SOCIAL INCLUSION, ICTS, AND CULTURAL AND MEMORY ORGANIZATIONS:

AN INSIGHT TO THE PORTUGUESE STATE-OF-THE-ART

0. Addressing Social Exclusion

As a starting point to a venture such as the one intended, a clearly

identifiable definition for the concept of social exclusion is needed, so to
establish the phenomena addressed by the action of the CMOs subject
to analysis. In this sense, we draw on the Community Services Group
postulate, according to which «social exclusion focuses on the needs of
groups and individuals who are excluded from services (as those offered
by libraries, museums and archives)» (Community Services Group, xxxx).
Stating that «(…) people with certain backgrounds and
experiences are disproportionately likely to suffer social exclusion»
(Community Services Group, xxxx), the same study holds that among the
risk factors considered to play a key role are contexts such as those of
«(…) low income; family conflict; being in care; school problems; being
an ex-prisoner; being from an ethnic minority; living in a deprived
neighbourhood in urban and rural areas; mental health problems, age
and disability (…), refugees and asylum seekers, travellers who are not
considered to be from an ethnic minority, and LGBTs (lesbians, gay men,
bisexuals and transgendered people, people with basic skills needs,
single parents» (Community Services Group, xxxx), as well as the
unemployed.
At the level of identifiable social dynamics, there is a different
approach possible, which regards the defining characteristics of social
exclusion, namely «(…) the habit of non- participation, the habit of
isolation, and a perceived lack of opportunity and choice» (Community
Services Group, xxxx), as well as lack of access to power, knowledge
services and facilities.

1. ICTs and Social Inclusion

 According to a cyber-optimistic perspective, current technology
allows, as never before in the History of Mankind, for the broadcasting
and enhancing of knowledge and available information (Oliveira, 2000).
Ongoing processes of informationalization and globalization of western
societies, motivated by diverse networks of power and technology, are
reshaping the world (Castells, 1997). Assuming, as Paquete de Oliveira
does, that «Information is the new name for Development», and that
«Knowledge is the new indicator for a nation’s or region’s wealth and
heritage» (Oliveira, 2000), information-based processes of decision
making are changing the lives of citizens everywhere (Webster, 2001: 5),
to significant levels of extent and depth. And as Pickerill puts it, ICTs are
more than just an extension of existing forms of communication since
they offer a variety of opportunities earlier unavailable (Pickerill, 2001:
142). These are just some of the many reasons why, as Almeida writes,
the access to ICTs should be considered a pre-condition for the quality
of life every citizen is entitled to (Almeida, xxxx), and why the access to
information they make possible is crucial to the advent of an actual
intervening and informed citizen in a truly democratic society (Colodrón,
2000).
However, a technical determinism may not be any better than
other determinisms (Rocher, 1989: 26). Although it is unquestionable that
the ICTs do set new horizons for the coming of a Knowledge Society, the
latter will only come to be once the inequities inherited from the
Industrial Society are overcome, something which is not taking place
according to some scholars (Dordoy and Mellor, 2001: 173; Lyon, 1992).
As Rocher states, the technical factor is an important variable, but we
cannot assess the real influence it exerts without addressing the cultural
context in which it is inscribed (Rocher, 1989: 29). We should bear in mind
that the access to such technologies is not – and will not become in the
near future – universal. But, according to Hamelink, even the
massification of computer usage does not, by itself, change the existing
social inequity at the level of access to and control of such usage (Lyon,
1992; Dordoy and Mellor, 2001: 174): on the one hand, because the ICTs
themselves may well be intensifying some of these inequity generating
processes (Dordoy and Mellor, 2001: 181), since the vast majority of its
users are among the already info-literate ones (Pickerill, 2001: 143); on
the other hand, because, as Colodrón wisely states, since social and
technological exclusion implies an absence of cultural and
technological skills, the simple access to information, even if on a free
basis, does not in itself guarantee the fulfilling of its potential benefits;
specific skills, a particular kind of technological capital, are required to
tackle it exclusion (Colodrón, 2000; Ford, Gil, 2000: 204).

2. CMOs and Social Inclusion

In accordance with Silva, information only becomes fruitful when

turned into knowledge, the true promoter of development, wealth and
well-being; the bigger the ability of a given country and its institutions to
convert information in knowledge, the bigger the potential benefits for its
citizens (Silva, 20xx). In a democratic society, Rego states, everyone must
– and should be allowed the opportunity to – be informed, so to exercise
competent citizenship; and this can only be possible through the access
to information (Rego, 2000).
Fritzinger writes the question of information – and of information
technologies – is central to libraries (Fritzinger, 2000). One of the fields in
which this statement is noticeable is its role in enhancing the knowledge
possessed by the people, and its action in compensating existing
inequities in the technological capital held by the citizens.
According to Calixto, the spreading of the use of ICTs accentuates
the importance of the social roles played by CMOs. These, particularly
public libraries, have had a democratic matrix since their birth (Calixto,
20xx), since they offer indiscriminating access to information (Colodrón,
2000). In line with this scholar, democracy implies the existence of
informed citizens, as well as social inequity regulating mechanisms of
economic, social, cultural, and educational kinds. In this sense, the
public library constitutes one of these mechanisms. However, the access,
for instance, to the digital information stored in such institutions, requires
the use of ICTs, and the necessary skills to make use of them are often
not available for free outside the very public library (Calixto, 20xx). This is
why, again, the availability of access terminals is not enough: one must
take into consideration the conditions in which such access can, or
cannot, actually take place (Abreu, 2000). The question of access and
exclusion, Abreu says, is usually tied to physical equipment aspects,
hardware and infra-structure; but the main issue is undoubtedly cultural:
success in dealing with exclusion cannot be met by simply having
computers available and ignoring the awareness of its users (Abreu,
2000). Research has shown that low levels of literaly promote the
restriction of opportunities and the risk of social exclusion (Oliveira, 2000).
The info-exclusion phenomenon thus accompany lower, unqualified
social classes, trends which are beyond traditional teaching, and having
more to do with the social and cultural environment, and the
predisposition to the consumption of cultural products and activities
(Oliveira, 2000).
Colodrón writes, on this matter, that public libraries can contribute
to the democratization of the Information Society by helping citizens to
take part in the former not only as information consumers but also as
information producers (Colodrón, 2000). One other dimension that
should be addressed is the way in which citizen participation can be
sought and promoted at the time of reorganizing library services and
activities (Colodrón, 2000).

3. The Portuguese state-of-the-art: past and present

 “(…) ten years ago (…) the general feeling (…) was
that the “new technologies” (…) were for specialized
libraries only (…). Ten years ago (…) our priorities were
centered around the construction of base infra-
structures, i.e., libraries (…). From our initial concerns
about routines(…) we quickly started to grasp
technologies as a means to the very supplying of
information, and new possibilities, new roles and new
services started to shape (…). And we also started to
understand that we could be an entry point into
technologies, and also of technology teaching, so
important for large sectors of our communities,
particularly the most fragile ones economic- and
social- wise
(Calixto, 20xx).

According to Colodrón, Portugal illustrates the successful national

strategies implemented in some countries, showing quite extraordinary
results in a very short time span (Colodrón, 2000). Oliveira, on this matter,
writes that the existing and expanding public library national network is a
remarkable example of successful policies, and one of the most relevant
cultural policy facts of the modern Portugal (Oliveira, 2000). Along with
his views, and concerning the use of new technologies, this southern
European country is all the more justly considered an interesting case
study (Oliveira, 2000).
In 1992 the RILP – Rede Informática de Leitura Pública (Public
Reading Informatic Network) – began being set (Calixto, 20xx). There
are, Calixto holds, clear indicators of the role public libraries have played
since then, in terms of tackling social exclusion and access inequities to
cultural and informative assets (Calixto, 20xx).
In 1997 the Livro Verde Para A Sociedade Da Informação Em
Portugal (Green Book for the Information Society in Portugal) was
published, setting nation-wide policies to foster technological, cultural
and social developments and to prevent the emergence of a class of
info-excluded citizens, in which considerations were made about the
privileged position held by the public libraries for dealing with info-
exclusion (Calixto, 20xx; Livro Verde Para a Sociedade da Informação,
1997) such as the one in which it is clearly stated that «Public libraries
should and ought to be an open door to the new world of digital and
multimedia information, access point to the cyberspace for those that,
for socio-economic and cultural reasons, don’t have from beginning,
means to do it at home» (Livro Verde Para a Sociedade da Informação,
1997.
The Instituto Português do Livro e das Bibliotecas - IPLB –
(Portuguese Institute for Books and Libraries) was set to follow objectives
in this field such as promoting new services in the public libraries network
– specially those related to lifelong learning –, and to reinforce the role of
the public libraries against social exclusion.
The ECDL project also allowed users to become certified, through
courses attended at several public libraries, in the use of ICTs, not only to
make the best of the existing resources at the libraries but to gather
enduring skills.
In 2000 the Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Ministry of Science
of Tecnology) conceived another national course of action, the Plano
de Acção “Para uma Sociedade do Conhecimento e da Informação,
2000-2006” (Action Plan for the Knowledge and Information Society)
based on two articulated operational programs: the Programa
Operacional Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação – POCTI – (Science,
Technology and Innovation Operational Program), with a mid-term
strategic orientation intended to compensate for the country’s scientific
gap; and the Programa Operacional Sociedade da Informação – POSI –
(Information Society Operational Program) intended to permit the
convergence of policies and sectorial programs, envisaging the
stimulation of accessibility and civic participation (Silva, 20xx). Some of
the measures inscribed in the POSI are, among others:

a) to promote the accessibility and use of computers and the

Internet, through the making available of the Rede de Ciência,
Tecnologia e Sociedade – RCTS – (Science, Technology and
Society Network) to every cultural and scientific organizations, on
a free of charge basis for users;
b) to foster every local and regional project which store, make
available, promote, develop, and adapt the existing knowledge,
particularly libraries and networked archives, digital libraries, and
telematic cultural services;
c) to understand the social, economic, political and legal
mechanisms of adoption and use of ICTs, specially through the
development of new forms of organization which promote social
inclusion and equity in opportunities (Programa Operacional
Sociedade da Informação, 2000).

4. Portuguese Case Studies

As for a more empirical-based grasp of what the Portuguese

reality is, concerning the development of social inclusive practices by
CMOs, the following case studies provide useful insights.
The Pavilhão do Conhecimento/Programa Ciência Viva
(Knowledge Pavillion / Live Science Program) is a science museum that
combines the use of traditional approaches towards the public with the
use of multimedia and Internet in order to reach a wider public. It’s
integrated on a national network, entitled Ciência Viva whose goal is to
promote social and economic inclusion through the promotion of the
need to increase the scientific knowledge of the population. Given the
need considered by the Portuguese government to invest in the scientific
skills of the population (through an increase in the number of young
people choosing science and technology as their studying subjects in
higher education) the Pavilhão do Conhecimento and the network
Ciência Viva use new information technologies as one of their
instruments to promote inclusion.
The Pavilion of Knowledge - Ciência Viva is an interactive science
and technology museum that has been open to the public since July
25th 1999. It is an integral part of the Ciência Viva Centres Network and
serves as both the driving force and resource centre for this network. The
main objective is to stimulate scientific knowledge and promote
scientific and technological culture among all citizens. The exhibitions
and activities proposed allow visitors to explore many wide-ranging
themes with interactive Exhibits, relaxing and having fun at the same
time. Besides the major theme exhibitions, the Pavilion of Knowledge -
Ciência Viva promotes various scientific and educational initiatives.
The Ciência Viva programme is a national initiative for scientific
and technological culture. Since 1996, true to its guiding principle of
bringing scientific and school communities together in order to improve
basic education, Ciência Viva has promoted the following projects:
support and financing for science experiment projects in schools; a
nationwide science awareness-raising network of interactive centres;
national science awareness-raising campaigns, stimulating associative
science and giving the population opportunities for scientific observation
and direct contact with experts from different fields.
The Museu Nacional de Arqueologia’s (National Archaeological
Museum) site on the internet was, in 2002, distinguished by UNESCO as
the world’s best site in 2002. Through their website the Museu Nacional
de Arqueologia tries to promote new links with young people,
researchers and teachers, offering access to their collections and
promoting educational tools through the Internet. Besides the exhibitions,
the Museum offers society (Portuguese and foreign) numerous other
services; regular publications (of which the scientific magazine “O
Arqueólogo Português”, published since 1895 and the most important of
its type in Portugal and with a net of over 300 correspondent institutions
all over the World, stands out), the conservation and restoration of
archaeological goods, seminars, conferences and courses of the
speciality, an educational and cultural extension service, a specialized
library (the most important in Portugal and the only one which today
continues regularly open to the public in the group of national
museums), shop and bookshop, fundamental scientific research, etc.
The Biblioteca Municipal de Almada (Almada County Library)
works in cooperation with the regional employment agency on the
training of unemployed people in computer skills. This training tries to
ensure that all the participants will end their learning having acquired
skills on the use of Internet that will allow them to have better job
opportunities. The Biblioteca Municipal de Almada is one of the ten
libraries participating on Rede Nacional de Bibliotecas Públicas, in
cooperation with the IPLB (Portuguese Institute of the Book and Libraries).
The libraries working on this project become certification centers for the
European Computer Drivers License.
The Fundação Mário Soares, founded in September 12, 1991, is a
private non-profit organization related to the former President of the
Portuguese Republic, Mário Soares, and its mission is to promote and
sponsor cultural, scientific and educational events in the human rights,
political science and international relations fields of study. Through the
Digitisation Project of the Mário Soares Archive wishes to preserve the
Mário Soares Archive (M.S.A.) and to gradually open it to the public.
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