Gender and CMC: A review on conflict and harassment

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature related to gender and communication in CMC environments. A brief summary of gender related literature concerning general communication patterns in CMC is outlined first, to set the stage. Then, a review of literature in gender and CMC with a specific focus on conflict and harassment is presented. Comments upon this diverse body of work and recommendations concerning possible areas for future research are offered.

The focus on content and communicative practices in CMC highlights the possibilities of new gendered identities being constructed through online interactions. These new gendered identities may appear in a different form from the more fixed forms of "real life." In particular, the research reviewed in this paper regarding harassment, along with previous studies, leads "one to conclude that the 'democratic' perception of CMC is seriously flawed".