Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables and Figures
- Preface
- Chapter 1 THE PROMISE
- Chapter 2 STUDYING THE PROMISE
- Chapter 3 THE ABSENCE OF CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC COMPUTING AT HOME
- Chapter 4 THE AVAILABILITY OF EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE
- Chapter 5 THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE
- Chapter 6 THE ROLE OF GENDER IN HOME COMPUTER USE
- Chapter 7 SCHOOL USE OF COMPUTERS
- Chapter 8 CHILDREN'S PREFERENCE FOR GAMES
- Chapter 9 REDEFINING A NEW TECHNOLOGY AS A SOCIAL INNOVATION
- Chapter 10 VIEWING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AS A SOCIAL PROCESS
- Chapter 11 REEXAMINING THE HOME-SCHOOL COMPUTER CONNECTION
- Chapter 12 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
- Appendix A A FURTHER NOTE ON SITE FIELDWORK AND ANALYSIS
- Appendix B LIST OF CODES FOR SITE LOG ANALYSIS
- Appendix C SITE LOG ANALYSIS CODEBOOK
- Appendix D LIST OF FAMILIES AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
- Appendix E SPECIFIC STEPS FAMILIES MIGHT TAKE
- References
- Index
Chapter 6 - THE ROLE OF GENDER IN HOME COMPUTER USE
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables and Figures
- Preface
- Chapter 1 THE PROMISE
- Chapter 2 STUDYING THE PROMISE
- Chapter 3 THE ABSENCE OF CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC COMPUTING AT HOME
- Chapter 4 THE AVAILABILITY OF EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE
- Chapter 5 THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE
- Chapter 6 THE ROLE OF GENDER IN HOME COMPUTER USE
- Chapter 7 SCHOOL USE OF COMPUTERS
- Chapter 8 CHILDREN'S PREFERENCE FOR GAMES
- Chapter 9 REDEFINING A NEW TECHNOLOGY AS A SOCIAL INNOVATION
- Chapter 10 VIEWING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AS A SOCIAL PROCESS
- Chapter 11 REEXAMINING THE HOME-SCHOOL COMPUTER CONNECTION
- Chapter 12 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
- Appendix A A FURTHER NOTE ON SITE FIELDWORK AND ANALYSIS
- Appendix B LIST OF CODES FOR SITE LOG ANALYSIS
- Appendix C SITE LOG ANALYSIS CODEBOOK
- Appendix D LIST OF FAMILIES AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
- Appendix E SPECIFIC STEPS FAMILIES MIGHT TAKE
- References
- Index
Summary
The computer is not as important an issue as some have made it, but rather another appliance which has many uses and makes life easier. … You can't fall in love with your washing machine or your computer! If they're interested fine, but to me it's not a big deal.
(A SITE mother)Much research on schools has addressed itself to differences between the sexes in their computer use and attitudes. Although the importance of the family context for “the learning and enacting of gender roles” (Lipman-Blumen, 1984) has been widely recognized, few studies have focused on the extent to which gender-related patterns influence computer activity at home. The integration of computer technology into family settings has the potential for either minimizing or maximizing gender differences in educational and technological opportunities.
In this chapter, we explore similarities and differences in computer use between the male and female members of our study group. We give special attention to the responses of mothers. Six key findings emerged: (1) males and females differed markedly in type of computer use (fathers and sons showed a broader range of interest and usage); (2) females in the households used the home computers less often than the males, and mothers were particularly estranged from the machines; (3) males were the key agents of decision making about the home computers, and fathers were most often responsible for bringing the computer into the home; (4) the sexes held different perceptions and attitudes toward the home computer (their analogies indicated that the computer held a playful and recreational fascination for the males, whereas the females viewed it as strictly utilitarian, as a practical tool for getting things done); (5) interactions around the home computers often accentuated gender-role tensions between the parents and challenged the women's sense of competence within their homes; and (6) despite important generational differences, parental behavior and attitudes appeared to have a “gendering” impact on children's perceptions about computer technology.
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- Beyond Technology's PromiseAn Examination of Children's Educational Computing at Home, pp. 80 - 100Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994