Networks of Communication in South Africa: New Media, New Technologies

Description

Within a short period of time, South Africa has made remarkable progress in the adoption of mobile and Internet technologies. In this landmark study, R. Sooryamoorthy examines the development of communication patterns, social contacts and networks in South Africa. Based on pioneering quantitative and qualitative data, he analyses trends in changing media use in Africa, showing the development of the use of new media for communication by South Africans of all ages, races and genders in relation to the development of media infrastructure, its cost and government policy. It shows how people use the media for communication purposes that affirm or break their social contacts and networks, and how they apply media to establish, re-establish or maintain social relationships. This book will be of interest to those researching the growth of communication technology in Africa, as well as those involved in the wider fields of development studies and economics.

R. Sooryamoorthy is currently Professor of Sociology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He is a rated scientist of the National Research Foundation in South Africa and has previously taught at universities in India, Canada and Sweden. He is the author of several books on India and South Africa.

'Empirically grounded in the latest survey data and sharp ethnographic observations, R. Sooryamoorthy presents us with a fascinating overview of the new media uses in a rapidly changing society. Broad in scope, yet rich in detail, this is essential reading for anyone interested in how South Africans connect and communicate via internet and mobile phones.' Markus S. Schulz, Vice-President for Research of the International Sociological Association 'This book should be mandatory reading for anyone researching new and social media usage in Southern Africa. This empirical study makes a much needed contribution to a research field whose literature remains strongly northern hemispheric in its contexts and perspectives. Apart from the spate of studies on the 'Arab Spring' events, there remains too little research on social media penetration on the rest of the African continent. This book makes good that gap. It will also benefit researchers interested in using mixed methods in social media research.' Marc Caldwell, University of Fort Hare, South Africa 'Sooryamoorthy's study maintains its place as a definitive investigation of telephony in general, and mobile telephony in particular, within the South African context.' R. R. Teer-Tomaselli, Critical Arts 'Author R. Sooryamoorthy, who is based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, breaks new ground in media research with the publication of this book, Networks of Communication in South Africa: New Media, New Technologies ... It is thus without reservation that I highly recommend Sooryamoorthy's well-researched text for all those interested in old and new media studies, communication practices, social network analyses, development studies, sociology and anthropology geared toward probing the new 'networked society' and its distinctive modalities of social relationships, forms of association, and new forms of sociality and sociability.' Lingham Lionel Thaver, International Journal of Communication