A Multi-Dimensional Approach for Framing Crowdsourcing Archetypes

All different kinds of organizations – business, public, and non-governmental alike – are becoming aware of a soaring complexity in problem solving, decision making and idea development. In a multitude of circumstances, multidisciplinary teams, high-caliber skilled resources and world-class computer suites do not suffice to cope with such a complexity: in fact, a further need concerns the sharing and ‘externalization’ of tacit knowledge already existing in the society. In this direction, participatory tendencies flourishing in the interconnected society in which we live today lead ‘collective intelligence’ to emerge as key ingredient of distributed problem solving systems going well beyond the traditional boundaries of organizations. Resulting outputs can remarkably enrich decision processes and creative processes carried out by indoor experts, allowing organizations to reap benefits in terms of opportunity, time and cost. Taking stock of the mare magnum of promising opportunities to be tapped, of the inherent diversity lying among them, and of the enormous success of some initiative launched hitherto, the thesis aspires to provide a sound basis for the clear comprehension and systematic exploitation of crowdsourcing. After a thorough literature review, the thesis explores new ways for formalizing crowdsourcing models with the aim of distilling a brand-new multi-dimensional framework to categorize various crowdsourcing archetypes. To say it in a nutshell, the proposed framework combines two dimensions (i.e., motivations to participate and organization of external solvers) in order to portray six archetypes. Among the numerous significant elements of novelty brought by this framework, the prominent one is the ‘holistic’ approach that combines both profit and non-profit, trying to put private and public sectors under a common roof in order to examine in a whole corpus the multi-faceted mechanisms for mobilizing and harnessing competence and expertise which are distributed among the crowd. Looking at how the crowd may be turned into value to be internalized by organizations, the thesis examines crowdsourcing practices in the public as well in the private sector. Regarding the former, the investigation leverages the experience into the PADGETS project through action research – drawing on theoretical studies as well as on intensive fieldwork activities – to systematize how crowdsourcing can be fruitfully incorporated into the policy lifecycle. Concerning the private realm, a cohort of real cases in the limelight is examined – having recourse to case study methodology – to formalize different ways through which crowdsourcing becomes a business model game-changer. Finally, the two perspectives (i.e., public and private) are coalesced into an integrated view acting as a backdrop for proposing next-generation governance model massively hinged on crowdsourcing. In fact, drawing on archetypes schematized, the thesis depicts a potential paradigm that government may embrace in the coming future to tap the potential of collective intelligence, thus maximizing the utilization of a resource that today seems certainly underexploited

“Natural” Cultural Districts: A Three-City Study

From 2010 to 2012, SIAP undertook a study of “natural” cultural districts in three cities—Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Seattle. This report presents findings of two sets of analyses: a citywide analysis of the social geography and cultural ecology of each city and a set of case studies of cultural clusters within the three cities. For each case study, in the following seven neighborhoods, a statistical overview was fleshed out by qualitative study: Baltimore—Highlandtown-Patterson Park and Station North; Philadelphia—Callowhill/Chinatown North and South Philadelphia; and Seattle—Capitol Hill, the Central District, and Chinatown-International District. The citywide analyses examined the relationship of cultural engagement to social and economic change in the three cities. The case studies focused on the character and evolution of “natural” cultural districts and the challenges posed to their sustainability, including the role of cultural space. The broader goal of the project was to understand the dynamics of the community cultural ecosystem, connections between cultural ecology and community wellbeing, and implications for policy and planning

Finding an apt strategy for (what we currently believe is) sustainable urban land use and area development

The long-term viability and management success of local economic development is a vital precondition for embarking on sustainable urban land use and area development paths. This paper examines two interlinked goals within this normative discourse: innovativeness and social cohesion. Based on literature and documentation of best practice, it is argued that a mature market for private investment provides the most viable framework for sustainability. While this perspective works better for developed countries, opportunities arise also for the lesser developed regions when technology, institutions and behaviours develop incrementally in response to successful trial and error corrections of policies implemented

America’s Favorite Antidote: Drug-Induced Homicide in the Age of the Overdose Crisis

Nearing the end of its second decade, the overdose crisis in the United States continues to claim tens of thousands of lives. Despite the rhetorical emphasis on a “public health” approach, criminal law and its enforcement continue to play a central role among policy responses to this crisis. A legacy of the 1980s War on Drugs, statutory provisions that implicate drug distributors in overdose fatalities are on the books in many U.S. jurisdictions and federally. This Article articulates an interdisciplinary critique of these “drug-induced homicide” laws at a time of their increased popularity, expanding scope, and aggressive prosecution. That these policy mechanisms are deployed under the banner of overdose prevention invites a critical public health lens to their reexamination. After tracing the trajectory of the overdose crisis, this Article examines the role of drug-induced homicide laws as exemplars of U.S. drug policy’s reliance on criminal law to address problematic substance use. An empirical analysis of publicized drug-induced homicide cases documents a rapid and accelerating diffusion of prosecutions in many hard-hit jurisdictions; pronounced racial disparities in enforcement and sentencing; and broad misclassification of friends, partners, family members, and others as “dealers.” In addition to crowding out evidence-based interventions and investments, these policies and prosecutions run at direct cross-purposes to public health efforts that encourage witnesses to summon lifesaving help during overdose events. At a time of crisis, drug-induced homicide laws and prosecutions represent a false prophecy of retribution, deterrence, and incapacitation. These findings support further efforts to demobilize criminal law and criminal justice actors from responding to drug-related harms in the U.S. as elsewhere

The presidency of Evo Morales : an archetype of latin american populism?

On January 22, 2006, Evo Morales Ayma was inaugurated as the sixty fifth President of Bolivia and was the first indigenous man to hold the position. After holding the position for nearly fourteen years, Evo Morales was removed from office on November 10, 2019, following a slew of revolts that broke out across the country protesting his fourth consecutive presidential term. He was one of Latin America’s longest serving presidents, and despite having lost a referendum which would have given him the authority to do so, he attempted to hold on to power for another term through an illiberal election. The case study of Evo Morales is a prime example of Latin American populism and through this example we can analyze the development of populism in the region. This dissertation will explore what populism is, how it can be identified in Latin America, and the evolution of Evo Morales’ populism throughout the course of his presidencies.No 22 de Janeiro de 2006, Evo Morales Ayma foi empossado como o sexagésimo quinto presidente da Bolívia e foi o primeiro indígena a ocupar o cargo. Depois de quase catorze anos, Evo Morales foi destituído no dia 10 de novembro de 2019, após uma série de revoltas que eclodiram em todo o país em protesto por seu quarto mandato presidencial consecutivo. Ele teve uma das presidências mais longas da América Latina e, apesar de ter perdido um referendo que lhe daria autoridade para fazê-lo, tentou manter o poder por mais um mandato por meio de uma eleição iliberal. O caso de Evo Morales é um exemplo do populismo latino-americano e por meio dele podemos analisar o desenvolvimento do populismo na região. Esta dissertação explorará o que é populismo, como pode ser identificado na América Latina, e a evolução do populismo de Evo Morales ao longo de sua gestão

What if There\u27s no One Pulling the Strings? A Cultural Theoretical Account of Trumpism and Big Tent Conspiracy Theories

Advancing contemporary work in the sociology of culture that contends the importance of structural explanations in the “post-truth age,” this paper contends a relationship between the contemporary appeal of the QAnon and Anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, nationalist populism, and Enlightenment Project’s valorization of knowledge dissemination. In order to locate themes in the discourse of QAnon and Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists, I analyze social media messages on the avenues in which the theories most widely circulate and documentary films created by purveyors of the theories. Applying cultural theory to empirically-documented trends in social psychology, I argue that two structural currents associated with the deification of speed–the crisis of burnout and the development of the algorithm–can offer a powerful explanation of the current appeal of these largely right-wing social movements

Un voyage du son par les fils électroacoustiques : l'art et les nouvelles technologies en Amérique Latine

L'histoire de la musique électroacoustique latino-américaine est longue, intéressante et prolifique, mais peu connue, même régionalement. De nombreux compositeurs nés ou vivants en Amérique latine ont été très actifs à ce titre, dans certains pays depuis plus de 50 ans, mais la disponibilité de l'information et des enregistrements de musique électroacoustique à cet égard et dans cette région a posé de sérieux problèmes aux éducateurs, compositeurs, interprètes, chercheurs, étudiants et au public en général.\ud Compte tenu de cette situation, la question suivante s'est imposée comme point de départ de ma thèse: comment s'est développée la tradition de la création musicale avec les médias électroacoustiques en Amérique Latine. Pour y répondre, j'ai adopté une approche historique en utilisant une méthodologie ethnographique (caractérisée par une immersion à long terme dans le domaine, par des contacts personnels avec des compositeurs et par ma participation et mon souci en ce qui concerne l'évolution des arts faisant appel aux nouvelles technologies en Amérique Latine) dans toute ma recherche. Ayant commencé à travailler dans le domaine de la musique électroacoustique au milieu des années 1970 dans mon Argentine natale, il m'a été très difficile d'obtenir de l'information sur les activités reliées à ce domaine dans des pays voisins et même dans ma propre ville. Bien que difficile, il était néanmoins possible de trouver les enregistrements de compositeurs vivant en Europe ou en Amérique du Nord, mais plus ardu de trouver ceux réalisés par des compositeurs locaux ou régionaux. Dans divers pays d'Amérique latine, les universités, les organismes d'état et de grandes fondations privées avaient de temps en temps pris l'initiative de soutenir la recherche en art et le recours aux nouveaux médias, mais la plupart avaient cessé leurs activités avant même de développer les ressources pour documenter les processus et préserver les résuItats. J'ai obtenu chaque enregistrement et information que j'ai rassemblés, depuis le milieu des années 1970, en contactant directement chacun des compositeurs. Avec le temps, j'ai constitué des archives personnelles, modestes mais croissantes, comprenant des notes de programme de concerts, livres, bulletins, magazines et revues, partitions, lettres, courriels et des enregistrements sur bobines, cassettes analogiques et quelques vinyles 33 tours. J'ai décidé de partager mes trésors avec des collègues et étudiants et d'explorer des solutions pour les rendre accessibles au plus grand nombre possible. Il y a quelques années, l'UNESCO m'a demandé de rédiger des rapports sur la musique électroacoustique latino-américaine et les arts médiatiques. Les textes de cette recherche ont contribué à diffuser de l'information sur le travail de beaucoup d'artistes latino-américains. Afin de rendre également accessible au public les oeuvres musicales, et sauvegarder le matériel, j'ai cherché un endroit où la préservation des enregistrements était non seulement importante mais aussi possible. J'estimais que la fondation Daniel Langlois pour l'art, la science et la technologie à Montréal était le lieu idéal pour mon projet. Mes activités continues durant près de 28 mois comme chercheur en résidence à la fondation Daniel Langlois m'ont permis de numériser et convertir des enregistrements à partir de différents formats, faire du montage au besoin et verser dans la base de données de la Fondation tous les renseignements sur les pièces (titre, compositeur, année de composition, instrumentation, notes de programme, studio de production, version, durée, bio du compositeur, etc.). À ce jour, janvier 2006, il y a 2152 fichiers audio numériques qui sont archivés au Centre de recherche et de documentation (CR+D) de la fondation. En complément à cette thèse de doctorat, j'ai développé une collection d'enregistrements musicaux maintenant disponibles au public. Cette collection est constituée du résultat de mes recherches (textes, oeuvres musicales, quelques partitions et photographies historiques, entrevues) et diffusée sur le site Web de la fondation Daniel Langlois. Les archives comptent des pièces pour médias fixes ainsi que des oeuvres mixtes pour instruments acoustiques ou voix et médias fixes ou systèmes électroniques interactifs en direct (1722 compositions). Les archives comprennent aussi des enregistrements audio et audiovisuels d'entrevues avec des compositeurs et des novateurs techniques ainsi que des\ud photographies, des vidéos, et quelques très rares partitions.\ud Une grande partie de l'information textuelle contenue dans la base de données des fichiers de musique est accessible par le site Web de la fondation Daniel Langlois. L'information complète (ex. notes de programme) et tous les enregistrements sont accessibles au CR+D. Une courte sélection de pièces est aussi accessible pour écoute sur le site Web. La plupart des compositeurs représentés dans ces archives et dans cette dissertation sont nés dans des pays d'Amérique latine. Il y a aussi quelques compositeurs qui, bien que n'étant pas originaires de la région, ont poursuivi au moins une partie de leur carrière musicale en Amérique latine.\ud Cette thèse renferme de l'information sur des compositeurs liés à 18 pays d'Amérique latine: Argentine, Bolivie, Brésil, Chili, Colombie, Costa Rica, Cuba, République dominicaine, Équateur, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Pérou, Porto Rico, Uruguay et Venezuela. Les archives contiennent des enregistrements de compositeurs de tous les pays mentionnés. J'espère que ce texte incitera à explorer ce merveilleux univers musical plutôt inconnu, créé par des centaines de compositeurs latino-américains au cours des dernières décennies. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : musique électroacoustique, Amérique latine, art et nouvelles technologies, éthique, mémoire, culture, contexte, pionniers, interdisciplinarité

Congressional Debates Over Prisoner Education: A Critical Discourse Analysis

The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country. The causes for the large number of prisoners can be traced, in part, to a politicized war on crime that resulted in harsh sentencing and high recidivism rates. Prisoner education provides the potential for slowing the revolving door of prison by helping to create engaged citizens, who are committed to bettering themselves and their communities. However, there is a paucity of support for programs such as Pell Grants, which could facilitate emancipatory education in prisons. The purpose of this work is to examine why prisoners are provided few meaningful educational opportunities while incarcerated. This study seeks to understand the genealogy of prisoner education policy through an examination of the debate surrounding the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill and its prohibition of Pell Grants for prisoners, as well as the 2008 Second Chance Act and its reentry programs. The study analyzes the ideological underpinnings of key decision makers and how their values are often embedded in the narratives of neoliberalism. In addition, the work examines elite stakeholders’ discursive attempts, both manifest and subtle, to influence and maintain social policy through the creation of legitimizing myths, including the viewpoints that prisoners are hopelessly flawed or that they have potential only as human capital. Counter-hegemonic discourse is also described. The study methods are critical discourse analysis which looks at the ways text and talk maintain inequities in society and critical policy analysis. Utilizing transcripts from legislative debates, the study analyzes the discourses of members of Congress to expose the tropes that often lie beneath the surface of the debate over prisoner education. Their rhetoric appears to generate and maintain widespread support for legislation that is frequently deleterious to marginalized out-groups. The study should add to the literature examining the role of legitimizing myths that maintain inequities in educational access

“LITTLE KINGDOMS”: ADAT AND INEQUALITY IN THE KEI ISLANDS, EASTERN INDONESIA

In the Kei islands, adat (custom or tradition) and social hierarchy are inextricably intertwined. This dissertation highlights the entanglements of rank and adat through an analysis of the mobilization of “tradition” by the Kei elite during both the New Order and post-Suharto periods. My central argument is that the construction of tradition is intimately tied to the creation and justification of inequality within Kei society. Over the past twenty years, the Kei elite (i.e., the mel-mel) have articulated particular visions of adat in order to maintain their dominance in the face of local, national and global challenges and uncertainties. The longitudinal approach of this research problematizes the distinction commonly made between the depoliticization of adat during the New Order and the adat revivalism of the post-Suharto years. Based on ethnographic research from 1994 to 1996, as well as a variety of secondary sources of data from the post-Suharto period, it is argued that adat revivalism in the Kei islands emerged in a New Order context in which the mel-mel successfully captured the state bureaucracy and its resources. During the New Order, adat emerged not only as a powerful symbol of Kei identity, but also as a salient resource in local political life. This is demonstrated through an analysis of constructions of adat during state-sponsored rituals and the discourse and practice of Kei adat law. This dissertation then examines continuities in the mobilization of tradition during the post-Suharto period, focusing on adat reconciliation rituals, efforts to establish and maintain adat territories and communities, the commoditization of adat titles, and the rearticulation of adat prohibitions (sasi). Based on these analyses, it is argued that over the past twenty years, high-ranking individuals, both inside and outside the local government, have appropriated adat as the proprietary domain of the Kei aristocracy. As a result, elite articulations of adat have contributed to the rigidification of Kei social hierarchy. Thus, while constructions of tradition may amplify distinctions between cultural insiders and outsiders, this study shows that they may also result in the sharpening of divisions and inequalities within adat communities