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Technologies of care in community-based organisations: agency and authenticity

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Abstract

Based upon research into small community-based organisations, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be interpreted as a technology that emerges from complex environments of support, teaching, and community development. While the ICTs investigated are commonplace and relatively simple systems (personal computers, Internet), they are part of complex and extended systems of action, knowledge, information, and support that reach into local communities. This basket of processes and skills, oriented around social justice principles, can be conceived of as ‘technologies of care’, strongly influenced by the values and work activity primarily concerned with supporting people in need. Furthermore, prior research has tended to take a dystopic view about the use of technology by women, who are the major workforce in such environments, but a more nuanced approach is taken her, demonstrating that while workers are competent with ICTs, they is only one element in a process which relies upon communicative and interpretive independence. This understanding of the place of ICTs in human services work has important implications for those implementing or designing ICTs, though clarifying workers’ tacit understandings is a research challenge. Based on more recent research, suggestions are also made about the limitations of the study and the need to take into account other ways of articulating tacit, practical knowledge about ICT relationships through methods such as CO-MAP.

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Notes

  1. As an example for one network of Houses, ‘The North East Neighbourhood House Network Vision is a commitment to social justice, community development principles, collaboration, community based governance & proactive action.’ http://nenhn.blogspot.com (Accessed 10 May 2009).

  2. Citations are from interviews with Neighbourhood House workers.

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Acknowledgments

The insights of reviewers and Monash colleagues are gratefully appreciated.

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  1. Centre for Community Networking Research, Caulfield School for IT, Monash University, Caulfield East, 3145, Australia

    Larry Stillman

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  1. Larry Stillman
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Correspondence to Larry Stillman.

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Stillman, L. Technologies of care in community-based organisations: agency and authenticity. AI & Soc 25, 309–320 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-009-0257-7

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