Mobile Communication for Development : Formulating Critical Research Questions
Jakob Svensson, Oriol Poveda · 2012
In this paper we take a look at the field of M4D from a Media, Communication/ Sociology perspective. While acknowledging the contribution of mobile communication in improving the lives of people in developing countries, we pose some critical questions for discussion. Following McLuhan, we ask ourselves in which ways mobile communication per se -regardless of its content- is dialectically influencing society and culture. This discussion will lead us to heightening importance of processes of identification through practices of connected- and responsiveness increasingly afforded by mobile communication in late modern societies. If we then take a step back from McLuhan and look at the content, we conclude that such processes of identification are fertile grounds for commercial companies to insert their messages and brands. Out of this discussion we end the paper by formulating some critical research questions.