Here Comes the Sun: Imagination, Development, and Technology in Malawi
(2022) TKAM02 20221Division of Ethnology
- Abstract
- This paper explores how electrical appliances, together with the idea of attaining energy access in the near future, create hope in a northern village in Malawi. Even though less than one per cent of the rural population has energy access, some of these locals already own solar systems. Nevertheless, their solar equipment is not powerful enough to generate the large amounts of energy required to run electrical appliances, such as fridges and TVs, some of the electric devices they already own. Through autoethnography and ethnographic accounts of everyday life in the village over two months, the following research aims to defy western concepts of development and poverty and questions: How are development and technology visible in the... (More)
- This paper explores how electrical appliances, together with the idea of attaining energy access in the near future, create hope in a northern village in Malawi. Even though less than one per cent of the rural population has energy access, some of these locals already own solar systems. Nevertheless, their solar equipment is not powerful enough to generate the large amounts of energy required to run electrical appliances, such as fridges and TVs, some of the electric devices they already own. Through autoethnography and ethnographic accounts of everyday life in the village over two months, the following research aims to defy western concepts of development and poverty and questions: How are development and technology visible in the northern village? How is energy desired to be used? What is the rationale? In addition, the available material comprises observations at residents' households, fishermen's workplaces, and interviews with shop owners, students, alumni, staff, and teachers at a solar academy. Drawing on theories of material culture, emotional practices, time, and agency, I will present two arguments. Firstly, locals already use and adapt solar technology to their needs, which foreign involvement could support. Secondly, education, objects, and the act of owning them represent the hope of a near-future within a low-income community. Both arguments are relevant to solar businesses and foreign involvement projects to implement technology. (Less)
- Abstract (Portuguese)
- A presente investigação visa explorar como os eletrodomésticos e a ideia subjacente à obtenção de acesso à energia, num futuro próximo, cria esperança numa aldeia do norte do Malaúi. Mesmo com menos de um por cento da população rural com acesso à energia, esses residentes já possuem sistemas solares. Contudo, apesar de já disporem de eletrodomésticos como frigoríficos e televisões, o equipamento solar não é suficientemente capaz de produzir a energia elétrica necessária para os alimentar. Através do uso da autoetnografia e descrições etnográficas de eventos experienciados durante dois meses na já mencionada aldeia do norte, esta investigação pretende desafiar conceitos ocidentais relativos ao desenvolvimento e à pobreza. Assim, questiona:... (More)
- A presente investigação visa explorar como os eletrodomésticos e a ideia subjacente à obtenção de acesso à energia, num futuro próximo, cria esperança numa aldeia do norte do Malaúi. Mesmo com menos de um por cento da população rural com acesso à energia, esses residentes já possuem sistemas solares. Contudo, apesar de já disporem de eletrodomésticos como frigoríficos e televisões, o equipamento solar não é suficientemente capaz de produzir a energia elétrica necessária para os alimentar. Através do uso da autoetnografia e descrições etnográficas de eventos experienciados durante dois meses na já mencionada aldeia do norte, esta investigação pretende desafiar conceitos ocidentais relativos ao desenvolvimento e à pobreza. Assim, questiona: Como é que o desenvolvimento e a tecnologia são visíveis nesta aldeia do norte? Para que fins os residentes desejam utilizar a energia? Por que visam essa utilização? O material utilizado acarreta observações, focadas não apenas nas casas dos residentes como também no local de trabalho dos pescadores. Adicionalmente, e de modo a complementar e diversificar o material utilizado, a presente investigação conta também com entrevistas feitas a gerentes de lojas, estudantes, ex-alunos, staff, e professores de uma escola profissional focada na educação em energia solar. Atendendo a teorias de cultura material, práticas de emoções, temporalidade, e agência, dois argumentos são sugeridos. O primeiro, foca-se no facto de os residentes desta aldeia do norte já utilizarem e adaptarem a tecnologia de acordo com as suas necessidades- algo que o envolvimento estrangeiro pode apoiar. Já o segundo, prende-se por possuírem tanto a educação como os objetos- representando esperança para um futuro energético não longínquo desta comunidade que vive ainda num contexto de baixo rendimento económico. Ambas as conclusões são de enorme relevância tanto para negócios em que o foco seja a tecnologia solar, como para projetos de envolvimento estrangeiro que visem a implementação de tecnologia. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9102467
- author
- Santos, Catarina LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- TKAM02 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Applied Cultural Analysis, Development, Energy access, Imagination, Malawi, Solar technology, Technology.
- language
- English
- id
- 9102467
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-12 13:34:37
- date last changed
- 2022-12-12 13:34:37
@misc{9102467,
abstract = {{This paper explores how electrical appliances, together with the idea of attaining energy access in the near future, create hope in a northern village in Malawi. Even though less than one per cent of the rural population has energy access, some of these locals already own solar systems. Nevertheless, their solar equipment is not powerful enough to generate the large amounts of energy required to run electrical appliances, such as fridges and TVs, some of the electric devices they already own. Through autoethnography and ethnographic accounts of everyday life in the village over two months, the following research aims to defy western concepts of development and poverty and questions: How are development and technology visible in the northern village? How is energy desired to be used? What is the rationale? In addition, the available material comprises observations at residents' households, fishermen's workplaces, and interviews with shop owners, students, alumni, staff, and teachers at a solar academy. Drawing on theories of material culture, emotional practices, time, and agency, I will present two arguments. Firstly, locals already use and adapt solar technology to their needs, which foreign involvement could support. Secondly, education, objects, and the act of owning them represent the hope of a near-future within a low-income community. Both arguments are relevant to solar businesses and foreign involvement projects to implement technology.}},
author = {{Santos, Catarina}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Here Comes the Sun: Imagination, Development, and Technology in Malawi}},
year = {{2022}},
}