An anthropological reading of the policies of international development: export competitiveness as a conjunctural case study

Shakya, Mallika

doi:10.1007/s10624-017-9451-z

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The discursive regime includes a self-imposed mandate for the developmental configuration to intervene in ways that may previously have been seen as impinging on sovereignty (Hecht, 2011;C. Katz, 2004;Mbembe, 2001b;Sabaratnam, 2017;Shakya, 2017).…”

Section: Telecoms and The Politics Of Reformmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It means that de national sovereignty is largely secondary to the aims of the developmental configuration if those nations do not share a similar outlook (Thompson, 2011). Rationales for intervention are morally justifiable on the basis that they are mechanisms for humanitarianism and extending freedoms like democracy to marginalised actors Third sector actors in developing countries are often seen as better representatives of local perspectives, however, what Joyce Nyairo (2015) refers to as 'NGOisms' and others have analysed as a professionalised 'aid 125 industry' (Mosse, 2005;Mosse and Lewis, 2005;Neveling, 2017;Sabaratnam, 2017;Shakya, 2017) reveals that many of these organisations become interested in being topart of a mutual legitimation infrastructure that upholds the perspectives of the developmental configuration (Unwin, 2017, p. 78).The professionals that participate in these policy realms become members of the development configuration through educational qualifications and work experience (Carver, 2010;Gikandi, 2001;Harvey, 2006;C. Katz, 2004;Watson, 2014).…”

Section: Kictanet and Virtual Global Consensus On Internet Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this way, the entanglement of developmentalism, as represented by the Bretton Woods organisations, with capitalism is made visible. The underlying principle that development translates into 133 appropriating Western socio-economic approaches, is durable (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2018;Shakya, 2017). It is an idea whose longevity and has persisted for several centuries (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2018;Wallerstein, 1989Wallerstein, , 1980Wallerstein, , 1974, one that does not seem to be undermined by objection or critique.…”

Section: Developmental Doctrines and Their Impact On National Sociote...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Carnoy and Castells, 2001, p 5) The retreat from market fundamentalism does not mean an end to capitalist globalisation and intervention-rather, a new approach makes room for an emphasis on inclusion. Thus, the changes do not represent a radically new economic doctrine, rather it is a softening of the approach to neoliberal universalism (Bourdieu and Wacquant, 1999;Harvey, 2006;Massey, 1993;Neveling, 2017;Shakya, 2017).…”

Section: Developmental Doctrines and Their Impact On National Sociote...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current popularity of the theory of competitive advantage belies its contested origins. So far this thesis has characterised the developmental configuration and its discourses as cohesive , however, these discourses are often contested and resolved after upheaval and changes in personnel at the global institutions (Shakya, 2017;Yusuf et al, 2009).Generally speaking, national sociotechnical imaginaries need to be seen to fit within the narrative infrastructures of the global international development regime. Dr. Ndemo, former permanent secretary in MOICT offers some reflections:…”

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confidence: 99%

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Fabricating Silicon Savannah

Wahome

2023

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This PhD research thesis offers an historicised account of Silicon Savannah, a digital technology entrepreneurship arena in Nairobi, Kenya. Silicon Savannah is an opportunity to study the appropriation of technology innovation and commercialisation models in a lower income, developing economy. Fieldwork took place over 2015-6, a period when this embryonic 'arena of development ' (Jorgensen and Sorensen, 1999) is subject to scrutiny about its high, but largely unverified, hyped expectations. As a result, this thesis dwells on how actors develop strategies to adopt and adapt to processes over which they have no discretion.Actors in Silicon Savannah individually and collectively develop strategies and gaming systems for enacting legitimacy and attracting resources. The analytical frame reveals a dimension of persistent colonial modality inherent in the practice of global capitalism of which the digital economy and ICT developmental projects are a part. This is indicated in policy discourses of digital entrepreneurship that disclaim alternatives and multiplicities, and take for granted that there is a standardised typology of progress. The result is a paradox where entrepreneurs are incentivised to demonstrate alignment with discourses that might not reflect their experience.The study aims to produce a 'view from Nairobi' by integrating the interpretive frameworks of the subjects of the study with the researcher's analysis. Thus, it relies on ethnographic interviews and observations, and historical reconstruction using resources preserved in internet-based repositories like weblogs, emails and social media. Through this empirical work, this study makes several contributions to knowledge: First, it produces a rich historical account of Silicon Savannah as a zone of friction between ecologies of knowledge and practice. In this way, it is conversant with ethnographies of policy implementation and academic research interested in interactions between received prescriptions and local milieu.Second, it its discussion of actors' strategic use of 'narrative infrastructures' (Deuten and Rip, 2000) and engages with the use of narrative in the production of and practices in arenas of 7.3 Performative Technology Entrepreneurship.

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Section: Telecoms and The Politics Of Reformmentioning

confidence: 99%