an anthropological enquiry into notions of 'empowment' in a digital age

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

[email protected]

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

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


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWaZkvAJfM

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)


Internet: Democratizing, Equalising

To have VOICE = EXIST

Increased communication WORLD PEACE

Digital Skills for Development


Digital Divide: Full of risk and opportunities

Naturalized Digital Revolution

Historical Outcome

Evolution

Progress


What does this mean?

We embrace the Digital Revolution,

We embrace Change,

Becomes our Reality.


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.


Content





Conclusions


“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)


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


In Summary…

Basic Human Right to Participate

Digital Literacy = entry ticket to Digital Society

‘Empowerment’ is being included

Content





Conclusions


UCL Entrepreneurship SocietyCookies & Coding, October 2013148 people attended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc

“Empowering” “About helping people”

“Amazing” “Humbling”

“Wizards of the future”

“closest thing we have to superpowers”“coders are today’s rock stars”



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


Content





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


“You can replace any skill with the skill of learning fast”

Not about transforming our students

But allowing them to transform

Content





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

[email protected]

an anthropological enquiry into notions of 'empowment' in a digital age

Education

digital university

world digital literacies

digital literacy

world digital divide

digital society empowerment

ele focus group digital

world https

vision case study