Description:
Currently, there is increased use of smartphone communication as a source of information for various practices, however, the role of smartphone communication as a source of information for practicing gender roles in Tanzanian marriage is less known. This study examined the role of smartphone communication in practicing gender roles in Tanzania using a case study of smartphone use in the College of Business Education, Dodoma. Qualitative methods such as interview and focus group discussion were employed in understanding the way men and women utilise smartphone communication as a source of gender role information and whether information obtained through smartphone communication strengthens or weakens gender roles among married couples in the study area. The content analysis was used in analysing data gathered from respondents on the role of smartphone communication in practising gender role. The findings revealed that, smartphone communication enabled married individuals to acquire information that helps to strengthen their Tanzanian traditional gender roles. It further revealed that both men and women use smartphone communication to learn their gender roles, however, women appear to involve more in smartphone communication in learning new practices for improving their gender roles in their families. Also, it revealed that, men use smartphone communication for social interaction and discussion forum more than learning gender
roles for strengthen their marriage. Moreover, smartphone communication enable individual’s connection to social media which provides platform for discussion about various practices of gender roles in the society and helps to reveal some bad traditional gender roles practices which are less potential to the society development. The study concludes that, there is variation in the smartphone use as a source of gender role information among men and women. The existing variation helps to strengthen the practices of gender roles in the study area. The study suggests a need for the framework
that enable follow up of the current practices of the traditional gender roles in order to improve gender policy and therefore enable a country to achieve gender and development goals. This will further enableTanzania to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2030).