DIGITALLY ENABLED COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

THIS THESIS AIMS TO EXAMINE THE EMERGING USE OF ICT IN ADDRESSING COMPLEX SOCIAL ISSUES. ICT IS AN IMPORTANT CATALYST FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION. HOWEVER, EXTANT IS STUDIES FOCUS PREDOMINANTLY ON ICT USE FROM A TOP-DOWN PERSPECTIVE, THEREBY UNDERMINING THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY IN RESOLVING THEIR PROBLEMS. ADOPTING AN EMPOWERMENT PERSPECTIVE, THIS STUDY EXAMINES HOW ICT EMPOWERS THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY. THREE CASE STUDIES OF THE THAILAND FLOODING 2011, CHINA TAOBAO E-COMMERCE VILLAGES, AND MALAYSIA ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT ARE PRESENTED. USING AN INTERPRETIVE APPROACH, THIS THESIS PUT FORTH THE CONCEPT OF DIGITALLY ENABLED COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT TO EXPLICATE THREE CONTRIBUTIONS: 1) EXPLORES THE EMERGING SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF ICT BY ILLUSTRATING THE ROLES OF ICT; 2) CHALLENGES THE DOMINANT POSITION OF EXISTING STUDIES BY PROVIDING EMPIRICAL EVIDENCES WHERE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES DRIVE THEIR OWN SOCIAL CHANGES USING ICT; AND 3) ADDRESSES THE LITERATURE GAP IN EMPOWERMENT BY ELUCIDATING T

Author dc:creator

• LEONG MEI LING

• Digital empowerment, ICT and societal challenges, case study