Appropriating mobile phones for livestock production and marketing: the case of the Maasai and Wasukuma pastoralists in Tanzania Luis Soares (PhD student, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, University of Edinburgh)

PG Student Seminar Series
Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation
http://www.issti.ed.ac.uk/research_students/seminar

Monday, 5^th June 2017, 2pm - 3pm

Seminar Room 1.06, Old Surgeons' Hall

(http://www.issti.ed.ac.uk/about/how_to_find_us)

Appropriating mobile phones for livestock production and marketing: the case of the Maasai and Wasukuma pastoralists in Tanzania

Luis Soares (PhD student, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, University of Edinburgh)

This presentation will explore two contrasting attempts to translate (Western) Information and Communication Technologies to tackle the challenges faced by Tanzanian pastoral livestock management: LINKS - an ICT-based tool (developed in the 90s) that seeks to give farmers timely access to market information. This however is not embraced by farming communities. In contrast the mobile phone has been enthusiastically embraced. Opportunities for communication with nomadic Maasai herdsman enable them to manage better their search for pasture, water and the decision to bring cattle to market. I highlight the ease of appropriation of the generic mobile technology across cultural boundaries - and note that in this case the technology is introduced in a rather conservative manner which does not disrupt existing roles and authority relations. I also note that more settled Wasukuma agropastoral communities have found opportunities to exploit  the same mobile technology in more intricate ways - for example to arrange lorry transport and sale of cattle. I introduce the idea of a spectrum of appropriation to explain the interactive process of social learn where there are more chances for visions and the translation of languages to occur. The spectrum helps to identify different forms of technology adoption according with the context, where users process meaningful interpretation and negotiate technology meaning and practice, which facilitate the appropriation process.

Keywords: Mobile Phones, Appropriation; Spectrum, ICT4D, Pastoralism

All students and staff welcome!