RE-ACT & Social Representations of CMCs in Mozambique PhD progresses @ 4th Cross-Field Residential Seminar - focus on my literature review

1. Community Multimedia Centres
in Mozambique:
a contribution from the Theory
of Social Representations.
Sara Vannini ‒ NewMinE Lab
Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano.

3. (Social REpresentations of Community
Multimedia Centres in Mozambique
and ACTions for improvement).
RE-ACT

5. Research Question
Social Representations
Theory
Methods
Application
Need

6. Research Question
Social Representations
Theory
Methods
Application
Need

7. Research Question
Social Representations
Theory
Methods
Improved
Research Question?
Application
Need

9. What are the social representations of
CMCs in Mozambique
(according to different stakeholders)?

10. What are the social representations of
CMCs in Mozambique
(according to different stakeholders)?

11. What are the social representations of
CMCs in Mozambique
(according to different stakeholders)?

13. telecentres
community radios

15. CMCs in Mozambique in 2011

16. What are the social representations of
CMCs in Mozambique
(according to different stakeholders)?

17. Social Representations
Moscovici, 1973

18. Social Representations
Moscovici, 1973
systems of values, ideas and practices,
that are shared among a given group

19. Social Representations
Making sense of the reality
Communicate

20. Semiotic Triangle of SR

21. agency
negotiation
cognitive polyphasia
Semiotic Triangle of SR

23. Bauer & Gaskell, 1999
Toblerone Model

25. Why SR Theory could be suitable
for the ICT4D domain?

26. Design-Reality Gap (Heeks, 2008)
Misalignments may lead to
sustainability issues (Rega, 2010)
ICTs entered Mozambican
communities abruptly and
are symbolically charged
(Contarello & Sarrica, 2007)
Epistemologically:
constructionist & non-sperimental
Triadic:
• no separation individual
perception/socio-cultural
context
• focus on communication
• not focused on internal
decision-making process

29. Design-Reality Gap (Heeks, 2008)
Misalignments may lead to
sustainability issues (Rega, 2010)
ICTs entered Mozambican
communities abruptly and
are symbolically charged
(Contarello & Sarrica, 2007)
Epistemologically:
constructionist & non-sperimental
Triadic:
• no separation individual
perception/socio-cultural
context
• focus on communication
• not focused on internal
decision-making process

30. What do Local People Think about Telecentres?
A Key Issue for Sustainability.
Rega, 2010

31. Design-Reality Gap (Heeks, 2008)
Misalignments may lead to
sustainability issues (Rega, 2010)
ICTs entered Mozambican
communities abruptly and
are symbolically charged
(Contarello & Sarrica, 2007)
Epistemologically:
constructionist & non-sperimental
Triadic:
• no separation individual
perception/socio-cultural
context
• focus on communication
• not focused on internal
decision-making process

32. Design-Reality Gap (Heeks, 2008)
Misalignments may lead to
sustainability issues (Rega, 2010)
ICTs entered Mozambican
communities abruptly and
are symbolically charged
(Contarello & Sarrica, 2007)
Epistemologically:
constructionist & non-sperimental
Triadic:
• no separation individual
perception/socio-cultural
context
• focus on communication
• not focused on internal
decision-making process

33. Design-Reality Gap (Heeks, 2008)
Misalignments may lead to
sustainability issues (Rega, 2010)
ICTs entered Mozambican
communities abruptly and
are symbolically charged
(Contarello & Sarrica, 2007)
Epistemologically:
constructionist & non-sperimental
Triadic:
• no separation individual
perception/socio-cultural
context/others
• focus on communication
• not focused on internal
decision-making process

35. Current Status of the Literature

36. Applied vs Theorethical

37. Applied vs Theorethical
What is the current status of studies about Social
Representations in ICT4D?
• Purpose
• Methodology
• Geographical areas of application

38. Applied vs Theorethical
What is the current status of studies about Social
Representations in ICT4D?
• Purpose
• Methodology
• Geographical areas of application

39. Applied vs Theorethical
What is the current status of studies about Social
Representations in ICT4D?
• Purpose
• Methodology
• Geographical areas of application

40. Applied vs Theorethical
What is the current status of studies about Social
Representations in ICT4D, Development, & ICTs?
• Purpose
• Methodology
• Geographical areas of application
• Which sectors of International Development have been
considered?

41. SR +
International
Development
SR +
ICT4D
SR +
ICTs

42. Inclusion
Criteria
(EN, FR, PT,
ES, IT)
ICT4D
everything possible
(7 journals, ICTD conference, Science Direct, GScholar)
ICTs
Journals of Social Psychology, Science Direct, GScholar
Development
Journals of Development, Science Direct, Gscholar
Reference check

43. Inclusion
Criteria
ICT4D
everything possible
(7 journals, ICTD conference, Science Direct, GScholar)
ICTs
Journals of Social Psychology, Science Direct, GScholar
Development
Journals of Development, Science Direct, Gscholar
Reference check
Journals of International Development
Meta-discourse about Development in
Developing Countries
Areas of Development only when for
developing purposes in developing
countries

45. Language SR + ICT4D SR + ICTs SR + Development Total
EN 6 9 8 23
ES 0 1 3 4
Total 6 10 11 27

46. Language SR + ICT4D SR + ICTs SR + Development Total
EN 6 9 8 23
ES 0 1 3 4
Total 6 10 11 27

47. Language SR + ICT4D SR + ICTs SR + Development Total
EN 6 9 8 23
ES 0 1 3 4
Total 6 10 11 27

48. Geographical Areas
21
1
1
9
8
6
1
2
7
1

49. Development Areas
ICT4D ICTs Development Tot
Health 5 5
Access to
information 4 11 4
Identity/stigma 1 3 4
Education 1 2 3
Development per se 3 3
Government/
Participation 2 2
Gender 1 1 2

50. Development Areas
ICT4D ICTs Development Tot
Health 5 5
Access to
information 4 11 4
Identity/stigma 1 3 4
Education 1 2 3
Development per se 3 3
Government/
Participation 2 2
Gender 1 1 2

52. Methods of Data Collection
1
1
1
2
3
5
7
7
11
9
Scripts (storytelling)
Photo-stories (storytelling)
Photo-diary (storytelling
Literature Review
Focus-group interviews
Written accounts/association of words
Surveys
Observations/field notes/ethnography
Interviews
Multi-method

53. Methods of Data Collection
1
1
1
2
3
5
7
7
11
9
Scripts (storytelling)
Photo-stories (storytelling)
Photo-diary (storytelling
Literature Review
Focus-group interviews
Written accounts/association of words
Surveys
Observations/field notes/ethnography
Interviews
Multi-method

54. Methods of Data Analysis
1
0
1
1
1
1
2
5
7
12
does not specify
Central nucleus/periphery
DCS (Discourse of the collective Subject)
Metaphors (manually)
Linguistics (morpho-syntaxis, semantics)
Argumentation
Automated Content Analysis (es: T-Lab,…
Advanced statistics
Reflection on results
Content Analysis (Atlas, Nvivo…)

55. Methods of Data Analysis
1
0
1
1
1
1
2
5
7
12
does not specify
Central nucleus/periphery
DCS (Discourse of the collective Subject)
Metaphors (manually)
Linguistics (morpho-syntaxis, semantics)
Argumentation
Automated Content Analysis (es: T-Lab,…
Advanced statistics
Reflection on results
Content Analysis (Atlas, Nvivo…)

56. Purpose

57. Purpose

58. What is the current status of studies about
Social Representations in ICT4D?

59. • Field is m u c h l e s s s t u d i e d
• Similar studies have demonstrated S R T f i t s the
domain(s) and purposes of this study
• Methodology: m i x e d m e t h o d s seem to fit well ‒
rigor needed in ICT4D
What is the current status of studies about
Social Representations in ICT4D?

61. What are the social representations of
CMCs in Mozambique
(according to different stakeholders)?

62. CommunityInitiating
Agencies
Staff

63. Community
-Users
-(RC+TC)
#95
-(RC) #72
-Non-Users #8
Initiating
Agencies
#2
Staff
#57

66. (Participant-Driven) Photo-Elicitation

68. 1)
Interviews ‒ whole corpus

69. 1)
Automatic analysis of the reciprocal
relationships among textual units
[T-Lab]

70. 1) Results
1 2 3 4 5 6
Molding
the polis
through
the
community
radio
Learning
informatics
at the
telecenter
Computers
as possibly
connected
typewriters
Users edu-
tainment
experience
of the radio
What we
sell is
photocopie
s : An
instrument
al view of
telecenters
services
The CMC
as a
bureaucra
tic
umbrella

71. 1) Results
1 2 3 4 5 6
Molding
the polis
through
the
community
radio
Learning
informatics
at the
telecenter
Computers
as possibly
connected
typewriters
Users edu-
tainment
experience
of the radio
What we
sell is
photocopie
s : An
instrument
al view of
telecenters
services
The CMC
as a
bureaucra
tic
umbrella

72. 1) Results

73. 2)
Interviews ‒ information and
communication flows

74. 2)
Content Analysis
[N-Vivo]

75. 2) Results
Community Radio 60.9%
Inbound 46.1%
Outbound 4.8%
Within 34.3%
Telecentre 7.4%
Inbound 6.5%
Outbound 0.4%
Within 0.4%
TOT # Interviewees 230

76. 2) Results
STAFF U-CMC U-RC NON-USERS TOTAL
Community Radio 78.9% 58.1% 54.2% 25.0% 60.9%
Inbound 63.2% 43.0% 40.3% 12.5% 46.1%
Outbound 7.0% 5.4% 2.8% - 4.8%
Shared 49.1% 32.3% 27.8% 12.5% 34.3%
Telecentre 5.3% 10.8% 5.6% - 7.4%
Inbound 5.3% 8.6% 5.6% - 6.5%
Outbound - 1.1% - - 0.4%
Shared - 1.1% - - 0.4%
TOT # Interviewees 57 93 72 8 230

77. 3)
Photos & Photo-related interviews

78. 3)
Content analysis
[Manual]

80. Telecenter
Radio
CMC
Services
Facilities & Tools
People Managing
People Using
[Cantoni & Tardini, 2006;
Rega, 2010]

81. 3) Results ‒ photo 1

82. 3) Results ‒ photo 2

83. Improved
Research Question?

84. What are the social representations of
CMCs in Mozambique
(according to different stakeholders)?

85. Is Social Representations a suitable Theory
for advancements in the ICT4D domain?

86. Is Social Representations a suitable Theory
for advancements in the ICT4D domain?
...Design-Reality Gap is addressed

87. Is Social Representations a suitable Theory
for advancements in the ICT4D domain?
...integrated view: Initiating Agencies
expectations & Local Ownership
...Design-Reality Gap is addressed

88. Is Social Representations a suitable Theory
for advancements in the ICT4D domain?
...integrated view: Initiating Agencies
expectations & Local Ownership
...insights on appropriation and reinvention
of a (new) object
...Design-Reality Gap is addressed

89. Is the Methodology applied within this study
suitable for the field (ICT4D)?

90. Is the Methodology applied within this study
suitable for the field (ICT4D)?
...mixed methods allow triangulation

91. Is the Methodology applied within this study
suitable for the field (ICT4D)?
...photo-elicitation allowed for gaining
different insights
...mixed methods allow triangulation

92. Is the Methodology applied within this study
suitable for the field (ICT4D)?
...photo-elicitation allowed for gaining
original insights
...mixed methods allow triangulation

93. Limitations
relationship donors -recipient
photo-elicitation: time & questions
different lengths in interviews
results very specific & not generalizable

94. 1) What are the social representations of CMCs in
Mozambique?
2) Is Social Representations a suitable Theory
for advancements in the ICT4D domain?
3) Is the Methodology applied within this
study suitable for the field (ICT4D)?

95. THANK YOU!
Journals
• Rega, I., Vannini, S., Fino, E., Cantoni, L. (accepted). Exploring the Meanings
of Community Multimedia Centers in Mozambique: A Social Representations
Perspective. Submitted to Information Technology and International
Development, (ITID).
• Vannini, S., Rega, I., Cantoni, L. (accepted). Information and Communication
Flows through Community Multimedia Centres: Perspectives from Mozambican
Communities. Submitted to Information Technology for Development (ITD),
Special Issue on ICT and Development in Africa.
• Rega, I, Vannini, S., Cantoni, L., (submitted). Using Photo-elicitation to Explore
Social Representations of Community Multimedia Centres in Mozambique.
Submitted to Information Technology for Development (ITD).
Conference Proceedings
• Vannini, S., Aguirre, L., Rega, I., Cantoni, L. (2013). Images of Community
Multimedia Centres in Mozambique: a participatory photo-elicitation study,
in Proceedings: IFIP WG 9.4: Social Implications of Computers in Developing
Countries, Ocho Ríos Jamaica, 19-22 May, 2013.
• Vannini, S., Rega, I., (2012), Inbound and Outbound Information and
Communication flows: Perspectives from Community Multimedia Centres in
Mozambique, in Proceedings: CIRN 2012 Community Informatics Conference:
'Ideals meet Reality' Monash Centre, Prato Italy 7-9 November 2012.

96. THANK YOU!