Descripción del proyecto
Las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones y la sociedad en el África subsahariana
El sector tecnológico de Nigeria es, con diferencia, el mayor de África. Estudios exhaustivos efectuados en Silicon Valley han demostrado la gran influencia de las zonas saturadas de tecnología en las relaciones sociales y las experiencias individuales. En este contexto, el proyecto LAGOSTECH, financiado por las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, tiene por objeto investigar las interacciones y negociaciones entre la sociedad y las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC) en los «lugares de silicio» del África subsahariana. Para lograrlo, se centrará en dos clústeres de innovación situados en Lagos, en los que se examinará con detalle la negociación de contratos tecnológicos, que ejemplifican cómo la sociedad acepta, modifica o rechaza las TIC. En LAGOSTECH se ahondará en las prácticas de empresarios, expertos, usuarios y consumidores para facilitar una redefinición más amplia del papel de las TIC en África.
Objetivo
To improve our understanding of the interactions and negotiations between society and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in sub-Saharan African ‘silicon places’, LAGOSTECH will investigate the experiences of technology in and the digital creativity emanating from two technological nodes (Yaba and Talent City) in Lagos. Nigeria is home to the largest number of tech hubs in Africa, but paradoxically is also where silicon places have received the least scholarly attention. Studies of Silicon Valley reveal how ‘technologically saturated’ places strongly influence social relationships and individual experiences while producing a variety of perceptions of technology. Yet, despite the EU’s strong interest in digitalisation processes in Africa, previous studies on African technological nodes focused on entrepreneurs’ investment strategies within tech hubs, paying scarce attention to high-tech communities’ socio-cultural characteristics and to the broader reasons behind their development. LAGOSTECH aims to fill this gap by analysing Lagos innovation clusters in everyday life, with a focus on the negotiation of ‘technology contracts’; that is, the social dynamics through which ICTs are accepted, amended or rejected, ultimately leading to the emergence or the disappearance of these communities. Through ethnographic fieldwork, LAGOSTECH will look at the stories, discourses, and practices of tech entrepreneurs, experts, users and consumers, revealing how they imagine their digital futures and the interweaving between people and ICTs. In addition to advancing knowledge in disciplines such as Anthropology, Sociology, African Studies, STS, and Silicon Valley studies, the project’s findings will facilitate a broader reconsideration of ICTs in Africa, leading to improved collaboration between European and sub-Saharan African stakeholders.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global FellowshipsCoordinador
3000 Leuven
Bélgica