Paying for ICTs

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Paying for ICTs Allocating for a Changing
Communications Repertoire in Middle Class
Indian Homes
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Three Thematic Discussions
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Methodology Ethnographic probes
Repeated family visits, depth interviews and
participant observation 79 Hhlds in Mumbai,
Delhi, Chennai
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• What interests me..
• The status of the mobile phone
  in the family

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• Framing Middle Class India

• Have distinct cultural values
• Internally variegated and complex
• Changing and adopting new values

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• Framing Middle Class India
• 
  .Have distinct cultural values

• Hierarchy of spending
• Kin group priorities
• Social networks of support

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• Framing Middle Class India
• .
  Internally variegated and complex

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• Framing Middle Class India
• 
  Changing and adopting new values

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• Children

• Children beneficiaries and drivers of
  Globalizing India
• Initiate change in family life
• Technology innovators for the
  home?

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• A rite of passage for children to adopt a Mobile
  phone

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Parents hold mixed views of mobile phones
as they transform to a multi-media device
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Managing communication repertoire at home

• Who pays for telecom
• What is appropriate
• Mixed media environment

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Managing communication repertoire
Careful attention to selecting and using the new
range of tele-com options
in the most cost-effective way
Family adjusted financial priorities to
purchase more expensive,
feature-rich handsets
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The Family Mobile
Family contexts reflect allocation, sharing, and
mutual responsibility in handling mobile phones
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The Family Mobile Mobile phones do not shift the
primary focus on family
Far from being a personal device it has entered
the balancing act of the family relational
dynamic around finances
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Income range 2000-5000 US per anum per
hhld Television 177-
555 US 1-3 Mobile hand sets 11-
135US Washing Machine
200--530US VCD player
66- 155US Two Wheeler
330-1100 US Refrigerator
150US-500US Home PC
130-555US
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Two portraits of the family mobile phone
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Dalvis

• Live in Delhi
• Maharashtrian Brahmin
• Income 4500US PA
• Father Junior Level Executive
• Mother School teacher
• Daughter,24, Design Graduate
• and Son,21, Management school

Son- has a poor mans cell phone a basic
Nokia costing Rs3,550 (about USD 77), a gift
from his sister
Then I ask my dad to top-up. It is logical
thinking.
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Dalvis
Father- There is a landline in the housethat
is for my wife. She receives calls from her
natal family. If I need to call someone from
home, I can use the landline. Mine is a prepaid
connection and I receive incoming calls. If I
need to call someone from home, I can use the
landline. the only big expenditure is that of
the instrument. The landline will turn out to be
more expensive when calling to mobiles .
I like a simple phone but I chose this one with
a colour screen.
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Solonkis Rakshas mobile

• Gujarati Catholic
• Income 3500US PA
• Father House Help
• Mother House Help
• Daughter,22, Naukri.com
• Sister, 19, Brother 16

Daughters mobile was the first phone and only
radio of the house. Saved money to buy it. Now
saving for a camera phone
I cannot carry the same Nokia 3500 I its for
beginners. Also, it does not go with me
anymore.
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Solonkis
Now there is a second mobile in the house some
kind of a pattern has evolved
around the 5 member family sharing phones

Phone is almost central to her personality, but
sharing with family not
incongruent
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Thank You! http//research.microsoft.com/india ni
mmir_at_microsoft.com