The Role of eParticipation in the Expansion of Individual Capabilities
Abstract
This article seeks to understand how eParticipation can boost individual capabilities in an ICT4D context. The analysis has regard eParticipation as a mechanism for expanding capabilities since it increases the democratic and participatory involvement of individuals in society. To this end, we examined the eParticipation field according to Sæbø et al. [18] and Medaglia [11], combining the capability approach from Sen’s [21] and Nussbaum’s [15] perspectives. Although the literature recognized that the capability approach is particularly difficult to operationalize in practice, we discovered some mechanisms in the eParticipation literature to support our analysis. However, despite its apparent benefits, eParticipation can indirectly contribute toward increasing inequalities among people since it is not available to all. We believe that recognition of the inequalities generated by the digital divide and the subsequent decrease in eParticipation could lead to a better understanding of the ICT4D context and assist in public policy-making.
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