CITIZENSHIP AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PARTICIPATION
AND DIGITAL GOVERNANCE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Inno a i e expe iences in Sou he n EU Membe S a es
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ELECTRONIC GOVERNANCE
Special Edi ion “(Re)c ea ing public sphe e, ci ic cul u e and ci ic engagemen : public
se ice media s. online social ne wo ks”.
ABSTRACT
Cybe space has in oduced new habi s and ela ionships in o adi ional o ms o social
in e cou se and mode n symbolic p ac ices and ep esen a ions. The o ma ion o a new elepolis
cons i u es he main challenge o be o e come by communica ion esea che s. The b eaking up o
he in e nal and ex e nal bounda ies o ci ies and e i o ies, and he me ging oge he and con usion
o public and p i a e spaces, which ha e always been adi ionally sepa a ed in mode n poli ical
discou se and communica ion, indica es no only new cul u al ends in human o ganiza ion and
socializa ion, bu also, h ough he a ious elec onic o ms o in e ac ion and in o ma ion
exchange, he cons i u ion o a new space o poli ical iden i y and pa icipa ion.
The e o e, he dynamics o capi alis globaliza ion ha e con ibu ed o he c ea ion o an
u ban spa iali y depending on ne wo ks ha ha e no de ined e i o y, bo de s, o e i o ial
loca ions wi h an in ense concen a ion o esou ces. These dynamics, in ac , a e no o ally new.
The di e ence oday is, wi hou doub , he in ensi y, complexi y and global each o hese
ne wo ks, as well as hei use and owne ship by local go e nmen s, social mo emen s and ac i e
ci izenship. As a esul , in he cu en p ocess o capi alis globaliza ion, he new con igu a ions
gene a ed in he economic and echnological sphe e a ec he poli ical le el and he issue o
go e nance. In his con ex , in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies a e p esen ed as li le
explo ed ools o go e nance, and economic and cul u al de elopmen , o he cons uc ion o new
models o pa ne ship and pa icipa o y ci izenship. Concep s like digi al go e nance e e o new
ways o in e ac ion be ween ci izens and go e nmen s, and new concep s o u ban policy using
elec onic means.
As he main u u e challenge o he social and economic de elopmen o he common space
o he Eu opean Union, his is how he Eu opean Commission iden i ies he a icula ion o
pa icipa ion-based local poli ics gea ed o a new go e nance ha has a a ou able impac on
communi a ian de elopmen p ocesses, om a i m s andpoin o pa icipa o y and plu al
democ acy in he cul u al e a, as a esou ce ha an icipa es inno a i e ways o ci izenship. The
gene al aim is o s udy how hese new cul u al p ac ices a e ma e ializing and he local de elopmen
p ocesses ha de ine he cu en a ionales o public space cons uc ion h ough new in o ma ion
and communica ion echnologies.
In his a cle, se e al inno a i e expe iences in Sou he n EU Membe S a es a e analyzed,
p esen ing he p elimina y discussion abou he concep ual basis o a new s a egic ision o social
mo emen s ha ies o explo e new local o ms o cul u al au onomy o ci izens h ough he
app op ia ion o new in o ma ion echnologies, in a social esea ch applied o ICTs and ci izen
pa icipa ion. This s udy poin s o a mo e e icien use o his po en ial by social mo emen s e sus
i s unde u iliza ion by local adminis a ions and hi d sec o o ganiza ions.
KEYWORDS
Digi al Ci izenship/ Elec onic Go e nmen / Elec onic Public
Adminis a ion/In o ma ion Socie y/ Local De elopmen /Cybe demc acy in sou he n
EU/Inno a i e expe iences/ICT´s and ci izen pa icipa ion
I. INTRODUCTION
The in ensi e globaliza ion p ocesses o he las hi d o he 20 h cen u y ha e decisi ely
a ec ed he con igu a ion o all ha is local. This glocaliza ion ou lines a scena io in which he
local is a ec ed by global low and concen a ion dynamics in which elecommunica ion ne wo ks
play a decisi e ole. In he wo ds o Saskia Sassen (2003), hese dynamics ha e con ibu ed o
p oducing an u ban spa iali y depending on ne wo ks ha ha e no de ined e i o y, bo de s, o
e i o ial loca ions wi h an in ense concen a ion o esou ces. These dynamics a e an exclusi e
ea u e o ou his o ical pe iod; since he encyclopedic wo k o Lewis Mum o d (Technics and
Ci iliza ion), he in luence o echniques and machines on u ban li e has been analyzed. The cu en
p ocess’ new ea u e lies in he in ensi y, complexi y and global each o hese ne wo ks, as well as
hei use and app op ia ion by b oad sec o s o ci il socie y, which in o he his o ical pe iods would
ha e been excluded om he use o echnology.
In hei s udies on he new ela ionships be ween he local and he global, Jo di Bo ja and
Manuel Cas ells (1997) sugges ed a double p ocess o analysis. While ci ies posi ion hemsel es in
he global economy, a he same ime hey should in eg a e and s uc u e hei local socie y. This
in eg a ion depends on he implemen a ion o in ensi e p ocesses o poli ical democ a iza ion,
adminis a i e decen aliza ion and ci izen pa icipa ion in municipal managemen . Using he
e minology o hese au ho s, i is necessa y o in e ela e he a ionales o he space o lows wi h
he co esponding a ionales o he spaces o places; ha is, accessing ci cui s o capi al
accumula ion, ma ke in eg a ion and eo ganiza ion o indus ial p oduc ion (space o lows), while
a he same ime designing new e i o ial o ms o o ganizing ci izens’ daily li es and expe iences
(space o places). In he same way as Michel de Ce eau alked abou he in en ion o daily li e
many decades ago, nowadays i is necessa y o ein en i , based on he same humanis
in e p e a ion, bu in a new echnological, economic and poli ical con ex .
The econ igu a ions ha ake place in he economic and echnological sphe es a ec , on a
poli ical le el, he ques ion o go e nance. In he 1970s, his e m e e ed o he S a e’s ole in
ma e s such as adminis a i e e iciency and, in a b oad sense, o i s managemen capaci y.
Nowadays, go e nance inco po a es o he a iables, such as s a e in e ac ion wi h ci il socie y and
he ma ke place. I has been p ecisely he c isis o go e nance and con idence in municipali ies and
local adminis a ions ha has a ou ed he implemen a ion o di e en pa icipa o y and democ a ic
egene a ion ini ia i es.
In his con ex , in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies appea as (insu icien ly
explo ed) ools o go e nance, socio-economic and cul u al de elopmen , and cons uc ion o new
suppo i e and pa icipa o y ci izenship models. Te ms like ci izen ne wo ks, elec onic go e nmen
and digi al ci ies e e o new o ms o in e ac ion be ween ci izens and local au ho i ies, o new
concep s o u ban policy, using digi al means. Along hese lines, one o he cen al deba es
e ol ing a ound he Eu opean In o ma ion Socie y is he p o isional unc ion o social capi al
p o ided by he new media, as expounded by communi y in o ma ics o s udies on con idence and
good go e nmen in he digi al e a. Acco ding o Van Ba el/Punie/Tuami, he new in o ma ion and
communica ion echnologies (NICTs) play an inc easingly mo e impo an ole in local
de elopmen because o hei capaci y o mobilize ma e ial esou ces, in o ma ion and knowledge.
I social capi al, as s a ed by Pu nam, can be de ined as one o he cha ac e is ics o any social
o ganiza ion based on co-ope a ion o mu ual bene i , ci izen con idence and pa icipa ion, and
ules o ecip oci y, he p oblem o pa icipa ion in new echnologies is cu en ly a s a egic
challenge ha obliges social o ganiza ions o a icula e al e na i e co-ope a ion and collec i e
ac ion ne wo ks, ans o ming he disposi ion o social capi al in o “in e connec ed social capi al”
(Van Ba el, 2003).
Ne e heless, e en acknowledging some o he disco e ies o Pu nam conce ning he
p oblem being add essed he e, abo e all o he s udy o p ocesses o social change in he ield o
communica ion, his concep o social ne wo ks, o ms o go e nmen and sel -o ganiza ion o local
communi ies ends o conside powe ela ionships apa , abo e all in he poli ical and economic
con ex , add essing all o ms o exchange and associa ion om a pe sonal de ini ion o he
Neoclassical pa adigm o Poli ical Economy, which, in he manne o a black box, p esides his
analysis o social links. As P o . Na a o has been igh o c i icize, he discou se on social capi al
ies, on p inciple, o eplace he analysis o powe be ween classes, aces and sexes, and i s
consequences in e ms o public policies, by an ins umen al eading o social ela ions a a ime
when, as Yúdice has c i icized, cul u e i sel has become a esou ce o economic de elopmen .
Along hese lines, i is essen ial o shi om a “capi alized” app aisal o inno a ion p ocesses o a
s uc u al ision o he p ocess o social app op ia ion o new echnologies, especially i he egions
in ques ion a e pe iphe al o unde de eloped, as is he case o Andalusia in Sou he n Eu ope.
II. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN
ANDALUSIA
Sec o ial s udies conduc ed in he mos impo an egion o Sou he n Eu ope and he
Common Ma ke con i m he exis ence o s uc u al ailu es and p oblems o in eg a ion o new
echnologies ha con adic he democ a izing discou se o he Commission on he u u e o Eu ope
and he in eg a ion in he Knowledge Socie y, om he s andpoin o i s con ibu ion o egional and
local de elopmen in a ou o an In o ma ion Socie y o All.
In he speci ic case o Andalusia, he dis ance wi h espec o na ional and Eu opean
a e ages has widened o e he las ew yea s, ein o cing mechanisms and a ionales o social and
economic exclusion, bo h indi idually and e i o ially speaking, depic ing a landscape o small
echnological and inancial a chipelagos and a eas in eg a ed in o he global sys em in condi ions o
clea dependency and subo dina e con e gence, in acco dance wi h ansna ional economic
in e es s, which ep oduces di usionis poli ical dynamics cen ed on he consump ion o new
in o ma ion echnologies (NICTs) and di e en o ms o echnological dissemina ion o knowledge.
The dominance o his poli ical-economic a ionale esul s in media ion models ha impede he
explo a ion o c ea i e and po en ially libe a ing uses o digi al ne wo ks, o he poin o de ining
Andalusian ci izens as clien s o me e consume s o new echnological de ices and equipmen ,
no ing nume ous con adic ions be ween he public discou se and he e ec i e eali y as ega ds
egional adap a ion o he In o ma ion Socie y; like, o ins ance, he limi ed de elopmen o
policies gea ed o boos ing he use o ee so wa e, indica ing he c ea ion o a dynamic co po a e
sec o e ol ing a ound new echnologies (Guadalinex p ojec ), o he appeal o he Thi d Sec o
and he scan o nonexis en pa icipa ion o ci il socie y in he de ini ion o public policies
add essing he ma e in ques ion (Andalucía Comp omiso Digi al), wi hou men ioning he
insu icien de elopmen o elec onic adminis a ion om he s andpoin o ci izens’ igh s and
public go e nmen .
F om a numbe o analyses conduc ed on he s uc u e o he in o ma ion economy in
Andalusia (Román/Bueno, 2004), i is possible o no e, along he same lines, he pe sis ence o
delays, inequali ies and conside able imbalances ha end o ein o ce hemsel es as a esul o he
implemen a ion o digi al media applica ion policies inspi ed by a adi ional de elopmen model
which cu en ly – owing o he new capi alis c isis – also highligh s he lack o ele ancy o his
public policy by ep oducing an economic s uc u e his o ically de ined by:
- low le els o p oduc ion, employmen and income;

- he weak o ganiza ion o he economic ab ic because o p oduc i e specializa ion and
concen a ion;
- an insu icien g ow h a e;
- an in ensi e exploi a ion o na u al esou ces and de e io a ion o he egional
en i onmen ;
- a low-quali ied wo k o ce and an insu icien en ep eneu ial cul u e;
- and a s ong economic dependence.
In his amewo k, he egional bid o inno a ion and knowledge as pi o al poin s o he
p omo ion o a new model o economic and social de elopmen in Andalusia is, a he e y leas ,
con adic o y and incon enien , since i ollows p inciples and public s a egies incompa ible wi h
he need o s uc u ing and ein o cing au och honous capi al, in cohe ence – as would be expec ed
– wi h he ad e se condi ions o in eg a ion in he Common Ma ke . So, he Second Mode niza ion
o Andalusia poin s o he need o p omo ing he In o ma ion Socie y as he basis o egional
de elopmen and economic p og ess by means o an implemen a ion p ocess o neolibe al policies
ha , since he 1990s, ha e been inspi ed by he spi i o he Bangemann Repo , in acco dance wi h
a echnoc a ic ision keyed o he p i a iza ion and comme cial e iciency o new echnologies,
which, in he Andalusian ins i u ional discou se, has esul ed in a poli ical and economic model ha
places he egion in a subo dina e posi ion a he se ice o mo e de eloped cen es, be hey loca ed
in Spain o he EU.
The bid o implemen ing new in o ma ion echnologies has con ibu ed in his way o
s eng hening a egional de elopmen model ha has no hing o do wi h he eali y o economic
s uc u e o Andalusia and ha igno es he posi ion and s uc u al p oblems o he p ocess o
economic in eg a ion wi hin he EU. In addi ion, “wha eally cha ac e izes he Second
Mode niza ion p ojec is he indisc imina e bo owing o p inciples and objec i es belonging o
exogenous models, p incipally he No h Ame ican Global In o ma ion Socie y and he Eu opean
In o ma ion Socie y” (Mo eno, 2008: 284), enouncing i s own indica o s and policies adap ed o
he eal necessi ies o he popula ion.
I@landalus. Inicia i as es a égicas pa a el Desa ollo de la Sociedad de la In o mación en
Andalucía (2002-2004) [1@landalus. S a egic ini ia i es o de eloping he In o ma ion Socie y in
Andalusia (2002-2004)], he Plan de Inno ación y Mode nización de Andalucía (2005) [Andalusian
Inno a ion and Mode niza ion Plan (2205)], and he Plan Andalucía Sociedad de la In o mación
(2006) [Andalusian In o ma ion Socie y Plan (2006)] all es ablish a u u e ou look o a clea ly
dependen and subo dina e na u e. So:
“The s a egy and he lines o ac ion o he Andalusian Regional Go e nmen as ega ds he Second
Mode niza ion a e mo e an imi a ion o s a e and Eu opean policies han an au onomous answe o he
challenges and oppo uni ies accompanying he e olu ion in in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies (…)
On he o he hand, his imi a ion also esul s in he assump ion o he chie indica o s es ablished by o icial s a e
o Eu opean ins umen s and in es ablishing as an objec i e he compa ison o Andalusian s a is ics wi h he
a e age igu es o mo e ad anced EU egions, wi h he consequen loss o au onomy due o he in oduc ion o an
exogenous mode niza ion model” (Mo eno, 2008: 9).
Along hese lines o p og ess, he la es epo on he cu en s a e o a ai s indica es he
dominance o se e al ends and obs acles in he de elopmen o he In o ma ion Socie y in
Andalusia:
1. he Andalusian NICTs ma ke and he ole o he companies in he indus y a e ma ginal,
weak and dependen ;
2. he low le els o income pe capi a limi access o digi al ne wo ks, esul ing in a
s uc u al ba ie o he de elopmen o digi al ci izenship;
3. he implemen a ion o NICTs in he co po a e sec o is low and limi ed;
4. he gene a ion o Andalusian con en is a lo lowe han na ional and Eu opean a e ages;
5. he in es men in R&D&i places he egion in a posi ion o dependency in he
de elopmen o In o ma ion Socie y p og ammes, con en and applica ions.
Despi e s a e p ocesses o au onomy and poli ical decen aliza ion, as a esul “Andalusia
ends up by being a space o accommoda ion and co-o dina ion o he in e es s o sup ana ional
ac o s ha con ol he p ocess o elabo a ing and implemen ing public policies gea ed o he
In o ma ion and Knowledge Socie y” (Mo eno, 2008: 9).
Th ough e ealing da a on he main na ional and EU indica o s o his espec , Andalusia’s
in eg a ion model shows ha such a new echnology inco po a ion p ocess has been conduc ed in a
subo dina e and dependen way, gene a ing g owing di e gences and asymme ies in he egion’s
hin e land. “The objec i ised p esen a ion o a de eloped and mode nized Andalusia, on he same
oo ing as he es o he Spanish and Eu opean egions, and he designa ion o socio-cul u al
aspec s as he main obs acle o comple ing he Second Mode niza ion, is an a emp – exp essed
h ough he discou se – a esol ing (silencing) one o he socio-poli ical p oblems a he e y oo
o he Second Mode niza ion p ojec : he s uc u al de iciencies o he Andalusian eali y” (Mo eno,
2008: 279), and which, in some way, cha ac e ize he dispa a e de elopmen o he In o ma ion
Socie y in Sou he n Eu ope. The bid o changing he men ali y o he Andalusian popula ion ends
up being a so o in e ed media ion by which he s uc u al o objec i e condi ions – he chie
obs acle in he p ocess o mode niza ion and e i o ial de elopmen – a e inden i ied as a gua an ee
and ac o o social change, while he subjec i e ac o – adi ional Andalusian cul u e – is shown
as he cause o he unde de elopmen o he In o ma ion Socie y. “Wi h his pano ama, he
e e ences ha we ind in his discou se bo h o ci izen pa icipa ion and o he consensus be ween
he ac o s comp ising Andalusian socie y, who will ha e o collabo a e so as o each he ixed
objec i es, begin o make sense (…) In his way, he idea is o ein o ce he endange ed consensus
based on a new pac be ween ci izens, en e p ise and poli ical powe s, in addi ion o p esen ing he
de elopmen o he Second Mode niza ion as ine i able” (Mo eno, 2008: 289).
In his p ocess o ideological in e sion, he appeal o pa icipa o y democ acy and an ac i e
ole o ci izens becomes a ca ch-wo d o jus i ying he ailu e o a policy ha ep oduces he
his o ical imbalances and asymme ies o egional backwa dness and unde de elopmen . Acco ding
o he esea che F ancisco Ja ie Mo eno, he u u e challenge would in ol e, howe e , ein o cing
he ole o Andalusian ci izen and popula cul u e “on which e lec ion on Andalusian de elopmen
would ha e o e ol e – o his is e y equen ly he space om which he mos p oduc i e and
inno a i e p oposals and o ganiza ion dynamics eme ge” (Mo eno, 2008: 291) – which would
acili a e he de ini ion o new o mulas based on he c ea i i y and exp ession o ci izens, capable
o s uc u ing endogenous dynamics ha e e se o es ain he dominan ad e se endencies in
egional de elopmen . Al hough, o he momen , his does no appea o be he speci ic in eg a ion
app oach o he new go e nance and democ a iza ion policies o digi al cul u e nei he in Andalusia
no in o he Sou he n Eu opean egions, no o ha ma e in he EU municipali ies hemsel es.
III. LOCAL EXPERIENCES
1. Ci iz@mo e. The eali y o he Eu opean map.
When ying o desc ibe he p ocesses in ol ed in he app op ia ion o new echnologies, he
conclusions o he CITIZ@MOVE p ojec a e simila o hose o he a o emen ioned s udies on
Andalusia (Sie a, 2006b). In a de ailed analysis o he o ms o pa icipa o y democ acy in 10
Spanish and Eu opean ci ies (Se ille, G az, De y, Toledo, Cosenza, Mis e bianco, Si acusa,
Valencia, Pecs and ASDA-A hens), gea ed o iden i ying om 2004-2006 good p ac ices and
expe iences ha local au ho i ies can capi alize on so as o mo e ahead in he de elopmen o
cybe democ acy, he s udy en i led, “New in o ma ion echnologies, ci izen pa icipa ion and local
de elopmen (Le us all lea n how o communica e be e . In e ac i e Communica ion P og amme
designed by ci izens, ci il se an s and public au ho i ies)”, concludes by indica ing he no o ious
absence o public policies add essing he In o ma ion Socie y and ci izens’ igh s a a municipal
le el.
The mos ele an da a and conclusions o he se o esul s ob ained in he Wo kshop on
Diagnosis and Pa icipa o y P ospec s, using he EASW me hodology, indica e ha he
weaknesses and de iciencies ou numbe any signi ican p og ess made by he local au ho i ies. The
g oup o ci il se an s and public au ho i ies, ci izens and ep esen a i es o social o ganiza ions
highligh ed he ollowing in hei diagnoses, using he SWOT analysis echnique:
STRENGTHS
- The exis ence in he majo i y o he ci ies o ins i u ional websi es wi h in o ma ion on
public se ices and p o ision o equipmen o designing uni s o ee access o new
echnologies, such as lib a ies, cul u al cen es (Cosenza), you h cen es, o ci y in o ma ion
cen es (G az).
- The awa eness o Public Adminis a ion and, in some cases, he exis ence o egula o y
amewo ks o obliga o y en o cemen ha s ee he ac ions o he local au ho i ies owa ds
implemen ing eGo e nmen and ci izen pa icipa ion models ia new echnologies.
WEAKNESSES
- The lack o in as uc u es and p o ision o equipmen and, as a consequence, he
insu icien echnological mode niza ion o he municipali ies.
- The lack o aining and he echnological illi e acy among ci izens.
- The insu icien p o ision o inancial esou ces o he “ echnological leap o wa d”.
- The hie a chical and e ical communica ion, o ally lacking in in e ac i i y, be ween Local
Adminis a ion and ci izens.
- The unequal and asymme ical access o ci izens o ICTs.
- And he lack o knowledge o he pa icipa o y use o he new media.
OPPORTUNITIES
- The implemen a ion o global p ocesses o pa icipa ion (pa icipa o y budge s in Se ille)
and expe iences in he use o ICTs (Valencia, G az).
- The poli ical will o he local au ho i ies, he cen al go e nmen , and he EU i sel since he
Lisbon Summi .
- The c ea ion o ci izen ne wo ks ia he In e ne .
THREATS
On he o he hand, i has also been obse ed ha , in he local expe iences analyzed he e,
he e is a ce ain dissolu eness in he poli ical dimension o communica ion and echnology di ec ly
ela ed o he p og essi e comme cializa ion o he public policies and social ac ion o collec i e
ac o s such as NGOs. Fo his eason, i is seemingly e iden ha , o implemen ing complex and
ad anced o ms o pa icipa o y democ acy ia new in o ma ion echnologies, he con ex ualiza ion
o hese social p ac ices in he wides amewo k o communica ion and echnological policies –
which ha e been p omo ed in he Eu opean space and he es o he wo ld since he las hi d o he
20 h cen u y – akes on a s a egic na u e.
Seen om his pe spec i e, social pa icipa ion in new echnologies is nei he a p oblem o
me hod no an ins umen al one, bu essen ially an epis emological p oblem, o o be mo e p ecise a
concep ual ma e which has o be add essed as a con lic o he Righ o Communica ion. The
p oblem we come up agains lies in he ac ha , in he con ex o he dialec ics o p oduc ion and
modi ica ion o he space, he g owing and in ensi e accumula ion and e i o ial concen a ion o
capi al, and he symbolic p ojec ion o he cul u al ield as a space o media ion and esolu ion o
con lic s, as a esou ce o local de elopmen – and hen as a p i ileged scope o app aisal, in
acco dance wi h Yúdice – he democ a iza ion and equali a ian social pa icipa ion o local ac o s in
new in o ma ion echnologies cons i u es a simple ins umen o ex ension o ep esen a i e
democ acy and he a ionales o con en ional consensus and hegemony. So, he challenge acing
local communica ion policies gea ed o de eloping ac i e ci izenship ia new ep esen a ion media,
lies in e alua ing and de ining pa icipa ion as a bid o a adical and plu alis democ acy
anscending he de ini ion o cul u e as a esou ce ha in e na ional de elopmen policies imp ess
on he managemen , s o age, dis ibu ion and o ganiza ion o he access o symbolic goods,
depending on he condi ions o ansna ional ci cula ion and de elopmen o capi alism.
O e coming his objec i e egula o y amewo k o cybe -democ acy would call o a adical
e o mula ion o he p ecep s o ep esen a i e democ acy, decen alizing public in o ma ion and
decision-making sys ems beyond he models o ex ension and o ganiza ion based on e icien
a ionali y ypical o he in o ma ional pa adigm. Inso a as cybe -democ acy designs a new
scena io o public space, new me hods and democ a ic possibili ies o ac i e ci izen pa icipa ion,
and abo e all a new concep o space and media ion wi h he ac i e pa icipa ion o he ci izen y,
public policies should y o espond in elligen ly o his new eme ging eali y, ques ioning he
no ion o ci izenship i sel and he legal amewo k o pa icipa ion in he social ule o law wi hin
he amewo k o he e olu ion o he na ion-s a e owa ds he mobile s a e o eshadowing
Cogni i e Capi alism (Sie a 2006a).

In o he wo ds, nowadays ci izen pa icipa ion in ol es hinking abou media ions and
dis ances, cul u al p ac ices and cogni i e amewo ks o e lexi i y and poli ical imagina ion. The
doo s opened by new echnologies o he collec i e building o local de elopmen necessa ily
in ol e ci izen in e ac ion wi h mode n communica ion sys ems, he co-ope a ion and o ganiza ion
o ci ic ne wo ks, and abo e all designing he o ganiza ion o social change based on indi idual and
g oup c ea i i y.
Ci ic ne wo ks, communi y elecen es, o public an i-globaliza ion pla o ms a e leading o
inno a i e o ms o app op ia ion and use o new media, e i alizing c ea i e p ocesses o
o ganiza ion and social de elopmen ha ough o be explo ed and adop ed concep ually (Sie a,
2006a, 276), since, acco ding o Ma ela , hese new social ac o s a e add essing ma e s ela ed o
in o ma ion, communica ion and cul u e wi h an inc easingly g ea e deg ee o p ecision and
sys ema ici y. In Sou he n Eu opean ci ies belonging o egions such as Andalusia, o p o inces o
I aly, he p oli e a ion o g oups and collec i es keyed o de ending digi al igh s indica es a u u e
ield o ac ion ha public policies should ake in o accoun , i he idea is o empowe and s eng hen
he cul u al capi al o his o ically dependen and subo dina e egions so as o de ine o he p ocesses
o media ion and balanced de elopmen .
Faced wi h he echnoc a ic p ojec o he powe s o he ma ke , he c i ical ne wo ks o local
empowe men hus se hemsel es he challenge o ela ing echnological app op ia ion o social
change, making he poli iciza ion o echnological change in i s design, de elopmen and
applica ion a eali y, wi h espec o he complex a ay o po en ial in e es s, s a egies and policies,
as Imanol Zube o has sugges ed. The ela ionship be ween social mo emen s and in o ma ion,
communica ion and ICTs eaches, he e o e, way beyond he blinke ed ou look o he ins umen al
pe spec i e go e ning he majo i y o he expe iences o in oducing new media in local
go e nmen and de elopmen . Since, as ne e be o e, nowadays i is he ci izen who, om cul u al
consume o c ea o , plays a p inciple ole in he ans o ma ions o he new media ecosys em. As
indica ed by Ga cía Canclini, i is pa adoxical a he e y leas ha in he consume e a o he 21s
cen u y, Sou he n Eu opean municipali ies and social o ganiza ions keep on imagining a poli ical
subjec o he 18 h cen u y. The con i ma ion o his eali y in egions such as Andalusia demands a
he e y leas a adical shi in public policies ela ed o he In o ma ion Socie y, s a ing wi h
hinking om bo om up: making ci izens alk.
A di icul challenge when he local au ho i ies s ill belie e ha he In e ne will make hem
ee, p ospe ous and in eg a ed.
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ONLINE RESOURCES
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GUADALINEX
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INSTITUTO ESTADÍSTICO DE ANDALUCÍA
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