Youths, Digital Media, and the 'New' Knowledge Economy in Africa: Perspectives of Global City Policymakers in Tanzania
Loading...
Citations
Altmetric:
Altmetric::
Download
Associated Records
Authors
File Licence
Editors
Date
2020
Source Title
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Melbourne Authors
Affiliation
School of Culture and Communication
Document Type
PhD thesis
Subject Code
Citation
Access Status
Open Access
DOI
Access URL
Open Access URL
Open Access at PMC
Linked Resource URL
NHMRC Grant Code
ARC Grant Code
Description
© 2020 Josephine Philip Churk
Abstract
This study addresses the conceptualisation of civic public communication as an important component of the paradigm of the ‘knowledge economy’ and examines the way the government of Tanzania manages this emerging knowledge in digital policymaking. The study has a focus on policy experts’ understanding of globalisation and digital engagement among youths who are interacting with smartphone communication in the global digital city, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Specifically, the study addresses policy experts’ understanding of digital social practices of youths in their interaction through smartphone communication in Dar es Salaam, and the implications of this understanding in policy decision practices for managing the knowledge economy for the city’s economic development. The study employs semi-structured interviews with policy experts in Dar es Salaam who are policy decision-makers at different levels of government in Tanzania. Findings reveal that policy experts in the globalised digital city, Dar es Salaam, perceive policymaking from the traditional perspectives of financial and business activities. They also reveal that policy experts understand the globalised digital sphere as a hub for promoting political leaders and governance activities in Dar es Salaam, which therefore impacts policymaking perceptions. The study concludes that policy experts in the study area have limited knowledge of civic public communication as an emerging opportunity for societal development in the globalised digital city. The deterritorialised space and denationalised digital sphere, as drawn from Sassen’s theoretical perspectives on globalisation and digitisation, are emerging as the contemporary policymaking opportunities for societal development in the digital age. The study recommends that an inclusive policymaking approach between citizens and the government be developed among policy experts in Dar es Salaam for the city’s economic development in the emerging digital era. Such a decentralised approach to reaching policy decisions furthers the debate on digital-era policymaking practices in developing regions for societal development.
Notes
Terms of Use
Keywords
Civic public communication, Digital communication, Digital Policymaking, Knowledge economy, Economic development, Digital social practice, Policy decision-makers, Social media, Government decision-making, Smartphone Communication, Inclusive policymaking approach, Policy experts, Global digital city