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“If you take away my phone, you take away my life...” Community Narratives about the Social Implications of Mobile phone Usage for Livelihood Security

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Mobile Technologies and Applications for the Internet of Things (IMCL 2018)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 909))

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Abstract

Smallholder farmers in developing regions like sub-Saharan Africa still grapple with development challenges like poverty, illiteracy, food insecurity, poor infrastructures like roads and limited access to learning opportunities. Moreover, amidst all these challenges, these possess mobile phones as they continuously engage in diverse livelihood activities. Echoed in previous research, mobile phones are the most diffused technologies available in many rural communities. Yet, most mobile technological interventions are urban-based projects neglecting rural locales in harnessing mobile phone usage. More so, mobile for development research uses quantitative methods which limits proper interrogation of real perceived social implications of mobile phones for livelihoods. Thus, this study, with a more qualitative approach, seeks to understand community narratives about the social implications of mobile phone usage for livelihood security. Findings suggest the increased penetration of small end phones, with few smartphones. Noticeable social benefits include improved communication, financial inclusion, employment opportunities, increased business and market opportunities, increased access to information sharing and improved literacy practices. Conclusively, access to learning on mobile phones was an outstanding social benefit, amidst the presence of negative and dissenting voices about mobile phone use, fully embedded in cultural and religious beliefs within societies.

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Acknowledgements

The work reported in this paper was financed by DELP project; funded by NORAD and University of Agder, Faculty of social sciences. Special thanks to Makerere University who are in this research collaboration and partnership.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Dianah Nampijja

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  1. Dianah Nampijja
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Correspondence to Dianah Nampijja .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Villach, Austria

    Michael E. Auer

  2. Department of Informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos

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Nampijja, D. (2019). “If you take away my phone, you take away my life...” Community Narratives about the Social Implications of Mobile phone Usage for Livelihood Security. In: Auer, M., Tsiatsos, T. (eds) Mobile Technologies and Applications for the Internet of Things. IMCL 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 909. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11434-3_40

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