A New Research Programme on Information and Communication Technologies. The E-Society: Understanding the Restructuring of Practices and Institutions in the Digital Age

Prometheus ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-260
Author(s):  
The Economic and Social Research Co
Author(s):  
Jun Liu

Over the past decades, waves of political contention involving the use of information and communication technologies have swept across the globe. The phenomenon stimulates the scholarship on digital communication technologies and contentious collective action to thrive as an exciting, relevant, but highly fragmentary and contested field with disciplinary boundaries. To advance the interdisciplinary understanding, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age outlines a communication-centered framework that articulates the intricate relationship between technology, communication, and contention. It further prods us to engage more critically with existing theories from communication, sociology, and political science on digital technologies and political movements. Given the theoretical endeavor, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age systematically explores, for the first time, the influence of mobile technology on political contention in China, the country with the world’s largest number of mobile and Internet users. Using first-hand in-depth interview and fieldwork data, it tracks the strategic choice of mobile phones as repertoires of contention, illustrates the effective mobilization of mobile communication on the basis of its strong and reciprocal social ties, and identifies the communicative practice of forwarding officially alleged “rumors” as a form of everyday resistance. Through this ground-breaking study, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age presents a nuanced portrayal of an emerging dynamics of contention—both its strengths and limitations—through the embedding of mobile communication into Chinese society and politics.


Author(s):  
Ela Akgün-Özbek ◽  
Ali Ekrem Özkul

With the phenomenal developments in information and communication technologies, higher education has been facing an unprecedented challenge that affects all the stakeholders. Faculty is no exception. The authors synthesize the demographic, economic, and pedagogical factors that lead to a paradigm shift in higher education and the global trends in digital technologies that impel digital transformation in higher education. They then provide a snapshot of how higher education institutions respond to this challenge and change, and the impact of these factors on the roles and competencies of faculty that need to be covered in faculty development initiatives in the digital age. Finally, examples of faculty development programs and initiatives that address the digital competencies of faculty are provided along with a summary of faculty development models for teaching and learning in the digital age.


Author(s):  
Deedee Bennett

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) cover a wide range of telecommunication devices and applications, which facilitate the flow of information. Within crisis and disaster management, these devices and applications may be used explicitly for hazards or crisis detection, information management, communication, situational awareness, search and rescue efforts, and decision support systems. Everything from cell phones and social media to unmanned aerial vehicles and weather stations are used to collect, disseminate, and monitor various types of information and data to provide a common operating picture. ICTs are continually evolving, with new features developed and deployed at a rapid pace. This development has had a unique impact on crisis and disaster management, allowing for real-time communication and situational awareness, as well as novel approaches to simulations and training. With the near-ubiquitous use of some devices, information is also no longer held solely by government or private sector officials; ordinary citizens are also able to contribute to and disseminate information during and after crises. For some segments of the population, this ability to meaningfully contribute is not only empowering but necessary to highlight unmet needs. Throughout the evolution of ICTs, new research and practical concerns have highlighted persistent unmet needs of more vulnerable populations due to growing interdependence and integration across jurisdictional boundaries worldwide. The continued expansion of ICTs will most likely have a profound impact on this field in the future.


Author(s):  
David Oguche ◽  
Asabe Aliyu

The need for preserving digital resources (acquired or generated) by institutions in Nigeria becomes imperative in the wake of adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by these institutions. The paper advocates for a national framework for preserving digital resources for long-term or future use and to avoid the risk of losing national memory in this digital age. Technology emulation, migration and encapsulation are some of the digital preservation strategies discussed in the paper. The paper also identified two key national institutions that can drive the digital preservation initiative in Nigeria. Keywords: Archive, Preservation, Digital materials, Technology Obsolence


Author(s):  
Shuojia Guo

In the digital age, the proliferation of fan-generated content on social media platforms is making the fan culture transitioning from the “static” online consumption to “dynamic” interaction. This is not only a result of the advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), but also a cultural phenomenon driving by participatory fandom in cyberspace. The rise of social media has dramatically altered the dynamics of fan practices and spectatorship hence increased vocality and visibility within the fan community as well as the formation and facilitation of fan roles. In this chapter, we will explore why social media have such a profound impact upon fandom. In particular, what is new with these fan communities that social media has done so much to enable. Why there is a blurring in the lines between fandom producers and consumers in the participatory fandom. Given the new forms of cultural production, how fan culture enabled by social media is more powerful than it was ever before.


Author(s):  
Fernanda Faggiani ◽  
Carolina Saraiva de Macedo Lisboa

High mobility of Brazilian athletes has increased significantly due to the globalization of soccer. It is very common to observe young athletes moving from their hometowns to a different place as a demand of the profession/career. During this process, youth face the process of acculturation, known as the transition to a different culture as a job demand (to play soccer) and feeling confused about his/her cultural identity. In addition, these young athletes assume responsibilities of adults in a period of development - adolescence and the transition to adulthood - characterized by the identity consolidation. The process of identity of football players is emphasized since the early childhood. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the process of acculturation in young Brazilian soccer athletes elucidating related aspects and the development of identity, concerning its cultural dimension surrounded by information and communication technologies of a digital age.


Author(s):  
М. A. Tchoshanov

The digital age demands re-thinking of traditional teaching and learning. Rapidly growing technological innovations in education force a paradigm shift from traditional teaching to engineering of learning. Thus, the main focus of the article is on the design, development, and implementation of effective learning environments through the use of Information and Communication Technologies in various formats: face-to-face, blended, and distance education. Engineering of learning requires new understanding and reconceptualization of traditional didactics toward e-Didactics in order to effectively design and skillfully align learning objectives, content, and assessment in the digital age classroom.


Info ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 97-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Paul Simon ◽  
Pierre Jean Benghozi ◽  
Elisa Salvador

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enquire into various forms of innovation and observable configurations in films are observable and document the specific technological fields in cinema, and innovations brought by young IT and digital companies. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on desk research, a review of literature, review of the technical journals, analysis of annual reports and meeting with experts and industry participants. Findings – It identifies in most cases the presence of information and communication technologies (ICT) companies, new middlemen of the digital age, that integrate in one or another way the core activity of the cinema industry. These companies (“specialized technological companies” with edge R & D) are playing the rather recent role of “new middlemen” liaising between the different layers of a transformed industrial environment described as the “new ICT ecosystem”. Research limitations/implications – The size of the sample (case studies) as the paper relies on some emblematic cases which come with some limits for any generalisation. Besides, most of the information is derived from company websites, complemented by trade press which clearly comes with some constraints in terms of accuracy. Social implications – The paper concludes delineating some potential policy interventions, and identifies the challenges ahead with a focus on the EU. Originality/value – Innovation is not so frequently dealt with in the studies of the cultural sectors. One very important issue is neglected both in the scientific literature and in the committed reports: the characteristic and the management of R & D in the creative industries, especially in the cultural sector. The paper shed some light on this issue.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Ildikó Horváth

AbstractTechnological advances have had an impact not only on the translation but also on the interpretation market. Furthermore, with the advent and widespread use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the field of language mediation, the professions traditionally called “translation” and “interpreting” have been transformed by the digital revolution. In times of upheaval, profound changes can be felt in the market, the working environment, the conditions and processes as well as in the way language mediators work, the tasks they carry out, and the roles they play in the translation process. In the present article, we shall focus on these major changes and highlight the latest developments first in the field of translation and then in interpreting.


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