Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability
This study was motivated to investigate social inequality in developed nations, by studying the impact of ICTs upon the vulnerable unemployed and under-employed in Singapore. First, drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach, we operationalize the dependent variable as self-perceived employabili...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2019
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/93595 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/50188 |
| _version_ | 1811691677734141952 |
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| author | Loh, Yvonne Ai-Chi Chib, Arul |
| author2 | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information |
| author_facet | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Loh, Yvonne Ai-Chi Chib, Arul |
| author_sort | Loh, Yvonne Ai-Chi |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This study was motivated to investigate social inequality in developed nations, by studying the impact of ICTs upon the vulnerable unemployed and under-employed in Singapore. First, drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach, we operationalize the dependent variable as self-perceived employability, conceptualized as both a measure of well-being and a livelihood capability. Secondly, we used Neil Selwyn’s digital divide hierarchical impact assessment framework, to define and measure the ICT assets of access, usage, and appropriation. Primary data was gathered from 302 under-employed and unemployed workers in Singapore, a developed Asian economy. Regression analyses revealed that higher-order hierarchies of ICT usage and appropriation were associated with the dependent variable of employability, while access was not. We discuss the implications for development discourse in regions with ubiquitous access, advocating for policymakers to focus on ICT training. Further, we offer nuanced findings on vulnerability in developed economies as an enhancement to mainstream ICT4D scholarship, focused exclusively on poverty in developing countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T06:23:42Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/93595 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T06:23:42Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/935952020-03-07T12:15:51Z Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability Loh, Yvonne Ai-Chi Chib, Arul Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Social sciences::Economic development ICT Access ICT Appropriation This study was motivated to investigate social inequality in developed nations, by studying the impact of ICTs upon the vulnerable unemployed and under-employed in Singapore. First, drawing upon Amartya Sen’s capability approach, we operationalize the dependent variable as self-perceived employability, conceptualized as both a measure of well-being and a livelihood capability. Secondly, we used Neil Selwyn’s digital divide hierarchical impact assessment framework, to define and measure the ICT assets of access, usage, and appropriation. Primary data was gathered from 302 under-employed and unemployed workers in Singapore, a developed Asian economy. Regression analyses revealed that higher-order hierarchies of ICT usage and appropriation were associated with the dependent variable of employability, while access was not. We discuss the implications for development discourse in regions with ubiquitous access, advocating for policymakers to focus on ICT training. Further, we offer nuanced findings on vulnerability in developed economies as an enhancement to mainstream ICT4D scholarship, focused exclusively on poverty in developing countries. Accepted version 2019-10-17T04:13:12Z 2019-12-06T18:42:05Z 2019-10-17T04:13:12Z 2019-12-06T18:42:05Z 2018 Journal Article Loh, Y. A.-C., & Chib, A. (2019). Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability. Information Technology for Development, 25(3), 532-551. doi:10.1080/02681102.2018.1520190 0268-1102 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/93595 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/50188 10.1080/02681102.2018.1520190 en Information Technology for Development © 2018 Commonwealth Secretariat. All rights reserved. This paper was published by Taylor & Francis in Information Technology for Development and is made available with permission of Commonwealth Secretariat. 39 p. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Economic development ICT Access ICT Appropriation Loh, Yvonne Ai-Chi Chib, Arul Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability |
| title | Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability |
| title_full | Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability |
| title_fullStr | Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability |
| title_short | Tackling social inequality in development : beyond access to appropriation of ICTs for employability |
| title_sort | tackling social inequality in development beyond access to appropriation of icts for employability |
| topic | Social sciences::Economic development ICT Access ICT Appropriation |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/93595 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/50188 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lohyvonneaichi tacklingsocialinequalityindevelopmentbeyondaccesstoappropriationofictsforemployability AT chibarul tacklingsocialinequalityindevelopmentbeyondaccesstoappropriationofictsforemployability |