Thesis Format
Monograph
Degree
Master of Arts
Program
Anthropology
Supervisor
Premat, Adriana
Abstract
Drawing on four months of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Havana in 2016, this thesis focuses on how digital technologies have been integrated into Cuban society and how they have been intertwined with the Cuban government’s educational goals and its attempt to control the circulation and quality of information at a time of change. Among the topics discussed are the role of digital technologies in: (1) reconfiguring space and sociality on the island; (2) expanding Cubans’ options to connect with people overseas and meet their desire for knowledge and pride in being worldly and up-to-date; and (3) generating alternative sources of information and entertainment that may compete with, replace, or complement government-sanctioned sources. Overall, the analysis allows me to explore significant societal transformations and the accompanying generational and social differences that characterize contemporary Cuba.
Summary for Lay Audience
Drawing on four months of ethnographic fieldwork carried out in Havana in 2016, this thesis focuses on how digital technologies have been integrated into Cuban society and how they have been intertwined with the Cuban government’s educational goals and its attempt to control the circulation and quality of information at a time of change. Among the topics discussed are the role of digital technologies in: (1) reconfiguring space and sociality on the island; (2) expanding Cubans’ options to connect with people overseas and meet their desire for knowledge and pride in being worldly and up-to-date; and (3) generating alternative sources of information and entertainment that may compete with, replace, or complement government-sanctioned sources. Overall, the analysis allows me to explore significant societal transformations and the accompanying generational and social differences that characterize contemporary Cuba.
Recommended Citation
Gavric, Diana, "Digital Technology and Communications in Today's Cuba" (2019). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6710.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6710