One of the realities of the XXI century is the technological transformation that led to the integration of different modes of communication in an interactive network of global reach. This is extremely dynamic and complex systems, which are causing an interactive network that is not homogeneous in all societies: the gender, age, educational level, habitat (urban / rural), professional status, etc., are conditional variables. In respect to the experience of women in the use of this great global network (the Internet), this technological transformation has been considered by several studies, very similar to the experiences with science and technology in general. That is, there may be gender differences in the use and content of Internet, and reflect specific stereotypes of class, race and gender (Kennedy, 2000 and Burkle, 2003).
In a study by Caldevilla (2010) explains that Spanish women have increased in recent years by 63% weekly use of Internet. These data are corroborated by the report eEspaña 2012 (Fundación Orange, 2012), which also examines the role of women in social networks. The final results of this report indicate that women and men are practically at the same level in the use of social networks (69% and 70% respectively).
The study that we presented plays a key in the future of rural Spain, and more specifically, in Andalusia: rural women in the province of Seville. We understand that this territory and its organizational structure is determinant on their present and future. Despite the heterogeneity of the group, we believe that women are challenging the traditional patriarchal role attributed and are willing to expand their frames breaking situations of inequality, embodied in their productive work invisible in the lowest wage payment in the upper load reproductive work, among many other aspects.
In this sense, the Internet is presented as a powerful tool to eliminate geographic barriers, cultural and even temporary. From this consideration, it becomes more necessary and urgent to make an action to prevent new digital inequalities based on access conditions.
In this case acting is needed on digital literacy skills, and in the Internet appropriation as a new framework in that the people are being socially and culturally developed like a new postmodern citizenship in any corner of the planet.
Considering the importance and influence social networks online currently, and the existence of a gender digital divide as evidenced by data from different studies (Clipson, Wilson and Dufrene, 2010; Stoilescu and McDougall, 2011; Foundation Orange, 2012), our proposal is based on analyzing how and how rural women interact in these social networks. For this, we analyzed the experiences and main usage patterns that women have when participating in online social networks.
The aims of our study are: exploring and describing the experiences and usage patterns of social networking by rural women, and determine the degree of motivation and abandonment of social networks based on different sociodemographic variables (age, marital status, employment status, etc.).
