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Article #27INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AFRICA
From: Martin Sieg
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 00:00
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 00:00
342 lines
14189 bytes
14189 bytes
Some great conferences and a request for help with some student research. If you are interested you will have to double-check the requirements for participation in the conferences. Check out the CIOS homepage. I think this may be a very valuable organization to join. Martin >> FORWARDED >>>> CIOS/Comserve Support Staff <support@cios.org> wrote: > InterCom: A newsletter of the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship > > Volume 12(2) March 1998 > 14 items in this issue: > 5. Conference: Information Technology in Africa > 6. Conference: Cultural Attitudes on Technology & Communication > NOTE: Please do not use a "reply" function to respond to an item in > this file. If you wish to respond, leave your mail reading software and > address your message explicitly. > --------------------- > Jump to HTML version of this newsletter: > http://www.cios.org/www/intercom/inttoc.htm > --------------------- > URL address of the CIOS/Comserve WWW server: http://WWW.CIOS.ORG > > > +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ > African Studies Association: > Call for Papers > Submitted by: Brian Murphy <bmm@mediaed.org> > > Electronic Technology Group > 1998 Annual Meeting > CHICAGO > October 29 - November 1 > > CALL FOR PAPERS > > "GOVERNANCE OF CYBERSPACE AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF MEDIA AND > INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AFRICA" > > The Electronic Technology Group of the African Studies Association > (ETG/ASA) is interested in receiving papers for its panels occurring > within the ASA's Annual Conference. > > The Group is interested in RESEARCH and REPORTS ON APPLICATIONS > regarding the convergence of "Information and Communication technologies > (ICTs) as they relate to AFRICA, AFRICA IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS, and the > practices of AFRICANISTS. > > Convergent technologies include, but are not limited to, computer > networks, CD-ROMS, satellites, radio, television, video, > telephone/telecommunications and the digitization of cultural forms > (e.g. music). There is also interest in the cultural contextualisation > within which African ICTs are inscribed. > > Papers need not be limited to traditional Communication or > Information Science/Technology Studies paradigms. Papers that > knowledgeably use paradigms within, but not limited to, Anthropology, > Cultural Studies, Education, History, Journalism Studies, Political > Economy/Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology, are welcome. > > Reports on Applications and Methods are Encouraged > > For 1998, ETG is particularly interested in papers that position > Africa and Africanists in the following themes: > > (1) THE GOVERNANCE OF AFRICAN CYBERSPACE > ------------------------------------------- > > * Cyberspace has been defined as a computer-generated public domain > that bends traditional perceptions of time and space, questions > traditional geographic boundaries, and problematises traditional > authorities. > > * How are power relationships between people, institutions, > nations, economies etc. changed or reinforced? > > * What are the implications of this flux for the control/management > of Information and Communication Technologies at the local, > regional, national, and international levels. > > * Do systems of interactive/media technology provide greater > autonomy or empower Africanists and students of Africa around the > world? > > * In this new set of power relationships, what roles are assumed by > the private sector, governments and civil societies? > > * In the different cultural contexts of Africa, what are the > ethical, policy, planning, implementation and evaluation issues > at stake? > > * Which applications/delivery technologies are appropriate and > supportable for Africanists and within current African contexts? > > (2) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CAPACITY BUILDING IN AFRICA > --------------------------------------------------------- > > * African capacity building for information technology is > considered essential for sustaining growth and development. > > * African countries and their institutions can be assisted to make > effective use of information and telecommunications technologies > to enhance productivity and quality of life in the region. > > * Capacity building is not only limited to training, but it could > include: human resources development, organizational > development, and institutional and legal framework development. > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > INITIAL PROPOSALS > MUST BE SUBMITTED BY March 9th, 1998 > > by Electronic Mail > (Please include full name, phone and fax numbers, affiliation, > and mailing address) > > E-mail proposals to: > ETG Deputy Chair: Brian Martin Murphy (bmmurphy@comm.umass.edu) > > More info is available from: > http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/ASA/asa41.html > >>> MORE >>> > +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ > International Conference: > Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication (CATAC98) > > Submitted by: Fay <fays@arch.usyd.EDU.AU> > > 1-3 August 1998, Science Museum, London > > http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/~fay/catac/ > http://www.drury.edu/faculty/ess/catac/ > > AIMS AND SCOPE > > Computer-mediated communication (CMC) networks, such as the Internet > and the World Wide Web, offer tantalizing possibilities of global > communications. If such communications facilitate dialogues which both > cross and preserve irreducible cultural and political boundaries, they > may contribute immeasurably to greater global understanding and > democratization. But diverse cultural attitudes towards technology and > communication also issue in culturally distinctive ways of implementing > and using CMC technologies. Some of these culturally-grounded > differences in implementation and use frustrate, rather than facilitate, > hopes for greater global communication. > > Our thematic question: how do diverse cultural attitudes shape the > implementation and use of CMC technologies? > > The conference brings together presenters from throughout the world > who will provide diverse perspectives - both in terms of the specific > culture(s) they highlight in their presentations, and in terms of the > discipline(s) through which they approach the conference themes: > > * Communication in industrialized cultures > * Communication in industrializing/capitalizing countries > * Homogeneity, marginalization, and the preservation of local cultures > * East/West cultural attitudes and communicative practices > * The politics of the electronic global village > > ACCOMMODATION > ------------- > > CROFTON HOTEL > > Accommodation has been booked at the Crofton Hotel, a five-minute walk > from the Science Museum, the venue for the conference. The Crofton > Hotel, an historic Grade II listed building. Rooms are newly > refurbished with en-suites, colour TV, and direct-dial telephones. > Rooms are small (by American standards), but comfortable. Many of the > rooms have mini bars, trouser presses and hair dryers. The > accommodation package, per person, includes 4 nights accommodation, > from 31 July to 3 August inclusive, continental breakfast, and VAT > (full English breakfast is available at an extra charge): > single room, USD250; twin room, USD175. > > Rooms are limited, so book early! > > Address: > 13-16 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5EN > Tel: +44 (0)171 584 7201 Fax: +44 (0)171 589 6412 > Email: lon.crofton.htl@dial.pipex.com (not reliable yet!) > > PROVISIONAL PROGRAM > ------------------- > > All sessions of the conference (unless otherwise specified) will be held in > the Fellows Room of the Science Museum. Registration will be on the first > level foyer of the north entrance to the Museum. All breaks and lunches > will be in the Ante Room, adjacent to the Fellows Room. > > FRIDAY 31 AUGUST > > 17:00-19:00 Reception > Registration in the Ante Room > > SATURDAY 1 AUGUST > > 09:00-09:15 Opening > Co-Chairs: Charles Ess (Drury College) and > Fay Sudweeks (University of Sydney) > > 09:15-10:00 Keynote Speaker > Professor John Durant > Public Understanding of Science Unit > Science Museum Library > > 10:00-11:00 Session 1 > Communication in Industrialized Cultures > Chair: Herbert Hrachovec (University of Vienna) > > 11:00-11:30 Break > > 11:30-12:30 Discussion > Session 1 issues and papers > > 12:30-14:00 Lunch > > 14:00-15:00 Session 2 > Communication in Industrializing/Capitalizing Countries > Chair: Fay Sudweeks (University of Sydney) > > 15:00-15:30 Break > > 15:30-16:30 Discussion > Session 2 issues and papers > > 18:00 Conference Dinner: > Elizabethan Banquet, Hatfield House (tentative) > > SUNDAY 2 AUGUST > > 09:00-11:00 Session 3 > Homogeneity, Marginalization, and the Preservation of > Local Cultures > Chair: Sheizaf Rafaeli (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) > > 11:00-11:30 Break > > 11:30-12:30 Discussion > Session 3 issues and papers > > 12:30-13:30 Lunch > > 13:30-16:30 Tour: Science Museum (including coffee break) > > 16:30-18:00 Session 4 > East/West cultural attitudes and communicative practices > Chair: Ang Peng Hwa (Nanayang Technological University) > > 18:30-20:00 Dinner: Crofton Hotel > > 20:00-21:00 Discussion > Session 4 issues and papers (at Crofton Hotel) > > MONDAY 3 AUGUST > > 09:00-11:00 Session 5 > The Politics of the Electronic Global Village > Chair: Charles Ess (Drury College) > > 11:00-11:30 Break > > 11:30-12:30 Discussion > Session 5 issues and papers > > 12:30-14:00 Lunch > > 14:00-16:00 Plenary > Summary reports from previous sessions: > "Trialogue": Philosophy, Communication Theory, > and Cultural Criticism > > 16:00-16:15 Closing > > 18:00- Dinner/Theatre: Optional (not included in conference fee) > > Please see the web site for the registration form: > > http://www.arch.usyd.edu.au/~fay/catac/register-form.html > > +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ > Discourse Studies: > Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Text and Talk > > Submitted by: Teun A. van Dijk (University of Amsterdam) teun@let.uva.nl > > A new journal edited by Teun van Dijk entitled Discourse Studies is > due for publication in February 1999. This multidisciplinary forum will > publish work on the structures and strategies of written and spoken > discourse, reviewed by an international editorial board. > > While contributing to new developments at the cutting edge of theory > and method, its articles will also be accessible to students and other > newcomers to each area of specialization. Although intended as a > broadly conceived forum for the best international work on discourse in > any field and specialization, Discourse Studies will especially focus on > cross-disciplinary studies of text and talk in linguistics, > anthropology, ethnomethodology, cognitive and social psychology, > communication studies and law. > > Articles that specifically deal with critical socio-political issues > are especially welcome in Sage's companion journal Discourse & Society. > > As from April 1998, high quality papers that fall within the scope > and meet the criteria outlined above are welcome. Please contact the > Editor. > > +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ > Help with Student Survey > Submitted by: Jo Previte <j.previte@qut.edu.au> > > I'm a student carrying out research about consumer perspectives on > commercialization of the Internet. I urgently need responses to my > survey, which is closing on 12 March 1998. If you would like to > participate in an online opinion survey, please go to > > http://www.bus.qut.edu.au/opinion/ > > Thanks for your assistance :-) > > Jo Previte, The Communication Centre, QUT
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X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 105940,c4138d315d7c932c,start X-Google-Attributes: gid105940,public From: Martin Sieg <siegm@GUSUN.GEORGETOWN.EDU> Subject: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AFRICA Date: 1998/03/08 Message-ID: <3502B106.1E811A83@gusun.georgetown.edu> X-Deja-AN: 331949826 Sender: Media for Development in Democracy <DEVMEDIA@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Comments: To: CCT-L Listserv <CCT-L@listproc.georgetown.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Organization: CCT @ Georgetown MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: bit.listserv.devmedia