India.com: the construction of a space between

Abstract

The study of information and communication technologies (ICT) by geographers has evolved over the past third of a century from a concentration on friction of distance and spatial organization toward a set of four interrelated social approaches: ICT as a set of contested terrains, ICT as a means of perception, ICT as a form of embodiment, and ICT as virtual places or spaces (distanciated social contexts). These approaches are complementary rather than contradictory. What is absent thus far from the ICT debate is attention to ethnicity, except as a surrogate of economic class or in vague allusions to a digital divide. Since people use ICT to build a sense of community and personal identity, both of which relate strongly to ethnicity, the topic deserves attention. The four approaches are integrated here to understand the appropriation of the internet by temporary and permanent immigrants to the USA from India (typically called Non-Resident Indians or NRIs). The concept of virtual space can be used to organize discussion of the use of the internet by NRIs. To better encapsulate the virtual space we employ a map of what we call ‘bridgespace’, a virtual space that supports flows of people, goods, capital and ideas between South Asia and North America. We consider the full range of sites involved in the bridgespace, then direct our attention in particular to ‘matrimonial’ sites, those sites designed to support the identification of marriage partners.