Why do anthropologists & sociologists study mobile phones?
Anthropologist and Sociologist Anne Galloway is teaching a class this week at Carleton University in Ottawa on mobile phones and everyday life. The schedule looks great. “The number of cell phones and text messages sent, tell us that mobile technologies will probably take on more and more important roles in how people live, work and play everyday – all around the world. And as we know, thats exactly what anthropologists and sociologists try to understand. When it comes to cell phones, we try to get to know the life story of the device and all the people it comes into contact with. … Were interested in who markets and sells mobile phones, who buys them, how they use them, how they dispose of them and even where they go from there. Together well be looking at some of these things and trying to better understand the roles of cell phones in our personal lives – and in the lives of people around the world”.
