L4D Learning for Democracy

" This report includes the results of the research project ‘Exploratory study on explanations and theories of how Telecentres and other community-based e-Inclusion actors operate and have an impact on digital and social inclusion policy goals’. This study was commissioned by IPTS to feed into a forthcoming 2-year research project: Measuring the impact of eInclusion actors on Digital Literacy, Skills and Inclusion goals (MIREIA). The literature review presented in this report was designed to capture the theories and explanations represented in the existing body of research in order to: provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary landscape on theories and analytical frameworks; analyze the value of these theories and analytical frameworks based on predefined criteria and; Develop recommendations on the most promising theoretical pillars that could inform the future research mentioned above. A two-phase research approach was designed: 1) An extended mapping of the literature from the last ten years in which over 100 articles, reports and books were reviewed, coded and identified the most dominant and/or common explanations in relation to the work of e-Inclusion actors; and 2) a selection, categorization, and in-depth coding of these explanations vis-à-vis different impact areas, as well as in relation to institutional capacity. As a conclusion it has been noted that although a lot of the research on eInclusion is set out to measure impacts, in reality studies often end up with some measures of usage and analysis of why expected impacts were not achieved. In addition, there is a large proportion of available literature on telecenters and other such eInclusion actors which is based more on perceived potential than on demonstrated fact and highly contextualized studies, making it difficult to identify valid or reliable trends. These findings will be taken into account in the development of the different tasks of the MIREIA project."

Table of Contents
AUTHORS BIOS ........................................................................................................................................ 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..............................................................................................................................
Preface............................................................................................................................................3
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................7
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................15
1.1 Objectives of the research..................................................................................................... 16
1.2 Structure of the report .......................................................................................................... 16
2. Methodology .......................................................................................................................17
2.1 Phase 1: Landscape of the literature..................................................................................... 17
2.2 Phase 2: In-depth coding of selected body of theories, analytical frameworks and
conceptual explanations ....................................................................................................... 23
2.3 Analysis approach.................................................................................................................. 24
3. How eInclusion Actors Work: Theories and Explanations......................................................29
3.1 Institutional theory................................................................................................................ 29
3.2 Asset-based community development.................................................................................. 30
3.3. Stakeholder theory................................................................................................................ 32
3.4 Sustainability ......................................................................................................................... 34
3.5 Development-supported communication (DSC) ................................................................... 43
3.6 Cost-benefit analysis ............................................................................................................. 43
4. Digital Inclusion Impacts: Theories and Explanations............................................................47
4.1 Effective use .......................................................................................................................... 47
4.2 Diffusion of innovations ........................................................................................................ 48
4.3. Technology acceptance model.............................................................................................. 49
4.4 Technology appropriation ..................................................................................................... 50
4.5 Digital literacy framework ..................................................................................................... 51
5. Social Inclusion Impacts: Theories and Explanations.............................................................55
5.1 Community infrastructure theory ......................................................................................... 55
5.2 Sustainable livelihoods framework ....................................................................................... 56
5.3 Social capital: social connections .......................................................................................... 58
6. Employability or Economic impacts: Theories and Explanations ...........................................61
6.1 ICT and employability framework ......................................................................................... 61
6.2 Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach .................................................................................... 62
6.3 Aspiration .............................................................................................................................. 64
7. Lifelong Learning Impacts: Theories and Explanations ..........................................................67
7.1 Empowerment as lifelong learning ....................................................................................... 67
7.2 Intergenerational learning: the e-born as generational bridge ............................................ 68
7.3 Asset-based approach ........................................................................................................... 69
7.4 Self-education through intermediary institutions................................................................. 70
8. Youth Development Impacts: Theories and Explanations .....................................................73
8.1 Youth development literature: the telecenter as a safe space for development................. 73
8.2 Empowerment in disadvantaged youth ................................................................................ 75
8.3 Savvy youth – e-born and intergenerational learning (detailed in lifelong learning policy
area) ...................................................................................................................................... 77
9. Civic engagement and E-government Impacts: Theories and Explanations ...........................79
9.1 Democratic and participatory approach to communication................................................. 79
9.2 e-Government: the new public management....................................................................... 81
9.3 Structuration theory.............................................................................................................. 82
9.4 Active citizenship................................................................................................................... 84
10. Conclusion .........................................................................................................................87
10.1 Information and communication technologies, e-Inclusion actors and their contribution to
social and economic development: A brief historical overview........................................... 87
10.2 Summary of the theories and explanations in this report .................................................... 91
11. Recommendations .............................................................................................................95
11.1 The Conceptual Framework explained.............................................................................. 95
11.2 How e-Inclusion actors work ............................................................................................. 96
11.3 Types of impact: digital inclusion, social inclusion, and employability ........................... 101
11.4 External factors under which impacts may or may not occur......................................... 105
11.5 Evidence in the literature that demonstrates certain relationships to types of impact. 106
Bibliography................................................................................................................................ 107
Appendix 1: Academic Sources ................................................................................................... 117
Appendix 2: Grey Literature Sources........................................................................................... 118
Appendix 3: Key Search Terms.................................................................................................... 119
Appendix 4: Coding Fields for Academic and Grey Literature ...................................................... 120
Appendix 5: Conceptual Explanations on How eInclusion Actors Work........................................ 121
Appendix 6: Conceptual Explanations on How eInclusion Actors impact Users’ Lives................... 122
Appendix 7: Framework for In-depth Coding of Theories and Conceptual Explanations ............... 123
Appendix 8: Theories and Explanations on How e-Inclusion Actors Work .................................... 125
Appendix 9: Theories and Explanations on Digital Inclusion Impacts ........................................... 132
Appendix 10: Summary of Theories and Explanations on Social Inclusion .................................... 136
Appendix 11: Summary of Theories and Explanations on Economic Inclusion .............................. 138
Appendix 12: Summary of Theories and Explanations on Lifelong Learning Impacts .................... 141
Appendix 13: Summary of Theories and Explanations on Youth Development Impacts................ 145
Appendix 14: Summary of Theories and Explanations on Civic Engagement Impacts ................... 148