21 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, "This essay makes the argument for the centrality of communication in studying and developing community." Following discussion of general theoretical arguments affirming and advancing this case, the author examined a specific type of community-oriented communicative event - civic communion. "Civic communions are episodes of community interaction that function as rhetorical and performative civic sacraments bonding citizenry around the social and political structures of a specific locale."
Examines five cases of rural areas that deployed information and communication technology programs. "There is little evidence that telecommunications lead to economic growth or that businesses in the communities are using ICT extensively." Instead, "the physical deployment of the hardware is not sufficient to achieve success."
