From digital exclusion to digital inclusion: A research study exploring the processes and impacts which make a difference for marginalized household

Research Background
Digital exclusion is rooted in both the material lack of digital technology and a reliable
internet connection and social deficits (education, skills, and confidence) (Helsper 2017), and
contributes to higher costs of living, increased likelihood of poverty, reduced opportunities
for employment, education and training, and social isolation (Allman 2022; Good Things
Foundation 2022). The total number of people in Scotland suffering from digital exclusion is
unknown, but the Scottish Household Survey (2019) suggests 35% of low-income households
in Scotland lack internet access (McKay 2021). Reducing this major source of inequality has,
therefore, been identified as a key way to make Scotland a more just and equitability society
(Scottish Government 2021). Despite efforts intensified during the pandemic, to reduce digital
exclusion, the negative impacts of digital exclusion have in fact increased since the pandemic
(Audit Scotland 2021) and may further deteriorate with the cost-of-living crisis. The evidence
suggests that the most successful approaches to tackling digital exclusion will work across
three key areas: access to digital devices and technology; affordable and reliable connections
(WiFi or data); and skills and confidence (Good Things Foundation 2021). However, how the
process of moving from digital exclusion to digital inclusion works in practice is far less clear
(Fang et al. 2019). The current study seeks to address this gap in knowledge and
understanding.
Research Aim and Objective
This study aims to identify the types of informal and formal support that people from
a range of minoritized backgrounds find most useful in their journey from an experience of
digital exclusion to an experience of digital inclusion. The findings of the study will inform
the development of a digital inclusion support model for organisations, such as People Know
How, and the thesis and its outputs will contribute to the wider and growing field of digital
inclusion.
Proposed Research Method and Approach
The research methods will include the use of in-depth household case studies,
ethnography in the local area with digital inclusion services, and participatory mapping. To
achieve the research aim and objective, an Ethnographic Action Research (EAR) (Tacchi et
al., 2003) strategical and methodological standpoint was also proposed for this research. The
EAR was developed through collaboration between the UK Government's Department for
International Development and programs of UNESCO's information and communication
sector in South Asia to investigate the role that ICT and digital inclusion can play in poverty
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eradication (Tacchi et al., 2003). Here, using the EAR approach for the project aligns with its
research methods that include ethnography, participatory mapping, etc., and will help to reach
the project's aim to identify the types of informal and formal support that people from
minoritized backgrounds find more useful in their journey from digital exclusion to that of
digital inclusion, through ensuring marginalized stakeholder participation in all research
stages. Thus, also promoting social change and social justice-oriented research processes.