The making of a makerspace in Ethiopia: A study of legitimacy using Actor-Network Theory

Makerspaces are community-based design and fabrication spaces that enable the development of local solutions. Although the number of makerspaces in Africa is increasing, it is not well understood how these makerspaces deal with legitimacy challenges. This study aims to illuminate the process by which a newly established makerspace in Ethiopia seeks to gain, maintain and defend its legitimacy as a site for local innovation and production. It introduces Actor-Network Theory as a novels lens to study organizational legitimacy. The Actor-Network of BiT Makerspace in Bahir Dar is analyzed over a three-year period to show how a makerspace can establish itself as an Obligatory Passage Point via a networked legitimization process. This study enriches organizational theory on legitimacy, by introducing a new theoretical perspective that presents a procedural view of legitimacy that is continuous and bi-directional. Practically, this study identifies several strategies to support the legitimacy of makerspaces in Africa.