NOT SO 'INVISIBLE': A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY EXPLORING GENDER RELATIONS AND FARM MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

摘要

This paper reports on a qualitative case study which explored farm management practices by women cotton growers who used computer-based information systems, most particularly the agricultural farm management software, CottonLOGIC, within the Australian cotton industry. The study found that, although gender differences and inequalities persist, the agency of women cotton growers ensures not only a sustainable future for themselves and their families, but also for the cotton industry as a whole. The study was informed by Connell's theoretical framework of gender relations (2002). The findings suggested that, women's active participation in family farm partnerships and their acquisition of technological skills through the use of farm management software like CottonLOGIC, mean that all cotton growers benefit through the feminizing of specific farm management practices in family farm enterprises. This, therefore, has significant implications for developing the cotton industry into a truly sustainable entity.