Digital Engagements: Online Exclusion and Social Capital

This research project offers a fresh approach to the 'digital divide'. It will develop innovative research strategies using information communication technologies (ICTs), visual creativity, narratives and storytelling, in order to explore:

* people's reflections on digital exclusion or inclusion;

* their experience of becoming digitally involved, as we offer them support and training in an 'action research' intervention;

* the relationship (if any) between online communication and social capital (civic engagement and a sense of connectedness); and

* the expectations and considerations behind their digital engagements and decisions.

Most previous studies and interventions related to digital exclusion, took place before the current wave of 'Web 2.0' tools - which are supposed to enable everyday, non-technical users to create and share material online - entered the mainstream. Recently commentators such as Charles Leadbeater and Clay Shirky have proposed a seductive vision where lives would be transformed 'if only' users would embrace such online tools. But is this realistic, or is it based in a naïve assumption about people's digital decisions?

Digital exclusion remains a serious issue - and has been revealed to be a more hardy and complex problem, over the past decade, as it has been revealed that non-use of the internet is not simply down to lack of 'access' to computers or broadband connections. The 'digital divide' has diminished over the past decade, but has settled on a plateau where 24 per cent of the UK population are not regular internet users, and 21 per cent have never accessed the internet (Office for National Statistics, 2009). There are some obvious partial explanations: notably poverty, some people's lack of interest in 'technology', and a sense among the over-65s that internet use is either unnecessary or overly difficult. Digital exclusion is not now something that can be resolved by telecommunications infrastructure, but which is associated with human factors such as expectations, emotions, self-belief, and technological cultural capital. Therefore we need a richer understanding of the experience of digital exclusion and why people choose to engage with, or remain detached from, online communications.

The project will not seek to 'impose' new technologies on those who do not want them, but, in order to enable citizens to make fruitful use of the internet where it may be valuable to them - and to better fulfil the Government's vision of a 'Digital Britain' - there is a need for rigorous and imaginative research in this area. As well as enhancing academic understanding of these issues, and exploring innovative research methods which make use of these online tools, the study will offer findings which will help policy-makers to plan both the targets, and the tone, of future efforts to bring citizens within the digital fold.

This project will produce original empirical findings which will illuminate the current debates about ICTs, social capital and social inclusion.

The beneficiaries therefore include:

* Academic researchers who are concerned with social inclusion and exclusion; the 'digital divide'; Web 2.0 and everyday creativity; and social capital.

* Organisations such as OFCOM (or its future successor), and other government advisors, which need to understand digital exclusion and inclusion in order to develop relevant advisory and regulatory frameworks.

* The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which must understand digital engagements - or lack of them - in order to be able to implement the three-year 'National Plan to improve Digital Participation' which is a commitment stemming from the 2009 Digital Britain report.

* The creative and media industries (such as the BBC, Microsoft, and Google), who will be able to develop better applications for digital technologies when these issues are understood.

* The telecommunications industry, which has a clear interest in connecting anyone who can see a benefit (including BT, Virgin, Orange, Vodaphone, and many others).

* Educationalists, government communications departments, and NGOs, who need to understand people's use of digital technologies in order to communicate with them effectively (including the NHS, the Environment Agency, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Work and Pensions, and a long list of other bodies who need to communicate with socially isolated groups and individuals).

* Consultancies and think-tanks which have an interest in the potential of Web 2.0 and how this can be maximised (such as NESTA, Demos, Participle, projects supported by the Technology Strategy Board, and various other organisations).


METHODS FOR COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT

These beneficiaries will be engaged via events, and online material including downloadable publications.

Events for these beneficiaries will include:

* A one-day conference for academics and industry, in June 2013, will bring together interested professionals from the industry, government, and third sector (as listed above), as well as academic researchers, to share the latest research and insights.

* An industry workshop, in May 2013, at the University or at a space provided by an industry partner such as the BBC, will give industry stakeholders (as listed above) an opportunity to hear about the study and probe the data, alongside presentations from other experts.

Online material for these beneficiaries will include an editable website (wiki); articles about the project; an executive summary; a YouTube video; and other online material - see Impact Plan.


TRACK RECORD

We have a solid track record of connecting with a broad audience of interested parties through events, publications, and online dissemination. This is described in the Impact Plan.


IMPACT CAPABILITY

Capacity to organise and produce these impact activities lies within the team, as the track record shows, in particular online resources (Gauntlett), event management (Awan), publications and novel activities (both).


COLLABORATION WITH NETWORK OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

The project will substantially benefit from the fact that we are also the organisers of an EPSRC-funded project, 'Building Collaboration and Engagement for Media Professionals and Academic Researchers' The first phase runs from January to July 2010, and we hope to continue the network in a second phase (but even if this is not funded, we will have established, and continue to work with, this network of relevant industry contacts).

We have also sought to enhance industry relevance by including an industry representative on the Advisory Panel.