Use of ICTs during ongoing protracted socio-political disruptions.

Abstract

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research has increasingly focused on enhancing human development in diverse contexts through technology. However, regions going through ongoing socio-political unrest face varied developmental challenges. My dissertation explores the impact of socio-political conflict in Kashmir, India, on critical domains of human development, including education, employment, and mental health. The ongoing conflict has disrupted education, leading to prolonged closures of schools and colleges and exacerbated unemployment, particularly among young people with higher education levels with significant mental health challenges. Through qualitative methods, my work draws on field visits and semi-structured interviews to investigate the barriers in education, job-seeking, and access to professional mental health support. Based on the findings, my work provides socio-technical design recommendations shedding light on the impact of protracted socio-political crises on human development and contributes to the HCI communities understanding of such regions.