Civil society sphericules Civil society sphericules Emerging communication platforms for Emerging communication platforms for

civic engagement in Tanzaniacivic engagement in Tanzania

Prof. Thomas Tufte, Ph.DProf. Thomas Tufte, Ph.DRoskilde UniversityRoskilde University

Presentation given at PhD seminar Presentation given at PhD seminar ‘‘Networked spaces of mediated communication: Forms of Networked spaces of mediated communication: Forms of

appropriation by new social actors and movementsappropriation by new social actors and movements’’. . Søminen, 11 September 2013Søminen, 11 September 2013

AimAim

To explore if and how Femina To explore if and how Femina articulates a articulates a ‘‘civil society sphericulecivil society sphericule ’’

Draws on Gitlins concept Draws on Gitlins concept ‘‘public public sphericulessphericules’’ (1998) – opportunities to (1998) – opportunities to organize around affinity and interest. organize around affinity and interest. Denotes the fragmentation and Denotes the fragmentation and multiplication of the public sphere into multiplication of the public sphere into ‘‘a scatter of globules, like mercurya scatter of globules, like mercury ’’

Civic engagementCivic engagement

Madianou (2012): tripartite model of Madianou (2012): tripartite model of engagement: constructing engagement: constructing opportunities for opportunities for speechspeech, proposals , proposals for for actionaction and promoting increased and promoting increased awareness and awareness and understandingunderstanding

Freire: beyond Freire: beyond eithereither ‘‘activismactivism’’ or or ‘‘verbalismverbalism’’ (1970) – requires dialogic (1970) – requires dialogic communicationcommunication

Positioning of NGOs – Positioning of NGOs – a paradox and a paradox and ‘‘perverse confluenceperverse confluence’’ between 2 political projects between 2 political projects

Are they, as NGO, cogs in the Are they, as NGO, cogs in the ‘‘neoliberal neoliberal wheelwheel’’ (Mercer & Green 2013)? (Mercer & Green 2013)?

Negotiating identity between NGOs and Negotiating identity between NGOs and social movements..social movements..

Negotiating what constitutes the political Negotiating what constitutes the political arena: between neoliberal and radical arena: between neoliberal and radical democratic agendas…democratic agendas…

Sharing notions of citizenship, Sharing notions of citizenship, participation and civil society.participation and civil society.

Key research questionKey research question

How does Femina, as a civil society How does Femina, as a civil society media platform, seek to contribute to media platform, seek to contribute to young Tanzanianyoung Tanzanian’’s civic engagement?s civic engagement?

Civil society driven media platforms in Civil society driven media platforms in Africa: history and typology Africa: history and typology

• Normative (ideological - peoples’ organizations, prevalent in the 70s and 80s)

• Issue-Driven (fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa in the 90s – now focus is on new issues)

• (Transnational) Advocacy Networks – ie the Global Justice Movement)

• Mobilizing Mechanisms: Crowdsourcing and aggregation – re-invigorating local, national, global governance processes

TanzaniaTanzania

1992 multiparty1992 multiparty 2010 last election –new 2010 last election –new

generation politiciansgeneration politicians Still low but growing Still low but growing

levels of participation levels of participation in public life and in public life and decision-makingdecision-making

Growing, but still weak Growing, but still weak civil societycivil society

Dynamic media Dynamic media developmentdevelopment

Political culture in TanzaniaPolitical culture in Tanzania

REDET Study 1994:72% of the respondents did not discuss political issues80% expressed their fear in scrutinizing government officials and their actions70% still depended on the government to solve their day-to-day problems’ (Killian 2008).

Tanzanian Youth, Citizenship and Public Tanzanian Youth, Citizenship and Public Sphere EngagementSphere Engagement

Aisha: When I grow up, I want to be a member of parliament, to be a minister!

Why do you like politics?

Aisha: I like it because most of the politicians are corrupt, so I might eliminate it.

Joyce: We believe them in a very few percent…maybe 20% (Mwanza, March 2011)

Introducing Femina HIPIntroducing Femina HIP Tanzanian NGO, 1999-Tanzanian NGO, 1999-

Focuses on lifeskills, citizen Focuses on lifeskills, citizen engagement, economic engagement, economic empowermentempowerment

EE through real life storiesEE through real life stories

Reaches 25% of the Reaches 25% of the population (TAMS 2010)population (TAMS 2010)

Many donors on board, but Many donors on board, but is a is a ’’homegrownhomegrown’’ organisationorganisation

Further Research Questions Further Research Questions

What opportunities does Femina construct for What opportunities does Femina construct for public sphere engagement? public sphere engagement?

What communication strategy is pursued to enable increased ‘public sphere connection’ (ie for the girls in Mwanza)?

Research Questions..Research Questions..

Being heavily donor-funded, what constraints are tied to this funding? Who is Femina accountable to and who do they partner with?

How does Femina define and relate to its key

constituency, ‘Tanzanian youth’?

How participatory is Femina in defining problems, strategies and content production?

AssumptionAssumption

A shift has occured from being a A shift has occured from being a traditional service provider NGO to a traditional service provider NGO to a more more advocacy oriented advocacy oriented comm.initiative comm.initiative with an agenda of with an agenda of enhancing public service monitoring, enhancing public service monitoring, social accountability and community social accountability and community engagementengagement

Research designResearch design

Ethnography of FeminaEthnography of Femina’’s construction s construction of a communicative practiceof a communicative practice

Diachronic (2000-2012) and Diachronic (2000-2012) and synchronic (2009-2012) perspectives synchronic (2009-2012) perspectives upon Feminaupon Femina’’s works work

FGDs, interviews, PO, letter analysis, FGDs, interviews, PO, letter analysis, content analysis, document analysiscontent analysis, document analysis

Complemented by Datius and RoseComplemented by Datius and Rose

Femina HIP ObjectivesFemina HIP Objectives

To build supportive To build supportive environments in Tanzania environments in Tanzania where:where:

Young people in their Young people in their communities enjoy their communities enjoy their right to access information right to access information & services and are & services and are empowered to make empowered to make positive informed choices positive informed choices around sexuality and lead around sexuality and lead healthy lifestyles in order healthy lifestyles in order to reduce the negative to reduce the negative impact of HIV/AIDS (2007).impact of HIV/AIDS (2007).

Femina HIP ObjectivesFemina HIP Objectives

To build supportive To build supportive environments in environments in Tanzania where:Tanzania where:

Communities exercise Communities exercise their right to express their right to express themselves, themselves, participate in public participate in public debate & engage in debate & engage in civil society. (Femina civil society. (Femina HIP Logical HIP Logical Framework, 2007)Framework, 2007)

Media outletsMedia outlets SiMchezo & FemaSiMchezo & Fema Tv talk showTv talk show Radio dramaRadio drama Interactive websiteInteractive website 600+ Femina clubs600+ Femina clubs Partnership with 6-700 Partnership with 6-700

organisationsorganisations

FEMAFEMA

FEMA. A glossy FEMA. A glossy magazine, 64 pages, magazine, 64 pages, 180.000 copies 180.000 copies published 4 x a year published 4 x a year (rising to 250.000 6x (rising to 250.000 6x pr year). pr year).

Targets youth aged Targets youth aged 15-24 especially 15-24 especially secondary school secondary school students in every students in every region of the countryregion of the country

SiMchezoSiMchezo

Si Mchezo! 32 Si Mchezo! 32 pages,175.000 pages,175.000 copies. copies.

In SwahiliIn Swahili 6 x a year. 6 x a year. Targets out of Targets out of

school youth and school youth and their communities their communities particularly in rural particularly in rural areas. areas.

Connecting with youth:Connecting with youth:Popular culture and participation in content productionPopular culture and participation in content production

Discursive strategy: Discursive strategy: ‘‘Street languageStreet language’’ Youth Youth ‘‘iconsicons’’ on the cover (music, sports, on the cover (music, sports,

politics)politics) National representation (covering regions)National representation (covering regions) Community outreach in story development, Community outreach in story development,

foto novels, national events, club inputfoto novels, national events, club input E-feedback (SmsE-feedback (Sms’’s, mails, fb, twitter) s, mails, fb, twitter) Youth advisory boardYouth advisory board Cultures of entrepreneurship and farmingCultures of entrepreneurship and farming

Organizing and mobilizing for civic Organizing and mobilizing for civic engagementengagement

Everyday tension between media Everyday tension between media production >< social mobilizationproduction >< social mobilization

Long term (the Long term (the ‘‘Femina generationFemina generation’’) >< ) >< short term (current topical foci)short term (current topical foci)

‘‘Femina familyFemina family’’: layered constituency: : layered constituency: staff, club members, readers, partners… staff, club members, readers, partners…

Identity struggle between media, NGO and Identity struggle between media, NGO and ‘‘wannabewannabe’’ social movement (=> how is it social movement (=> how is it perceived by the contituency?)perceived by the contituency?)

Establishing Fema clubs: Establishing Fema clubs: an embryonic civil society sphericule?an embryonic civil society sphericule?

550 in-school clubs, 70 out-of-school550 in-school clubs, 70 out-of-school Connects to the swamp metafor:Connects to the swamp metafor:‘we

find.. a multitude of small forces that surface and burst like bubbles in a swamp. But in the same way that these bubbles are a clear sign that the swamp is alive, we should approach democratic communication as a live creature that contracts and expands with its own very vital rhythms’ (Rodrigues 2001/2006: 775)

Civil society driven media platforms:Civil society driven media platforms:common denominators?common denominators?

1. Engage key target audiences in developing the focus and strategy of campaigns

2. Participatory content production, a dilemma with large constituencies

3. Control and own content development, but often times subdued to constraints imposed by the broadcaster

4. Have ambitious aims in terms of whom to reach/mobilize/engage

5. Layered understanding of constituency

Civil society driven media platforms:Civil society driven media platforms:common denominators?common denominators?

6. Often open, critical discourse around previously difficult to talk about issues

7. Embedded in popular culture

8. Draw on edutainment oriented communication strategies

9. Set up broad strategic alliances within civil society and across to private sector, government and media

10. Integrate and balance the short-term mobilization of large groups of people, and the long-term aim of their communication initiative

Communicating for change..Communicating for change..

‘a claim is relevant only within a historical context and for a situated subject, and cannot be transferred to a different positioning. A claim only lasts for as long as the dominant forces remain unmoved. As the situation changes, the claim will also change. As opposed to the ‘platform’ or the ‘social project’, claims are not static; they are in constant flux, following the movements of a changing social subject’ (Rodrigues 2001/2006: 776).

Thank you!Thank you!