What does social capital have to do with digital inclusion?

May 18, 2009 by
Filed under: Education Matters 

The seminar at the RSA on the 20th May 2009 will take forward the discussion on digital inclusion for social capital, building on a paper written by Will Davies on The Social Value of Digital Networks in Deprived Communities (the paper will be published and made available after we have revised it to incorporate feedback from the seminar and online discussions) .

Many people with a lot to contribute to this discussion will not be able to take part in the face to face seminar (for example, Steve Thompson from Digital Village will be organising an online pub quiz between two rural communities, including an online Karaoke performance). So we’re bringing the discussion to you. Tim Davies will also be covering the seminar as a social reporter.

Here are some of the main ideas and questions raised by the paper. Your comments and suggestions will contribute to developing the final version for publication.

The questions are open, but it would be great to hear your views based on practical experiences of promoting digital inclusion in the UK or overseas.

Digital inclusion is the use of technology to improve the lives and life chances of disadvantaged people and the places in which they live.

There are many exciting digital inclusion initiatives, such People’s Voice Media, developing creative ways of enabling people to connect with each other, make their voice heard to influence what happens where they live, and gain a sense of pride in their area. Solutions4Inclusion provides details on a range of projects that use technology to promote social inclusion. A forthcoming NESTA publication Social by Social: a practical guide to using new technologies to deliver social impact will address many of the ‘how to’ considerations.

Social capital is a way of understanding the (positive and negative) impact of social networks and norms on people’s lives.

The evidence shows a striking correlation between the socially excluded and the digitally excluded. Being connected digitally (or not) mirrors other forms of social connections (or the lack of them). Availability of technology is only one facet, as confidence and relevant content are key prerequisites for benefiting from digital technology. This is why organisation such as Knowle West Media Centre in Bristol emphasise the importance of outreach.

  • What engagement approaches are being successfully used to overcome barriers (such as confidence, content, access) to digital inclusion, for example among young people not in work or education?
  • How can we make sure we are not exacerbating existing inequalities by only serving the people already connected? What are successful examples of outreach?

While the correlation between social exclusion and digital exclusion is well documented, we are seeking to understand better how the process of becoming digitally included impacts on communities, as well as individuals.

A key distinction in social capital constructs is between ‘bonding’ social capital – strong connections with people similar to us, such as friends and family; and ‘bridging’ social capital – weaker connections with people further removed from us, such as contacts, and acquaintances.

More deprived communities may have lower levels of ‘bridging’ social capital; and be characterised by more inward looking social networks. Strong bonds with other disadvantaged people can be vital to help people get by, but also limit expectations.

The premise of bringing social capital into the debate on digital inclusion is that the nature and extent of these bonds and bridges has been shown to have a strong impact on life and life chances. Bridging capital of the kind that could be developed through digital networks could help provide the contacts to get jobs, for example.

  • How can digital inclusion strategies enable deprived communities to build and benefit from the connections they often lack?
  • How can digital inclusion projects impact on people’s offline interactions?
  • How have you seen projects transform people’s relationship to their communities?
  • How have you seen projects change people’s way of seeing themselves? How does this come about?

By bringing together people who have spent years and decades working on these issues, we hope to develop some practical ways forward for action research.

The recommended approaches from the paper include:

  • Focus on building effective networks, not particular technologies, work out pathways to social participation
  • Consider peer-to-peer and mentor-based strategies as a way of impacting on online and offline networks at the same time
  • Evaluate existing projects to see how much they manage to cut across economic and cultural divides

Focus on particular areas relevant to social capital:

  • Facilitating circulation of job information
  • Formation of online networks among older users
  • Creation of user profiles to help people to recognise and interact with each other in the street
  • Provide opportunities for first-hand reporting of experiences of a place and services

In terms of developing ideas for action research:

  • What are your views on these proposed ways forward?
  • What opportunities are there to develop projects that combine acting to address digital inclusion, with research to understand the process and outcomes of digital inclusion projects?
  • What questions should we be asking in such action-research projects?
  • What other action research projects on these themes should we be following?
  • What are markers of success for digital inclusion? How should we be measuring how projects impact on online and offline networks?

Comment here or on the Digital Engagement network and put forward your own questions (thank you to UK online centres and David Wilcox for suggesting this). Look forward to hearing your views.

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Related posts:

  1. Digital Inclusion for Social Capital Seminar
  2. Kingston Upon Hull: Digital capital of Britain?

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Comments

  • http://www.thersa.org/projects/connected-communities Damani G

    Changed the settings so that people can comment without having to login – apologies for this, blog teething problems.

    Also, check out the UK online centres research paper for discussion on social capital and the internet -

    Does the internet improve lives? http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate/images/stories/downloads/does_the_internet_improve_lives.pdf

  • http://www.thersa.org/projects/connected-communities Damani G

    Changed the settings so that people can comment without having to login – apologies for this, blog teething problems.

    Also, check out the UK online centres research paper for discussion on social capital and the internet -

    Does the internet improve lives? http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate/images/stories/downloads/does_the_internet_improve_lives.pdf

  • http://www.thersa.org/projects/connected-communities Damani G

    Posting comment submitted by Gary Copitch, Chief Exec, People’s Voice Media

    One of the core principles we operate is to support the development of bridging and linking social capital. The model that People’s Voice Media operates is one that is based in being within a community often at local community anchors which can be local community centres or children’s centres.

    From there we would might offer general ICT training, IT and media qualifications, social media training and drop in either in ICT suites or at Social Media Centres. From the local base we undertake outreach work within in the local community to local organisation and groups establishing relationship and supporting them to produce content. We find that that these centres also attract in individuals especially through our drop in sessions. We would then support these individuals and groups to develop content using “technology in the pocket” for content capture. Namely low level technology which everyone has and is easily available. They can tell there story in any way they like which maybe be through blogs, photos text, audio or video. The content they produce is distributed through our distribution channel which currently include 14 community web sites, face book, community bulletins and twitter.

    As people produce content they become part of our community reporters programme were they are given an opportunity to attend an introduction to journalism with the editor of the BBC North West Tonight programme. They also receive a community reporters badge which they then use to go into communities to produce more content and also become part of the broader community reporters programme which links them to other community reporters across the North West. They also can attend social events and also can go assignment either undertaking theatre reviews, commissions or become volunteer staff community reporters.

    The longer term plan is to develop a “Reuters of the Community” where we market an distribute content produced to mainstream agencies and media outlets. As the social media centre or local community anchor develop we would support the development of a local community site where content can be posted, and also develop community Internet Radio and Internet TV. As the number of community reporters grow this allows us to create dialogue between agencies and communities in order to improve consultation and also to gather evidence base for public policy.

  • http://www.thersa.org/projects/connected-communities Damani G

    Posting comment submitted by Gary Copitch, Chief Exec, People’s Voice Media

    One of the core principles we operate is to support the development of bridging and linking social capital. The model that People’s Voice Media operates is one that is based in being within a community often at local community anchors which can be local community centres or children’s centres.

    From there we would might offer general ICT training, IT and media qualifications, social media training and drop in either in ICT suites or at Social Media Centres. From the local base we undertake outreach work within in the local community to local organisation and groups establishing relationship and supporting them to produce content. We find that that these centres also attract in individuals especially through our drop in sessions. We would then support these individuals and groups to develop content using “technology in the pocket” for content capture. Namely low level technology which everyone has and is easily available. They can tell there story in any way they like which maybe be through blogs, photos text, audio or video. The content they produce is distributed through our distribution channel which currently include 14 community web sites, face book, community bulletins and twitter.

    As people produce content they become part of our community reporters programme were they are given an opportunity to attend an introduction to journalism with the editor of the BBC North West Tonight programme. They also receive a community reporters badge which they then use to go into communities to produce more content and also become part of the broader community reporters programme which links them to other community reporters across the North West. They also can attend social events and also can go assignment either undertaking theatre reviews, commissions or become volunteer staff community reporters.

    The longer term plan is to develop a “Reuters of the Community” where we market an distribute content produced to mainstream agencies and media outlets. As the social media centre or local community anchor develop we would support the development of a local community site where content can be posted, and also develop community Internet Radio and Internet TV. As the number of community reporters grow this allows us to create dialogue between agencies and communities in order to improve consultation and also to gather evidence base for public policy.

  • http://www.edmitchell.co.uk/ Ed

    On behalf of local wifi, computer recycling and training group http://www.bristolwireless.net:

    Some areas of Bristol have over 40% of households with no internet access – to combat digital exclusion they need computers, broadband and mentoring.In addition they need to feel part of something going on locally online and they need to feel ownership of the whole process. How do you fund and support that?

  • http://www.edmitchell.co.uk Ed

    On behalf of local wifi, computer recycling and training group http://www.bristolwireless.net:

    Some areas of Bristol have over 40% of households with no internet access – to combat digital exclusion they need computers, broadband and mentoring.In addition they need to feel part of something going on locally online and they need to feel ownership of the whole process. How do you fund and support that?

  • http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/ Kevin Harris

    Thanks for this, useful backgrounder and not easy given the breadth of issues.

    I’m wondering if we’ll have the chance to think in a more nuanced way about different experiences of exclusion. Some people’s experience (eg a bunch of young people excluded from school) might be overcome comparativey easily through good CD / youth work and supported chances to get to grips with the tech. For others the barriers are about a complex and entrenched mix of problems (debt, health, housing, relationships, lack of skills…) which may long since have overwhelmed them.

    Too much in the last ten years projects have gone for and got the quick hits without working out how the tech can contribute alongside specialist intervention (mental health workers, care services, drugs advisors etc) for those whose exclusion is more profound.

    It might also be helpful to reflect on the weight of _negative_ social experience that burdens many people’s lives. Most of us there tomorrow will have relatively high levels of bridging capital and can avoid negative social experiences like constant noise from neighbours, fierce and dangerous family relationships, disorder in the built environment, strained relations with public agencies, lack of power (or cultural capital) to influence what happens to us and so on. So in addition to trying to address deficits of social capital it might be helpful to think in terms of a surplus of negative social impacts. This is important because people do not tend to experience their problems as collective ones, they are experienced personally.

    Engaging with people who experience these levels of exclusion requires far more patient footwork on the streets, just to get them across the threshold into the community centre, than is usually thought fundable.

    kev

  • http://neighbourhoods.typepad.com/ Kevin Harris

    Thanks for this, useful backgrounder and not easy given the breadth of issues.

    I’m wondering if we’ll have the chance to think in a more nuanced way about different experiences of exclusion. Some people’s experience (eg a bunch of young people excluded from school) might be overcome comparativey easily through good CD / youth work and supported chances to get to grips with the tech. For others the barriers are about a complex and entrenched mix of problems (debt, health, housing, relationships, lack of skills…) which may long since have overwhelmed them.

    Too much in the last ten years projects have gone for and got the quick hits without working out how the tech can contribute alongside specialist intervention (mental health workers, care services, drugs advisors etc) for those whose exclusion is more profound.

    It might also be helpful to reflect on the weight of _negative_ social experience that burdens many people’s lives. Most of us there tomorrow will have relatively high levels of bridging capital and can avoid negative social experiences like constant noise from neighbours, fierce and dangerous family relationships, disorder in the built environment, strained relations with public agencies, lack of power (or cultural capital) to influence what happens to us and so on. So in addition to trying to address deficits of social capital it might be helpful to think in terms of a surplus of negative social impacts. This is important because people do not tend to experience their problems as collective ones, they are experienced personally.

    Engaging with people who experience these levels of exclusion requires far more patient footwork on the streets, just to get them across the threshold into the community centre, than is usually thought fundable.

    kev

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  • http://socialreporter.com/ David Wilcox

    When Clay Shirky spoke at the RSA last year he advocated supporting connecting people – like community reporters. He said:
    What we end up with are small groups of people who are very similar, and there are only a handful of individuals in any given society who bridge those gaps.
    If I wanted to set up a programme to address social exclusion I would not try to address the bulk of the group because most of those resources would go to waste, because most of the people that people know are other people like them.
    I would fund the people who are bridging the structural – I would find the people who knows someone in in council housing and someone who is living over in Belgravia. I wouldn’t fund the people in Belgravia or the people in council housing to just get together and talk to one other. I would find the people who are naturally bridging that gap somehow. I would give them the tools specifically designed for the connection or social bridging function that’s different from just what that everyday user might have.
    What we found in every social system we looked at is that the imbalance of participation means that a few people are responsible for most of the social systemic connectivity, and concentrating on those people, on the outliers rather than on the average actually can improve the system as a whole.
    I think you could move more information, awareness, empathy, sympathy or what have you across those otherwise relatively unbridged gaps by funding the natural bridgers and strengthening them rather than trying to build new ones from scratch.

  • http://socialreporter.com David Wilcox

    When Clay Shirky spoke at the RSA last year he advocated supporting connecting people – like community reporters. He said:
    What we end up with are small groups of people who are very similar, and there are only a handful of individuals in any given society who bridge those gaps.
    If I wanted to set up a programme to address social exclusion I would not try to address the bulk of the group because most of those resources would go to waste, because most of the people that people know are other people like them.
    I would fund the people who are bridging the structural – I would find the people who knows someone in in council housing and someone who is living over in Belgravia. I wouldn’t fund the people in Belgravia or the people in council housing to just get together and talk to one other. I would find the people who are naturally bridging that gap somehow. I would give them the tools specifically designed for the connection or social bridging function that’s different from just what that everyday user might have.
    What we found in every social system we looked at is that the imbalance of participation means that a few people are responsible for most of the social systemic connectivity, and concentrating on those people, on the outliers rather than on the average actually can improve the system as a whole.
    I think you could move more information, awareness, empathy, sympathy or what have you across those otherwise relatively unbridged gaps by funding the natural bridgers and strengthening them rather than trying to build new ones from scratch.

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  • http://www.libraryofdigress.co.uk/ Christine Rooney-Browne

    I just stumbled across your website whilst searching for something else…and I’m so happy that I did! I’m a PhD researcher investigating the social value of public libraries and a large part of my research is looking at the impact of the People’s Network; and public access to Web 2.0 technologies. I’m really looking forward to reading your final paper: The Social Value of Digital Networks in Deprived Communities – will you be posting the final version on your blog?

  • http://www.libraryofdigress.co.uk Christine Rooney-Browne

    I just stumbled across your website whilst searching for something else…and I’m so happy that I did! I’m a PhD researcher investigating the social value of public libraries and a large part of my research is looking at the impact of the People’s Network; and public access to Web 2.0 technologies. I’m really looking forward to reading your final paper: The Social Value of Digital Networks in Deprived Communities – will you be posting the final version on your blog?

    • http://www.thersa.org/projects/connected-communities Damani G

      Hi Christine, thank you for your comment and sorry for the long delay in responding. The paper is just being revised and we will post the final version on the blog by September. Your PhD research sounds very interesting, such an important theme. The library in the West End of Newcastle played a vital role in creating access to opportunities for a wide range of groups, including refugees and people with mental health problems. This was due to the history and trust in the place, and the role of the staff in recognising the value of the library and making it an accessible place. Any articles or findings from your research you could share with the group? Can email me (damani.goldstein(at)rsa.org.uk)

  • http://www.thersa.org/projects/connected-communities Damani G

    Hi Christine, thank you for your comment and sorry for the long delay in responding. The paper is just being revised and we will post the final version on the blog by September. Your PhD research sounds very interesting, such an important theme. The library in the West End of Newcastle played a vital role in creating access to opportunities for a wide range of groups, including refugees and people with mental health problems. This was due to the history and trust in the place, and the role of the staff in recognising the value of the library and making it an accessible place. Any articles or findings from your research you could share with the group? Can email me (damani.goldstein(at)rsa.org.uk)