Zones of Instability
A Context for Technology Adoption
A technology or tool must meet a need or desire or help alleviate a problem to be used on a regular basis, and thus create a successful market for itself. To understand the changing landscape of needs, desires, fears, and pains in some of the world’s largest and most dynamic places—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Silicon Valley (what we are calling BRIC+S)—this report describes the key "zones of instability" facing ordinary families. These zones are the areas in which most families face significant challenges, and a corresponding pressure to come up with new methods for dealing with them. We identified the zones of instability through in-the-field ethnographic work as part of the Technology Horizons Global Ethnographic Network (GEN).
The goal of GEN is to build long-term relationships with a network of families in BRIC+S to uncover the drivers of daily life that are related to technology adoption and use. The information gleaned from ethnographic work with these families, in turn, supports our forecasts around technology and innovation.
Publication Date
November 2006