Peer Review Articles by Dércio Tsandzana
Comunicação & Sociedade, 2023
No dia 11 de Outubro [2023], Moçambique realizou as sextas eleições municipais ao nível de 65 aut... more No dia 11 de Outubro [2023], Moçambique realizou as sextas eleições municipais ao nível de 65 autarquias. Marcadas por um cenário de flagrante desorganização dos órgãos eleitorais e crise pós-eleitoral resultante da não aceitação de resultados, o pleito foi igualmente o desvendar de novas práticas na comunicação política em Moçambique, nomeadamente distúrbios de conexão de Internet e surgimento de formas sofisticadas de manipulação de informação. É considerando tal contexto que o presente artigo discute as incidências eleitorais, do ponto de vista do uso das plataformas digitais e seus efeitos.
Mediapolis - Revista de Comunicação, Jornalismo e Espaço Público, 2023
Baseando-se nas Eleições Gerais de 2019 e, através de uma metodologia qualitativa (entrevistas se... more Baseando-se nas Eleições Gerais de 2019 e, através de uma metodologia qualitativa (entrevistas semi-estruturadas e netnografia), este artigo discute a forma pela qual o humor pode ser uma maneira de fazer política em períodos eleitorais. Como resultado, além das limitações de acesso à Internet existentes no país, os exemplos apresentados revelam a existência de uma tendência crescente do uso de imagens e memes como forma de acção política, destacando, sobretudo, práticas de ridicularização política ou simples actos de risos ou propaganda.
Revista Comunicação & Sociedade, 2023
O presente artigo discute a relação que pode ser estabelecida entre jovens, participação política... more O presente artigo discute a relação que pode ser estabelecida entre jovens, participação política e emergência das redes sociais da Internet em Moçambique, defendendo o argumento segundo o qual os espaços de participação política em Moçambique encontram-se obstruídos, por conta da submissão histórica na qual os jovens foram imperados ao longo dos anos, razão pela qual socorrem-se das ferramentas digitais da Internet como alternativa viável e segura – o espaço virtual como uma ‘escapatória’.
Journal of African Elections, 2022
This article discusses the political participation of youth in Mozambique’s electoral processes, ... more This article discusses the political participation of youth in Mozambique’s electoral processes, specifically the 2019 general elections. The study finds that Mozambican political parties do not have a clear vision of young people’s aspirations, since the definition of the ‘youth problem’ is dominated by adults. In addition, young people’s issues have been generalised without considering the specific concept of what it means to be young. However, in order to maintain the social and economic benefits provided by their political parties, the same young people assume that adults continue to be an example to follow in guiding the destiny of the country.
Revista Cadernos de Estudos Africanos, 2020
Tendo em conta que a participação política não pode ser alicerçada unicamente ao voto, verifica-s... more Tendo em conta que a participação política não pode ser alicerçada unicamente ao voto, verifica-se com o boom das redes sociais da internet o surgimento de formas inovadas de exercer tal participação, seja por incremento das manifestações, boicotes, artigos de opinião ou realização de petições que encontram no espaço virtual um vector de maior visibilidade. Com o presente artigo, pretendemos discutir o contributo das redes sociais da Internet, em particular o Facebook, na participação política da(s) juventude(s), com destaque para o meio urbano moçambicano. Para a sua realização, nos baseamos no método netnográfico e na pesquisa bibliográfica, coadjuvada por entrevistas semiestruturadas sobre participação política dos jovens.
Revista Comunicação Jornalismo e Espaço Público , Dec 2020
O presente artigo incide sobre Moçambique, e procura analisar como é que os políticos usam as red... more O presente artigo incide sobre Moçambique, e procura analisar como é que os políticos usam as redes sociais da internet na sua comunicação com os cidadãos, particularmente o Facebook. Importa sublinhar que no princípio as redes sociais da internet foram vistas como maléficas e perturbadoras para a sociedade, mas desde 2014 as mesmas são usadas, não só para transmitir discursos políticos, mas igualmente para se posicionar perante a publicação e partilha de notícias falsas. Este artigo resulta de uma pesquisa que teve o seu início em 2018, através da realização de uma etnografia virtual, durante as eleições municipais em Moçambique, bem como da recolha de elementos de análise por intermédio de páginas da Internet, com maior enfoque para o Facebook. Um dos resultados é a constatação de que as redes sociais da Internet têm sido usadas pelos políticos que encontram barreiras em transmitir a sua comunicação por intermédio dos media tradicionais, tornando-se assim um meio alternativo relevante na comunicação política.
Journal of African Elections, 2019
This article aims to understand the political impact of social networking platforms on the genera... more This article aims to understand the political impact of social networking platforms on the general elections in Mozambique held on 15 October 2014. It focusses on how electoral observation and monitoring were carried out in Mozambique using online tools, and is based on an ongoing research project exploring young people in politics in Mozambique through the internet. It uses a qualitative approach of both interviews and digital ethnography to sketch the landscape of online electoral observation in Mozambique. The positions here are the result of abstraction and generalisation-the particular positions of individuals or groups will only ever approximate these generalised positions, which are reconstructed from the complexity of everyday situated experience. As a preliminary conclusion, we have noted that the internet allows the emergence of new perspectives in political participation in Mozambique, despite its limited access to the internet.
Lusophone Journal of Communication & Society, 2018
In the last 10 years, studies on political participation through social networks have marked the ... more In the last 10 years, studies on political participation through social networks have marked the debate in the field of media studies. In Mozambique, particularly, and in the world, in general, youth represent the galvanizing centre that finds in the use of social networks an almost ideal tool of expression about their frustrations due to their situation of blatant social misery-unemployment and constant life uncertainty to which youth are exposed. With this article, we intend to analyse the role of social networks, specifically Facebook, in the political and social engagement of urban youth in Mozambique, considering a timeline that covers the last four years, 2014 to 2017. As a result, it is concluded that, despite the expansion of social networks in recent years, they cannot yet be considered as spaces for effective political participation by youth, due to the fact that the internet is less comprehensive, on the one hand, and the weak youth interest in political issues in Mozambique, on the other.
Revista Comunicação & Sociedade, Dec 12, 2018
Com o presente artigo, pretendemos analisar o papel das redes sociais, concretamente o Facebook, ... more Com o presente artigo, pretendemos analisar o papel das redes sociais, concretamente o Facebook, no engajamento político e social da juventude urbana em Moçambique, considerando um horizonte que abarca os últimos quatro anos, 2014-2017. Como resultado, concluímos que embora a sua expansão nos últimos anos, as redes sociais ainda não podem ser consideradas, no seu todo, como espaços que permitam uma efectiva participação política da juventude, decorrente do facto de a internet ser menos abrangente, por um lado, e do fraco interesse da juventude em questões políticas em Moçambique, por outro.
Esquisses | Les Afriques dans le monde, Mar 1, 2019
Le 10 octobre 2018, le Mozambique a réalisé ses cinquièmes élections municipales. Ce moment polit... more Le 10 octobre 2018, le Mozambique a réalisé ses cinquièmes élections municipales. Ce moment politique était particulièrement remarquable du fait de la mise en œuvre d'une nouvelle législation électorale et du retour du parti Renamo qui avait boycotté le précédent scrutin municipal (2013). De juillet à octobre 2018, j'étais à Maputo, capitale du Mozambique, pour réaliser un terrain exploratoire pour ma thèse qui s'intéresse à « la participation politique des jeunes urbains à l'ère des réseaux sociaux au Mozambique ». Le but de ce terrain était d'observer la réalisation du scrutin : d'abord la campagne électorale et ensuite les élections du 10 octobre 2018.
Book Reviews by Dércio Tsandzana
African Studies Review, 2025
Tendai Chari and Ufuoma Akpojivi’s edited volume, Communication Rights in Africa, is an ambitious... more Tendai Chari and Ufuoma Akpojivi’s edited volume, Communication Rights in Africa, is an ambitious and timely exploration of communication rights in the African context, examining how these rights are conceptualized, protected, and contested across the continent. Using a rights-based lens, the collection addresses communication in both offline and digital spheres, shedding light on issues such as digital exclusion, language rights, citizen journalism, media regulation, intellectual property, and social media politicization. The book’s innovative approaches make it a valuable resource for scholars, activists, and media practitioners.
Politique Africaine, 2023
This book is part of a series entitled “The African World Histories”. It presents a new approach ... more This book is part of a series entitled “The African World Histories”. It presents a new approach to teaching and learning for courses in African history and African studies, and also seeks to offer a new interpretation of African and global experiences from the pers- pectives of Africans who lived through them. In general, the book addresses the problem of authoritarianism in Africa by focusing on three topics: repression, resistance, and the power of ideas.
Politique africaine, Jun 1, 2022
Since 2011, and the so-called wave of the “Arab Springs”, the academic debate around protests and... more Since 2011, and the so-called wave of the “Arab Springs”, the academic debate around protests and social mobilisation in sub-Saharan Africa has expanded, often questioning the perspective of political regime change or the role of social media networks mostly disseminated by young people. Researchers also seek to analyse the consequences of the limited media coverage of protests in sub-Saharan Africa compared to what is taking place in North Africa. This book seeks to go beyond such restrictive analytical lines and to understand the social, economic, and political processes underlying the Arab Spring and the more recent pro- tests in Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa (chapters 1 and 2).
Revue Politique africaine, Dec 16, 2020
Research that seeks to discuss the relationship between social media and electoral participation ... more Research that seeks to discuss the relationship between social media and electoral participation in particular, and democracy in general, is a classic area of the field of political communication. Most works, however, tackle countries in which democracy and economy are relatively more developed, as is the case with Anglo-American countries (p. 40), whereas there are few references to African countries (p. 43, 147, 217). Against this background, Martin Ndlela and Winston Mano’s book is a positive demonstration of the existence of excellent scientific production on the use of social media for political activities in African countries.
Chapters/Books by Dércio Tsandzana
Presses universitaires du Septentrion, 2024
« N’y allez pas ! » Voici ce que le chercheur entendra probablement lorsque son terrain est trave... more « N’y allez pas ! » Voici ce que le chercheur entendra probablement lorsque son terrain est traversé par de violents conflits. Cela serait sous doute plus sage pour nous de vous répéter cette injonction, à l’instar des éditeurs ou auteurs de manuels qui semblent parfois plus préoccupés par leur propre sécurité juridique et réputationnelle que par les besoins de la recherche scientifique. Comme chaque terrain peut être sensible selon le moment, l’identité et le positionnement du chercheur, le sujet de recherche ou encore la méthodologie, il est impossible de donner des prescriptions générales qui valent dans tous les cas. Si les trois cas de terrain présentés dans ce chapitre permettent de tirer une leçon générale de la recherche en zone de conflits violents, c’est bien celle de la subjectivité inhérente à la « sensibilité » d’un terrain. Cette subjectivité dépend de l’objet de la recherche, et du positionnement du chercheur en termes d’identité, ces deux facteurs influençant la méthodologie envisagée.
Routledge, 2024
This chapter addresses the issue of harassment in the media space in Mozambique. In fact, the iss... more This chapter addresses the issue of harassment in the media space in Mozambique. In fact, the issue of harassment of women in the media is a complex and multifaceted problem that can manifest in many ways. One aspect of this issue is the representation of women in media. Women are often objectified and portrayed in a sexualized manner in advertising, movies, TV shows, and other forms of media. This can contribute to a culture of sexism and misogyny, which can lead to harassment and violence against women. Another aspect of the issue is the harassment of women who work in the media industry. In general, women who work in journalism, broadcasting, and other media-related fields often face harassment and discrimination based on their gender. One example of this is the limited representation of women in leadership positions within media organizations in Mozambique. In addition to that, this chapter shows that the situation of harassment against women in the media space seems to be a forgotten issue in Mozambique, as there is no debate on the subject or there are few reported cases.
Digital Disinformation in Africa , 2024
This chapter is one of the first studies of disinformation in Mozambique. Specifically, this chap... more This chapter is one of the first studies of disinformation in Mozambique. Specifically, this chapter aims to investigate the link between the spread of digital disinformation and terrorist attacks in Mozambique. To answer this question, I propose three complementary questions: (i) What are the causes of digital disinformation in Mozambique? (ii) Who are the main disinformation actors in the country? (iii) What tactics are used to deploy disinformation and to combat it?
Routledge - Taylor and Francis, Nov 1, 2023
This chapter aims to discuss the use of the Internet in general, and social media networks in par... more This chapter aims to discuss the use of the Internet in general, and social media networks in particular, during 2018 municipal elections, as part of a research carried out in Mozambique. The work was based in a qualitative and digital ethnography – following the activities of political actors (candidates and political parties) on Facebook and the conversations of the users. We have selected publications that were made online and the reactions throughout the debates. In addition, we have interviewed the communication manager of one of the political parties that participated in the 2018 municipal elections. The preliminary conclusion illustrates that despite the increasing use of social media networks in elections in the world, there is little engagement by the Mozambican political actors to use such spaces. Given the technical and financial incapacity to invest in their virtual political communication, the voters do not have official information about the candidates, what create an opportunity for sharing memes, screenshots and contradictory information during elections.
Routledge - Taylor and Francis, 2023
Digital platforms have transformed the way young people get involved in politics. Digital media h... more Digital platforms have transformed the way young people get involved in politics. Digital media have brought about “new arenas” of political engagement for the youth which transcend traditional platforms such as political parties. This chapter examines the digital activism of Cabo Delgado Também é Moçambique (in Portuguese) a Mozambican social media movement created by young people to defend victims of terrorism in northern Mozambique. The movement was composed of activists who were mobilised through social networks to promote actions of support and draw attention to the conflict taking place. The attacks began in 2017 and caused more than 900,000 to be internally displaced and over 3,000 deaths. The chapter spotlights how the movement used digital channels of communication and mobilisation between 2019 and 2021. Data were drawn from individual interviews and digital ethnography focusing how members of the movement engaged through digital activism to raise awareness about the political crisis in 2021 Cabo Delgado in a context of restrictions on democratic rights. The chapter argues that that even though Mozambique has registered low levels of Internet connection (21%), there is an emergence of youth digital activism that cannot be ignored, even if the civic space tends to be limited or restricted in the country.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2023
The emergence of the Internet witnessed the rise of social media networks, as well as the practic... more The emergence of the Internet witnessed the rise of social media networks, as well as the practice of journalism carried out by traditional media. In addition to that new media practices opened space for the emergence, creating and disseminating of information (Campbell, 2015). Although only 23% of the population in Mozambique have access to the Internet (Hootsuite, 2022), the country has registered examples that show citizens’ interest in participating in the country’s political life using new technologies such as mobile phones. Considering that context, this chapter discusses the experience of a citizen journalism movement emerged in 2013 called Olho do Cidadão—‘Citizen’s Eye’. Previous work about Mozambique has failed to address ethical and digital issues, reason why we adopt experience-based interviews approach, which aims at sharing the contribution of the members of the initiative, as well as the collection of information on its Internet social networks (mainly Facebook). The main findings are that the Citizen’s Eye represents an innovation in the way of informing and reporting about politics in Mozambique, although problems such as digital divide, ethics and professional deontology and fact-checking persist.
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Peer Review Articles by Dércio Tsandzana
Book Reviews by Dércio Tsandzana
Chapters/Books by Dércio Tsandzana
Estamos a falar do significado político destas eleições Distritais, num contexto de regime híbrido e com tendências autoritárias. Em outras palavras, não nos parece que o debate deve estar ancorado em premissas de ordem legal (é ou não constitucional o adiamento das eleições?), muito menos sobre questões de ordem financeira ou administrativa (temos dinheiro para fazer eleições e que custos terá a instalação de novos órgãos?).
Para nós, é mais do que isso. Ou seja, para além de se colocar o debate nos termos acima mencionados, a nossa fala vai ser sobre a terceira dimensão do mesmo debate: a vertente política.
According to the State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2021, Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest coverage gap (those living in areas without mobile broadband coverage) at 19%, which is more than three times the global average. The high cost of data and mobile phones is prohibiting internet access which has made many in Africa to remain offline. Among other things, this session discussed how digital taxation contributed to increases in internet costs and addressed how poor digital infrastructure and lack of access to reliable electricity affected online participation.
Edition: Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Support: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
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Young people are the majority in many developing or less economically advanced countries such as Mozambique. In this country, people under the age of 35 represent more than 60% of the total population of 33 million inhabitants (INE, 2017). Considering this context, the thesis addresses different spaces and practices of political-youth participation in Mozambique. To this end, I analyse the relationship of young people to politics, combining several forms of civic participation, including elections, demonstrations, discussing and engaging with politics. Based on mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative), I intend to understand this relationship to politics in a country characterised by a ‘democracy like no other’. Regarding this context, I have observed that Mozambique is facing a reality that cannot be read outside of what the political system represents. In other words, youth political participation practices are the result of local actions that often depend on the type of power in place (municipality) and, more globally, the country (national level), because Mozambique is marked by an ‘impediment to political participation’, captured by the practices of a hybrid regime in power since 1975. In addition to that, I cannot assume that the young people analysed in this thesis are disenchanted with politics, because it is the opposite. In fact, I found a profile of young people who, despite the opposition created by the political regime (ruling party), adopt forms of political participation that in some way challenge authority itself.