Abstract

Lately, Indian online platforms have witnessed recurring consumer boycott calls in forms of uninstalling/down-voting applications on the app stores. For our exploratory study, we conduct a longitudinal analysis of one of these controversies involving online boycotting of an e-commerce company (Snapdeal) over a controversial statement issued by their brand ambassador (Aamir Khan) which hurt religious and nationalist sentiments of users on Twitter. Through the lens of this study, we try to understand emergent collective user behaviour and how collective action has begun to play out in online (troll) communities. We call the user behaviour in our study as trolling behaviour as - the call to boycott appears in order to silence an influential voice which challenges a nationalist narrative of these users. A broader implication of such behaviour seems to be strong arming any counter narrative with a threat of potential backlash and financial harm. This analysis is important as online deviant and trolling behaviour by group of users is increasingly influencing socio-political agendas online. It contributes to broader CSCW understanding of online platforms and collective behaviour. We also situate our work in online consumer boycotting behaviour.

Abstract

Narratives of the gig economy are largely perspectives from the global North and the nature of their ride-hailing market. Freelancing or gigging offer contrasting connotations depending on the market and the labour it is situated in. India, with its demographic dividend and employment challenges, view opportunities arising out of the gig- economy differently. To investigate the impact of ride-hailing apps in the Indian market, and the challenges and opportunities it has brought in, we offer learnings from an ethnographic study of Uber drivers in India.

Abstract

Narratives of the gig economy are largely perspectives from the global North and the nature of their ride-hailing market. Freelancing or gigging offer contrasting connotations depending on the market and the labour it is situated in. India, with its demographic dividend and employment challenges, view opportunities arising out of the gig- economy differently. To investigate the impact of ride-hailing apps in the Indian market, and the challenges and opportunities it has brought in, we offer learnings from an ethnographic study of Uber drivers in India.

Abstract

This note offers a perspective on the informal markets as an assortment of human players and networks contributing to a socio‐business culture of economic survival. The note also offers a few thoughts on specific segments of the informal workforce in India based on ethnographic evidence and a sociological assessment. The author begins with an appraisal of the socio‐economic phenomenon of informality including an anthropological framing of the “informal.” An important focus is the IT‐based businesses and the variety of players ranging from middle‐range businesses to floating or freelancing actors. The note ends with a spotlight on the internet fuelled gig economy where ICTs move beyond being a product or a service and take over as the business platform ushering a new era of informal or gig economy.

Abstract

Financial transactions are intimately bound with social interactions and woven into everyday economic lives. In this paper we focus on PayTM, a digital wallet, and a specific set of users of PayTM, street vendors in urban India. Through an ethnographic investigation we offer to unpack two questions: 1. Can digital forms of money create financial inclusion by opening up access to the marginalized 2. Can digital platforms amplify socio-economic capacities of low literate users enhancing financial literacy? We argue that digital and financial literacy are an immersive component of digital wallet use acquiring ‘everyday life’ in specific socio-economic ecosystems. Our study captures daily practices of digital money staking a claim in advancing the understanding of financial inclusion as a lived process accumulating habits, practices and stakes to expand socio-economic capabilities.

Abstract

Narratives of the gig economy are largely perspectives from the global North and the nature of their ride-hailing market. Freelancing or gigging offer contrasting connotations depending on the market and the labour it is situated in. India, with its demographic dividend and employment challenges, view opportunities arising out of the gig-economy differently. To investigate the impact of ride-hailing apps in the Indian market, and the challenges and opportunities it has brought in, we offer learnings from an ethnographic study of Uber drivers in Indi

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses methods and systems for enhancing shopping experience in physical stores. The method includes receiving at least one persona associated with a user based on one or more of: ethnographic data obtained from a user, demographic data associated with the user, buying behavioral data associated with the user, and social networking data associated with the user. After this, one or more historical activities of the user inside one or more physical stores are received. Also, one or more constraints associated with the user are received. Once received, the at least one persona, the one or more constraints, and the one or more historical activities are analyzed to generate a pre-defined number of personalized recommendations. Finally, the personalized recommendations are displayed to the user within a window of a user interface.

Abstract

Understanding people's attitudes towards and uses of technology is an essential aspect of a successful design process. Ethnography is a proven method for acquiring this understanding. However, there are challenges to incorporating fieldwork, most notably the time factor, considered by some as the greatest barrier. This is especially true for many technology companies whose turn-around time from concept to design to implementation is accelerated. We propose a solution to the dilemma between acquiring the benefits of fieldwork with the compressed timescales of many technology projects by using focused field trips as a method for gaining rich insights into peoples' uses of and attitudes towards technologies in real-world settings. In a short amount of time (one or two days), field trips sensitize design teams to the priorities of stakeholder groups. We outline a systematic approach to incorporating field trips as a …

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems to recommend medical intervention activities for caregivers and/or human subjects. The method comprises receipt of medical data of a human subject and contextual data of a plurality of caregivers of the human subjects. The medical data includes periodic physiological data of the human subject received in real-time. A customized ontology is generated, from a pre-determined ontology related to a medical condition, based on the received medical data and the contextual data. Thereafter, a recommendation of medical intervention activities is generated for at least one of the plurality of caregivers and/or the human subject, based on analysis of the generated customized ontology, caregiver profiles, the received contextual data, and the periodic physiological data. The generated recommendation is transmitted to computing devices of the at least one …

Abstract

India is home to the largest under-25 demographic profile in the world, but lacks a job-ready educational system. It requires a wide-spread, skill-oriented educational model, equipping youth to thrive in highly dynamic job markets. As a response to the huge demand for technical education, a large private skill-tutoring ecosystem has sprung up in In-dia but remains geographically limited. This paper, drawn from a three-month ethnographic research conducted in Ameerpet (arguably India's largest IT skilling hub), probes the pedagogic style and characteristics of tutoring, and of-fers reasons why learners prefer to enroll into a physical model of classroom teaching over online courses. We make design suggestions for online learning platforms to attract students who are marginalized in the more formal and com-petitive education system, and opt for Ameerpet-like skill-hubs. Our primary offering is to suggest a shift in …