Digital engagement and community dynamics: An Indonesian tale of local traditions and exclusion

Digital technology catalyses rural socioeconomic diversification in the Global South, but the impact may differ for the whole community. This paper provides evidence of how community dynamics and digital engagement are interrelated. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews in Purwoharjo Village, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Purwoharjo community represents a type of local community in the Global South that safeguards cultural values and develops a tourism strategy for economic diversification. We build on the theories of neoendogenous development and diffusion of innovation to understand how everyone's personal and social circumstances evolve, resulting in varying levels of digital engagement. Digitalisation in tourism entrepreneurship, initiated by innovators, generates spin-offs in livelihood opportunities for broader communities, both within the tourism village and beyond, and shapes dynamics that drive levels of digital engagement. Our research shows that varying levels of digital engagement lead to different socioeconomic consequences for both those who are socially included and those who are excluded. Traditional culture can support digital technology adoption, and digital technology can sustain traditional culture. The long-term outcome of this interrelationship should be studied in the future.