Visible Infrastructure and the 'Pseudo-modern' in Vientiane, Capital of the Lao PDR

DOI Web Site

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • ラオス首都ヴィエンチャンの可視的なインフラと「擬似−近代」的なるもの
  • ラオス首都ヴィエンチャンの可視的なインフラと「擬似-近代」的なるもの
  • ラオス シュト ヴィエンチャン ノ カシテキ ナ インフラ ト 「 ギジ-キンダイ 」 マト ナル モノ

Search this article

Abstract

<p>Dominant development paradigms have viewed infrastructure development as a prerequisite for attaining modernity. As previous studies have indicated, the construction of infrastructure is not based solely on functional improvement or economic rationality. In many developing countries, given their spectacular materiality, infrastructure serves as a symbol of a successful process of modernization. Such a process can currently be witnessed in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic （Lao PDR）. Approaches that focus on the symbolic capacities of infrastructure, and the ability of infrastructure to operate in the uncanny registers of fetish, or a failed or successful spectacle, are crucial for transcending the view that the essence of infrastructure is ultimately technological. More specifically, they are invaluable in making sense of the mode of infrastructural development in Vientiane.</p> <p>Since the Lao government began viewing infrastructure as the country's key sector of development, Vientiane has become full of such development projects. In preparation for the ASEAN Summit in 2004， the appearance of the city center, which lies along the Mekong River, drastically changed. The transformation was so intense that many scholars refer to that year as a "turning point." However, many aspects of those projects, including their technical specifications and more generally their priorities, have become subjects of debate and controversy among expatriates, especially those who work with international organizations and developmental consultancies. What leads to such denunciations is that in the unseen areas, where most people in Vientiane live, unpaved dirt roads remain and changes which happened as part of the ASEAN Summit preparation could hardly be seen. Thus, many expatriates say that while Vientiane's material infrastructure seems modern, it is a mere "appearance," hence faux modernity. Projects simply imitate, or "mimic" what Lao officials imagine to be modern, but really aren't so.</p> <p>(View PDF for the rest of the abstract.) </p>

Journal

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top