Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa

Heike Winschiers-Theophilus; Kasper Løvborg Jensen; Kasper Rodil

Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa

Heike Winschiers-Theophilus, Kasper Løvborg Jensen, Kasper Rodil

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/conference proceeding › Article in proceeding › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Digital re-presentation of indigenous knowledge remains an absurdity as long as we fail to deconstruct the prevalent design paradigm and techniques continuously re-framing technology within a western epistemology. This paper discusses key challenges in attempts of co-constructing a digital representation based on experiences from a longitudinal community-centred research project in rural Africa. In a quest to shape design from a locally situated viewpoint, we co-design a 3D visualization of an African village with its inhabitants. Prior invisible local perspectives, as well as dominant designer’s views are brought to light within the design interactions. A new digital reality is created at the periphery of the situated knowledge through continuous negotiations and joint meaning making.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012 : Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media
Editors	Michele Strano, Herbert Hrachovec, Fay Sudweeks, Charles Ess
Number of pages	15
Place of Publication	School of Information Technology Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia, www.catacconference.org
Publisher	School of Information Technology Murdoch University
Publication date	18 Jun 2012
Pages	454-469
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-921877-02-5
Publication status	Published - 18 Jun 2012
Event	Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication: Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media - Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Duration: 18 Jun 2012 → 20 Jun 2012

Conference

Conference	Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication
Location	Aarhus University
Country/Territory	Denmark
City	Aarhus
Period	18/06/2012 → 20/06/2012

Keywords

indigenous knowledge
Technology
Africa

Access to Document

http://blogs.ubc.ca/catac/proceedings/proceedings-2012/

AUB Link

Search for the material in Aalborg University Library's search engine

IndiKnowTech: Indigenous Knowledge Technologies
Rodil, K., Rehm, M., Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Blake, E., Koch Kapuire, G., Stanley, C. & Jensen, K. L.
01/01/2008 → …
Project: Research

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Winschiers-Theophilus, H., Jensen, K. L., & Rodil, K. (2012). Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa. In M. Strano, H. Hrachovec, F. Sudweeks, & C. Ess (Eds.), Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012: Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media (pp. 454-469). School of Information Technology Murdoch University. http://blogs.ubc.ca/catac/proceedings/proceedings-2012/

Winschiers-Theophilus, Heike ; Jensen, Kasper Løvborg ; Rodil, Kasper. / Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge : Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa. Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012: Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media . editor / Michele Strano ; Herbert Hrachovec ; Fay Sudweeks ; Charles Ess. School of Information Technology Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia, www.catacconference.org : School of Information Technology Murdoch University, 2012. pp. 454-469

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abstract = "Digital re-presentation of indigenous knowledge remains an absurdity as long as we fail to deconstruct the prevalent design paradigm and techniques continuously re-framing technology within a western epistemology. This paper discusses key challenges in attempts of co-constructing a digital representation based on experiences from a longitudinal community-centred research project in rural Africa. In a quest to shape design from a locally situated viewpoint, we co-design a 3D visualization of an African village with its inhabitants. Prior invisible local perspectives, as well as dominant designer{\textquoteright}s views are brought to light within the design interactions. A new digital reality is created at the periphery of the situated knowledge through continuous negotiations and joint meaning making. ",

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editor = "Michele Strano and Herbert Hrachovec and Fay Sudweeks and Charles Ess",

booktitle = "Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012",

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Winschiers-Theophilus, H, Jensen, KL & Rodil, K 2012, Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa. in M Strano, H Hrachovec, F Sudweeks & C Ess (eds), Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012: Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media . School of Information Technology Murdoch University, School of Information Technology Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia, www.catacconference.org, pp. 454-469, Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication, Aarhus, Denmark, 18/06/2012. <http://blogs.ubc.ca/catac/proceedings/proceedings-2012/>

Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa. / Winschiers-Theophilus, Heike; Jensen, Kasper Løvborg; Rodil, Kasper.
Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012: Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media . ed. / Michele Strano; Herbert Hrachovec; Fay Sudweeks; Charles Ess. School of Information Technology Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia, www.catacconference.org: School of Information Technology Murdoch University, 2012. p. 454-469.

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/conference proceeding › Article in proceeding › Research › peer-review

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AU - Jensen, Kasper Løvborg

AU - Rodil, Kasper

PY - 2012/6/18

Y1 - 2012/6/18

N2 - Digital re-presentation of indigenous knowledge remains an absurdity as long as we fail to deconstruct the prevalent design paradigm and techniques continuously re-framing technology within a western epistemology. This paper discusses key challenges in attempts of co-constructing a digital representation based on experiences from a longitudinal community-centred research project in rural Africa. In a quest to shape design from a locally situated viewpoint, we co-design a 3D visualization of an African village with its inhabitants. Prior invisible local perspectives, as well as dominant designer’s views are brought to light within the design interactions. A new digital reality is created at the periphery of the situated knowledge through continuous negotiations and joint meaning making.

AB - Digital re-presentation of indigenous knowledge remains an absurdity as long as we fail to deconstruct the prevalent design paradigm and techniques continuously re-framing technology within a western epistemology. This paper discusses key challenges in attempts of co-constructing a digital representation based on experiences from a longitudinal community-centred research project in rural Africa. In a quest to shape design from a locally situated viewpoint, we co-design a 3D visualization of an African village with its inhabitants. Prior invisible local perspectives, as well as dominant designer’s views are brought to light within the design interactions. A new digital reality is created at the periphery of the situated knowledge through continuous negotiations and joint meaning making.

KW - indigenous knowledge

KW - Technology

KW - Africa

M3 - Article in proceeding

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BT - Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012

A2 - Strano, Michele

A2 - Hrachovec, Herbert

A2 - Sudweeks, Fay

A2 - Ess, Charles

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CY - School of Information Technology Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia, www.catacconference.org

Y2 - 18 June 2012 through 20 June 2012

ER -

Winschiers-Theophilus H, Jensen KL, Rodil K. Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa. In Strano M, Hrachovec H, Sudweeks F, Ess C, editors, Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication 2012: Beyond the digital/cultural divide: in/visibility and new media . School of Information Technology Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia, www.catacconference.org: School of Information Technology Murdoch University. 2012. p. 454-469

Locally Situated Digital Representation of Indigenous Knowledge: Co-constructing a new digital reality in rural Africa

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Projects

IndiKnowTech: Indigenous Knowledge Technologies

Cite this