Abstract
In this article, I examine the extraordinary demand for telecoms services that lies behind the emergence of Somalia's telecoms industry in the wake of state collapse. I argue that this demand is not only driven by the size of the collapse-induced Somali diaspora and the astounding amount of money they remit each year, but is a reflection of an ethno-national logic that has shaped the ways in which Somalis at home and abroad have dealt with unpredictability in the wake of state collapse - by staying mobile and staying connected. In turn, I conclude that this created an extraordinary demand for telecoms services in post-collapse Somalia for the very reason that telecoms were necessary to adapt and use these culturally and historically informed strategies on a global scale.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 203-223 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Mobilities |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Connections
- Failed state
- Migration
- Mobility
- State collapse
- Telecommunications
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Demography
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Sociology and Political Science