The Urban Political Ecology of Post-industrial Scottish Towns: Examining Greengairs and Ravenscraig

Urban ecological politics is shaped by both moments of concerted action and more silent perceptions and responses. Instead of only being evident in situations of organised protest, the politics of urban ecology is also manifested, in material and symbolic terms, in the daily life of the residents. The fragmentation of urban political ecology turns out to be an important element in the affirmation of post-political forms of urban governance. Those issues were the object of fieldwork research carried out in Greengairs and Ravenscraig, two towns in North Lanarkshire, near Glasgow, with the goal of unravelling the understanding and the coping mechanisms of environmentally deprived residents. The towns are permeated by a widespread, often dissimulated, political ecology that is nonetheless always present. Empirical results demonstrate that a more comprehensive handling of the political ecology of the urban is crucial in order to halt the sources of marginalisation and ecological degradation

An audio-visual approach to teaching the social aspects of sustainable product design

This paper considers the impact of audio-visual resources in enabling students to develop an understanding of the social aspects of sustainable product design. Building on literature concerning the learning preferences of ‘Net Generation’ learners, three audio-visual workshops were developed to introduce students to the wider social aspects of sustainability and encourage students to reflect upon the impact of their practice. The workshops were delivered in five universities in Britain and Ireland among undergraduate and postgraduate students. They were designed to encourage students to reflect upon carefully designed audio-visual materia ls in a group-based environment, seeking to foster the preferences of Net Generation learners through collaborative learning and learning through discovery. It also sought to address the perceived weaknesses of this generation of learners by encouraging critical reflection. The workshops proved to be popular with students and were successful in enabling them to grasp the complexity of the social aspects of sustainable design in a short span of time, as well as in encouraging personal responses and creative problem solving through an exploration of design thinking solutions

Young people's voices on cyber bullying: what can age comparisons tell us

This is a report of a youth-led research study, commissioned by the Diana Award. It illuminates contemporary experiences of and attitudes towards cyber bullying, with a particular focus on age comparisons between older and younger youth. This is the largest survey carried out on cyber bullying in England to date that has been steered by young people themselves. It consisted of: one large survey, two online surveys and four focus groups, carried out from September 2009 to July 2011. In total, it encompassed the views of 1,512 young people in England (consisting of 1490 pupils who completed the surveys and 22 who designed the research). It provides a a clearer understanding of the nature and prevalence of cyber bullying among young people and recommends effective ways to strengthen preventative action

Navigating the EU data governance labyrinth: A business perspective on data sharing in the financial sector

This paper offers a business perspective on the EU data governance framework, particularly related to data sharing in the financial sector. With policy-making (“on the books”) centred on guaranteeing data privacy and data security whilst promoting innovation, firms face complexities when implementing this framework “on the ground”. We build on existing work in internet policy, governance and law, multidisciplinary insights from business and management studies, and equally consider practitioner reports, legal/policy documents and industry consultations. Using the Revised Payment Services Directive as an illustrative case, our exploratory analysis reveals an implementation labyrinth, with a so-called “privacy-security-control” nexus at its core. Already problematic for firms operating across borders in the EU, this proves to be even more the case for global companies subject to various data sharing frameworks. Our analysis also reveals that the sectoral framework by the books neither reckons with the heterogeneity of firms (incumbent and new banks, fintechs and bigtechs) nor with their business models. We expose how these “on the ground” business realities might bring unintended effects that could be further aggravated by the (inherently slower) pace of regulation, and offer recommendations for policymakers, researchers and practitioners.<br/

Why populists do well on social media

A link between populism and social media is often suspected. This paper spells out a set of possible mechanisms underpinning this link: that social media changes the communication structure of the public sphere, making it harder for citizens to obtain evidence that refutes populist assumptions. By developing a model of the public sphere, four core functions of the public sphere are identified: exposing citizens to diverse information, promoting equality of deliberative opportunity, creating deliberative transparency, and producing common knowledge. A well-working public sphere allows citizens to learn that there are genuine disagreements among citizens that are held in good faith. Social media makes it harder to gain this insight, opening the door for populist ideology

Next-Generation Technology and Electoral Democracy: Understanding the Changing Environment

Democracies around the world are facing growing threats to their electoral systems in the digital age. Foreign interference in the form of dis- and misinformation has already influenced the results of democratic elections and altered the course of history. This special report, the result of a research project conducted in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Canada, examines these cyberthreats from a Canadian and German perspective. Both Canada and Germany share common goals centred around protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and international peace and security. Using case studies from experts in fields such as computer science, law and public policy, the special report offers recommendations to guide policy makers and stakeholders on how to protect elections from next-generation technologies and the threats they pose to democracy

Promoting dialogue or hegemonic practice? Power issues in telecollaboration

none3siThis qualitative study explores the impact of potential linguistic, technical and educational hegemonies on the learning outcomes for English language students in Hebron, Palestine, and Padova, Italy, who were involved in the Soliya Connect Program, a telecollaboration project developed to explore critical issues that divide the ‘West’ and the ‘predominantly Arab and Muslim world’. The project is organised around weekly synchronous moderated video discussions between students from the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa. The authors first discuss the hegemonies that might be at play in this telecollaboration project and examine the specific power imbalances on the macro-, meso- and micro-levels that students in Hebron and Padova might experience. Then, drawing on data from learner diaries and reflective papers, facilitator reports, and questionnaires, the authors provide evidence for the emergence of a third space conceptualised as a site of struggle and conflict, but also a dialogic, fluid and evolving space. The aspects of the project that seemed to contribute most to the creation of a third space were found to be: (a) the role of trained facilitators in addressing power imbalances, (b) the dialogic approach to conflict that the program is based on, and (c) the use of audio-video conferencing which humanises the experience and increases empathy among students.The impact factor according to ISI Journal Citation Reports® Ranking: for the journal in 2012 was 1.38, in 2014 it was 1.13, ranking 13 out of 171 Linguistics journals and 30 out of 224 education journals . 26 citations according to Web of ScienceopenF. Helm; S. Guth; M. FarrahHelm, Francesca; Guth, SARAH PATRICIA; M., Farra

Reader Response Theory: Students’ Encounter and Challenges with E- Literature

This paper investigated the overall experience of learners with e-literature (e-lit). E-lit as a new form of economy in the field of literature and humanities prompted authors and scholars to create newborn sites of learning — videograph fiction, kinetic poetry, text tula (hyperpoem), and hyperfiction. Thus, the digitization of resource materials in literature led the researchers to investigate the outer circle of some of these new born sites by focusing on the following: readers and their experiences on understanding and learning through e-lit; textual which is concerned with performance and complexities of using this new form of literature; and cultural that deals with the racial impact and sense of belongingness of learners through the e-lit. As for method, the study did not use any sophisticated sampling method but followed a simple procedure: viewing some sample text tula or hyperpoem and interviewing participants to collect needed information. Hence, the following results were obtained: (1) text tula made the participants feel more at ease in making meaning as opposed to kinetic poetry; (2) text tula and kinetic poetry help the participants in deciphering the meaning of a word; and (3) participants felt the importance of merging literature teaching and technology to preserve the traditional or basic forms of literature. Thus, we can say that in teaching the new forms and emerging versions of literature we must first understand the complexities it can bring inside our classrooms and work on these complexities so that skills of students ranging from traditional art forms to animation can be maximized

An analysis of the role of community development projects in promoting social inclusion: Mayfield Integrated Community Development Project

When examining the role of community development an associated phenomenon is never too far from consideration. One contributor defines social exclusion as ‘what can happen… when a combination of linked problems mutually reinforce each other’ (Cabinet Office UK, 2007). In order to address the damaging effects of being socially excluded, some areas have set up community development projects. The services that these projects offer can vary, with some offering community childcare facilities, afterschool clubs and educational courses. The list is vast. However, these projects have one distinct common purpose, to empower local communities and promote social inclusion. The work that these projects do in local communities is admirable, however many have expressed concern about the ability of the sector remain autonomous when ever changing government structures are becoming further embedded in their daily functioning (Forde et al,2015). This study will examine these concerns and explore the issues that are currently being faced by local services. Many of these projects closed during times of austerity and, at present, many still face constant funding issues. What appears to be missing in all this is the voice of the people who lost these services. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of one particular community development in an area that is classified as disadvantaged, and speak directly with the people who attend this project. Key themes that emerged from this study correlate with findings observed in the literature. Furthermore this study will present findings that highlight the role of such projects from a community member’s perspective