Gender, Race, Social Class and Information Technology

2009 ◽  
pp. 1729-1735
Author(s):  
Myungsook Klassen ◽  
Russell Stockard

The issue of the underrepresentation of women in the information technology workforce has been the subject of a number of studies and the gender gap was an issue when the digital divide dominated discourse about women’s and minority groups’ use of the Internet However, a broader view is needed. That perspective would include the relation of women and IT in the communities in which they live as well as the larger society. The information society that has emerged includes the United States and the globalized economy of which it is an integral part. Women and minorities such as African Americans and Latinos are underrepresented in computer science (CS) and other information technology positions in the United States. In addition, while they areno longer numerically underrepresented in access to computers and the Internet – as of 2000, (Gorski, 2001) - they continue to enjoy fewer benefits available through the medium than white boys and men. The following article explores the diversity within women from the perspectives of race, ethnicity and social class in North America, mainly United States. The technology gender and racial gap persists in education and in the IT workforce. A broader and deeper look at women’s position in relation to the increasingly techno-centric society reveals that women may have reached equality in access, but not equity in academic study and job opportunities.

Author(s):  
Myungsook Klassen ◽  
Russell Stockard Jr.

The issue of the underrepresentation of women in the information technology (IT) workforce has been the subject of a number of studies, and the gender gap was an issue when the digital divide dominated discourse about women’s and minority groups’ use of the Internet. However, a broader view is needed. That perspective would include the relation of women and IT in the communities in which they live as well as the larger society. The information society that has emerged includes the United States (U.S.) and the globalized economy of which it is an integral part. Women and minorities, such as African Americans and Latinos, are underrepresented in computer science (CS) and other IT positions in the U.S. In addition, while they are no longer numerically underrepresented in access to computers and the Internet, as of 2000 (Gorski, 2001), they continue to enjoy fewer benefits available through the medium than white boys and men. The following article explores the diversity within women from the perspectives of race, ethnicity and social class in North America, mainly the U.S. The technology gender and racial gap persists in education and in the IT workforce. A broader and deeper look at women’s positions in relation to the increasingly techno-centric society reveals that women may have reached equality in access, but not in academic study and job opportunities.


2008 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Kraemer ◽  
John Leslie King

This article examines the theoretical ideal of information technology as an instrument of administrative reform and examines the extent to which that ideal has been achieved in the United States. It takes a look at the findings from research about the use and impacts of information technology from the time of the mainframe computer through the PC revolution to the current era of the Internet and e-government. It then concludes that information technology has never been an instrument of administrative reform; rather, it has been used to reinforce existing administrative and political arrangements. It assesses why this is the case and draws conclusions about what should be expected with future applications of information technologies—in the time after e-government. It concludes with a discussion of the early evidence about newer applications for automated service delivery, 24/7 e-government, and e-democracy.


2022 ◽  
pp. 193-203

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze and review trends in digital terminology. The chapter begins by examining the origins of computerization in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Next, the chapter examines the key concepts punch cards and computer science. The chapter then discusses how the term computer science is misleading. This is followed by a discussion of how information technology became the most popular term in the US. The chapter then switches focus to Europe and discusses France's promotion of informatique as well as Europe's switch from informatics to ICT. Next, the chapter considers how the internet has given rise to terms like e-commerce. The chapter concludes by considering the transition from ICT to digital informing and informing technology.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD ROSE

The Internet is a global phenomenon, but the way in which national governments respond to it varies with the political, social and economic context of a country. However, much that is written about the Internet and governance concentrates on a few advanced industrial societies, and especially the United States. Yet the federal and fragmented system of governance in the United States creates obstacles to the use of the Internet, while smaller countries from Estonia to Singapore produce innovations in e-governance. Moreover, even though the United States has more Internet users than any other country today, the growth points in the use of the Internet in the next few years will occur in radically different places, ranging from Russia and Brazil to India and China.


2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Ono ◽  
Madeline ZavodnY

This study examines whether there are differences in men's and women's use of computers and the Internet in the United States and Japan and, if so, how this gender gap has changed over time. We focus on these two countries because information technology is widely used in both, but there are substantial differences in institutions and social organizations. We use microdata from several surveys during 1997–2001 to examine differences and trends in computer and Internet usage in the two countries. Controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, our results indicate that there were significant gender differences in computer and Internet usage in both countries during the mid-1990s. By 2001 these gender differences had disappeared or were even reversed in the United States but persisted in Japan. People not currently working have lower levels of information technology (IT) use and skills in both countries regardless of gender, but working women in Japan have lower levels of IT use and skills than working men, a difference that generally does not occur in the United States. This suggests that employment status per se does not play a large role in the gender gap in Japan, but type of employment does. The prevalence of nonstandard employment among female workers in Japan can explain much of the gender gap in information technology use and skills in that country.


Author(s):  
Japhet E. Lawrence

The growth of the Internet has opened up a vast arena, providing more opportunities for businesses, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to sell their products and services to a global audience than they would have been able to afford to reach using the traditional methods. SMEs are extremely important to many countries and their contribution to economy cannot be over emphasized. Several researchers have studied the contribution of the Internet and highlight the importance of convenience, satisfaction, quality, and consumer purchase behavior. In this study, it is argued that SMEs stand to benefit significantly from the opportunities and benefits that the Internet offers to businesses. Therefore, the use of the Internet is widely seen as critical for the competitiveness of SMEs in the emerging global market. The study is exploratory in nature and will be conducted in three stages. The findings presented in this paper, argues that SMEs in developing countries must learn from the experiences of developed countries, such as the United States and European countries, and use the Internet more frequently.


Author(s):  
Japhet E. Lawrence

The growth of the Internet has opened up a vast arena, providing more opportunities for businesses, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to sell their products and services to a global audience than they would have been able to afford to reach using the traditional methods. SMEs are extremely important to many countries and their contribution to economy cannot be over emphasized. Several researchers have studied the contribution of the Internet and highlight the importance of convenience, satisfaction, quality, and consumer purchase behavior. In this study, it is argued that SMEs stand to benefit significantly from the opportunities and benefits that the Internet offers to businesses. Therefore, the use of the Internet is widely seen as critical for the competitiveness of SMEs in the emerging global market. The study is exploratory in nature and will be conducted in three stages. The findings presented in this paper, argues that SMEs in developing countries must learn from the experiences of developed countries, such as the United States and European countries, and use the Internet more frequently.


Author(s):  
Christopher Latimer

This chapter is an assessment of the growing use of the Internet by congressional campaigns in the United States to determine whether candidates' Websites are affected by presidential popularity. There is previous research linking low public opinion of a sitting president with a negative impact on members of his political party running for election, particularly during the midterm, but very little analysis examines this phenomenon online. The chapter examines the 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008 House Republican campaign Websites to see if there is a relationship between presidential popularity and congressional online campaign behavior. An examination of Republican campaign Websites was coded based on whether President Bush was present in picture form. The authors demonstrate that there is a correlation between President Bush's popularity and his presence on these Republican congressional Websites in general and more prevalent in different regions of the country.


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