Abstract
This paper is an examination of the diffusion of mobile telephony in Norway, and particularly among teens. There has been a near saturation of this social group. Because of this situation, it is of interest to know what this can tell us regarding the mechanisms of adoption. Given this focus I look into the work of Rogers ’ and that of Silverstone and Haddon and their domestication perspective. The positive and the negative sides of these approaches are examined in the light of the recent experience with the mobile telephone. Rogers’ discussion of the social mechanisms behind diffusion and his work on the critical mass of communication equipment are of interest. On the other hand his basis in the world of marketing and perhaps simplistic diffusion progression are questioned. Another approach is that of domestication is seen to be a more of a global analysis of adoptions ex post facto. The approach provides one with an understanding of how innovations change and are changed by their social contexts. Finally, several areas of further research are outlined.
Résumé
Cet article se propose d’examiner la diffusion des téléphones mobiles en Norvège, et plus particulièrement chez les adolescents. Ce groupe social a connu une quasisaturation et il paraît par conséquent intéressant d’observer dans quelle mesure une telle situation nous éclaire sur les mécanismes d’adoption. Dans cette perspective, le présent article étudie les travaux de Rogers d’une part, et ceux de Silverstone et Haddon d’autre part, portant sur le processus de « domestication ». Les aspects positifs et négatifs de leurs méthodes de recherches sont examinés à l’aune d’expériences récentes sur la téléphonie mobile. L’analyse que fait Rogers au sujet des mécanismes sociaux qui se cachent derrière la diffusion de cette technologie et les recherches qu’il mène sur l’extraordinaire quantité des équipements sont intéressantes. En revanche, son choix du marketing comme point de départ peut être remis en question, ainsi que son interprétation sans doute un peu simpliste de la manière dont se sont propagés les téléphones mobiles. Une autre approche de la « domestication » revient à considérer celleci comme un processus global d’adoption ex post facto. Elle nous permet de comprendre dans quelle mesure certaines innovations se modifient et sont modifiées selon le contexte social dans lequel elles sont utilisées. Finalement, l’article propose une ouverture sur un certain nombre d’autres domaines d’investigation.
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Ling, R. The diffusion of mobile telephony among Norwegian teens: A report from after the revolution. Ann. Télécommun. 57, 210–224 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02994634
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02994634