ICT4D 3.0? Part 2—The patterns of an emerging “digital-for-development” paradigm

Abstract

There is evidence of “ICT4D 3.0”: a new “digital-for-development” paradigm emerging in the relationship between digital technologies and international development. Part 1 of this paper looked at the component parts of that paradigm. Part 2, provided here, analyses the impact of the paradigm on development. It does this by looking for big-picture patterns in terms of two key logics that shape society: the logic of competition and the logic of cooperation. Looking at evidence in the economic and political domains, it finds that digital technologies are associated with a reproduction, diffusion, mutation and intensification of the dominant, competitive logic in developing countries. We see this in relation to capitalism, competitive markets and hierarchical state-citizen relations. At the same time, though, the digital-for-development paradigm is also associated with growing examples and opportunities for an alternative economics and an alternative politics based around cooperative logic. The paper ends with some suggestions for the future digital-for-development research agenda.