Community-Building in Later Life and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies
PhD Thesis
Khamidullina, Z. 2018. Community-Building in Later Life and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies. PhD Thesis University of East London School of Social Sciences https://doi.org/10.15123/uel.86y43
Authors | Khamidullina, Z. |
---|---|
Type | PhD Thesis |
Abstract | The thesis explores the capabilities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in community-building in the context of a rural retirement community, and The project is informed by the following research questions: ‘What is the role of ICTs in defining and maintaining community for people in later life?’ and ‘How does engagement with ICTs in later life shape the construction of collective identities?’ The use of ethnographic and narrative methods enabled the production of data that, along with depicting individual experiences, also highlighted the context where collective identities are produced and sustained, and where meanings are created. I explore long-standing and relatively recent community structures and practices, as well as the development of new ones, with a particular focus on those facilitated by or emerging through the use of ICTs. I consider the utility of ICTs for enhancing community participation in one single location, and discuss how ICTs are geographically embedded and developed by This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge about old age and technology by looking at the use of ICTs by older people from a micro-perspective. It brings a unique level of understanding of how older people engage with ICTs in the context of communitybuilding, which was made possible by employing ethnographic and narrative methods and the extended immersion of the researcher in the setting. My research is a step towards identifying and understanding whether ICTs can enable greater civic participation in later life, and if being ‘digitally included’ can improve the quality of life and the community engagement for older people. |
Year | 2018 |
Publisher | University of East London |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.15123/uel.86y43 |
File | License File Access Level Anyone |
Publication dates | |
Sep 2018 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 16 Aug 2019 |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/86y43
Download files
176
total views503
total downloads1
views this month4
downloads this month