One Laptop per child
Information technology (ICTs) has spread into all spheres of existence for citizens of the world's developed regions and is attributed great political, social, cultural, and economic importance. The continued process of both digital and economic polarization has induced a great deal of interest in the digital divide – that is, the divide between those who are successfully connected to the global networks of information and commerce, and those who are not and in consequence are excluded from the information society.
Against this backdrop recent years have seen a wave of ICT4D initiatives considering technology transfer and diffusion of IT as a way to create renewed development and empowerment. Implicit in some of these initiatives are often one of two conceptions 1) technology as a well-defined and autonomous actor which should have predictable impacts or 2) technology as neutral means to an end which will empower in innocent ways. Technologies are thus sent on their way with clear expectations as to what they “are” and what they will “do”. This conception, however, does not necessarily go well with the reality faced on ground where many projects fail s to deliver, end up as white elephants, or struggle s with their sustainability.
The research project IT & Development is based on a qualitative study of an ongoing implementation of the One Laptops per Child development program in West Africa. It is an open and exploratory study seeking to analytically disregard pre-established categories and distinctions from within academia and development. Rather, the aim is to be guided by insights from the concrete empirical findings and follow those leads wherever they go – be it Africa, Europe, Technology, or Culture.
Project website: www.stscenter.dk/olpc
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