[liberationtech] CfP: The Politics of ICT for Development

[Yosem Companys]

*SPECIAL ISSUE ON:* The Politics of ICT for Development for the
International Journal of e-Politics (IJEP)

*SUBMISSION DUE DATE:* February 1st, 2011

**

*OBJECTIVE OF THE SPECIAL ISSUE:*

When discussing information and communication technology for development
(ICT4D), information systems researchers often focus on positive narratives
of ICT4D, or alternatively discuss failures of such projects. What is less
often discussed is the political dimension—the influence exerted on the
decision-making process—of ICT4D.

The idea of development is inherently political as it juxtaposes privileged
and deprived societies and ties them together in a relationship. Amartya
Sen, the Economics Nobel Prize laureate, conceptualizes development as the
set of capabilities that give the individual the opportunity to be
autonomous and realize the desired condition of ultimate happiness. Among
these capabilities, which constitute an inherent attribute of freedom and
become the means to achieve development, political liberties are typically
neglected, especially in the ICT4D literature. We suggest that ICT4D may be
limited in its ability to confer political liberties, but is an inherently
political activity. Thus, in this call, we are interested both in the
political potential of ICT4D, and the need to take a more politically
informed view of the process of ICT4D at the macro and micro level.

In the main, ICT4D initiatives aim at improving people’s living conditions
by providing access to ICT tools. Avgerou (2008) talks of three discourses
that can be identified in the current literature on ICT4D: 1) the
transference of information systems knowledge from developed economies to
developing economies, 2) the social embeddedness of information systems
innovation in the context of developing countries and 3) the information
systems innovation as a transformative socio-economic process. What is
invariably intrinsic in all three of these discourses is the political
dimension. This special issue welcomes papers that take an overtly political
stance toward ICT4D.

Topics to be discussed in this special issue include (but are not limited
to) the following:



·         Activism in ICT4D projects

·         Communal engagement and ICT4D

·         Critical and emancipatory perspectives on ICT4D

·         Ethical dimensions of ICT4D

·         ICT4D and the public sphere

·         Implications of existing social conditions in ICT4D projects

·         New theoretical perspectives on the politics of ICT4D

·         Pluralism in ICT4D initiatives

·         Political debates on ICT4D

·         Political properties of ICT4D projects

·         Politics of social inclusion and ICT4D

·         Politics of the ICT4D language

·         Stakeholders’ political agendas in ICT4D



Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit papers for this special
theme issue on *The Politics of ICT4D* *on or before** **February 1st, 2011*.
All submissions must be original and may not be under review by another
publication. INTERESTED AUTHORS SHOULD CONSULT THE JOURNAL’S GUIDELINES FOR
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS at
http://www.igi-global.com/development/author_info/guidelines
submission.pdf<http://www.igi-global.com/development/author_info/guidelines+submission.pdf>.
All submitted papers will be reviewed on a double-blind, peer review basis.
Papers must follow APA style for reference citations.



The *International Journal of e-Politics (IJEP)* establishes the foundations
of e-politics as an emerging interdisciplinary area of research and
practice, as well as offers a venue for publications that focus on theories
and empirical research on the manifestations of e-politics in various
contexts and environments. This journal encompasses diverse aspects of
e-politics, including: strategy, e-commerce, decision sciences, marketing,
economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, media studies, communication
studies, women studies, black studies, political science, philosophy, law,
criminology, and ethics.



This journal is an official publication of the Information Resources
Management Association www.igi-global.com/ijep.

Editor-in-Chief:* *Celia Romm Livermore, Wayne State University, USA**

Published:* *Quarterly (both in Print and Electronic form)**



All submissions should be should be directed to the attention of:

Antonio Díaz Andrade (antonio.diaz at aut.ac.nz)

Cathy Urquhart (c.urquhart at mmu.ac.uk)

Guest Editors**

*International Journal of e-Politics*
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