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Mandela writes

Facebook: a sociologist's dream...

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In recent times Facebook has featured much in various prominent journals of the world, hailed as either the most genius concept in virtual social networking or castigated as an impediment to productivity. Either way the debate is testimony to its impact.

Any routine surf on Facebook would reveal people engage it, for various reasons, for me the impulse was prompted by my desire to connect with home, being that for the most part of three years, I have lived outside the country. It is only once this fate befalls you that one understands the craving for all things home, in my case it was for all and anything Namibian. Facebook is the social networking phenomena that it is because, of the brilliant and easy way in which it allows one to connect with the world, a virtual world but nevertheless as interesting. Of course there are many other such brilliant concepts and networking phenomena linked in, Orkut, TIG, Black Planet and Kanvea amongst other are all potential forms of communication and interaction that are changing our world forever. To me they represent a kind of a microcosm of the world also, or in my case of Namibia. Rest assured, that I am relatively grounded and thus do not go about making decision based on what I see and hear on Facebook, but they do give you a sociological insight of Namibia, virtually at least. As a student of sociology, this stuff is for me the new frontier of social anthropology.

As is in real life the virtual Namibia has distinct and separate white and black spheres, with some but almost not enough bridges between the two. One also learns that the majority of the almost 8 000 members in the Namibian network are largely white, owing perhaps to their social-economic advantage. Conspicuously obvious as well is the fact that most Namibians engage the social networking phenomena for just that exactly, social networking. Politics, academia and activism are mainly secondary. linking with old school and university friends is the more savvy option on Facebook. Activities range from the vain, to the admirable, a random look at groups reveals this, Namibians the only drinking champions, Namibian Modelz, Mashaho for life , Jagermeister is King and the like represent the one extreme while politics, books and social causes such as AIDS, and the floods in northern and north eastern Namibia, occupy the distant and miniscule other extreme.

Facebooking it seems is an elitist excess, particularly so, amongst some of the pioneering black users. The young of the nascent and emerging black upper middle class represent a great chunk of the user of the phenomena in Namibia, overlapping with these are also a chunk of Namibian South Africa and western based students. Academic networks of the UCT and Stellenbosch universities reign supreme in the Namibia Country network, a small but growing contingent of China based Namibian students is making it to the fore though.

Whilst the vain is dominant on Facebook, some do use it to engage in a little activism, from saving Darfur to saving the woman of Congo and stopping breast cancer are of the most prominent causes Namibians ascribe to, not many play leading or active roles for such causes and groups though, this is rather telling of the passive nature of some things in Namibia indeed.

I have always been convinced that SWAPO would, have do much work in convincing the emerging academic elite and born free generation in identifying with the ideals of the liberation struggle and indeed with the party itself, how wrong I have been, It seems even with the very young and with the future intelligentsia SWAPO is king.

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sganeb Sydney Boyckie !Ganeb
May 19, 2008 | 6:24 AM facbook
Great staff, i will be back with my comment soon!!!
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