Equality in Cyberdemocracy? Gauging Gender Gaps in On-Line Civic Participation

Objectives. This study examines gender gaps in civic participation by describing gaps in on-line participation and by explaining whether socialization, situation, or structure best account for gaps. Methods. Cross-tabulations and OLS regression were used to analyze 2000 GSS data, which show that men are more likely to have used a computer or the web and to use the web or chat rooms more. Results. Few gender differences exist in on-line civic participation. Men more frequently use government information websites and discuss political views, the economy, foreign affairs, and taxes on the web. Women tend to visit websites to better understand issue complexities and to discuss or learn about gender or women's issues. Marital or work situations do not influence discussion, but the structural variable of education specifies some on-line civic participation. Conclusion. Social status is better than gender at explaining civic participation in general, political information source gathering, and versatility of political interests pursued on-line.