Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth
Popular notions of "net generations" and "digital natives" have already been subject to sustained academic critique. This dissertation builds on such critiques by documenting the local practices and distinctive mobile literacies of a group of young people in South Africa. These young people (ages 13...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centre for Film and Media Studies
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614207648727040 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Carew, Joanne |
| author2 | Walton, Marion |
| author_browse | Carew, Joanne Walton, Marion |
| author_facet | Walton, Marion Carew, Joanne |
| author_sort | Carew, Joanne |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Popular notions of "net generations" and "digital natives" have already been subject to sustained academic critique. This dissertation builds on such critiques by documenting the local practices and distinctive mobile literacies of a group of young people in South Africa. These young people (ages 13-17, n=18) were asked how they were learning about and using ICTs. The sample lived in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and were members of a non-profit youth development organisation, Ikamva Youth, participating in beginner coding classes. This study explored what they had already learned about ICTs from their networks of close interpersonal relationships (n=133) and asked them how they felt about their own ICT knowledge, as well as the ICT skills of those around them. Unlike their wealthier counterparts, such young people do not have ubiquitous Internet connectivity, ease of access to consumer electronics or many opportunities to learn about computers in particular. Yet, rather than being stuck on the wrong side of a 'digital divide' or waiting passively for government to fulfil broken promises about digital literacy in schools, they were actively pursuing knowledge about ICTs and mobiles in particular. They demonstrated distinctive 'mobile-centric' repertoires, fostered through learning about ICTs from their strong ties. This gave rise to a distinctive mobile youth culture, shaped by race, class, and gender dynamics. Gendered biases and preoccupations, peer networks and technicities were particularly important. While this allows many creative and strategic appropriations of mobile technology, it also means that largely homophilous informal learning networks in part set the bounds of their learning. When most of what you're learning comes from your friends, it really matters who those friends are. Unsurprisingly, gaps in their digital literacies were apparent. In particular, their ability to fully participate in modern digital publics is curtailed. It remains essential to provide formal opportunities for young people to learn about ICTs at school, but also informally via a larger network of interpersonal relationships and communities of practice such as Ikamva Youth. Mobile technology presents many opportunities and suggests new approaches to digital literacy. Nonetheless, it seems likely that, given difficulties in accessing high status ICTs and bridging capital in particular, access and knowledge gaps will continue to disadvantage such young people. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/23428 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:48:22.790Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateRange | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | Centre for Film and Media Studies |
| publisherStr | Centre for Film and Media Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/23428 The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth Carew, Joanne Walton, Marion Media Studies Popular notions of "net generations" and "digital natives" have already been subject to sustained academic critique. This dissertation builds on such critiques by documenting the local practices and distinctive mobile literacies of a group of young people in South Africa. These young people (ages 13-17, n=18) were asked how they were learning about and using ICTs. The sample lived in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and were members of a non-profit youth development organisation, Ikamva Youth, participating in beginner coding classes. This study explored what they had already learned about ICTs from their networks of close interpersonal relationships (n=133) and asked them how they felt about their own ICT knowledge, as well as the ICT skills of those around them. Unlike their wealthier counterparts, such young people do not have ubiquitous Internet connectivity, ease of access to consumer electronics or many opportunities to learn about computers in particular. Yet, rather than being stuck on the wrong side of a 'digital divide' or waiting passively for government to fulfil broken promises about digital literacy in schools, they were actively pursuing knowledge about ICTs and mobiles in particular. They demonstrated distinctive 'mobile-centric' repertoires, fostered through learning about ICTs from their strong ties. This gave rise to a distinctive mobile youth culture, shaped by race, class, and gender dynamics. Gendered biases and preoccupations, peer networks and technicities were particularly important. While this allows many creative and strategic appropriations of mobile technology, it also means that largely homophilous informal learning networks in part set the bounds of their learning. When most of what you're learning comes from your friends, it really matters who those friends are. Unsurprisingly, gaps in their digital literacies were apparent. In particular, their ability to fully participate in modern digital publics is curtailed. It remains essential to provide formal opportunities for young people to learn about ICTs at school, but also informally via a larger network of interpersonal relationships and communities of practice such as Ikamva Youth. Mobile technology presents many opportunities and suggests new approaches to digital literacy. Nonetheless, it seems likely that, given difficulties in accessing high status ICTs and bridging capital in particular, access and knowledge gaps will continue to disadvantage such young people. 2017-01-26T13:46:00Z 2017-01-26T13:46:00Z 2016 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23428 eng application/pdf Centre for Film and Media Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Media Studies Carew, Joanne The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth |
| title_full | The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth |
| title_fullStr | The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth |
| title_full_unstemmed | The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth |
| title_short | The power of peers: mobile youth culture, homophily and informal learning among a group of South African youth |
| title_sort | power of peers mobile youth culture homophily and informal learning among a group of south african youth |
| topic | Media Studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23428 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carewjoanne thepowerofpeersmobileyouthculturehomophilyandinformallearningamongagroupofsouthafricanyouth AT carewjoanne powerofpeersmobileyouthculturehomophilyandinformallearningamongagroupofsouthafricanyouth |