E-mail's Use and Perceived Effect on Family Relationship Quality: Variations by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

We draw on a social role theoretical perspective that links women and kinkeeping as well as social-structural and cultural accounts of racial/ethnic difference to formulate hypotheses about e-mail use and its influence on family ties. We use nationally representative data to test these hypotheses. We find that: 1) women and whites are more likely to use e-mail to communicate with family and e-mail a greater range of family members than men and racial/ethnic minorities; 2) women are more likely than men to report positive effects of e-mail on family relationships. There are no racial/ethnic differences in perceptions about e-mail use and indicators of family relationship quality. The results suggest that both gender and race/ethnicity may influence the range of family members that users e-mail; however, gender is the central factor influencing perceptions about e-mail use and better relationship quality. These findings underscore the importance of context in shaping the social implications of technology use.