the London School o f E c o n o m ic s a n d Political Science ■ D e v e l o p m e n t a n d D estabilization The Selective Adoption ofICTs in Et h io p ia Iginio G a g lia r d o n e D e p a r t m e n t o f M e d ia a n d C ommunications A thesis submitted to the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2010 UMI Number: U615B27 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U615B27 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 1HB3K «*MNUrwf*glPi MM D e c la r a t io n I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. 2 A b s t r a c t This thesis questions and examines the role Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are playing in the political transitions of developing countries. While there is much discussion about the contribution of ICTs in promoting economic growth and supporting the democratisation process, there is less understanding of the ways in which ICTs are often re-interpreted, re-defined and re­ shaped to fit political and cultural contexts that are substantially different from those of their origin. Focusing on the case of Ethiopia, I analyze one of these processes of selective adoption, examining which components of ICTs have been endorsed and proactively promoted by the government of Ethiopia, which have been constrained or inhibited, and for what reasons. I build on a conceptual framework that combines critical insights from different forms of constructivism, especially as they have emerged in international relations and in the history of technology tradition. I offer a new approach that reframes ICTs from consensual objects with an agreed set of characteristics and possible effects to nodes surrounded by conflict, which can be appropriated or resisted by different actors to pursue potentially competing goals. This thesis draws on extensive fieldwork and employs a variety of methods that have allowed me to analyse both the discursive and the material elements intervening in the adoption and adaptation of ICTs in Ethiopia. The research progressed through an iterative comparison between conceptualizations emerging from interviews with individuals who shaped the path of ICTs in the country, as well as from other textual material, and observations of how the technical artefacts were actually implemented. This process made it possible to understand how the complex nation building project pursued by the government of Ethiopia motivated the development of two large scale ICT projects, known as Woredanet and Schoolnet, and led to the marginalization of alternative uses of ICTs promoted by other components of society, such as the private sector, Ethiopians in the diaspora and international organizations. 3 A cknowledgments The years I have spent on my PhD project have been engaging and have shaped me in profound ways. I am grateful to many people for this. Over the years, my supervisor, Robin Mansell, offered invaluable advice and passion, and has helped me to become the researcher I wanted to be. She taught me about commitment, thoroughness and responsibility. While she let me find my own way, she also showed me that it is by engaging with different traditions that we can build stronger arguments and reach beyond our limitations. I am sure that her advice will continue to shape my research and work for the rest of my career. The Media Department at the LSE has also represented an invaluable opportunity to engage with faculty and students driven by enthusiasm and curiosity and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to be a part of this community. I am deeply thankful to the organizations and institutions that supported my efforts. The Rotary Foundation, awarded me one of its generous Ambassadorial Scholarships which was made possible through the support of the Rotary Club of Alessandria which supported my candidacy and believed in the potential of my research and work. I am also grateful to the LSE post-graduate fund and the University of Milan, particularly Professor Maria Luisa Betri. I am grateful to the colleagues and friends through whom I have learned the importance of research and the value of diversity. Monroe Price and the other colleagues at the Stanhope Centre offered me unique opportunities to develop my research and engage in larger projects in Africa and elsewhere. I am deeply appreciative of all of the opportunities that working with Stanhope has offered and I look forward to future work together. It was always a pleasure to share the experiences I had in Africa and beyond with John and Carolyn Stremlau. And I appreciated receiving their precious encouragement and advice. I also am deeply indebted to the many people in Ethiopia who offered their time and accepted to share their views with me, challenging preconceived ideas and contributing to build new ways to understand the country where I lived for more than two years. I want to thank my parents, who have always been with me, and whose lives and affection remind me how fortunate a person I am. And my family at large, who taught me the importance of roots and memories, and how we can grow stronger even as we move away from home. Finally, I would like to dedicate this thesis to Nicole, my dearest companion, with whom almost every moment of this adventure has been shared, and who made me the person I am today. She was my inspiration, challenging me when I seemed too confident, and being there for me when I was too doubtful. I look forward to the rest of the journey together. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. DEVELOPMENT AND DESTABILIZATION 1 THE SELECTIVE ADOPTION OF ICTS IN ETHIOPIA 1 IGINIO GAGLIARDONE 1 DECLARATION 2 ABSTRACT 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 LIST OF FIGURES 8 ACRONYMS 8 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 11 1.1 Technology and its potential 15 1.2 Technology and its application in Ethiopia 19 1.3 An overview 24 1.4 Conclusion 27 CHAPTER 2 - CONSTRUCTING NEW TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND THE ADOPTION OF ICTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 28 2.1 Technology as a modernizing, democratizing and globalizing force 28 2.2 Contesting technology 37 2.3 Technologies and politics in context: lessons from the history of technology 44 2.4 Locating ICTs in an international perspective 53 2.5 O ther possible paths 59 5 2.6 A conceptual framework to study technology and politics in context 61 2.6 Conclusion 67 CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCHING TECHNOLOGY IN CONTEXT 69 3.1 Strategies for research: case study and grounded theory 69 3.1.1 Case study research 73 3.1.2 Using grounded theory for the study of technical artefacts 76 3.2 Methods for data collection 79 3.2.1 Interviews: building trust and eliciting narratives 80 3.2.2 Observation of technical artefacts 85 3.2.3 Other data and triangulation 88 3.4 Data analysis and presentation 92 3.5 Conclusion 96 CHAPTER 4 - COMPETING INTERPRETATIONS: INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL DISCOURSES ON ICTS 98 4.1 Bringing ICTs to Ethiopia: the role of international actors 98 4.1.1 The UNECA and the politics of the apolitical 99 4.1.2 Discourses in context 102 4.2 Re-interpreting ICTs: the government response 106 4.2.1 Modernization, globalization and democratization in the Ethiopian context 109 4.2.2 The Ethiopian government’s response to the AISI’s discourses 118 4.3 The marginalization of non-state actors in the development of an approach to ICTs 121 4.3.1 International alignments: importing new solutions to old problems 122 4.3.2 Disillusionment and disengagement 125 4.3.3 The response of the diaspora: failing to engage and waving conflict 127 4.4 Conclusion 128 CHAPTER 5 - A QUEST FOR HEGEMONY: THE USE OF ICTS IN SUPPORT OF THE ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL PROJECT 130 5.1 Ethnic federalism as the core discourse of the nation-state 131 5.1.1 Ethnic federalism, and its discontents 134 5.1.2 Ethnic federalism in practice: building the state to build the nation 140 5.1.3 A contradictory project: controlled decentralization 145 5.2 A populist discourse of social integration 148 5.2.1 Including the poor 151 5.2.2 Excluding the elites 153 5.3 An empiricist discourse of communication 154 5.3.1 Showing by doing 155 5.3.2 Internal communication 158 5.3.3 Refusal to engage 160 5.4 Conclusion 162 6 CHAPTER 6 - THE NATIONAL TECHNOPOLITICAL REGIME 163 6.1 Fluctuations and turning points: moving towards a new technopolitical regime 165 6.2 Technopolitics in action: embedding