Prosperity in crisis and the longue durée in Africa

Understanding the evolution and tenacity of particular ways of envisaging economic growth and development for Africa requires a form of analytical history that examines how conceptual structures function over the longue durée. Such an approach is more than simply empirical analysis through time or a set of abstractions based on the self-understandings of historical agents. It involves the development of a hypothetical analytic structure which through its own forms of transformation eventually comes to play a role in shaping the lived world of participants, including researchers, policymakers and ordinary citizens. This article uses research from Kenya and Zambia to demonstrate how a long-running – but temporally and spatially variable – focus on agricultural productivity has shaped the character of rural life in Africa, and why it has consistently failed to deliver enlarged forms of prosperity based on quality of life and ecological well-being

The InclusiveMag Method: A Start Towards More Inclusive Software for Diverse Populations

How can software practitioners assess whether their software supports diverse users? Although there are empirical processes that can be used to find “inclusivity bugs” piecemeal, what is often needed is a systematic inspection method to assess software’s support for diverse populations. To help fill this gap, this thesis introduces InclusiveMag, a generalization of GenderMag that can be used to generate systematic inclusiveness methods for a particular dimension of diversity. We then present 1) a multicase study covering eight diversity dimensions, of eight teams’ experiences applying InclusiveMag to eight under-served populations and their “mainstream” counterparts and 2) the start of the application of InclusiveMag to making software more inclusive to individuals of low socioeconomic status, through means of a systematic mapping study

New media strategies' model for sexual reproductive health and rights campaigns among youth in Kenya's informal settlements

Recent global health communication trends have seen the rise in new media use. This study explored the possibility and acceptability of media managers using new media strategies to communicate sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) messages to the youth in informal settlements. Previous SRHR campaigns have used conventional media when the world is increasingly shifting to new media. The specific aims included: to identify new media strategies that can be used to reach the youth in informal settlements; to examine the planning process and use of policy in managing new media strategies for SRHR campaigns; to understand the media managers' mitigation of potential challenges in using a new media strategies' model for SRHR campaigns; and to develop a new media strategies' model for use in SRHR campaign activities. This basic research rested on the social constructivism worldview with the qualitative approach to tell a deeper story. Information was collected from Kenya's biggest informal settlement, Kibera, and other locations through in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions (FGDs) spread among the youth, parents and educators. Sampling techniques included purposive sampling and snowballing. Data analysis was done according to Atlas.ti 2012, and thereafter, a thematic analysis was used to yield themes presented and discussed in this text. Five main new media strategies identified included: key messaging; combination strategy; new-media geographic-based strategy; school-based solutions; and sustained promotional strategy. The study also yielded the 5Ps of planning: Preliminaries; Prepare; Practise; Present; and Policy. Identified challenges included opposition, message-related, limited finances and resources and technology-related. Mitigation measures include stakeholder involvement, adequate planning, training and lobbying for resources. Finally, this study developed a new media strategies' model from stakeholder perspectives for use by communicators. The study concludes that it is both possible and acceptable to use new media strategies in SRHR campaigns in Kenya