Opposing the Developmental State online : how do South Africans make use of online platforms to challenge government’s macroeconomic strategies? (original) (raw)
2013, In: Bakhit, Mohamed A. G. ; Turner, Irina ; Narh, Peter ; Alemu, Girum Getachew ; Boger, Julia ; Brinkmann, Felix (ed.): Challenging notions of development and change from everyday life in Africa. - Bayreuth : Inst. für Afrikastudien , . - pp. 22-48 . Bayreuth African Studies Working Papers
The performance of a nation is measured by financial indices like the gross national product (GNP) and development statistics like the Human Development Index (HDI) taking dimensions like mortality rate, standard of education or income per capita into account. Whether the development of these figures is positive or negative is determined in comparison to other nations. However, well-being in terms of spirituality, social relationships, ethical values etc. is not considered. In global discourse (Fairclough 2006) it assumed that material wealth makes for happier people and therefore economic growth is the most important feature to foster development. A nation’s official self-assessment and interpretation of these figures is collectively uttered by politicians channelled to the outside world through the president as the epitome of official nation’s representation. State-of-the-nation speeches serve as a condensed peak of a nation’s self-evaluation. This mainstreamed generalization however, cannot reflect the qualitative or subjectively experienced perception of changing life for individual citizens. The new social media Facebook and Twitter as well as the possibility for online citizens to post their comments on blogs is a way of expression deviating opinions from the collective voice of government. On the example of South Africa’s recent history, this article contrasts the official government’s version of development evident in the-state-of-the-nation speeches with people’s real-life experiences uttered online. A critical discourse analysis (Blommaert 2006) of four state-of-the-nation speeches by South African president Jacob Zuma (2009-2012) compared to selected postings on Facebook, Twitterand Newspaper-Comment-Blogs, allows for an assessment of the gap between official rhetoric and people’s real life experiences.
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