Cultural Protectionism 2.0 : Updating Cultural Policy Tools for the Digital Age

This chapter explores cultural protectionism 2.0, i.e. the normative dimensions of cultural diversity policies in the global digital space, asking what adjustments are needed and in fact, how feasible the entire project of diversity regulation in this environment may be. The complexities of the shift from offline to online and from analogue to digital, and the inherent policy challenges are illustrated with some (positive and negative) instances of existing media initiatives. Taking into account the specificities of cyberspace and in a forward-looking manner, the chapter suggests some adjustments to current media policy practices in order to better serve the goal of sustainably diverse cultural environment.

Re-Conceptualizing the Global Digital Divide

The article seeks a re-conceptualization of the global digital divide debate. It critically explores the predominant notion, its evolution and measurement, as well as the policies that have been advanced to bridge the digital divide. Acknowledging the complexity of this inequality, the article aims at analyzing the disparities beyond the connectivity and skills barriers. Without understating the first two digital divides, it is argued that as the Internet becomes more sophisticated and more integrated into economic, social, and cultural processes, a “third” generation of divides becomes critical. These divides are drawn not at the entry to the net but within the net itself, and limit access to content. The increasing barriers to content, though of a diverse nature, all relate to some governance characteristics inherent in cyberspace, such as global spillover of local decisions, regulation through code, and proliferation of self- and co-regulatory models. It is maintained that as the practice of intervention intensifies in cyberspace, multiple and far-reaching points of control outside formal legal institutions are created, threatening the availability of public goods and making the pursuit of public objectives difficult. This is an aspect that is rarely addressed in the global digital divide discussions, even in comprehensive analyses and political initiatives such as the World Summit on the Information Society. Yet, the conceptualization of the digital divide as impeded access to content may be key in terms of ensuring real participation and catering for the long-term implications of digital technologies.

Book Review: Regulating Code : Good Governance and Better Regulation in the Information Age

Digital technologies have profoundly changed not only the ways we create, distribute, access, use and re-use information but also many of the governance structures we had in place. Overall, "older" institutions at all governance levels have grappled and often failed to master the multi-faceted and multi-directional issues of the Internet. Regulatory entrepreneurs have yet to discover and fully mobilize the potential of digital technologies as an influential factor impacting upon the regulability of the environment and as a potential regulatory tool in themselves. At the same time, we have seen a deterioration of some public spaces and lower prioritization of public objectives, when strong private commercial interests are at play, such as most tellingly in the field of copyright. Less tangibly, private ordering has taken hold and captured through contracts spaces, previously regulated by public law. Code embedded in technology often replaces law. Non-state action has in general proliferated and put serious pressure upon conventional state-centered, command-and-control models. Under the conditions of this "messy" governance, the provision of key public goods, such as freedom of information, has been made difficult or is indeed jeopardized.The grand question is how can we navigate this complex multi-actor, multi-issue space and secure the attainment of fundamental public interest objectives. This is also the question that Ian Brown and Chris Marsden seek to answer with their book, Regulating Code, as recently published under the "Information Revolution and Global Politics" series of MIT Press. This book review critically assesses the bold effort by Brown and Marsden.

The dark side of the moon

When talking about flow, most people probably think of a highly desirable state associated with a broad variety of positive outcomes in terms of positive motivation, well-being, and performance. In contrast, this chapter suggests that the characteristics of flow also have the potential to be evil. First, we will explain how flow can lead to addiction when exercising, playing games, and using the Internet. Then we will consider how flow is linked to impaired risk perception and risky behavior. As a third negative facet of flow, we will outline how it can also be experienced in antisocial contexts and during combat. This chapter ends with some broader comments on the dark and bright sides of flow, including flow as a universal experience, the implications for practical interventions, ethical questions related to flow, and future research questions.

Folk Music in the Baltics at the Age of Digital Globalization

Shaped by factors like global outreach and immediacy, particularly the internet represents the multi-layered nature of contemporary globalization (cf Held et al. 2002). How have digital newspapers, social media and other internet platforms altered the situation of smaller music microcultues, especially in regions that have been on the fringes of global networks? This paper analyses the situation of the Latvian postfolklore band Ilgi between 2001 and 2008. Focusing on the group’s label UPE, the paper highlights how the internet became a significant means of existence during this specific period. Having established a local niche with a sound studio and CD shops, UPE combined this physical basis with outreach strategies, such as marketing and direct internet sales, which guaranteed the survival of the independent label. This strategy was also taken up by the band itself who started to develop a strong presence on social media like MySpace. At the same time, Ilgi has been using the internet as a central means of communicating with diasporic communities in the U.S. and Canada – hereby creating structures that were described as « intercultures » by Slobin (1993). This indicates that the local-global dichotomy can no longer be sufficiently addressed by a horizontal or vertical two-dimensional perception. Falling also back on the fieldwork experiences gained in Latvia, the paper finally addresses the question of how internet representation relates to the actual local situation – and how this has been altering the fieldwork perception. With regard to this situation – how useful are the approaches that have been developed within the context of « Media Anthropology » that investigates mass media items as multi-layered, densified symbolic objects?

Software Development in the Cloud: Exploring the Affordances of Platform-as-a-Service

Software development teams increasingly adopt platform-as-a-service (PaaS), i.e., cloud services that make software development infrastructure available over the internet. Yet, empirical evidence of whether and how software development work changes with the use of PaaS is difficult to find. We performed a grounded-theory study to explore the affordances of PaaS for software development teams. We find that PaaS enables software development teams to enforce uniformity, to exploit knowledge embedded in technology, to enhance agility, and to enrich jobs. These affordances do not arise in a vacuum. Their emergence is closely interwoven with changes in methodologies, roles, and norms that give rise to self-organizing, loosely coupled teams. Our study provides rich descriptions of PaaS-based software development and an emerging theory of affordances of PaaS for software development teams.

The Application of Digital Rights Management Systems in the Music Industry - An Empirical Investigation

Technology advances in hardware, software and IP-networks such as the Internet or peer-to-peer file sharing systems are threatening the music business. The result has been an increasing amount of illegal copies available on-line as well as off-line. With the emergence of digital rights management systems (DRMS), the music industry seems to have found the appropriate tool to simultaneously fight piracy and to monetize their assets. Although these systems are very powerful and include multiple technologies to prevent piracy, it is as of yet unknown to what extent such systems are currently being used by content providers. We provide empirical analyses, results, and conclusions related to digital rights management systems and the protection of digital content in the music industry. It shows that most content providers are protecting their digital content through a variety of technologies such as passwords or encryption. However, each protection technology has its own specific goal, and not all prevent piracy. The majority of the respondents are satisfied with their current protection but want to reinforce it for the future, due to fear of increasing piracy. Surprisingly, although encryption is seen as the core DRM technology, only few companies are currently using it. Finally, half of the respondents do not believe in the success of DRMS and their ability to reduce piracy.

On the Way to Becoming Global Citizens: Use of ICT by Ukrainian Students

Information is one of the important assets in today's society. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may be particular important for students as one of the tools to become global citizens. The objective of this study was to investigate use of ICT by high school students (n=122) from Ukraine, a developing country. The analysis indicates that majority of students from Ukraine have computer at home and more than half of students have the Internet access at home. In addition, gender differences in the use of computer and the Internet were identified. Educational implications and future directions are discussed.

Internet use, exposure to Internet pornography, and sexual behavior among middle school youth

The purpose of this study is to examine associations between adolescents’ Internet use, exposure to pornography online, and sexual behavior. This cross-sectional study examines data collected from an HIV, sexually transmitted infection, and pregnancy prevention program being evaluated in inner-city middle schools. Chi-squares were used to examine differences in Internet use and exposure to Internet pornography by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual behavior. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine associations between Internet use, exposure to Internet pornography, and sexual behavior. Ninety-four percent of students have used the Internet. Sixty-two percent of students had accidentally seen pornography on the Internet and 35% had purposefully viewed pornography online. Students who experienced sexual solicitation and who purposefully viewed pornography online were more likely to report lifetime and current sexual behavior. Additional research is needed to understand the impact of Internet use and exposure to Internet pornography on adolescents’ sexual behavior.^

Internet as a medium to seek partners among men who have sex with men

While there are reports of developing sexual relationships on the Internet (I) among MSM, there are few reports that have examined the process of developing sexual relationships on the I and comparing to that in real life (IRL). This study examines the process to provide insight into how MSM make decisions about courtship, engages in negotiations for sex, and choose sexual partners and examines the comparative sexual risks taken between I vs. IRL negotiation. This self-selected convenience sample at a national level (n=1001) of MSM recruited through the I, systematically explored the different steps, the process of courtship in a flow chart of I and IRL dating to portray the process of filtering, courtship and/or negotiation for sex. Risk behaviors in both environments are presented along with interactions that create predictable sequences or "scripts". These sequences constitute 'filtering' and 'sexual positioning'. Differences between I & IRL suggest discussion of HIV/STD status to have consistent differences for all variables except 'unprotected sex' meaning no condom use. There was more communication on the I in regards to self revealing information or variables relating to reducing risks which enable 'filtering' (including serosorting). Data indicate more steps in the I process, providing more complex, multiple steps to filter and position with regard not only to HIV/STD risk but also to negotiate position for complementary sexual interest. The study established a pattern of MSM's courtships or negotiation for sex and a pattern of acquisition, and more I negotiation. Data suggest negotiation opportunities which could lend to intervention to advise people how to negotiate safely. ^ Previous studies have reviewed MSM and drug use. This is a study to review the process of drug use associated with sexual behavior regarding the Internet (I) and in real life (IRL) using a self-selected, convenience sample of MSM (n=1001) recruited nation-wide through the Internet. Data on MSM and drugs illustrate the Internet being used as a tool to filter for drug use among MSM. MSM's drug use in both environments highlights the use of sexual performance drugs with an IRL pursuit of intimacy or negotiation for sex. IRL encounters were more likely to involve drug use (both recreational and sexual performance-enhancing) than Internet encounters. This may be due to more IRL meetings occurring at bars, clubs or parties where drug use is a norm. Compared with IRL, the Internet may provide a venue for persons who do not want to use drugs to select partners with similar attitudes. This suggests that filtering may be occurring as part of the internet negotiation. Data indicated that IRL persons get drunk/high before having sex in past 60 days significantly more often than Internet participants. Age did not alter the pattern of results. Thus drug filtering is really not recreational drug filtering or selecting for PNP, but appears to be situationally-based. Thus, it should perhaps be seen as another form of filtering to select drug-free partners, rather than using the Internet to specifically recruit and interact with other recreational drug users. ^

America's state health departments and the enhancement of health communication through podcasting

Perhaps it was foreshadowing the influence emerging technologies would have on health when the term "podcast" beat out "bird flu" for the 2005 word of the year, an honor given by The New Oxford American Dictionary. From medical school courses to medical journal summaries, podcasting has found a niche in the health field and with studies showing a high proportion of people using the Internet to seek health information, it is imperative that the online information be accurate and easily accessible. With the responsibility of health departments to reach out to their respective communities with effective health communication strategies, this study assessed the proportion of 50 states' and the District of Columbia's health departments utilizing podcasting as a tool for health communication. Additionally, to assess any trends, the prevalence of podcasting was compared to select state demographic characteristics (age, sex, and median income), the organization of the health department (freestanding or super-agency), and the respective United Health Foundation 2007 health ranking. ^ Prevalence data were collected from each state health department's website to find evidence of podcasting to any extent. If a podcast was present, characteristics including creator, release frequency, and transcript were further assessed. The study found that 51% (26/51) of all health departments were utilizing podcasts in some capacity and almost 20% (5/26) of these had created their own podcasts. The most common use of podcasting was to link to outside podcast resources, most notably, the Centers for Disease Control's podcast series. No significant associations were found between the state-specific variables and the podcasting outcomes; however, higher percentages of young adults in some states suggest potential podcasting opportunities for targeting these known podcast users with age-specific health messages. Another recommendation is a future assessment of local health departments' use of podcasting as their smaller, more defined target audiences may be a more efficient use of podcasting as a health communication tool. Additionally, there is a need for evaluations of podcasts' overall effectiveness as a health communication tool to (1) reach a target audience; and (2) convey a specific health message. In conclusion, the findings from this project illuminate the extent of podcast influence in states' and the District of Columbia's health departments as a health communication tool; however evaluations of effectiveness are imperative for future studies.^

RE-AIM analysis of Internet-based psychotherapy

We live in an era where the Internet is expected to be available at the home, the workplace, schools, libraries, and even the corner café. Everyday, more and more of the world's population is connected to this growing minefield of information, many of whom use it to seek out services they need. Health services are amongst the many purchasable products currently available online. The Internet, thus, is a viable method of contacting populations that a provider would not traditionally be able to reach. A growing service in this area is the practice of Internet-based psychotherapy. This goes by many other names as well, such as e-counseling, telecounseling, web therapy, computer mediated counseling, Interapy, and many other variations. ^ This paper reviews the current available literature on the efficacy and associated concerns of Internet-based psychotherapy through the RE-AIM lens. After an evaluation of the selected studies, Internet-based psychotherapy may be able to reach a wider audience than with traditional means and also produces similar efficacy results to in-person therapy. However, providers are still reluctant to adopt Internet-based psychotherapy due to legal concerns, and long-term maintenance of these practices may be an issue. Further research into the effectiveness, cost, and legal issues surrounding Internet-based psychotherapy is recommended. ^

The use of social media to communicate child health information to low-income parents: A formative study

The Internet, and specifically web 2.0 social media applications, offers an innovative method for communicating child health information to low-income parents. The main objective of this study was to use qualitative data to determine the value of using social media to reach low-income parents with child health information. A qualitative formative evaluation employing focus groups was used to determine the value of using social media for dissemination of child health information. Inclusion criteria included: (1) a parent with a child that attends a school in a designated Central Texas school district; and (2) English-speaking. The students who attend these schools are generally economically disadvantaged and are predominately Hispanic. The classic analysis strategy was used for data analysis. Focus group participants (n=19) were female (95%); White (53%), Hispanic (42%) or African American (5%); and received government assistance (63%). Most had access to the Internet (74%) and were likely to have low health literacy (53%). The most preferred source of child health information was the family pediatrician or general practitioner. Many participants were familiar with social media applications and had profiles on popular social networking sites, but used them infrequently. Objections to social media sites as sources of child health information included lack of credibility and parent time. Social media has excellent potential for reaching low-income parents when used as part of a multi-channel communication campaign. Further research should focus on the most effective type and format of messages that can promote behavior change in this population, such as story-telling. ^

Systematic literature review on internet-based interventions to prevent HIV transmission

Objective. To perform a systematic review of the internet based HIV prevention interventions.^ Data Source. Data resources including Ovid Medline, CINAHL (EBSCOhost and Psycinfo) were searched for the relevant articles. Study Selection: Studies were selected if the entire article was in English, Randomized control trial performed after 1998 till current, internet based aimed towards HIV/AIDS prevention. ^ Data Extraction. Each relevant article was coded using a code sheet which consisted of background information, study characteristics, study population information, program details, intervention and results. Data Synthesis: Total of seven relevant articles were coded and the information obtained was incorporated into the evidence tables for comparison.^ Conclusion. Overall the internet based HIV prevention studies have been very successful in recruiting large number of people but has not been able to show effective results due to high attrition. More research needs to be done in the area.^

Funding the utilization of community health workers in Texas

Community health workers (CHWs) are volunteers or paid members of communities that perform outreach, patient assistance, health education, and assist in navigation of healthcare system amongst other duties. The utilization of CHWs in hospital and community setting provides health benefits to their communities while reducing cost to the overall healthcare system. ^ The general population of Texas lacks adequate access to primary care. An important indicator of such a crisis is excessive usage of emergency department services in Texas, especially by the large minority population within the state. Also, unmanaged chronic diseases have been shown to be correlated with the excessive usage of emergency services. According to a recent survey of 25 Houston metropolitan area hospitals, almost 54% of the ER visits could have been resolved in primary care settings. A Galveston based study also indicated that the ER usage was higher amongst African-Americans and Latinos. Meanwhile, 28.5% of the total ER visits were made by Latinos from the surrounding areas (Begley et al., 2007). There is substantial evidence present which indicates enormous cost-savings that CHWs have produced in Texas and nationwide through reduction in unnecessary ER visits along with better management of chronic diseases (Fedder et al, 2003). ^ This paper provides an analysis regarding the need and importance for sustainable and stable sources of funding for Community health workers (CHWs) in Texas utilizing Kingdon's model of Agenda Setting as framework. The policy analysis is also aimed at reporting on the policy process and actions taken by Children at Risk to address this critical issue. Children at Risk, a Houston based advocacy organization, has created a legislative proposal that calls on the Texas Health and Human Commission to apply for a Medicaid §§1115 waiver to provide sustainable sources of funding for CHWs, Rep. John Zerwas sponsored HB 2244 bill and it was filed on March 3, 2011. The bill would affect the use of CHWs in Texas in two ways: 1) through the establishment and operation of a program designed to train and educate CHWs 2) by creating a statewide training and certification advisory committee. The advisory committee is required in the bill to submit recommendations for providing sustainable funding and employment for CHWs. The HB 2244 failed to move out of the House Public Health committee. However, HB2244 was amended into HB 2610 introduced by Representative Guillen. The House Bill 2610 is geared towards establishing a community-based navigator program in order to assist individuals applying for public assistance through the Internet. The House Bill 2610 was signed by the Governor and will be effective September 1, 2011.^