Description du projet
Les TIC et la société en Afrique subsaharienne
Le secteur technologique nigérian a la particularité d’être le plus important d’Afrique. Des études menées dans la Silicon Valley ont révélé l’influence considérable des zones technologiquement saturées sur les relations sociales et les expériences individuelles. Dans ce contexte, le projet LAGOSTECH, financé par le MSCA, se propose d’étudier les interactions et les négociations entre la société et les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) dans les «silicon places» d’Afrique subsaharienne. Il se concentrera sur deux pôles d’innovation situés à Lagos et examinera plus particulièrement la négociation des contrats technologiques, qui reflètent la manière dont la société accepte, modifie ou rejette les TIC. LAGOSTECH se penchera sur les pratiques des entrepreneurs, des experts, des utilisateurs et des consommateurs afin de soutenir un réexamen plus large du rôle des TIC en Afrique.
Objectif
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.
Champ scientifique
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régime de financement
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global FellowshipsCoordinateur
3000 Leuven
Belgique