Mobile Phones: The New Talking Drums of Everyday Africa

This book presents studies in the fields of social sciences and humanities on the mobile phone in Africa, reflecting on the role of communication technology in the practice of doing research. The introduction states that "mobile phones have become part of the communication landscape in many urban and rural areas of Africa and the growth of mobile telephony is amazing: from 1 in 50 people being users in 2000 to 1 in 3 in 2008. Such growth is impressive but it does not even begin to tell us about the many ways in which mobile phones are being appropriated by Africans and how they are transforming or are being transformed by society in Africa." According to the authors, each chapter in this volume tries to show in its own way how this new technology is shaping social realities in African societies and how Africans and their societies are, in turn, shaping the technologies of communication. All the chapters focus on the idea of appropriation of technology.

The book includes reflections on developments around the mobile phone by scholars of six African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Sudan, and Tanzania) who explore the economic, social, and cultural contexts in which the mobile phone is being adopted, adapted, and harnessed in Africa. The authors strive to dig deep into social roots and relationship patterns that are impacting on Africa's cultural identity and communication modes. According to the publishers, the book hopes to fill a gap in scholarly literature about new media in Africa and contribute a valuable perspective from the margins on global new media debates.