Deconstructing Bentham's Panopticon: The New Metaphors of Surveillance in the Web 2.0 Environment

This article reflects on the meaning of the words "control" and "privacy" in light of the intensive diffusion of user generated content on the web. It presents some results of an empirical research based on 145 essays written by Italian students. The data were analysed from a qualitative point of view to understand how young people frame the topic of control on web 2.0. The attention is focused on the metaphors used to describe online platforms and on the social environments they mention when they speak about the impacts of online diffusion of personal content on offline life. The results show that the new control practices cannot be adequately described within the classical framework of vertical control. The traditional panoptic principle of observation has to a certain extent been transformed and the Panopticon itself is no more an effective metaphor to describe the control dynamics on web 2.0

Local government under stress: How a small village community has reacted to the COVID-19 emergency

Most studies on the management of COVID-19 have analyzed the issue from the perspective of the central government, while only a small portion have focused on local institutions, especially in countries such as Italy that are characterized by a multilevel governance system. Our study focuses on Peccioli, which is a municipality of under 5,000 inhabitants in Tuscany. We will investigate the citizens’ perceptions of the various actions that were put in place by the local government of Peccioli to manage the emergency. We aim to understand the ranking of the priorities that municipalities are required to accomplish for their citizens. A survey of a representative sample of the local population has found that citizens’ evaluations of municipal initiatives are overall positive, but that culture (defined here as cultural initiatives and events) and funding (and culture before funding) are considered to be more important than services. In particular, cultural events played an important role in the citizens’ perceptions because they strengthened community resilience during the emergency. This result can inform public administrators, who in times of crisis tend to make the first investment cuts in culture. This study underscores the importance of understanding how to effectively reach all citizens

Call for emergency action to restore dietary diversity and protect global food systems in times of COVID-19 and beyond: Results from a cross-sectional study in 38 countries

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system, sending shockwaves across countries' societies and economy. This has presented formidable challenges to sustaining a healthy and resilient lifestyle. The objective of this study is to examine the food consumption patterns and assess diet diversity indicators, primarily focusing on the food consumption score (FCS), among households in 38 countries both before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 37 207 participants (mean age: 36.70 ± 14.79, with 77 % women) was conducted in 38 countries through an online survey administered between April and June 2020. The study utilized a pre-tested food frequency questionnaire to explore food consumption patterns both before and during the COVID-19 periods. Additionally, the study computed Food Consumption Score (FCS) as a proxy indicator for assessing the dietary diversity of households. Findings: This quantification of global, regional and national dietary diversity across 38 countries showed an increment in the consumption of all food groups but a drop in the intake of vegetables and in the dietary diversity. The household's food consumption scores indicating dietary diversity varied across regions. It decreased in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, including Lebanon (p < 0.001) and increased in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including Bahrain (p = 0.003), Egypt (p < 0.001) and United Arab Emirates (p = 0.013). A decline in the household's dietary diversity was observed in Australia (p < 0.001), in South Africa including Uganda (p < 0.001), in Europe including Belgium (p < 0.001), Denmark (p = 0.002), Finland (p < 0.001) and Netherland (p = 0.027) and in South America including Ecuador (p < 0.001), Brazil (p < 0.001), Mexico (p < 0.0001) and Peru (p < 0.001). Middle and older ages [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.125–1.426] [OR = 2.5; 95 % CI = [1.951–3.064], being a woman [OR = 1.2; 95 % CI = [1.117–1.367], having a high education (p < 0.001), and showing amelioration in food-related behaviors [OR = 1.4; 95 % CI = [1.292–1.709] were all linked to having a higher dietary diversity. Conclusion: The minor to moderate changes in food consumption patterns observed across the 38 countries within relatively short time frames could become lasting, leading to a significant and prolonged reduction in dietary diversity, as demonstrated by our findings.Revisión por pare

Proliferation and Social Effects of Video Surveillance Systems

The contribution seeks to reflect upon the impact of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the private sphere. It explores the meaning and significance of the term privacy in the light of the intensive and sustained development of the digital infrastructures of modern societies. Particularly it analyses the rapid introduction and diffusion of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance systems in public places. Nowadays the technology of visual surveillance is relatively cheap and accessible to a broad segment of consumers. CCTV are deployed for a variety of risk management purposes and are used in both public and private settings. They are considered as an important tool in deterring burglary, vandalism, assault, car theft and in combating anti-social behaviour, such as littering, unauthorised access, urinating in public, traffic violations, obstruction, and drunkenness. The lives of ordinary people are becoming increasingly transparent but, unfortunately, there are very few studies about the consequences of surveillance cameras. The rapid spatial and social expansion of CCTV makes the analysis of their implications for public space very important. My research project, based on a qualitative study, aims at understanding the social effects of CCTV. It explore what people know about CCTV, how they experience CCTV in relation to their everyday life, and how they feel about the impacts CCTV may have on their own behaviour

Deconstructing Bentham’s Panopticon: The New Metaphors of Surveillance in the Web 2.0 Environment

This article reflects on the meaning of the words “control” and “privacy” in light of the intensive diffusion of user generated content on the web. It presents some results of an empirical research based on 145 essays written by Italian students. The data were analysed from a qualitative point of view to understand how young people frame the topic of control on web 2.0. The attention is focused on the metaphors used to describe online platforms and on the social environments they mention when they speak about the impacts of online diffusion of personal content on offline life. The results show that the new control practices cannot be adequately described within the classical framework of vertical control. The traditional panoptic principle of observation has to a certain extent been transformed and the Panopticon itself is no more an effective metaphor to describe the control dynamics on web 2.0

Comunicazione e processi partecipativi. Amministrazione pubblica e coinvolgimento dei cittadini nel Comune di Peccioli

Nell\u2019ultimo decennio, a livello nazionale e internazionale si sono moltiplicate le esperienze di progettazione e di pianificazione territoriale che implicano il coinvolgimento diretto dei cittadini nelle scelte riguardanti il futuro del loro territorio. L\u2019adozione di processi decisionali inclusivi, raccomandata ormai anche da diverse istituzioni e organizzazioni, segna, soprattutto a livello locale, una rottura nei tradizionali meccanismi di elaborazione delle politiche, innestando pratiche di democrazia partecipativa nel sistema rappresentativo. Attraverso l\u2019esplorazione di concetti-chiave quali democrazia partecipativa, pianificazione inclusiva e impegno civico, il volume si propone di contribuire al dibattito sull\u2019innovazione dei processi partecipativi e comunicativi nell\u2019ambito della costruzione di politiche, piani e progetti territoriali. A tale scopo suggerisce un nuovo approccio metodologico che mira a superare le principali criticit\ue0 (risposte non informate, non rappresentative o influenzate dalle dinamiche di gruppo) legate alle tecniche comunemente utilizzate per il coinvolgimento della cittadinanza mediante l\u2019adozione di una combinazione di metodi diversi quali interviste informative, focus group e analisi delle tracce digitali. Il lavoro proposto ruota intorno a un caso studio specifico, quello di Laboratorio Peccioli, un percorso partecipativo realizzato con i cittadini del Comune toscano di Peccioli (PI)

Informazione locale e citizen journalism nei contesti di emergenza. La (contro)narrazione del terremoto dell\u2019Aquila

The use of digital media has expanded the opportunities for citizens to participate in the production of news. The paper investigates citizen journalism in extra-ordinary contexts, focusing on the L\u2019Aquila earthquake. Through semi-structured interviews, it analyzes the motivations that pushed citizens to produce grassroots information. The findings highlight that citizens\u2019 narrative was born from the desire to: a) contrast traditional media; b) document the \u2018real\u2019 condition of the city; 3) create a \u2018glue\u2019 for re-establishing the bonds broken due to the earthquake, online. Among the obstacles faced, the interviews point to strong fragmentation, lack of funding and poor visibility of content