Introduction

In the information galaxy, the cyberspace and the Internet have become an indispensable part of our daily routine. Those who have been touched by this technology have found it irresistible to refrain from using it, even if they are physically on the move. It is no wonder that with the advent of the wireless, tapping into cyberspace and surfing the Internet has intensified among all groups of people.

In present day, the cyberspace and the Internet have become enmeshed into our daily routine and social experiences, so much so that they are not only confined to our working life but increasingly they have penetrated into our social and personal spheres. Likewise, they are no longer viewed as a masculine space and tool as women have not only embraced but also used the cyberspace to negotiate and reframe themselves within existing social structure.

Women in general and Chinese women in particular have also become formidable players in this virtual galaxy. Increasingly, they are both the producers and consumers of the cyberspace and the Internet. Through their involvement in the production of technology, as well as in the development of software and creation of all types of Web 2.0 generations cyber-platforms for all to consume, women in increasing numbers nowadays work to produce the hardware that lubricate the running of the cyberspace. At the same time, they are one of the greatest consumers – engaging in ferreting knowledge from the cyberspace as well as engaging in interactivity communication.

The primary objective of this edited volume is to explore what Internet and the cyberspace mean to the Chinese women and how they use the cyberspace for their own agenda from a socio-anthropological perspective. In this aspect, cyberspace serves as a kind of social capital and enables these women to forge cyber-social networks and communities to facilitate their activities and needs. Furthermore, cyberspace can be turned into a repressive instrument that intrudes into women's private lives and oppresses them by unscrupulous players. From the various groups of Chinese women studied, either empirically, from online survey, online interactivity and communication with the netizens, or simply Web-surfing, the use and the abuse of the Internet and cyberspace can be categorized into the following. First, it provides an alternative channel for information gathering and an agency to complete mundane tasks that they had to do manually before the digital age, such as bill payments.