The shape of ICT4D to come

Abstract

This editorial advances the point that a dialectic of oppression and liberation, implicit in a multiplicity of objects of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) research, qualifies as a distinctive feature of the present and future of the ICT4D field. This point builds on Qureshi’s argument that the notion of ‘digital transformation for development’ plays a twofold role, at the intersection between enhancement of human capital and intensification of oppression over structurally silenced groups. First I illuminate the traits of a dialectic of oppression and liberation, as they are reflected in research debates that the ICT4D field has recently engaged. I then reflect on how the papers in this issue portray this dialectic, at the same time joining long-standing themes of ICT4D research.