Black women contribute to digital technologies, Brock, Kvasny, and Hales (2010) explore what “information and communication technology (ICT)” (p. 1040) mean for minority groups online in, “Cultural Appropriations of Technical Capital”. The authors take a different look at social capital within the confines of the blogosphere and use it to understand inequalities, segregation among online communities, and Black womanhood. The authors look at the ways in which black bloggers integrate their cultural intelligence with ICT. The authors use “cultural capital” as a framework and consider it a resource for black bloggers.
According to Brock, Kvasny, and Hales (2010), capital is, “three principal species: economic (material and financial assets), cultural (scarce symbolic goods, skills, and titles), and social (resources accrued by virtue of membership in a group).” (p. 1042). This means that capital is nuanced and considered both a tangible and intangible resource. The use of the word capital is an expansion beyond a resource that’s solely used as a monetary value. But the denotation of capital, coupled with cultural takes on a whole new meaning, specifically for Black women who blog.
The way in which black bloggers leverage their cultural capital is studied through three blogs of Black women from different social classes. The authors situate culture as a “power resource” (p. 1042) suggesting that culture can and should be monetized. In addition to cultural capital, “technical capital” is a nod to the skills and time investment of navigating the online landscape. While social media networks are further integrated into our way of life, there is a higher demand for those self-taught or formally educated in ICT. There’s a demand for technologically savvy individuals which translate to power resource.
While the benefits for Black bloggers are stacked high when it comes to their collective skills in the blogosphere, there's still a cause for concern regarding what’s called a “digital divide”. Brock, Kvasny, and Hales (2010) describe the digital divide as a class segregation, dividing those who participate in the nuances of the online world and those who do not. The authors the intersectionality of race, class, and social economic status of the minority groups with different values and interests. It warns against the label for those who do not participate, don’t care to, or don’t know how to in online forums as being uneducated. Those who deliberately choose not to partake in the world of the internet are othered and have been labeled a lower class.
As society moves closer to full technological domination where cashiers, sales associates, and the guy who pumps your gas will be virtually extinct. It’s easy to forget the good ole days when you didn’t know who was calling until you picked up the phone, a person wasn’t expected to be available, and leisure time was spent outside. There are many benefits to the advancement of technology, for example, the app Shazam, (know any song in seconds), Amazon Prime, and connecting with others whom you may not come in contact with in Facebook groups. While there are benefits, there are consequences that are irreversible
Brock, A., Kvasny, L., Hales, K. (2010). Cultural Appropriations of Technical Capital. Information, Communication & Society, 13(7)