The power within the users: A social construction analysis of the e-Mexico web portal

In 2001, the Mexican government launched the e-Mexico system. The idea was to reduce the digital gap by providing computer and internet access through telecenters (Digital Community Centers) as well as by producing relevant content in Spanish (e-Mexico web portal). These efforts were to be realized through a collaborative network involving diverse federal dependencies and private interests. Because of the public nature of this project, it was supposed to address a wide heterogenous set of users. Many scholars have focused on the Digital Community Centers while obviating the role of the web portal and its users. This thesis is interested in answering how did the development of the e-Mexico portal evolve, and what role did users play during the process. This thesis will heavily rely on the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) theory to explain the intricacies of the e-Mexico system.;The following thesis is structured in Mive sections. The Mirst chapter serves as an introduction to the study and gives a brief context and explanation of what to expect in the following pages. The second chapter explains the origin of SCOT and it also exposes and counter argues the criticism it had suffered. Chapter three is a case study analysis of e-Mexico and it explains how the project started, what actors are involved and what is its current situation. The fourth chapter shows the results of a series of interviews conducted with key people involved in the design and development of the e-Mexico web portal. The Minal chapter shares some key Mindings and limitations in the present research as well as new paths for future studies.