Ongoing technological innovation in the home: a blessing or a curse?

This chapter provides an overview of the relevance of changes in household technology, particularly in Africa, of how people perceive, appreciate, distrust, or even reject novel technologies designed to improve households’ quality of life. Although technologies such as home appliances and electricity may cause excitement and can be a blessing in some households, they may also cause grave concerns among those who are ill equipped to appreciate unfamiliar commodities in their homes and workplaces. Leapfrogging encompasses change fueled by innovation. Equally important is the social impact of radical change. In this chapter, we adopt a positive stance and indicate how access to electricity and other technological resources can improve people’s living conditions and provide opportunities for African societies. We frame the discussions on technological leapfrogging on the assumptions of Resource Advantage Theory.