From the interpersonal to the internet: social service digitisation and the implications for vulnerable individuals and communities

ABSTRACT

In Australia, e-government is continuously re-defining service boundaries. While this may be good in the case of transactional interactions, for example the online submission of tax returns, it is less clear that interpersonal services, such as working closely with the long-term unemployed, are best delivered digitally. We consider the impact of social services digitisation on vulnerable communities drawing on an analysis of remote Aboriginal communities. Digital uptake affords great opportunities, but it also carries risks. Some communities have no digital infrastructure and in certain cases traditional face-to-face services have been curtailed, leaving those not online with reduced assistance. We find that concerns about the ‘digital divide’ are well founded. Problems generated by e-government flow across boundaries and appear left to the third sector to resolve with the state playing an even more diminished role in the lives of disadvantaged citizens.

在澳大利亚，电子政府是被反复界定的服务边界。这对于交易互动如提交退税单，是不错的。但对于人际服务，例如与长期失业人士打交道，数字服务是否最佳就不清楚了。我们通过分析偏远原住民社区，考察了社会服务数字化对于弱势人群的影响。数字化提供了巨大的机会，但也存在风险。对于那些缺少数字化基础设施、有时需要采用传统面对面服务的社区，不在线的人得到的援助就会减少。关于“数字分化”的担忧是有根据的。电子政府产生的问题跨越边界，留待第三部门去解决，而国家在弱势公民的生活中扮演的角色越发减弱。

KEYWORDS:

• Social services
• Aboriginal communities
• e-government
• digitisation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Na'ama Carlin and Esther Alloun who both helped with the production of this article. The authors would also like to thank the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA); the Policy Studies Research Group which hosted the workshop; and the anonymous referees who provided valuable feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Siobhan O'Sullivan is Senior Lecturer in Social Research and Policy in the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia. Her research is focused on the evolution of welfare-to-work in Australia, the UK and Asia. Siobhan also publishes in the field of Animal Studies, including a focus on how animal advocates influence the policy process.

Christopher Walker is the Head of the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia. Most recent research projects have examined the transfer and adaption of policy and regulatory practices in the Australian trucking sector to various countries such as South Africa and Sweden. Christopher is also active in executive education and researches the teaching and development of policy practitioner skills. He holds an adjunct appointment with the Australian and New Zealand School of Government contributing to their postgraduate and executive education programs.

ORCID

Siobhan O’Sullivan http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4705-1182

Christopher Walker http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1427-5868

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Small research grant. The authors would like to thank the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) which funded the workshop at which this paper was originally presented.