Exploring Online Behaviors of Low-incomers in Aboriginal Village: A case study of Wanrong Village, Wanrong Township, Hualien County

• Main Authors: Spring Wu, 吳季春
• Other Authors: 毛榮富
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/t744fh

碩士 === 慈濟大學 === 傳播學系碩士班 === 101 === This is a case study of online behaviors of low-incomers in an aboriginal village located in Wanrong Township, Hualien County. It’s aims are to explore the present features of computer network use and to check the two main judgments of past literatures on online behaviors in Taiwan aboriginal villages. These researches conclude that there are two major factors cause “digital divide” in aboriginal villages, the one is “poor economic resources”, the other is” technical capacities for digital equipments ”. For the purpose of this study, three research questions were held: 1.To explore the online behaviors of low-incomers through a case study of an aboriginal village, and to compare features of this village with that of whole Taiwan society; 2.To check the two judgments of past researches through our case study; 3.To understand how low-incomers to explain the meanings of their everyday online behaviors. This study combines quantitative questionnaires and qualitative depth interviews to know not only the general pictures of internet usage and online behaviors, but also the deep meanings of these behaviors explained by users. Survey results showed that the general pictures of online behaviors of people under the poverty line of low-income in Wanrong village make no difference with the picture from whole Taiwan, that is, the "economic resources" and "technical capacities" do not limit the villagers to access the computer network. The computer network is the second influential media behind TV in Wanrong Village. Depth interviews also show that with accessing computer networks more easily, low-incomers consider the computer network beyond the sense of mere instrumental function as a mediator for identity formation or transformation. And as one’s life course changes, the implications of network for one’s identity also change. This study suggests that as the network access more easy and the online behavior more diverse, government administrations and NGO welfare agencies can use this new media more actively to provide services for low-incomers of aboriginal villages. Keywords: Aboriginals, Internet, Online Behaviors, New media, Low-income households