RESEARCHERS: Alladi Venkatesh, Victor M. Gonzalez


This is a new initiative that integrates our previous studies and extends them to different segments of the community (families, neighborhoods, small businesses, civic groups, citizens). Guiding our study is a conceptual model that has four key elements: resources/access, skills, interests and activities. The focus is on deriving the implications of technology use for citizen participation.

Here is one example of the way this model is conceived. If a user segment does not have resources or access to technologies, this results in what is generally understood as a digital divide. So, the policy question is, how do we make sure that such segments are not left out? Similarly, if somebody has access to technology but lacks necessary skills or interests, a digital divide exists but not of the economic kind. For example, older citizens do not have the necessary training and opportunities to learn about technologies.

While research is in progress, current results show that because of opportunities now available for online citizen participation, a wider segment of population is participating in the political process. For example, technology gives them the flexibility to cast their ballots from their homes and at their convenience.

Results from this new initiative have been reported in The Information Society, Proceedings of TED Conference, and a co-edited book, ICT for the Next Billion based on an international conference (HOIT 2007) in India (August 2007).