Diferenças de gênero na apropriação das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação: um olhar a partir do ambiente do ensino médio do Colégio Pedro II

Abstract

This thesis investigates the gender differences in the use and appropriation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), considering that preferences and patterns of behavior about technology are influenced by processes of socialization, identity and skills since childhood. The so-called Information Society has historical and cultural problems of women's access and participation, especially in the fields of production and management domains. This model is involved in the critical debate about women in Science and Technology. It presents the feminist perspective of Science and Technology, in its main lines of thought, namely: history of science and feminism radical (or ecofeminist), socialist and liberal. The mutual construction of technology and gender is considered to deal with the environments formed by sociotechnical networks, where inequalities and conflicts arise due to the symbolic and identitary impression of gender in ICT. In this sense, women have low participation in the production of technological products, not seeing themselves represented nor seeing their values and expectations reflected. To raise the female experience in the use of ICT, one of the resources of Information Science is in the area of studies of uses and users of information, especially the sense-making approach, which illuminates the meaning attributed by users of information systems in the face of a situation, problem or need. Then, it presents the digital division of gender, that is, the aspects of digital exclusion of women and how it manifests in the Brazilian context. About access to ICT (and Internet), we sought to question the differentiated experiences between women and men that offers differents opportunities and challenges according to gender. Through the concept of Media and Information Literacy (MIL), it seeks to understand the impacts of skills and competences in the use of ICTs for the transformation or reinforcement of gender inequalities. With the survey of cyberfeminist practice or feminist activism in the digital age, it identifies the insertion of the Internet into the Brazilian feminist movement. The empirical research was carried out in the school environment of Colégio Pedro II; a multicultural and socioeconomically plural environment. After observation in a women's programming workshop (Rails Girls), identifies some questions about building technical competence in the development of information systems and the male domain in the area of Information Technology. With this inspiration, the instruments of research in Colégio Pedro II were: semi-structured interviews with teachers (of both sexes) of different disciplines and students (of both sexes) of the 2nd and 3rd year of High School, when professional career decision is made; and observation and registration of elements of the physical environment on the proposed issues. In the analysis of the data, it is important to note that the digital division of gender is due to different experiences of ICT learning; argues that gender discrimination impacts on the perception of competencies and career choices; and illustrates the movements of the school community to seek representations in terms of gender, race and class and to combat harassment and gender violence.