Hartmann / Höflich Mobile Communication in Everyday Life

Ethnographic Views, Observations and Reflections
1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-3-86596-041-2
Verlag: Frank & Timme
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 327 Seiten

The mobile phone has become an integral part of our everyday life communication – in this sense a domestication of a ‘nomadic’ medium has taken place. For the very reason that the telephone has left its fixed home environment, it requires us to take an ‘ethnographic view’ in describing both this development and the changes taking place therein. Mobile Communication in Everyday Life takes a closer look at the mobile phone as an object of inquiry in the tradition of the so-called media ethnography. Consequently, the bene- fits and limitations of such research designs are the focus of the book. Some contributions focus on the tension between private and public communication, others on cultural dimensions. Overall, the book presents a range of the most up-to-date research in the field of mobile communication.

The Authors

Joachim R. Höflich is a professor at the University of Erfurt, Germany. He is also a leading expert in the field of mobile technologies and interpersonal communication. Joachim has published several books on the topic in German as well as many articles in English.

Maren Hartmann joined the University of Erfurt in 2004 (and can soon be found at the University of Bremen). Her research interests include media ethnographies, cybercultures and the domestication concept. She has published books as well as several articles on these topics.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hartmann, Maren

Höflich, Joachim R.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Contents;6
2;Introduction: The ethnographic view;12
2.1;Structure ;16
2.2;Dedication;18
2.3;References;18
3;Places of Life – Places of Communication: Observations of Mobile Phone Usage in Public Places;20
3.1;Introduction: mobile communication and social arrangements;20
3.2;Mobile communication in the public sphere;24
3.3;Observations on the Piazza Matteotti;28
3.4;Behaviour on the piazza;32
3.5;Concluding remarks;47
3.6;References;49
4;Photos and Fieldwork: Capturing Norms for Mobile Phone Use in the US;56
4.1;Background;57
4.2;Photos as means of communication;57
4.3;Photos as data collection;60
4.4;Ur-form;63
4.5;Photography of mobile phone use;65
4.6;Strategies: decoys and distance;65
4.7;Mobile phone use photos as data;67
4.8;Presenting the ur-form of public mobile phone use;69
4.9;Contextual factors;70
4.10;Ethics;72
4.11;Conclusion;75
4.12;References;77
5;Everyday Contexts of Camera Phone Use: Steps Toward Techno-Social Ethnographic Frameworks;80
5.1;Introduction;80
5.2;Camera phone adoption and research;81
5.3;Research design;83
5.4;Techno-social situations of camphone use;88
5.5;Conclusion;100
5.6;Acknowledgements;101
5.7;References;102
6;Mobile Visuality and Everyday Life in Finland: An Ethnographic Approach to Social Uses of Mobile Image;104
6.1;Approaching the social uses of mobile images;105
6.2;Multi-method ethnography;106
6.3;Ethnographic field experiments;109
6.4;Camera phones and the cycle of ‘moral panics’;111
6.5;Mobile image and telepresence;116
6.6;Ethnography and some methodological challenges;118
6.7;References;119
7;Unfaithful: Reflections of Enchantment, Disenchantment … and the Mobile Phone;124
7.1;Unfaithful;128
7.2;Secrecy and subterfuge;131
7.3;Conclusion;141
7.4;References;142
8;“I have a free phone so I don’t bother to send SMS, I call” – The Gendered Use of SMS Among Adults in Intact and Divorced Families;146
8.1;Introduction;146
8.2;The use of SMS;147
8.3;Spoken and written language;147
8.4;Gender and electronically mediated language;148
8.5;SMS as a ‘women’s medium’;150
8.6;SMS and the life cycle;153
8.7;Social networking and the instrumental use of SMS;156
8.8;Contact with males;158
8.9;Male attitudes towards SMS;160
8.10;Authenticity via SMS;162
8.11;The ideology of voice interaction;163
8.12;The power dimensions of voice and SMS;164
8.13;Conclusion;165
8.14;References;168
9;Another Kind of ‘Mobility’: Mobiles in Terrorist Attacks;174
9.1;Some basic facts;175
9.2;Roles played by mobile phones;177
9.3;Mobile phone networks during March 2004;180
9.4;Explosion-oriented role;183
9.5;Rescue role;185
9.6;Reinforcing kinship and friendship ties;187
9.7;Mass medium role;189
9.8;Conclusion;199
9.9;References;202
10;Fashion and Technology in the Presentation of the Self;204
10.1;Rationale;205
10.2;Identity, presentation of the self and new technologies;205
10.3;Mobile communication, fashion and presentation of the self;208
10.4;Aim and method;209
10.5;Results;211
10.6;Conclusion;224
10.7;References;225
11;How To Be in Two Places at The Same Time?- Mobile Phone Use in Public Places;228
11.1;The ethnographic work;231
11.2;Co-presence in public places: doing being a stranger;234
11.3;Mobile phone use in public: any topic, anywhere, anyone;236
11.4;Presence modulation;237
11.5;Conclusion;246
11.6;References;248
12;Beyond Talk, Beyond Sound: Emotional Expression and the Future of Mobile Connectivity;256
12.1;Preamble;256
12.2;Background;256
12.3;A way forward;259
12.4;Conceptualising emotion for design;261
12.5;Technologies for particular expressions;262
12.6;Stretching channels;263
12.7;The building blocks of expression;265
12.8;Lessons;267
12.9;Conclusion;269
12.10;References;270
13;A Mobile Ethnographic View on (Mobile) Media Usage?;274
13.1;Ethnographic media research;275
13.2;Domestication approach;276
13.3;Once again: what are media ethnographies?;279
13.4;Mobile media ethnography?;280
13.5;Urban Mobilities/ Urban Journeys9;284
13.6;Urban Tapestries16;289
13.7;The (im)possibility of a mobile ethnography?;294
13.8;References:;296
14;Ethnography, Related Research Approaches and Digital Media;300
14.1;Doing research in the rapidly changing environment of digital media;300
14.2;Some basics about empirical research;304
14.3;Some basics on qualitative research approaches;309
14.4;Some basics about research in order to construct new theories;311
14.5;Some basics about ethnography;313
14.6;Conclusion;316
14.7;References;318
15;Authors;322
15.1;Amalia Cianchi;322
15.2;Bella Ellwood-Clayton;322
15.3;Leopoldina Fortunati;322
15.4;Richard Harper;322
15.5;Maren Hartmann;323
15.6;Steve Hodges;323
15.7;Joachim Höflich;323
15.8;Lee Humphreys;323
15.9;Mizuko Ito;324
15.10;Friedrich Krotz;324
15.11;Amparo Lasen;324
15.12;Rich Ling;325
15.13;Santiago Lorente;325
15.14;Daisuke Okabe;325
15.15;Virpi Oksman;325

Leseproben

Mobile Visuality and Everyday Life in Finland: An Ethnographic Approach to Social Uses of Mobile Image (p. 103-104)

Virpi Oksman

I’m currently waiting, I have two families near to me that both are now having babies through artificial insemination, so I’m waiting from both directions to get an MMS message pretty soon; it’ll be exiting to see which one of them gets there first. And I’ll be sure to feel hurt if I don’t get them. That’s how it’s gotten nowadays. (Valma, 64, grandmother)

In recent years, as camera phones and digital cameras have become more common, sending visual messages has become increasingly easy. Visual communication is used most importantly between members of the immediate circle: MMS creates closeness between friends and family members and adds emotion to the communication; messages are often humorous and they function to maintain and enforce relationships and social bonds. Mobile visual communication has become one means of communication to complement the more traditional ways of keeping contact. For instance the news about the arrival of a baby or a new pet is delivered immediately through MMS, whereas before sending photographs in a letter was perhaps the most commonly used method.

The aim of this article is to observe the uses of visual mobile technology and the social meanings associated with it through an ethnographic research design. The research group at the University of Tampere in Finland has charted developments in the usage of mobile communication and the Internet since 1997. A longitudinal study of many years provides data for the observation of trends in technology use. Between 2002 and 2005 the University of Tampere has been analysing the wishes that users of various age groups have in relation to mobile media, data communication and value-added services. After 2002, the study of MMS communication has become an important aspect of the study. In 2005, field experiments have been carried out with key informants using 3G phones. The experiments are used to provide more detailed information on the usage situations of daily life and the special characteristics of the role of image in mobile data communication.

The research has utilised mainly two different types of ethnographic research design in the context of research on visual mobile communication: 1. field experiments and 2. longitudinal follow-up study of the phenomenon through thematic interviews and observation. The article analyses the types of knowledge that can be produced and the variety of information needs that it can be used for.

Approaching the social uses of mobile images

Mobile visual communication has been studied through several different methods in different countries. Often, research results have been acquired through field experiments where the subjects have received camera phones to use for a certain period of time. In some countries, such as Japan, interviews of camera phone owners have been possible for some years due to the high penetration level of the devices in the country (Okabe, 2004; Ito, 2005). Many empirical studies on mobile image highlight the personal and emotional nature of the communication (see Van House et al., 2004; Okabe, 2003; Koskinen, Kurvinen & Lehtonen, 2000; Kasesniemi et al., 2003; Scifo, 2004). In Japan for instance mobile images are experienced as very private – many say that sharing photos feels more ‘intrusive’ than just sending e-mail messages. Photos are mailed only to intimates such as a lover, a spouse or a very close friend. Decisions about sending an image or what kind of a photo to send are made based on social relationships (Okabe, 2004:10). Van House identified four traditional uses of photos: constructing a personal and group memory; creating and maintaining relationships; and self-presentation. On the basis of camera phone studies, a fifth category was also identified: functional images. From their data, the researchers concluded that camera phone use encourages experimentation with a more expressive use of images (Van House, 2004:3). Kindberg et al. (2005:46) observed in their study that the most common reason for capturing a mobile image was to enrich mutual experience by sharing an image with those who were co-present at the time.