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This study critically examines the co-construction of society and technology in rural Strathclyde during the late 1990s. A range of uses of information and communications technology (ICT) - spanning employment, community development and education – is accounted for, in a variety of highly localised settings on the islands of Arran, Islay and Jura and the Kintyre peninsula. Explanation is offered as to why certain outcomes have been arrived at. The reflexive relationship between technology and society is then highlighted, as it is shown that the challenge of introducing ICT to the region has affected change in local governance structures, catalysing new partnerships while challenging existing power relations. Building upon recent work in rural studies relating to the post-productivist countryside, theories derived from the sociology of science (specifically Social Construction of Technology and Actor Network Theory approaches) are employed in an attempt to heighten understanding of local sensitivity to 'globalising' technologies. A qualitative methodology is employed, consisting of depth interviews conducted with leading local actors throughout 1997 and 1998. The narratives give insight into these actors' beliefs and motivation as they have attempted to guide the innovation, diffusion and application of ICT in the region. Critical insight is sought as to how their frequently conflicting understanding of rural needs acts as a constraint upon the contingency of technical development locally, prompting certain courses of action to be favoured above others. The study draws more generally upon the experiences of rural Strathclyde to build a model of local sensitivity to technical change in the countryside. It is argued that the power to act rests in many hands and that those local actors who possess the necessary skills and resources to act as 'conduits' - linking local and 'global' circuits of production and consumption - do not always behave in ways that optimise local outcomes. Only under certain conditions can the effective deployment of ICT enable 'powerful' localities to act competitively 'at a distance' in seeking new trade and investment. It is argued that failure to appreciate the diversity of possible local responses to the provision of ICT has sometimes left policy-makers with exaggerated expectations for technically driven rural restructuring.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate displacement and the migrant experience, particularly in relation to the under-researched area of middle class migration, and the role of the computer in sustaining relationships at a distance. The participants were a group of elite Libyan women who lived with their husbands and children in North Manchester were the focus of the study. The focus of the study was centred on showing how these Libyan women used home computing and the internet as a social tool. A qualitative research methodology was utilised in this study. The data consisted of exploratory semi-structured interviews with a Libyan mother and her daughter, and a series of group discussions collected from Al Lamma gatherings (women's social gatherings) which were attended by Libyan women of different backgrounds. The use of Al Lamma gatherings provided a culturally appropriate setting in which the women were able to express their views more freely than might have been the case in more traditional research settings such as group interviews or focus groups. The women's group discussion transcripts were translated from spoken Libyan Arabic into English. Participant- observation field notes, reflective extracts and diary notes were also part of the research data. The analysis of the interviews and the women's group discussions revealed important issues as a result of using home computing and the internet as a social activity. Home computing was used as a vehicle for informal learning and self-development. However the women found it necessary to overcome various barriers and obstacles to their access to home computing. For instance, conflict and power relations in Libyan families in North Manchester were reflected in members' access to and use of home computers, prompting strategies such as passive resistance by the women in order to secure access to home computing and the social and leisure goods that it offers. As a result, it is suggested, home computing contributed to the empowerment of the Libyan women participants. Culture and religion also had influences on family structures, and therefore upon practices around home computing and intemet use. Further issues discussed in the study included the role of home computing in sustaining real and 'imagined' community, and the significance of engaging with virtual realities for children's development. The thesis also addressed issues related to the role of the English language in creating hierarchies of knowledge and power among researchers. The thesis identifies a need for educators and policy makers to recognize the existence of middle class migrants who have diversity of needs and identities. It is suggested that the engagement with home computing by such migrant groups could have implications for classroom teaching or designing effective courses online. The thesis identifies a need for further research on education, employment and empowerment in relation to middle class immigrant women from under-represented groups in the United Kingdom. The experience of children of immigrant families or transnational families is also identified as a topic for future research. Finally, the thesis recommends enhancing an appreciation of differences by teaching about different social arrangements and cultures in the English education system.

This thesis considers how residents of a favela (shantytown) in the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil use the internet to publish and disseminate content, particularly on blogs, which puts forward their own representations of the area where they live. The interdisciplinary and ethnographically inspired approach taken in this thesis links content published on blogs to the practices involved in its publication and circulation, in a wider 'communicative ecology' of local content creation incorporating other internet platforms, as well as print media. The emergence of web 2.0 has widened the possibilities for the production of local content by ordinary people, at the same time as it has paved the way for a broader understanding and application of the term 'local content', outside of projects which include the publication and dissemination of such content as a goal. Whilst place remains a crucially important reference in people's use of the internet, the internet is also a medium through which to explore and develop affiliations which go beyond place. This thesis includes a critical and theoretical exploration of what the 'local' means in the context of the internet, and draws on networked theories of place and locality. It proposes that local content can be understood as the expression of a potentially plural and diverse ecology of locality constructed around (and by) individuals, incorporating multiple locations and interests. Sectors of Brazilian society, and in particular the mainstream media, tend to homogenise favelas and to portray them as territories of violence, crime and poverty, which are not recognised as part of the official city. These dominant representations remain an important reference which favela residents attempt to work against when producing their own content. Favela residents publishing internet content with an awareness of its potential translocal visibility are thus particularly concerned with place, and with the affirmation of the territorial embeddedness of their content as a way of combatting the stigmatisation of their neighbourhoods. The thesis presents three detailed case studies focusing on the work of specific content creators from the same Rio de Janeiro favela, showing how they employ different practices to explicitly anchor their content in a particular geographical location, at the same time as they affirm the favela where they live as an integral part of the city, which is also connected to other favelas and urban periphery neighbourhoods through shared perspectives and concerns. This local content can be understood as part of a broader trend towards the increased visibility of the Brazilian urban periphery in recent years, both as a result of projects set up by non-governmental organisations, and independent cultural production by favela residents. Whilst the internet, and digital technologies more broadly speaking, have been an important factor in this visibility, this thesis argues that despite the innovative and dynamic nature of Brazilian digital culture, and the rising levels of internet access by favela residents in Rio de Janeiro, a more nuanced assessment of the effects and implications of digital culture is required. Access to the internet by favela residents in Rio de Janeiro and their use of this medium for the publication and dissemination of more diverse (self-)representations of favelas has challenged some hierarchies, but by no means removed them. The empirical insights provided by this thesis show how a local content approach, which is both conceptual and methodological, can shed new light on internet practices and representations of the local within a specific context.

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This is a study of the influence of human capital in the, households' diffusion of Information Technologies (IT), in particular, computers and the Internet; and their potential benefits and costs among teenagers. The first part develops a theoretical model to understand the importance of human capital for the households' computer and Internet adoption. Urban and rural households select the technology choice that maximizes their utility, given their education, the basic skills needed to use a computer and the market prices. Firms compete as in a standard Cournot fashion. As an illustration of the model, data from Guatemalan households is analysed. The second part analyses the importance of education, among other factors, in the diffusion process of computers and Internet among British households using a multivariate dynamic random effects pro bit model that distinguishes households that are at risk from adopting IT technologies, from those at risk of staying as users. This part includes counterfactual simulations to highlight the importance of human capital in the IT diffusion among households. The third part studies the potential effects of computer access on English teenagers. Firstly, it is analysed if IT access at home and at school are beneficial for the academic outcomes of students, as most children tend to believe, and also if these technologies motivate them to study beyond compulsory education. Secondly, this chapter explores if IT technologies are affecting their plans, risk behaviour, and socialization. The main findings suggest that human capital has played an important role in the computer and Internet diffusion among households. Regarding the academic outcomes, small academic benefits are found from computer home access, but no effects are found from computer use at school. No evidence is found that suggests computer access motivates students to study beyond compulsory education. Finally, computers appear to have negative effects on teens' risk behaviour.

This thesis investigates howlCTs such as mobile telephony can be used and appropriated to meet the information needs of Bangladeshi farmers. Bangladesh like many other developing countries has recently experienced an unprecedented boom in the uptake of mobile telephony. Mobile telephones are not only used by 'urban elites, they are also in the hands of underprivileged communities including the likes of rural farmers. It is argued that the use of ICTs can provide disadvantaged communities with an access to information and thereby enable them to enhance their quality of life through increased productivity. However, existing research holds limited evidence of why and how these communities use ICTs, what kind of problems they encounter and how they integrate the same in their daily lives. The current study addresses these issues. Two remote regions in Bangladesh were selected for the fieldwork. Ethnographic observations along with focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. The findings revealed that a lack of information of prices and availability of fertilisers and a lack of knowledge on pest and plant diseases are major concerns for the farmers. The local telecentres hardly offered any solution to these problems. However, the farmers found it beneficial to use mobile telephony despite some difficulties. The social, occupational and psychological benefits from mobile telephony motivated them to use and appropriate it through inventive means and adaptation. The findings also suggest that the acceptance, use and appropriation of a technology need to be investigated with a holistic approach. This thesis adds to the argument for a bottom up approach to leT intervention in development activities. For mobile telephone manufacturers and network providers the findings showcase the future business prospects lying in the bottom of the economic pyramid and suggest for context relevant and tailor made product/service development to cater the needs of this huge market segment.

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