1. Ethnographies of youth agency in communication for development by Prof. Thomas Tufte Roskilde University, Denmark Presentation given at IAMCR 2011 Panel: Media Ethnography and Public Sphere Engagement Istanbul, 14 July 2011

2. This presentation 1. Research objectives of my project: ’People Speaking Back? Media, Empowerment and Democracy in East Africa’ 2. Outlining conceptual contexts from which to explore youth agency 3. Exploring youth agency ethnographically

3. People Speaking Back? Media, empowerment and democracy in East Africa (2009-2013) A proliferation, multiplication and intensification in the means and forms of communication for social change: alternative media, citizen media, social movement media, nano-media, C4D in UN-organisations A proliferation, multiplication and intensification in the means and forms of communication for social change: alternative media, citizen media, social movement media, nano-media, C4D in UN-organisations A celebration of youthful social mobilization in North Africa and Middle East. What is going on in Sub-saharan Africa, in ’democratic’ countries as ie Tanzania? A celebration of youthful social mobilization in North Africa and Middle East. What is going on in Sub-saharan Africa, in ’democratic’ countries as ie Tanzania? The issue of youth, civic engagement and change: my focus started out on a specific organisation: Femina HIP in Tanzania The issue of youth, civic engagement and change: my focus started out on a specific organisation: Femina HIP in Tanzania

4. Tanzania 42 mio people 42 mio people Multiparty political system since mid 1990ies Multiparty political system since mid 1990ies Rapidly changing media and comm landscape Rapidly changing media and comm landscape Civil society development – engaging with the media and engaging in public debate Civil society development – engaging with the media and engaging in public debate Changing political environment Changing political environment New opportunities for young citizens? New opportunities for young citizens? Many limitations: electricity (10%), banking (12%), education.. Many limitations: electricity (10%), banking (12%), education..

5. Research objectives To assess how youth experience, make use of and engage in the public sphere and in democratic development? To assess how youth experience, make use of and engage in the public sphere and in democratic development? To explore how youth engage with a specific civil society-driven media and communication platform To explore how youth engage with a specific civil society-driven media and communication platform To deconstruct the specific C4D initiative: its theme choice & development; content production process; it’s relation to both upwards and downward accountability; its adaptation to change media and comm landscape. To deconstruct the specific C4D initiative: its theme choice & development; content production process; it’s relation to both upwards and downward accountability; its adaptation to change media and comm landscape.

6. Media Access in Tanzania (2009) Weekly activities (TAMPS 2009): - 77% listens to radio (88%) - 43% watches TV (42%) - 28% reads a newspaper (22%) - 8% reads a magazine (3%) - 63% makes mobile call (42%) - 45% sends a text message (30%) - 9% listens to radio on mobile (6%) - 2% uses the internet (2%)

7. Femina – reach per product (2009) Fema magazine: - 42% knows the magazine (9.8 mill) - 12% has read Fema within the last 7 days (2.8 mill) Si Mchezo Magazine: - 29% knows the magazine (6.8 mill) - 5% has read Si Mchezo! within the last 7 days (1.2 mill) Fema TV Talk Show: - 20% knows the program (4.7 mill) - Almost 1 million regular viewers, 3.5 million watch every now and then Pilika Pilika (radio drama): - 5.4 million regular listeners in mainland Tanzania Chezasalama.com - 28.000 registered users and approx. 30.000 annual visits Femina reaches 25% of the Tanzanian population

8. Contexts of youth agency (1) Youth experiencing an epochal shift Youth are not just any youth, since they are experiencing the epochal transformation in their bodies (…) Those of us who are elder feel doubts and uncertainties that have nothing to do with those of our sons and daughters; they are of a different caliber and type (…) We had every dogma we wanted and they have nothing evening beginning to resemble such dogmas – either in the religious, philosophical or political sense (Martin-Barbero 2010) Youth are not just any youth, since they are experiencing the epochal transformation in their bodies (…) Those of us who are elder feel doubts and uncertainties that have nothing to do with those of our sons and daughters; they are of a different caliber and type (…) We had every dogma we wanted and they have nothing evening beginning to resemble such dogmas – either in the religious, philosophical or political sense (Martin-Barbero 2010)

9. Contexts of youth agency (2) The advent of globalization On the one hand, globalization, jointly with technological development, has undoubtedly increased the cultural offers. But on the other hand, it is equally true that the possibilities for access are reduced or restricted. In that sense, the thinking and analysis regarding the relationship between youth, communication and social change must be located precisely in the tension produced by this paradox. I.e., more and better means for communication, increasingly powerful technological devices, ’availability’ of enormous resources for information and knowledge, in coexistence with the increasing impoverishment of large areas of the planet, the aggravated conditions of exclusion, and the so called ’digital divide’ (Reguillo, 2009; 22) On the one hand, globalization, jointly with technological development, has undoubtedly increased the cultural offers. But on the other hand, it is equally true that the possibilities for access are reduced or restricted. In that sense, the thinking and analysis regarding the relationship between youth, communication and social change must be located precisely in the tension produced by this paradox. I.e., more and better means for communication, increasingly powerful technological devices, ’availability’ of enormous resources for information and knowledge, in coexistence with the increasing impoverishment of large areas of the planet, the aggravated conditions of exclusion, and the so called ’digital divide’ (Reguillo, 2009; 22)

10. Contexts of youth agency (3) Instable subjectivities… Two characteristics of current societal transformations (Appadurai 1996): Two characteristics of current societal transformations (Appadurai 1996): Mass migration Mass migration Electronic mediation of everyday life Electronic mediation of everyday life > Producing ’a new order of instability in the production of modern subjectivities’

11. Key inquiries… Better understand the creativity/diversity with which youth engage with the rapidly changing media and communication environments Better understand the creativity/diversity with which youth engage with the rapidly changing media and communication environments Attention to the socio-economic realities (human (in)security, material/non-material dimensions) Attention to the socio-economic realities (human (in)security, material/non-material dimensions) Unpacking ’Citizen tactics’: power relations, forms, means and spaces of resistance; citizen media) Unpacking ’Citizen tactics’: power relations, forms, means and spaces of resistance; citizen media)

12. Exploring agency through ethnography: What’s the object of study? ’From the local to the global, from the media to the streets, from the city to cyperspace, from the classroom to the rock concert, from the migrants to the traditional communities, from the believers to the consumers, from the youth to the women, from the tv viewers to the voters: understanding the scenarios (spaces) where communication flows, and understanding the key players requires understanding the set-backs, the ruptures, the continuities and the mutations which the social dynamic brings’ (Reguillo 2005:69) ’From the local to the global, from the media to the streets, from the city to cyperspace, from the classroom to the rock concert, from the migrants to the traditional communities, from the believers to the consumers, from the youth to the women, from the tv viewers to the voters: understanding the scenarios (spaces) where communication flows, and understanding the key players requires understanding the set-backs, the ruptures, the continuities and the mutations which the social dynamic brings’ (Reguillo 2005:69)

13. Collaborative Research: 4 interlinked research projects Ethnography of 10 young women in Temeke (neighbourhood of Dar es Salaam) Ethnography of 10 young women in Temeke (neighbourhood of Dar es Salaam) Household Survey (3-400) in Temeke Household Survey (3-400) in Temeke Qualitative exploration of media use amongst ’youth profiles’ across Tanzania Qualitative exploration of media use amongst ’youth profiles’ across Tanzania Policy contexts & civil society developments Policy contexts & civil society developments

14. Youth Profiles (I) A Fema club member in a semi-rural area Outside Mwanza, secondary school girl Outside Mwanza, secondary school girl Very limited media access Very limited media access No mobility – never been to Dar No mobility – never been to Dar Traditional gender roles Traditional gender roles Issues of sexual harassment Issues of sexual harassment Few work opportunities Few work opportunities Ambitious: politician, lawyer, accountant.. Ambitious: politician, lawyer, accountant..

15. Youth Profiles (II) A community theatre peer activist Voluteer youth leader in Temeke – lives & is from there, 27 yrs old, 14 years of peer education experience Voluteer youth leader in Temeke – lives & is from there, 27 yrs old, 14 years of peer education experience Engaging with health communication activities through partnership with NGOs Engaging with health communication activities through partnership with NGOs Supporting local civil society development Supporting local civil society development Performing theatre locally, across country and in parliament Performing theatre locally, across country and in parliament Close to newly elected young city council members Close to newly elected young city council members

16. Youth Profiles (III) The young blogger What is really attractive about using social media for a lot of people, certainly me and a lot of my friends who use social media is the ability to express themselves, and the freedom to do so. Because, the internet is the final freedom, you know. There is no censorship there, there is no hierarchy of gender or age, you know, you don’t have to fear if you put your voice out there, especially if you are blogging anonymously or if you are tweeting anonymously. It is sort of the ultimate space for that freedom of expression and I feel strongly that it should be guarded. It should be promoted. It should not suffer from control, censorship, expertise, any of those sort of things that end up creating barriers to self-expression. So I would like to welcome you warmly to my blog, do pass by. I always read all responses, I try to respond to everybody when I have time and, welcome to the conversation (C, 2011) What is really attractive about using social media for a lot of people, certainly me and a lot of my friends who use social media is the ability to express themselves, and the freedom to do so. Because, the internet is the final freedom, you know. There is no censorship there, there is no hierarchy of gender or age, you know, you don’t have to fear if you put your voice out there, especially if you are blogging anonymously or if you are tweeting anonymously. It is sort of the ultimate space for that freedom of expression and I feel strongly that it should be guarded. It should be promoted. It should not suffer from control, censorship, expertise, any of those sort of things that end up creating barriers to self-expression. So I would like to welcome you warmly to my blog, do pass by. I always read all responses, I try to respond to everybody when I have time and, welcome to the conversation (C, 2011)

17. Some next steps Further embed the analysis of youth’s use of Femina media products in social and cultural practices Further embed the analysis of youth’s use of Femina media products in social and cultural practices Further historisize the forms of public sphere engagement Further historisize the forms of public sphere engagement

18. Youth Agency and Public Sphere Engagement Changing and diverse public spheres Changing and diverse public spheres Oral public spheres Oral public spheres Mass mediated public spheres Mass mediated public spheres The internet The internet Where now? Mobile Distributed Public Spheres? (E.Hansen 2011) A fusion of physical and public spheres? Less reflective, more spontaneous? More action-oriented approaches?