Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries
Discussion Papers
At the last IFIP WG9.4 business meeting in Bangkok, it was agreed that the Group would encourage the development of position papers which would be initiated by one or a small group of persons and then developed on-line incrementally by other members of the Working Group.
We are now posting two position papers on the site and invite people to extend these studies either empirically by presenting primary or secondary data, or by offering alternative theoretical perspectives to the study. As these papers develop, we hope that they will form part of a useful repository of research related to the core mission of the Group. In the short term, the papers can be presented as full papers, or as panel discussions at the forthcoming WG9.4 conferences.
We will post the comments we receive. Read the comments
| These papers are in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. |
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Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor : An IFIP WG
9.4 Position Paper |
The Internet and Socio-economic development: Exploring the
interaction Shirin Madon: Secretary, IFIP WG 9.4, Department of Information Systems,London School of Economics |
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Abstract Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) is a major national initiative that is designed to satisfy the country’s ambitions to achieve fully developed status by the year 2020. It embodies a 50-by-15-kilometre area adjacent to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, which will contain new cities served by a state-of-the-art multimedia infrastructure as well as providing the base for national and international companies in the multimedia industry. The Malaysian government has provided incentives for overseas companies to participate, and many have already begun operations. The MSC will spearhead a number of nation-wide IT projects that are intended to transform major sectors of Malaysian society through the use of IT. These include education, healthcare, commerce, governance and manufacturing. As a prescription for IT-led economic development, the MSC is arguably the boldest, grandest and most ambitious scheme the world has seen. The MSC is an important experiment in the social implications of IT in a developing country. Rarely, if ever, has so much been placed at stake within a single IT implementation and rarely has any country embraced IT in such a wholehearted manor as has Malaysia. This paper describes the project and its background within the context of contemporary Malaysian society. The description is positioned within a framework for analysis that is used to guide a tentative evaluation of the project and of its likely outcomes. The MSC is characterised as a startlingly bold and technically sound proposition. At this early stage of its development, some observations can be offered with regard to the practicality of the planned implementations within a shifting economic environment and within the realities contained in Malaysian society for achieving such an ambitious outcome. |
In this paper, we attempt to gain an understanding of the current and potential impact of the Internet on the four-fifths of the world’s population living in developing countries, two-thirds of them poor. First, we attempt to put today’s rapid advances in information and communication technology in a broader debate about development and the role of information. Next, we explore the interaction between the Internet and key dimensions of development using empirical data to support the argument that the Internet can only become a tool for socio-economic development if it is applied in a way that will benefit society at large and vulnerable groups in particular. Finally, we discuss some key policy implications of Internet diffusion and usage which governments of developing countries will have to address. These include enabling the creation of relevant knowledge on the Internet and the acquisition of the necessary skills and capabilities to use the technology in a way that is compatible with the local culture. |