Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies

In this article, we report on our analysis as part of a research project conducted from 2012 to 2018, and we explore the potential of the biographical approach in studying the appropriation of digital technologies (DTs). The biographical approach (SAUTÚ, 2012) is described as a theoretical-methodolo...

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Main Authors: Magdalena Lemus, Sebastián Benítez Larghi
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: FQS 2023-09-01
Series:Forum: Qualitative Social Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4025
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author Magdalena Lemus
Sebastián Benítez Larghi
author_facet Magdalena Lemus
Sebastián Benítez Larghi
author_sort Magdalena Lemus
collection DOAJ
description In this article, we report on our analysis as part of a research project conducted from 2012 to 2018, and we explore the potential of the biographical approach in studying the appropriation of digital technologies (DTs). The biographical approach (SAUTÚ, 2012) is described as a theoretical-methodological strategy to address how people, through time and space and within the framework of certain cultural and socioeconomic contexts, connect with various digital technologies and how they construct meanings, practices, and relationships. With the analysis of a series of technobiographies (CHING & VIGDOR, 2005) of young people, we reflect on the ability of the method to capture the symbolic dimension of access to DTs, reconstruct the acquisition of digital skills and their role in educational transitions, and understand the links between biographical trajectories and broader social processes, such as those that constitute and reproduce social inequalities in contemporary societies. We show that technobiographies are a useful construct to identify repetitions, trends, and patterns of behavior, but also to pinpoint anything that is out of the ordinary in the paths of the appropriation of DTs of each particular group.
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spelling doaj.art-2637add0899b440cae710d9e21a6610d2023-09-30T06:35:13ZdeuFQSForum: Qualitative Social Research1438-56272023-09-0124310.17169/fqs-24.3.4025Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth TechnobiographiesMagdalena Lemus0Sebastián Benítez Larghi1National University of La PlataNational University of La PlataIn this article, we report on our analysis as part of a research project conducted from 2012 to 2018, and we explore the potential of the biographical approach in studying the appropriation of digital technologies (DTs). The biographical approach (SAUTÚ, 2012) is described as a theoretical-methodological strategy to address how people, through time and space and within the framework of certain cultural and socioeconomic contexts, connect with various digital technologies and how they construct meanings, practices, and relationships. With the analysis of a series of technobiographies (CHING & VIGDOR, 2005) of young people, we reflect on the ability of the method to capture the symbolic dimension of access to DTs, reconstruct the acquisition of digital skills and their role in educational transitions, and understand the links between biographical trajectories and broader social processes, such as those that constitute and reproduce social inequalities in contemporary societies. We show that technobiographies are a useful construct to identify repetitions, trends, and patterns of behavior, but also to pinpoint anything that is out of the ordinary in the paths of the appropriation of DTs of each particular group. https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4025biographical interviewssemi-structured interviewsqualitative methodsAfghan youthtechnobiographiesdigital technologies
spellingShingle Magdalena Lemus
Sebastián Benítez Larghi
Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies
Forum: Qualitative Social Research
biographical interviews
semi-structured interviews
qualitative methods
Afghan youth
technobiographies
digital technologies
title Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies
title_full Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies
title_fullStr Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies
title_full_unstemmed Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies
title_short Uses of the Biographical Approach: The Construction of Youth Technobiographies
title_sort uses of the biographical approach the construction of youth technobiographies
topic biographical interviews
semi-structured interviews
qualitative methods
Afghan youth
technobiographies
digital technologies
url https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4025
work_keys_str_mv AT magdalenalemus usesofthebiographicalapproachtheconstructionofyouthtechnobiographies
AT sebastianbenitezlarghi usesofthebiographicalapproachtheconstructionofyouthtechnobiographies