Developing Democracy: Glocalizing Technology in the Māori Community

By Christiana L. Kasner

CONTACT AUTHOR FOR FULL ARTICLE AND CITATION INFORMATION

Executive Summary

Most scholars readily admit a ‘digital divide’. While exactly what that term constitutes remains an issue of debate, usually it implies an information gap between developed and developing countries. Of increasing interest is the relationship between development and democracy, and technology and development. However, while the global digital divide and development of democracy via technology remain concerns of the UN and other international organizations, less attention has been given to differing levels of technology access within a given country, especially developed countries. While developing countries continue to see access to technology thrive, technology use by communities which are already economically and socially marginalized is not keeping up with overall technological growth, even in developed countries.

Among some of the most technologically marginalized populations are the poor, elderly, women, and – increasingly, indigenous communities. This lack of access to technology has well-noted consequences; fewer employment and educational opportunities and, as a result, lower incomes are increasingly to be expected. Increasingly, however, lack of access to ICT, especially the Web/Internet, may have other implications, including an impaired ability to participate in the democratic process and lower rates of overall development within these communities. However, there is growing support for the idea that technology diffusion and use in these communities must have a cultural context. This study, then, aims to explore how technology can be used to generate sustainable development while identifying some of the major considerations in the same. The use of technology in achieving political development is given special attention, as there is increasing attention to the links between the political development, especially with respect to democracy, and overall development.

Rather than undertake a global inventory, this paper these issues in one developed country’s indigenous community. New Zealand, a country where nearly half the population has Internet access[1], finds its indigenous Māori[2] population[3] –struggling to keep technologically abreast, and finds the community showing lower levels of social and economic development than the rest of the country. By using a theoretical framework that gives attention to the role of culture in development and the application and diffusion of information and communication technologies, the role of technology in the Maori community can be better understood. An exploration of existing literature on the relationships between democracy, technology, development, and culture will help provide solid observations on factors affecting Māori access and use of technology for political participation, and its place in incorporating technology into policy aimed at overall sustainable development.

Kasner, Christiana L. Page 2 of 1

[1] (UNDP: 2004), pg 180

[2] Maori are 14% of the population; this number is based on the total population provided by Statistics NZ; it is based on ethnicity (based on cultural identification) rather than decent. Decent figures raise the Māori population to over 16%.

[3] Total population in 2001 census was 3,737,277 (Statistics NZ) ts.govt.nz/domino/external/pasfull/pasfull.nsf/7cf46ae26dcb6800cc256a62000a2248/4c2567ef00247c6acc256b25001407ff?OpenDocument. More recent figures place population figures at over four million. (ipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_New_Zealand) based on NZ Statistics estimate as of 15 January, 2005