Political Silence of Youth in Togo

Roos Keja

Published by De Gruyter Oldenbourg 2022

Political Silence of Youth in Togo

Mobile Phones, Information and Civic (dis)Engagement

Roos Keja

Volume 1 in the series Connectivity and Society in Africa

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110675306

Overview
Contents

About this book

This book paints an image of sociality in duress, describing how new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) bring possible changes in political engagement and civic-ness. The political branch of the field of ICT-for-Development (ICT4D) is firmly convinced that this translates in civic engagement and democratisation. This book questions this conception, by showing that mistrust greatly increases through new ICT in a society where mistrust has been internalised. These processes are examined in the society encountered in Sokodé, the capital of the Central Region of Togo, in the period between 2015 and 2020, when the mobile phone became widespread among young people.

This ethnographic research provides a snapshot of the changes brought about by new ICT in the social fabrics and the lives of these young people. The place and period are highly relevant for getting a better understanding of the forms that civic engagement can take, and the roles that new ICT can play in settings of political repression. Togo has been ruled by the same family for over half a century, and Sokodé is one of the rare places of fierce political opposition. However, young people do not persevere in massive street protests like in other countries, even though they appear to have every reason to do so. How can the circumstances and social processes be understood that are leading to this ‘political silence’, and how do frustration and anger find their way?

The link between new ICT and civic engagement has more often been made, but mostly quantitative and volatile, lacking empirical grounding. This book demonstrates that there is indeed a connection between new ICT and social change. Through their phones, young people inform themselves in different ways, and they react differently to social and political changes. Their reflection on politics has also altered, minimal as it may seem. By closely regarding the context and mechanisms by which the trustworthiness of information is valued, this book contributes to the nascent research field of communication and political anthropology.

Author information

Roos Keja, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	IX
Figures Publicly Available Download PDF	XI
Abbreviations Publicly Available Download PDF	XIII
1 Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2 Keeping the faith in enduring economic and political hardship Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	20
3 Private and public information and communication Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	56
4 Economic and techno-social basis of mobile phone use Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	85
5 Sociality and the mobile phone as connector and liar Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	118
6 Civic (dis)engagement and protest Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	140
7 The imaginary of ICT4D and civic (dis)engagement Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	165
8 Conclusions: Political silence and new ICTs in a repressive state Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	188
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	200
Appendix 1: Graphs mobile communication logs Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	216
Appendix 2: Questionnaire mobile communication logs Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	217
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	218

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Oldenbourg
Pages
- Front matter: 11
- Main content: 220
Illustrations
- Coloured Illustrations: 16
Keywords: ICT4D; information gathering; mobile communication; mobile telephony

eBook

Published: February 7, 2022
ISBN: 9783110675306

Hardcover

Published: February 21, 2022
ISBN: 9783110675269