The onset of emerging infectious disease epidemics is marked by uncertainties regarding the natur... more The onset of emerging infectious disease epidemics is marked by uncertainties regarding the nature of the causative pathogen, mode of transmission, and preventive measures among other factors. While scientists are developing knowledge on these subjects, people must adapt to these uncertainties. We explore risk construction in the epidemic context by conceptualizing risk as a knowledge construct and identifying the constitutive elements that influence its construction. Using qualitative interviews and comparing three locations in Ghana during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, we argue that the construction of risk is influenced by a combination of disease, networked information, and information on enabled factors—factors triggered by the epidemic context (geographic location, government policies, absence of confirmed cases). These enabled factors, we suggest, shape the disease risk characteristics that amplify or attenuate risk perception and influence health behavior.
Epidemics have traditionally been viewed as the widespread occurrence of infectious disease withi... more Epidemics have traditionally been viewed as the widespread occurrence of infectious disease within a community, or a sudden increase above what is typical. But modern epidemics are both more and less than the diffusion of viral entities. We argue that epidemics are 'fire objects', using a term coined by Law and Singleton: They generate locative fears through encounters that focus attention on entities that are unknown or imprecisely known, transforming spaces and humans into indeterminate dangers, alternating appearance and absence. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 had more complex impacts than the number of infections would suggest. We employ multi-sited qualitative interviews to argue that locative fear is the essence of modern global epidemics. In the discussion we contrast Ebola with both the Zika epidemic that followed and the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Vaccine trials for infectious diseases take place in a milieu of trust in which scientists, regul... more Vaccine trials for infectious diseases take place in a milieu of trust in which scientists, regulatory institutions, and volunteers trust each other to play traditional roles. This milieu of trust emerges from a combination of preexisting linkages embedded in the local and national political context. Using the case of failed vaccine trials in Hohoe, Ghana, we explore this milieu of trust by employing the concept of tandems of trust and control, with a particular focus on the perceived characteristics of the disease and the linkages formed. An analysis of qualitative interviews collected in Hohoe following the West Africa Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016 shows that the trust/control nexus in vaccine trials precedes the implementation of those trials, while both the characteristics of Ebola and the political context shaped the formation and breakdown of relationships in the trial network.
Objective: Individuals leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) often lack adequate training ... more Objective: Individuals leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) often lack adequate training to best serve their communities' needs during disaster recovery even as they are often tasked with filling in gaps left by governmental and private resources. Thus, it is essential that education and training initiatives address NGO efforts specifically. This paper identifies training and education needs as proffered by organizational representatives that have themselves been involved in long-term recovery efforts following disasters in the past 10 years across Texas.
Design, setting, and subjects: Qualitative interviews with nearly 100 local NGO representatives, government officials, and regional and state-level NGO representatives were conducted using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants conducted recovery activities in six different locations in Texas since 2008.
Results: Many respondents noted that they had little experience in disaster recovery and a lack of understanding of what recovery involved. Interviewees identified needs for training including how to coordinate recovery tasks among multiple organizations and agencies (eg, who to involve, what skillsets are needed, what group structure should be formed), how to distribute financial and nonfinancial resources (eg, how to prioritize needs, how to distribute funds, who should receive funding), and how to manage media and external organizational attention.
Conclusion: This paper provides recommendations for augmenting existing NGO training and educational activities and developing new training schemes offering practical advice from recovery leaders who have been on the frontline of recent disasters.
Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 2018
The successful evolution of money and payment platforms in today's world requires consumer adopti... more The successful evolution of money and payment platforms in today's world requires consumer adoption, which in turn requires access to knowledge about developing financial products. This is particularly the case in developing country contexts where the participation in publicly accessible financial payment platforms has been lauded as a means through which low income people can access financial resources, save, and build wealth. Using a qualitative approach and the knowledge gap hypothesis as a conceptual framework, the current study explores knowledge patterns and knowledge gaps in the context of two financial transitions in Ghana, West Africa. While general patterns in acquired knowledge were observed, income levels appeared to shape observed levels of knowledge. Implications for financial inclusion are discussed.
The introduction of a new form of money into society can be deemed successful if it is adopted an... more The introduction of a new form of money into society can be deemed successful if it is adopted and integrated into the daily financial practices of a large part of the society. In other words, both central banks and the general society play a role in money objects becoming money. On occasion, social rejection of new money objects occurs, such that official legal tender is not accepted or put to use as a medium of exchange in financial transactions, resulting in financial deadweight. Using qualitative data on coin use subsequent to Ghana’s 2007 redenomination of the Cedi as well as the introduction of the e‑zwich card, an electronic payment system, this paper explores two such cases of social rejection of a money object. Due to the role that society plays in adopting money objects, attempts to encourage adoption of money objects must include bottom up strategies.
This paper traces the origin of the term ‘third world’ and the evolution of the several meanings ... more This paper traces the origin of the term ‘third world’ and the evolution of the several meanings it has assumed over the years. It also explores the origins of the concept ‘development’. And using the discourse analysis of Michel Foucault as the framework, it unearths the manifold ways in which the terms ‘third world’ and ‘development’ have been used to subjugate and characterize the discourse on Africa. The paper further argues that the discourse on Africa is changing; a change that is driven by Africans who are telling the unique and wonderful story of Africa.
The onset of emerging infectious disease epidemics is marked by uncertainties regarding the natur... more The onset of emerging infectious disease epidemics is marked by uncertainties regarding the nature of the causative pathogen, mode of transmission, and preventive measures among other factors. While scientists are developing knowledge on these subjects, people must adapt to these uncertainties. We explore risk construction in the epidemic context by conceptualizing risk as a knowledge construct and identifying the constitutive elements that influence its construction. Using qualitative interviews and comparing three locations in Ghana during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, we argue that the construction of risk is influenced by a combination of disease, networked information, and information on enabled factors—factors triggered by the epidemic context (geographic location, government policies, absence of confirmed cases). These enabled factors, we suggest, shape the disease risk characteristics that amplify or attenuate risk perception and influence health behavior.
Epidemics have traditionally been viewed as the widespread occurrence of infectious disease withi... more Epidemics have traditionally been viewed as the widespread occurrence of infectious disease within a community, or a sudden increase above what is typical. But modern epidemics are both more and less than the diffusion of viral entities. We argue that epidemics are 'fire objects', using a term coined by Law and Singleton: They generate locative fears through encounters that focus attention on entities that are unknown or imprecisely known, transforming spaces and humans into indeterminate dangers, alternating appearance and absence. The Ebola epidemic of 2014 had more complex impacts than the number of infections would suggest. We employ multi-sited qualitative interviews to argue that locative fear is the essence of modern global epidemics. In the discussion we contrast Ebola with both the Zika epidemic that followed and the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Vaccine trials for infectious diseases take place in a milieu of trust in which scientists, regul... more Vaccine trials for infectious diseases take place in a milieu of trust in which scientists, regulatory institutions, and volunteers trust each other to play traditional roles. This milieu of trust emerges from a combination of preexisting linkages embedded in the local and national political context. Using the case of failed vaccine trials in Hohoe, Ghana, we explore this milieu of trust by employing the concept of tandems of trust and control, with a particular focus on the perceived characteristics of the disease and the linkages formed. An analysis of qualitative interviews collected in Hohoe following the West Africa Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016 shows that the trust/control nexus in vaccine trials precedes the implementation of those trials, while both the characteristics of Ebola and the political context shaped the formation and breakdown of relationships in the trial network.
Objective: Individuals leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) often lack adequate training ... more Objective: Individuals leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) often lack adequate training to best serve their communities' needs during disaster recovery even as they are often tasked with filling in gaps left by governmental and private resources. Thus, it is essential that education and training initiatives address NGO efforts specifically. This paper identifies training and education needs as proffered by organizational representatives that have themselves been involved in long-term recovery efforts following disasters in the past 10 years across Texas.
Design, setting, and subjects: Qualitative interviews with nearly 100 local NGO representatives, government officials, and regional and state-level NGO representatives were conducted using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants conducted recovery activities in six different locations in Texas since 2008.
Results: Many respondents noted that they had little experience in disaster recovery and a lack of understanding of what recovery involved. Interviewees identified needs for training including how to coordinate recovery tasks among multiple organizations and agencies (eg, who to involve, what skillsets are needed, what group structure should be formed), how to distribute financial and nonfinancial resources (eg, how to prioritize needs, how to distribute funds, who should receive funding), and how to manage media and external organizational attention.
Conclusion: This paper provides recommendations for augmenting existing NGO training and educational activities and developing new training schemes offering practical advice from recovery leaders who have been on the frontline of recent disasters.
Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 2018
The successful evolution of money and payment platforms in today's world requires consumer adopti... more The successful evolution of money and payment platforms in today's world requires consumer adoption, which in turn requires access to knowledge about developing financial products. This is particularly the case in developing country contexts where the participation in publicly accessible financial payment platforms has been lauded as a means through which low income people can access financial resources, save, and build wealth. Using a qualitative approach and the knowledge gap hypothesis as a conceptual framework, the current study explores knowledge patterns and knowledge gaps in the context of two financial transitions in Ghana, West Africa. While general patterns in acquired knowledge were observed, income levels appeared to shape observed levels of knowledge. Implications for financial inclusion are discussed.
The introduction of a new form of money into society can be deemed successful if it is adopted an... more The introduction of a new form of money into society can be deemed successful if it is adopted and integrated into the daily financial practices of a large part of the society. In other words, both central banks and the general society play a role in money objects becoming money. On occasion, social rejection of new money objects occurs, such that official legal tender is not accepted or put to use as a medium of exchange in financial transactions, resulting in financial deadweight. Using qualitative data on coin use subsequent to Ghana’s 2007 redenomination of the Cedi as well as the introduction of the e‑zwich card, an electronic payment system, this paper explores two such cases of social rejection of a money object. Due to the role that society plays in adopting money objects, attempts to encourage adoption of money objects must include bottom up strategies.
This paper traces the origin of the term ‘third world’ and the evolution of the several meanings ... more This paper traces the origin of the term ‘third world’ and the evolution of the several meanings it has assumed over the years. It also explores the origins of the concept ‘development’. And using the discourse analysis of Michel Foucault as the framework, it unearths the manifold ways in which the terms ‘third world’ and ‘development’ have been used to subjugate and characterize the discourse on Africa. The paper further argues that the discourse on Africa is changing; a change that is driven by Africans who are telling the unique and wonderful story of Africa.
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Design, setting, and subjects: Qualitative interviews with nearly 100 local NGO representatives, government officials, and regional and state-level NGO representatives were conducted using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants conducted recovery activities in six different locations in Texas since 2008.
Results: Many respondents noted that they had little experience in disaster recovery and a lack of understanding of what recovery involved. Interviewees identified needs for training including how to coordinate recovery tasks among multiple organizations and agencies (eg, who to involve, what skillsets are needed, what group structure should be formed), how to distribute financial and nonfinancial resources (eg, how to prioritize needs, how to distribute funds, who should receive funding), and how to manage media and external organizational attention.
Conclusion: This paper provides recommendations for augmenting existing NGO training and educational activities and developing new training schemes offering practical advice from recovery leaders who have been on the frontline of recent disasters.
Design, setting, and subjects: Qualitative interviews with nearly 100 local NGO representatives, government officials, and regional and state-level NGO representatives were conducted using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants conducted recovery activities in six different locations in Texas since 2008.
Results: Many respondents noted that they had little experience in disaster recovery and a lack of understanding of what recovery involved. Interviewees identified needs for training including how to coordinate recovery tasks among multiple organizations and agencies (eg, who to involve, what skillsets are needed, what group structure should be formed), how to distribute financial and nonfinancial resources (eg, how to prioritize needs, how to distribute funds, who should receive funding), and how to manage media and external organizational attention.
Conclusion: This paper provides recommendations for augmenting existing NGO training and educational activities and developing new training schemes offering practical advice from recovery leaders who have been on the frontline of recent disasters.