Snowden's revelations and the attitudes of students at Swedish universities

Purpose – Mapping of Swedish students' attitudes toward Snowden's revelations and their effects in the political and socio-cultural environment of Sweden. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was answered by 190 Swedish University students. The quantitative responses to the survey were statistically analysed as well as qualitative considerations of free text answers. Findings – Swedish students had a high level of knowledge of Snowden revelations, they actively searched for information, they gave a positive judgement of Snowden's actions and they were willing to follow his example in Sweden but not the US. They trusted their country and most of its institutions and authorities except for secret service agencies and Internet and computer software companies. Practical implications – Design of education for university students, especially in Information Technology programs. Social implications – Developing and applying policies on privacy, surveillance and whistleblowing. Originality/value – This study is part of a bigger international study to map students' attitudes toward Snowden's revelations and their opinions about privacy, surveillance and whistleblowing opening up for cross-cultural analyses. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down

Following Snowden: A Cross-cultural Study on the Social Impact of Snowden's Revelations

Purpose – This paper introduces a cross-cultural study of the views and implications of Snowden's revelations about NSA/GCHQ surveillance practices, undertaken through surveys administered in eight countries. The aims and the academic and social significance are explained and justification offered for the methods used. Design/methodology/approach – Pilot surveys were deployed in two countries, following which revised versions were deployed in eight countries (including new collection in the original pilot countries). Quantitative analysis of suitable answer sets (Yes/No; Likert scales) and quantitative analysis (interpretation of free text answers) were performed. Findings – Through the pilot survey studies conducted in Japan and Spain, the academic significance and validity as well as social significance of the project were confirmed. Social implications – The results of the cross-cultural study are expected to contribute not only to the advance of surveillance studies but also to the enhancement of ordinary, non-technical people's awareness of state surveillance and their proactive approach to protecting their own rights and dignity from covert intrusion by government agencies. Originality/value – This paper clarifies the importance and methodologies of investigating the social impact of Snowden's revelations on youngsters' attitudes toward privacy and state surveillance in a cross-cultural analysis framework. Although a few other studies have looked at the impact of Snowden's revelations, these have mostly focussed on the US, so this is the only study to date considering that impact on a broad international scale, using highly similar surveys to ensure comparability. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down

Implications for EU Policies and Institutions

The consolidation and further development of the European Union depends on a great deal of trust from its citizens: trust in its integrity, trust in its purpose, and trust in its values. Trust is the belief that people and organisations will behave in a predictable and reliable manner. To trust, in essence, is to take a risk based on positive expectations about others. Many observers detect 'a crisis of trust' today, especially since the recent financial and economic crisis in Europe. We see strong signals that there is a serious lack of trust in public authorities, both at the European and the national level. Between 2007 and 2013 citizens' trust in the EU and in national governments and parliaments fell dramatically. Trust is fundamental for the good functioning of the society and the economy. Institutions are built on it. It is correlated with fairness and responsiveness to people's concerns, and helps sustain a cooperative social climate, as well as foster compliance with laws and standards. Participation in community and civic affairs is less risky and more rewarding when people trust each other. Because of its importance for society, the European Commission is prioritising the need to regain the trust of citizens in the European project. President Juncker's political guidelines underline that the EU is not just a big common market, it is also a Union of shared values. Using a foresight approach, this volume makes a major contribution to better understanding the disruptive effects that an erosion or collapse of trust could have for Europe: for its science, for its political and justice systems, for the regulation of economic activities, social cohesion, for public administrations and for the Internet and cyberspace in general. Its chapters elaborate not only on the potential disruptions, but also on possible policy responses to counteract a further loss of societal trust. The book is an essential contribution to a rich and pragmatic understanding of the 'crisis of trust' in Europe. It is the kind of contribution that citizens expect from foresight analysis and one that I am sure will feed into many EU policy discussions for the years to come

2017 GREAT Day Program

SUNY Geneseo’s Eleventh Annual GREAT Day.https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/program-2007/1011/thumbnail.jp

COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Acceptance in Ethnic Minority Individuals in the United Kingdom: a mixed-methods study using Protection Motivation Theory

Background: Uptake of the COVID-19 booster vaccine among ethnic minority individuals has been lower than in the general population. However, there is little research examining the psychosocial factors that contribute to COVID-19 booster vaccine hesitancy in this population.Aim: Our study aimed to determine which factors predicted COVID-19 vaccination intention in minority ethnic individuals in Middlesbrough, using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, in addition to demographic variables.Method: We used a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected using an online survey. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. 64 minority ethnic individuals (33 females, 31 males; mage = 31.06, SD = 8.36) completed the survey assessing PMT constructs, COVID-19conspiracy beliefs and demographic factors. 42.2% had received the booster vaccine, 57.6% had not. 16 survey respondents were interviewed online to gain further insight into factors affecting booster vaccineacceptance.Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 was a significant predictor of booster vaccination intention, with higher perceived susceptibility being associated with higher intention to get the booster. Additionally, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs significantly predictedintention to get the booster vaccine, with higher conspiracy beliefs being associated with lower intention to get the booster dose. Thematic analysis of the interview data showed that barriers to COVID-19 booster vaccination included time constraints and a perceived lack of practical support in the event ofexperiencing side effects. Furthermore, there was a lack of confidence in the vaccine, with individuals seeing it as lacking sufficient research. Participants also spoke of medical mistrust due to historical events involving medical experimentation on minority ethnic individuals.Conclusion: PMT and conspiracy beliefs predict COVID-19 booster vaccination in minority ethnic individuals. To help increase vaccine uptake, community leaders need to be involved in addressing people’s concerns, misassumptions, and lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccination

Drink and society: Scotland 1870-1914

Abstract available: p.2-

Representations of Iran(ians) in Mainstream European News Sites

What role do media play in promoting or impeding intercultural understanding and international relations in times of conflict? With this question in mind, Leyla's research focuses on Iran's coverage in three mainstream European media during a period marked by tensions at home and abroad. Adopting Critical Discourse Analysis as theory and method, the study examines articles published on selected British, French, and German news sites juxtaposed with their attached comments, with the aim of contributing to scholarly work on cross-national comparative examination of foreign news coverage and 'top-down' Othering in journalistic texts in addition to incorporating an investigation into non-institutional discourse and 'bottom-up' Self/Other representations in comment sections.Welche Rolle spielen die Medien bei der Förderung oder Behinderung der interkulturellen Verständigung und internationalen Beziehungen in Konfliktzeiten? Vor diesem Hintergrund konzentriert sich Leylas Forschung auf die Berichterstattung über den Iran in drei europäischen Mainstream-Medien in einer Zeit, die von Spannungen im In- und Ausland geprägt war. Die Studie übernimmt Kritische Diskursanalyse als Theorie und Praxis und untersucht Artikel, die auf ausgewählten britischen, französischen und deutschen Nachrichtenseiten veröffentlicht wurden, und stellt sie den beigefügten Kommentaren gegenüber, mit dem Ziel, einen Beitrag zu wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten zur grenzüberschreitenden vergleichenden Untersuchung ausländischer Berichterstattung zu leisten und ‚top-down‘ Othering in journalistischen Texten, zusätzlich zur Aufnahme einer Untersuchung des nicht-institutionellen Diskurses und ‚bottom-up‘-Selbst-/Andere-Darstellungen in Kommentarsektionen