Joyojeet Pal|Meera Lakshmanan|Kentaro Toyama
“My child will be respected”: Parental perspectives on computers and education in Rural India
University of Washington|Azim Premji University|Microsoft Research (India)
public spending computer centers rural indian public schools raise questions value expensive modern technology extremely resourcestrapped environments arguments providing computers lowincome schools appeared policy circles academia teacher conferences philanthropic discussions passionate rhetoric sides present results qualitative study computeraided learning centers schools catering primarily poverty line bpl families four districts rural karnataka south india held series openand closeended discussions parents children schools issues aspirations quality schooling perception computers generally research reveals range voices hopes next generation perceived value computer courses higher education perceived changes villages arrival computers local schools emerges many parents computer immense symbolic valueseparate functional valuethat tied social economic ascendancy find symbolic value derives associations parents imbibe various interactions people using computers range situations find interviews heightened sense mystique technology potential across people varying levels firsthand experience understanding computers find notions change hope situated within environment great fear future agriculture argue alongside widespread existing discourse computers media public life india mostly emerging urban middleclasses ideas around technology help spur strong sense expectation computers dramatically change social prospects even among poorest excluded competing english gateway power impacting dowry costs female youth interviews show myriad expectations technology creating see strong case nuanced look discourse mythology computers technology developing regions