Social media and politics in Africa: democracy, censorship and security
London:
Zed Books
(2019), xiii, 299 pp., index
ISBN 978-1-78699-497-4
"Drawing on over a dozen new empirical case studies – from Kenya to Somalia, South Africa to Tanzania – this collection explores how rapidly growing social media use is reshaping political engagement in Africa. But while social media has often been hailed as a liberating tool, the book demonstrates how it has often served to reinforce existing power dynamics, rather than challenge them. Featuring experts from a range of disciplines from across the continent, this collection is the first comprehensive overview of social media and politics in Africa. By examining the historical, political, and social context in which these media platforms are used, the book reveals the profound effects of cyber-activism, cyber-crime, state policing and surveillance on political participation." (Publisher)
Contents
1 Mapping the study of politics and social media use in Africa / Maggie Dwyer and Thomas Molony, 1
2 "Igu sawir" gone too far?' Social media and state reconstruction in Somalia / Peter Chonka, 19
3 'We are not just voters, we are citizens': social media, the #ThisFlag campaign and insurgent citizenship in Zimbabwe / George Karekwaivanane and Admire Mare, 43
4 Social media and protest movements in South Africa: #FeesMustFall and #ZumaMustFall / Tanja Bosch, 66
5 Enemy collaborators: social imaginaries, global frictions, and a gay rights music video in Kenya / Brian Ekdale, 84
6 Between excitement and scepticism: the role of WhatsApp in Sierra Leone's 2018 elections / Maggie Dwyer, Jamie Hitchen and Thomas Molony, 105
7 Chaos and comedy: social media, activism, and democracy in Senegal / Emily Riley, 129
8 Social media and elections in Nigeria: digital influence on election observation, campaigns and administration / Nkwachukwu Orji, 152
9 From FM radio stations to Internet 2.0 overnight: information, participation and social media in post-failed coup Burundi / Jean-Benoît Falisse and Hugues Nkengurutse, 173
10 Cybercrime and the policing of politics in Tanzania / Charlotte Cross, 195
11 A familiar refrain: political discourse and Facebook use in Mombasa, Kenya / Stephanie Diepeveen, 214
12 Inside the #OperationUsalamaWatch echo chamber: Twitter as site of disruption or elite conversation? / Alisha Patel, 236
13 From whispers to the assemblage: surveillance in post-independence East Africa / Denis Galava, 260
Postscript: research trajectories in African digital spheres / Bruce Mutsvairo and Kate Wright, 279
2 "Igu sawir" gone too far?' Social media and state reconstruction in Somalia / Peter Chonka, 19
3 'We are not just voters, we are citizens': social media, the #ThisFlag campaign and insurgent citizenship in Zimbabwe / George Karekwaivanane and Admire Mare, 43
4 Social media and protest movements in South Africa: #FeesMustFall and #ZumaMustFall / Tanja Bosch, 66
5 Enemy collaborators: social imaginaries, global frictions, and a gay rights music video in Kenya / Brian Ekdale, 84
6 Between excitement and scepticism: the role of WhatsApp in Sierra Leone's 2018 elections / Maggie Dwyer, Jamie Hitchen and Thomas Molony, 105
7 Chaos and comedy: social media, activism, and democracy in Senegal / Emily Riley, 129
8 Social media and elections in Nigeria: digital influence on election observation, campaigns and administration / Nkwachukwu Orji, 152
9 From FM radio stations to Internet 2.0 overnight: information, participation and social media in post-failed coup Burundi / Jean-Benoît Falisse and Hugues Nkengurutse, 173
10 Cybercrime and the policing of politics in Tanzania / Charlotte Cross, 195
11 A familiar refrain: political discourse and Facebook use in Mombasa, Kenya / Stephanie Diepeveen, 214
12 Inside the #OperationUsalamaWatch echo chamber: Twitter as site of disruption or elite conversation? / Alisha Patel, 236
13 From whispers to the assemblage: surveillance in post-independence East Africa / Denis Galava, 260
Postscript: research trajectories in African digital spheres / Bruce Mutsvairo and Kate Wright, 279
