Discourse among IT Saviours and Those Who Focus on Economic, and Cultural Issues Facing a Country - Essay Example

? ESSAY Dis among IT saviours and those who focus on Economic, Political and Cultural issues facing a country. ID] [Module Title and Number] [Module Tutor Name] [Submission Date] There Is A Tension Within The ICT And Development Discourse Between Those Who See Icts As The Development Saviour And Those Who Are More Skeptical And Who Do Attempt To Draw Attention To The Social, Cultural, Economic And Political Environment Within Which A Country’s Development Efforts Are Embedded INTRODUCTION Information is any data that is arranged such that it becomes meaningful. With respect to this analysis ICT can be termed as the meaningfulness of data by virtue of communications and other technologies. If attempted to be defined formally, Information and Communications Technology or ICT can be termed as an umbrella terminology that encompassed a vast variety of aspects in it. Techtarget formally defines ICT as follows: “ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning.”(Techtarget, 2011) The importance of the term ICT lies less in the three words that it is composed of. Rather, it mainly deals with its practical implementation that involves the providing of a means of communication via technology primarily in the areas that are among the underdeveloped nations. From its emergence a few decades ago to the present times, ICT or information and Communications Technology has expended such that every unit in the present times cannot imagine survival without it may it be a business or residential unit. Initiating decades ago perhaps with the invention of a telephone ICT stands today as a giant that is the most looked up and the most highly acclaimed for all its achievements and continued renovation. The manners in which the developments in ICT have affected development are massive. Comparative to the end of the last century which is not very far away the current times are poles apart. Technology has aided development in almost every field and aspect. May it be the economical aspects of a country or its fiscal growth the embedding of technologically advanced hardware and software has turned the meaning of each term upside down. Coordination and communication processing among units of an organization situated at several different physical locations is just a click away now. This enhanced and timely coordination has resulted in the optimization and growth of the produce and has thus substantially enhanced profit margins as well. Particularly speaking just the mere mentioning of the introduction of “Information Systems”, “Digitally Advanced Health Systems”, “Communication Studies”, “Advanced results of HCI or Human and Computer Interaction” and “Development Studies” etc, just to name a few, throws substantial light over what there terminologies and their implementation means to the socio and economic growth of countries specially in the developing and under developed nations’ sector. Expanding this discussion a little furthermore it is observed that the advancements in information and communications technology have led to the redesigning of the entire sector of traditional industry. The introduction of CAD (Computer Aided Design Technology) at the design level opened new horizons in the field of product designing. The industries that were on a brink of closure have relived just by the introduction and implementation of ICT. The revival of product design as well as the simplification of design and manufacturing procedures with added precision and convenience has been topped with extreme increase in the level of proficiency of finished product. The industry owes this all to the exposure to ICT. ICT for DEVELOPMENT, as discussed above, on a broader scale, refers to the implementation of Information and Communications Technology in the socioeconomic, human rights and international development sectors. Focusing over deserving nations, ICT is seen as a primary means by which economic progress can by achieved by a developing or developed nation. Consider the planning, processing construction and maintenance of an entire roads’ network for an emerging city of an under developed nation. ICT’s introduction and assistance enables the execution of the intended process with sheer precision and in the best possible combination. Similarly, assistance of ICT for the Development of agriculture in developing nations holds imperative importance to the nation’s development prospects. In s study conducted by Jac Stienen, Wietse Bruinsma and Frans Neuman about how ICT makes a difference in the development of agriculture in an under developed nation the three individuals from the International Institute of Communication and development state about the role of ICT in the following words: “The role of ICT to enhance food security and support rural livelihoods is increasingly recognised and was officially endorsed at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2003-2005. This includes the use of computers, internet, geographical information systems, mobile phones, as well as traditional media such as radio or TV.” (Steinen, Bruinsma,Neuman, 2007) and also, “Web-based trading platforms offering one-stop shop facilities are emerging, especially for main commodities. In India the private sector-led Agriwatch (www.agriwatch.com) and eChoupal programme (www.itcportal.com/ruraldevp_philosophy/ echoupal.htm) support several million farmers with price information, tender and transaction facilities. In recent years, short message and text services have taken up and effectively deliver prices and trading information via mobile phone to farmers, for instance in Senegal, Benin, and Zambia.” (Steinen, Bruinsma,Neuman, 2007). ICT for DEVELOPMENT and DISCOURSE A discourse upon the effect of ICT on the development of a nation exists. May socio economists believe that for an underdeveloped nation, such as a third world nation, merely the introduction of ICT would not lead to development of the nation as a whole. Their thinking paradigm governs the fact that the socio-economic problems being faced by an under developed nation need to be addressed first. They insist that potential should be spent in the resolution of the latter rather than focusing merely on ICT development. In order to understand the discourse upon ICT better an example of a third world country is considered. At the time of elections ICT is embedded in the rural areas in the manner that such digital voting mechanisms are introduced that have finer print recognition mechanism in them. Such systems are error free and are an attempt to prevent rigging in elections. However if a rural area’s politically influential land Lord’s are bent upon rigging the elections they forcefully get the voters to vote for them by deploying armed personnel who force the incoming voters to cast their vote in favour of them. Terrified, just with the thought of any repercussions that they might have to face, common man listens to the land lord’s wishes. The resultant is that the landlord sweeps the elections with a vast majority. Thus, merely the introduction of ICT into the politically turmoil rural area does not result in its true development. It is therefore stressed that the political, economic and social issues of a nation should be addressed first and then only can true development be achieved. There, however is a drawback to this development discourse. The bridging gap between the developed and the underdeveloped nations widens even more if ICT is being considered as a development factor lesser important than the economic and political problems being faced by a nation. The digital divide increases and the world separates out into two extremes with respect to promotion and integration of Information and Communications technology. Mira Slavova writes about the ICT development discourse in the following words: “Certainly, I do not expect that the evolution of technology innovation in developing countries will necessarily follow the same path as that in the industrialised world. But I find it interesting to consider the possibilities for social, economic and technological development…” (Slavova, 2009) CONCLUSIVELY it can be ascertained that both the thought paradigms have their separate individual importance. It becomes true for a vast variety of developing and under developing nations that their acute economic, social and political issues need to be addressed prior to the assigning of first degree importance to development as a result of introduction of ICT. REFERENCES: Techtarget 2011. ICT. [Online] Available at: . [13 Aug. 11] Thompson P.A.M., 2004. ICT, Power and Development Discourse: A Critical Analysis. [Online] Available at: . [13 Aug. 11] Stienen, J. Bruinsma, W. Neuman, F., 2007. How ICT can make a difference in agricultural livelihoods. [Online] International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD). Available at: < http://www.iicd.org/files/ICT%20and%20agricultural%20livelihoods.pdf>. [12 August 11.] Slavova, M., 2009. What future for ICT4D? [Online] Available at < http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/10/12/what-future-for-ict4d/>. [12 August. 11] Kalas, P., 2010. “Simple but not easy” – Why strategic integration of ICTs into development programmes is simply not easy.” [Online] Available at < http://www.sdc-learningandnetworking-blog.admin.ch/2010/12/08/simple-but-not-easy-why-strategic-integration-of-icts-into-development-programmes-is-simply-not-easy/>. [12 August. 11] Read More