"The objective of the Study Module is to enhance the business knowledge of undergraduate and graduate students of arts, humanities and media and communications, i.e. individuals, who have potential to be (self) employed after their graduation in the field of creative industries. Special focus in the
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study module is given to the latent entrepreneurial propensities, i.e. personal qualities and skills of the individual that would enable students to pursue an entrepreneurial career when given the opportunity or incentive to new venture creation." (Page 4)
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"Mobile money, a service that allows monetary value to be stored on a mobile phone and sent to other users via text messages, has been adopted by the vast majority of Kenyan households. We estimate that access to the Kenyan mobile money system M-PESA increased per capita consumption levels and lifte
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d 194,000 households, or 2% of Kenyan households, out of poverty. The impacts, which are more pronounced for female-headed households, appear to be driven by changes in financial behavior—in particular, increased financial resilience and saving—and labor market outcomes, such as occupational choice, especially for women, who moved out of agriculture and into business. Mobile money has therefore increased the efficiency of the allocation of consumption over time while allowing a more efficient allocation of labor, resulting in a meaningful reduction of poverty in Kenya." (Abstract)
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"Following the Arab Spring, the use of social media has become instrumental in organising activist movements and spreading political dissent in the Middle East. New online behaviours have transformed traditional communication channels, enabling young people of all backgrounds to feel politically emp
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owered. But now that spring has turned to winter, what are the long-term implications of internet activism in the region? Social Media in the Arab World provides a unique insight into the role of online communications as a force for change in the Gulf States. Featuring examples as diverse as neo-patrimonial politics in Saudi Arabia and the ways an online presence affects the status of women in Kuwait, the chapters examine shifts in the political, social and religious identities of citizens as a result of increased digital activism. With contributions from a variety of inter-disciplinary experts, this wide-ranging study examines the consequences of changing power dynamics brought about by popular social media." (Publisher description)
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"Cyberpsychology is an emerging area of psychological study that aims to understand and explain all facets of online behaviour. This book brings together overviews from a number of leading authorities in the field, to suggest how academic theory and research can be applied to a variety of online beh
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aviours. Both positive and negative behaviours are considered, including topics as diverse as parenting the online child, age-related internet usage and cultural considerations in online interactions. Psychological research can no longer view online and offline worlds as different entities, but must consider online behaviours as equally distinct as offline activities. This is especially apparent when looking at online dating, the role that social networks play in organisations and online consumer behaviours, and in a consideration of the role that psychological research plays in underpinning the multi-billion pound gaming industry." (Publisher description)
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"An emerging topic in the development field is how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used for economic and social development. The general approach relies on technological determinism, whereby the discussion revolves around how and to what extent will ICT support development. It
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assumes the benefits of ICT as inherent. This approach ignores that ICT is created and experienced within a socially divisive and complex space. A more critical and sociological analysis is needed for development studies to better understand the implications of ICT initiatives. In this article, I argue that Saskia Sassen's analytical framework of technology and society as embedded avoids this technological determinism and allows social theorists to account for social and material aspects of ICT. To support this alternative framework, I present a case study of a rural ICT initiative in Gujarat, India, and discuss how this reconceptualization reveals more nuanced understanding of ICT and society. Based on interviews and field research, I find that technology creates new social understandings for the rural ICT users, but also that society shapes the technology to make it inaccessible for them." (Abstract)
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"IT Governance requires public and corporate cybersecurity policies to improve fighting against cybercrime and other violations. The EU, the USA and Brazil have recently developed different regulatory approaches on the subject. Assessing how to design policies in line with them across geographies se
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ems key for effectively managing relevant global issues. After a brief introduction, the article touches on three sample topics: online privacy, open-source platforms, and latest-generation cyber-threats to illustrate how EU, US and Brazil have taken different paths. Each sample topic is analysed in detail and followed by a conclusion indicating how possibly regional or national particularities may be pragmatically reconciled by public and corporate interested parties." (Abstract)
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"This mapping study investigates the ways in which the Kenyan government and other actors have initiated or engaged in multistakeholder processes in order to address cybersecurity-related matters in the country. Based on this, it will identify best practices, gaps and missing links, as well as oppor
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tunities and recommendations for improving the cyber policy landscape in the country. The assessment of Kenya’s cybersecurity landscape in this report will identify actors within the government and civil society, as well as existing laws and frameworks, and address the proposed ones, based on the information that is currently available. Unless otherwise stated, all institutions and legislative documents listed here are existent and/or functional." (Page 7)
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"In this article we depart from studies on empowerment and its intersections with the informal economy and market women in the Global South and promises of the mobile phone in so-called developing regions. Conducting an explorative study among market women in Kampala, the aim is to examine what role
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s (if any) the mobile phone plays for them in terms of empowerment. Our findings resonate with studies from other parts of the world, suggesting that while pivotal for their business endeavors, mobile phone practices are also embedded in patriarchal structures. By discussing how these market women navigate the tensions between using the phone for their business and in relations to their partners, the article contributes a more nuanced and context-specific understanding of mobile phone practices and the empowerment of market women. We conclude the article by suggesting a situated approach to the study of empowerment." (Abstract)
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"We assume you know how to do human rights research but wish to expand on your knowledge of how to use digital data and online media for documentation purposes. This is a broad introduction that will set you on the right path to asking your own questions and seeking your own solutions. We aim to ins
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pire critical thinking, rather than be prescriptive about what specific software, devices, or platforms should be used, since these evolve constantly. We have vetted resources and collected further reading on the areas tackled in this report, which you can find online at https://engn.it/datnav. We imagine you are a human rights researcher, journalist, student, policymaker or philanthropist who wants to: boost traditional research and documentation (interviews, surveys, and spreadsheets) by learning to incorporate digital data; build knowledge and expertise in advance of the next emergency to avoid the reactionary collection of data while an event or violation is in full swing; understand the opportunities, limits, and risks of digital data, as well as when and how to seek expert advice to help you achieve your goals; overcome fear of digital data and technology, which is already in heavy use by your counterparts. With better tools, you know you can be more efficient." (Page 9)
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"The global expansion of the Internet is frequently associated with increased government transparency, political rights, and democracy. However, this assumption depends on marginalized groups getting access in the first place. Here we document a strong and persistent political bias in the allocation
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of Internet coverage across ethnic groups worldwide. Using estimates of Internet penetration obtained through network measurements, we show that politically excluded groups suffer from significantly lower Internet penetration rates compared with those in power, an effect that cannot be explained by economic or geographic factors. Our findings underline one of the central impediments to “liberation technology,” which is that governments still play a key role in the allocation of the Internet and can, intentionally or not, sabotage its liberating effects." (Abstract)
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"With Obfuscation, Finn Brunton and Helen Nissenbaum mean to start a revolution. They are calling us not to the barricades but to our computers, offering us ways to fight today's pervasive digital surveillance. To the toolkit of privacy protecting techniques and projects, they propose adding obfusca
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tion: the deliberate use of ambiguous, confusing, or misleading information to interfere with surveillance and data collection projects. Brunton and Nissenbaum provide tools and a rationale for evasion, noncompliance, refusal, even sabotage - especially for average users, those of us not in a position to opt out or exert control over data about ourselves." (Back cover)
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"La sostenibilidad de los medios depende en gran medida de las nuevas relaciones que tejen con su audiencia poniendo la tecnología a su servicio. El desafío al que el periodismo y los medios se enfrentan es pensar cómo usar la información que capturan de los recorridos de sus usuarios en la red
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para planear sus prácticas narrativas. Las claves que se plantean en este informe buscan dar luces a manera de hipótesis que ayuden a entender la dinámica de las audiencias digitales en Colombia." (www.fnpi.org)
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"La presente propuesta metodológica para la promoción del uso seguro del Internet producto de un acuerdo de trabajo entre el Instituto Interamericano del Niño, la Niña y Adolescentes (IIN-OEA) y World Visión República Dominicana aborda, en forma conjunta, los desafíos que, desde la perspectiv
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a de los Derechos de la niñez y adolescencia nos presenta la expansión del Internet y su creciente presencia en la vida cotidiana de las nuevas generaciones. No se trata de diabolizar los avances tecnológicos ni los cambios en las comunicaciones humanas, producto de dichos avances, sino de reconocer las oportunidades y las amenazas que representan el uso masivo de las mismas. El acceso a Internet es para niños, niñas y adolescentes una herramienta de enorme valor para la obtención de información, comunicación y expresión de sus puntos de vista, así como el conocimiento de nuevas y variadas realidades. Para muchos el acceso a Internet, en la fase histórica en que vivimos, tiene un significado similar a lo que fue la incorporación de la lectoescritura a principios del siglo pasado: una herramienta imprescindible de integración, comunicación y acceso a los bienes de la cultura. Desde esta mirada, el no acceso constituye una brecha de exclusión que se entrelaza y potencializa con otras variables asociadas a la producción social de la vulnerabilidad. Por otra parte, no podemos desconocer que las potencialidades del internet coexisten con riesgos y amenazas. Para los niños, niñas y adolescentes navegar en Internet tiene riesgos similares o tal vez superiores a los que supone el transitar cualquier espacio público sin el acompañamiento responsable de un adulto [...]
Muchas experiencias dan cuenta de continuidades entre violencias virtuales y físicas. Solo a modo de ejemplo, podemos citar el bullying que es extendido a través del cyberbullying o la utilización de Internet para reclutar posibles víctimas de trata o de explotación sexual. El dualismo del Internet nos enfrenta al desafío de articular acceso e inclusión con protección. Acceso seguro con realización de derechos y es aquí donde es necesario reafirmar algunos principios y conceptos presentes en la Convención de los Derechos del niño. En primer lugar, el principio de corresponsabilidad, los niveles de protección de los niños, niñas y adolescentes requieren una corresponsabilidad entre familia, comunidad y Estado." (Palabras introductorias, página 7)
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"ICTs in Developing Countries is a collection of conceptual and empirical works on the adoption and impacts of ICT use in developing societies. Bringing together a wide range of disciplines and contributors, it offers a rich examination of digital divide and ICT for development both in terms of cont
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extual information and disciplinary perspectives." (Publisher description)
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"Given the distributed and open nature of the Internet, it is reasonable to assume that a distributed and open approach to governance may prove most effective. The multistakeholder efforts examined in this paper have sought to respond to this reality by creating institutions and processes that aim t
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o be more inclusive, participatory and transparent. However, one of the main challenges they have confronted is a lack of systematic analysis or evidence regarding what works, and what doesn’t. Despite over two decades of efforts to develop a new model of governance—despite all the models that have been tried, with varying degrees of success—the field of Internet Governance lacks an evidentiary basis upon which it could continue to innovate." (Conclusion)
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