Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors

Studies have indicated that many reasons, such as differences in resources, ideologies, and experiences, contribute to gender disparities in online political engagement. However, how environmental-related factors, especially norms about traditional gender roles, exacerbate gender inequality in onlin...

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Main Author: Pan, Yingqi
Other Authors: Saifuddin Ahmed
Format: Thesis-Master by Research
Language:English
Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/179111
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-1791112024-08-01T08:11:46Z Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors Pan, Yingqi Saifuddin Ahmed Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information sahmed@ntu.edu.sg Social Sciences Traditional gender norms Online political participation Gender inequality Perceived sexist discrimination Cognitive appraisal of centrality Studies have indicated that many reasons, such as differences in resources, ideologies, and experiences, contribute to gender disparities in online political engagement. However, how environmental-related factors, especially norms about traditional gender roles, exacerbate gender inequality in online political participation remains underexplored. This study consisted of two related studies exploring the direct and underlying mechanisms of traditional gender norms in influencing an individual’s online political participation. Utilizing a cross-national dataset and the theoretical foundation of social cognitive theory, Study 1 investigated the gender participatory gap, the relationship between beliefs about traditional gender roles and online political participation, and the impact of contextual factors like societal gender inequality and the freedom of the political environment. Study 2 conducted an online survey in India and explored more of the underlying mechanisms. It supplemented Study 1 by emphasizing how sexist discrimination affects individuals’ online political participation, considering cognitive appraisal mechanisms and the role of such traditional gender norms. Both Study 1 and Study 2 revealed gender disparities in online political participation across different societies and the way beliefs about traditional gender roles shape participation. Additionally, a multi-level analysis from Study 1 found that a country’s free political environment directly influences individuals’ political participation. In gender-equal countries, the negative influence of traditional gender beliefs on political participation was more substantial than in less equal countries. Moreover, Study 2 indicated that perceived online and offline sexist discrimination could hinder online political engagement, with the cognitive appraisal of centrality as the mediator. Finally, beliefs about traditional gender roles could influence cognitive mechanisms when individuals perceive sexism. Overall, this study offers insights into understanding digital political inequality theoretically and practically. Master's degree 2024-07-18T04:30:39Z 2024-07-18T04:30:39Z 2024 Thesis-Master by Research Pan, Y. (2024). Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors. Master's thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/179111 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/179111 10.32657/10356/179111 en This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). application/pdf Nanyang Technological University
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Social Sciences
Traditional gender norms
Online political participation
Gender inequality
Perceived sexist discrimination
Cognitive appraisal of centrality
spellingShingle Social Sciences
Traditional gender norms
Online political participation
Gender inequality
Perceived sexist discrimination
Cognitive appraisal of centrality
Pan, Yingqi
Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
description Studies have indicated that many reasons, such as differences in resources, ideologies, and experiences, contribute to gender disparities in online political engagement. However, how environmental-related factors, especially norms about traditional gender roles, exacerbate gender inequality in online political participation remains underexplored. This study consisted of two related studies exploring the direct and underlying mechanisms of traditional gender norms in influencing an individual’s online political participation. Utilizing a cross-national dataset and the theoretical foundation of social cognitive theory, Study 1 investigated the gender participatory gap, the relationship between beliefs about traditional gender roles and online political participation, and the impact of contextual factors like societal gender inequality and the freedom of the political environment. Study 2 conducted an online survey in India and explored more of the underlying mechanisms. It supplemented Study 1 by emphasizing how sexist discrimination affects individuals’ online political participation, considering cognitive appraisal mechanisms and the role of such traditional gender norms. Both Study 1 and Study 2 revealed gender disparities in online political participation across different societies and the way beliefs about traditional gender roles shape participation. Additionally, a multi-level analysis from Study 1 found that a country’s free political environment directly influences individuals’ political participation. In gender-equal countries, the negative influence of traditional gender beliefs on political participation was more substantial than in less equal countries. Moreover, Study 2 indicated that perceived online and offline sexist discrimination could hinder online political engagement, with the cognitive appraisal of centrality as the mediator. Finally, beliefs about traditional gender roles could influence cognitive mechanisms when individuals perceive sexism. Overall, this study offers insights into understanding digital political inequality theoretically and practically.
author2 Saifuddin Ahmed
author_facet Saifuddin Ahmed
Pan, Yingqi
format Thesis-Master by Research
author Pan, Yingqi
author_sort Pan, Yingqi
title Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
title_short Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
title_full Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
title_fullStr Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
title_full_unstemmed Unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
title_sort unraveling gender inequality in online political participation: the role of gender norms and environmental-related factors
publisher Nanyang Technological University
publishDate 2024
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/179111
_version_ 1814047138796011520