10 Open Institutions and Their "Relevant Publics": A Democratic Alternative to Neoliberal Openness

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are transforming our societies in fundamental ways. Early on, ICTs were largely regarded as useful tools to better achieve various social and economic objectives, an approach that underpinned the field of ICTs for development (ICTD) (Rosenberger 2014). It has increasingly become evident, however, that the social impact of ICTs is deeply structural, and theorists have sought more robust concepts and theories to capture the role of ICTs in development.