Engagement by Design: Belongingness, Cultural Value Orientations, and Pathways into Emerging Technologies

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Technology Studies
• Cultural Psychology

Background:

• Persistent disparities exist in U.S. technology engagement across racial and ethnic groups.
• Structural barriers like racism and poverty are known contributors to inequity.
• Cultural value orientations may also influence how individuals experience belonging in digital contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the interaction between belongingness and cultural value orientations in explaining technology engagement disparities.
• To propose a model (Belongingness through Cultural Value Alignment - BCVA) integrating these factors.
• To offer a novel framework for understanding and addressing technological participation gaps.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical article drawing on Triandis and Gelfand's framework.
• Focus on educational contexts and digital domains.
• Analysis of how cultural values (vertical vs. horizontal collectivism) relate to belongingness and technology engagement.

Main Results:

• Belongingness acts as a catalyst between cultural values and technology engagement.
• Vertical collectivism derives belongingness through skill development; horizontal collectivism through community integration.
• Cultural misalignment can occur when dominant technology engagement modes conflict with horizontal collectivist frameworks for belonging.

Conclusions:

• Access alone is insufficient to close technological participation gaps.
• Cultural value orientations mediate the sense of belonging in technology contexts.
• Creating inclusive technology spaces requires understanding and valuing diverse frameworks for belonging.