Techno-capital: Theorizing media and information literacy through information technology capabilities

Abstract

The increasing presence of advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs) across various fields of our lives has elevated the significance of individuals’ capability to utilize these ICTs substantially. Although scholars have underscored the importance of understanding such capabilities in terms of skills that are multidimensional, few empirical investigations are connected to sound theoretical backgrounds. Analyzing a survey administered to a random sample of adults in the City of Austin, this study empirically examines multiplicities of technological capabilities. Building on the literatures of Bourdieu’s theory of capital, digital literacy, field, and participatory culture, this study finds three sets of technological capabilities that constitute individuals’ “techno-capital.” Furthermore, we analyze the influences of cultural and economic/financial capital reflected by key socioeconomic predictors on the different levels of techno-capital. We find that acquiring basic technological capabilities is a key factor explaining advanced techno-capital, while effects of gender, race, education, and income also persist.