Group: Ricky, Clara, Trisha

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Individual Artical Summaries:

Trisha's Research Propsal:

Race and Gender: A Closer Look at The Digital Divide

It seems as though racial differences do not cause a digital divide among University students once they all start using the Internet, but what I would like to know is how race affects the student coming into University. I would like to look at what races are using the Interent more before coming into University, and why there is a difference. I also am interested in what the gender differences are in the digital divide, and how socio-economic status has an effect on incoming University students.

The Digital Divide: What is it? (original interest)

Sheila R. Cotton and Shameeka M. Jelenewicz (A Disappearing Digital Divide Among College Students? Peeling Away the Layers of the Digital Divide, 2006) explore the existance of the digital divide in places where everyone has access to the Internet, such as at a University. The authors also look at the racial differences in using the Internt and the levels and types of usage among different races of college students. Cotton and Jelenewicz take data from random samples of college freshman living in residence. They discover that though race is not so much a factor once students are using the Internet, differences in experience and gender are still factors, and they suggest the idea that the digital divide is multilayered.

Preliminary Research Questions:

1. The author talks about gender differences in this article. What are the gender differences in Internet usage, and how do these differences affect Univeristy level students.

2. Is it possible to close these gender differences, and if so how would that be done?

3. The author says that race is not a factor in the digital divide once students start using the Internet, but how does it affect students coming into university?

Summary:

The Digital Divide: Are Women Being Left Behind?

            In an article from the UN Chronicle called Bridging the Gender Gap, Rita Mijumbi Epodoi (2003) explains the idea of the "ICT revolution," the idea that an increased number of countries have been recently introduced to new information and communications technologies (ICTs) (Epodoi 36).  Although Epodoi believes that these new technologies have potential to change and improve quality of life, she also openly recognizes that the benefits of these technologies are not evenly distributed among the countries (Epodoi 36). Epodoi characterizes these differences in access as the "digital divide" (Epodoi 36).

            As well as the lack of access for some countries and people, Epodoi also believes that the digital divide is based on gender (36). Women do not use the new technologies as much as men, which is causing them to be left behind and underprivileged (Epodoi 36).  Epodoi notes that women have generally been in the background of development, causing them to face more challenges than men (36). Epodoi believes that women's lower status is "due to gender imbalances that arise from unequal opportunities and access to and control over productive resources and benefits," (epodoi 36) and that "[t]here are persistent gender-specific inequalities between men and women at all levels" (Epodoi 36). Epodoi then uses the country of Uganda as an example to illustrate her point, and she draws on the lower amount of women students in ICT and science subjects in university as support for her point (36). Epodoi's last reason that the digital divide is gender-based is that women have been recognized for their work much later than men, and the ICT revolution further accentuates the existing gender-based inequalities between men and women (Epodoi 42). Epodoi, in the end, recognizes that efforts are being made to close the digital divide through various initiatives (Epodoi 42).

            Epodoi does agree that there are efforts being made to stop inequalities, but perhaps more research could be found on exactly what is being done to close the digital divide. It would also be interesting to know if these initiatives to stop the digital divide are working, and why they are not working if not.

Works Cited: 

            Epodoi, Rita M. Bridging the Gender Gap. UN Chronicle 4 (2004). 11 Mar. 2007

Clara's Research Propsal:

Understanding the Digital Division Between Genders

Abstract Summary:

             Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide is intended to appeal to those who are particularly interested in computer science (humanities computer interaction) gender differences. Dr. Joel Cooper and Dr. Kimberlee D. Weaver present evidence, showing that girls and young women are being "left behind on the road to information technology" (citation).  Not only does this book discuss the Digital divide, "the unequal opportunity and unequal attention that disenfranchises girls from technological revolution" (citation), but it also provides recommendations or "guidelines" for overcoming gender division in Digital Literacy (emphasis mine). Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide is based on researched materials and events. The book explains many factors that contribute to the gender differences in Digital Literacy.

            Dr. Joel Cooper and Dr. Kimberlee D. Weaver note that "females experience a high level of anxiety when they work with computer programs that have been designed with the features that are attractive to boys" (43). Outlining several possible reasons for gender differences in reaction to computers: "girls are less involved with video games as an extracurricular activity, they are not as used to or comfortable with the video game-like "bells and whistles" that characterize many of the computer-assisted instructional programs being used in today's classroom" (43). Dr. Cooper and Dr. Weaver state that "most computer tasks are male-orientated even beyond their video game-like qualities - have many formal features that male prefer" (43). Having high anxiety when working with computers, researchers predict that girls, "on average, will end up performing less well on school tasks that take place on the computer or the Internet" (43).

            In chapter 3, Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide, explores the social context of computing: the sex composition of computer classes, and interaction between boys and girls in unequal classrooms. Chapter 4 talks about the expectancies and the computer: self-fulfilling prophecies, girls, and computing, and performance attributions and information technology. Chapter 5 states the stereotype threat: the Digital divide and the stereotype. Chapter 6 and 7 provide "solutions" for overcoming the Digital division between females and males. Overall, Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide provide great detail about Digital division between males and females.

Article/Book:

            Cooper, Joel, and Kimberlee D. Weaver. Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., 2003.

Ricky's Research Propsal:

Cyber-Crime---Misusing of Digital Power

Topic of Interest: (original interest)

Digital techology does make out life excited and convenient; however, it also brings in some negative effects, such as cyber-crime---credit card numbers being stolen, bank account password or MSN password leaking. According to Warren and Paul, your people are the major groups to commit such crimes.

What are the influences of digital media on these youth?

Why do they commit cyber-crimes and what is their view of such behaviors?

What should we or governments do with these situations?

Sources:

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4ZH-ckCdmjgC&oi=fnd&pg=RA2-PR17&sig=m0JAh9TqCHZV4NU_OrvCH68VK-M&dq=digital+crime#PRA3-PR19,M1

Summary:

Digital Divide: Should Women be Silent any Longer?

            The continous development of new technologies and their application to economic, political and social processes is creating new opportunities (5).However, the new opportunities are not equally open to men and women (13). Overcoming the Gender Digital Divide: Understanding ICTs and their Potential for the Empowerment of Women tends to inllustrate us the current situation of accessing and using ICTs between different genders, and focuses on the barriers to Women's access to and use of ICTs and ways to overcome them.

            Overcoming the Gender Digital Divide indicates that ICTs could be tools for women's active participation in improving their situations.  However,  "ICTs are not necessarily gender neutral, and that given the persistent gender inequalities and unequal power relations within societies, substantial disparities in access, use , production and management and regulations of ICTs continue to exist and the development projects do not necessarily address these disparities effeciently" (22).  Overcoming the Gender Digital Divide also explores why women's digital literacy is falling behind---  low levels of literacy and education, less time due to women's roles, less access to financial sources, and geographical location(19), and gives several possible ways to overcome such problem--- Ensuring a gender perspective in ICT-based development projects (22),  Ensuring and sustainable technology transfer (24), designing technologies  appropriate to women's needs (25), and Gender sensitive ICT policy and regulation (26).

            Sophia Huyer and Tatjana Sikoska mainly address on the difference of the availablity of ICTs between males and females, but perhaps more research could be explored : being provided access and use of ICTS, what is the difference of digital ability between males and females.

Article/Works Cited:

            Huyer, Sophia, and Tatjana Sikoska. Overcoming the Gender Digital Divide: Understanding ICTs and their Potential for the Empowerment of Women,   April 2003