Human capabilities and information and communication technology: the communicative connection

Abstract

The potential contributions information and communication technology (ICT) can make to advancing human capabilities are acknowledged by both the capability approach (CA) and ICT communities. However, there is a lack of genuine engagement between the two communities. This paper addresses the question: How can a collaborative dialogue between the CA and ICT communities be advanced? A prerequisite to exploring collaboratively the potential use of particular technologies with specific capabilities is a conceptual framework within which a dialogue can be undertaken to advance the operationalization of capabilities through the use of ICT. A communicative connection constituted of a dialogic space consisting of the CA and ICT communities and a set of normative values and objectives is proposed. The normative values of the communicative connection are derived from the human right to communicate (RTC) which serves as axiomatic principle of the communicative connection. The shared objectives are to operationalize through the use of ICT both the capability and the right to communicate, which are distinct but present in and reinforce each other. Alternative concepts of communication and freedom of expression to those held by the two communities is presented along with a comparison of the values embodied in the RTC and found in the CA.

ICT with Open and Distance Learning for Capability Enhancement: Practices of Higher Education Institutions of Nepal

“…ICT is concerned with "ideological qualities" as the critical theorists claim that technology is both inherent in power delegation and in oppression (Zheng & Stahl, 2011). Close collaborative dialogue is essential between ICT and human capabilities, says Birdsall (2011), to explore the process of contributing to expanding human capabilities and talks beyond the traditional approach of communication freedoms. The new technologies go beyond one-way communication and facilitate people to participate in societal dialogues enhancing their capability.…”

The place of technology in the Capability Approach

“…33-40;Oosterlaken & van den Hoven, 2012, p. 7). Normative analyses of technology investigate for instance how technology-related development processes would be deemed valuable from an individual perspective (Birdsall, 2011;Johnstone, 2007). Variations of the CA have also been applied to exploratory analysis that study, for example, the link between technology, human development, and economic growth (Ranis & Zhao, 2013, pp.…”

Intervenciones públicas de inclusión digital: una aproximación a las dimensiones sociales y políticas de la conectividad

“…Esta declaración, sustentada sobre la base de la autonomía personal y los principios democráticos, comporta obligaciones estatales que se configuran tanto en la promoción del acceso y disponibilidad de la Internet como en las dimensiones del uso de la conectividad referidas a la ausencia de interferencias en el intercambio de información. En complemento de lo anterior, el acceso y uso de la Internet (BA) pueden concebirse, desde el enfoque de las capacidades humanas, como una oportunidad para el ejercicio de libertades enmarcadas en la realización de un estilo de vida digno, valioso y productivo(Birdsall, 2011).En este contexto, el arribo de la Internet no sólo ha permitido reinterpretar la naturaleza de la tecnología, evidenciando que la relación entre ésta y la sociedad no es unidireccional sino que se nutre de los efectos de su apropiación por parte de individuos y comunidades(DiMaggio et al, 2001) y también ha propiciado incesantes aproximaciones al problema de la brecha digital. Pese a que la formulación conceptual de la brecha digital se dificulta en razón de la innovación tecnológica y los cambios observados en el comportamiento de sus usuarios, es posible identificar el carácter multifacético del término.…”