Is Community Informatics Good for Communities? Questions Confronting an Emerging Field

Authors

  • Randy R Stoecker

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/joci.v1i3.2029

Keywords:

community informatics, community development

Abstract

This paper addresses a number of questions confronting the emerging field of community informatics. First, is it a field of study or a field of practice? Second, is the focus of community informatics on communities, information, or technology? Third, does community informatics serve elites, academics, community workers, or community workers? The paper moves from these questions to develop an empowerment model for community informations, emphasizing a community development approach combined with an information focus and a participatory process. It concludes with the question of whether community informatics should strive to be a supporting field rather than develop as an independent arena of study or practice.

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Published

2005-06-06

Issue

Section

Research Articles