Framework to improve the livelihoods of economically marginalized Gen Z communities through ICT-enabled opportunities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study develops a scientifically grounded framework to enhance the livelihoods of economically marginalized Generation Z communities in Sri Lanka through information and communication technology enabled opportunities. Despite extensive government interventions, including free education, employment schemes, and digital inclusion programs, these youth continue to face systemic exclusion from quality education, stable employment, and meaningful participation in the digital economy. To investigate and address this persistent marginalization, the study adopts Actor-Network Theory as its guiding theoretical lens. Actor- Network Theory facilitates the mapping of human and non-human actors, including individuals, technologies, policies, and social infrastructures, whose interactions influence the learning and earning trajectories of marginalized youth. The research employs a sequential mixed-method ethnographic approach that integrates field observations, semi-structured interviews, and structured surveys. From an estimated population of 7,145 economically marginalized individuals in urban Sri Lanka, 105 participants were selected using a snowball sampling method. Directed acyclic graphs and structural causal modeling were used to identify key associations within the dataset. Findings reveal that digital skill acquisition in these communities often emerges through a survival- driven, reactive process of "forced learning" rather than structured formal education. The study introduces the ICT-Enabled Community Development Framework, a practical model that accounts for the dynamic relationships among digital tools, social structures, and economic access. It also presents the Material-Confidence Association, which shows a strong link between access to digital resources and an individual's trust, agency, and economic potential. This research contributes to theory by extending the application of Actor-Network Theory to digital inclusion studies in postcolonial contexts and contributes to practice by informing targeted ICT policy reforms that align with lived realities. The framework addresses critical gaps in empirical research, methodological integration, and policy relevance concerning marginalized youth. While the findings are specific to the Sri Lankan context, the approach offers broader relevance to global efforts in inclusive digital development. Future research should examine the generalizability of the proposed framework and further explore how socio- technical actor-networks shape economic mobility in similar settings.