The Magic of New Technologies: A Crisis of Digitization in the Solomon Islands? - HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Communication dans un congrès Année : 2015

The Magic of New Technologies: A Crisis of Digitization in the Solomon Islands?

Résumé

In the past decade the Solomon Islands experienced a period of rapid digitization. A telecommunications monopoly ended which increased the affordability of (smart) phones. They spread quickly throughout the urban centre of Honiara and the rural hinterlands. At the same time state-building projects have focused on introducing computerized systems for government information management, especially for financial, auditing and electoral purposes. In addition, digital citizens, netizens, have had a vibrant existence on Facebook for several years. This massive and multidimensional digitization of information in the Solomon has been surprising not only in how quickly many Solomon Islanders have become digitally literate but also in an emergent iteration of Kastom magic that accounts for the world of new technologies ranging from paper-based currencies to the operations of 'high-tech' machines. Digital information processes have made many Solomon Islanders feel more vulnerable to malevolent, supernatural threats. This paper explores the role of magic associated with new technologies in navigating this critical juncture of the adoption of digital technologies in the Solomon Islands.
Loading...
Fichier non déposé

Dates et versions

halshs-01214266, version 1 (11-10-2015)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : halshs-01214266 , version 1

Citer

Geoffrey Hobbis. The Magic of New Technologies: A Crisis of Digitization in the Solomon Islands?. German Anthropological Association Conference 2015, Sep 2015, Marburg, Germany. ⟨halshs-01214266⟩
96 Consultations
0 Téléchargements
Dernière date de mise à jour le 07/04/2024
comment ces indicateurs sont-ils produits

Partager

Gmail Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Plus