Telecommunication Architecture Rules!
Section One
:: Homepage
:: How to use Website
:: About Website
Section Two
:: HI Telecom.
:: Social/Cultural Elements
:: Models
Section Three
:: Resources
SOCIAL / CULTURAL TELECOMMUNICATION ELEMENTS


Social/Cultural Elements in Hawaii
  • In examining the social/cultural architectures of Hawaii, we followed several principles taken from the World Summit on the Information Society 2005 global conference in Geneva, Switzerland as the basis of our analysis:

    • Information communication technologies should be regarded as tools, and not as an end in themselves.

    • Regarding information communication technology, particular attention should be given to the special needs of the marginalized and vulnerable groups of society.

    • We are resolute to empower the poor, especially those living in remote, rural, and marginalized urban areas.

  • Due to Hawaii's unique cultural dynamic, and also due to the minimal amount of information regarding Hawaii's cultural make up that the average individual is able to find on the Internet, we have decided to focus on the social/cultural architectures of Hawaii in detail in this section.

  • Hawaii has a larger population of Native Hawaiians and foreign-born individuals than any other state. Hawaii also has a larger population of individuals who speak a language other than English than any other state. According to a 2004 US Census Bureau study, over one million people lived in poverty than in the previous year, and foreign born individuals were more likely to live in poverty or extreme poverty than native born individuals. In regards to language and literacy, it is said that 22 percent of Americans do not possess the reading and writing skills to function in everyday life. Furthermore, eighty seven percent of documents on the Internet are in English, while for 32 million Americans, English is not their primary language.

  • In regards to these issues of cultural, economic, and social statistics, we sought out to answer the following questions in our analysis:

    • People of marginalized groups of Hawaii (such as the Native Hawaiian population and foreign born individuals) may have a more difficult time in accessing new technologies in everyday life. Currently, what is being done to lessen this digital divide?

      • Local organizations such as PEACESAT and PREL's main objectives are to lessen the digital divide throughout the Pacific islands

      • Both organizations provide assistance to individuals as well as other organizations to assess their technological needs and implement plans of action to meet those needs.

      • Over the past few years, several technology resource centers have been set up throughout the state of Hawaii to provide individuals in lower income communities with free access to computers and the Internet.

      • Also, some federal funding has been provided to support Native Hawaiian technology programs within the University of Hawaii system

    • How can we ensure that all groups within Hawaii have the access they need in order to keep up in today's rapidly changing technological world?

      • In 2004, the Hawaii Department of Education wrote up its first draft of the Educational Technology Plan. The mission of the plan is to design and implement a system that provides universal access to the global village for Hawaii's lifelong learners and to strive to promote interactive, high performance uses of technology.

      • HDOE believes that the effective use of ICTs in education can contribute to higher academic performance, improved motivation, and a more exciting environment for effective teaching and learning. The plan has goals to be obtained for educators themselves and for the larger society along with goals for students

      • For educators: develop a professional interactive community, create a standards based curriculum through his community.

      • For society: support richer home and workplace connections to schools and libraries, technological literacy, communication exchange.

  • A statement made by the International Telecommunication Union is as follows:

    • If computers and computer networks play an increasingly important role in continued learning and career development, then education should integrate technology in a meaningful way to better prepare students

  • We feel that the Hawaii public school system is the appropriate starting place for producing these technological changes. Individuals from all social, cultural, and economic backgrounds will have the opportunity to access and learn the value of these new technologies in the classroom.

SOCIAL TELECOMMUNICATION MODELS