What role does “hope” play in ICT4D research?

Abstract

In this research commentary, I develop the notion of hope, and argue for its relevance to inform Information Systems (IS) and ICT for Development (ICT4D) research and practice. Moving beyond lay meanings of hope, as reflecting a future positive orientation, often laced with optimism, I will develop a more theoretically informed understanding of hope based on Arjun Appadurai’s articulation of the "capacity to aspire" and Ronald Stade’s Conceptual Map of the Capacity to Aspire, which brings together four concepts: capabilities (Amartya Sen), hope (Ernst Bloch), voice (Albert Hirschman), and culture of poverty (Oscar Lewis). I discuss how it can be made relevant for ICT4D research, based on a theoretical understanding of how information can serve as both a basis and carrier of hope. Drawing from a case study of more than a decade of ongoing research and practice around digitization of public hospital information systems in India, I critically discuss the value of this framework for informing ICT4D research and practice, and how this can be further developed in the future.