{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,1]],"date-time":"2023-04-01T16:09:57Z","timestamp":1680365397013},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"IGI Global","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,7,1]]},"abstract":"<p>What has been the role of politics within and around the community telecentres (TCs)? The background is the depoliticized international discourse that has accompanied ICT4D policies. The focus is on multi-purpose TCs run by non-governmental organizations, equipped with computers and internet connectivity, tasked to implement public ICT-to-the-poor policies. Specifically, the article discusses the differences of technical-social functionality of such TCs within the same country and policy context. The assumption is that empowerment, particularly of the local operating organization and its personnel, is a key factor. The strategy is to combine stakeholder and power analysis to assess the extent of empowerment by exploring a multi-dimensional framework for understanding power relations. Four TCs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were studied over a two-year period of repeated visits of intensive fieldwork of participatory observation and interviews. The research found that big differences existed between the TCs in terms of empowerment. Changes in power relations are necessary, although not sufficient, conditions for a community TC to function in the way desired. Moreover, three stages of empowerment are suggested, highlighting the Operating Organization, the TC manager\/staff and the TC users, respectively. The article concludes by reflecting on the analytical-theoretical framework for power relations.<\/p>","DOI":"10.4018\/jep.2012070101","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,12,11]],"date-time":"2012-12-11T14:18:40Z","timestamp":1355235520000},"page":"1-20","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["The Role of Politics in Telecentres"],"prefix":"10.4018","volume":"3","author":[{"given":"Einar","family":"Braathen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR), Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Heidi","family":"Attwood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Julian","family":"May","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of the Western Cape, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"2432","reference":[{"key":"jep.2012070101-0","unstructured":"African National Congress. 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