An Anthropological Enquiry into Notions of 'Empowment' in a Digital Age
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The document discusses digital literacies in relation to empowerment in the digital age, highlighting the significance of understanding, acquiring skills, and participating in the information society for marginalized groups. It emphasizes the role of the university not just as a transformative institution but as a facilitator that enables students to navigate and benefit from the digital revolution. Through case studies like coding and entrepreneurship, the paper showcases how digital skills can lead to social capital and active participation in a rapidly evolving landscape.
An Anthropological Enquiry into Notions of 'Empowment' in a Digital Age
- 1. DIGITAL LITERACIES An Anthropological Enquiry into Notions of „Empowerment‟ in a Digital Age Hana Mori UCL BSc Anthropology 3rd Year Digital Literacies Officer, E-Learning Environments ISD UCL hana.mori.11@ucl.ac.uk
- 2. My Background Visual Communications, Foundation Degree Chelsea College of Art & Design BSc Anthropology 3rd Year Digital Literacies Officer, E-Learning Environments Information Services Division Interested in Policy Design and International Development
- 3. Introduction - What are we trying to achieve through digital literacies? - What is the wider context? - How are students responding to it? - A Digital University?
- 4. Methodology Participant Observation Discourse Analysis Interviews No Moral Evaluation
- 5. Content The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World Digital Literacies for Development? Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship Reconsidering the Role of University Conclusions
- 6. Content The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World Digital Literacies for Development? Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship Reconsidering the Role of University Conclusions
- 7. The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World • Overthrown business models, • The economy, • Analytical models, • Citizenship • Sociality • Knowledge “ People around the world feel the winds of multidimensional social change without truly understanding it, let alone feeling a grasp upon the process of change ” Castells, 2000
- 8. A Beautiful Future Technology = Progress Desirable Video: Internet.org The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWaZkvAJfM
- 9. “We… declare our common desire and commitment to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life.” (United Nations, 2003:1, my own emphasis) The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
- 10. Internet: Democratizing, Equalising To have VOICE = EXIST Increased communication WORLD PEACE Digital Skills for Development
- 11. The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World Digital Divide: Full of risk and opportunities
- 12. Naturalized Digital Revolution Historical Outcome Evolution Progress The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
- 13. What does this mean? We embrace the Digital Revolution, We embrace Change, Becomes our Reality. The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
- 14. In Summary… The vision of the digital revolution is very attractive. It conjures universal values. It has been naturalized. It is thrilling and encourages participation. The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
- 15. Content The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World Digital Literacies for Development? Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship Reconsidering the Role of University Conclusions
- 16. Digital Skills for Development “Each person should have the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in order to understand, participate actively in, and benefit fully from, the Information Society and the knowledge economy. Literacy and universal primary education are key factors for building a fully inclusive information society.” (United Nations, 2003)
- 17. Who are we targeting? Vulnerable and Marginalized in the EU: “people aged 65 to 74 years old, people on low incomes, the unemployed and the less educated.” (European Commission 2010:25) Digital Skills for Development
- 18. What are we trying to achieve? “I think it’s inherently flawed to try and teach literacy. In language, it’s like the bare minimum, it really is an insult. It’s like being digitally illiterate means you don’t understand anything about computers I suppose. Digitally literate is really the bare minimum.” Donald, from 18/10/13 ELE focus group Digital Skills for Development
- 19. In Summary… Basic Human Right to Participate Digital Literacy = entry ticket to Digital Society „Empowerment‟ is being included
- 20. Content The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World Digital Literacies for Development? Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship Reconsidering the Role of University Conclusions
- 21. Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship UCL Entrepreneurship Society Cookies & Coding, October 2013 148 people attended. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc
- 22. Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
- 23. “Empowering” “About helping people” “Amazing” “Humbling” “Wizards of the future” “closest thing we have to superpowers” “coders are today’s rock stars” Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
- 24. Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship THE EPIC GOAL: To be a Part of the “NEXT BIG THING” How? WORK – ETHIC “Everyone has a million dollar idea, but only the top 0.5% actually go through with it” “if you hit your head against the wall hard enough and at the right angle, you can do practically anything” “You can replace any skill with the skill of learning fast”
- 25. UK is a facilitator rather than a catalyst Give OPPORTUNITIES Provide a VISION Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
- 26. Content The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World Digital Literacies for Development? Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship Reconsidering the Role of University Conclusions
- 27. Learning Skills ≠ Using Skills Identity building Community of Practice, Social Capital A sense of Belonging Not a Causal Relationship Reconsidering the Role of the University
- 28. Reconsidering the Role of the University “You can replace any skill with the skill of learning fast” Not about transforming our students But allowing them to transform
- 29. Reconsidering the Role of the University
- 30. Content The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World Digital Literacies for Development? Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship Reconsidering the Role of University Conclusions
- 31. CONCLUSIONS The Digital Revolution provides an EPIC GOAL „Empowerment‟ is PARTICIPATION Limits to the Institution‟s Influence Act as a FACILITATOR, not a CATALYST
- 32. Thank You.
- 33. Questions? Hana Mori UCL BSc Anthropology 3rd Year Digital Literacies Officer, ELE ISD UCL hana.mori.11@ucl.ac.uk