Abstract
Rural communities are usually not at the forefront of the digitization debate or wider HCI discourse. Often, this discourse addresses e.g. explicitly urban topics, such as smart cities, the influence of digital technologies on work, independent of where this work takes place or somewhat „place-less“ processes such as disinformation online. However, the importance of rural areas has increasingly come into focus of HCI research (see e.g. Hardy et al., 2019; Norman et al., 2021; Unbehaun et al., 2021). Rural areas not only face distinct challenges but also provide unique opportunities for studies and offer unique lessons for increasingly digitizing societies. In many countries they play crucial roles: In Germany, for example, rural areas are responsible for the majority and diversity of its food and energy production, it offers space to experience nature and for relaxation. They also are home to the majority of Small and Medium sized companies (SMEs) (BMEL, 2015).The inherent difference of the context compared to similar approaches in e.g., urban regions, suggests also different approaches to research and design, as different problems evolve and interventions have to be implemented differently.To understand and address the specific nature of digitization in rural areas, specifically in rural industrialized areas we need to engage with the specific context of rural areas. Therefore we propose a one-day workshop. Building on recent publications (Norman et al., 2021; Hardy et al., 2019) and other workshops (Unbehaun et al., 2021), the workshop will bring together researchers and practitioners from various disciplines, to formulate a multidisciplinary approach, including for example perspectives from HCI and design, economics, and social science. The workshop will provide space to engage in discussions on specific aspects and questions of rural digitization. While the specific topics will be decided based on participants‘ interest, examples include:
Mobility & Infrastructure
While topics such as e-mobility have gained tremendous attention across many societies, mobility in rural areas is distinct from their urban counterparts. Infrastructure in rural areas is often very distinct from urban counterparts . Urban areas often have less access to public transport (Joseph, 2002) or to ride-hailing services such as Uber (Jiang, 2019). Furthermore, rural industries such as (heavy) manufacturing (Smallbone et al., 1999) or agriculture (Bell, 2007) have more extensive requirements on infrastructure and mobility and pose unique mobility needs. For example, if access to highways is not always given, heavy duty has to be shipped on smaller streets which requires a deeper planning beforehand. Infrastructural differences also potentially mean less opportunities for example to recharge a car’s battery.
Health care and social services
Many rural regions are faced with aging demographics due to an increasing number of young people moving to urban spaces. This creates specific requirements for health care and social services. Compared to metropoles, the density of doctoral coverage, the level of medical specialization and the quality of the medical services however is lower. Again, innovative ideas must be made to keep up the coverage aligned on the demand of the inhabitants and to make rural regions attractive for people to live there.
Industry and Innovation
Just like their urban counterparts, industries and companies in rural areas are faced with increasing pressures to include digital technologies into their work practices. However, the industries found in rural areas are often distinct from urban areas, including for example a higher number of heavy manufacturing, older industries, or agriculture (Smallbone et al., 1999; Bell, 2007). Furthermore, the conditions to access the necessary resources are different, with, for example, less access to new employees skilled in digital technologies. Companies, innovators, and other organizations have to be much more creative in delivering their services. Soft factors such as additional services for families, providing a company car, carry employees to their actual workplace are just some ideas and services companies in rural regions might take to find adequate workers. Also, the interconnection of companies is much more pronounced to foster strong alliances and partners to work together on connecting problems a lot of companies face. The spread-out nature of rural areas likely influences the formation of innovation networks, through which innovations and knowledge can spread and how regional learning takes place (Fischer, Rohde & Wulf, 2007). At the same time, more close-knight social communities (Flora et al., 2016; Andrews, 2011) can potentially provide a basis for new cooperative economic forms.
Important Dates
Submission Deadline
(13th August 2021)
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Notification of acceptance
(1st September 2021)
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Workshop
(10th September 2021)
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Goals & Outcomes
The workshop pursues several goals. It tries to create space for and facilitate interdisciplinary discourse on issues of digitisation in rural-industrial areas to create deeper understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities such areas face and the role digitisation can play. It will also create connections between scholars from various disciplines and geographical areas with a shared interest, and support the emergence of a community to sustain discourse. An intended long-term goal is to support the formulation of appropriate approaches for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners to intervene and shape digitization processes in rural areas with the aim of working towards a continuously high quality of life. Lastly it aims to create the foundation for a special issue in a relevant journal such as the Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work or other comparable and high-quality outlets.
Program
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Participation
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References
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Bell, M. M. (2007). The two-ness of rural life and the ends of rural scholarship. Journal of Rural Studies, 23(4), 402–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2007.03.003
BMEL. (2015). Ländliche Regionen verstehen · Fakten und Hintergründe zum Leben und Arbeiten in ländlichen Regionen (……verstehen, p. 40). https://www.zukunftsforum-laendliche-entwicklung.de/fileadmin/SITE_MASTER/content/Dokumente/Downloads2015/BMEL_Laendlich_Bro_2015_barrierefrei.pdf
Fischer, G., Rohde, M., & Wulf, V. (2007). Community-based learning: The core competency of residential, research-based universities. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 2(1), 9–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-007-9009-1
Flora, C. B., Flora, J. L., & Gasteyer, S. P. (2019). Rural Communities: Legacy and Change (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494697
Hardy, J., Wyche, S., & Veinot, T. (2019). Rural HCI Research: Definitions, Distinctions, Methods, and Opportunities. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 3(CSCW), 196:1-196:33. https://doi.org/10.1145/3359298
Jiang, J. (2019, January). More Americans are using ride-hailing apps. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/04/more-americans-are-using-ride-hailing-apps/
Joseph, A. (2002). Rural Population and Services: Shifting Prospects for Mutual Sustainability. In I. R. Bowler, C. R. Bryant, & C. Cocklin (Eds.), The Sustainability of Rural Systems: Geographical Interpretations (pp. 211–223). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3471-4_11
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Unbehaun, D., Lewkowicz, M., Wulf, V., Bassetti, C., Schädler, J., & Ackerman, M. (2021). The Role of Digitalization in Improving the Quality of Life in Rural (Industrialized) Regions – CHItaly 2021 – Workshop. CHItaly 2021. https://digi-rr.wineme.wiwi.uni-siegen.de/