African Politics in the Digital Age: A Study of Political Party-Social Media Campaign Strategies in Ghana

Digital media is transforming politics. It has made it imperative for political stakeholders to come up with new strategies that respond to challenges triggered by the new digital communication platforms. Equally, the technological developments have affected communication processes and strategies in transitional political contexts, with varying impacts on democratic governance, political participation and forms of deliberation for citizens. However, the actual impact of social media on political processes remains debatable. Many issues emerge including not only how communications technologies revitalise campaign techniques but also how they influence actors, organisations and reorient political campaigning environments. In Africa, it is important to ask in specific contexts how the new technologies are reconfiguring the relationship between the rulers and the ruled, between politicians and the electorate. In particular, how has digital media facilitated new forms of political communications to individuals and groups? Has it gone beyond geography, class, gender, language or race? What has been the specific impact on campaign strategies, and their process and impact on electoral politics in countries such as Ghana, an emerging democracy? Through a case study, this research has explored the changing dynamics of election campaigning in Ghana in the context of social media. By examining the influence of Facebook, Twitter Instagram and other Social Network Sites (SNSs) for political campaigning, the research produces an original analysis of digital political communication, organization and mobilization, among others, as they are deployed by the main political parties, namely, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), with a focus on the 2012 and 2016 elections. The study has adopted a qualitative research methodology, based on in-depth interviews (formal and informal), focus group discussions, as well as informal observation techniques, which were applied to gather original evidence. The main findings are that social media is implicated in political campaigns in multiple ways, with its ability to change, and are dependent on the availability of resources and policy frameworks that regulate and streamline their usages. The study shows how the campaign process is also implicated by political organizations, actors and voters, rather than just by the technologies. The research has uncovered the role of offline/digital ‘serial callers’, those quasi political communicators hired by political parties to influence political campaigning. Challenges and limitations notwithstanding, the research provides an invaluable insight into the relationship between the use of social media for political communication and its ramifications for democratization in Ghana. It contributes original insights on the shifts and impact of political communication within the African context

Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges

Over the last two decades, the literature on political participation has flourished, reflecting the increasing use of diverse modes of citizen involvement. These include established modes of participation, such as voting, protests, mass demonstrations, and petition signing, but also newer modes specific to the online environment (ICT-related), participation in referendums, public consultations, or engagement in political deliberation. The importance and intensity of these modes is reflected both in the number of people getting involved and in the increasing number of policies that are subject to various modes of participation on a regular basis. There is extensive literature about how these modes of participation function, why people get involved, and the consequences of their participation. However, limited attention is paid to the relationship between political participation and the pursuit of sustainability at a local, regional, or central level. Existing studies indicate that citizen engagement can be a cost-effective method to characterize changes of local environments; however, not much is known beyond this process. This Special Issue aims to address this void in the literature and brings together contributions that analyze how participation can be associated with sustainability and local development in various settings. It explores the relationship between political participation and the management of their local environment. This Special Issue enhances the existing knowledge and understanding about how modes of participation can be reflected in stronger sustainability. The Special Issue provides the space for an academic debate that addresses issues such as climate change, resource allocation, or the pursuit of sustainability programs and policies. The contributions include a mix of single-case studies and comparative analyses across European countries

Toward Raising the Child and the Village: Analyzing the Barriers to Implementing Community-Based Curriculum in New York City High Schools

As automation increases and single-skill set jobs become non-existent, employees can no longer only possess the technical knowledge of their industry but must also be well versed in a variety of essential skills that artificial intelligence cannot acquire. It is evident from the research that the United States’ traditional approach to teaching and learning has not kept up with the demands of the changing labor market because young adults are graduating from high school lacking the 21st-century skills needed for contemporary careers. High school educators can develop these skills within students by implementing community-based learning (CBL) activities into the curriculum. CBL, a form of experiential learning, provides students with opportunities to simultaneously develop academic skills, 21st-century skills, and communities. To transition from traditional learning to CBL, it is critical to understand the barriers to implementation. In this qualitative phenomenological study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 New York City public high school teachers to answer the question, what barriers prevent New York City public high school teachers from implementing community-based learning into the curriculum? This study yielded 88 unique responses, leading to 99 primary, secondary, and tertiary sets of themes. From the collected data, themes of lacking and needing support and knowledge emerged for teachers, administrators, students, community partners, and other stakeholders. Strategic planning was recommended to provide all stakeholders with the support and knowledge needed to effectively implement CBL into the curriculum

A Student Primer on Intersectionality: Not Just A Buzzword

This book: ● lays out the objectives of WS 166, Gender, Race, and Class, taught in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, Pace University, New York City campus; ● provides a structure for any course addressing intersectionality, feminism, and oppression; ● describes the framework of intersectionality, which examines societal issues by analyzing the interlocking systems of oppression that shape people’s lives; ● argues for a transnational application of intersectionality that also centers U.S. Black feminists’ contributions to understanding oppression; ● includes journal articles, TED Talks, and class exercises that are generally accessible for most students or interested readers without previous exposure to these topics. We designed this book to illustrate that intersectionality is a powerful tool for learning about and addressing injustice and inequity. When we analyze the world using an intersectionality framework, we learn about people’s lives and experiences in ways that we may never have considered, or wanted to consider. And the mere act of examining multiple systems of oppression is not enough, either, as the point of understanding oppression is to end it in all forms. As you read, be thankful for the discomfort, anger, and compassion that may arise; learning about oppression is never easy, but it is a worthwhile and meaningful task

A methodology for computer-supported collaborative learning for graduate computing research students' argumentation skills development

Presenting a well-formulated research argument is a core competency which a graduate student has to acquire in the course of his/her learning journey. The mere availability of the technology platforms provided in open distance e-learning (ODeL) through computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) platforms does not guarantee that graduate students will use such technologies effectively in the development of their argumentation skills. Furthermore, there is little evidence on how a graduate course, offered through a CSCL platform, should be constructed to augment the development of argumentation skills. This study was guided by the research question, How can CSCL environments be used to augment graduate computing students’ argumentation skills development? The study, conducted according to a design science paradigm, is underpinned by a pragmatic philosophical worldview . In adhering to design science research (DSR) principles, the problem was defined and a conceptual argumentation skills development framework (ASDF) was designed, developed, implemented and evaluated . The disciplinary knowledge was subsequently shared in this thesis and related peer-reviewed publications. The research was conducted in two phases: the first reported on the development and evaluation of a conceptual ASDF, with the literature-based conceptual ASDF being presented to expert participants in online focus groups with expertise in postgraduate supervision and ODeL course development. During online discussions, the participants reflected on the elements that comprised the ASDF and the CSCL affordances, and completed an online questionnaire. The ASDF was then revised based on the findings from the data analysis. In the second phase, the revised ASDF was implemented using CSCL in a computing graduate research course to validate the elements of the ASDF and the CSCL affordances. To measure the graduate students’ educational experience whilst engaging with the activities as presented in the ASDF, a survey was distributed to the wider research group of students, and online focus groups were held with a smaller group of students enrolled for the project. The students reflected on their perceptions of educational experiences in the learning processes in terms of social presence, cognitive presence and teaching presence. The thematic analysis of the online discussions was used to validate the elements in the ASDF . The development of a framework that can be implemented in an ODeL graduate course was compelled by the drive to digitise – a process accelerated by the 2020/21 health pandemic – which has called into question prevailing assumptions on how to use technology effectively in a graduate research course to augment argumentation skills, and how to research and reflect on it . On a theoretical level, the study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a novel methodology encompassing a philosophy and strategy in the form of an ASDF. The knowledge and experience gained from its implementation and evaluation could provide valuable practical insights to lecturers and course designers alike . The rigour of the DSR process was complemented by an implementation of the ASDF in a graduate computing research course. The researcher recommends that the ASDF be implemented in the larger graduate computing research course, in such a way that argumentation skills development becomes part of the regular curriculum.School of Computin

The new world of work : emergence of new-collar skills in Africa

The ways in which we work, and the skills required to do so have been continuously evolving since the advent of the Industrial Revolution. This is more evident today with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the advent of the machine age and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. This development is causing anxiety about the sweeping impact of technology on employment, and there is fear that Africa may be left behind as it has yet to fully adopt previous technologies. This study employed mixed methods and a training intervention to examine over 6600 participants from 10 African countries. It found that a new kind of skill is emerging with the new technological age namely- “The New-Collar Skill”. The study defines the New-Collar Skill and finds that it has a positive effect on increasing employability and participation in digital entrepreneurship and online outsourcing in Africa. This effect can be achieved through the focussed application of the New-Collar Skill Employability Quotient, NCEmQ, which assesses the skills and attributes of the candidate and identifies the skill gaps needed to be proficient to a level where there is a higher probability of being employed

The meaning and expression of tourism among urban blacks : a geographic perspective.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.This study was designed to investigate the meaning of the concept of tourism among black South Africans in general and black urban dwellers in particular. The aims of the study were as follows: (a) To look at how black urban dwellers engage in tourist activities. (b) To look at what black urban dwellers understand by the concept of tourism. (c) To find out what places and tourist destinations black people prefer to patronise. (d) To establish the distances black people travel to reach tourist destinations. (e) To focus on the quality of the experiences black people gain at tourist destinations. (f) To gain knowledge about the modes of transport black people use to reach tourist destinations. The dimensions, which pertain to the expression of tourism, were connected. This connection was done in such a way as to reflect on those features of tourism experience which are common amongst urban blacks, and those, which differ for a variety of social and economic reasons. The data presented and analysed in this investigation was gathered from two sources. Quantitative data was collected from a sample of 580 urban black dwellers from several black townships. Qualitative data was collected from 30 families who reside at Esikhawini township. The principal hypothesis of the study is that tourism is not popular among black South Africans mainly because of economic constraints, and a legacy of discriminatory legislation, discriminatory attitudes, as well as the unattractiveness to black tourists of tourist destinations. The sub-hypotheses are as follows: (a) Blacks prefer to visit places where they can be accommodated by friends and relatives. (b) Blacks regard visits to friends and relatives who stay long distances from them as part of tourism. (c) Black people's experience of tourism is more regional than national. (d) Black people prefer to visit urban destinations than rural areas. (e) There are clearly identifiable dimensions of black people's participation in tourism and tourist experience which are common amongst urban blacks. The most important conclusions of the study are: (a) Black urban dwellers understand tourism to mean the practice of travelling for recreation. (b) Black urban dwellers prefer to visit destinations where they can be accommodated by friends and relatives. (c) Black urban dwellers' experience of tourism is more regional than national. (d) Black urban dwellers are mostly attracted to urban destinations than rural areas. (e) Black urban dwellers' tourist experiences have been grossly affected by the policy of apartheid which prohibited them from visiting certain destinations and deprived them of disposable income. The study sheds light on the perceptions and involvement of black urban dwellers in tourism. The investigation of the meaning and expression of tourism among urban blacks is a valuable exercise if tourism is to be made accessible to all South Africans regardless of race, colour and creed. Key words: Tourism, Tourist, Urban Black, Tourist Attraction, Tourism Experience, Tourism Destination

With our own hands : research for Third World development; Canada's contribution through the International Development Research Centre, 1970-1985

French version available in IDRC Digital Library: Selon nos idées : la recherche au service du Tiers Monde; le Centre de recherches pour le développement international et la contribution du Canada, 1970-1985Spanish version available in IDRC Digital Library: Con nuestras propias manos : investigación para el desarrollo del Tercer Mundo; la contribución de Canadá mediante el Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo, 1970-1985Part of the collection of government and miscellaneous documents relating to the history of IDRC

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and bystander response: Awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and training in multi-ethnic communities

Prompt bystander response more than doubles the odds of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Previous training is a significant factor in bystander willingness to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or use a defibrillator. This thesis contributes to an understanding of barriers to training uptake and willingness to respond to OHCA in multi-ethnic communities of New South Wales (NSW) and discusses strategies to address the barriers. Registry data analysis found bystander CPR provision in NSW was lower for females, older adults, in residential locations and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. A community-based intervention (FirstCPR cluster randomised study) was developed to increase community-wide training and willingness to respond to OHCA. It was designed to be delivered digitally and in-person and emphasised the use of material that included localised features and references. Process evaluation of FirstCPR highlighted that access to laypersons via their community organisations while feasible, can be challenging and resource-intensive. Uptake varied and was greater in social organisations compared with sports clubs. Contextual factors such as restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic limited participation. Factors such as time, interest, ability to congregate, capacity and commitment of organisation leaders to engage with the program and foster its facilitation played a significant role. Those who engaged highly valued in-person sessions and opportunities to practise skills on a manikin. CPR training was significantly lower among immigrants. Willingness to perform CPR was also lower but was mediated by previous training. Improved access to training that addresses barriers of language, cost and commonly-held fears is likely to have a positive impact. An intervention like FirstCPR is unlikely to be the “magic bullet” and concerted efforts in public campaigns are needed accompanied by messaging that addresses cultural sensitivities