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Association: Name: American Sociological Association URL: http://www.asanet.org
Citation: URL: http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p108320_index.html Direct Link: HTML Code:

Lee, Jamie. "Gaining (or Losing) Control, Access, and Rights?:The Experiences of Women Participants in a Computer-Integrated Development Program in Costa Rica" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Hilton San Francisco & Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco, CA,, Aug 14, 2004 <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p108320_index.html>

Lee, J. C. , 2004-08-14 "Gaining (or Losing) Control, Access, and Rights?:The Experiences of Women Participants in a Computer-Integrated Development Program in Costa Rica" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Hilton San Francisco & Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco, CA, Online <.PDF>. 2009-05-26 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p108320_index.html

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript Review Method: Peer Reviewed Abstract: Amidst the dilemmas, controversies, and challenges associated with incorporating computer technology in developing countries, many studies suggest that information and communication technology (ICT) offers a creative solution to persistent social problems such as illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment (Wagner, 2001). ICTs are also tools used to further individual or collective entrepreneurial endeavors. With the expansion of ICTs, women, in particular, are capitalizing on these technologies to strengthen their individual position in the public and private spheres. The widespread incorporation of ICTs may have positive or benign affects on its participants, or may not be useful at all if applied without an eye towards the needs of the target population. Concomitantly, ICTs may pose a threat to women by perpetuating or deepening gender biases and the sexual division of labor. My study is a case-study example of a non-governmental organization in Costa Rica that participated in a pilot program in 2002 by expanding information and communication technology to one hundred women nationwide through a free computer class. This program, like others, was initiated with an effort to expand women�s access to and control over technology. It is important to analyze the success of this and other programs from the perspective of the participants and to understand how such programs change behaviors in the public and private sphere, on the micro and macro levels. My paper specifically assesses how and in what ways this program, entrenched within development and modernization ideology, altered job opportunities for the female participants, modified their role within the family, reformulated the individual�s perspective of self, and empowered students. The data was collected over several months of fieldwork and includes over twenty in-depth, semi-structured interviews and two focus groups representing a total of 33 respondents. In this paper, I will use qualitative methods to analyze the individual experiences of the students in the programs to better understand the successes and failures of such development schemes for women in the developing world.

Empowering Women, Empowering Communities: Education, Economic Opportunities and Health Care as Avenues for Community Transformation in the Developing World

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