Juan Bossio | Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (original) (raw)

Papers by Juan Bossio

This research focuses on the public access to information and communication landscapes in 24 coun... more This research focuses on the public access to information and communication landscapes in 24 countries, with specific focus on public libraries, to understand the information needs of underserved communities, public access to information and communication venues, and the role of ICT. Through field research in 24 countries conducted by local research partners, and cross-country comparative analyses based on common research design elements (see list of countries and research design overview in Appendix), the project aims to contribute to the knowledge in the field of information and ICT for development. Of particular interest and value are: the comparative look at key venues (libraries and other), and the mix of depth of in-country knowledge with breadth of global comparison to elicit success factors and scenarios to understand how diverse populations can and do access and use ICT to improve their lives. All outputs of this research will be broadly disseminated to interested stakehold...

This study examined the impact on the organizational capacity of nine grassroots organizations (o... more This study examined the impact on the organizational capacity of nine grassroots organizations (organizaciones sociales de base [OSBs]) located in a rural district of Peru’s Andean region, Daniel Hernández (Tayacaja province, Huancavelica department), associated with the use of computers and the Internet from public access venues (PAVs), such as telecenters and cabinas públicas (i.e., cybercafés). PAVs help make communication processes more effective and facilitate meetings and coordination, especially with external agents. PAVs have greater impact on OSBs when they are linked to the organization’s objectives and goals and when actors who facilitate information flows between the OSB and external agents use the Internet to search for funding opportunities. PAVs can also become public spaces where members meet and coordinate activities. PAVs may help strengthen the capacity of OSBs, but their limitations should be taken into account by programs that deploy information and communication technology (ICT) in rural areas. To be specific, some organizational skills are more likely to be impacted by ICT (e.g., those related to inter-institutional links, leadership, infrastructure, and external communications) than others (e.g., supervision and monitoring and evaluating plan implementation). The study’s recommendations are directed toward public and private organizations that seek to foster a more productive use of technology by OSBs. First, programs should focus on developing those capacities that are most impacted by PAVs, such as leadership, networking, and financial management. Second, given that youths tend to adopt technology most readily, their participation in grassroots organizations should be encouraged. Third, the promotion of PAVs as part of universal Internet access initiatives should consider including OSBs, not just individuals, as part of their goals. In parallel, projects should promote OSBs ’use of PAVs as a management tool. Finally, public agencies should ensure that PAVs are socially inclusive and discourage all forms of discrimination.

As access to the Internet through mobile devices and personal computers gains greater global upta... more As access to the Internet through mobile devices and personal computers gains greater global uptake, this volume comes with evidence and convincing argument for the continued importance of public access to information and communication technologies (ICTs)-through venues such as cybercafés and telecenters, for instance-in developing societies. Addressing concerns about the impact of ICTs, of which earlier studies offer mere anecdotal evidence, this volume responds with a set of methodologically rigorous research on the diverse impacts of public access to ICTs in ten countries (across three continents): Jordan,

Exploratory study on the use of Instagram by young trans men from Peru to communicate about their... more Exploratory study on the use of Instagram by young trans men from Peru to communicate about their changes and experiences. Eighteen public profiles of trans young men were found, six of them were selected considering impact (followers) in the first place, but also other social characteristics. Posts of those profiles were reviewed, then 3 young men were interviewed. The information collected allows us to improve the previously defined set of categories, find certain patterns in the forms of publication and suggest that this group could have a more prosocial and political orientation on their use of Instagram than the rest of their generation.

Women in Peru are exposed daily to gender violence and exclusion. Several feminist groups have us... more Women in Peru are exposed daily to gender violence and exclusion. Several feminist groups have used social media to share information, debate, denounce, organize, and provide help to victims. This contribution analyzes the meaning of female solidarity, sisterhood or sororidad, as a feminist political concept among members of one feminist Facebook group. We reviewed the how various feminist and sisterhood concepts clustered together in the group communications by reviewing group publications and comments as far as interviewing key former and current members. The sisterhood concept was found to be central to feminist practice.

Nuevas formas de hacer política, de buscar apoyo, de coordinar acciones y de expresar puntos de v... more Nuevas formas de hacer política, de buscar apoyo, de coordinar acciones y de expresar puntos de vista vienen siendo desarrolladas en Latinoamérica por colectivos y movimientos, adolescentes y jóvenes, aunque también por ciudadanos y ciudadanas de mayor edad. Estos cambios no son producidos por las nuevas tecnologías, pero quienes los viven las usan como herramientas para ser más efectivos y tener más alcance. La forma como se apropian de estas tecnologías, que son parte indesligable de sus vidas y no algo «virtual», moldea sus vidas, percepciones, interrelaciones e interacciones, y puede encapsularlas o extenderlas (Gardner y Davis, 2013).

La investigación desarrolla una caracterización del desarrollo rural, luego define el concepto de... more La investigación desarrolla una caracterización del desarrollo rural, luego define el concepto de sostenibilidad y los aspectos más importantes de éste, después toca el tema de información y comunicación para el desarrollo donde se trata sobre la información y su rol como herramienta para el desarrollo, el uso de información por agricultores, los sistemas tradicionales de comunicación, los medios de difusión más usados en los espacios rurales; finalmente, expone un panorama general sobre los Sistemas de Información Local (SIL) en el Perú, a partir de su diagnóstico inicial que permitió identificar treinta sistemas de información a nivel nacional. Perú. Ministerio de Agricultura

International Comparisons, 2012

Economics, London School of Economics, London, 2004

This dissertation aims to recover the social side of sustainability of telecentres and examines t... more This dissertation aims to recover the social side of sustainability of telecentres and examines the role of telecentres operators in obtaining ‘social sustainability’. It discusses concepts from development studies and information systems in order to analyse the case of the telecentres installed by the E-Government Office of the Municipal Government of Sao Paulo, Brazil. That analysis shows how the role of telecentre operators is shaped by their commitment to the proposal, the way they come to be engaged with the project and their relation with the community and its organisations, how those telecentres fit into the social and cultural context of the communities were they are deployed and how those communities appropriate the telecentres. As conclusions, I would like to underline the importance of social sustainability to attempt social impacts, the role of operators in making telecentres go beyond the Internet and in helping the community’s appropriation of technology.

International Comparisons, 2012

Economics, London School of Economics, London, 2004