Commodification vs. patrimonialisation? A community capitals framework for assessing digital technologies. The case of Southern Rural Manitoba, Canada
Abstract
Uneven access to broadband has deepened a divide that sees rural residents struggling with digital technologies (DTs). This situation has resulted in the emergence of creative attitudes to take advantage of the potential benefits of DTs. In this article, a continuum of community capitals framed by governance characteristics is proposed to analyse the impact of the utilisation of DTs in rural communities. Focus groups and interviews were carried out with youth, seniors, and businesses in three rural communities of southern Manitoba, Canada. The results show that the interactions between the resources of rural communities are being re-shaped by the progressive adoption and utilisation of DTs. Three conditions to take full advantage of rural digital opportunities are reliable access, affordable access, and digital skills. Nuanced findings that contribute to explaining the ambivalent effects of DTs encourage the pursuit of additional investigations to further refine the proposed continuum of community capitals.