Adapting to the hybrid model Clubhouse: digital inclusion of Finnish Clubhouse members during the COVID-19 pandemic
Lauhio, Päivi Elina (2022)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022090319813
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022090319813
Tiivistelmä
The contact restrictions during COVID-pandemic accelerated the digitalization of operations in organizations, increasing the importance of the computer skills of the people involved. Clubhouse communities promoting individual development and social inclusion of Clubhouse members introduced the virtual Clubhouse to maintain daily operations during the pandemic. Clubhouse members actively involved in the Clubhouse program had to suddenly adapt to the online environment that will merge with the in-house program as the hybrid model Clubhouse.
This thesis aimed to investigate how Clubhouse members in three Clubhouse Communities in Finland adapted to the virtual Clubhouse using loan laptops and support provided by Clubhouses for learning digital skills. The thesis explored the experiences of Clubhouse members participating online at the onset of online communities at their Clubhouses. The further aim was to identify how conditions required to achieve digital inclusion manifested based on the members' attitudes, views, opinions, and Internet use. The qualitative study used semi-structured interviews for data collection from four Clubhouse members and used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the data. The individual interviews were conducted online in June 2021, during a period of limited access to Clubhouses.
The results concurred with earlier findings of the perceived flexibility in participating in the hybrid model Clubhouse. Members managed to use the principal platforms for maintaining contact with the Clubhouses, and the virtual Clubhouse enabled different levels of participation. However, most members had not created content for the online program. The benefits of home access with the laptop might not be as evident for members who need face-to-face support, and the physical Clubhouse remains the center of operations.
The results suggest that loan devices and opportunities to practice skills to use the Internet and receive digital support were vital for removing barriers to Internet access. At the same time, members had the motivation and agency required to achieve digital inclusion. Lack of skills and limitations in independent coping with digital devices might persist as barriers to using the Internet for purposes that yield beneficial outcomes in the offline world. Efforts to promote the digital inclusion of Clubhouse members require organizing opportunities for online participation and sustained and skilled support by the Clubhouses in the upcoming years.
This thesis aimed to investigate how Clubhouse members in three Clubhouse Communities in Finland adapted to the virtual Clubhouse using loan laptops and support provided by Clubhouses for learning digital skills. The thesis explored the experiences of Clubhouse members participating online at the onset of online communities at their Clubhouses. The further aim was to identify how conditions required to achieve digital inclusion manifested based on the members' attitudes, views, opinions, and Internet use. The qualitative study used semi-structured interviews for data collection from four Clubhouse members and used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the data. The individual interviews were conducted online in June 2021, during a period of limited access to Clubhouses.
The results concurred with earlier findings of the perceived flexibility in participating in the hybrid model Clubhouse. Members managed to use the principal platforms for maintaining contact with the Clubhouses, and the virtual Clubhouse enabled different levels of participation. However, most members had not created content for the online program. The benefits of home access with the laptop might not be as evident for members who need face-to-face support, and the physical Clubhouse remains the center of operations.
The results suggest that loan devices and opportunities to practice skills to use the Internet and receive digital support were vital for removing barriers to Internet access. At the same time, members had the motivation and agency required to achieve digital inclusion. Lack of skills and limitations in independent coping with digital devices might persist as barriers to using the Internet for purposes that yield beneficial outcomes in the offline world. Efforts to promote the digital inclusion of Clubhouse members require organizing opportunities for online participation and sustained and skilled support by the Clubhouses in the upcoming years.