Les sciences de l’information et de la communication en terrains indianocéaniques : entre déterminisme digital et approche distanciée des concepts

Abstract

This article looks at the history of communication and information science (CIS) and the importance attributed to digital vectors based on research carried out in island communities (Reunion Island, Mauritius, Madagascar, Union of Comoros, Mayotte, Seychelles). More specifically, it focuses on the cognitive and social dynamics of CIS institutionalization on Reunion Island. The article explores the link between digital history and CIS research, while taking into account a genealogy of the researchers’ own representations of communication technologies in this geographical area, going back even before the Internet age. The author postulates that the importance of analyzing digital devices in CIS is part of a more global reflective approach. He also shows that at the University of Reunion Island, as in other institutions, the digital component of CIS education and research is in keeping with the dynamics of social and institutional demand.

Keywords

• history
• institutionalization
• Reunion Island
• digital
• CIS