Gender Barriers for Women in Construction of Cyber-Self: A Study in Pakistani Socio-Cultural Context

Abstract

The spread of internet enhancing connectivity through various social media platforms has transformed the previous patterns of self-construction. The advent of the virtual world and digital culture has enabled individuals to be the creators and authors of their self or identity construction, especially in the digital world in contemporary society. In today's world, individuals’ personalities are divided into dualistic categories, the actual self-constructed through face-to-face interaction in the real world and the cyber-self which one has constructed through online interaction with people in the virtual world. In this study, the researchers tried to discover how men and women are inversely forming their digital or cyber selves in a male-dominated society and whether are they facing any specific coercion, threats, pros, and advantages because of their particular gender. Under the interpretive approach the researcher opted for qualitative research methodology and interviewed 20 individuals, with age ranged between 25 to 30 years, having virtual existence for the last ten years. The research findings indicated that women have to face similar barriers to the actual culture in the digital culture too. While constructing their cyber-self, women have to face discrimination just because of their gender by their male family members particularly.