Perceptions of Information Technology in India

This dissertation examines how the idea of I.T. is constructed at Indian universities. The findings indicate that for a variety of reasons, higher I.T. education in India is markedly Western-focused, instrumental and technocratic. At Indian Universities, I.T. is seen as an industrial tool used to solve western business problems. Surprisingly few people see I.T as a tool to solve local Indian problems. These characteristics of higher I.T. education in India are impacted by a process of institutional collaboration – several diverse institutional forces are acting in ways that are coherent and mutually reinforcing. The findings are consistent with Angell’s theory of the Information Age, characterized by a looming conflict between Old and New Barbarians.