Dec 05 2006
Report: ICT, social capital and voluntary action
ESRC: ICT, social capital and voluntary action
The Economic & Social Research Council’s ‘ICT, Social Capital and Voluntary Action’ (download PDF – 1.6Mb) report contends that ignoring the Internet is no longer an option for voluntary and community organisations.
It warns that those failing to embrace information and communications technology (ICT) risk having their work overshadowed by those who do draw on this new source of ‘social capital’ – the reserve of goodwill generated when people interact. And though local ICT initiatives are taking place, the booklet says that the smaller online communities they create need ongoing technical and funding support if they are to survive.
The report concluded:
“Our research suggests that top-down, centrally managed projects are prone to a range of problems that make their long-term sustainability doubtful in contrast to grassroots initiatives owned and managed by the communities themselves.
In other words, grassroots ICT initiatives may be more sustainable than those driven by outside policy interventions.”
You can download the full report from ESRC.
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