Going Digital: Integrating Digital Technologies in Local Community Initiatives

Abstract In the current economic climate, social inequality and exclusion have become even more prominent and as a result promoting community resilience is emerging as a key priority at a local and national level. In this context, grassroots movements and local community initiatives that aim to develop community resilience, social regeneration and transformation are a growing force. As digital technologies are now ubiquitous and readily available in our everyday lives, several of these local movements and initiatives start to consider ways of harnessing the potential of digital technologies. Two such initiatives are the focus of this work: the Bristol Pound , which seeks social change through changing the money system in a local area, and iGirls , addressing intergenerational poverty through educating and empowering teenagers. This chapter sets out the strategies employed and the challenges faced by the members of these two initiatives as they worked to innovate their current practices by integrating digital technologies to achieve their goals of social transformation. The analysis suggests that adoption of digital technologies involves nontrivial identity work that becomes a framework for how the members assessed the appropriateness of technologies according to how they fit with their community’s respective identities. Based on our findings we discuss the potential of digital participation for community resilience initiatives and propose guidelines for facilitating the process of adopting and integrating digital technologies within such settings.