IDIHCS   22126
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS SOCIALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
The appropriation of computer and internet access by low-income urban youth in Argentina
Autor/es:
BENÍTEZ LARGHI SEBASTIÁN; AGUERRE CAROLINA; CALAMARI MARINA; FONTECOBA ARIEL; MOGUILLANSKY MARINA; ORCHUELA JIMENA; PONCE DE LEÓN JIMENA
Libro:
Public Access ICT across cultures. Diversifying Participation in the Network Society.
Editorial:
MIT Press y IDRC
Referencias:
Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2015; p. 199 - 231
Resumen:
Our research in Buenos Aires sought to understand the ways in which youth from low-income sectors use new technologies in their daily lives and the significance they attribute them. We focused on technology accessed at three different public access support centres (PASCs) located in the county of La Matanza: 1) a community initiative run by a local grassroots organization; 2) an Access and Training Centre (CEA) run by an organization with the support of the government of Argentina; and 3) a cybercafé. The research is centred on the practices of low-income youth in these venues and explores the modes of appropriation of ICT that contribute to changes, positive or negative, in terms of employability, education, socialization and participation in the political realm. The research was conducted through the observation of venues, in-depth interviews of users in public access venues and surveys of users and non-users. The main finding of our study is that public access venues and community centres that support public access contribute to the social inclusion of youth in poor urban environments. Community centres such as the two considered in this study, satisfy training needs that are not met by market-oriented institutes or formal schooling. Cybercafés are spaces of sociability and contact, where people put into practice what they learn in community centres, and where the main activities are centred on communication and entertainment over the Internet. Given the central role of cybercafés in providing Internet access for low-income sectors, special attention should be paid to the confirmed decrease of these venues in outlying neighbourhoods. We suggest the promotion of women participation and we believe it is very important to create greater synergies between the activities and significance of these spaces for the youth, with the aim of strengthening ties with the school environment. Additionally, we suggest establishing communitarian training centers in the most marginalized areas, where data reveals very high rates of non-access. Finally, we recommend reproducing the PC Refurbishment and Repair Workshop experience, as we have seen how this type of initiative manages to connect with the desires of youth as a source of immediate job prospects.