On Emotion and Memories: the Consumption of Mobile Phones as ‘Affective Technology
Journal Title: International Review of Social Research - Year 2012, Vol 2, Issue 1
Abstract
In this article, which is theoretically affiliated to studies of consumption as material culture as developed especially by Miller (1987; 2010), the goal is to analyze the consumption of mobile phones in its interaction with social dynamics related to gender and generation categories. How do the consumption practices related to mobile phones influence the emotions experienced in the relationships between parents and children and between men and women? Drawing from an ethnographic approach, I am investigating which emotional investments the social agents express through the consumption of mobile phones, and I am also considering how emotions change when mediated by the consumption of this mobile technology. Through the analysis, I expect both to highlight the richness and complexity of the material and symbolic dimensions involved in the daily processes of consumption, as well as enlighten the study of consumption practices from a segment that is still poorly studied: the popular groups.
Authors and Affiliations
Sandra Silva
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