Adolescent Autonomy and Cell Phone Use in Rural Malawi

• In Event: 286 - Section on Sociology of Development Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Paper Session: Section on Sociology of Development Roundtables (one-hour) Table 01. Gender and Health

Abstract

Cell phones are increasingly recognized as an important tool for fostering adolescent autonomy and access to previously unavailable economic and social institutions, yet few scholars have examined how the rapid expansion of cell phone service in low income countries has been experienced by youth. This paper uses longitudinal data from rural Malawi to explore how patterns of household cell phone ownership and adolescent cell phone use have unfolded over time. Results from an event history analysis show cell phone ownership is becoming less selective and adolescent characteristics are relatively unimportant in determining household cell phone acquisition. However, a multivariate analysis of cell phone use suggests that adolescent characteristics are strongly related to whether and how the adolescent uses the phone. Adolescents who are highly educated, male, and living in wealthy households are all disproportionately likely to own a phone and have unrestricted access to cell phone services. Our findings underscore the continued meaning of gender and economic circumstance in determining access to and use of cell phone in developing countries.

Authors

• Heide Jackson, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Monica J. Grant, University of Wisconsin-Madison