Rural digital geographies and new landscapes of social resilience

摘要

Over the past decade there has been an explosion of social science research on smart cities, with focuses ranging from governance and activism to surveillance and place-based discrimination. As a result theories of digital appropriation, empowerment, and politics overrepresent urban experiences, producing a gap in our understanding of rural digital politics. Not only is rural information and communication technology (ICT) literature sparse, but it is also overly focused on technical issues of digital divides. This restrictive framing of rural ICT use reinforces the normalization of highly technocratic approaches to development in rural areas, thereby reinforcing neoliberal market forces and obscuring the innovative ways in which rural communities are appropriating digital technologies to build alternate social and economic practices. In response to this gap, this paper offers a case study of how the rural, indigenous community of Igloolik, Canada is using digital platforms to shape their resilience.