This thesis analyses narratives associated with the development of public policy
in telecommunications from the advent of telegraphy to Australia in 1854 to the
end of 2000, with particular emphasis on concepts of universal service.
The history of public policy development in telecommunications universal service
obligations is analysed to gain an understanding of how different narratives are
used to frame policy within particular material contexts. The study demonstrates
that narratives in telecommunication development reflect national public policy
agendas. In addition the thesis analyses how policy narratives are used to
underwrite and legitimise assumptions, values and statements that influence the
agendas and expectations of diverse social actors and interpretive communities.
Furthermore, the thesis examines the interaction between policy narratives and
the barriers and opportunities created by dynamic material environments such
as economic, legislative and technological arenas.
The study analyses five narratives that influence telecommunication policy and
the agendas and expectations of diverse social actors and interpretive
communities. National development, technocratic, rights, competition and charity
narratives are used to frame different approaches to telecommunication policy,
with particular reference to universal service. The study demonstrates how
national development and competition narratives compete to dominate policy.
Furthermore, diverse technocratic narratives provide scientific reinforcement to
underwrite and legitimise the dominant narrative as well as discredit alternative
perspectives. In addition, social rights and charity narratives respectively provide
moral support to underwrite and legitimise national development and competition
policy narratives.
A key focus of this study is a narrative analysis of more than a thousand
submissions to an independent inquiry in 2000 into telecommunication service
levels with particular reference to universal service. The Telecommunications
Service Inquiry was a forum that provided examples of the narratives analysed
in this study from a cross-section of the Australian community. Submissions
came from diverse social actors and institutions that included governments and
state bodies, the telecommunication industry, unions, the farming industry, other
business groups, community groups and individuals.
The research demonstrates that changes in material environments and social
expectations of universal service produce tensions within dominant narratives
that require greater support from secondary narratives to provide scientific and
moral legitimacy. Furthermore the research indicates that, in part, universal
service policy functions to stabilise and legitimise the dominant policy narrative.
However, the diverse social expectations associated with universal service
produce continuing tensions within the dominant narrative that keep the policy in
a state of flux. Consequently, government and industry policy makers find
telecommunications policy a problematic area to reconcile with expectations of
universal service.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218582 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Bourk, Michael J., n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Communication |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Michael J. Bourk |
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