Government as a social machine - the implications of government as a social machine for making and implementing market-based policy

This is the second of two reports from the Government as a Social Machine project. The first report gave an overview of the evolution of electronic/digital government, and explored the concept of 21st century government as a \u27social machine\u27. This report identifies seven social machines developed by governments in Australia and New Zealand. These social machines harness digital technologies in order to deliver more effective and efficient services, develop better business practices, and enable better accountability and transparency. The report gives an overview of each social machine in context, describing the social need that is being met and the community that has developed it, and begins to unravel some of the socio-political consequences that might arise from the use of these social machines within the public policy context. These reports are not intended to be comprehensive (further educational materials are being developed as part of the ANZSOG Case Library), but they are intended to begin a conversation amongst those studying or practicing in public policy as to how governments can better understand, manage and employ these evolving social machines for better governance and social benefit

Demarginalizing Interdisciplinarity in IS Research: Interdisciplinary Research in Marginalization

This paper reports on the second Workshop of a World University Network (WUN) Research Development Funded project on “The trans-nationalization of Indigenous movements: The role of digital technologies” at the University of Southampton, UK. The workshop explored interdisciplinarity and how interdisciplinary collaboration can help scholars study complex social phenomenon, such as the ways in which marginalized Indigenous communities use and shape digital technologies (such as social media) to enhance their cause. The workshop brought together scholars from diverse disciplines to engage in a critical debate. In addition to scholars from information systems, scholars from history, political science, geography, literature, arts, and anthropology came together to discuss how marginalized Indigenous communities can use digital media. The workshop highlighted the need for more interdisciplinary research and called for more critical approaches to bring such marginalized topics to the forefront of research in information systems. We consider three broad areas of inquiry in this paper: demarginalizing methodology for interdisciplinary research, interdisciplinary perspectives for demarginalization, and interdisciplinary contexts for demarginalization

Jeffrey P. Jones, <i>Entertaining Politics – New Political Television and Civic Culture</i>

Book review of Jeffrey P. Jones, Entertaining Politics – New Political Television and Civic Culture. Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005. £20.99. 243 p

A new citizenship? The politics of reality TV

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Celebrity politics and political representation: The case of George Galloway MP on Celebrity Big Brother

In 2006, George Galloway MP appeared in Celebrity Big Brother. His participation produced a public outcry from people concerned that a politician should take part in a reality TV show instead of looking after their constituency. Even when the MP justified his action as an attempt to raise awareness about politics among young people, critics maintained their scepticism. This article suggests that the rhetoric of ‘ordinariness’, ‘authenticity’ and ‘trust’ exploited in Celebrity Big Brother 2006 (CBB06) frame an understanding of representation that is rooted in the UK’s model of Public Service Broadcasting, and that this should be seen as political. Drawing upon democratic theory and using the case of CBB06, this article evaluates how popular television programmes like Big Brother articulate political ideas and values that should be taken seriously by political scientists

Technology, popular culture and everyday life: the electoral defeat of New Zealand Internet MANA

The development of the Internet and social platforms was expected to have a profound influence on citizens’ ability to influence politics, transforming traditional methods of political communication. This article examines the digital campaign strategy of the Internet MANA alliance during the 2014 New Zealand General Election. Internet MANA adopted digital strategies that had proven successful overseas and had the potential to radically transform New Zealand politics. The campaign, however, culminated in a disastrous electoral defeat. The article argues that online media strategies alone cannot explain election outcomes. Instead, we need to explore the ways in which digital campaign strategies interact with the electoral system, mainstream media and political ‘brands’. Going beyond the specifics of New Zealand politics, this article raises questions about the role of technology on political communication practices