{"id":11648,"date":"2010-08-19T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-19T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nkzw.jp\/igf\/2010\/08\/19\/en-philo-lacigf-2010-quito-spivak-subaltern\/"},"modified":"2010-08-19T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-08-19T14:00:00","slug":"en-philo-lacigf-2010-quito-spivak-subaltern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nkzw.jp\/igf\/2010\/08\/19\/en-philo-lacigf-2010-quito-spivak-subaltern\/","title":{"rendered":"Spivakian Subaltern on LACIGF 2010 Quito \u2014 \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Thumbnail\"<\/p>\n

\n

This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Postcolonial \/ Deconstruction<\/strong> \u2014 most prominently associated with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak<\/strong> \u2014 to re-read the LACIGF 2010 Quito conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Introduction: The Problem<\/h2>\n

Spivak theorized the difficulty of the subaltern's voice being heard as such. The representativeness of "civil society," "developing countries," and "youth" at LACIGF carries this difficulty.<\/p>\n

This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of LACIGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.<\/p>\n

\"Analytical<\/p>\n

Audibility of the digital subaltern<\/h2>\n

The translation process by which voices from further subaltern groups within Ecuador (rural, ethnic minorities, the poor) reach IGF involves an essentially ethical question. \u6279\u5224\u7684\u8cc7\u6e90 addresses this superficially but root resolution remains difficult.<\/p>\n

Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak-type problematic.<\/p>\n

The regional IGF (LACIGF) holds a philosophically distinct position as the intermediate category mediating global universality and national particularity.<\/p>\n

Ethics of translation<\/h2>\n

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2010 conference. We examine that application below.<\/p>\n

1. Application to "\u6279\u5224\u7684\u8cc7\u6e90"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u6279\u5224\u7684\u8cc7\u6e90" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>, as a central problematic. In Ecuador's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u6279\u5224\u7684\u8cc7\u6e90 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

2. Application to "\u30d7\u30e9\u30a4\u30d0\u30b7\u30fc"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u30d7\u30e9\u30a4\u30d0\u30b7\u30fc" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>, as a derivative problematic. In Ecuador's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u30d7\u30e9\u30a4\u30d0\u30b7\u30fc are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

3. Application to "\u30e6\u30fc\u30b9"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u30e6\u30fc\u30b9" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Ecuador's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u30e6\u30fc\u30b9 are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

4. Application to "\u5730\u57df\u5354\u8abf"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u5730\u57df\u5354\u8abf" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Ecuador's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u5730\u57df\u5354\u8abf are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

5. Application to "\u8d8a\u5883\u30c7\u30fc\u30bf"<\/h3>\n

Discussion of "\u8d8a\u5883\u30c7\u30fc\u30bf" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Ecuador's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around \u8d8a\u5883\u30c7\u30fc\u30bf are particularly at stake.<\/p>\n

\"Philosophical<\/p>\n

Implications for Executives and Practitioners<\/h2>\n

The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Ecuador.<\/p>\n

First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of \u201cCan the Subaltern Speak?\u201d<\/strong>. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.<\/p>\n

Academic Positioning and Future Research<\/h2>\n

The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Verification of the applicability of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's framework to other IGF conferences<\/li>\n
  2. Comparative contrast between Postcolonial \/ Deconstruction<\/strong> and other theoretical traditions<\/li>\n
  3. Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Ecuador<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Primary Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n