ICT and Social Relationship Engagement: Women's Online Communities in Indonesia

AbstractThe article explains the community activity, forming community process and how fulfilment of women's online communities needs to prove whether physical meeting is still required. The development of ICT has resulted in changes in the definition of society to be network society. Within the network society, the communities’ social relationship pattern has changed from hierarchical to more flexible structure. Such convenience has also facilitated the women in actualizing themselves through women's online communities. It was initially believed that most matters can be done without having to meet in person. Descriptive analysis is used to explain the characteristic of women's online communities with sample framework from two women's communities: Women Blogger Community and Women Pregnant Community. The result shows that the phenomenon of women's online communities is a flexible and non-hierarchical social relationship engagement. This engagement of relationship needs virtual and real space in its community's activities