mmctaggart.files.wordpress.com · Web viewThe use of technologies has become a prominent part of society today. Technologies such as televisions, cellular phones and broadband facilities

What has been the effect of the Internet on patterns of

daily life, business & residential mobility in the Strath

Taieri area?

MFCO305: COMMUNICATION RESEARCH PRACTICE

FIELD REPORT (65%)

DUE: 8 OCTOBER 2010

Monique McTaggart

1370043

MFCO305: COMMUNICATION RESEARCH PRACTICES 1370043Field Report

ABSTRACT:

The premise of this report is to analyse the role the internet, in particular broadband services, has

had in influencing the decline in rural depopulation in New Zealand. For the purpose of this

analysis, researchers created a question to study which focused their attention on looking at how

the implementation of the internet in the Strath Taieri (NZ) area has had an effect on people’s

patterns of daily life and the towns residential and business mobility alike. A literature review

allowed researchers to create a basis for their research to be conducted. The literature review

showcased how Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) had been implemented in

various European, American and New Zealand rural societies and how uptake of these internet

facilities had seen a decrease in distance barriers between urban and rural environments. In turn,

the literature review resulted in a research hypothesis being formed; the widespread adoption of

broadband technology has slowed down the rate of depopulation in rural areas . To conduct the

research, surveys of both residential and business areas were undertaken in which the results

given were refined and analysed as to make graphs and tables which showcased the results.

Results showed a significant problem area with the internet seen in the form of residents not

being to use broadband services effectively as the speed of the internet is perceivably slower in

these areas as opposed to urban sectors. It was also noted that businesses would not be able to

survive without the internet for professional reasons. A notion that reiterates the original question

on whether or not the internet is stunting depopulation as businesses are, in most respects, able to

function as if they were established in an urban environment. The following report expands on

the aforementioned features and delves deeper into a discussion on how the internet has helped

improve the opportunities for those in the Strath Taieri area.

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CONTENTS PAGE:

Title Page Page 1

Abstract Page 2

1. Introduction Page 4

2. Literature Review Page 6

3. Method

3.1 Reliability and Validity Page 12

3.2 Literature Review Page 12

3.3 Surveys Page 12

3.4 Interviews Page 13

3.5 Other Methods Page 13

3.6 Problems encountered Page 13

4. Results Page 14

5. Discussion Page 19

6. Conclusion Page 23

References Page 24

Appendices Page 25

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1. INTRODUCTION:

The use of technologies has become a prominent part of society today. Technologies such as

televisions, cellular phones and broadband facilities are among some of the more popular

technologies of our time. Therefore, it is pertinent to assume that services such as the internet are

as equally important as telecommunication ones. With this in mind, it can be asserted that the

implementation of the internet in rural areas would be beneficial to rural communities in the sense

that it gives residents the ability to live somewhat urbanised lifestyles in a rural environment.

In an attempt to discuss the notion of the importance of Information Communication

Technologies (ICTs) on rural communities in New Zealand, this report will showcase a case

study on Otago’s Strath Taieri in an attempt to answer the research question on how the internet

has had an effect on the areas patterns of daily life, business mobility and residential mobility

alike. To help validate the research, a hypothesis was created off the aforementioned research

question. This states that the widespread adoption of broadband technology has slowed down the

rate of depopulation in rural areas.

In relation to the initial research question, it is pertinent to breakdown the three factors associated

with it. This is to say that one must deconstruct these factors in an attempt to try and see how the

internet may or may not have affected them. It is important to note that this was based on

additional research and not on any solid information gathered during the field research process.

The factors are broken into the following sections:

Patterns of daily life: The internet affects patterns of daily life in a significant way. It gives

residents of rural communities the ability to gain access to education facilities that aren’t

necessary available in their area while also giving them access to other research materials. It

further gives people access to facilities such as: internet banking, shopping and entertainment.

The internet also serves as an alternative communication source. This is to say it gives users

access to social networking sites such as Facebook and communication resources such as Skype

and MSN. However with these positive concepts of the internet and its alliance with

communication, one may counteract it with the negative assertion that the ability to communicate

online may in turn see a decline in face-to-face communication and at times, physical social

stimulation.

Business mobility: The internet allows businesses to advertise themselves online as to increase

their potential clientele. This in turn allows for business owners to expand their opportunities and

reach a wider market. It is pertinent to suggest that on a negative note, by conducting business

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online, owners may lose their personal affiliation with customers as they no longer have constant

face-to-face contact with their clientele.

Residential mobility: The internet affects residents in terms of migration patterns. This is to say

that with the introduction of the internet, people are able to live aspects of urbanised lifestyles in

a rural setting. It does this by letting rural residents have access to facilities such as shopping and

banking without the hassle of having to travel for long periods of time to access these services.

Based on the aforementioned information, this report will now separate into sections in which one

will be able to see previous research that has been conducted into the area of rural communities

and internet usage, the methods that were used to conduct this research, the results that came

from said research and a further discussion analysing the gathered information in light of its

pertinence to the literature review.

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2. LITERATURE REVIEW:

In conducting research into any kind of field, it is necessary to analyse the work that has already

been done in that specific area. The purpose of doing this is to allow current researchers to see the

information that has already been gathered and the methods that were used to conduct said

research. This in turn serves as a guideline to any current research being conducted. Therefore in

trying to answer the original research question and in turn the proposed hypothesis, the following

pieces of literature were analysed in an attempt to draw out information surrounding the impact

ICTs are having on rural areas and at times the stunt in depopulation: Grete Rusten and Sarah

Skerratt’s Information and Communication Technologies in Rural Society (2008); Steve Britton,

Richard Le Heron and Eric Pawson’s Changing Places in New Zealand (1992); and finally

Heather E. Hudson’s From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for

Development in the Information Age (2006).

Rusten and Skerratt’s literary work discusses the implementation of ICTs into rural populations

situated around Europe. This edited text looks at work from authors such as Rosemarie Gannon

(Ch. 6) and Hilary Talbot & Andrew Gillespie (Ch. 8). It is here that one sees how methods such

as interviews, surveys and focus groups can be highly beneficial on researching this particular

topic. A notion that was later implemented when conducting the research on the Strath Taieri

area.

Gannon, Talbot and Gillespie find evidence that correlates with each other in relation to how

ICTs are being effective in stunting rural depopulation while also looking at the problems

residents are having with their ICTs and in particular, with their internet services. After research

and analysis has been conducted into a rural Irish town, it is denoted that,

“...ICTs have the scope to eliminate the importance of physical proximity to a whole host of economic,

social, cultural and political activities, thereby making rural areas more attractive locations for businesses,

services and people.”1

This information will in turn be useful when conducting the individual research on the Strath

Taieri as it is relevant to the problem one is trying to solve. It makes reference to how the

introduction of the internet into a rural community has increased the amount of access they have

to services over a variety of domestic platforms and how by doing so, there is a chance of not

only an increase in population but also an increase in economic stability. It can be concluded that

Gannon’s use of focus groups within these households during the duration of her research proved

1 Rusten, Grete, and Sarah Skerratt, eds. Information and Communication Technologies in Rural Society: Being rural in a digital age. New York: Routledge, 2008. Page 107.

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useful for her analysis as it allowed for better insight into the daily use of the internet in reference

to different genders and ages. It was also beneficial in the sense that it allowed research that

followed this to be further conducted on the uptake and use of ICTs in these rural towns.

In Talbot and Gillespie’s contribution, the discussion is focused on the idea of there being a “rural

broadband gap”2 in which to understand this concept, one must refer to the interrelationship

between the supply and demand of broadband and the various dynamics that are associated with

both. This assertion is in reference to the Europe in its entirety. They also make reference to the

economic differences between broadband in urban areas and that of rural areas. For this, statistics

and information was taken from the 2006 European Commission in which they state that,

“Despite the general increase in broadband connectivity, access in more remote and rural regions is limited

because of high costs due to low density of population and remoteness”3

Findings also suggest that the uptake is 10% lower in rural areas than that of urban households

alike. This is due to there being a smaller supply of broadband services in rural areas and

therefore a lower demand.4 These findings are not as pertinent to the case study that will be

conducted on the Strath Taieri area as Gannon’s as they make a larger reference to the economic

constraints on the two different societies and how these have led to a lack of interest in broadband

internet. It would however be more relevant if it referred to how the broadband has affected the

business economy of the rural area in comparison to that of the urban sector. What is significant

though is the discussion on uptake which provides useful information in the sense that it helps to

differentiate the ideals between supply and demand in these two domestic sectors.

Once again in reference to economic situations, Talbot and Gillespie suggest that the so called

broadband gap that currently exists between urban and rural ICT services is prominent due to the

fact that there are somewhat ‘structural’ differences between the urban and rural societies and

therefore their economies. They however make note of the fact that in Europe, many rural towns

are beginning to implement themselves into using the new technologies and becoming a part of

the information society and that it is therefore possible that from a rural business and residential

sense, the rural communities are reaping its rewards. They conclude by stating that,

“Enhanced mobility options coupled with the widespread availability and use of ICTs have made the

constraints and limitations imposed by ‘rurality’ fewer than they have ever been before”5

2 Rusten, Grete, and Sarah Skerratt, eds. Information and Communication Technologies in Rural Society: Being rural in a digital age. New York: Routledge, 2008. Page 168.3 Ibid. Page 168.4 Ibid. Page 168.5 Ibid. Page 172.

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In reviewing this piece of literature, one can adopt these various points of information and

methods that were used in the collection process and apply them to the Strath Taieri case study.

This could be done by making use of the survey system that was used by Talbot and Gillespie to

ensure that a randomised number of participants would be able to supply a sufficient amount of

detail based on internet usage and the effects of such usage.

Changing Places in New Zealand: A Geography of Restructuring by Steve Britton, Richard Le

Heron and Eric Pawson does not refer to the use of ICTs exclusively, but does however discuss

the notion of how restructuring an area can have adverse effects on not only the social aspect of

living but more so on the overall economy, in particular in the 1980s.

The book makes reference to the idea of there being models by which one can measure how

social interaction within a rural community during a restructuring process can affect its overall

outcome and how models are useful in trying to urbanise a rural area. The first model they

reference it the Geographic Restructuring (GR) model. This model is used as a means of

reflecting a changing world. This is to say that it doesn’t try to make recent developments in areas

of business or technologies fit into the restructuring of an area, but instead models what is

changing in the world already.6 This can be reflective of the notion that the implementation of

ICTs into rural areas is the GR models way of placing aspects of technological urban society into

a rural setting.

The second model is the Simple Restructuring (SR) model. This model differs from the GR

model as it removes itself from context and circumstance and works in isolated situations. Its

main concern is associated with human behaviour in which it tries to discover what the best way

to direct said human behaviour and social existence is. However, it has been noted that if this

model does not work in a particular area, it is not that the model does not contain merit but more

so that it has been implemented under incorrect conditions.7

The book looks at the fact that restructuring of areas can have an adverse effect on business

turnover. So much so that they note that the increase in turnover resulted in a 16% increase in

total business income during the 1986 financial year.8 The reason for such business progression is

taken from a quote from Le Heron (1980) and states that because New Zealand is such a small

country, it possesses the,

6 Britton, Steve, Richard Le Heron, and Eric Pawson, eds. Changing Places in New Zealand. Christchurch: Special Publications, 1992. Page 288.7 Ibid. Page 288.8

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“...means of achieving corporate growth and stability which can lead to a corporation commanding a

substantial share of several markets and becoming a major force in the economy as a whole given the

limited range and size of local opportunities.”9

While this does not mention anything about the implementation of ICTs into a rural area, one

could come to their own conclusions based on the general assumptions that the book makes. This

is to say, that one can apply theories such as restructuring an area to increase social stability to the

concept of ICTs allowing for better social experiences within rural areas. It is also possible to

discuss the notion of economic profit in reference to ICTs as one can make the argument that by

businesses having online resources for their customers, they are able to increase their niche

market and therefore gain larger profits in the long run, an idea that can be used to complement

the thought of business turnover. This idea of restructuring an area with the purpose of having

some form of economic reform is also present in the next piece of literature.

Heather E. Hudson’s book, From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for

Development in the Information Age looks at past literature and case studies in reference to how

ICTs are helping in the development of rural areas. In saying this, one must note that the majority

of the book refers to rurality as underdeveloped areas, areas such as Africa, Latin America and

small Asian villages. Hudson also looks at different techniques and strategies used to help close

the communication gaps so that the electronic access to sharing information will be available and

affordable in the rural/developing areas.

Hudson makes reference to the fact that after the invention of technologies such as the telephone

and later the internet, it took 75 years for telecommunications to reach 50 million people while

the introduction of broadband services only took 4. Hudson discusses the idea that technologies

have begun to erase barriers of distance

“as members of rural co-operatives in Latin America check futures prices and exchange rates; African

teachers and health workers use community telecenters to find information on the internet, and Asian

villagers use cell phones to stay in touch and arrange transport for their produce.”10

Her findings from previous research suggest that there are four different sections that contribute

to the development of an area. The first is seen in the form of effectiveness. This refers to the idea

that ICTs help in ensuring there is a quality of products and services. The example Hudson gives

9 Britton, Steve, Richard Le Heron, and Eric Pawson, eds. Changing Places in New Zealand. Christchurch: Special Publications, 1992. Page 50.10 Hudson, Heather E. From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for Development in the Information Age. New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2006. Page 1.

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is that telemedicine is useful in helping to improve health care services. 11 Another example of this

is seen in relation to distance learning in which the use of ICTs provides adequate tools for

educational purposes.

The second is equity which discusses the distribution of development benefits within society.

This concept refers to populations that encompass rural, minority and disabled residents. This

form of development means that residents that fall under this category will be able to access

information from their homes that they would usually have to travel for. This gives a high level of

convenience to these types of communities.

Thirdly, Hudson looks at the notion of development based on the concept of reach. This refers

mainly to a business and educational sector of society as it allows distributors to contact new

customers and clients. This can be seen in the form of businesses contacting people or in terms of

long distance learning, teachers getting in contact with students.

The fourth and final step in development discusses the idea of efficiency. What this entails is the

ratio of output to cost. This is to say, as an example, that it implements somewhat if an inventory

system. Hudson makes reference to pricing research as a way to describe the effects of the

concept of efficiency. Price research is used so,

“producers such as farmers and fisherman can compare prices in various markets, allowing them to get the

highest prices for their produce, to eliminate dependency on middlemen and modify products to respond to

the market demand.”12

Hudson makes reference to various social benefits that ICTs bring to a rural society. She suggests

that ICTs and in particular broadband networks help to make relationships with friends, family

members and co-workers who live at a further distance largely easier, more frequent and in turn

less of a time consuming process.13 Hudson makes an observation based on telephone usage that

one could apply to that of the internet. She states that,

“the role of the telephone has hence changed...from an important facility for expediting daily life and

transforming the problem of distance, to an area where the claims of feeling, care giving, and social

support are explicitly acknowledged.”14

11 Hudson, Heather E. From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for Development in the Information Age . New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2006. Page 12.12 Ibid. Page 13.13 Ibid. Page 18.14 Ibid. Page 19.

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The research also showcases the downside to having broadband. This is to say it looks at the

problems that are associated with internet in rural areas in the sense that it is quite secluded and

therefore access is limited. This is discussed by referring to the idea that the implementation of

wireless technology has had its various disadvantages, mainly that there is a very limited

bandwidth associated with this system as it becomes impractical when trying to use the World

Wide Web.15.

The information gathered from the aforementioned literature was useful when conducting the

individual research on the Strath Taieri area. This is to say that the statistics that were gathered

will be a pertinent referencing point when comparing and contrasting how rural areas in different

countries adapt to particular ICTs. They will also be an excellent means of helping to gather

information to form various questions that will be useful in the data collecting process that will be

associated with the Strath Taieri case study. While some may say that various parts of the

evidence extracted from the literature is contradictory in content, one may conclude that the

information is useful in portraying a larger scale in which to further analyse and define specific

research topics when conducting individual research on a similar topic.

In doing this literature review, it is easy to see which methods of research were able to extract

large amounts of information and which took more time and did not work as well. Therefore,

based on this notion, one can conclude that the use of surveys and interviews are a useful means

by which to gather information that is not only relevant to the study but also contains enough

detail for further analysis. While a focus group approach was useful in some cases, it will not be

implemented in the Strath Taieri research as the area is not large enough for this particular

question.

The use of previous literature when conducting research is useful in laying groundwork for one’s

own study. The information that was gathered from this research will be implemented into the

Strath Taieri case study in various forms as to help the researcher come to their own conclusions.

Therefore one can make the assertion that literature reviews, while time consuming, are pertinent

to any major research project because there is very little means of knowing where one is going if

they do not know what has already been done.

15 Hudson, Heather E. From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for Development in the Information Age. New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2006. Page 101.

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3. METHODOLOGY

The following showcases the methods that were used to conduct the research and the various

problems that were encountered during the research process.

3.1. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

To ensure that the information that was gathered would be deemed valuable to the research,

researchers used various methods to help with finding results. This resulted in researchers going

to Strath Taieri to talk to residents and subsequent business owners in an attempt to obtain

firsthand knowledge directly from the community to try and understand what the internet services

are like in this area. Surveys were also conducted to allow for information to be obtained that not

only spanned the length of the community but was also based on gender and age variables.

However, one could say that because the returned surveys amounted to less than what was

distributed, the results may not be a true representation of the overall opinions of the community.

3.2. LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review was used to help as a guideline in trying to decide what the best way would

be to conduct research into this area. It offered up various methods that previous researchers had

used in performing their own research with an obvious correlation to which tools worked better

for achieving greater results. It was from the literature review that research that had been done in

New Zealand was able to be compared with those done in overseas rural societies. This allowed

for one to cross tabulate how ICTs were being effective in international areas as opposed to

domestic ones; e.g. European rural town settlements in comparison to New Zealand rural settings.

3.3. SURVEYS

Surveys were used in an attempt to extract results from residents of Strath Taieri and allow for

researchers to have a better understanding of how ICTs are affecting this area specifically. In

total, 40 residential surveys and 8 business surveys were distributed throughout the Strath Taieri

area starting from the beginning of Strath Taieri and going all the way out to Hyde. In total, 19

residential surveys and all 8 business surveys were returned. From these surveys, the information

gathered was analysed and formulated into tables and graphs. It was also used and refined to

create specified interview questions.

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3.4. INTERVIEWS

There was an original plan to conduct interviews with various business owners. Interview

questions were established which discussed issues such as how the internet had been effective in

business and whether or not the internet serves as a tool in helping other businesses support each

other. However, when it became time to conduct the interviews, there were issues with trying to

get a hold of the business owners who had previously stated that they would be available for

interviewing. Therefore interviews were not conducted on the basis that there was not enough

time on the behalf of both parties.

3.5. OTHER METHODS USED

Alternative research was undertaken in conducting this analysis. This consisted of looking at

statistical information on the Strath Taieri area and reading reports put forth by Ministers for the

area. Researchers also drove out to Strath Taieri to meet the residents and business owners while

distributing the surveys. This allowed for there to be a personal connection made with residents

and for said residents to better express their opinions on the use of the internet and the rate of

depopulation. This personal connection also proved useful when it came time to conducting

interviews as interviewees were already familiar with the researchers.

3.6. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

There were a few problems encountered during the research process. The first was trying to

create a survey that was not too long yet would provide the researchers with an adequate amount

of information for further analysis. There was also a small amount of trouble trying to make the

questions not sound too similar so that different information could be acquired. Once the surveys

were complete, researchers drove out to the Middlemarch/Strath Taieri area in which another

problem was encountered. This is to say that upon arrival when surveys were to be distributed,

researchers discovered that many residents weren’t home meaning that surveys were left in

people’s mailboxes. This in turn meant that there were not as many surveys returned as one

would have hoped for to create a better analysis. As previously mentioned, the interviews were

not conducted on the premise that there was a timing issue that occurred between the interviewers

and the interviewees.

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4. RESULTS

Before the results are stated, it should be noted that results are taken from 19 residential surveys

and 8 business surveys. Therefore when results are shown as a percentage, it works as followed;

100% refers to 19 overall residential surveys and so on and so forth.

10-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51+0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Correlation between age and the types of internet services used by Strath Taieri residents 2010.

BroadbandDial-UpNeither

Age of residents

PErc

enta

ge o

f use

rs

Figure 1: Relationship between age and internet services

From the 19 residential surveys that were returned, researchers were able to find a correlation

between the age of residents and the type of internet services they use. It was discovered that the

large majority of residents made use of broadband services. Specifically, it was found from

creating percentages from the 19 surveys that 26.31% of broadband users are over the age of 51

with 10.52% being in both the 41-50 and 31-40 age groups. The final percentage is split between

the two last age groups; 21-30 and 10-20 at a 5.26 percentile each. In relation to dial-up users, 31-

40 year olds were found to have the most usage with a total of 10.52%, the same result they

exhibited in regards to broadband services. The only other age group to use dial-up internet

services were in the 41-50 range with a total of 5.26%. No other age groups were found to use

dial-up as their form of internet. Results also showed there were only two age groups that had

neither type of internet services with 21.05% of residents over the age of 51 not having any

access to the internet along with 10-20 year olds who were in the 5.26 percentile.

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Male Female Gender not permitting0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Correlation between the types of internet services used and the gender of Strath Taieri residents 2010.


Gender

Perc

enta

ge o

f Use

rs

Figure 2: Relationship between gender variables and internet services

Results also denoted how gender was, in individual terms, relative to the type of internet services

that residents used. In relation to males, it was found that 50% of males made use of broadband

services followed by a close 37.5% who had no internet access at all. It was also discovered that

only 12.5% of male residents in the Strath Taieri are making use of dial-up services. Females on

the other hand were found to be the largest users of broadband services falling in the 63.63

percentile. It was also discovered that there was an equal percentage when it came to having dial-

up services or no access to the internet at all with 18.18% each. There were notably a vast amount

of residents who did not supply their gender to their survey answers. Compared with their

original internet service responses, it was found that 57.89% of residents from this section had

broadband services with 26.31% having no access at all and 15.78% having dial-up.

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57.89%

15.78%

26.31%

Overall usage of internet services based on both genders in the Strath Taieri 2010.


Figure 3: Overall internet service usage

Overall, residents were found to make large use of broadband services with 57.89% of residents

having access to it. Dial-up internet had an access rate of 15.78% while 26.31% of Strath Taieri

residents did not have access to either. It was discovered from other answers that the majority of

those without access to the internet were considering getting broadband internet services in the

near future.

Socia

l Netw

orking

Distance

Learning

Email

Shopping

Bankin

g

Gaming

Business

Others0

102030405060708090

Correlation between age and the purposes of their internet usage in the Strath Taieri 2010.

10-2021-3031-4041-5051+Not Specified

Purposes for the internet

Perc

enta

ge o

f Use

rs

Figure 4: Correlation between age and purposes for using the internet

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Results showed a clear correlation between the age of survey participants and the types of

services they made use of while on the internet. It should be noted that the majority of survey

participants were found to be in the 31-40, 41-50 and 51+ age categories with a large number of

residents not specifying their age group.

The majority of services were used by those in the 51+ age range with those in this group having

the overall highest percentage within all of the purpose (usage) filled variables. The usage of

variables for the 51+ age group is as followed: 26.31% for social networking sites, 15.78% for

distance learning facilities, 31.57% for e-mailing, 12.05% for both shopping and banking with a

final 10.52% for both gaming and business facilities.

Internet Main Problems Broadband Too slow. Weather interruption can cause the internet to drop out. Sometimes unable to connect at all. Dial-Up Too slow. Sometimes unable to connect at all. Can't use the phone at the same time. Unreliable.

Table 1: Common problems associated with the internet

There was a clear consensus between all survey participants that suggested the rate of access that

was available to them was slow and at times, not worth using. It was stated that because the

internet was quite slow, there was an extreme lack of being able to connect at all. This was also

attributed to the severe weather conditions that occur in the more rural parts of Strath Taieri. All

in all, results showed that the overall internet services available are unreliable to say the least.

The final questions all related to issues of distance barriers and depopulation. It was found that

the majority of older residents (51+) did not believe that the internet was the main contributing

factor as to why there had been an increase in population. They did however agree that

depopulation was not a major factor in their community. Those in the 31-40 and 41-50 age range

suggested that the internet was a contributing factor as to why people were coming to live in

Strath Taieri but it was not the main reason. It was suggested that the internet was making the

Strath Taieri more appealing as it was allowing rural residents to have access to aspects of urban

lifestyles. All agreed that the internet was useful in decreasing distance barriers with other

communities as it gave them access to facilities that Strath Taieri does not provide.

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Businesses noted that the rate of access they had was just as slow as what residents were

experiencing with their services. This slow rate can be attributed to the fact that they are using the

internet far more often than residents as it is a primary service for their businesses. This was

noted to have an impact on how they conducted their businesses in relation to ordering products

or setting up meetings with potential clients.

In relation to businesses, results were seemingly the same throughout all survey participants. This

is to say that all agreed the internet was an integral part of their business structure and without it,

there would be a strong possibility that their businesses would not be able to thrive. It was noted

that 75% of businesses made use of the internet and stated that it was important in helping their

businesses thrive because it helped with advertising, product ordering, bookings (motel/rail trail),

contacting customers/investors and faxing purposes.

All business owners agreed that the introduction of the internet to the Strath Taieri business sector

has been useful for many reasons. These are as followed; access to an international market,

business owners don’t have to travel to the city, increased advertising opportunities and brings

customers to the Strath Taieri businesses.

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5. DISCUSSION

In comparing the results gathered during the research process with the information obtained from

the literature review, one can conclude many things in response to the effects of the internet on

rural populations.

The results that were discovered during the research process can be used to breakdown the initial

research question; What has been the effect of the internet on patterns of daily life, business &

residential mobility in the Strath Taieri area? Issues pertaining to patterns of daily life looks at

matters such as purposes for using the internet and how it is effecting resident’s social

environment. Business mobility discusses whether or not the internet is allowing people to thrive

in the business sector; do people have to leave the area to keep their businesses alive? And

finally, residential mobility deals with issues of depopulation. All in all, the question analyses

how the internet is affecting the Strath Taieri as a community.

When looking at the types of internet services that Strath Taieri residents have in their homes, one

can see a clear favour in the uptake of broadband services to that of dial up (refer Figure 3).

Talbot and Gillespie slightly touch on issues of uptake stating that in their case study, it was

found that uptake was 10% lower in rural areas than it was in urban ones. However, by looking at

the results gathered from the Strath Taieri case study and comparing them with statistics from

Statistics New Zealand, this does not seem to be the case. It is said from a 2006 census, that

internet facilities are available in 62.7% of households16 in the overall Strath Taieri population. In

comparing this to Dunedin City, an urban sector, one can see that only 60.6% of households17 are

making use of internet facilities. While the difference is only small, it is significant enough to

suggest that those living in rural areas are more likely to use the internet as it is a means by which

they are able to keep up with urban facilities such as being able to shop at a variety of stories or

do their banking without having to leave them home. It also reiterates the idea that in a rural

setting, the internet is a beneficial means in which residents are able to keep in contact with

friends and family; in an urban setting, the internet is not as nearly as important for social

situations.

Residents stated that there were a vast amount of disadvantages in having the internet (refer

Table 1). These were mainly seen in the form of rate of access and at times, the ability to connect

at all. Hudson makes note of the downside of having the internet. She suggests that physical 16http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/SnapShot.aspx? type=ta&ParentID=1000014&tab=Phones,netfax&id=2000071. Accessed: 29/09/2010 at 4:53pm.17http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/SnapShot.aspx? type=au&ParentID=1000014&ss=y&tab=Phones,netfax&id=3602600. Accessed: 29/09/2010 at 4:46pm.

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http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/SnapShot.aspx?type=au&ParentID=1000014&ss=y&tab=Phones,netfax&id=3602600


http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/SnapShot.aspx?type=ta&ParentID=1000014&tab=Phones,netfax&id=2000071



proximity means that it is not able to be provided with an appropriate amount of bandwidth to

support a rural lifestyle.18 This assertion seems to resonate with the problems that Strath Taieri

residents state they are having in saying that the internet is too slow and at times inaccessible.

It was found that there was both a correlation between the types of services particular genders

would use as well as the type of services particular age groups made use of. It was found that the

majority of internet users were in the 51+ age group (refer Figure 1). They made use of

broadband services to a larger extent than those in the other aged groups. This is an idea that

resonates with the notion that those who are older have more time to use the internet as they have

more time to do so. It was denoted that both genders used broadband services to a large extent

however females were more likely to use dial up services then men as males were more likely to

not have access to the internet at all. This relates to a common societal assumption that women

are more concerned with having social relationships than men.

There is a clear correlation between the age of users and the types of services that they use (refer

Figure 4). It was found that the majority of users were in the 51+ age bracket. This is a notion

one could contribute to the fact that the majority of residents here are either retired or work on

their own farms, something which allows them time to better use internet facilities. This is an

idea better reflected in the results where it can be seen that those in the 51+ age range have more

time to make use of services such as; social networking sites, email, shopping, and business

facilities.

The 51+ age group was not the only one that made use of facilities as others did to the best of

their abilities; schedules permitting. It was discovered that of all services available, social

networking and email services were more beneficial to rural lifestyles. This is an integral part of

the discussion on the usage of ICTs as it helps reiterate the idea of the internet as a means of

decreasing distance barriers on a social level.

Social networking sites and emailing services are excellent means by which residents would be

able to keep in contact with friends and family members who don’t live close to the area. On a

general note, one can conclude that these facilities allow for users to view photos and read stories

about those they are contacting keeping them well informed of those who live at a distance. This

is a notion exerted by Hudson when she makes a correlation between uses of telephones to that of

the internet. She discusses that they are both technologies through which users are able to help

18 Hudson, Heather E. From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for Development in the Information Age. New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2006. Page 101.

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accelerate aspects of their daily life where they are able to be socially supported by friends and

family.

The use of the aforementioned facilities resonates with the idea that those in rural environments

are using the internet to keep in contact with one another, an ideal that further accentuates what

Talbot and Gillespie suggest in their literature when they state that,

“enhancing mobility options coupled with the widespread availability and use of ICTs have made the

constraints and limitations imposed by ‘rurality’ fewer than they have ever been before.”19

Results further proved this when Strath Taieri residents stated that they felt the internet was

helping them bridge distance barriers between rural and urban areas. Another example of this is

seen when business owners stated that they were able to use the internet to keep in contact with

clients, order products and better advertise their businesses. All in all this allows for businesses in

Strath Taieri to thrive to a point where the community is able to have a stable business sector.

This is supported by Gannon when she asserts that,

“...ICTs have the scope to eliminate the importance of physical proximity to a whole host of economic,

social, cultural and political activities, thereby making rural areas more attractive locations for

businesses, services and people.”20

The aforementioned quote is also useful when discussing issues of depopulation when it

discusses the elimination of physical proximity. While residents stated they have indeed seen an

increase in population, many were unsure as to whether or not the internet was a contributing

factor. However those who did supply the internet as a means of stunting depopulation suggested

that the internet had allowed for residents in rural areas to experience aspects of urban life

making Strath Taieri a more appealing community than any time before. The idea of their being

an increase in population is reflected in the 2006 census from Statistics New Zealand in which

statistics showed there had been a population increase of 7.5% since 2001.21

It is clear that businesses would largely reap the rewards of internet services. This is to say that

Strath Taieri residents stated that they felt their businesses were able to thrive in a rural setting as

it allowed for them to have greater advertising abilities which in turn meant that they were able to

increase their clientele. Britton, Le Heron and Pawson touch on this issue when they discuss

19 Rusten, Grete, and Sarah Skerratt, eds. Information and Communication Technologies in Rural Society: Being rural in a digital age. New York: Routledge, 2008. Page 172.20 Ibid. Page 107.21http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/SnapShot.aspx? type=au&ParentID=1000014&ss=y&tab=PopulationDwellings&id=3602600. Accessed: 29/09/2010 at 5:16pm.

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http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/SnapShot.aspx?type=au&ParentID=1000014&ss=y&tab=PopulationDwellings&id=3602600



restructuring an area to produce business turnover and increase the economic prospects of a

location. While they do not mention ICT services exclusively in their discussion, one can

attribute the idea of economic growth by use of the internet to their idea of business turnover by

means of restructuring.

A problem that came with the results and is clearly different to that of the results from the

literature review pertains to sample size. The Strath Taieri case study showcases a limited amount

of participants where the surveying research conducted by the researchers from the cases in the

literature had a larger scale which helped their results. While the Strath Taieri research allowed

for a day of surveying with a limited amount of residents due to time constraints, the surveying

and interviewing that was conducted by the other researchers allowed them to have days of

research in which they were able to have a large sample size to gain better research results.

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6. CONCLUSION

The information in this report allows for one to see a discussion on how the internet is affecting

rural communities. The case study on the Strath Taieri allows for a discussion on the

implementation of ICTs in rural New Zealand towns and a further discussion on the rate of

depopulation.

The literature provided in the beginning serves as an excellent basis for comparing the Strath

Taieri case study with its international rural counterparts. One can assert that the literature is a

useful means that helped shape the Strath Taieri study to a point where it allowed for a structured

analysis of the effects of the internet of patterns of daily life and its respective influence on both

residential and business mobility alike.

The results gathered helped conclude that the internet has been a beneficial service to the

residents of Strath Taieri. While it does have its problems such as slow access rate or indeed

inability to be accessed at all, one can clearly see that the internet is allowing for the Strath Taieri

community to thrive. This is to say that by giving its residents the ability to live a slightly

urbanised lifestyle in a rural setting, the community is becoming more appealing to the wider

New Zealand public and therefore the rate of depopulation that may have occurred has been

significantly stunted.

Based on all the aforementioned information in this report, it can be concluded that the

implementation of ICTs in rural environments is having nothing but a positive effect on

communities. It is granting residents of rural town’s access to urbanised facilities such as online

shopping and banking services while further allowing them to maintain social relationships with

friends and family members who may live it a distance. This is an idea that reiterates the notion

of ICTs decreasing distance barriers between rural and urban communities and on a larger scale,

working as a control for decreasing the rate of depopulation in these rural towns; particularly the

Strath Taieri area.

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REFERENCES:

1. Britton, Steve, Richard Le Heron, and Eric Pawson, eds. Changing Places in New

Zealand: A Geography of Restructuring. Christchurch: Special Publications, 1992. Pages

12-288.

2. Hudson, Heather E. From Rural Village to Global Village: Telecommunications for

Development in the Information Age. New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.,

Publishers, 2006. Pages 1-101.

3. Rusten, Grete, and Sarah Skerratt, eds. Information and Communication Technologies in

Rural Society: Being rural in a digital age. New York: Routledge, 2008. Pages 107-172.

4. http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/AboutAPlace/

SnapShot.aspx?type=ta&ParentID=1000014&tab=Phones,netfax&id=2000071.

Accessed: 29/09/2010 at 4:46pm.


SnapShot.aspx?type=au&ParentID=1000014&ss=y&tab=Phones,netfax&id=3602600.

Accessed: 29/09/2010 at 4:53pm.


SnapShot.aspx?

type=au&ParentID=1000014&ss=y&tab=PopulationDwellings&id=3602600. Accessed:

29/09/2010 at 5:16pm.

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APPENDICES:

MAP OF MIDDLEMARCH/STRATH TAIERI

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RESIDENTIAL SURVEY EXAMPLE:

1. What type of internet do you have in your home?

Broadband Dial-up Neither

If NEITHER; do you have access to the internet anywhere else?

No (Please go to question 2)

Yes Please state where

2. Are you considering getting the internet in the near future?

Yes Why?

No Why not?

3. How often do you use the internet?

Daily Weekly Monthly

4. Do you have any problems with your service? i.e. is it slow; does the connection drop out etc.

Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never

What types of problems do you experience?

5. What are your main purposes for using the internet? (Please tick as many options as apply and answer the questions that correspond with your choice)

Social networking

How many hours do you spend using this?

How do you feel social networking has effected your personal relationships?

Distance learning


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How do distance learning facilities help benefit your lifestyle?

E-mail


Do you find this a sufficient means of keeping in contact with people on both a personal and professional level?

Shopping; including online auctions


Do you find shopping online easier due to the amount of facilities available in a rural setting?

Banking


What benefits do you personally find with using internet banking facilities?

Gaming


Business


How has the internet helped benefit the way you run your business?

Does the internet limit face to face contact with your customer base?

Other (Please specify)

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6. How long have you lived in the Strath Taieri area?

1-10 years (Please go to question 7)11+ years (Please go to question 8)

7. If you have moved here in the last 10 years, has the availability of the internet in this area contributed to your decision to move here?

Yes How so?

No Why not?

8. Have you noticed an increase or decrease in population within the area over the past 10 years?

No

If INCREASE; do you think the internet has had anything to do with this and why?

If DECREASE; do you think the internet has had anything to do with this and why?

9. Do you feel that having the internet has helped bridge the distance barriers between rural and urban environments?

Yes Why?

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No Why not?

The following is optional but would be helpful to us in our analysis:

Gender

Male Female

Age

10-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51+

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Please place the completed survey in the reply-paid envelope and mail it back to us.

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BUSINESS SURVEY EXAMPLE:

1. Do you own or work for a business in the Strath Taieri area?

Yes

No

2. Does your business use the internet?

Yes

No

3. Could your business survive without the internet?

Yes

No Why not?

4. Are you happy with your internet service?

Yes

No Why not?

5. Has the internet helped with the advertising of your business?

Yes In what ways?

No Why do you think this is?

6. Have you ever purchased a product or service from a web – site for your business?

Yes

No

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7. Can people purchase your goods and services from the internet? E.g book motel rooms, hire bikes etc.

Yes

No

8. Based upon what you have seen, heard and experienced, do you think the introduction of the internet to the Strath Taieri area has benefited local businesses?

Yes How so?

No Why do you think this is?

9. Does your business use the internet for financial purposes?

Yes

No

10.Do you check your competitor’s rates and prices over the internet?

Yes

No

11.If you have an internet capable phone, do you use it?

Yes

No

12.Do you speak to potential buyers and clients via email?

Yes

No

13.Overall has the internet made the running of your business far easier than it would be without the internet?

Yes How so?

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No Why not?

The following is optional but would be helpful to us in our analysis:

Gender

Male Female

Age

10-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51+

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

Please place the completed survey in the reply-paid envelope and mail it back to us.

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PROPOSED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Interview: [email protected]

What does your business mainly use the internet for?

In what ways has the internet helped expand your business?

What new opportunities do you think the Internet has bought to your business?

Do you find the Internet to be beneficial in helping rural businesses support each other? In what ways?

How did your business run without the internet in comparison to how it runs now with the internet?

Do you think the Internet has allowed rural businesses to operate as effectively as urban businesses? How so?

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SURVEY ANALYSIS – amount of surveys to specific answers separated by gender

MALE RESPONSE TO RESIDENTIAL SURVEY QUESTIONS 2010

10 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51+INTERNET

BROADBAND 4DIAL-UP 1

NEITHER * 2*getting in the future 1

HOW OFTEN USEDDAILY 1 4

WEEKLYMONTHLY

PROBLEMSALWAYS 2OFTEN

SOMETIMES 1 1RARELY 1NEVER

USAGESOCIAL NETWORKING 1 3DISTANCE LEARNING 2

E-MAIL 1 4SHOPPING 1 3BANKING 1 3GAMING 2BUSINESS 1 1

OTHER 1

LIVED IN THE AREA1 to 10 YEARS 1 1

11+ YEARS 5

CONTRIBUTION TO MOVING

YES

NO 1 1

INCREASE/DECREASENO 3

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INCREASE 1

DECREASE 2 2

DISTANCE BARRIERSYES 1 4

NO 1

FEMALE RESPONSE TO RESIDENTIAL SURVEY QUESTIONS 2010

10 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51+INTERNET

BROADBAND 1 1 2 2 1DIAL-UP 1 1

NEITHER * 2*getting in the future 1

HOW OFTEN USEDDAILY 2 2 1

WEEKLY 1 1 1 1MONTHLY 1

PROBLEMSALWAYS 1OFTEN 1 1

SOMETIMES 1 1 2 1 1RARELY 1NEVER 1

USAGESOCIAL NETWORKING 1 1 2 2DISTANCE LEARNING 1 1

E-MAIL 1 1 3 2 2SHOPPING 2 2 1BANKING 1 1 2 1GAMING 1BUSINESS 1

OTHER 1 1

LIVED IN THE AREA1 to 10 YEARS 1 3 2 2

11+ YEARS 1 1 1

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CONTRIBUTION TO MOVING

YES

NO 1 3 2 1

INCREASE/DECREASENO 1 1 1 1

INCREASE 1 1 2 1

DECREASE 1 1

DISTANCE BARRIERSYES 1 1 3 2 2

NO 1 1

most of the problems with the internet stem from the fact that the internet is simply too slow and it is hard to connect to

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mmctaggart.files.wordpress.com · Web viewThe use of technologies has become a prominent part of society today. Technologies such as televisions, cellular phones and broadband facilities