scholarly journals Communication Technologies and their Effect on Cultural Homogeneity, Consensus, and the Diffusion of New Ideas

1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Carley
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Mass Communication ◽  
Information Diffusion ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Artificial Agents ◽  
Message Complexity ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Impact

A view of communication technologies as creating artificial agents and affecting the information-processing capabilities of agents is forwarded The constructural theory is adapted to account for agents varying in their information-processing capabilities and, hence, to account for technology. Given this theoretical modification, the constructural model is used to examine the impact of different communication technologies and sociocultural landscapes on the rate at which information diffuses and the time it takes for the society to reach cultural homogeneity and consensus. The findings suggest that as the available communication technologies change, the role of the sociocultural landscape in effecting social change varies. Paradoxically, this research suggests that mass-communication technologies that enable greater competition among messages and greater message complexity will enable faster information diffusion than will those technologies that inhibit competition and message complexity.

Hope in the Unexpected: How Can Teachers Still Make a Difference in the World?

2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-406
Author(s):  
Julian Edgoose
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
The World ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Background Context ◽  
Objective Research

Background/Context The central role of hope in teaching has long been acknowledged by authors such as Sonia Nieto and Larry Cuban, but hope has received little focused attention from scholars. This article seeks to compare multiple understandings of hope to examine how teachers can find hope in times of global crises that challenge the promise of a better future that is implicit in modern schooling. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study How can teachers find hope in hard times, when the usual promise of schools for a better future seems difficult to sustain? Research Design This article is an analytic essay. Conclusions/Recommendations This article concludes that while the long-dominant understandings of hope are inadequate for many teachers at times like these, Arendt's view of the hope that emerges in the unexpected occurrences of classroom life resonates strongly with the most rewarding and hopeful experiences of many teachers. Yet Arendt explains how the hope that teachers experience from these unpredictable and unexpected occurrences is not just a source of immediate reward, but rather contributes to political and social change. The article concludes with an account of Arendt's critique of historians’ narratives of social change and an affirmation of the impact that teachers can have as agents of change.

The Role of Information Communication Technologies Within the Field of Communication for Social Change

2011 ◽  
pp. 218-236
Author(s):  
Jan Servaes
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Development Communication ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Communication For Development ◽  
Communication For Social Change ◽  
Ultimate Objective

There is a lot of talk about the ‘newness’ of mobile and wireless Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) these days. What is so ‘new’ about them? And in what way will they solve the still unresolved problems of poverty, inequality and information divides in the world? This chapter takes a bird’s eye perspective and presents a number of observations regarding the role of ICTs within the field of Communication for Development and Social Change (CDSC). All those involved in the analysis and application of Communication for Development and Social Change would probably agree that in essence communication for social change is the sharing of knowledge aimed at reaching a consensus for action that takes into account the interests, needs and capacities of all concerned. It is thus a social process, which has as its ultimate objective sustainable development at distinct levels of society. Communication media and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are important tools in achieving social change but their use is not an aim in itself—interpersonal communication and traditional group media must also play a fundamental role. This basic consensus on development communication has been interpreted and applied in different ways throughout the past century. Both at theory and research levels, as well as at the levels of policy and planning-making and implementation, divergent perspectives are on offer. In this chapter, the author presents a brief overview of the field of Communication for Development and Social Change (CDSC) and elaborates on the role and impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Development and Social Change.

Cloud-Based Digital Library Era

2016 ◽  
pp. 226-247
Author(s):  
Ahmed Shawish ◽  
Maria Salama
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Innovative Products ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Pros And Cons

Rapid advances in information processing, storage, and communication technologies have revolutionized the role of the libraries. This chapter reviews the library services, problems and drivers of change from the classical form to the digital one. The chapter then focuses on the current cloud era. It comparatively covers the library cloud-based platforms, services, management systems, innovative products and opened environments in terms of their characteristics, added values, pros and cons. A comprehensive survey on the digital libraries in the cloud era is presented in this chapter.

scholarly journals The Impact of Mobile Phone Uses in the Developing World

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽  
Mark Hepworth ◽  
Donna Champion
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, the rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs) contrasted with the dire living conditions of the world's poorest has been the subject of debate among industry and academia. However, despite the amount of writings produced on mobile phones, Western bias is surprisingly unbridledly prevailing alongside the fêted dissemination of mobile phones. Expansive literature tends to present the rapid adoption of mobile phones among rural individuals, with little to no indication of how local values and voices are respected or promoted. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 16 rural chiefs to inquire into ways in which mobile phones enabled socio-economic development in the rural Congo. Rather than using quantitative, large-scale, or top-down data, we sought to give voice to chiefs themselves about the role of mobile phones. We found that Western bias dominates the literature and deployment of mobile phones more than usually acknowledged. We suggested some paths forward, while bringing the African communal Utu or Ubuntu culture to the center stage.

scholarly journals Information Transfer between Stock Market Sectors: A Comparison between the USA and China

Entropy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Yue ◽  
Yaodong Fan ◽  
Jonathan A. Batten ◽  
Wei-Xing Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Stock Markets ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Information Diffusion ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Bank Lending ◽  
Chinese Market ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Information diffusion within financial markets plays a crucial role in the process of price formation and the propagation of sentiment and risk. We perform a comparative analysis of information transfer between industry sectors of the Chinese and the USA stock markets, using daily sector indices for the period from 2000 to 2017. The information flow from one sector to another is measured by the transfer entropy of the daily returns of the two sector indices. We find that the most active sector in information exchange (i.e., the largest total information inflow and outflow) is the non-bank financial sector in the Chinese market and the technology sector in the USA market. This is consistent with the role of the non-bank sector in corporate financing in China and the impact of technological innovation in the USA. In each market, the most active sector is also the largest information sink that has the largest information inflow (i.e., inflow minus outflow). In contrast, we identify that the main information source is the bank sector in the Chinese market and the energy sector in the USA market. In the case of China, this is due to the importance of net bank lending as a signal of corporate activity and the role of energy pricing in affecting corporate profitability. There are sectors such as the real estate sector that could be an information sink in one market but an information source in the other, showing the complex behavior of different markets. Overall, these findings show that stock markets are more synchronized, or ordered, during periods of turmoil than during periods of stability.

Dilemma of Hotel Reviews: The Role of Information Processing and Validation through Metacognition

2020 ◽  
pp. 004728752093886
Author(s):  
GuoQiong Ivanka Huang ◽  
IpKin Anthony Wong ◽  
Rob Law
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Persuasive Message ◽  
Online Social Support ◽  
The Impact

A comprehensive model is proposed to understand how travelers manage copious and even competing online reviews through a validation process, by examining the impact of social support, persuasive message compliance, persuasive message resistance, and metacognition on tourists’ willingness to be involved in social commerce. Based on the theories of signaling and reactance, the model explores how social forces, such as online social support and personal information-processing drivers (i.e., information processing and validating procedure), can explain customers’ social commerce intentions. A survey of tourists in 61 mid- to high-end hotels indicates that social support is positively related to persuasive message compliance, resistance, and social commerce intention. The findings indicate that persuasive message compliance and resistance mediate the relationship between social support and social commerce intention, whereas the mediation relationships are conditioned on metacognition.

scholarly journals Are ICTs Prerequisites for the Eradication of Poverty?

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 283-294
Author(s):  
H P P Lötter
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

I provide a philosophical analysis of the claim that ICTs are necessary preconditions for the eradication of poverty. What are the links between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and poverty? I first define technology and then give a brief depiction of ICTs. Thereafter I define poverty and give a brief expla-nation of its context and causes. Next I discuss the relationship between poverty and ICTs in three paradigm cases: [i] the role of ICTs in poor societies, [ii] the effect of poor ICT knowledge and skill of individuals in highly developed technological societies, and [iii] the impact of impoverished ICT knowledge and skills on the rich, powerful, and intelligent ones in society. I propose a procedure for decision making about the appropria-tion of ICTs by individuals and societies. I assess the claim that both access to ICTs and effective use of them are preconditions for the eradication of poverty.

scholarly journals The role of information and communication technologies in supply chains efficiency in COVID-19 pandemic

Upravlenie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-124
Author(s):  
R. S. Rogulin
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Level Of Economic Development ◽  
Local Supply ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Role Of Information

Information and communication technologies have become an integral part of our life. Supply chain management is also currently in a digital transformation, especially during the period of disruptions in global and local supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to provide an empirical descriptive analysis of the role of digital technologies in improving the efficiency and recovery of supply chains, as in the pre-crisis period and in a pandemic.The research is based on the processing of statistical data and macroeconomic indicators, presented in the public domain. The following indicators were considered as basic indicators: gross domestic product as a characteristic of the level of economic development of Russia before the crisis; Logistics efficiency index; Digital Life Index. For comparative analysis, countries from different categories were selected in the context of the selected assessment indicators. The results obtained confirmed the significant role of information and communication technologies in improving the efficiency and restoration of supply chains destroyed in connection with COVID-19 pandemic.It has been concluded that at the national level, developed economies showed high efficiency of their logistics systems and high scores of digital life rating. For countries with a level of economic development below average, the impact of information and communication technologies on the efficiency of the logistics system was not decisive in this context. The implementation of information and communication technologies makes it possible to restore the supply chains destroyed by the crisis and increase their efficiency, because of which a business in a pandemic gets a chance to survive.The results of this study can be used by heads of enterprises of various levels in determining the strategy and tactics of enterprise development, including crisis management. Research methods and data can be applied by researchers to further research into the impact of information and communication technologies on the recovery and efficiency of global and local supply chains, including considering updated data that consider the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the indicators used in this article.

Mobile technology and development

2020 ◽  
pp. 496-512
Author(s):  
Bitange Ndemo ◽  
Dennis Aiko
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Progressive Policy ◽  
The Impact

Mobile technologies are creating unprecedented changes in Kenya. The ways in which people conduct business have been disrupted, and citizens can access information and services in a more efficient manner. Kenya is also among the leading countries to leverage mobile technology for greater financial inclusivity. This chapter reviews the policy framework that has underpinned Kenya’s digital transformation, as well as the impact and disruptions caused by innovations in information and communication technologies (ICT) that have been introduced as a result. The chapter considers the potentially transformative role of emerging mobile and digital technologies by assessing the favorable economic, organizational, political, social, and cultural environments necessary for their development. It concludes that the development of a progressive policy in a fast-changing technological landscape has catapulted Kenya to the ranks of innovative nations, but that such technology is not a panacea for broader development and governance concerns.

The Role of Trust in the Global Acceptance of E-Government

2011 ◽  
pp. 173-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Burbridge ◽  
Jayoti Das ◽  
Cassandra DiRienzo
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Empirical Finding ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Level Of Economic Development ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact

Throughout the world, the number of e-government applications enabled by information and communication technologies (ICT) is proliferating. Some of the newer applications allow for interaction between government officials and its citizenry. As a result, the concept of a public sphere and e-democracy is becoming more of a reality. In all of these applications, one would expect that the level of trust within the society would be an important factor in determining the level of adoption. Using cross-country data from 140 countries, this empirical study extends past research by examining the impact of trust on the level of e-government where national diversity is used as a proxy of trust within a nation. The major empirical finding of this research shows that, even after controlling for the level of economic development and other socio-economic factors, trust as measured by ethnic and religious diversity, was a significant factor affecting e-government usage.

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