INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction to New Media

New Media is a broad term in Media Studies that emerged in the later part of the 20th

century to encompass the amalgamation of traditional media such as film, images, music,

spoken and written word, with the interactive power of computer and communication

technology, computer-enabled consumer devices and most importantly the Internet.

There are many promises related to the term. For example, new media holds out a

possibility of on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as well

as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community formation around the

media content. Another important promise of new media is the “democratization” of the

creation, publishing, distribution and consumption of media content. New media is

distinguished from traditional media by the digitizing of content into bits. There is also a

dynamic aspect of content production which can be done in real time.

New Media has revolutionized the nature and pace of human interaction across the

world, which is increasingly assuring the contours of a “Global Village”.

The new media such as Internet, Computer, Cell Phones, Social networking, Skype,

Blogs, and Video Conferencing are bringing noticeable changes in Indian Society.

1.2 Definitions of New Media

 “New media versus cyber culture” – cyber culture is the study of various social

phenomena that are associated with the internet and network communications, where

as new media is concerned more with cultural objects and paradigms

 “New media as computer technology used as a distribution platform” – new media are

the cultural objects which use digital computer technology for distribution and

exhibition.eg (at least for now) internet, websites, computer multimedia, DVD‟s etc.

 “New media as digital data controlled by software”- the language of new media is

based on the assumption that, in fact, all cultural objects that rely on digital

representation and computer-based delivery, do share a number of common qualities.

New media is reduced to digital data that can be manipulated by software as any other

data. New media operations can create several version of the same object.

 New media as the mix between existing cultural conventions and conventions of

software-“new media today can be understood as the mix between older cultural

conventions for data representation, access, and manipulation and newer conventions

of data representation, access and manipulation”. E.g. film software is used in some

areas of production, while in others it is created using computer animation.

 “New media as faster execution of Algorithms previously executed manually or

through other technologies” – computers are huge speed-up of what were previously

manual techniques .e.g. calculators. “Dramatically speeding-up the execution makes

possible previously non-existent representational technique.” This also makes

possible of many new forms of media art such as interactive multimedia and computer

games. “on one level, a modern digital computer is just a faster calculator, one should

not ignore it‟s other identity: that of a cybernetic control device.

 “New media as the encoding of modernist Advant-Grade; new media as Metamedia” -

Manovich declares that 1920‟s are more relevant to new media than any other time
 period. Meta-media coincides with postmodernism in that they both re-work old work

rather than create new work. New media Advant-Grade “is about new ways of

accessing and manipulating information.” (e.g. hypermedia, databases, search

engines, etc.) Meta-media is an example of how quantity can change into quality as in

new media technology and manipulation techniques can “record modernist aesthetics

into a very different postmodern aesthetics.( Chaturvedi and Mittal, 2010)

1.3 Origin and growth of New Media

Since the days of the earliest known aboriginal petroglyphs in Australia around

80,000 B.C and the cave paintings in Altamira, Spain 60,000 years later, people have used

technology as a medium to communicate across space and time. In the modern world, some trace

the origins of New Media Technology to the birth of the information society in 1956, when for

the first time more than 50 % of the US workforce was employed in the service sector. The

Burroughs Corporation manufactured the E101, the first desktop computer: In the four decades

since then, the world‟s communication system had changed dramatically. “By the end of the

1980s, “globalization” had become the term for accelerating interdependence. (John Pavlik,

1995)

Until the 1980‟s, media relied primarily upon print and art analog broadcast models,

such as those of radio and television. The last 25 years have seen the rapid transformation

into media which are predicated upon the use of digital computers, such as the Internet and

computer games. The use of digital computers has transformed the remaining „old‟ media, as

suggested by the advent of digital television and online publications. Even traditional media

forms such as the printing press have been transformed through the application of

technologies such as image manipulation software like Adobe Photoshop and desktop tools.
 Consequently it has been the contention of scholars like Douglas Kellner and James

Bohman that new media, and particularly the Internet, provides the potential for a democratic

postmodern public sphere, in which citizens can participate in well informed, non-

hierarchical debate pertaining to their social structures.

THE COMPUTER REVOLUTION:

One of the technical foundations of the information society is the computer. By changing

the way we live, work and play, the computer has irrevocably altered the fabric of the society.

From the living room to the board room, computers have changed both how we spend our time

and how we make our money. The computer has become both a metaphor and a direct

representation of the automation of thinking and processing of the information.

Although it is in many ways the ultimate symbol of the post modern information society

of the 20th century, the computer has a history that stretches back to at least the early 1600s.

German mathematician Wilhelm Schickard created in 1623, the original automatic computing

device, the first mechanical calculator employing a set of metal wheels to tabulate numbers. Two

centuries later, in 1823, English inventor Charles Babbage conceived a steam-powered digital

machine, although the device was not built until 1880 by Herman Hollerith who named it the

“Electromechanical Tabulator”. Also in 1880, Scottish physicist Lord Kelvin introduced the idea

for an analog computer. (John Pavlik, 1995)

THE INTERNET REVOLUTION:

The most important impact of the computer on society has been generated by the

Internet. The origin of the Internet is traced to the Cold War era. Because the US Pentagon

feared a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union, computer scientists designed and implemented

ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet. (Arvind Singhal, 2001)

 Its origins are to be found in the Department of Defense‟s Advanced Research Project

Agency network (ARPANET) created in 1969 as the first national computer network. The

Internet was born officially in 1983, when ARPANET divided into military and civilian

components, with the civilian component giving rise to the Internet. At that time the National

Science Foundation (NSF) established the NSF net as the research backbone network for

scholarly investigators at U.S. universities. For more than a decade NSFNET served as the

backbone of the Internet, but in October 1994, the NSF began converting its network to private

hands. (John Pavlik, 1995)

Compared to other communication channels like postal mail or long-distance telephone

calls, communication via the Internet is quicker, cheaper and more reliable. A very rapid rate of

adoption of the Internet, including the World Wide Web, occurred during the 1990s. One reason

that the Internet was adopted so rapidly was the prior adoption of personal computers through

which Internet was accessed. (Arvind Singhal, 2001)

CELL PHONE REVOLUTION:

Personal Communication Networks and Services (PCNs):

In 1993, the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) approved and allocated 120

megahertz of spectrum for the creation of personal communications services. Pocket phones are

among the first services to compete with phone companies for house-to-house wireless service,

as well as cellular communications which have just 40 megahertz of spectrum. The Kiplinger

Washington Letter had predicted that wireless office computer networks will be available within

three to five years.

Cellular communications is an over-the-air delivery medium currently used for telephone

services, including voice, data transmission, and fax communications. Through convergence,
cellular technologies are now built into portable computers, making nomadic computing, or

mobile computer communications, a reality. (John Pavlik, 1995)

SOCIAL MEDIA

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building

friendly social networks or social relations among people. For example: sharing interests and

activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user, his or

her social links, and a variety of additional services.

Social media dates back almost to 1969 with the role of CompuServe as the beginning.

Its origin can be found in blogging, Google, AOL, ICQ, and World Wide Web.

New Media social network services are web based and provide means for users to

interact over the internet, such as e-mail, instant messaging and chatting. Online community

services are sometimes considered as social network services, though in a broader sense, social

network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community

services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events

and interests within their individual networks.

1.4 Characteristics of New Media

The New Media have certain characteristics that are similar in certain respects to both

interpersonal and mass media communication but they are different in many other aspects. Most

technologies described as “new media” are digital, manipulated, networkable, dense,

compressible, interactive, immediacy, hyper-textual, computerized, networked information and

audio-visual connectivity (Jagadish Chakravarthy, 2004)

1.5 Types of New Media

 New media communication includes websites, chat room, bulletin board services

(BBS) and e-mail list servers. Mobile phone technology has created the ability to send text

messages via a short message service (SMS) or via a more sophisticated multimedia message

service (MMS) where users can share pictures or video clips as easily as text. Wikipedia itself

is one of the best examples of New Media. Other examples include Internet, Computer,

multimedia, computer games, e-mail, Video conferencing, Blogs, Skype, Search engines,

Social network sites( face book, twitter etc), Smart phone- iphones, ipod, You-tube, What‟s

App, etc.

The Internet

The most important impact of the computer on society has been generated by the Internet.

Many observers consider the Internet one of the great transformational technologies (ranking

with the steam engine, railroads, electricity, etc) that at first challenged, and then

fundamentally changed, the way that people learn, play, create, communicate and work.

Internet is now reaching beyond the realm of computer needs and enthusiasts, scholars and

researchers, to the ordinary consumer.

Cell Phone

Cellular communications is an over-the-air delivery medium currently used for telephone

services, including voice, data transmission, and fax communications. Through convergence,

cellular technologies are now built into portable computers, making nomadic computing, or

mobile computer communications, a reality. Emergency communications to anyone,

anywhere, anytime has been made possible by the mobile phones

Social Networks
 Face book and MySpace are some of the well known social network sites that are very

popular among net users of all ages. These are websites where users can create profiles of

themselves and share preferences and interests with other people.

Skype

Skype is a popular voice-over-IP (VoIP) application that offers free telephone calls

between computers and inexpensive calls between computers and telephones along with other

services. Skype allows one-on-one calling or video-chat or multi-party videoconferencing.

Blogs

Blog is a very popular online journal, short for Web log. Blogs are free-flowing

journals, kind of “literary self-expressions”, in which bloggers spout their opinions, criticize

and laud public policy, opine about what‟s happening in the online and non-online worlds,

and connect visitors to essential readings. Anyone can write personal commentary on any

subject on blogs. Some of the services are Word Press Blogger, Type pad, Live Journal and

Square space. Most blogs allow readers to post their comments.

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is interactive two-way visual and audio communication over a distance.

It is often referred to as “Video Conferencing” or “Video Teleconferencing”, both of which

mean the same thing. It is one of many technologies with in the domain of “Video

Communications” including Broadcast television, Video streaming, Video Assessment and

Video Collaboration.

These technologies, once considered as distinctive components are converging today, so

that the point at which one technology stops and the next begins is no longer clear.

Wiki
 A Wiki is an online resource collection of web pages which can be viewed and

modified by anyone working online. Wikis are research resources like an encyclopedia and

can be established by anyone at no cost from providers like Wikidot and Wetpaint. The

English language Wikipedia is the best known Wiki and has the largest user base among all

Wikis.

Google

Google is the largest and most well known search engine on the Web. Google has

various services like Google Search, Google News, Google Images, Google Tools, Google

Apps, Google Earth, and Google Mail etc. Google handles hundreds of millions of queries

everyday through its various services.

1.6 Advantages of new media

The New Media facilitates several advantages to the user such as, it is easy to make

contacts all over the world, it offers fast access to communication and information, helps to

learn new things i.e. new culture and new languages, it allows any individual to become a

member, it enables chatting and transmission of messages. The New Media is highly

economical and it also creates awareness on developmental factors. Finally it builds

confidence and social interaction among people.

1.7 Recent trends in New Media

From virtual reality to the information highway, the New Media technology landscape is

as diverse as it is fast changing. These New Media are radically transforming almost every

aspect of how and with whom we communicate. Each year the pace of technological change

seems to accelerate, as bold new technological advances are announced nearly every day.

Although nearly 200 years elapsed between Gutenberg‟s invention of movable type in 1450 and

the arrival of the printing press in America in 1639, the past century alone has seen the invention
of the telephone, radio and television , satellite communications, the Computer, Fax, Cell phone

and countless other technologies, each one revolutionizing some aspect of human

communication. (John Pavlik, 1995)

India is a developing nation that is making remarkable process towards development

through the Information Strategy, the process in which New Media are used as a means of

furthering socio-economic development. (Arvind singhal and Everett Rogers, 2001)

Advances in micro computing technology will soon make it possible to pack billions of

microcircuits on a single computer chip. Thus, rather than creating supercomputers based on

millions of microchips, the fastest computer will contain only a single chip with millions, even

billions, of circuits. The implications are that devices as powerful as today‟s most advanced

supercomputers or parallel processors will fill less than a penny. Wristwatch video phones once

the stuff of Dick Tracy comic books is just around the corner (John V. Pavlik , 1995)

The greatest impact of the Internet has been on business. In the new millennium, a

million e-businesses, billion consumers and a trillion devices will be connected to and through,

the Internet.

Almost daily, newspapers and magazines contain articles about changes in the Internet,

the World Wide Web and online services.

Four trends are as follows:

 Development of a national-perhaps international-information highway. What that

highway will look like, who will fund it, and who will travel on it remain open for

discussion. If electronic media are to provide information that helps individuals function

in a democratic society, the highway will have to accommodate all kinds of travelers.
  Hardware technologies probably will become smaller, more flexible, and more portable.

The quality of cellular and wireless connectivity will increase. Software will become

more integrated. New digital technologies will allow for increased storage on small

discs, advancing the integration of video, audio and text online.

 E-commerce will increase and may drastically affect the way the retail stores operate.

 Regulation will emerge to control the information highway. Many issues of the

traditional media-privacy, copyright and freedom of expression will continue to be issues

for computer-based media. (Jean Folkerts and Stephen Lacy,2001)

1.8 Online services

Online services initially were business experiments designed to streamline operations

such as hotel reservations. Thus computerized information transmitted by telephone lines for

display on a remote terminal was born. However, online services now proliferate and their

purpose and quality vary greatly. Online services are the area of greatest growth. Most of the

growth is web-based, and services may be provided free or for a fee. The services vary from

specialized financial services to web-based banking, from entertainment to shopping online

from news to parodies to news. Audio and video images can be downloaded, and sites can be

individually created. The online world is truly interactive; everyone with access to

technology and a willingness to endure the learning curve is capable of being online.

Increasingly, newspapers are providing content online and are challenging their readers to

become involved interactively.

Commercial online services are designed for either professional or consumer use.

Professionals use databases in a variety of ways. For example, a marketing firm may hire a

researcher to investigate different types of packaging. Commercial services and Internet

services provide indexed information retrieval for financial and general information such as
that found in traditional newsletters, annual reports, newspapers, magazines, radio, and

television. Sending messages to people privately with e-mail or forums is also possible.

The information highway could be a speedy interstate full of advertisements and

entertainment, or it could become a useful tool in encouraging participation in a democratic

society. (Jean Folkerts and Stephen Lacy, 2001)

1.9 Introduction to Women Empowerment

Empowerment is a multi-dimensional process which should enable individuals or group

of individuals to realize their full identity and powers in all spheres of life. Empowerment is

increasing the capacity of individual or groups to make choices and to transform those choices

into desired actions and outcomes. (Sumitra Kumari, 2006)

Empowerment is a process which helps people to gain control over their lives through

raising awareness, taking action and working in order to exercise greater control. In other words,

an empowerment facility changes and enables a person to do what one wants to do.

Empowerment is the feeling that activates the psychological energy to accomplish one‟s goal.

(Muzamil Jan, 2009)

Women empowerment could be defined as that which gives them control of power and

resources and change women‟s lives over time through their active participation. It is a

redistribution of social power and control of resources in favour of women. Women‟s

development in recent years emphasizes on providing equal opportunities to women by

removing gender bias, empowering women and creating self reliance among them. Empowered

women define their attitudes, values, and behaviour in relation to their own real interests.

Empowerment of women may be taken to mean strengthening women‟s position in the

socio-political power structure of the society. (Aparajita Mukherjee, 2006)

 Women play a significant role in our society. Apart from maintaining household

activities, women participate in various economic activities. A woman has an extremely vital

role in building the nation. Women must be empowered at all levels to contribute to the

achievement of the principles of equity and social justice. ( Rathindra Pramanik, 2006)

Present day women are equal with men. Most societies put a special focus on

empowering women and girls, because we believe they hold the key to long-lasting social

change in communities. Empowering women must be a united approach, a cause that requires

continued attention and stewardship by all.

We need to augment our efforts for empowering women and enhance their progress. It is

our moral, social and constitutional responsibility to ensure their progress by providing them

with equal rights and opportunities. Today women with their smartness, grace and elegance have

conquered the whole world. With their hard work and sincerity, they have excelled in each and

every profession. Women are considered to be more honest, meticulous, and efficient and hence

more and more companies prefer hiring women for better performance and result.

The process of modernization enabled women to strive for and achieve greater equality in

occupational, educational, political, and social spheres of activities. Women are also acquiring

technical as well as specialized education as engineering, medicine etc. In short women have

entered almost every branch of economic organization of our society. (Abhilasha Shrivastava,

2005)

Women must be empowered at all levels to contribute to the achievement of the

principles of equity and social justice. It means to give women, power and help them face the

challenges of being a woman in society. Women can play an extremely important role in shaping

world future.
 1.10 Definition of Women Empowerment

The Oxford American Dictionary defines “empowerment” as “to make (someone)

stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.

Kumud Sharma gives a comprehensive definition of empowerment: The term

“empowerment” refers to a range of activities from individual self-assertion to collective

resistance, protest and mobilization that challenge basic power relations. For individuals and

groups where class, caste, ethnicity and gender determine their access to resources and

power, their empowerment begins when they not only recognize the systemic forces that

oppress them, but act to change existing power relationships. Empowerment, therefore, is a

process aimed at changing the nature and direction of systemic forces which marginalize

women and other disadvantaged sections in a given context.

Chandra defines “empowerment” as empowerment in its simplest form means the

manifestation of redistribution of power that challenges patriarchal ideology and male

dominance. It is both a process and the result of the process. It is a transformation of the

structures or institutions that reinforces and perpetuates gender discrimination. It is a process

that enables women to gain access to, and control of, material as well as informational

resources.

Bystydziensky defines “empowerment” as a process by which oppressed people gain

some control over their lives by taking part with others in development of activities and

structures that allow people for increased involvement in matters which affect them directly.

In its course, people become enabled to govern themselves effectively. This proves that it

involves the use of power, but not „power over‟ others or power as dominance as is

traditionally the case; rather, power is seen as „power to‟ or power as competence which is
generated and shared by the disenfranchised as they begin to shape the content and structure

of the daily existence and to participate in a movement of social change. (Evelin Hust, 2004)

1.11 Qualities of Women Empowerment

They have autonomy because they claim their freedom from existing male hierarchies,

whether they live in traditional societies or modern industrial societies

 Population characteristics - It is widely known fact that women live longer than

men. At the same time, it is also a fact that there is less number of women than men.

 Health status - Health of women is an important factor in determining the overall

health of the society.

 Participation of women in Economy – Women share in employment, highest in the

professional, technical and related works and at least in the administrative and

managerial works

 Educational achievements – Census 2011 reveals that overall 84.01% females are

literate in India.

 Women at Home – The Indian women in the family plays a multiple role. As a

homemaker, women are a 24 hour multi-purpose worker. In everyday life and in

various crises, women display strength and patience in carrying out her

responsibilities.

 Women’s participation in Decision Making – An important aspect in the

empowerment of women is the extent of their involvement in the process of decision-

making whether in the house hold or in the government.

(Muzamil Jan, 2009)

1.12 Characteristics of empowered women

Sushama Sahay (1998) opines according to Hall (1992) that, the empowered

women share the following characteristics:

 Empowered women define their attitudes, values and behaviour in relation to

their own real interests. They have autonomy because they claim their

freedom from existing male hierarchies, whether they live in traditional

societies or modern, industrial societies.

 Empowered women maintain equal-mindedness, rather than act out roles that

merely confront and challenge male dominance. Empowered women do not

aim at being superior to men. They respond as equals and co-operate in order

to work toward the common good.

 Empowered women use their talents to live fulfilling lives. They have not only

survived the harshness of their own subjugation, but they have also

transcended their subjugation, thus moving themselves through survival to

fulfillment. Empowered women maintain their strength in the presence of

pressures of family, religion and work and they contribute toward the

empowerment of all women.

 Empowered women may continue to meet their family responsibilities and

participate in religion. They choose to do so in ways that strengthen rather

than debilitate them, however, which is also advantageous for others.

Empowered women do not retreat from these traditional responsibilities, but

they forge their own ways of doing things.

 Empowered women define their values and formulate their beliefs themselves.

They do not derive their sense of being form male authorities and they do not

live vicariously through men. Empowered women strengthen themselves

through other women‟s support and sustain their own moral visions. Their

actions flow from their own distinctive ideals.

  Empowered women can be found in all social groups and all societies.

However, the optimal conditions for empowered women are both individual

and social and there are more empowered women modern societies, because

the collective actions of women are more visible and more palpable in those in

settings.

1.13 Political Empowerment

The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women equality (Article 14), no

discrimination by the State [Article 15(1)] and equality of opportunity [Article 16], equal pay for

equal work [Article 39(d)]. In Addition, it allows special provisions to be made by the State in

favour of women and children [Article15 (3)], renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of

women [Article 51 (A) (e)], and also allows for provision to be made by the State for securing

just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief [Article 42].

It is our moral, social and constitutional responsibility to ensure their progress by providing

them with equal rights and opportunities and give power and help them face the challenges of

being women in society.

The constitution of India grants political rights equally to both men and women. All

women on attaining the age of 18yrs can exercise the right to vote for electing a candidate of

their choice. They can also contest election for being elected to the parliament (lok sabha),

state legislature assembly, Municipal Corporation and village panchayat fulfilling prescribed

age and other conditions. Women are involved in policy and decision making process,

district bodies, co-operative institutions, and self help groups. (Suguna and Sandhya Rani,

2007)

Economic Empowerment
 Economic empowerment is undoubtedly the key, and may lead to all other kinds of

empowerment. This is true in the context of women. Economically empowered women

contribute to the wealth and well being of not only their families but also of their nation.

Hence skill development, income generation and credit availability are the main planks of

economic empowerment of women. Various criteria under economic empowerment include

Poverty eradication, Micro credit, Women and economy Globalization, Women and

Agriculture, Women and Industry, Support services sector, Efficient administration, Progress

of cottage industry, Chief architect of family. (Suguna and Sandhya Rani, 2007)

Social Empowerment

Social empowerment is by far the most difficult and long-term goal to attain, because

social equality includes equality of treatment, respect, opportunity, recognition and above all

equality of status. It basically entails a change in perception, attitudes and values. Women

are still oppressed in many spheres of life and need to be empowered in walks of life. All

aspects of society have to be restructured. The empowerment mechanism is easily

enumerated in terms of Gender Ideologies, Education, Health, Nutrition, Environment,

Science and technology, Illiteracy, Low social status. (Suguna and Sandhya Rani, 2007)

1.14 Policies and Programmes related to women

Women Empowerment Policies

 The National plan of Action for Women (NPA) - 1976

 National policy for Children (NPC) - 1974

 National expert committee on women prisoners -1986

 National perspective plan for women (NPP) 1988-2000

 Shramshakti – self employed -1988

  National Nutrition Policy (NNP) - 1993

 National plan of action for the girl child (NPA) 91-2000

Women Empowerment Programmes

The major strategies of women empowerment include social empowerment, economic

empowerment and gender justice. Two important schemes in the areas of education i.e.

„Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan‟ and „Mahila Samakhya‟ are being implemented to stretch the reach

of education to the girl child. With the objective of achieving economic empowerment and

welfare of women, a number of schemes have been implemented. They are as follows:

 Swayamsidha - It is an integrated project for the development and empowerment of

women through Self Help Groups (SHGs) with emphasis on covering service,

developing access to micro-credit and promoting micro-enterprises.

 Swa-Shakti Project – The project aims at enhancing women‟s access to resources for

better quality of life through the use of drudgery and time reduction devices, health,

literacy and imparting skills for confidence enhancement and income generating

activities.

 Support to Training and Employment programme for Women (STEP) – The

programme seeks to provide updated skills and new knowledge to poor asset- less

women in eight traditional sectors of employment, namely agriculture, animal

husbandry, dairying, fisheries, handlooms, handicrafts, khadi and village industry and

sericulture.

 Swalamban –The objective of this scheme is to provide training and skills to women

to facilitate them to obtain employment or self employment on a sustainable basis.

  Crèches/Day care Centers for the Children of Working and Ailing Mothers –

This facility is provided to the children under the scheme including sleeping and day

care facilities, supplementary nutrition, immunization, medicine and recreation.

 Hostels for working women – This scheme offers assistance for construction and

expansion of hostel buildings for working women, with day-care centers. The scheme

envisages provisions for safe and affordable accommodation to working women.

 Swadhar – This scheme is for providing holistic and integrated services to women in

difficult circumstances such as destitute widows deserted by their families in religious

places.

 Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) – It is also known as National Credit Fund for

Women, established in a view to credit support or micro-finance to poor women to

start income generating activities.

 Priyadarshini Project

 Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA)

 Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal Limited (MAVIM)

 Mahila Samakhya programme (MSP) (Krishnamurthy Hosabeedu, 2008)

1.15 New Media and women empowerment

Patterns of women‟s involvement with science and technology have undoubtedly

varied across societies and contexts, so generalization about patriarchal historical trends are

only useful to a certain extent. Growing numbers of women are using the internet in work and

other settings. They are intrinsically a part of whatever the new social fabrics of connectivity

turn out to be that are currently being shaped by cyber developments and applied strategies.
 Networked digital communications could allow women from across the world for the

first time to engage with one another, their teachers and the content, across all sorts of

boundaries of time and space.

Women are involved in science and technology through the structural transformations

that occur with the transfer of technology and scientific and technological development, and

as participants in research and technological activities; and experiencing the impact of the

technologies on their everyday lives. In all cases, their involvement should be much stronger

than it is at present. It is also very important that women understand scientific and

technological innovations, because this enables them to influence the general social attitudes

towards technological change through the existing non-formal education.

The problem of the marginal position of some members of society and of women

specifically, cannot be solved unless the elements of these new technologies can be built into

development strategies in accordance with the concept of integral development.

Furthermore, the latest so-called frontier and trans-disciplinary technologies can be

used in different ways and at different levels. Their use can serve to accountuate the

productive role of women, because such technologies are applicable to a number of areas

which are of relevance to the better quality of life and to the integration of women in

development.

Women have traditionally gained knowledge and experience (e.g. in agricultural

production, energy utilization, running the household, manufacturing objects for everyday

use, home medicine etc.) which have not been, exploited from the developmental point of

view. The application of new scientific and technological devices and knowledge may

lighten house hold drudgery in urban and rural areas, providing better water, energy and other

community facilities.
 Lack of harmony with productive and other developmental activities, which is often a

consequence of borrowed models of educational systems, imposed the need to reform and

adapt educational systems and institutions, to turn increasingly to the informal aspects of

education (vocational training, on the job-training, etc) and to introduce mass media and

other modern devices as useful means of spreading educational programmes and contents in

an effort to reach as many social groups as possible

In this connection, the promotion of new knowledge about women and new

perceptions of the role of women in development could be viewed as an instrument for

educational and cultural development with a view to:

Strengthen and extension of training activities so as to embrace all relevant problems,

such as: improvement of professional skills, education for family file and responsibilities,

training for community organization and management, decision waking etc., equal

participation of the local population, and particularly of women (Sumitra Kumari, 2006)

1.16 An overview of Bangalore city

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state and it is located in the southern part of

Deccan Plateau at a height of over 900m (3,000ft) above sea level, it is located at 12.97°N

77.56°E and covers an area of 741 km2 (286 sq mi). It has the pleasant climate throughout the

year. Usually Bangalore enjoys a more moderate climate throughout the year, the coolest

month is December and the hottest month is April. Its elevation is the highest among the

major large cities of India. Bangalore was established in the year 1537 and its founder was

Kempegowda, a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire.

 Source: http://www.bengalurufreeclassifieds.com/images/

Majority of the city of Bangalore lies in the Bangalore urban district of Karnataka and

the surrounding rural areas are a part of the Bangalore Rural district. The language mainly
spoken is Kannada. The other languages are Tamil, Telugu, English, Urdu, Hindi and

Malayalam. The major communities of Bangalore who share a long history in the city other

than the kannadigas are the Tamilians and the Telugus.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bangalore Municipal Corporation is

incharge of civic administration of the city. The elections to the council are held once in

every five years.

Bangalore is known as the "IT Capital” and "Silicon Valley" of India because of its

role as the nation's leading information technology (IT) exporter. Some of the well known

technological organizations in Bangalore are Infosys, Wipro,Tata Consultancy services

(TCS) etc. It is the second-fastest growing major metropolis in India.

It is well known for educational and research institutions like Indian Institute of

Science (IISC) Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), National Institute of

Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), National Law school of Indian University

(NLSIU) etc. It is also popular for defense organizations such as Indian Space Research

Organization (ISRO), Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) National

Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Public sector companies like Hindustan Aeronautics and

Bharat Electronics etc.

Bangalore popularly known as garden city has a number of pleasant places of tourist

attractions such as Vidhana Soudha, Lalbagh botanical garden, Cubbon park, Bannerghatta

National Park, M.G Road, ISCKON temple, Bull temple, Nandi hills, Bangalore Palace,

Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, theme parks such as Wonder La amusement park, Lumbini

garden, fun world, Innovative film city etc.

 The State Government controlled bus transport in Bangalore is mainly under the

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

Bangalore (Bengaluru) District: Census 2011 Data

An official Census 2011 detail of Bangalore (Bengaluru), a district of Karnataka has

been released by Directorate of Census Operations in Karnataka. Enumeration of key

persons was also done by census officials in Bangalore District of Karnataka.

Description 2011 2001

Actual Population 9,621,551 6,537,124

Male 5,022,661 3,426,599

Female 4,598,890 3,110,252

Population Growth 47.18% 35.09%

Area Sq. Km 2,196 2,196

Density/km2 4,381 2,985

Proportion to Karnataka 15.75% 12.37%

Population

Sex Ratio (per 1000) 916 908

Child Sex Ratio (0-6Age) 944 943

Average Literacy 87.67 82.96

Male Literacy 91.01 87.92

Female Literacy 84.01 77.48

Total Child Population (0-6 1,052,837 772,540

Age)

Male Population (0-6 Age) 541,656 397,648

Female Population (0-6 Age) 511,181 374, 892

Literates 7,512,276 4,782,565

Male Literates 4,078,041 2,663,055

Female Literates 3,434,235 2,119,510

Child Proportion (0-6 Age) 10.94% 11.82%

Boys Proportion (0-6 Age) 10.78% 11.60%

Girls Proportion (0-6 Age) 11.12% 12.05%

Table -1.1: Description of census of Bangalore city

Description Rural Urban

Population (%) 9.06% 90.94%

Total Population 871,607 8,749,944

Male Population 464,256 4,558,405

Female Population 407,351 4,191,539

Sex Ratio 877 920

Child Sex Ratio (0-6) 953 943

Child Population (0-6) 100,793 952,044

Male Child (0-6) 51,616 490,040

Female Child (0-6) 49,177 462,004

Child Percentage (0-6) 11.56% 10.88%

Male Child Percentage 11.12% 10.75%

Female Child Percentage 12.07% 11.02%

Literates 602,859 6,909,417

 Male Literates 348,826 3,729,215

Female Literates 254,033 3,180,202

Average Literacy 78.21% 88.61%

Male Literacy 84.54% 91.66%

Female Literacy 70.92% 85.27%

Table 1.2: Description of Bangalore Rural urban population

Source :( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Census_of_India)

All details regarding Bangalore District have been processed by us after receiving

permission from Govt. of India. We are not responsible for errors to population census

details of Bangalore District.

1.17 Statement of the Problem

“Impact of New Media on Women Empowerment: A Case Study of Bangalore City”

1.18 Hypothesis

Based on the problem stated for the study, the following hypotheses have been formulated:

1. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to access to new media

exposure

2. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to purposes of browsing

internet

3. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to utilization of cell phones
 4. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to economic, social,

political technological and empowerment through internet

5. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to economic, social,

political technological and empowerment through cell phones

6. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to exposure to other new

media such as blogs, videoconferencing, social networking and skype through

internet

7. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to benefits and satisfaction

through new media for their empowerment

8. There is significant difference between age groups, marital status, educational

qualification, occupation and family type with respect to their status and

improvement in quality of life through new media.

1.19 Significance of the Study

Today women with their smartness, grace and elegance have conquered the whole

world. With their hard work and sincerity, they have excelled in each and every profession.

Women are considered to be more honest, meticulous, and efficient and hence more and more

companies prefer hiring women for better performance and result. So that, women

empowerment is a stage to extend the horizons of knowledge and ideas by exposing to the

new media

The study helps in understanding how women are developing their status, education,

employment and utilization etc. It also gives fresh insight into their empowerment. The
present fact finding study will spread light to know how extensively development has taken

place in women empowerment in this era of information and technology-intensiveness.

The present study focuses on new media such as Internet and cell phones. Among the

social networking sites accessed through the internet, only face book is chosen for the study.

1.20 Need for the Study

The aim of this study is to know how the new media has impacted on women in

various fields related to their empowerment.

New Media plays a significant role in providing news and information, it processes,

moulds and shapes the career facilities of each individual and enrich in broadening their

outlook. The women have knowledge to all kinds of New Media. It is in this context that

this study tries to know the awareness of new media and their usefulness, access, purpose and

impact of their empowerment.

1.21 Limitation of the Study

Generalization of the study is restricted geographically to Bangalore. The important

limitation of the study is inadequate time. Since women from all over Bangalore cannot be

approached, women respondents have been selected randomly from different wards to know

the Impact of New Media on Women Empowerment.

1.22 Objectives of the Study

This study is to know the impact of new media on women empowerment in Bangalore city.

The objectives of the study are as follows:

 To study the awareness of new media among women in Bangalore city

 To know the extent of use of new media among women in Bangalore

 To examine the impact of new media on various fields related to women for their

empowerment

 To examine the outcome of using new media among women in socio-economic

background of the respondents

 To find out the benefits and satisfaction on women empowerment through new media

 To analyze the impact of new media on women empowerment in their quality of life