Rural Computing: Beyond Access And Infrastructure

Computing tends to be associated with cities and urban areas, where innovation in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is often seen as coming from and where a majority of users live. In this workshop, we seek to offer a counterpoint to CSCW and other computing disciplines' biases towards the urban and focus on ICT use and design in rural areas. In particular, our goal is to recognize rural areas not just as sites where ICT access and infrastructures need improvement, but as places of innovation and exploration that can inform a more representative and just understanding of people and users. This workshop offers a space for these conversations and to bring together and build a network of established and emerging scholars in the CSCW and adjacent communities conducting research in and about the rural.