Toward an Afro-Centric Indigenous HCI Paradigm

Abstract

Current HCI paradigms are deeply rooted in a western epistemology which attests its partiality and bias of its embedded assumptions, values, definitions, techniques and derived frameworks and models.Thus tensions created between local cultures and HCI principles require us to pursue a more critical research agenda within an indigenous epistemology. In this paper we present an Afro-centric paradigm, as promoted by African scholars, as an alternative perspective to guide interaction design in a situated context in Africa and promote the reframing of HCI. We illustrate a practical realization of this paradigm shift within our own community driven designin Southern Africa.

Harambee

“…For some support to that argument see e.g. [46,47,2,35,34,15]. Research on cultural usability evaluation methods suggests that power distance is important for UEMs used in Malaysia [49].…”

Human-Computer Insurrection

“…Additionally, it explicitly and actively concerns itself with power relations [78]. In contrast to capitalism and ubiquity, postcolonial HCI researchers propose approaches based on social justice [139], the centring of indigenous knowledge and users [8], and the development of design paradigms explicitly made, rooted and deployed in local communities, contexts and knowledge [127,150].…”

Emerging innovation

“…With respect to HCI and design, several researchers have looked at how design methods are adapted and appropriated in different cultural contexts [4,9] and have considered alternative techniques for requirements engineering when developing for marginalized groups [5]. However, seed accelerators are a new phenomenon (circa 2005) and have exploded onto the world scene in the past few years, and little research has been done to understand this growth and how successful this innovation model has been, they types of technologies and businesses they've produced, and the impact they've had in other regions.…”