Technologies as a Means, Meetings as an End: Urban Interactions of a Migrant Community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mobilized Through WhatsApp

摘要

In this paper, I reflect on how uses of new communication technology can transform interactions that occur in the space of a city. I conducted an urban ethnography and analysis of online forms of communication for five months on a group of migrants from the Northeast of Brazil who migrated to the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast of the country. There were approximately 80 people who joined an online group on WhatsApp, and used the application to mobilize themselves, including attending events around the city, such as private parties, concerts, soccer matches and visits to the Sao Cristovao Fair which is a space that attracts tourists, visitors, in particular communities from the North-east of Brazil. I argue that identity is enhanced as ties are strengthened.