Digital Storytelling: A cross-boundary method for intergenerational groups in rural communities

Abstract: Rural communities face tensions motivated, in part, by (mis)perceptions between homophilous groups. When tensions lead to conflict, crossing boundaries to give all parties an equal voice can be a challenge. This qualitative research project seeks to investigate how Digital Storytelling has the potential to act as an effective bridge across boundaries that occur within rurally-located intergenerational groups. Digital Storytelling, along with a selection of Web 2.0 tools, will be used as a method of communication in two rural Case Studies. The aim is to improve channels of communication and facilitate a greater awareness of others’ perspectives, with an end goal of social action or activism leading to conflicts being addressed. Introducing a technology-led intervention to a community allows a tangible artefact to be created that will remain after the research itself is completed. This, coupled with the group learning experience, may prove to offer the emancipation that Community Informatics research projects aim for, as participants become “active makers rather than passive consumers of technology” (LaFontaine, 2006). The Digital Storytelling workshops will draw on elements from a Participatory Action Research framework and this qualitative research project will formulate an Information Systems Design Theory as well as incorporate approaches such as Schuler’s (2008) Liberating Voices pattern language. Changes in the participants’ perception will be analysed as will any moves by the participants to use the stories and/or the experience to increase prominence of their perspective.