an anthropological enquiry into notions of 'empowment' in a digital age
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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
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
Introduction
- What are we trying to achieve through digital literacies?
- What is the wider context?
- How are students responding to it?
- A Digital University?
Methodology
Participant Observation
Discourse Analysis
Interviews
No Moral Evaluation
Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
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
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
“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
Internet: Democratizing, Equalising
To have VOICE = EXIST
Increased communication WORLD PEACE
Digital Skills for Development
The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
Digital Divide: Full of risk and opportunities
Naturalized Digital Revolution
Historical Outcome
Evolution
Progress
The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
What does this mean?
We embrace the Digital Revolution,
We embrace Change,
Becomes our Reality.
The Digital Revolution: A way of Seeing the World
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
Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
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)
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
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
In Summary…
Basic Human Right to Participate
Digital Literacy = entry ticket to Digital Society
‘Empowerment’ is being included
Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
UCL Entrepreneurship SocietyCookies & Coding, October 2013148 people attended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
“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
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”
UK is a facilitator rather than a catalyst
Give OPPORTUNITIES
Provide a VISION
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
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
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
Reconsidering the Role of the University
Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
CONCLUSIONS
The Digital Revolution provides an EPIC GOAL
‘Empowerment’ is PARTICIPATION
Limits to the Institution’s Influence
Act as a FACILITATOR, not a CATALYST
Thank You.
Questions?
Hana Mori
UCL BSc Anthropology 3rd Year
Digital Literacies Officer,
ELE ISD UCL
hana.mori.11@ucl.ac.uk
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