Whenever we set out to make the world a better place, our instinct is often to jump straight in and get ‘doing’. Driven by a sense of urgency that pushes us to act without delay, we find ourselves desperate to fix, or to build, or to solve. Perhaps it’s because we’re drawn to the visible … Continue reading Mindful action. Meaningful change.
Category: Anthropology
Ken Banks on anthropology and technology: how an anthropologist’s lens shapes mobile innovation, tech for good and mindful social change.
Why we need more anthropologists
Today I’m back at the University of Edinburgh talking to anthropology students about how I’ve used my degree in my global technology/development career. I can’t overstate how refreshing it is to speak to a room not obsessed with technology, or scaling projects, or measuring impact. For me, it’s always started with the people and, for … Continue reading Why we need more anthropologists
A Six-Point Plan for Change
Late last year I was in South Africa attending Buntwani 2015. As always, it was great meeting new people and catching up with old friends. Sadly, some of those old ‘friends’ included many of the issues we seem to continually face in the development sector, issues which don’t seem to ever want to go away. I … Continue reading A Six-Point Plan for Change
Indigenous and ingenious: The roots of mobile banking in Africa
In Ghana, it’s popularly known as susu. In Cameroon, tontines or chilembe. And in South Africa, stokfel. Today, you’d most likely call it plain-old microfinance, the nearest term we have for it. Age-old indigenous credit schemes have run perfectly well without much outside intervention for generations. Although, in our excitement to implement new technologies and … Continue reading Indigenous and ingenious: The roots of mobile banking in Africa
Unpicking the (offline) mystery of the mask
In an age where you can find answers to almost anything with the click of a mouse, it can come as something of a surprise when what might seem like a simple bit of research comes to an abrupt, premature end. Back in 2004 I came across a strange-looking mask in a South African craft … Continue reading Unpicking the (offline) mystery of the mask
When in Rome. Or Africa.
Whenever I find myself in front of a group of students, or young people aspiring to work in development, I’m usually asked to share one piece of advice with them. I usually go with this: Get out there while you can and understand the context of the people you aspire to help. As you get … Continue reading When in Rome. Or Africa.
Anthropologists in a Global Village
Social anthropology was a discipline I was fortunate to stumble into when I headed to university way back in 1996. My main motive for going was to read Development Studies, but at Sussex you couldn’t study it as a single subject. Choices for a second ranged from English Literature to Spanish to Geography. I rather … Continue reading Anthropologists in a Global Village
The dollar-a-week “mobile challenge”
Some people go on long walks. Some climb mountains. Others run marathons or go for weeks without smoking, drinking alcohol or watching television. There are many ways to raise money for charity these days, although many don’t have a direct connection with the area of focus of the charity itself. Even less put the fundraiser … Continue reading The dollar-a-week “mobile challenge”
National Geographic: Interview
The following interview – “Solving eco challenges with grassroots messaging” – was given to the National Geographic website last autumn. It’s republished here after it turned out to be one of the most comprehensive to date – covering everything from the role of anthropology in mobiles-for-development, the environmental impact of mobile phones and the thinking behind … Continue reading National Geographic: Interview
Spreading the “Mobile Message”
Over the past year or so, it’s become increasingly clear to us that we need to take the “mobile message” out of its technology silo and make it more available – and accessible – to a wider audience. This was the thinking behind our regular series on PC World, and is the thinking behind a … Continue reading Spreading the “Mobile Message”
Restricted mobility
On my travels it’s not unusual for me to find a dozen or more Village Phone operators in a single village. It’s also not unusual to find them with pretty-much the same phone, quite often the same price plan, and the same signs and posters. And just to rub it in, their shops and kiosks … Continue reading Restricted mobility
Anthropology: Taking it mobile
Anyone taking more than a passing glance at the kiwanja.net website shouldn’t need long to figure out my four key areas of interest. I’ve always maintained that if your ideal job doesn’t exist then you have to create it, and being able to combine my passions for technology, anthropology, conservation and development is for me … Continue reading Anthropology: Taking it mobile
CNN on anthropology and innovation
“As trained observers of how people in a society live, ethnographers can help companies figure out what people need and then work with designers to meet those needs with new (or more often tweaked) products and services. In a world in which ever more people are using technology products on a daily basis, such skills … Continue reading CNN on anthropology and innovation
Why does this picture trouble me?
I wonder. Is it because it looks staged? Or because it reinforces our perceptions of the “old” and the “new”, the “developed” and the “underdeveloped”? Is it because it likely shows the beginning of the end of a complex relationship going back generations between a people and their culture? We have so much to learn … Continue reading Why does this picture trouble me?
Bones for mobile phones
What on earth are anthropologists doing playing with mobile phones? The answer may be a little more obvious than you think Anthropology is an age-old, at times complex discipline, and like many others it suffers from its fair share of in-fighting and disagreement. It’s also a discipline shrouded in a certain mystery. Few people seem … Continue reading Bones for mobile phones