Guiding Digital Inclusion : Actors’ Perspectives on Addressing the Digital Divide and the Implications for Social Work Practice

Sammanfattning

Access to welfare services relies greatly on digital platforms. However, certain individuals lack the resources or skills to navigate the digital landscape, creating issues of unequal access and exclusion. In this context, digital exclusion risks increasing the inequalities that social work aims to address. In Sweden, public libraries, municipal meeting points, and non-profit organizations provide digital support, but little is known about the perception of actors working in these settings. This study aimed to explore how these actors perceive their contribution to digital inclusion and to identify implications for social work practice. Grounded in Sen's Capability Approach, the research examined how capabilities, agency, and conversion factors shape their work. Three semi-structured interviews conducted in a mid-sized Swedish municipality, using reflexive thematic analysis, revealed that participants see their role as socially rooted — promoting equality, autonomy, and participation, while addressing barriers of fear, shame, and isolation. The findings advocate for deeper professional engagement for social workers in addressing digital exclusion as a social justice issue