Developmental Implications
Maitrayee Mukerji · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · 2013
This study is an attempt to contribute to the emerging body of literature investigating the socio-economic change brought about by telecentres in the villages and their larger development implications. Faced with the methodological challenge of observing, measuring and establishing a causal link between provision of ICTs and specific development outcomes, this study focuses on examining the pattern of access and use of the telecentre and its services by households belonging to different socio-economic groups in the village. The approach is based on two assumptions: (a) provision of access and capabilities to use the technology was a prerequisite to impact and (b) access to technology and its appropriation was differentiated across different socio-economic groups in the village. An examination of access and use of telecentre and its services can give an indication of the possible impact on different socio-economic groups and consequently on the village as a whole. Further, developmental implications of telecentres in rural India are drawn by juxtaposing the findings from the case studies against the larger discourse on telecentres and development. This concluding chapter discusses the key findings and their implications for policy, practice and research. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.