Approaches to ICT for development (ICT4D): vulnerabilities vs. capabilities

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) scholars have often criticised that most researchers in this field tend not to use theory to build, test or extend further concepts in their projects (Ogan et al., 2009, Heeks, 2007) while Burrell and Toyama (2009) reflected that it is precisely because of its breadth and range of research that ICT4D lacks a common foundation of concepts and terms. Heeks (2007) lamented that very little work has been deduced from the ‘D’ of ICT4D. In this paper, the author will attempt to review recent literature which contributed to arguably the two most contentious concept-based researches in ICT for Development – Amartya Sen’s and philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach (Sen, 1999a, Nussbaum, 1988) against a very different vulnerabilities approach of poverty and debate the validity of both approaches to ICT4D research. This paper posits that both paradigms can be applied to the same development project depending on its enthymeme and suggests the acceptance that all of these viewpoints will and should continue to coexist within the realms of the academic and practitioner communities for the benefit of this new and emerging field called ICT4D.