Using a Cultural Lens to Critique the One Laptop Per Child Program

1. Lisa Allen, The University of British Columbia, Canada, The University of British Columbia, Canada

This paper argues that The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program is entrenched in Western values and ideals and thus influences developing countries and the Indigenous communities within those developing communities in a culturally negative way. This paper will first outline what the OLPC program is and the mandate and mission the developers of the program have set. Secondly, this paper will discuss the assumptions that are made by the developers of the OLPC program and the inaccuracies those assumptions have on the developing country’s communities. Thirdly, this paper will discuss the danger of the one-size-fits-all business model the OLPC program is modeled after. Lastly, this paper will discuss the notion of collaboration and the irony of the OLPC. Finally, this paper will suggest ways in which the OLPC could strengthen its program design and better serve the children of developing countries.

ID

35834

Type

Virtual Brief Paper

Topic

Ethical, cultural, historical, and social issues in technology use