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Appropriating civic information and communication technology: a critical study of Swedish ICT policy visions

Lund University and Växjö University, Sweden

With 71 percent of its households owning computers and having internet access, Sweden is one of the world’s leading information and communication technology (ICT) nations. The prevalence of ICT has inspired the Swedish government to ascribe it as a civic tool, capable of cultivating more active citizenship and a stronger democracy. However, despite its lofty intentions, Sweden’s ICT policy has a significant shortcoming: it is uninformed about the everyday lives of citizens. This article aims to shed light on ICT policy through an analysis of the appropriation of the computer and the internet in Swedish working-class households. Specifically, by drawing on semi-structured interviews, observations and media diaries with household respondents, the article critically discusses civic visions in Swedish ICT policy. It concludes with a recontextualizion of the discussion within an international arena.

Key Words: appropriation • citizenship • civic • democracy • ICT policy • internet • qualitative methodology • Sweden • working class

New Media & Society, Vol. 8, No. 4, 611-627 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1461444806065659


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