Change

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THE REPRODUCTION AND AMPLIFICATION OF GENDER INEQUALITY ONLINE: THE CASE OF AZERBAIJAN

Dr. Katy Pearce

University of Washington@katypearce

Digital Dividegap between haves & haves nots

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NOT NEW

Matthew effect is where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer

Knowledge Gap Hypothesis where those with the most resources adopt first, haveand gain more skills, and use technology more effectively – thus benefiting earlierand more and increasing a gap

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Influences on Digital DivideVan Dijk’s (2005) model

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Personal categories

Resources

Positional categories

Participation in society

Access

Usage access

Material access

Motivational access

Skills access

Technological properties of ICT

Influences on Digital Dividesocioeconomic & demographics

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AGE

Younger people have the highest adoptionrate and levels of use of the Internet due toearlier exposure, training, peer use, andgreater comfort

ECONOMIC WELLBEING

Because of the greater ability to affordthe related costs, economic wellbeing isrelated to Internet adoption and use

EDUCATION

Educational attainment is positively relatedto Internet adoption and use because ofgreater awareness, training, apacibilities,and ability to evaluate content

URBANNESS

Because of telecommunicationsinfrastructure, pace of life, educationalopportunities, and motivation, ruralresidents are less likely to adopt and usethe Internet

------Personal

categories

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Influences on Digital Dividethe greatest divide?

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----------------------------------------------------But sex differences have mostly disappeared in higher income countries

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Most studies show that men use the Internet more than women do because of more prior

exposure to technology as well as work-related

needs

Women tend to use the Internet for

communication and social reasons

Some argue ICTs can empower women, but barriers remain

Employment

Education

Financial resources

Cultural

ContextAzerbaijan

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Post-Soviet

Secular Muslim

Authoritarian

High literacy

Oil wealth

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Gender and the Internetanother public space?

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• Azerbaijani women have household responsibilities• Azerbaijani women are less likely to work outside the home and

thus less exposed to technology

• However, it is possible that the Internet is another public space where behavior must be in check and controlled

• The Azerbaijani media does not frame social media in a positive light• “Family tragedies,” “criminal incidents,” “mental disorders,” “sex

trafficking of women and children,” “causes divorce”

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Gender in Azerbaijanpolitical and cultural

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• Azerbaijani women perform a second shift• Honor culture

• Value personal and family honor and reputation• Specific behavioral codes of obedience• Must retaliate against honor violations

• Women play a special role in honor culture• While men are tough and have to reaffirm their status, women are

modest, have a norm of shame, and avoid embarrassing situations and behaviors

• Sexual honor, “namus,” is very important to socialize into daughters• This restricts women’s mobility and access to public spaces

• Honor is maintained through kinship

Research Questions9

RQS

RQ1: What is the relative importance of sociodemographic characteristics onInternet use frequency levels?

RQ2: What is the relative importance of sociodemographic characteristics oncapital enhancing Internet activities of social networking site use and online newsreading?

Method10

RESPONDENTS & SAMPLING

N=1829

Caucasus Research Resource Center

Nationally representative, annual repeated questions

Results11

RQ1: WHAT IS THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ON INTERNET

USE FREQUENCY LEVELS?

14% 12%4% 6%

58%

6%8%4% 2% 4%

65%

17%

Every day At least once a week At least once a month Less often Never I don’t know what the Internet is

Azerbaijan Internet Frequency X Gender (%) (CB, 2012)

male female

All differences significant in a univariate ANOVA

Results12




Linear regressionAdjusted R2 = .30

Results13




Multinominal logistic regressionX2 = 2632478.311 (20) ***

Nagel. R2 = .41

Infrequent Monthly Weekly DailyGender .88 (.01)***

Wald 43883.90C.I. 2.39

.90 (.01)***Wald 29865.91

C.I. 2.46

1.62 (.00)***Wald 4187972.67

C.I. 5.07

1.27 (.00)***Wald 141652.18

C.I. 3.56Age -.05 (.00)***

Wald 107793.523C.I. .95

-.07 (.00)***Wald 108069.35

C.I. .93

-.08 (.00)***Wald 307072.37

C.I. .92

-.11 (.00)***Wald 465250.96

C.I .90Education .50 (.00)***

Wald 88995.53C.I. 1.65

.53 (.00)***Wald 64887.21

C.I. 1.70

.78 (.00)***Wald 315705.30

C.I. 2.17

.93 (.00)***Wald 498574.30

C.I. 2.54Economic wellbeing .27 (.00)***

Wald 15132.49C.I. 1.31

.77 (.00)***Wald 82937.62

C.I. 2.16

.54 (.00)***Wald 87043.04

C.I. 1.71

.43 (.00)***Wald 60840.93

C.I. 1.54Urban .21 (.00)***

Wald 15911.79C.I. 1.23

.05 (.00)***Wald 421.64

C.I. 1.04

.36 (.00)***Wald 63815.32

C.I. 1.44

.47 (.00)***Wald 110010.69

C.I. 1.60

Intercept -4.461 (.01)***Wald 205375.91

-5.65 (.01)*** Wald 201155.63--

-5.86 (.01)***Wald 455012.79

-5.39 (.01)***Wald 426210.55

Results14


SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ON CAPITAL

ENHANCING INTERNET ACTIVITIES OF SOCIAL

NETWORKING SITE USE AND ONLINE NEWS READING?

54%

43%

35%

15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

male users female users male total female total

Azerbaijan SNS use X gender (%) (CB, 2012)

17%14%

5%2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

male users female users male total female total

Azerbaijan Online news user X gender (%) (CB, 2012)

Results15


SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ON CAPITAL

ENHANCING INTERNET ACTIVITIES OF SOCIAL

NETWORKING SITE USE AND ONLINE NEWS READING?

SNS News

Gender .42 (.00)***Wald 13144.27

C.I. 1.52

.12 (.01)***Wald 638.18

C.I. 1.13Age -.06 (.00)***

Wald 115825.35C.I .94

.03 (.00)***Wald 32868.65

C.I 1.03Education .02 (.00)***

Wald 302.58C.I. 1.02

.26 (.00)***Wald 22712.74

C.I. 1.29Economic wellbeing -.10 (.00)***

Wald 2838.82C.I. .91

-.08 (.00)***Wald 1033.58

C.I. .93Urban -.14 (.00)***

Wald 7705.26C.I. .87

-.09 (.00)***Wald 1807.22

C.I. .92Internet Frequency .33 (.00)***

Wald 37204.90C.I. 1.39

.05 (.00)***Wald 520.63

C.I. 1.05

Constant 1.05 (.01)***Wald 11814.95

C.I. 2.85

-.397 (.01)***Wald 90567.44

Nagelkerke R2 = .18 Nagelkerke R2 = .07

Binomial logistic regression

Discussion16

WHAT HAPPENED?

Gender was the most important predictor for Internet frequency, SNS use, andsecond most important for online news.

But is the Internet just another resource that they do have equal access to or is it aplace where honor can be violated?

• Cyberbulling and trolling• Teenage suicides

Maybe the Internet isn’t such a great place to be?

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THANK YOU !FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Change

Education

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