Digital equity in cultural context: Exploring the influence of Confucian heritage culture on Hong Kong families

H. K. Allan YUEN, Jae Hyung PARK, Lu CHEN, Miaoting CHENG

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Our study examines digital equity in a cultural context. Many studies have used classic analytical variables such as socioeconomic status and gender to investigate the problem of unequal access to, and more recently differences in the use of, information and communication technology (ICT). The few studies that have explored cultural variables have usually focused on theory or considered culture as a background dimension. Our study’s central thesis is that cultural context plays a crucial role in shaping parents’ ICT-related child-rearing practices. In a case study of 22 Chinese students who share the Confucian heritage of Hong Kong, we demonstrate the importance of cultural dimensions of students’ ICT use, and examine how cultural values are associated with digital equity. Our findings reveal that Confucian values influence aspects of family/social relationships, in particular whether students receive adequate and appropriate ICT resources and use ICT effectively, which are essential aspects of digital equity. Copyright © 2017 Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)481-501
JournalEducational Technology Research and Development
Volume65
Issue number2
Early online dateFeb 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2017

Citation

Yuen, A. H. K., Park, J. H., Chen, L., & Cheng, M. (2017). Digital equity in cultural context: Exploring the influence of Confucian heritage culture on Hong Kong families. Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(2), 481-501.

Keywords

  • Confucian values
  • Digital equity
  • Family relationships
  • Parenting practices

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