Rural ICT and Cultural Development in Capacity Development of Sardabeh Village in Ardebil City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran,

2 Ph.D. Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran

https://doi.org/10.34785/J016.2019.777

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction:
The Internet facilitates the dissemination of information with the help of new technologies and enables people to participate in the evolutionary processes of society. Therefore, the expansion of ICT offers great potential and potential for achieving good governance goals in developing countries and hence has the potential to contribute to development as a freedom. Accordingly, most countries in the world tend to make the most of the benefits of ICT development to alleviate poverty and empower rural areas.

Statement of the problem:
The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has reached all aspects of human life and the development of ICT has had many positive and negative economic, social, cultural, political and environmental impacts on villages. Accordingly, most countries tend to use the maximum benefits of ICT development to achieve their goals in the countryside and try to pave the way for the development of all rural groups. The villagers are always faced with educational problems such as lack or lack of educational space, distance and commuting. Through these technologies, many of the educational needs of the rural community have been met, and this will help reduce the educational gap and ultimately reduce the information gap. "Communication technologies lead to a change in social organization thinking and leisure activity patterns (Hanson, 1994: 28)". Cultural development can be achieved through rural ICT applications both in the form of mandatory public services (public and private education; increasing literacy and other cultural information) and in line with other national and local plans (weather information for Farmers; training in seasonal and profitable businesses; training in planting, optimal harvesting; high-quality animal training, etc.). Given the high number of mobile access in 1398, given that many villagers have access to mobile, they are easily connected to the Internet through this tool, but content and contentious disputes remain. Someone produces content and has power. The question now is: Under what conditions does ICT lead to an increase in the culture, well-being and well-being of poor communities? This question can be answered according to the framework of Search Results Amrita Sien (2010) Capability Approach and put into place a chain of mechanisms such as access, meaningful and useful use.

Theoretical framework
There have been various definitions of ICTs and related concepts. For Castells, technology is the application of science to applied techniques and skills and transforms natural resources, capital, and human resources into goods and services. He also sees the peculiarity of the current technological revolution not as the focus of knowledge and information but as the application of this knowledge and information in the production of knowledge and the means of processing, transferring information in an increasing feedback loop between innovation and innovation applications (Castells, 2001: 59-61). ).Amrita Sien (2010) emphasizes the intrinsic capabilities of individuals in the development debate. Instead of trying to produce more, he believes, the human capacities should be discussed. In summary, the role of ICTs in the development and creation of capabilities is undeniable, and this has been addressed by many theorists.

Research method:
The research method used in this study is the qualitative case study method. Sardabeh (located in Ardebil city which according to the Iranian Census data (2016) has 41 populations, with a population of about 5591 households and 19396 population - 10121 males and 9275 females) has been studied as a case study. Interviews and observations have been used and in some cases group discussions have been used to gather data regarding the readiness and facilities of the villages in the two villages of Imche and Sardabeh. The case interviews and group discussions are semi-structured and further questions are asked to explain the main question according to the research questions. In this study, 20 villagers from Imche and Sardabeh villages (interviewer information is the backing of the article) have actively participated in guided interviews since the announcement at the village level and with this number of theoretical saturation of the findings New increased non-compliance and duplication of previous findings was achieved. The method of selecting the participants has also been made by coincidence after the announcement at the village level with the cooperation of respected villagers.

Results:
To discover and understand the facts, there must be an interactive relationship between the researcher and the community under study. Therefore, one of the main factors in creating and sustaining the participation and cooperation of the villagers is the sharing of interests and decision-making in the research process to enable active participation. Hence, the research findings present the findings of the research. From the villagers' point of view, most responsibility for the development of rural ICT rests with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Housing, the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Interior, which should be involved in developing and delivering programs and Sites needed by the villagers to act. To keep this rural ICT on the right track, the villagers propose to form a working group consisting of the villagers and key informants themselves, to take appropriate action and to oversee the production of information and other related parts.

Conclusion:
Although most participants respond positively to the development of rural ICT, most of them also express frustration with the unplanned development. In spite of all these problems, people are fully prepared to develop culturally relevant programs, as long as they all benefit from them. Cultural work in the preparation and implementation of any program needs to be taken into account.
According to the above, it can be said that the following table, which is the result of the research by Gigler (2011), also confirms the result of our work in this area. Doing cultural work and providing information and awareness to the people and preserving the customs and culture of the villagers are the first and most important steps in the development of rural ICT (ICT Multiple Impacts). The lack of ability to organize rural ICT programs and issues and the lack of a social organization to take on the issues of rural ICT development problems in the area (eg, ICT use). Given the purpose of the research, "The Role of Rural ICT in Rural Capacity Development (Case Study of Sarabad Village)", it was confirmed that the villagers themselves have ideas on how to participate in Rural ICT development (levels of ICT use) that need to be adjusted. Policies or plans for development, government or trustee organizations to incorporate rural plans and ideas (enhancing human and information capabilities).

Keywords


Gigler, B. S. (2011). Informational capabilities-the missing link for the impact of ICT on development. Available at SSRN 2191594.