Review: technological resources for vulnerable communities

Abstract

Several socio-environmental conditions (economic, ecological, geopolitical, institutional, psychological, or engineering vulnerability, among many others) are putting at risk and violating numerous communities. In this panorama, technology is assuming more and more the potentiality to become (1) one of the main drivers for change or (2) a creator of greater and deeper socio-environmental gaps. Moreover, technology adaptation is a process which takes difficulties, risks, and complexities that must be considered and addressed by all the actors, who participate in those processes of sustainable transformation. To take into account the challenges and opportunities that the processes of transfer and adaptation may have in vulnerable communities, this paper conducts a systematic review of the main existing scientific and academic literature on the role of technological resources in vulnerable communities (impacts, benefits, risks, etc.). In order to achieve this purpose, a bibliographic study is carried out in the most important bibliographic databases under the methodological proposal Scoping Review. A first analysis focuses on: annual behavior, disciplines, main addressed issues, institutions, and countries funding and supporting research on these topics. The research analyses also the main dimensions of vulnerabilities considered by academic literature and the technological resources, which usually these research projects refer to. The research conclusions aim to guide future research on the technological implications in vulnerable communities and to identify research opportunities, with a particular focus on design and architecture studies.