The primetime agora: Knowledge, power, and “mainstream” resource venues for women online

Eble, Michelle F.; Breault, Robin

doi:10.1016/s8755-4615(02)00132-9

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…This knowledge could be archived from the chat and discussion forums, so unofficial online conversations became part of the sanctioned knowledge of the babyworld site. As Eble and Breault (2002: 325) argue: 'Through the archiving of local knowledge on chats and boards, women …are granted greater authority and importance. They are empowered.'…”

Section: Extractmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parenting gone wired: empowerment of new mothers on the internet?

Madge

O’Connor

2006

Social & Cultural Geography

237

222

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The extension of information and communication technologies is purported to provide great opportunities for women, with the potential for empowerment and feminist activism. This paper contributes to the debate about women and cyberspace through a focus on the role of the internet in the lives of a group of technologically proficient, socially advantaged white heterosexual new mothers. The internet played a central role in providing virtual social support and alternative information sources which increased these women's real sense of empowerment in the transition to motherhood. Simultaneously, however, very traditional stereotypes of mothering and gender roles persisted. A paradox is evident whereby the internet was both liberating and constraining: it played an important social role for some women while at the same time it encouraged restrictive and unequal gender stereotypes in this particular community of practice. An examination of new virtual parenting spaces therefore has a contribution to make in understanding changing parenting practices in the new millennium.Key words: Cyberspace, internet, mothers, empowerment.3 Women, the internet and empowermentRecent research suggests that the extension of ICT (information and communication technologies) into virtually every area of society provides great opportunities for women (Cherny and Weise 1996;Kennedy 2000). It is claimed that ICT have the potential for empowering women, enabling feminist activism and resistance to male power (Harcourt 1999;Sutton and Pollock 2000;Youngs 2001). Much has been made of the support, information exchange and political potential afforded to women through online community membership (Kramer and Kramarae 2000;Pudrovska and Ferree 2004;Vehvilainen 2001) and how ICT offer new opportunities for women to develop as entrepreneurs and innovators (Martin and Wright 2005). Others suggest cyberspatial technologies can enable a radical renegotiation of gender relations and challenge patriarchal hegemony (Haraway 1985;Jenson et al. 2003;Travers 2003).However, over zealous claims of the power of ICT for transforming women's lives are not without critics (Gajjala 2003;Gajjala and Mamidipudi 1999;Mitra 2001;Woolgar 2002). Studies have shown how online discourses and practices continue to reflect and reinforce the unequal gender power relations present in onsite institutions and social conventions (Hocks 1999;Josok et al. 2003) and sexist practices abound (Cunneen and Stubbs 2000). Moreover, while the gender gap with regard to internet use is narrowing, the majority of women on the internet still continue to be white academic professionals (Travers 2003). The majority of participants on bulletin boards and listserves are also still men and men also dominate participation volumes and agenda setting even in feminist and mixed-gender cyberspaces (Gurak 2001). Recent studies suggest that effective use of the internet to increase women's empowerment may be overshadowed by its commercialization (Shade 2003) and its role in affirming norms of femi...

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Section: Extractmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parenting gone wired: empowerment of new mothers on the internet?

Madge

O’Connor

2006

Social & Cultural Geography

237

222

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“…Indeed, from the barrage of homemaking appliances marketed to housewives in the 1950s to the more recent possibilities offered by new reproductive technologies, feminists have long been attuned to women's relationships to Gender, Technology and Development, 18, 2 (2014): 187-217 technology. While much literature on gender and technology has usefully documented ways in which technology can contribute to women's oppression (Eble & Breault, 2002), cyberfeminism emphasizes the possibilities of technology to enhance women's lives. Cyberfeminist perspectives recognize that women's experiences with technology can facilitate worldwide networking and the creation of women's own spaces of dialogue and action on the Internet (Orgad, 2005).…”

Section: Cyberfeminismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neighborhood at your Fingertips: Transforming Community Online through a Canadian Social Networking Site for Mothers

Valtchanov

Parry

Glover

et al. 2014

Gender, Technology and Development

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Local geographical communities have changed significantly in the last several decades due to a number of cultural factors, including women's increased participation in the paid workforce and growing rates of single parenthood. Changing communities have resulted in increased social isolation for mothers raising young children, which often means a lack of vital social support, particularly from other mothers. The current research addresses this contemporary challenge by exploring the role of a Canadian social networking site for mothers, namely, Momstown. ca, in providing online social support to mothers. In particular, the study

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“…Others believe that women's websites empower women. For example, when women share their own personal experiences and their messages are archived in the forums, the women's messages become sanctioned knowledge of the community (Eble & Breault, 2002). By sharing their stories and information, members occupy positions of agency in the production of knowledge (Blair & Takayoshi, 1999).…”

Section: Women's Websitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The women are therefore deciding what constitutes knowledge in their community (Madge & O'Connor, 2006). As the information exchanges from the forums are archived, they become part of the sanctioned knowledge of MDC (Eble & Breault, 2002). Archiving members' local knowledge places them in positions of authority (Eble & Breault, 2002).…”

Section: Exchanging Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The finding that women at MDC create and share knowledge within the community is significant. As research has demonstrated, the process of sharing and creating knowledge in women's websites is empowering for women (Drentea & Moren-Cross, 2005;Eble & Breault, 2002;Madge & O'Connor, 2006). By obtaining advice from MDC members, women no longer have to rely solely on childcare experts, such as pediatricians, for guidance.…”

Section: Empowermentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning the Culture of Natural Family Living through Participation in an Online Community of Practice

Pinkerton

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The purpose of this study was to examine how mothers participate in an online community, MotheringDotCommunity (MDC), to learn the culture of natural family living (NFL) through an ethnographic case study. Natural family living (NFL) is a lifestyle that promotes holistic well-being. Families focus on nurturing their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Attachment parenting (AP) is part of NFL. In AP, parents quickly and consistently respond to their children's needs in order to promote a strong parent-child attachment; this involves practices such as always responding to a child's cries, keeping children within close proximity, and practicing gentle discipline.MDC is an online forum where women can both provide and receive information and support regarding NFL.Data were collected through daily online observations of MDC, archived messages, and interviews with 12 MDC participants. In addition, four MDC member profiles were created in order to highlight the learning process and patterns of activity that occur within the online community. Data were analyzed using the framework of communities of practice, the idea that people learn a practice by interacting within a community.The findings revealed three major themes: (1) by creating and sharing information and receiving community support, MDC members are empowered and encouraged to challenge institutions, (2) through their participation at MDC, women both learn and adapt their identities as NFL mothers, and (3) MDC serves different roles for different members; for some members, MDC is a community of practice, while for others, the forum solely serves as an information resource.

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The primetime agora: Knowledge, power, and “mainstream” resource venues for women online

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

Parenting gone wired: empowerment of new mothers on the internet?

Parenting gone wired: empowerment of new mothers on the internet?

Neighborhood at your Fingertips: Transforming Community Online through a Canadian Social Networking Site for Mothers

Learning the Culture of Natural Family Living through Participation in an Online Community of Practice

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