Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala
This community case study examines the actors, conditions and context in which scholarships offered by international cooperation programs to access higher education are managed in Guatemala. It documents a communication-based social technology initiative led by organized local civil society: the Ins...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Communication |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1510024/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832086524730015744 |
|---|---|
| author | Kleinsy Bonilla Natalia Ortiz Barrientos Miguel Alejandro Saquimux Contreras |
| author_facet | Kleinsy Bonilla Natalia Ortiz Barrientos Miguel Alejandro Saquimux Contreras |
| author_sort | Kleinsy Bonilla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This community case study examines the actors, conditions and context in which scholarships offered by international cooperation programs to access higher education are managed in Guatemala. It documents a communication-based social technology initiative led by organized local civil society: the Institute for the Development of Higher Education in Guatemala—INDESGUA, a nonprofit organization founded in 2007. Using a qualitative methodology that combines in-depth and semi-structured interviews with an analysis of organizational records, this article reflects on the mediating role INDESGUA plays between individuals (demand side) seeking scholarships and providers (offer side), with specific objectives of facilitating access to traditionally excluded groups of Guatemalan society, specifically rural youth, young women, and indigenous populations. The analysis covers 2007 to 2023. The findings show that knowledge management and communication are central elements of INDESGUA’s operation and promote social inclusion. However, structural inequalities and contextual systematic biases may limit the effectiveness of these efforts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ef8c6613d6d47d2adaf3ba175796869 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2297-900X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Communication |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ef8c6613d6d47d2adaf3ba1757968692025-02-06T12:38:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2025-02-011010.3389/fcomm.2025.15100241510024Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in GuatemalaKleinsy Bonilla0Natalia Ortiz Barrientos1Miguel Alejandro Saquimux Contreras2Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, Trieste, ItalyOrganization for Women in Science for the Developing World, Trieste, ItalyState University of Campinas, São Paulo, BrazilThis community case study examines the actors, conditions and context in which scholarships offered by international cooperation programs to access higher education are managed in Guatemala. It documents a communication-based social technology initiative led by organized local civil society: the Institute for the Development of Higher Education in Guatemala—INDESGUA, a nonprofit organization founded in 2007. Using a qualitative methodology that combines in-depth and semi-structured interviews with an analysis of organizational records, this article reflects on the mediating role INDESGUA plays between individuals (demand side) seeking scholarships and providers (offer side), with specific objectives of facilitating access to traditionally excluded groups of Guatemalan society, specifically rural youth, young women, and indigenous populations. The analysis covers 2007 to 2023. The findings show that knowledge management and communication are central elements of INDESGUA’s operation and promote social inclusion. However, structural inequalities and contextual systematic biases may limit the effectiveness of these efforts.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1510024/fullscholarshipscommunicationsocial technologyINDESGUAGuatemalahigher education |
| spellingShingle | Kleinsy Bonilla Natalia Ortiz Barrientos Miguel Alejandro Saquimux Contreras Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala Frontiers in Communication scholarships communication social technology INDESGUA Guatemala higher education |
| title | Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala |
| title_full | Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala |
| title_short | Knowledge management and the power of communication: INDESGUA as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in Guatemala |
| title_sort | knowledge management and the power of communication indesgua as a social technology enabling equitable access to scholarships in guatemala |
| topic | scholarships communication social technology INDESGUA Guatemala higher education |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1510024/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kleinsybonilla knowledgemanagementandthepowerofcommunicationindesguaasasocialtechnologyenablingequitableaccesstoscholarshipsinguatemala AT nataliaortizbarrientos knowledgemanagementandthepowerofcommunicationindesguaasasocialtechnologyenablingequitableaccesstoscholarshipsinguatemala AT miguelalejandrosaquimuxcontreras knowledgemanagementandthepowerofcommunicationindesguaasasocialtechnologyenablingequitableaccesstoscholarshipsinguatemala |