Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru

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dc.contributor.advisorNyamnjoh, Francisen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSello, Kefiloeen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-02T09:44:50Z
dc.date.available2014-09-02T09:44:50Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study is a guise at how cell phones are becoming power, identity and trend tools, through which women navigate and negotiate intimate relationships, particularly romantic and family relationships. I explore the threads that weave together the materiality of presence, space and the constantly changing definition of culture. This study also explores identity and authentication of personhood, which come along as relationships are being negotiated and navigated. All these are traced through three Basotho women from Maseru based in Cape Town, whose lives I shadowed for three months. I argue that cell phones provide women a stance to negotiate and navigate relationships through offering them a space and position that goes beyond and challenges norms that have been in place before. Cell phones are placed in the theoretical framework of domestication and, more particularly, of cultural appropriation. They are regarded not only as devices to communicate, but also as material objects which cause economic problems and may affect social relations through the uneven disposition over such objects. As in many other African countries, the growth of cell phone usage in Maseru is higher than in Western countries, reflecting the particular appreciation of these devices. I also argue that personhood is authenticated through and by use of cell phones which have offered women the stage to showcase their lives without necessarily being present in the showcase. This argument is particularly valid for my case study because of the new ground that it breaks into as far as women and cell phone technologies are concerned in Maseru. Not only does this lead to understanding the 21st century woman in Maseru, but I believe it can lead to other studies such as negotiating power relations between men and women via cell phones .en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationSello, K. (2014). <i>Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Social Anthropology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6793en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSello, Kefiloe. <i>"Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Social Anthropology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6793en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSello, K. 2014. Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Sello, Kefiloe AB - This study is a guise at how cell phones are becoming power, identity and trend tools, through which women navigate and negotiate intimate relationships, particularly romantic and family relationships. I explore the threads that weave together the materiality of presence, space and the constantly changing definition of culture. This study also explores identity and authentication of personhood, which come along as relationships are being negotiated and navigated. All these are traced through three Basotho women from Maseru based in Cape Town, whose lives I shadowed for three months. I argue that cell phones provide women a stance to negotiate and navigate relationships through offering them a space and position that goes beyond and challenges norms that have been in place before. Cell phones are placed in the theoretical framework of domestication and, more particularly, of cultural appropriation. They are regarded not only as devices to communicate, but also as material objects which cause economic problems and may affect social relations through the uneven disposition over such objects. As in many other African countries, the growth of cell phone usage in Maseru is higher than in Western countries, reflecting the particular appreciation of these devices. I also argue that personhood is authenticated through and by use of cell phones which have offered women the stage to showcase their lives without necessarily being present in the showcase. This argument is particularly valid for my case study because of the new ground that it breaks into as far as women and cell phone technologies are concerned in Maseru. Not only does this lead to understanding the 21st century woman in Maseru, but I believe it can lead to other studies such as negotiating power relations between men and women via cell phones . DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru TI - Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6793 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6793
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSello K. Investigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseru. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Social Anthropology, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6793en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSocial Anthropologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleInvestigating how women negotiate and navigate relationships through use of cell phones: a case study of Basotho women in Maseruen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSocScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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