Analysis of the factors having an effect on the use of women's information and communication technologies (ICT) in rural areas: Example of Kars province

Today, information and communication technology (ICT) has an impact on social structures, facilitates and expedites social development by increasing information dissemination. Today, information and communication technology is included in the fields of sociology, economy, law, education etc. through its components affecting societies. ICT provides a good deal of opportunities such as creating new networks for its users, problem solving, participation, a quick information transfer, accessing new markets as well as regenerating disadvantaged positions of the masses that cannot access to this technology. Today, the poor, people living in rural areas and women are still in a disadvantaged position in terms of accessing information and communication technology. In addition to economic factors, gender-related ones also have weighted effects on women's, especially women living in rural areas, accession to information and communication technology. The main supposal of the thesis study is the fact that there are some socio-economic factors affecting women's use of information and communication technology (radio, television, phone, mobile phone, computer, internet) in rural areas. The purpose of the study is to determine the factors affecting women's, who are living in rural areas, use of information and communication technology. The population is composed of two villages of Kars province that have the feature of rurality. Two villages, where the project was applied to strengthen the position of the women among the villages in which Karapapak (Terekeme) Turks live in accordance with their traditions, were especially chosen. A quantitative data collection method, questionnaire method, was preferred in the study and the answers were taken for the question forms following the direct interviews with 91 women who are the heads of their families in two villages. As a result, it was endeavored to determine the women's, who are living in rural areas, possession and use of information and communication technology and their purposes in using this technology in addition to analyzing social, economic and cultural factors affecting women's use of ICT. The results were supported with literature reviews and it was determined that social factors predominantly affect women's use of information and communication technology.