Spinning webs of meanings: Limiting or expanding futures through representations of information and communication technologies for development in Jamaica

This article presents the findings from an interdisciplinary qualitative study that expands Fairclough's critical discourse analysis methodology to analyze the discourses surrounding a non-indigenous Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for livelihood development initiative in Jamaica. This initiative was introduced by the United Nations Development Programme—the Jamaica Sustainable Development Networking Programme (JSDNP) Cybercentre Project. The findings of the study suggest that this initiative (the JSDNP Cybercentre Project) represented the achievement of livelihood development through the use of specific non-indigenous ICTs and in particular ways of acting, organizing and being which were counterproductive to the achievement of livelihood opportunities of the poor entrepreneurs exposed to this initiative. Furthermore this discourse limited the operational processes of all microenterprise entrepreneurs. It was discovered that these entrepreneurs had limited control over the configuration of non-indigenous technologies; their technological and creative capabilities were restricted; their ability to indigenize non-indigenous technologies impaired; and they were highly dependent on non-indigenous technologies. In this article, I argue that such a discourse has serious implications for the future possibilities of the entrepreneurs exposed to this initiative and has wider future implications for the development of Jamaica itself.