Telecommunications Divestment: An Erosion of Democracy in the Caribbean

This article examines the undemocratic process of telecommunications divestment in Jamaica and Trin- idad and Tobago. The divestment of the telecommunications sector was largely prompted by each state’s inability to service external debt. Despite espousing the importance of public participation in the ownership of state-owned en- terprises being divested, the governments each limited or excluded nationals from ownership of the telephony com- panies. Divestment of the telecommunications sector was principally undertaken through private negotiations with Cable and Wireless which has historically provided service to former British colonies. This continued colonization of the telecommunications sector is at odds with the democratic structure of both states

Telecommunications Reform In Southern Africa: The Role Of The Southern African Development Community

This article examines telecommunications reform and related infrastructure and service developments in Southern African states. In focusing on this region, the article analyses the role of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the different associations and commissions it has created to develop the telecommunications sector and facilitate reform, which is essential to promote network efficiencies and extend the infrastructure to rural areas. As a regional organisation, SADC is poised to promote restructuring of the telecommunications sector in its 14 member states, as it seeks to achieve complementary national and regional programs and promote sustainable development and economic growth through regional integration

Telecommunications Reform In Southern Africa: The Role Of The Southern African Development Community

This article examines telecommunications reform and related infrastructure and service developments in Southern African states. In focusing on this region, the article analyses the role of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the different associations and commissions it has created to develop the telecommunications sector and facilitate reform, which is essential to promote network efficiencies and extend the infrastructure to rural areas. As a regional organisation, SADC is poised to promote restructuring of the telecommunications sector in its 14 member states, as it seeks to achieve complementary national and regional programs and promote sustainable development and economic growth through regional integration

Telecommunications Reform In Botswana: a Policy Model for African States

Since the mid-1990s, Botswana has pursued a policy of telecommunications liberalisation. This article, based on fieldwork conducted in Botswana in the summer of 2000, analyzes several notable aspects of the process of reform and denotes those worthy of emulation by other African states. The participation and protection of domestic telecommunication users, transparency in decision-making, the creation of an independent regulatory agency, and the introduction of competition in the form of private cellular service providers are among those policy features that are recommended for replication. Various facets of the tendering process and subsequent licences granted to the mobile operators as well as recent legislation are also examined and commended

Private Sector Influence In The International Telecommunication Union

This paper aims to examine the influence of private corporations in the tripartite structure of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU): Telecommunications Standardization, Radiocommunication, and Telecommunications Development. The paper finds that, in the standardization sector, power has been effectively transferred from nation states to the private corporate sector since the approval process now enables standards to be approved by members of the study group that developed them, which is essentially the private sector. In the radiocommunication sector, the private sector continues to conduct much of the requisite technical work, but national governments are ultimately the decision makers and, further, it is difficult to distinguish between treaty and non-treaty work. In the development sector, the ITU seeks to create an enabling environment for private investment in developing countries and actively seeks to build private sector partnerships. In the long run the ITU may be unable to satisfy either its narrow corporate constituency or the vast majority of its developing country members. As the United Nations agency which coordinates satellite spacing and allocates access to the electromagnetic spectrum on an international basis, the ITU is the world\u27s most prominent international telecommunications institution, so its structural modifications and membership changes are of great significance in a world increasingly dependent on a global grid of wired and wireless telecommunications networks

Parental Control of Young Children's Television-Viewing Practices

Family Relations and Child Developmen

Design and technology as revelation and ritual

This paper reports one of several case studies of Key Stage 3 pupils involved in designing and making. It explores how a teacher structures tasks, and the impact that has on the pupils' experience of the design process. Although the teacher uses the usual steps in the design process (defining a context, and creating a design brief and specification etc.), this is done in a ritualistic way such that pupils are not made aware of it. Further, in order to control the complexity of the task, the teacher reveals constraints on, and features of, the design, which create problems for the pupils. The explanation for such an approach by the teacher is found in the teacher's view of the design process and in his aims for the particular activity. We would like to acknowledge the work of Sara Hennessy in collecting and analysising data for the research reported here

A pilot study of children's problem-solving processes

This paper reports the preliminary results of an investigation into the nature of 'problem-solving' activity in technology education. The research focuses on the relationship and potential mismatch between teachers' and children's agendas, aims, and perceptions concerning design and technology activities in the context of the National Curriculum. A case study approach involving in-depth classroom observation is used to chart pupils' and teachers' interactions during design and technology activities at Key Stage 3. Our analysis focused on the influence of teachers' task structuring and interventions on children's problem-solving behaviour. The results so far show that the design process underlying the curriculum is highly complex and not easily communicated. Children encounter different problems, requiring different approaches, according to the kind of task and the stage reached in its solution. The results indicate that 'problem solving' in technology may proceed in a very different way to that characterised by a holistic 'design-and-make' process