Toward an Understanding of Community Connectedness: the role of ICTs Luis A. Castro and Víctor M. González Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom luis.castro@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk, vmgonz@manchester.ac.uk Abstract Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be instrumental to the sense of community connectedness of migrants: being aware of the daily occurrences in their home communities. Whereas formerly, migrant workers were using the postal service and telephone as the preferred channels of communication, nowadays the penetration of the Internet is likely to change the panorama. Focusing mainly on phone-based communication, this work analyzes the notion of community connectedness from the perspective of people from the municipality of Juchipila, Mexico now living in the USA. We highlight three communication cycles that can influence the sense of community connectedness over time. Finally, this work concludes by discussing the role played by ICTs in the level of community connectedness. 1. Introduction Many migrants experience a natural need of being aware of the everyday occurrences in their home communities: community connectedness. Some of them satisfy this need by returning home frequently. However, for some others this is practically unfeasible, meaning that they have to obtain the information using some form of communication. Whereas formerly, migrant workers were using the postal service and telephone as the preferred channels of communication, nowadays the penetration of new forms Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), such as the Internet, is likely to change how people keep adequate levels of community connectedness. An understanding of the role played by ICTs in this area is relevant for any country although particularly important for those experiencing major migratory flows. This work focuses on migration from Mexico to the USA as it has been identified as one of the most important labor related worldwide [1] and, therefore, an ideal context to understand the implications of technology for community connectedness. In this particular context, the contact with the daily life of the community of origin can be very limited for migrants since it is mediated through family and friends. This limited access to the day-to-day information of the community may hamper their involvement and direct participation in local affairs independently of their interest in the community and its development. Previous studies confirm that access to Internet-based tools such as electronic mail and web pages can help migrants to keep a sense of connection with their family and their home country [2][3][4][5]. Some other research efforts have focused on supporting connectedness with rich-media technologies such as presence displays; however, the emphasis has been on communication between members of the family or emotional partners [6][7]. Research focusing on the understanding, characterization and measurement of the notion of connectedness between persons conceives the sense of connectedness as a temporary state of mind originated by an interpersonal exchange and this state is limited to the timeframe when communication or interactions or both take place [8]. Futhermore, that research has been analyzing connectedness as something occurring between persons rather than the connectedness of an individual to her community as a whole. Focusing on communities, other researchers have defined community connectedness as the ‘inclusion of the community in self’ [9] which usually involves a sense of identity and belonging. Interestingly, not much work has been done to study the temporary dimension of the concept, its fluctuations over time, and the elements contributing to these changes. In this paper, we propose to understand community connectedness as a continuous, variable feeling experienced by migrants toward their community of origin. We illustrate the relevance of a temporary dimension of the concept for members of a Mexican migrant community in the USA. From their accounts and narratives, we were able to identify three communication cycles that influence the sense of community connectedness over time. This work concludes by discussing the role played by ICTs in the level of community connectedness. 2. Study and Methodology In January 2007, we conducted a study aiming to characterize the communication practices of migrants. In particular, the study was aiming to understand the role of ICTs in connecting migrants to their families and their home communities. The initial study consisted of ethnographic-based interviews with thirteen migrants living in southern California as well as thirteen members