Perceptions of access and exclusion in the Information Society

This paper outlines research into women’s perceptions of social and technological change, within the contexts information society theory, and feminist analyses of gender and technology. It focuses on one aspect of the research findings: discourses around access and exclusion. Widespread hyperbole surrounding new technologies such as the Internet may result in a sense of imperative to ‘get connected’ or risk being left behind. However, some women also expressed sceptical attitudes toward such pressures, placing the apparent inevitability and value of new technologies in the local contexts of everyday life.