How the mobile phone saved properness: The case of professional women in Malawi

摘要

Respective societies have their own expectations of how a woman should be. These expectations put pressure on women as they attempt to pursue their career goals. For most women, balancing different roles they are expected to play (employment and family) is often a challenge and needs thorough planning and coordination. This results in most women failing to compete with their male counterparts in career growth. In this study we hypothesise that the use of mobile technology may assist women to coordinate and manage their tasks, thereby allowing them to be more effective in the different spheres and roles they play. It still remains unclear how women in developing countries adopt and use the technology. The level of adoption and utilisation of the technology will depend partly on the women's perceptions and discourses on the technology. Using the case of Malawi, this study investigates the discourses on the use of technology by women in developing countries. The study noted that the use of mobile technology is indeed instrumental in women's pursuit of career and social goals. It is also noted that women use mobile technology as a symbol of status and a level of importance at their place of employment, as well as to earn respect in other social spaces.