Cuban Society on the Horizon of Digital Transformation: A View from Mediations to the Social Appropriation of Technology

Abstract

The appropriation of technologies for information and communication is deeply related to the economy, institutions, and social history. This article will propose a list of mediations to explain the characteristics of the computerisation achieved in Cuba so far, with the help of some examples that illustrate the particularities of the Cuban appropriation of ICT’s technology. The analysis will show the relevance of regulatory frameworks, economic forms of social organisation and public policies when explaining the social appropriation of digital technology in Cuba. They express the centrality and weight of the State in Cuban society to determine the limits and forms of computerisation available to different social actors.