The Roles of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Indigenous Political Participation and Representation: A Case Study of the 2008-2009 Peruvian Amazon Conflict
Date
2014-08-29
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Abstract
This thesis examines the emerging and influential roles of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) – especially the Internet – in indigenous political participation and representation across the Peruvian Amazon, and uses the 2008-2009 Peruvian Amazon conflict as a case study for analysis. The study employs a mixed methods methodological design for data collection, processing, and analysis, and involves two analytical stages: 1) the examination of quantitative and qualitative data with respect to ICTs and its impacts on indigenous political participation and representation in the Peruvian Amazon and 2) the analysis of quantitative/qualitative data sets combined with a chronological content analysis of the 2008-2009 Peruvian Amazon conflict. Despite the gradual growth of the Internet in the Peruvian Amazon, the findings of this study argue that indigenous Amazonians are using the Internet (specifically the social media platform, Facebook) to create networks with local and global actors, which challenge the controversial neoliberal reforms introduced by Alan García named “The Law of the Jungle” and counter misrepresentations regarding indigenous groups in national/international media. However, the study also finds that ICT access, demographics, socio-political status, indigenous political organization, indigenous leadership, and news media reports hinders a unified indigenous political participation and representation across ICTs during and after the 2008-2009 Peruvian Amazon conflict.
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Mass Communications, Geography
Citation
Escobar Torio, J. J. (2014). The Roles of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Indigenous Political Participation and Representation: A Case Study of the 2008-2009 Peruvian Amazon Conflict (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28369