Houij Gueddana, Wifak
(2013)
A biography of open source software: community participation and individuation of open source code in the context of microfinance NGOs in North Africa and the Middle East.
PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Abstract
For many, microfinance is about building inclusive financial systems to help the poor
gain direct access to financial services. Hundreds of grassroots have specialised in
the provision of microfinance services worldwide. Most of them are adhoc
organisations, which suffer severe organisational and informational deficiencies.
Over the past decades, policy makers and consortia of microfinance experts have
attempted to improve their capacity building through ICTs. In particular, there is
strong emphasis on open source software (OSS) initiatives, as it is commonly
believed that MFIs are uniquely positioned to benefit from the advantages of
openness and free access. Furthermore, OSS approaches have recently become
extremely popular. The OSS gurus are convinced there is a business case for a purely
open source approach, especially across international development spheres.
Nonetheless, getting people to agree on what is meant by OSS remains hard to
achieve. On the one hand scholarly software research shows a lack of consensus and
documents stories in which the OSS meaning is negotiated locally. On the other, the
growing literature on ICT-for-international development does not provide answers as
research, especially in the microfinance context, presents little empirical scrutiny.
This thesis therefore critically explores the OSS in the microfinance context in order
to understand itslong-term development and what might be some of the implications
for MFIs.
Theoretically I draw on the 3rd wave of research within the field of Science and
Technology Studies –studies of Expertise and Experience (SEE). I couple the
software ‘biography’ approach (Pollock and Williams 2009) with concepts from
Simondon’s thesis on the individuation of technical beings (1958) as an integrated
framework. I also design a single case study, which is supported by an extensive and
longitudinal collection of data and a three-stage approach, including the analysis of
sociograms, and email content. This case provides a rich empirical setting that
challenges the current understanding of the ontology of software and goes beyond
the instrumental views of design, building a comprehensive framework for
community participation and software sustainability in the context of the
microfinance global industry.
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