Rethinking marginality in South Africa : mobile phones and the concept of belonging in Langa Township / Crystal Powell.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 245-270).

Print version record.

What does it mean to be marginal? For residents of Cape Town's Langa Township, being considered marginal is subject to a host of social, physical and sometimes materialistic qualifications--not least of which is owning a mobile phone. Through various presentations of unique aspects of township life revealed through ethnographic snapshots, this book reveals the complex realities of marginalization experienced by some residents in Langa Township, located in Cape Town, South Africa. Mobile phones have been embraced and accommodated by both local South Africans and African immigrant residents living and working in Langa. Among other things, the technology has become a way of challenging (real and imagined) marginalities within the township in particular and South Africa in general. The book provides empirical data on the role of technology in regards to migration and notions of belonging; specifically the ways that technology has mitigated distance for residents, provided opportunities for development, facilitated the negotiation of various marginalities, and offered new ways of belonging for Langa residents.

Cover; Title page; Copyright page; Contents; Abbreviations; Chapter 1 -- ICTS, Migration, Mobility, and Belonging: An Introduction; Introduction; Background to the Study; Statement of the Problem; Purpose and Rationale of the Study; Significance Of The Study; Conceptual Framework; Research Questions; Delimitations; Assumptions; Outline Of The Remainder Of The Book; Conclusion; Chapter 2 -- Digging In And Being Dug Into By Langa: An Ethnographic Approach; Introduction; Methods; Entering The Field; Selection Of Participants; Ethical Considerations; Data Collection; Data Analysis.

Limitations And ChallengesReflexivity; Conclusion; Chapter 3 -- Everyday Life In Langa: Ethnographic Snapshots; Introduction; Do Marginal Spaces Produce Marginal People?; Introducing Langa Township; Langa: Ethnographic Snapshots; Perceptions Of Langa As A Marginal Population In Cape Town; Questioning Langa's Categorical Marginality; Conclusion; Chapter 4 -- ICTS And The Development Of Langa Residents: A 'Marginal' Mobile Population; Introduction; Some Practical Uses Of ICTS In Langa; Revealing The Margins Within The "Margins"" ; The Mobile Phone As A Rite-Of-Passage In Langa.

ICTS And The Development Of Langa: A MobilePopulationConclusion; Chapter 5 -- ICTS And The Mitigation Of Distance For Langa Residents; Introduction; Communication In Langa Before The Introduction Of Mobile Technology; The Adoption Of Mobile Phones By Langa Residents; Mobile Phones And The Mitigation Of Distance For Langa Residents; Conclusion; Chapter 6 -- The Impact Of ICTS On New Socio-Economic Relations In Langa; Introduction; South Africa's Economy In Historical Perspective; Mobility, Migration And Globalization In South Africa.

Information And Communication Technologies For Development (ICTD)ICTS And Their Contribution To Socio-Economic Development; ICTS And New Socio-Economic Relations In Langa; Conclusion; Chapter 7 -- Redefining Socio-Political Relations Through ICTS In Langa; Introduction; Citizenship And Belonging; Civic And Political Marginality; Housing: A Human Rights Struggle In South Africa; Social Media As A Tool For Activism; Redefining Socio-Political Relations Through ICTS InLanga; Conclusion; Chapter 8: Conclusion; Summary Conclusions; Research Findings; Recommendations For Further Research.

Reference ListAppendices; Appendix 1: Excerpt From Me And My Cell Phone; Appendix 2: Meet The Participants; Appendix 3: Loliwe Lyrics; Back cover.

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