Inlandskommunens digitala klyfta
En kvalitativ studie om hur Vilhelmina kommun kan nå alla invånare
Public sectorTwo-way communicationDigital divideDigital immigrantsDigital nativesSocial capitalUses and gratifications focus group interviewCommunicationVilhelmina municipalityOffentlig sektorTvåvägskommunikationDigital divideDigital immigrantDigital nativesSocialt kapitalUses and gratificationsFokusgruppsintervjuInformantintervjuKommunikationsstrategiVilhelmina kommun
This surveys hypothesis is based on the notion that all citizens have the right to access information of the municipality they live in. The aim of the study is to examine how residents of Vilhelmina municipality take note of the current information, and also how they would proceed to access information in the future. In order to conceptualise the results these following theories were used: digital divide, digital immigrants, digital native, uses and gratification theory, social capital, communications strategies and two-way communication. The survey is conducted with four focus group interviews and one separate interview with a person working at the municipal office. The focus groups were divided into age categories in order to see the similarities and differences between the groups' media habits and preferences of future communications. The study material consists of the transcribed texts from the abovementioned interviews. The results of this research demonstrate that there is significant difference between age groups. According to the early theory of digital divide the gap in information between groups exists only due to the individual?s ability to access the Internet, which not match this study?s results. More current updates of the theory of digital divide declare that motivation may be a cause to the gap. During the course of this research the issue of motivation emerged and a few of the interview participants stated motivation to find information as a key point. With the help of the participants requests communications strategies were presented for future communication based on the target groups' media choices.