Mobile Phones and Motherhood in Valparaíso: A Close Relationship in Family Life
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Abstract
This research aimed to learn how mothers use smartphones, in the city of Valparaíso 'the main Chilean port city. In a context of high penetration of mobile devices, the lack of empirical studies that delve into the use and appropriation of mobile technologies and their impact and influence in mothers’ daily life motivated this research work. The research design was based on a qualitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, exploratory, and descriptive study. Five focus groups were conducted in the city of Valparaíso, along with five semi-structured interviews with participants selected from the focus groups. Fieldwork was carried out between October and December 2019 and January 2020, in the context of the mobilizations under the so-called "social outbreak," with a conspicuous representation of feminist groups. Content analysis was performed with its findings aligned to the data gathered in the focus groups between October and December 2019. The main finding of the study shows prevalent presence of mobile phones in all the stages of upbringing and mother-child relationship, even before birth and early pregnancy stages.
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