Cybercommunities and social empowerment for marginalized groups

¶ … advancement, computer and information technology are double-edged swords. On one hand, they offer marginalized individuals and groups with effective new ways of empowerment. However, the same technology also threatens to sharpen the inequities that already exist between social groups.

This paper examines one of the most powerful ways in which groups have harnessed the promise of technology - through the redefinition and creation of new "cybercommunities." The first part of the paper looks at the example of Staying Connected, a network that provides single teenage mothers with public exchange messages, private e-mail and chatrooms.

The next part of the paper then looks at the main barrier to reaping the benefits of this rapidly changing technology. In the United States alone, for example, many people from disadvantaged communities do not have access to computers and information technology. The last part suggests steps that could be taken to avert this inequity, including federal funding in schools to corporate sponsorship.

New communities

Sociologist Steven G. Jones describes cybersociety as a space that is both "real in its effects and illusory in its lack of physical presence" (16). While traditional social communities are rooted in a specific time and place, cybersocieties are not defined by locality, geography, or culture.

Cybersocieties are connected through computer-mediated communication, the most widely used form of which is the Internet. Because of its decentralized structure, the Internet allows users to create, receive and send information in a myriad of forms, such as electronic mail, graphic images and websites. It also allows people to form social networks such as listservs, newsgroups, chatrooms and mailing lists. These social networks are thus both "virtual," in the sense that they do not exist within the physical boundaries of a meeting room or a country. However, like traditional communities, computer mediated communities are also socially created spaces.

Like traditional communities, computer mediated communities are often comprised of individuals with shared interests. In their 6-month study of 42 single teenage mothers with young infants, Philip J. Dunham et al. (1998) found that participants who had access to Staying Connected, a network that provided members with public exchange messages, private e-mail and chatrooms, reported feeling less isolation and parenting stress. Additionally, the study concluded that the teen mothers were able to develop "close personal relationships and a sense of community...in this novel social environment" (Dunham et al.).

These findings are significant considering how unwed teenage mothers often become pariahs in many societies around the world. Because of the social stigma many societies attach to premarital sex, many teen mothers are barred or hidden from public life. As such, many do not have access to a traditional support group of friends or peers.

In contrast, Staying Connected provided members with a new venue for forming social networks. While Staying Connected also provided parenting information, most young mothers logged on simply to discuss daily stresses and to exchange emotional support. Dunham et al. found that instead of merely a reference website, Staying Connected developed into a "cohesive social environment" and that those who participated most consistently reported the least levels of parenting stress (Dunham et al.).

In addition to creating new communities, the technological revolution represents a significant part of new world economy. In 1996, the Clinton administration recognized the need to ensure that the next generation of Americans "acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for high-technology work and informed citizenship." Studies have already shown that information technology increases student learning, motivation and achievement, regardless of normal barriers like time and place. ("Technological Literacy").

Bridging the digital divide

The sobering data shows how much work remains in order to truly harness information technology's promise for community and empowerment. Recognizing the need to bridge this digital divide, the government has set aside funding to provide computer equipment and Internet access in public libraries and community centers. This action is a significant first step, allowing more disadvantaged people access to information technology.

However, the NTIA admits that the public resources to date "have not alleviated the significant Internet use gap between rich and poor" (NTIA Factsheet). To further combat the divide, private corporations have stepped in. Microsoft, for example, provides grants for organizations like Digital Mission, a non-profit agency in San Francisco that offers computer access and training to the Mission District, which is populated predominantly by Hispanic and Latino people ("Microsoft Extends Technology Access to Latino Communities"). Programs such as these are helping to further reduce the digital divide between those with access to computer technology and those who do not.

In conclusion, information technology has afforded individuals with new ways to learn, form communities and interact with their social world. However, there still needs be a concerted effort, both on the part of government and private institutions, to combat the persistent digital divide that places people with limited technological access at a further disadvantage. Only through equal access can the full promise of the digital age be fulfilled.