstream course provision e.g. business studies, public admin/mgt, social science etc… • Voluntary & community sector (VCS) important for social, economic, political development but slow adoption of ICTs • Little provision of VCS courses so CI/CN has no natural home • CI/CN modules

  4. What is the focus of analysis for community informatics/networking? • A Field of Study – multidisciplinary • Digital divide – access & connectivity • Computer skills & literacy • Economic regeneration – community businesses • Civic participation – e-dem/e-gov • Culture – difference & diversity • Place AND space?

  5. The methodological basis of community informatics/networking? • Theoretical basis – social capital, communitarianism, community studies. • Social network analysis • Predominantly Case studies not easily comparable • Often action research limited by partiality of researchers • Benefit from more empirical and/or critical approaches

  6. Is community informatics/networking a policy oriented subject? • Focus of CI/CN has strong policy implications – digital divide, regeneration, regulation, security, e-dem/gov. • Does it need to foster better ties with policy community? • What do policy-makers need from CI/CN? • Perhaps similarities with Public/Social Policy studies? – Could be a home?

  7. Is community informatics a practitioner subject? • Academics vs. Practitioners? • Difference better than assimilation • Understanding of respective roles and value • Focus outputs (publications, conferences, etc) on different audiences rather than please everyone.

  8. Future academic directions for community informatics/networking? • Separation of ‘is’ and ‘ought’ • Not value-neutral! Is it not possible to be both critical and practical, both speculative and pragmatic? • Challenge assumptions that CI/CN is necessarily beneficial • Develop clearer relationships and roles between academics, policy-makers & practitioners • Develop robust & comparable methodological basis for CI/CN • Widen field of investigation to include virtual networks, social movements, included & excluded.

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