An Information Society in Africa? : An Analysis of the Information Society Policy of the World Bank,...
An Analysis of the Information Society Policy of the World Bank, ITU and ECA

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Bibliographic Details
Title: An Information Society in Africa? : An Analysis of the Information Society Policy of the World Bank, ITU and ECA; An Analysis of the Information Society Policy of the World Bank, ITU and ECA
Authors and Corporations: Nulens, Gert, Van Audenhove, Leo
In: Gazette (Leiden, Netherlands), 61, 1999, 6, p. 451-471
published:
SAGE Publications
Media Type: Article, E-Article

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further information
Physical Description: 451-471
ISSN: 0016-5492
DOI: 10.1177/0016549299061006001
published in: Gazette (Leiden, Netherlands)
Language: English
Subjects:
Collection: SAGE Publications (CrossRef)
Table of Contents

<jats:p> The widespread belief in the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a developmental context is shared and fostered by international organizations. In recent years they have introduced a multitude of programmes and initiatives in this field. This article sets out to critically analyse the formal ICT policy of three international organizations, namely the World Bank, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In order to do so, policy is analysed according to three dichotomies which are central to the debate on the Information Society: materialism/idealism, technophilia/technophobia and market/state. As is the case for Europe, it is argued that discourses on the Information Societies in developing countries often do not transcend these simplistic dichotomic pairs. </jats:p>