377 I ICT for Social and Cultural Capital in Pacific Island Communities Usha Sundar Harris Macqua... more 377 I ICT for Social and Cultural Capital in Pacific Island Communities Usha Sundar Harris Macquarie University, Australia INTRODUCTION When new ... the United States, Austra-lia, New Zealand and the UK, creating a transnational diasporic public sphere (Appadurai, 1996). ...
Convergence the International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2004
Using the global knowledge society discourse, this paper explores the potential value of world wi... more Using the global knowledge society discourse, this paper explores the potential value of world wide web for community development and cultural participation in Pacific Island communities within a framework of participatory communication. The discussion begins with some ideas about knowledge itself, the differences between global knowledge and local knowledge, and the localisation of knowledge. It then presents a case study of internet development in Fiji to date: current technological condition, impediments and milestones and finally a discussion of its value to communities.
While scientific evidence in support of climate change is growing, awareness and education about ... more While scientific evidence in support of climate change is growing, awareness and education about its effects, especially among vulnerable communities, is lacking, due to language and cultural barriers. Communities are unlikely to respond to government policies promoting mitigation and adaptation strategies without an improved perception of climate change risk at a local level. Mapping the flow of information between decision makers and citizens is an important part of this process. This article broadly explores the communication channels that are being used for awareness and knowledge sharing in the Pacific. At its core, the article discusses a way in which participatory media has been piloted to enable community discussion about issues around climate change in the Pacific Islands. The ‘bottom-up’ approach encourages participation of marginalised groups such as women, youth, and people with disabilities who bring diverse perspectives in content creation. This discursive space enable...
Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji, 2008
Participatory video (PV) projects have put video technology in the hands of the most marginalised... more Participatory video (PV) projects have put video technology in the hands of the most marginalised in society for self-representation and social reform. PV has gained a favoured place in many development projects and has been used by non-government organisations, development workers and indeed communities themselves to foster dialogue and to instigate change and empowerment. The case study discussed here combined action research and visual ethnography to study the process of PV production and how the community's engagement in it contributes to dialogue and community building in a post-conflict society. This study found that rural women in Fiji use social capital -their relationships and social networks -as a key element in video production to highlight community needs and linkages.
Emerging literature highlights that in the Pacific the use of participatory video (PV) is a new t... more Emerging literature highlights that in the Pacific the use of participatory video (PV) is a new trend in research and community action. it can be employed as a tool to empower communities to have agancy over their media outpurs, meaning that they have full control of the content creation, production and distribution processes. But to date there is still a dearth of studies that fully explore its potential use in different contexts, especially within diasporic networks. To address this gap, a pilot project was undertaken where PV methologies were tested in collaboration with a diasporic Pacific community group based in West Auckland, New Zealand. This report feeds on the overall process of developing the pilot project.
Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communicatio... more Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communication is the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people, effective communication in development must include both top down and bottom up approaches in message exchange. That is, it should not only communicate what powerful elites want to say, but also facilitate a better understanding of what the people want in order to improve their own lives. While mass media is still widely used in disseminating messages about development, what is less understood is how effective participatory communication practices can be integrated in community development projects to give people a greater voice. How can participatory practices be initiated and sustained and what are some of the tools that can aid effective participation? This article discusses viable ways in which participatory media may be included to enable communities to gain ownership of projects by voicing their own ideas and concerns. It also considers implications for development practitioners who choose to employ participatory communication technologies to improve, facilitate, and optimise local community engagement.
This ethnographic study of a participatory video workshop conducted with rural women in Fiji obse... more This ethnographic study of a participatory video workshop conducted with rural women in Fiji observed how communities engage with processes of production for empowerment, and the implications for dialogue, community building, and representation within Fiji's fragmented multicultural society. The study found that rural women in Fiji integrate local norms and practices in the production of programme content, and use social
377 I ICT for Social and Cultural Capital in Pacific Island Communities Usha Sundar Harris Macqua... more 377 I ICT for Social and Cultural Capital in Pacific Island Communities Usha Sundar Harris Macquarie University, Australia INTRODUCTION When new ... the United States, Austra-lia, New Zealand and the UK, creating a transnational diasporic public sphere (Appadurai, 1996). ...
Convergence the International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 2004
Using the global knowledge society discourse, this paper explores the potential value of world wi... more Using the global knowledge society discourse, this paper explores the potential value of world wide web for community development and cultural participation in Pacific Island communities within a framework of participatory communication. The discussion begins with some ideas about knowledge itself, the differences between global knowledge and local knowledge, and the localisation of knowledge. It then presents a case study of internet development in Fiji to date: current technological condition, impediments and milestones and finally a discussion of its value to communities.
While scientific evidence in support of climate change is growing, awareness and education about ... more While scientific evidence in support of climate change is growing, awareness and education about its effects, especially among vulnerable communities, is lacking, due to language and cultural barriers. Communities are unlikely to respond to government policies promoting mitigation and adaptation strategies without an improved perception of climate change risk at a local level. Mapping the flow of information between decision makers and citizens is an important part of this process. This article broadly explores the communication channels that are being used for awareness and knowledge sharing in the Pacific. At its core, the article discusses a way in which participatory media has been piloted to enable community discussion about issues around climate change in the Pacific Islands. The ‘bottom-up’ approach encourages participation of marginalised groups such as women, youth, and people with disabilities who bring diverse perspectives in content creation. This discursive space enable...
Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji, 2008
Participatory video (PV) projects have put video technology in the hands of the most marginalised... more Participatory video (PV) projects have put video technology in the hands of the most marginalised in society for self-representation and social reform. PV has gained a favoured place in many development projects and has been used by non-government organisations, development workers and indeed communities themselves to foster dialogue and to instigate change and empowerment. The case study discussed here combined action research and visual ethnography to study the process of PV production and how the community's engagement in it contributes to dialogue and community building in a post-conflict society. This study found that rural women in Fiji use social capital -their relationships and social networks -as a key element in video production to highlight community needs and linkages.
Emerging literature highlights that in the Pacific the use of participatory video (PV) is a new t... more Emerging literature highlights that in the Pacific the use of participatory video (PV) is a new trend in research and community action. it can be employed as a tool to empower communities to have agancy over their media outpurs, meaning that they have full control of the content creation, production and distribution processes. But to date there is still a dearth of studies that fully explore its potential use in different contexts, especially within diasporic networks. To address this gap, a pilot project was undertaken where PV methologies were tested in collaboration with a diasporic Pacific community group based in West Auckland, New Zealand. This report feeds on the overall process of developing the pilot project.
Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communicatio... more Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communication is the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people, effective communication in development must include both top down and bottom up approaches in message exchange. That is, it should not only communicate what powerful elites want to say, but also facilitate a better understanding of what the people want in order to improve their own lives. While mass media is still widely used in disseminating messages about development, what is less understood is how effective participatory communication practices can be integrated in community development projects to give people a greater voice. How can participatory practices be initiated and sustained and what are some of the tools that can aid effective participation? This article discusses viable ways in which participatory media may be included to enable communities to gain ownership of projects by voicing their own ideas and concerns. It also considers implications for development practitioners who choose to employ participatory communication technologies to improve, facilitate, and optimise local community engagement.
This ethnographic study of a participatory video workshop conducted with rural women in Fiji obse... more This ethnographic study of a participatory video workshop conducted with rural women in Fiji observed how communities engage with processes of production for empowerment, and the implications for dialogue, community building, and representation within Fiji's fragmented multicultural society. The study found that rural women in Fiji integrate local norms and practices in the production of programme content, and use social
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