In continuation to our previous work, this week we will undertake a multidimensional reflection on the ICT for Development, Aid Work and Communicating Development. My post from the last week is focused on the intersections between racism and ethnicity. For this post, I will discuss a more concrete aspect that has tight connections with the notion of ethnicity – religion.
The intersections between racism and religious discrimination should be subject to a very careful analysis from the point of view of ICT for Development, Aid Work and Communicating Development. In her analysis of ICT for Development, Kleine (2010) emphasises the framework that was created by Amartya Sen who uses the term “resources” with the capability approach. This approach is one of the most well-known approaches that can be employed in the field of ICT for Development. The capability approach challenges the conventional methods of development research and the traditional study of ICT for Development by questioning the assumptions that are often established without having a deep appreciation of complex individual perspectives. An important question that development and communication professional should always ask is: “What kind of life the people would like to live?”. Development professionals and aid workers often come from external contexts with their own ideas of quality of life. However, it is necessary to consider factors such as religion in order to secure the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of the population. According to Kleine (2010), since ICTs have an enormous potential to give people more choices and a greater sense of self determination, Amartya Sen’s capability approach should be a frequent tool in the field of development and communication.
Bentley, Nemer and Vannini (2019) note that in order to address the problems related with ICT for Development, researchers need to use cultural identity as a way to efficiently frame ICT engagement. Cultural identity involves a wide a range of factors from race to religion. As a matter of fact, ethnicity and religion are essential parts of cultural identity. The authors highlight that the correct use of ICT can reduce the discrimination, which can be based on race or religion. Bentley, Nemer and Vannini (2019) also argue that despite the fact that ICT never provide a purely neutral perspective, and the meanings developed by people are never uniform and homogeneous, it is always possible to situate the professional practice within the wide historical context. The essential aspects for promoting critical ICT engagement are: increasing awareness on context, encouraging reflexive ICT practice, implementing a more conscious use and design of ICT.
From the point of view of development, economy should not be the only factor to consider and to work on. Moreover, religion should not be seen only as an element that can potentially create national and international conflicts or tensions that may destabilise economical and political dynamics. Religion is an important part of many societies and should not be ignored. By using the capability approach it is possible to conceptualize religion as a valuable resource. Ignoring this resource would not allow us to fully use the potential of ICT for Development, Aid Work and Communicating Development.
References:
Kleine, D. 2010: ICT4WHAT?—Using the choice framework to operationalise the capability approach to developmentPreview the document, Journal of International Development 22:5, 674–692.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.1719
Bentley, C.M., Nemer, D. & Vannini, S. 2019: “When words become unclear”: unmasking ICT through visual methodologies in participatory ICT4D, AI & Society, 34, 477–493.
