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SUMMARY:Literacy and ICT: Social Constructions in the Lives of Low-literat
 e Youth in Ethiopia & Malawi - Marije Geldof\, Royal Holloway\, University
  of London
DTSTART:20100215T140000Z
DTEND:20100215T143000Z
UID:TALK22816@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Fabien Petitcolas
DESCRIPTION:*Abstract*: This talk explores how literacy and Information an
 d Communication Technologies (ICTs) are socially constructed in the lives 
 of low-literate youth in the context of Ethiopia and Malawi. It brings tog
 ether social constructionist perspectives to literacy and ICT use\, accord
 ing to which the two are social practices that can only be understood in t
 he social context in which they take place. Literacy and ICTs are becoming
  more and more interdependent and both are seen as possible solutions for 
 development. However\, few studies have qualitatively explored the interac
 tion between the two in contexts where literacy skills are not widespread\
 , such as in Africa. The presentation is based on a study that employed a 
 qualitative multiple method approach (including interviews\, focus groups 
 and digital camera interaction) in the context of four research locations 
 in both urban and rural Ethiopia and Malawi\, which allowed low-literate y
 outh to express themselves both verbally and visually about the role of IC
 Ts in their lives. Their realities reveal how the use of ICTs is actively 
 shaped by both its users as well as the context of use\, particularly in t
 erms of the interplay between literacy and ICTs\, physical and cultural co
 ntextual factors that constrain ICT use\, and the needs of low-literate us
 ers and the way in which they shape ICT use according to these needs. Thus
 \, the presentation demonstrates how the interplay between literacy and IC
 T use is more complex than just compatibility between literacy proficiency
  and ICT design and highlights how ICT use is divided along similar lines 
 to literacy proficiency by characteristics such as gender\, language and g
 eographical location. \n
LOCATION:Small Lecture Room\, Microsoft Research\, Roger Needham Building\
 , 7 J J Thomson Avenue\, Cambridge CB3 0FB
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