[AISWorld] International Journal of E-Politics – Vol. 2 Issue 2 on "Gender and Computing in Cyberspace" – published

[Celia R. Livermore]

Volume 2, Issue 2, (April-June 2011) special issue on “Gender and Computing in Cyberspace” has just been published in the International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP). IJEP is published quarterly in print and Electronically by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA 
Editor-in-Chief: Celia Romm Livermore, Wayne State University, USA
  
PAPER ONE
 
Beautiful to Me: Identity, Disability, and Gender in Virtual Environments
 
Abbe E. Forman (Temple University, USA), Paul M.A. Baker (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA), Jessica Pater (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA), and Kel Smith (Anikto LLC, USA)
 
This paper examines the portrayal of disability, gender, and identity in virtual communities where representation is a matter of convenience, style, or whim. A survey was conducted of groups, identifying themselves as disabled, with a focus on gender, in the virtual space, Second Life. Four distinctive categories were analyzed in this study: groups associated with disabilities or being disabled, race/ethnicity, gender, aging, and sexuality. In the “real world”, the visual cues that activate schemas serve as an explanation for the stigmas and ensuing isolation often felt by people with disabilities. In Second Life, where the visual cues are removed, users with disabilities are associating with others who identify as being disabled. Additionally, gender appears to play a role in the group (i.e. “communities”) found in Second Life. Regardless of binary gender framework, the differences between the groups that are externally classified as having some degree of disability, and those who choose to self identify, or affiliate with disability related groups, have rich import for the sociology of online communities as well as for the design and characteristics of games.
 
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=53536     
 
PAPER TWO
 
Overcoming the Segregation/Stereotyping Dilemma: Computer Mediated Communication for Business Women and Professionals
 
Natalie Sappleton (Manchester Metropolitan University, UK)
 
The fastest recent growth in women-owned firms has been in traditionally male industries such as telecommunications and construction. This development has increased the importance of cross-sex networking to women professionals and entrepreneurs. Women business owners (particularly those working in traditionally male sectors) may be hindered in their efforts to build collaborative relations with male ties because of gender stereotyping. As a response, women may elect to join all-female networks, but because women in male-dominated sectors are relatively scarce, this strategy reduces access to resources. This paper suggests that virtual networking via web pages, email, chat rooms, and networking sites can provide a solution for women in male dominated contexts stuck in a ‘segregation/stereotyping bind’. Additionally, virtual communities can provide access to a very large number of diverse others and network maintenance is substantially easier than face-to-face interaction.
 
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=53537     
 
PAPER THREE
 
Would Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blog?: Women Bloggers, Politics, and Political Participation   
 
Ruth Guthrie (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA) 
Louise Soe (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA) 
Elaine Yakura (Michigan State University, USA)
 
This paper examines issues of support for women with Information Technology (IT) careers. Data was collected from interviews with 38 women, which lasted about 90 minutes. Questions were open-ended regarding aspects of their careers and career paths. The women represented a wide variety of experience and nine different industry sectors and at varying organizational levels. Research on the lack of women in STEM disciplines focuses mainly on undergraduate education and attracting women to STEM disciplines, focusing on “filling the pipeline.” This paper examines what it takes to have a successful, satisfying career, highlighting areas of support for women that may influence their success in IT careers.
 
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=51349   
 
PAPER FOUR
 
Effects of Perceiver / Target Gender and Social Networking Presence on Web-Based Impression Formation  
 
Leslie Jordan Albert (San Jose State University, USA), Timothy R. Hill (San Jose State University, USA), and Shailaja Venkatsubramanyan (San Jose State University, USA)
 
As the Web has expanded in its use and utility it has fundamentally changed the way in which individuals gather and use information. This paper suggests that those changes give rise to tangible and significant effects in the impressions people form of others using Web-based information. This study explores the impacts of perceiver gender, target gender, and social networking presence on subjects’ perceptions of potential teammates otherwise unknown to them as revealed by ratings they assign based only on search engine results. Experiments reveal differences in how male and female perceivers view others’ social networking activity in general and suggest that how the perceiver gender matches, or differs, from the gender of the target affects how social networking presence plays into impression formation. Findings hold implications for professionals, academics and individuals concerned with the role that Web-based information plays in impression formation and how inherent gender-based biases may affect power and politics in the workplace and beyond.
 
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=53539      
 
 
PAPER FIVE
 
Gender, Power, and eDating   
 
Celia Romm Livermore (Wayne State University, USA), and Toni M. Somers (Wayne State University, USA)
 
Following a review of the literature on gender, power, and eDating, this paper introduces the eDating development model and discusses a number of hypotheses that can be derived from it. Findings from a research investigation that explored the hypotheses are presented. The findings supported all the hypotheses, indicating that: (1) male and female eDaters follow different sequence of stages in their eDating development; (2) the behaviors that males and females exhibit as eDaters are different; and (3) the feedback that male and female eDaters receive from the environment is different. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications from this research to more general questions relating to gender, power, and eDating.
 
To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=53540     
 
BOOK REVIEW
 
Review of Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology
 
Reviewed by Celia Romm Livermore, Wayne State University, USA
 
To obtain a copy of the review, check out this issue at your local library or click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Files/Ancillary/10.4018_jep.2011040107.pdf  
 
INTERVIEW
Empowering Youth Political Participation in Turkey: Interview with Itir Akdogan, University of Helsinki, Finland
 
Interviewed by Celia Romm Livermore, Wayne State University, USA 
http://www.igi-global.com/Files/Ancillary/10.4018_jep.2011040106.pdf   
 
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For full copies of the above articles, check for this issue of the International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) in your institution's library.  This journal is also included in the IGI Global aggregated "InfoSci-Journals" database: http://www.igi-global.com/EResources/InfoSciJournals.aspx.
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CALL FOR PAPERS
 
Mission of IJEP: 
 
The mission of the International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) is to define and expand the boundaries of e-politics as an emerging area of inter-disciplinary research and practice by assisting in the development of e-politics theories and empirical models. The journal creates a venue for empirical, theoretical, and practical scholarly work on e-politics to be published, leading to sharing of ideas between practitioners and academics in this field. IJEP contributes to the creation of a community of e-politics researchers by serving as a “hub” for related activities, such as organizing seminars and conferences on e-politics and publication of books on e-politics.
 
Coverage of IJEP:
 
 The International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) focuses on three major topic areas: the politics of information technology function and its role within organizations, the politics of virtual communities and social networking communities, and the role that electronic media plays in community activism and party politics at the local, national, and international levels. Within these major areas, specific topics of interest to be discussed in the journal include (but are not limited to) the following:
 
E-voting and electronically enabled e-government
Impact of globalization on the political role played by the IT unit within organizations
Impact of race and gender on electronically enabled political manipulations
Party politics and social activism
Politics of diffusion of change within organizations
Politics of social networking communities, including: learning communities, customers' communities, e-dating communities, gaming communities, support group communities, etc.
Politics of the IT function and role in organizations
Politics of virtual communities and social networking communities
Politics of geographically based virtual communities
Use of electronic media for surveillance manipulation and harassment
Use of electronic media in industrial and labor relations
Utilization of electronic media for governance and politicking at the municipal, state, national, and international levels
Utilization of electronic media for political debate, information sharing, political decision making, and fundraising
 
Interested authors should consult the journal's manuscript submission guidelines at www.igi-global.com/ijep 
 
All inquiries and submissions should be sent to: 
Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Celia Romm Livermore at ak1667 at wayne.edu 

 
-- 
Celia Romm Livermore (PhD) 
Editor-in-Chief 
International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) 
School of Business Administration 
Wayne State University 
Detroit, MI, 48202, USA 
E-mail address: ak1667 at wayne.edu 
www.igi-global.com/IJEP 

President Elect: Global Information Technology Management Association (GITMA) 
http://www.gitma.org/