TY - JOUR
T1 - Network Wisdom
T2 - The Role of Scaffolding in Expanding Communities of Practice and Technical Competencies in Community Networks
AU - Lithgow, Michael
AU - Garrison, Philip
AU - Jang, Esther Han Beol
AU - Pace, Nicolas
N1 - Funding Information:
1. This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, under a Partnership Engagement Grant. AlterMundi was the partner civil society organization. The academic researchers were invited to assess network longevity in the communities in question. 2. La Quitana (70 nodes), Aniscate (10–12 nodes), La Bolsa (10–12 nodes), and La Serranita (11 nodes). 3. Geek was the preferred term used by the computer expert/community animators in AlterMundi. 4. Conversely, the absence of technical failure also facilitated greater engagement. One community member told of storms wreaking havoc on a neighbour’s internet service from a commercial provider. This com- munity member would call the network member after every storm to ask if his service was lost in the storm, which it was not. He eventually joined the community network.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Canadian Institute for Studies in Publishing Press. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: One of the key tensions to emerge from research on community owned and operated information and communications technology networks ("community networks") is why some networks flourish while others fail. Analysis: These findings are based on interviews with 15 community network participants from four rural community networks in Córdoba, Argentina. Community network longevity is shaped by practices of scaffolding-knowledge sharing practices that expand what Etienne Wenger describes as "fields of negotiability" within communities of practice. Conclusion and implications: Network longevity was supported by scaffolding practices that decentralized technical capacities while encouraging deeper involvement among network participants. The network wisdom demonstrated in these cases appears to offer a promising strategy for community networks struggling to achieve longevity.
AB - Background: One of the key tensions to emerge from research on community owned and operated information and communications technology networks ("community networks") is why some networks flourish while others fail. Analysis: These findings are based on interviews with 15 community network participants from four rural community networks in Córdoba, Argentina. Community network longevity is shaped by practices of scaffolding-knowledge sharing practices that expand what Etienne Wenger describes as "fields of negotiability" within communities of practice. Conclusion and implications: Network longevity was supported by scaffolding practices that decentralized technical capacities while encouraging deeper involvement among network participants. The network wisdom demonstrated in these cases appears to offer a promising strategy for community networks struggling to achieve longevity.
KW - communities of practice
KW - community networks
KW - fields of negotiability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130367253&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.22230/cjc.2022v47n2a4235
DO - 10.22230/cjc.2022v47n2a4235
M3 - Journal Article
AN - SCOPUS:85130367253
SN - 0705-3657
VL - 47
SP - 271
EP - 291
JO - Canadian Journal of Communication
JF - Canadian Journal of Communication
IS - 2
ER -