The Alternative Epistemologies of Data Activism

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Milan ◽  
Lonneke van der Velden
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Massive Data ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Role Of Information ◽  
Term Data

Abstract As datafication progressively invades all spheres of contemporary society, citizens grow increasingly aware of the critical role of information as the new fabric of social life. This awareness triggers new forms of civic engagement and political action that we term “data activism”. Data activism indicates the range of sociotechnical practices that interrogate the fundamental paradigm shift brought about by datafication. Combining Science and Technology Studies with Social Movement Studies, this theoretical article offers a foretaste of a research agenda on data activism. It foregrounds democratic agency vis-à-vis datafication, and unites under the same label ways of affirmative engagement with data (“proactive data activism”, e. g. databased advocacy) and tactics of resistance to massive data collection (“reactive data activism”, e. g. encryption practices), understood as a continuum along which activists position and reposition themselves and their tactics. The article argues that data activism supports the emergence of novel epistemic cultures within the realm of civil society, making sense of data as a way of knowing the world and turning it into a point of intervention and generation of data countercultures. It offers the notion of data activism as a heuristic tool for the study of new forms of political participation and civil engagement in the age of datafication, and explores data activism as an evolving theoretical construct susceptible to contestation and revision.

Understanding destination evangelism: a social media viewpoint

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Purvendu Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Role Of Information

PurposeThe present research aims to introduce and understand the promising nature of destination evangelism in the context of social media-based tourism communities (SMTCs). Further, factors that influence evangelism and information-seeking behaviors on SMTCs are examined.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model is developed that features an interplay of destination distinctiveness, destination evangelism, travel commitment and information-seeking engagement. Data were collected from 215 active users of SMTCs and analyzed using structural equation models.FindingsThe research findings indicate that destination distinctiveness and information-seeking positively lead to destination evangelism. Information-seeking is found to mediate the relationship between (1) destination evangelism and travel commitment and (2) destination evangelism and distinctiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe research offers meaningful insights into exploring constituents of destination evangelism. The research also understands and highlights the critical role of information-seeking engagement about distinct destinations.Practical implicationsThis research highlights key areas to build, improve and inspire destination evangelism on SMTCs.Originality/valueThis study offers a fresh contribution to tourism literature by investigating destination evangelism and its drivers. This is explained by closely uniting vital research streams of evangelism, tourism and engagement. It further highlights the dual mediating role of information seeking, suggesting that these engagements are critical to evangelizing destinations.

Life of a Nation's Text: The Travels and Travails of the Indian Constitution

2021 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-718
Author(s):  
Ronojoy Sen
Keyword(s):  
Review Essay ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Indian Constitution ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Landmark Study

This review essay briefly discusses Granville Austin's landmark study of the working of the Indian Constitution and its critics, reviews three recent books on that Constitution, and evaluates the extent to which these new works have been able to take constitutional studies in new directions. All three books shine a light on the critical role of the Constitution and the courts in Indian democracy. While the authors are well aware of contemporary challenges to constitutionalism and have written on them elsewhere, this does not fully come through in their books. Despite this shortcoming, these recent studies are indispensable in making sense of the Constitution and its role in Indian democracy.

The Critical Role of Information Processing in Creating an Effective Knowledge Organization

2009 ◽  
pp. 1638-1651
Author(s):  
William R. King
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Knowledge Organization ◽  
Property Management ◽  
Core Knowledge ◽  
Intellectual Property Management ◽  
Knowledge Capability ◽  
Role Of Information

This article provides a conceptual framework and an architecture for an effective knowledge organization (EKO) that emphasizes the important role of information processing in facilitating the creation of a dynamic knowledge capability, which is the essence of an EKO. The architecture links core knowledge management, intellectual property management, organizational learning, and innovation modules with information processing as the hub, or linchpin. The organization’s need to distinguish among these components of an EKO is argued by comparing and contrasting the conceptual bases, objectives, processes, systems, performance measures, and culture of each module. This EKO viewpoint integrates many concepts and applications from various literatures, but it is somewhat contrary to the conventional wisdom that has tended to de-emphasize the significance of information technology in knowledge management.

Knowledge Utilisation in AgriFood SMEs: Effects of Organisational and Informational Factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 235-248
Author(s):  
David Eshun Yawson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
Consumer Information ◽  
Partial Least Squares Analysis ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Knowledge Utilisation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Role Of Information

Given the critical role of information and marketing in SME management it is surprising that little attention has been paid to the salient factors that motivate or inhibits consumer information used by agrifood SMEs. A model of organisational and informational factors affecting knowledge utilisation in Agri-food SMEs is presented and empirically tested through partial least squares analysis via SmartPLS. The results of the empirical testing of the conceptual model provide evidence to indicate that functional and technical qualities, provider-user interaction and usefulness in the market environment are determinants of knowledge utilisation. The findings of this study have implications for agri-food SME management in the UK regarding their growth and competitiveness in the medium and long term.

scholarly journals Role of Information Technology in COVID19 Vaccination Drive: An Analysis of the COVID-19 Global Beliefs, Behaviors, and Norms Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debjyoti Talukdar ◽  
Kire Stojkovski ◽  
Daniel Suarez
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Diverse Communities ◽  
Role Of Information

With the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, information technology has played a critical role in healthcare. A broad spectrum of information technology tools and applications played an essential role to create awareness of the COVID19 vaccination drive and its health benefits. We use the COVID-19 Global Beliefs, Behaviors, and Norms Survey for analysis of prevalence and factors associated with vaccination drives among men and women aged 20-80 years in 60 countries worldwide. Our analysis of the global survey offers a unique perspective about the role of information technology associated with vaccination drives involving social norms and human behavior among 437,236 respondents. The international survey was organized using a pre-registered randomized experiment demonstrating the role of technology in reaching out to people based in diverse communities and evaluating their beliefs, behavior, and social norms. The study shows that vaccine acceptance can vary due to descriptive norms. Our analysis shows 65.06% of people all over the globe are willing to get vaccinated and a large proportion of the population thinks that the COVID19 pandemic is a viable threat to the community and preventive measures need to be taken including vaccination drives.

scholarly journals A Teaching Resource for a Computational Framework of the Value of Information in Origin of Life

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
soumya banerjee ◽  
joyeeta ghose
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Origin Of Life ◽  
Value Of Information ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Computational Framework ◽  
Teaching Resource ◽  
Processing Information ◽  
The Origin Of Life ◽  
Role Of Information

Information plays a critical role in complex biological systems. Complex systems like immune systems andant colonies co-ordinate heterogeneous components in a decentralized fashion. How do these distributeddecentralized systems function? One key component is how these complex systems efficiently processinformation. These complex systems have an architecture for integrating and processing information comingin from various sources and points to the value of information in the functioning of different complexbiological systems. This paper is a teaching resource that explains the role of information processing inquestions around the origin of life and suggests how computational simulations may yield insights intoquestions related to the origin of life.

scholarly journals Role of Information Systems in Organizational Business Process

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1214-1220
Author(s):  
Margaret K. Kitone ◽  
Kelvin Kabeti Omieno
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Main Field ◽  
The Past ◽  
Role Of Information ◽  
Term Data ◽  
Better Than

Over the years , Information System has advanced so much that we are able to operate better in an organization which is better than what used to happen in the past. Information Systems derived from the term data processing. The purpose of Information Systems is to provide efficient and reliable ways on how to perform functions in an organization. Computers have important role in evolution of Information System. There have been a lot of applications of Information System in the organizations today including human resource operation as the main field of concern, accounting and  finance, logistics and planning among others. Internet is the recent development in the use of Information.  Studies have been carried out on Information System and its application but none of the studies have looked at the role Information System plays in typical organizational operational functions especially in the Human Resource Operations. This therefore leaves the gap in research that this paper sought to breach. The study is conducted through analysis of literature review from journals, and surveys. The paper therefore recommends that organizations should apply Information Systems in Human Resources operations  in order to reap these benefits.

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