“It is nice, you learn to be supportive”: digital technologies, community organizing and the ethics of care among women leaders of disadvantaged communities

Abstract

Research on digital inequalities and disadvantaged contexts largely pays attention to different levels of digital engagement by examining the unequal distribution of resources. Yet, there are important insights into digital inclusion when looking at the intermediate-level dynamics bridging micro or individual levels and macro or structural perspectives in the use of digital technologies. For instance, community-level networks and leadership roles within communities play important parts in digitalization. Through a framework of ethics of care, community organizing, and digital inclusion, in this chapter, we focus on how formal and informal women leaders in vulnerable communities in Chile rely on digital technologies as facilitators to organize their communities and provide care and assistance.