Internet Adoption and Use in the Indonesian Academy: Issues of Social and Institutional Hierarchy

Abstract

Examines the impact of social & institutional hierarchy in Indonesian academic institutions on the use of Internet technology. It is maintained that the adoption & use of Internet technology is shaped by cost, bandwidth, & infrastructure, as well as institutional culture & perceptions of the technology. Information based on interviews conducted with Indonesian academics in 1999 & 2001 suggests that Internet use in Indonesian academic institutions is linked to broader issues of development; the distribution of limited resources like computer terminals as status objects; & decision-making hierarchies. An overview of the infrastructure available at Indonesian universities is followed by an examination of institutional hierarchies; the symbolic value attached to Internet access; & Internet experiences related by the interviewees. It is concluded that the Internet is perceived as much as a "prestige item" as a communication, networking, or research tool. The sense of "underdevelopment" engendered by the gap between the promise & practical experience of the Internet is said to represent a "high-tech, culture version of the development of underdevelopment." J. Lindroth.