Abstract
AbstractThe inhabitants of Cuba's capital, Havana, are using semipublic group chats on messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram to access food, hygiene products, medication, and other basic necessities during times of scarcity. This has been especially prevalent during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Such chat groups created digital spaces in which locals swap scarce goods and share vital information about the availability of products in the government‐run shops, creative entrepreneurs offer online delivery services, and black‐market vendors sell commodities that are in short supply. We examine the conflicting value systems that shape the interactions on these messaging apps, where solidarity and sharing as well as market‐mediated exchanges come to coexist and must be negotiated on an everyday basis. The article is accompanied by a series of “screen walks”–that is, short mobile phone videos, in which research participants explain the dynamics of the groups they participate in.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: The Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
