Der Digitale Kapitalismus auf dem Weg in den Globalen Süden

Abstract

Digital Capitalism on Its Way to the Global South
Digital technology is seen as signifi cant hope for the revitalization of capitalism, which is beset by numerous crises. In the context of the Global South, digitalization extends beyond mere resource extraction and labor exploitation; it also aims to tap into new markets. This essay argues that understanding this development requires an examination of the interplay between technological advancement, power dynamics, and social change – an aspect often overlooked in critical political economy. Initially, the internet was promoted by its inventors and early users as a tool for fostering a free and democratic future. However, new global power structures have emerged, characterized by alliances between digital capitalists and increasingly authoritarian states. In the Global South, digitalization has contributed to the rise of a growing middle class that is adopting lifestyles similar to those of the middle classes in industrialized countries. This middle class serves both as a target for and a vehicle of new business models associated with digital capitalism. In these transformed societies, remnants of the colonial past persist in modified forms, including enduring power relations, the reconfiguration of local cultures for the benefit of colonial interests, the suppression and erasure of local knowledge, and the continuation of social inequality. Alongside these issues, the rise of the surveillance state and other elements of digital authoritarianism are becoming more prevalent. Given the global nature of digital capitalism, fostering solidarity-based perspectives requires a global network of local initiatives that can transcend the silo mentality that often exists.
Keywords: Digitalization and the Global South, Digital Technology and Power, Business Models, Middle Classes, Digital Authoritarianism

Bibliography: Pawlik, Erich: Der Digitale Kapitalismus auf dem Weg in den Globalen Süden, PERIPHERIE – Politik • Ökonomie • Kultur, Nr. 179 (1-2025), pp. 220-245.