Information systems education for development

Smithson, Steve; Land, Frank

doi:10.1080/02681102.1986.9627060

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A Diploma in the Management of Information Systems at the London School of Economics, UK is directed primarily at participants from developing countries and is designed to enable students to 'recognise the full potential of information technology .. . and the social, economic, educational and technological factors which are involved in the introduction of the technology' (Smithson and Land, 1986). The course includes a unit on Information Systems and Developing Countries, which forms a third of the total teaching on the course, and includes sub-units on Aspects of Development Economics, the Social Context of Information Systems, the Transfer and Development of Technology and Management and Political Issues.…”

Section: Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information systems as social systems: Implications for developing countries

Walsham

Symons

Waema

1988

Information Technology for Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Computer-based information systems should be conceptualised as social systems in which technology is only one of the dimensions. This broader perspective on information systems offers opportunities for a deeper understanding of their development and use. The social systems approach is illustrated in the paper by two research projects in the UK on the evaluation of information systems and information systems strategy formulation. The relevance of the UK research to a developing country context is discussed and it is argued that methodologies which aim to provide an understanding of the organisational, social and political context are highly suitable for organisations in developing countries. Some implications are drawn for research, education and practice related to information systems in developing countries. IntroductionComputer-based information systems are often taken to be technical systems and behavioural and organisational issues are relegated to a secondary role or are not considered at all. However, the problems of implementation of information systems are well known and invariably they concern an interplay of human, organisational and technical factors which cannot be easily separated. In our view, this complex interlinking can best be addressed by conceptualising computer-based information systems as social systems in which technology is only one of the elements. This broader perspective on information systems offers opportunities for deeper understanding of the context for information systems development and implementation. We argue in this paper that the social systems paradigm

show abstract

Section: Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information systems as social systems: Implications for developing countries

Walsham

Symons

Waema

1988

Information Technology for Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although in any emergent worldview, "technology is the machine's relationship with its users" (Grint and Woolgar 1997, p. 92), and thus there can be nothing essentialist about the nature of this relationship (see, for example, the variety of examples of such relationships established within LDC contexts in Avgerou and Walsham 2000), there is nonetheless a danger that in its role in mediating what, and how, aspects of development become visible, the frozen discourse ofICT may assist in replicating a wider discourse of marginalization unless there is real sensitivity to the ICT -user relationship within LDC contexts (Avgerou 2000;Bhatnagar 2000;Smithson and Land 1986). Perhaps the most controversial current example of the ability of leT to mediate developmental discourse is the World Bank's Global Development Gateway (www. developmentgateway.org) launched in 2001.…”

Section: Let As Mediator and Subject Of Developmental Discoursementioning

confidence: 99%

ICT, Power, and Developmental Discourse: A Critical Analysis

Thompson

2003

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although in any emergent worldview, "technology is the machine's relationship with its users" (Grint and Woolgar 1997:92), and thus there can be nothing essentialist about the nature of this relationship (see, for example, the variety of examples of such relationships established within LDC contexts in Avgerou and Walsham 2000), there is nonetheless a danger that in its role in mediating what, and how, aspects of development become visible, the 'frozen discourse' of ICT may assist in replicating a wider discourse of marginalization unless there is real sensitivity to the ICT-user relationship within LDC contexts (Avgerou 2000, Bhatnagar 2000, Smithson and Land 1986.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

ICT, Power, and Developmental Discourse: A Critical Analysis

Thompson

2004

E J Info Sys Dev Countries

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper uses critical discourse analysis to demonstrate how information and communications technology (ICT) has become deeply involved in the conception and practice of socio-economic development within so-called less-developed countries (LDCs). A recent speech on ICT by the president of the World Bank Group is examined, which shows the role of the discourse surrounding such technologies in replicating and extending a markedly North American worldview into the developmental sphere. The ability of critical discourse analysis to expose the involvement of ICT in normalising a dominant set of political and economic assumptions confirms its usefulness as a tool within which to approach the critical study of information systems.

show abstract

Information systems education for development

Cited by 6 publications

References 12 publications

Information systems as social systems: Implications for developing countries

Information systems as social systems: Implications for developing countries

ICT, Power, and Developmental Discourse: A Critical Analysis

ICT, Power, and Developmental Discourse: A Critical Analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About