The practice of ICT-enabled development

Abstract

While information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) research examines the diverse range of topics, settings, and technologies, there has been a lack of attention on theorizing the process of information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled development. This paper draws on Bourdieu’s practice theory to provide a framework for doing so. This framework captures the multi-level, generative, and processual nature of ICT-enabled development, and illustrates that ICT-enabled development is an ongoing activity that is recreated, reinforced, and restricted by the interaction between the dispositions of the stakeholders involved and changes in the various forms of capital that are valued in a community. The utility of the framework is illustrated by using practice theory to re-analyze three ICT4D initiatives from the literature.