The Community E-commerce Movement 25
THE COMMUNITY E-COMMERCE MOVEMENT: A CATALYST FOR URBAN RESTORATION
The Community E-commerce Movement:
A Catalyst for Restoration in Underserved Communities
Matthew Forsythe, Walter Mosley, and Nathan Parham III
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
RUNNING HEADER: The Community E-commerce Movement
Abstract
Cornel West, in Race Matters, asserts that the basic issue confronting African Americans is the nihilistic threat to their very existence (1994). The Information Age presents a unique opportunity to address this issue, if we can overcome the impediments of the digital divide. Through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), in a culturally relevant and community based model, the restoration of the African American community can be jumpstarted. As the focal point in community development, ICTs, can start this restoration process by: providing access to commerce, the exchange of goods and services as well as information and ideas, developing social capital within the community; using existing community institutions to build a virtual community; and helping businesses utilize technology to take advantage of the digital economy. From this internal strengthening process arises the Community E-Commerce Movement. Community e-commerce is the process of connecting people, existing social institutions, and community based businesses to ICTs, in order to strengthen the community both socially and economically. The goal of the movement is to create stronger more socially connected communities that simultaneously would break the systematic cycle of poverty, joblessness, and isolation in society.
Introduction
Cornel West, in Race Matters, asserts that the basic issue confronting African Americans is the nihilistic threat to their very existence. This threat spawns not only from economic deprivation and political powerlessness, but also (as importantly) from social despair (1994). The problem is only intensified with a steady exodus of middle- and working-class families from low-income neighborhoods. The desire to “get out of the ghetto” may make the problem better for those who do get out, but leaves a community fragmented, without the material or social resources needed to succeed in society (Alkalimat & Williams, 2001). Those who are left in the community experience life as a disbanded, disadvantaged, and disenfranchised people.
To combat the issue of nihilism, African American communities must take collective actions that promote advances in politics, economics, and culture. These advances should reflect a hybrid of liberal structuralism and conservative behaviorist. That is they should consider the structural constraints of black people, including a subtle historical and sociological analysis of slavery, Jim Crow, job and residential discrimination, skewed unemployment rates, inadequate health care, and poor education. Accordingly, they should also consider the behavioral impediments on black upward mobility such as the waning of the Protestant work ethic[i] (West, 1994). The solutions should contain elements of both structuralism and behaviorist ideologies, because together they reflect and address the impediments of Black America and are therefore indispensable (West, 1994). The combination of these two schools of thought, within the context of Black culture and community, will allow for progress.
The Information Age and the emerging digital economy provide an unprecedented opportunity for Black societal improvement through technology (Alkalimat, 2000). If implemented and leveraged in a model that reflects structuralism and behaviorist ideologies, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can lead to intellectual development, increased social capitol, economic redistribution, and political progress. Black culture and community already provides the proper structure and influence for economic and political advancement. The culture and community, which finds its roots in such strong Black institutions like families, schools, churches, mosques, and communication industries (television, radio, video, music) have already served as the foundation for the Harlem Renaissance, Black Wall Street, and Civil Rights Movement (West 1994). ICTs that are integrated into the culture and community of Black America and built upon existing social institutions may bring about intellectual, economic, and political advancement. This is the opportunity that the information age presents for the Black community.
The Internet is arguably one of the most important communication and information vehicles in history due to the fact that it has changed the dynamics in which business is run, people can communicate, and individuals can learn in our society. The issue concerning the African American community is that the Internet may not scale economically, leading to what has been called a "digital divide" between the information "haves" and "have-nots" (Keller, 1996). Those who are economically disadvantaged are often unable to realize the relevance of utilizing Internet access as a vehicle for commerce; the exchange of not only goods and services, but ideas, opinions, and information.
Although securing accesses to the Internet is important, survival appears to be a much more pressing issue. In African American communities, social despair combined with a lack of political and economic power lends itself to a cycle of poverty and joblessness (Alkalimat & Williams, 2001). In order to be effective, ICTs must be able to address the social and economic issues most relevant to underserved communities. Furthermore, ICTs must be made relevant to the communities’ current lifestyles and promoted accordingly (Beyer & Holztblatt, 2001). Since income is directly linked to home computer ownership, which in turn dictates accessibility to the Internet, it is imperative that access to computers and technology be provided to underserved communities by some alternative access points (i.e. libraries, schools, churches, community centers, etc.) in order to bridge the digital divide.
In this paper we will present a model for intellectual, economic, and political development in underserved communities using ICTs. This model, which utilizes community input and culture, will consider the societal condition of the community and the place for ICTs in them. Because the model is community based and builds economic and social capitol within a community, successful implementation could drastically decrease the digital divide.
Problem Statement
In our discussion of the African American community, we acknowledge that some aspects will overlap regardless of income or social status. To a large degree culture, social, and structural barriers are generally similar for African Americans, although they may differ in degree and context. While these similarities are incorporated, the proposed model will specifically address the concerns of underserved African American communities. The plight of the African American community rests on the threat of relative economic deprivation and political powerlessness (West, 1994). Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) will make it possible for these communities to interact with much larger social networks (Resnick, 2000); thereby promoting social, economic, and cultural advancement. Moreover, the potential to catalyze a social information movement that would help underserved populations build a community based information economy is possible through the implementation of ICTs. Restoration of the African American community can be jumpstarted though the use of ICTs. As the focal point in community development, ICTs, if culturally relevant, can start this restoration process by providing access to commerce[ii], developing social capital within the community, using existing community institutions to build a virtual community, and helping businesses utilize technology to take advantage of the digital economy. The goal of beginning a community e-commerce movement should not be limited to merely economic development. The greater goal of such initiatives is creating stronger, more socially connected communities that simultaneously would break the systematic cycle of poverty, joblessness, and isolation in society.
Definitions
This paper uses the term community e-commerce to mean the process of connecting people and community based businesses within urban communities to ICTs, in order to strengthen the community both socially and economically. The term e-commerce refers to not only the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, but also includes the exchange of ideas, thoughts, and information electronically. When restoring a community, exchanging information and thoughts are just as important as exchanging monetary resources.
Throughout this paper, groups who are referred to as “underserved” are those individuals who are 1) without adequate access to computers and the Internet; 2) racial or ethnic minorities; and/or 3) individuals who are subjected to low incomes and inadequate education. Urban is used in reference to low-income communities populated by racial and ethnic minorities. The terms Black and African American are used interchangeably, in this paper.
The Model
This model for intellectual, economic, and political development in underserved communities using ICTs involves four elements: 1) Access; 2) Social Integration; 3) Community Development; and 4) Community Business Development. The starting point for this community e-commerce movement is access. Once the community has access points to ICTs, the process of social integration can begin. Finally, after successful integration phase 3 will begin. Community Development and Community Business Development are simultaneously happening at the same time, each element feeding off of the success of the other. Community social and economic growth is experienced in this sustainable phase.
Access
Income and education appear to be the key demographic variables that dictate the inequality in Internet access amongst the information “haves” and “have-nots.” These variables are important because they are the most likely to differentially impact the consequences of interactive electronic media for different segments in our society, specifically the underserved African American communities. Disturbingly, only 2% of children in low-income, rural households have Internet access, compared to 50% of urban households earning annual incomes of more than $75,000. 1 In addition, white households are far more likely (55.7%) to own a computer than Blacks (32.6%). The gap holds across income levels and increases to nearly twice as high for online access (46.1% White vs. 23.5% Black).2
As mentioned previously, the issue that the Internet may not scale economically within the African American community has ultimately lead to a "digital divide" between the information "haves" and "have-nots". Moreover, deprivation of the internet within underserved African American communities is a direct result of limited access to computers within the community. Therefore, the overarching problem facing the information “have-nots” is that only the privileged are fortunate enough to have access to the information. Therefore, the digital divide can only be effectively rectified by providing digital opportunities. Digital opportunities consist of providing adequate access to technology which must be made readily available to the populations facing this dilemma.
The economic disparity within the United States, which contributes greatly to the digital divide, suggests that the technology must be made relevant to the low-income, urban communities in order for the integration of the technology within the population to be successful. If a viable explanation of the importance of internet access is not provided to an underserved community, then the expense of a computer, associated software, and Internet access appears to become insignificant to a community at large which cannot afford such luxuries as the more privileged, due to the considerable expense of the technology. Additionally, education also explains computer access that relates directly to use of the Internet. Higher education translates into an increased likelihood to use the Internet at school, work, or elsewhere (The Children’s Partnership,2001). Therefore, economic hardships combined with lack of education increases the digital divide as the technology continues to move forward. Thus, leaving these communities educationally, socially, and economically behind the rest of the country.
The solution to this predicament is integrating ICTs within underserved urban communities. The purpose of ICTs is to create alternative access points for underserved African Americans in libraries, community centers, and other non-traditional places, such as gyms, churches, and barber/beauty shops where individuals may access the Internet. The purpose of integrating the use of computers at alternative access points is to build community confidence in the technology, while displaying the relevance of the technology to the everyday lives of the community. The number of people who access the Internet from public libraries increased by 500% between 1996 and 1998.4 Therefore, it can be shown that by ensuring access, usage will follow. Access to a computer, whether it be at home, work, school, or somewhere else, is significant because it is the primary mechanism by which society gains access to the Internet. Individuals who own a home computer and have access to a computer at work are much more likely than others to use the Internet. For this reason, it is crucial that alternative access points are provided in convenient, easy to use locations such that the inequality between the information “haves” and “have-nots” can be eradicated.
Social Integration
It is imperative for Black America to get involved in the information economy as it continues to develop. Part of the reason for the lack of involvement according to Walton (1999) is “folkways”, which are mindsets and tendencies developed as a result of social and historical conditions. Throughout history, Black America has been left out of key technological and societal advancements, and the community has become accustomed to surviving without them. Not only has Black America missed out on advances, the community sometimes is the victim of such advances (Watson, 1999).[iii] If past performances are indicators of future behaviors, the African American community will not expect nor embrace the technological advances of the information economy.
The first obstacle to overcome is the lack of trust inherent in African American communities for mainstream American innovation. The African American cultural memory has the tendency to distrust things that can be deemed as “white.”[iv] African American cultural memory refers to both the objective and subjective knowledge of the peoples past and present, its immanent thoughts, its structures, and its practices. These thoughts, structures, and practices are often transferred and understood unconsciously generation after generation but become conscious and culturally objective in practice and perception (Floyd, 1995). Although technology has proved to be useful and even essential in the Information age, the practice and perception of these technologies developed by mainstream America will be generally seen as negative, underhanded, and unnecessary.
Technology developed by and for mainstream America inherently conflicts with Black cultural memory. This memory dictates the acceptable norms and standards of the community. In order to remedy the conflict, the African American people must be engaged in the participatory design of the ICTs[v] used in their communities.
Participatory design is a concept originating out of the Scandinavian nations that has as its objective the inclusion of the user in the design and implementation. It is a user-centered because it places the needs and abilities of the user at center stage in the design process (Silva & Breuleux, 1994). In participatory design, a team of people who represent the major stakeholders in a product design effort work together to create product designs that reflect the way people will actually use the product (Tec-Ed., Inc., 2001). By participating in the design of the ICTs, the members of the community will feel a sense of ownership.