Phillips: The Role of Technology in Maintaining Social Cohesion
In The Role of ICT in Maintaining Social Cohesion: Understanding the Potential of Digital Incentives for Social Networks in Rural Areas, Rita Helena Phillips (Educational Sciences, Alpen Adria University, Austria) examines the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in preserving social and community relationships during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This qualitative study considers the perspectives of community leaders in the rural county of Upper Austria, where 71% of people live in rural areas and only 37% have access to a strong internet connection. The author theorizes that ICT, which includes all technologies that allow users to create, access, store, and communicate information digitally, is essential in developing and maintaining interpersonal community relationships typically developed through live person-to-person interaction during times of social isolation.
As emphasized in the article, social capital refers to the connections between people that increase community trust and norms, allowing for better responses to crises, resource sharing, and other community interactions. This study focuses on the effects of ICT use in substituting in-person interactions to maintain and develop further social capital. Phillips tested this theory by conducting interviews with 35 community leaders in the area who were involved in various clubs and organizations. These interviews highlighted common themes of ICT use in maintaining community, including that (1) preexisting digital use contributed to more effective use, (2) building ICT skills was more manageable for those with stronger social support, (3) social media fatigue was more common for those with less prior ICT experience, and (4) communities that did not utilize ICT lost out on community relationships.
The author caveats this research by noting that most research into social capital development through ICT occurred while ICT was used in conjunction with in-person interaction, which was not the case during COVID-19. Further, not enough research has yet been done into the efficacy and type of social capital built through ICT and how it differs from social capital developed through in-person interaction. Ultimately, Phillips theorizes that ICT was most effective in facilitating social relationships already established through in-person contact in the county studied. Further, a lack of familiarity with ICT use can inhibit its effectiveness in fostering social capital. More qualitative research into social networks in rural areas is encouraged.
