Media and Community Building: Community Technology Centers in New Bedford, MA

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Community Technology Centers in New Bedford, MA

Abstract

Community Technology Centers can be a catalyst for change by providing public access to computers and the internet, as well as offering educational training in a range of technological skills. Community Technology Centers can often help enhance residents’ self-sufficiency, educational levels and ability to participate in community affairs, which in turn helps to enhance a communities workforce and public forums.

GNBC3

The Greater New Bedford Community Computer Centers first opened their doors for public technology access in 1996. The organization’s mission states “The Greater New Bedford Community Computer Centers (GNBC3) is a community building initiative to tap the resources and skills of individuals, public non-profit institutions and private sector sponsors to better serve the people of Greater New Bedford. The GNBC3 aims to empower, educate and erode inequities in access to computer-based communications and information for multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multigenerational people and groups who lack, or have limited access to computer technology.

In the article Community Media, author Kevin Howley explains that community media initiatives are effective strategies in democratizing communication and ensuring local autonomy. The GNBC3 helps to bridge the divide between those who have computer access and resources and those who lack them. Located on the north, south and in the central downtown area, the 3 Computer Centers are affiliated with the local Community Economic Development Center, and are run by volunteers and housed with equipment donated or equipment recycled from the community and refurbished by staff and volunteers.

GNBC3 is the culmination of three years of planning and a collaborative effort of a local non-profit called PACE (People Acting in Community Endeavors), corporate sponsors, more than 50 volunteers and The Island Foundation, which contributed $6,000 in start-up funds. Currently it receives funding and/or equipment from; the East-West Foundation, New Bedford Standard-Times/Ultra-Net , The Providence Journal , Lotus Corporation, Microsoft and Tom Snyder Software. GNBC 3 is also affiliated with Community Technologies Centers Network, a national organization that helps to develop community-based centers and assists in obtaining grants.
For a yearly fee of $20, members have access to the centers equipment. This community building initiative taps the resources and skills of individuals, public non-profit institutions and private sector sponsors to better serve the people of Greater New Bedford. The GNBC3 aims to empower, educate and erode inequities in access to computer-based communications and information for multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multigenerational people and groups who lack, or have limited access to computer technology.

GNBC3 is governed by a Board of Directors and is managed by Executive Director Corinn Williams, along with a staff of six. Some of the highlights of the programs GNBC3 runs are:

· VITA (the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program) helps prepare tax returns for those who need assistance.

· Students recycling and refurbishing donated computers during their After School Computer Recycle and Refurbish Program & The School Vacation Computer Boot Camp.

· Their Immigrant Support Network, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and Computer Literacy classes.

· In conjunction with the United Way of Greater New Bedford, their Community Building Mini-Grants Program funded 40 projects of volunteer and grassroots organizations.

· Their Smart Start program provided business and technical assistance to 20 existing and start-up businesses.

One of the more challenging issues faced by the GNBC3 is to get bilingual volunteers at the centers to better serve the Portuguese and Spanish speaking people who need tutoring and assistance. Another area that is a struggle is that the organization is always a “work in progress”, with ever changing technology it is difficult to identify changing community needs and respond quickly with updated equipment. However, they are committed to their mission and believe that giving members of the community the tools they need to improve their computer skills will, at the same time, help to strengthen and benefit city as a whole.

Bibliography
Howley, K. Community Media People, Places and Communication Technologies.

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Working Definition of Community

Being a member of a community isn’t always easy. In a world where friends can be a click away but a thousand miles apart, where you can be next to someone but can’t talk except via instant messaging, and where you don’t know your neighbors next door but you do know intimate details about your friends across the country on Myspace, a venture into community requires a trust in an unrelated network of people.

Whether communities are defined by geographical boundaries or by the categorization of who belongs to a community and who does not, both are essentially the same, as Cohen suggests “boundary marking processes and rituals are a vital tool for defining community, identity, belonging and exclusion, and give a sense of reality to specific communities, although in fact they are merely mental or social constructs of insiders and outsiders”.

In addition to the idea of community being a group of people with a common interest, be it geographical location, social clubs, religious beliefs or ethnicity, communities can also be influenced by external events beyond their control. With the current economic situation it seems like there’s more call for help and more people in need of support and assistance. In chapter 1 of Community-ariasm, Smith explains how the term community is both shaping and being shaped by society itself, in an endless loop or re-creation. Economic situations, new technologies, available education, and social opportunities are just some of the factors that can contribute to the way in which communities are shaped, and if they are sustainable or if they will eventually die out.

Even a concept as malleable as community has a common thread, however. In the various readings and articles we have covered so far, the idea of community being a vehicle for self-actualization is touched on repeatedly. One of the key benefits people get from participating in community and their reciprocal relationships is a sense of belonging that is a part of their individual identity. “People construct community symbolically, making it a resource and repository of meaning, and a referent of their identity’ (Cohen 1985: 118).

Another defining aspect, which also contributes to the constant flux of the definition of community, is that even though individuals can experience a sense of self through them, often communities are more than just the people who are in it. A community can continue to exist even as its individual members move through it, and as new members enter into it, the community itself can remain rather unchanged.

Aristotle tells us that community requires different kinds of capacity, interest and character among its members because through the interplay of diversities, people are able to serve as compliments of one another and to attain a higher and better life by the mutual exchange of different services. The phrase “sense of community” begins to get at this meaning. It refers to a sharing of common beliefs that involves a connection at a more personal or emotional level. Words like “passion,” “devotion,” and “commitment” also come to mind when discussing the concept “sense of community.”

It is usually assumed that when people feel that they belong to a community, they have an active interest in ensuring that it functions well and are more likely to contribute to the well-being of the community. The emphasis on a collective well-being over individuals is a large part of Community-ariasm which has a focus of interest toward communities and societies and away from the individual. Smith’s explains in Chapter 3 of Community-ariasm that as long ago as 1955 George Hillery listed some 94 definitions of community he had found in the social science literature, and concluded that the only thing they all held in common was a reference to people.

From our class readings so far, it is evident that the definition of community continues to shift and evolve, and the introduction of modern communication methods, i.e. instant messaging, internet, cell phones, etc. have contributed significantly to the rapidly changing idea of community on a global scale. Even with the constant change and the difficulty in defining exactly what community is, it seems clear that the strength of ties between the groups, no matter what the subject matter is, is truly the essence of definition of community.

Works Cited:
Smith, G "Community - arianism" Chapter One: Community; ideology and utopia
Cohen, A. P. (1985) The Symbolic Construction of Community, London: Tavistock (now Routledge). 128 pages.

Media and Community Building Conclusion

The boundaries of Community can sometimes be drawn on a map, other times it is a category of people or characteristics of members. (Smith) As a communication tool, community media is beginning to adapt to emerging technologies and the ever-sharpening interactive features online. As a result, community boundaries continue to change and realign, creating a new generation of members with a constantly-evolving sense of community.

In this enviornment, the media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists. (Blau) As an empowerment tool, it is among the poor and oppressed especially, that community becomes a means to group solidarity and mutual help. (Smith) Because Community Media is able to operate independent of traditional corporate influences, public access to Community Media is vital to the democratic health of a community.

Community Media is an effective means of citizens interacting with community leaders and politicians, and an invaluable tool for holding them accountable when necessary. Community Media is also a gateway for the enrichment of educational opportunities for community members who do not have private access to new technologies or who need assistance in utilizing them. The future of Community Media is an exciting prospect, as new technology allows for the dissemination of information with an immediacy never seen before, as well as a rapidly evolving web that features more and more interactive features for the consumer.

All of these exciting technologies require us – the consumers- to be well educated and informed as to who the source of the content is, as well as hone our abilities to discern for ourselves which of these technologies adds value to our individual lives and which don’t.

Works Cited:
Smith, G; Community-arainism, Chapter 1
Blau, Andrew; The Future of Independent Media, Sept. 2004

Media and Community Building

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Community Technology Centers in New Bedford, MA

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New Bedford, Massachusetts

Working Definition of Community

Media and Community Building Conclusion

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