Sharon McLennan Cruz

Citation

Thesis Title
An alternative model for development? Promise and politics in the projecthonduras network

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Projecthonduras is an online network of voluntary organisations working in development in Honduras. It aims to create an ‘alternative model’ for development based on mobilising people using information and communication technology. Using interviews, participant observation, and internet-based data Ms McLennan drew a complex picture of the way in which the network functions, unpacking the structure and discourse of projecthonduras, and identifying the understandings that underpin both the ‘alternative’ development rhetoric and the political activity. She found that while there is considerable potential in the idea of networking for development the projecthonduras network has very paternalistic and political roots, evidenced by the politicisation of the network following the 2009 coup in Honduras. This intersection of promise and politics highlights the complexity inherent in the search for development alternatives in today’s globalised world.

Supervisors
Professor Regina Scheyvens
Associate Professor Robyn Andrews