"This paper pursues an ambitious agenda in that it seeks to decolonise Indigenous relations with (the) State(s), departing from the very sources and forms of knowledge, commonly established logics and structures in the academic world, and by introducing the reader to Indigenous forms of knowledge an
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d heritage, Indigenous proper approaches to science and Indigenous justice systems. These epistemological reflections go hand in hand with a rethinking of legal terminology which the publication strives to indigenise or to ‘despensar’ classical law, notably by pluralising epistemologies but also through a critical approach taken towards entire justice systems with the objective of transforming these into more inclusive orders." (Executive summary)
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"To foster a multifaceted perspective on AI ethics, a pluriversal approach needs to be employed. This two-day workshop “AI Ethics from the Majority World: Reconstructing the Global Debate Through Decolonial Lenses” offers a forum to discuss alternatives to the status quo of AI ethics. Hosted by
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the University of Bonn’s Institute for Sciences and Ethics, the workshop aims to advance a reconstruction of the proliferated perspectives of AI ethics, dominantly shaped by ethical standards from historically hegemonic groups in the Minority World, by examining the plural decolonial schools of thought that challenge the positions that have shaped AI development worldwide." (Introduction)
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"Imagining AI: How the World Sees Intelligent Machines is the first volume showcasing research into how different cultures around the globe envision life with artificial intelligence. AI is now a global phenomenon. Yet Hollywood narratives dominate perceptions of AI in the English-speaking West and
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beyond, and much of the technology itself is shaped by a disproportionately white, male, US-based elite. However, different cultures have been imagining intelligent machines since long before we could build them, in visions that vary greatly across religious, philosophical, literary and cinematic traditions. This book aims to spotlight these alternative visions. Imagining AI draws attention to the range and variety of visions of a future with intelligent machines and their potential significance for the research, regulation and implementation of AI. The book is structured geographically, with each chapter presenting insights into how a specific region or culture imagines intelligent machines. The contributors, leading experts from academia and the arts, explore how the encounters between local narratives, digital technologies, and mainstream Western narratives create new imaginaries and insights in different contexts across the globe. The narratives they analyse range from ancient philosophy to contemporary science fiction, and visual art to policy discourse. The book sheds new light on some of the most important themes in AI ethics, from the differences between Chinese and American visions of AI, to digital neo-colonialism. It is an essential work for anyone wishing to understand how different cultural contexts interplay with the most significant technology of our time." (Publisher description)
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"What does it mean to decolonise academia in Africa? Is this important project limited to the humanities? Is it a project for the future? Are there forerunners at African universities today? The contributors to this volume show different trajectories for anthropology as a discipline and for decoloni
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sing academia across the continent and beyond. They offer a variety of perspectives, especially regarding collaboration between African and German scholars in the areas of research, teaching and institutional development: While some are hopeful and take inspiration from earlier experiences of disciplinary and methodological developments in academic decolonisation and international collaborations, others remain critical and call for more radical attempts at decolonisation." (Publisher description)
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"The uniqueness of journalism cultures across African nations often highlights the inapplicability of normative, Western-centric theories. The newly proposed African media typology suggests that media systems in Africa would be best understood by thinking about them within the context of the type of
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individual in a leadership position in that country at a specific moment in time. This study aims to begin operationalizing the African media typology by investigating journalist perspectives about political leadership, changes in press freedom, and the role of news media in promoting or inhibiting various forms of development and democratization. Cross-national surveys of journalists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, conducted in 2019 (N = 424 journalists: 174 in Rwanda, 148 in Uganda, and 102 in Kenya), reveal ways in which journalists’ perceptions about the role of news media as contributing to various forms of development are similar and different across varying media environments within the typology." (Abstract)
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"This book provides an important set of critical reflections from a selection of foundational scholars of African media and communication studies through biographical method. The book interrogates the center of mainstream academic scholarship by providing the foundational history and origins of an A
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fricanist conceptual model while highlighting its significance globally. The editors use biographical and life story interviews to critically review the respondents’ interpretations of their key works and arguments in relation to key moments in the field, the continent and globally. Though the book is focussed on recovering pioneering arguments by key thinkers in African media and communication, efforts of individual academics are to be understood in the context of their work with others and within institutions that are networked, locally and globally. By bringing together many of the leading figures of African communication and media studies in a single volume, this book provides a critical corrective to the dearth of knowledge and information about who the key thinkers are and what their key arguments, theories and models for media and communication in African contexts entail." (Publisher description)
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"This open access book presents contributions to decolonize development studies. It seeks to promote and sustain new forms of solidarity and conviviality that work towards achieving social justice. Recognising global poverty and inequalities as historic injustices, the book addresses how these can b
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e challenged through teaching, research, and engagement in policy and practice, and the sorts of political barriers these might encounter. From a variety of perspectives and contexts, these chapters examine how decoloniality and solidarity can be developed, offering in-depth historical, theoretical, epistemological, and empirical analyses." (Publisher description)
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"This study investigates interactive forms of public communication in the Republic of Benin (West Africa) with a specific focus on the emergence of new media actors. Benin’s media landscape features a variety of media formats, which are constantly incorporating interactive elements. These developm
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ents result in novel roles for both media producers and audiences. This analysis examines communication processes in radio call-in shows on social issues in the Republic of Benin that utilize participatory media formats. The primary figures of interest in these shows are frequent callers who participate in grievance-oriented programmes. Known as ‘grogneurs’, these individuals have now established themselves as respected information brokers within the country. What factors contribute to their prominence, and what are the implications of their success for information practices in the region? This study is using ethnographic methods and examines the motives, skills, and strategies that underpin grogneurs’ information acquisition, networking, and legal protection. It also examines grogneurs’ relationships with journalists, authorities, and broader radio audiences. The article argues that, despite potential role overlap between journalists and grogneurs, both groups endeavour to maintain clear distinctions in their roles to safeguard their reputation and foster interactive media formats." (Abstract)
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"Blockchain originated from the aspiration for decentralization, and in Western countries, its association with freedom from governmental and corporate dominance remains unwavering. However, in China–where blockchain has taken an intriguing foothold–the socio-technical imaginaries of blockchain
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diverge significantly. As China rises in blockchain development, critical literature examining its ventures is notably lacking. This article analyses state-led initiatives and corporate endeavours related to blockchain deployment in rural China. While blockchain’s roots lie in libertarian ideals, within China, it serves as a ‘state techno-solutionist’ tool, empowering authoritarian capitalism for enhanced state control and corporate profit through data exploitation. Although the application of blockchain in agricultural tracing and finance is heralded as a blessing to elevate smallholder farmers from poverty and enhance agricultural practices, the reality contrasts sharply. Instead of empowering farmers, the technology exacerbates power imbalances, embedding them in a system marked by extensive data harvesting and surveillance. Such integration entangles these farmers subsisting on China’s economic fringes within broader national and global capitalist financial frameworks, rendering them more susceptible to exploitation and manipulation. Moreover, blockchain in rural China epitomizes authoritarian capitalism, where capitalists aligning closely with state agendas. Blockchain’s transparency, traceability, and tamper-resistant features, instead of diminishing government interference, are harnessed by capitalists to amplify the social credit system, strengthening the data dominance of platform companies and supporting state surveillance. Therefore, blockchain emerges as a threat to rural China’s ways of life–all driven by the pursuit of corporate profit and the government’s quest to reclaim national greatness." (Abstract)
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"Responding to mounting calls to decenter and decolonize journalism, The Routledge Companion to Journalism in the Global South examines not only the deep-seated challenges associated with the historical imposition of Western journalism standards on constituencies of the Global South but also the opp
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ortunities presented to journalists and journalism educators if they choose to partake in international collaboration and education.
This collection returns to fundamental questions around the meaning, value, and practices of journalism from alternative methodological, theoretical, and epistemological perspectives. These questions include: What really is journalism? Who gets to, and who is qualified to, define it? What role do ethics play? What are the current trends, challenges, and opportunities for journalism in the Global South? How is news covered, reported, written, and edited in non-Western settings? What can journalism players living and working in industrialized markets learn from their non-Western colleagues and counterparts, and vice versa? Contributors challenge accepted “universal” ethical standards while showing the relevance of customs, traditions, and cultures in defining and shaping local and regional journalism." (Publisher description)
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"[...] How does the sub-Saharan African philosophy of Ubuntu bring the concept of digital coloniality to light? The main aim of the article is to define the concepts of digital colonialism and digital coloniality, to provide clear examples thereof and to provide some guidelines for corrective interv
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entions and future theorisation on the phenomenon. The research is a conceptual study and concludes that the intended enforcement of Eurocentric software to maintain a postcolonial state can be regarded as digital colonialism. While unintended, the use of global software in indigenous communities can also often have negative effects." (Abstract)
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"The Wayusa is a community ritual that is part of the exercise of political imagination among the Kichwa Indigenous people of Sarayaku, in Ecuador. In this article it will be discussed as a case study arguing towards a circular theory of communication, emerging from the works of Paulo Freire and cal
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ling for an approximation with Indigenous cosmology, looking for epistemological diversity and interdisciplinarity. Based in comprehensive fieldwork, this article suggests that the Wayusa illustrates the role of communication in the knowledge-chain in the community of Sarayaku, while also describing the kind of communication that it is made of. Different from a dominant linear theory of communication, it points to a conceptual framework whose horizon is not universalist but based on each space–time context. Beyond explaining a localized practice, it is argued that such circular model can dialogue and challenge the linear one as an operative general framework." (Abstract)
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"Many studies have argued that watchdog journalism cannot flourish under authoritarianism. However, the effect of the democratization of previously authoritarian regimes on watchdog journalism is still poorly understood. This article aims to fill this knowledge gap by using Kompas, Indonesia’s old
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est daily newspaper, as a case study. Drawing on four years of ethnographic fieldwork (2013–2017) within Kompas’s newsroom and one year of archival review (2020–2021), this study shows that the newspaper did not truly function as a watchdog. Instead, it developed a specific style that we conceptualize as “polite” watchdog journalism, that is, monitoring the wrongdoing of those in power in such a manner that does not hurt the feelings of those in power. This style of journalism was developed in response to the cultural and political-economic forces that intersected in and shaped its newsroom. Kompas developed close relationships with authoritarian power holders, thereby avoiding the persistent threat of bans and securing the economic advantages of their close ties with those in power. After the regime change, polite journalism continued to be practiced, both to maintain its political leverage and to preserve its economic advantage in the post-authoritarian era." (Abstract)
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"Drawing insights from decolonial theory and Ubuntu ethics, this article examines coloniality practices embedded in conflict journalism in Zimbabwe. It uses election violence reporting between 2000 and 2013 as a lens for gaining insights into how reporting conflicts perpetuates coloniality. How colo
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niality is reproduced through conflict reporting practices, and the extent to which Ubuntu ethics could be a remedy for coloniality are questions at the core of this exploration. Empirical data for the study were gleaned from in-depth interviews with nineteen purposively selected print media journalists and editors who had experience in reporting election violence in Zimbabwe between 2000 and 2013. The article reveals that election violence reporting practices among print media journalists are oriented more towards ‘war journalism’ than peacebuilding which is at odds with Ubuntu ethics. It canvasses for an Ubuntu-centred journalism to mitigate the deleterious effects of coloniality in reporting conflicts in postcolonial contexts." (Abstract)
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"This edited collection seeks to better understand how journalism across cultures differs, presenting an in-depth exploration of global practices that departs from the typical Western-centric approach. Journalists across the world are trained, generally speaking, within Western models of reporting a
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nd are taught to do so as a practice where reporters need to aspire and aim for. Yet what such training is short of achieving is teaching reporters how to 'do' journalism within their own environments. In turn, what is required is a method of journalistic training and practice that is reflective of the actual practice reporters encounter on the ground. In order to do so, a better understanding of how journalism is practised in different parts of the world, the context surrounding such practices, the issues and challenges associated, and the positive practices that Western journalism can offer, is necessary. Promoting and deploying a culturally-specific and politically-relevant journalism, this book provides just that." (Publisher description)
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"At a time when uneven power dynamics are high on development actors' agenda, this book will be an important contribution to researchers and practitioners working on innovation in development and civil society. While there is much discussion of localization, decolonization and 'shifting power' in ci
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vil society collaborations in development, the debate thus far centers on the aid system. This book directs attention to CSOs as drivers of development in various contexts that we refer to as the Global South. This book take a transformative stance, reimagining roles, relations and processes. It does so from five complementary angles: (1) Southern CSOs reclaiming the lead, 2) displacement of the North-South dyad, (3) Southern-centred questions, (4) new roles for Northern actors, and (5) new starting points for collaboration. The book relativizes international collaboration, asking INGOs, Northern CSOs, and their donors to follow Southern CSOs' leads, recognizing their contextually geared perspectives, agendas, resources, capacities, and ways of working. Based in 19 empirically grounded chapters, the book also offers an agenda for further research, design, and experimentation. Emphasizing the need to 'Start from the South' this book thus re-imagines and re-centers Civil Society collaborations in development, offering Southern-centred ways of understanding and developing relations, roles, and processes, in theory and practice." (Publisher description)
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"This study is based on desk research, supplemented by a three-month open commenting period and a public workshop whose participants have substantial experience in the technologies and practices analysed, or are members of the communities of practice, amongst them experts who work in “Global South
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” contexts. A s a result, a recommendation matrix was developed which tackles the most important issues: balancing “Global North” privileges by subtraction instead of just adding diversity, working towards social justice by involving the communities of practice from the very start, setting up a polycentric governance structure based on values defined by the communities, establishing ethics of care and translation processes to mediate different roles and accommodate individual needs, supporting multilingualism, low connectivity environments, interoperability, and experiments, all with a critical stance towards standardisation and rationalisation, planning sustainably for the long term, collaborating and cooperating, doing everything transparently, at a moderate pace, learning humbly and perpetually." (Abstract)
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"Academia as an industry has come to rely on journal impact factors as convenient proxy measures of faculty members’ research quality. As competition intensifies — among individuals, departments, and universities — such bibliometrics have grown in importance. At many institutions, researchers
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are pushed to publish in journals that are highly ranked. Many scholars of non-western societies have long noted, though, that “top-tier” journals, while international in reputation, are far from global in orientation. This is an issue that we and our colleagues in the Global Media Studies Network are keen to discuss. First, though, what exactly is the current state of affairs? We looked at 20 SSCI-indexed communication journals with high five-year journal impact factors. We categorised all the articles they published in 2021 and 2022 according to their geographic focus: what country or countries was each article studying? Here is what we found: [see chart]. This snapshot shows clearly that top-tier journals generally have a geographic diversity problem. Most of the articles are about the west, with a high proportion of articles focusing purely on the United States. Also striking is the lack of North-South comparative work, despite years of advocacy for comparative research. The chart may underestimate the imbalance. We coded many of the articles— literature reviews, meta-studies, or purely methodological or theoretical pieces— as geographically “non-specific” as they have no explicit focus on any particular country, but since these tend to be built on past work that was even less diverse than the field is now, most of these should probably be considered genetically western. One interesting pattern is that journals devoted to digital communication host a higher proportion of non-western work. This could be because the digital is so globalised and new that research on phenomena beyond the west (say, disinformation in Kenya’s social media) is intelligible to western editors, while research on older offline phenomena (say, caste discrimination on Indian television) requires extensive contextual explanation that journals do not have the patience for. The digital may also be more amenable than offline communication to the quantitative research methods favoured by many top journals."
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