Information and Communication Technologies Impact on Social Capital : A case study in northern Uganda

Abstract: The distance between the third world and the western countries is continuing to increase. The continent of Africa is home to many of the absolute poorest nations on this planet, making development even more difficult in the region. The slow development is the result of many factors, after the colonial times, the continent was left with civic wars and violence while trying to establish stable governments. In Uganda, it took several decades of bloody massacres and fights before the country reach relative stability. Other factors, leaving war to the side, are now affecting the development of the nation. High technological illiteracy outside the central region is prohibiting the Ugandan citizens from accessing information and the global market, leaving them with the opposite to a competitive advantage. The government has recognized the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the country’s development, and heavy investment programs and acts has been carried out. The infrastructure is there, but the knowledge of how to utilize it is not. To solve this problem, private actors and non-government organizations has taken on the responsibility of educating the population in technological usage. A research gap was found of how ICT impacts the youth in agrarian areas of developing countries. The purpose of this thesis was therefore to explore the impact access and knowledge of ICT has on Social Capital in rural villages in Northern Uganda. The research will also address how these two components could affect the economic performance in the area. To fulfil the purpose, a qualitative study will be carried out with in-depth interviews held at the learning sites of Whitaker Peace & Development Imitative in northern Uganda. Through the research process, the interviews will be continuously analysed using grounded theory. The results confirmed that ICT has a positive relationship to Social Capital, enabling the community to grow at a faster pace than it otherwise would. ICT also increase competitiveness among the youth and creates job opportunities as well as access to external funding and grants. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the results concluded in the development of a model for how ICT access among the youth can impact Social Capital and lead to sustainable community development. Keywords: Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Social Capital, Sustainable Development, Economic Performance, Youth, Developing Economy, Uganda, Ericsson, WPDI