'Connections and transformations in Africa' : Mobile Africa revisited
	A workshop at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands, Tuesday 21 November, 2006

return to: Index page 'Connections and transformations in Africa'

Mobile Africa Revisited:

A comparative study of the relations between new communication technologies and new social spaces (Chad, Mali, Cameroon, Angola, Tanzania)

(Mirjam de Bruijn, Inge Brinkman, Francis Nyamnjoh)

(this text was written for WOTRO, to raise funds; it is not a closd programme and other researchers are invited to share and link to this programme)

Summary of the research proposal

This research programme investigates the relations between mobility, communication technologies and social space. New Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been hailed as an opportunity for marginalized areas to become active participants in the ‘global village’. In an opposite view, it is feared that the introduction of ICTs will only lead to an increase in social inequalities. Hitherto little research has been done on the actual impact of new ICTs on social relations and the views on these technologies from people from ‘marginal’ areas. This project seeks to interpret the influence of new ICTs in the context of earlier technological innovations, and histories of mobility and ‘marginality’.

Research will be carried out on a comparative basis in remote areas in Africa, through surveying, interviewing and archival research. The project combines various disciplines (Anthropology, History, Communication Studies) and several research institutes (ASC-Leiden, CODESRIA-Dakar, MRAC-Tervuren, and country specific research institutes in Africa).

Description of the programme              

Mobility is one of the important features of economic and social styles of the African continent and may take many forms, amongst which are geographical, political, social and cultural mobility. Through migration and mobility, people create societies that do not consist so much of a community living in one geographical place, but rather of multiple communities that are formed by strings of people, relating to each other in socially similar and dissimilar ways. These shifting communities may comprise of people from various social backgrounds and economic standing. This research is especially interested in mobile communities that origin in ‘remote areas’, with a specific history of social in and exclusion, related to situations of poverty and crisis. These mobile communities are often considered by outsiders as positioned on the margins of society, not participating in the mainstream economic, political and social life. The people also may view themselves as being deprived and feelings of exclusion may be very strong. In the discussions on the problematic concept of marginality, such emic views on marginality in the context of shifting mobile networks have largely gone unstudied (2, 12, 19). We propose the term ‘mobile margins’ to denote the connections between ‘remote regions’ and the migrant communities attached to them.[1]

Modern technology is often presented as antithetical to marginalized regions and communities. However, in this proposal we start from the idea that patterns of mobility and contact are strongly related to the presence or absence of ICTs. The appropriation and social shaping of these new means of communication open up alternative alleys of contact and relationships, while closing off, reinforcing or redefining other routes and means of interaction and relating. In the communities that are thus formed new social hierarchies will be negotiated within and between those communities.

The introduction of new communication technologies may have an influence on lifestyles and create new mobility patterns that link migrants with their home communities (7, 16, 29). The central question in this project is how socio-cultural relations in these ‘mobile margins’ are transformed and maintained through the appropriation of ICT (11, 20, 31, 26). The project seeks to arrive at interpretations of patterns of poverty, inequality in global relations and social hierarchies without succumbing to the dominant conceptualization of ICT in terms of linear technical progress and the current definition of communities in the developing world as mere recipients of ICT (cf. 3, 4, 10: p.12). Relations between mobility, communication technologies and social spaces, should be understood contemporaneously and historically. A historical perspective is particularly important in our quest to situate marginalization as a differentiated and varied process. The existing literature on new ICT often posits these in a historical vacuum. In our conviction studying earlier technological innovations may shed light on the processes of appropriation and the impact of technologies of communication (18, 27).

ICTs have expanded rapidly over the past few decades on the African continent (3, 4, 23). This ICT revolution was largely concentrated in African cities but with the introduction of new ICT, i.e. the mobile phone and internet, it is even rapidly expanding in poor and insecure areas of Africa, i.e. the recent expansion of the mobile phone in Africa (1, 9, 28). Hitherto there has been little attention for the social uses of the mobile phone in Africa, its relation to earlier technological innovations and the consequences in terms of social spaces and hierarchies (but see 10, 17, 22). On the social uses of internet more has been published but largely concentrated on the urban context (9, 16, 29). Using the example of the mobile phone and internet, the project seeks to understand how people from marginal backgrounds and marginal spaces appropriate and socially shape new ICTs. What new avenues, political social economic and cultural, do that appropriation open up and with what consequences? How are these new technologies viewed by those who do not – voluntarily or involuntarily – use them? These processes will be studied in different ‘mobile margins’ of Africa and Africans.

To summarise the guiding questions of this research programme:

- Is the concept ‘mobile margins’ useful in interpreting the relations between communities in ‘marginal areas’ and the migrant communities attached to these regions? How can we further develop this concept and relate it to other concepts that have been used to describe social groups in Africa?

- How do new communication technologies, especially mobile phone and internet influence the formation of ‘mobile margins’? What are the relations between the introduction of new communication technologies, and social and political hierarchies? Are new ‘virtual’ communities created or are existing social structures changed or reinforced? What patterns of inclusion and exclusion can be discerned in connection with the new communication technologies?

- In what ways are ICTs appropriated in Africa’s ‘mobile margins’? How does the use of new ICT relate to other, earlier examples of innovations in communication technology?

- To understand the changing meaning of marginality in a context of social change and new communication technologies, the research is interested in the extent to which people from marginal communities link their histories to notions of centrality and marginality, of contact and isolation, of inclusion and exclusion, of independence and dependence. How do they interpret and evaluate the impact of ICT?

With these questions the research will contribute to debates in the field of technology and society, and link these to transnational studies as well as to discussions on citizenship and marginality. This new combination of fields of study and the interdisciplinary composition of the research group will enable the researchers to arrive not only at innovative methodological and theoretical insights, but also meaningfully contribute to the current discussions on the possibilities and limits of new ICT.

Methodologies

The project proposes a comparative study of various ‘mobile margins’ in and of Africa with a focus on social hierarchies in a context of the appropriation of ICT. Doing research in these domains needs to be as flexible as the processes that are studied and will demand for the development of alternative methodologies that will indeed be part of this research programme. Most importantly, these methods will revolve around strings of people rather than geographical space. The geographic spread of the researchers and their networks render it possible to do research not only in the ‘remote areas’ from which migrants originate, but also in the worldwide diasporic communities with which these areas are connected through migrancy and patterns of communication. Doing surveys, tracing people for interviewing and studying documents in various places, rather than taking one place as a starting point, may not only lead to interesting new findings, but also provide new methodological alleys that can be explored. While there is some information about the methodological implications of family histories (30), we look forward to combining these insights with current explorations in the field of migrant cultures and transnational studies, i.e. multi-sited research and virtual ethnography (21). Source material on new communication technologies, such as the mobile phone and e-mail messaging, may transgress the traditional divisions of oral sources and written documents and lead to considering new methodologies for interpreting ‘virtual’ sources (8).

Summary and integration of sub-projects

The case studies areas are South-West Cameroon and Grassfield region, Central Mali, Northern and South-Eastern Angola, Central Chad and Eastern Tanzania. The areas have been chosen for their different histories of marginality and different ways in which societal strings have been created. This allows for a specific focus in each area that will enable the researchers to organize the comparative study in both similarity and difference. The selection of the focus areas is embedded in the ongoing exchange between the senior researchers of the project, who have a longstanding research experience in the focus areas. This in-depth knowledge of the focus areas ensures a qualitative understanding of the background and context in which the appropriation of new communication technologies is to be interpreted.

      The case-studies represent a variety of Africa’s ‘mobile margins’. Each case study has a different history with regard to the interplay between the introduction of communication technologies, the creation of ‘mobile margins’ and the historical dynamics of social hierarchies. These differences are related to diversity in social, cultural and religious ideas and practices surrounding mobility and communication. Furthermore, the regions differ in terms of geographical conditions and political history and they have a specific history with regard to the introduction of ICT. The effects of new ICT, its uses and appropriation, on social hierarchies situated historically, will be the focus of all case studies.

      The case studies, each with their own focus, do not stand isolated, but will be integrated through an ongoing programme of exchange. The case studies will be complementary and informative towards each other.

1. South-West Cameroon and Grassfields region: ‘Mobile phones and belonging in Cameroon, call me back or ‘Kontri fashion go catch you’.

The mobile phone is well integrated in the Grassfields and south-west Cameroon. How does it shape and is in turn shaped by communication between different translocal and transnational communities of Cameroonians and change feelings of anxiety and belonging? (24)

2. Central Mali: ‘Mobile phones and the dynamics of traveling cultures, Mali and beyond’

Traveling cultures have a long history in the Sahel and have taken different forms from nomadic pastoralists to diasporic communities (14). The engrained mobility in these societies has led to a specific culture of communication over long distances in which the social hierarchies of these Sahelian cultures are kept alive. How does the introduction of new technologies, and especially the recent introduction of the mobile phone (autumn 2005) influence the way of connecting in these traveling cultures and how does it inform their economic and socio-cultural identities?

3. Northern Angola: ‘The relation between literacy and mobile phones in Northern Angola’

Historically, reading and writing have played an important role in this region. The spread of the mobile phone into Northern Angolaleads to questions about transformations in the realm of orality and literacy. What influence has the spread of ICT on the historical role of literacy in the Northern Angolan context? Are new forms of literacy developing? How does the mobile phone relate to religion, given the fact that reading and writing are strongly connected to Christianity? (6)

In two case studies we investigate the relations between the history of mobility, the legacy of warfare, and new technologies that have been made available since the end of the war. This is a totally new area of study.

4. South-Eastern Angola: ‘Losing the peace? Post-war history of south-east Angola and the introduction of new communication technologies’

During Angola’s prolonged war civilians from this area strongly resented both the restrictions imposed by the fighting parties on their mobility patterns and the fact that they were forced to flee from their area. Since the peace treaty was signed in 2002, many people who had fled over the borders into Namibia and Zambia are returning to south-east Angola. How do these returnees view the new possibilities of communication technologies? Do they see these as related to the military communication system that was in use during the war? (5)

5. Chad: ‘Disconnecting the margins? Conflict and the introduction of ICT in Central Chad’

During the long civil war (1965-1990) mobility patterns that have always been central to economy and sociology of the area, have profoundly changed in form and direction. This project investigates how patterns of mobility have changed in time and space. Communication between the different migrant communities has been very difficult due to the limited communication possibilities, as the area is hardly connected through roads and ICT was only installed in the beginning of 2006.

6. Tanzania (financed externally): ‘Ufipa, Réservoir and Corridor’

This case study is part of an interdisciplinary project on the lakeside areas of the Tanganika that will be submitted for funding by the EU. The specific research area is the Ufipa plateau which is a contact zone between the mine sites near the Rukwa shores and Tanganika, and a South-North road corridor very recently connected to ICT. As such the area suits the study combining anthropology of mobility and contact changes.

Research group and organization of the project

This research links various institutes: CODESRIA in Dakar, Senegal, the African Studies Centre (ASC) in Leiden, The Netherlands, and the Belgium Africa Museum at Tervuren. Furthermore the researchers will collaborate with research institutes in each of the case study countries. The ASC will coordinate the project, where it will be embedded in the theme group ‘Connections and Transformations’. Senior researchers that will be responsible for the overall programme and coordinate research on a specific region according to their expertise, are:

• Mirjam de Bruijn: ASC (Leiden); senior researcher (Anthropology) on Mali and Chad;
• Francis Nyamnjoh: CODESRIA (Dakar); senior researcher (Communication Studies) on Cameroon;
• Danielle de Lame: RMCA (Tervuren) head of the Anthropology Research Unit and senior researcher (Anthropology) on Rwandaand recently involved in research on Tanzania.
• Inge Brinkman: ASC (Leiden); senior researcher (History) on Angola. She will have a special role in the coordination of the project and the communication with stake holders.

Intensive collaboration is envisaged with various scholars linked to research institutes in the case study countries: University of Buea in Cameroon, Point Sud in Mali, University of Ndjamena in Chad, National archives and University in Angola, University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Further the project hopes to add PhD and MA projects, with the explicit aim of including candidates from Africa. The scholars have their academic background in three different disciplines, combining perspectives from Anthropology, History and Communication Studies.

The integration of the various projects will be ensured through a regular exchange of views and ideas. In practice it means that not only the senior researchers will visit the various research locations to obtain a firsthand knowledge of the diversity of the research contexts, but the entire research group will regularly meet each other during workshops and seminars to be organized in a different location each year. The aim is not merely to exchange the research findings, but to actively write together so as to arrive at new methodological and theoretical insights. Larger seminars will take place on a yearly basis so as to engage in discussion with a wider circle of researchers, development workers and policy makers. Regular workshops will not only be held to ensure ongoing comparison between the case studies, but also with developments on other continents and interdisciplinary integration of the research results. Policy makers and development workers will be involved in the project workshops as migration, mobility and the margins of the state are at the heart of development policy. Apart from the direct interaction during workshops and seminars, exchange will also take place through the dissemination of publications, in the form of monographs, articles and edited volumes, a research website, internet forum and other media. The project period is five years.

Literature references

1 - ‘Africa: the impact of mobile phones’, Vodafone Policy Paper Series 3 (2005).

2 - Anderson, Jens A., ‘Informal moves, informal markets, international migrants and traders from Mzimba district, Malawi’, African Affairs 105, 420 (2006) pp. 375-397.

3 - Berman, Bruce J., Wisdom J. Tettey, ‘African States, bureaucratic culture and computer fixes’, Public Administration and Development, 21, 1 (2001) pp. 1-13.

4 - Binsbergen, Wim van, ‘Can ICT belong in Africa, or is ICT owned by the North Atlantic region?’, in: Wim van Binsbergen and Rijk van Dijk (eds.), Situating globality: African agency in the appropriation of global culture (Leiden, Brill 2004) pp. 107-146.

5 - Brinkman, Inge, ‘A war for people.’ Civilians, mobility, and legitimacy in south-east Angola during the MPLA’s war for independence (Cologne, Kopper Verlag 2005).

6- Brinkman, Inge, ‘Refugees on routes. Congo/Zaire and the war in Northern Angola (1961-1974).’ Canadian Journal of African Studies (forthcoming, 40, 2, 2006).

7 - Buijs, Gina, ‘Globalisation : advantaging the advantaged, or a means for the deprived to fight back’, South African Journal of International Affairs 7, 2 (2000) pp. 107-112.

8 - Charpy, M. and S. Hassane, Lettres d’émigrés, Africains d’ici et d’ailleurs 1960-1995, (Paris, Editions Nicolas Philippe 2004)

9 - Chéneau-Loquay, Annie (ed.), Enjeux des technologies de la communication en Afrique. Du téléphone à Internet (Paris, Karthala 2000).

10- Chéneau-Loquay, Annie (ed.), Mondialisation et technologies de la communication en Afrique (Paris , Karthala 2004).

11- Current Anthropology, special issue on Time, society, and the course of new technologies 46, 5 (December 2005) pp. 699-834.

12- Das, Veena and Deborah Poole (eds), Anthropology in the margins of the state (Oxford, Jamees Curry, Santa fe, School of American Research Press 2004).

13- De Bruijn, Mirjam Dick Foeken and Rijk van Dijk (eds), Mobile Africa, changing patterns of movement in Africa and beyond (Leiden, Brill 2001).

14- De Bruijn Mirjam and Han van Dijk, ‘Changing population mobility in West Africa: Fulbe pastoralists in Central and South Mali’, African Affairs 102 (2003) pp. 285-307.

15- De Lame, Danielle and H. Arnold, A hill among a thousand : transformations and ruptures in rural Rwanda (Madison WI, University of Wisconsin Press, Tervuren, The Royal Museum for Central Africa 2005)

16- Diop, Momar-Coumba (ed.), Le Sénégal à l’heure de l’information: technologie et société (Paris, Karthala, 2002).

17- Dibakana, Jean-Aimé, ‘Usages sociaux du téléphone portable et nouvelles sociabilités au Congo’, Politique Africaine 85 (2002) pp. 133-148.

18- Howard, Allen M. and Richard M. Shain (eds.) The spatial factor in African history. The relationship of the social, material, and perceptual (Leiden, Brill 2005).

19- Kopytoff, Igor, The African frontier: the reproduction of traditional African Societies (Bloomington, Indiana Universtiy Press 1987).

20- Law, John (ed) A Sociology of Monsters: Essays on Power, Technology and Domination, London, Routledge 1991).

21- MacGaffey, Janet and Rémy Bazenguissa-Ganga, Congo-Paris. Transnational traders on the margins of the law (London, Bloomington 2000).

22- McGuigan, Jim, ‘Towards a sociology of the mobile phone’, Human Technology 1, 1 (2005) pp. 45-57.

23- Noam, Eli M. (ed), Telecommunications in Africa (Oxford, New York etc, Oxford University Press 1999).

24- Nyamnjoh, Francis B., ‘Images of Nyongo amongst Bamenda Grassfielders in Whiteman Kontri’, Citizenship Studies 9, 3 (2005) pp. 241-269.

[1] These ideas relate to research of the proposed senior researchers (13, 25, 5).

return to: Index page 'Connections and transformations in Africa'

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