Technology and democracy: validity in measurements of e-democracy

The use of information and communication technologies in democratic processes, often summarized by the term e-democracy, has seldom been analysed from a global perspective. Although the United Nations E-Participation Index provides one of the few examples of an international measurement of e-democracy, it has been thoroughly criticized; at the same time, however, a number of studies have broadened our understanding of the global determinants of e-democracy by using this very index. In this study, I approach this problem by considering (i) whether the UN E-Participation Index is a valid measurement of e-democracy and (ii) whether any alternative measurements of e-democracy present themselves. In answer to these questions, it would seem that the index, despite its flaws, is not necessarily as problematic as is assumed, although there are observations that violate essential theoretical assumptions and so reduce its validity. Furthermore, its use in combination with measurements of democracy agrees with the emphasis in the literature on e-democracy being embedded in democracy, and results in a measurement that better corresponds with theoretical ideas of e-democracy.     

When Screams Are Not Released: A Study of Communication and Consent in Acquaintance Rape Situations

This study examines the importance of modes of communication in the context of acquaintance rape, using 96 reported cases of acquaintance rape from a southeastern law enforcement agency. Through the demographic characteristics of each acquaintance rape, as well as the testimonies of the complainants and—in some cases—the accused, this research reveals the way in which victims communicate their responses to these attacks. A typology of modes of communication clearly emerges from these qualitative data. The patterns of communication further underscore the likelihood of passive responses, particularly the complete lack of communication when the victim “freezes.” The implications of such response modes are considered.     

试论卫生应急“机制”建设中不容忽视的几个问题

卫生应急工作要迈上科学发展轨道,应多关注从"机制"建设上找寻亟待解决的问题。本文拟从突发公共卫生事件特点及应急机制建设重要性入手,探究卫生应急机制建设过程中尚存的"拦路虎",找寻卫生应急机制建设应对之策,即:关口前移,建立应急预案动态更新机制;瞄准实战,建立突发疫情应对处置机制;筑牢"后墙",建立突发事件储备保障机制;紧盯"重心",建立医院危机攻关应急机制。     

浅析执法办案过程中的有效沟通

执法办案过程中的有效沟通是提高执法水平和办案质量的重要基础。本文通过分析工商行政管理执法办案过程中存在的问题及沟通不足带来的危害,针对执法办案人员存在的沟通障碍,提出了实现有效沟通的对策和措施及执法人员在执法办案过程中应注意的事项。     

An empirical investigation of written risk communication in forensic psychiatric evaluations

Abstract

There has been an increased interest in approaches for improving violence risk assessment, but less so how to communicate risk assessment results. We studied the written risk communication of 142 cases of forensic psychiatric evaluations in Sweden. The results suggested that risk for criminal recidivism was communicated in the vast majority of the cases (122 out of 142), but that risk was primarily communicated when the risk was perceived to be high. A six-item protocol to assess the content of the risk communication suggested that the communication was well elaborated in 21/122 of the cases, moderately elaborated in 53/122, poorly or very poorly elaborated in 43/122, and non-elaborated in 5/122 of the cases. Level of elaboration was only vaguely related to sociodemographic characteristics pertaining to the assessed (sex, age, citizenship) and the type of crime committed, but highly correlated to clinical diagnoses (DSM-IV) as well as contextual factors of the evaluation (which professional group and which clinic the assessment was performed).     

‘Catching’ and ‘Targeting’: Risk‐Based Policing,Local Culture and Gendered Practices

The aim of this article is to explore cultural and practical aspects of the growing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in policing. By using empirical research on policing in Norway, the focus will be on how ICT is used as a crime prevention instrument in everyday police work and culture. The transition, which the new technologies mediate, will be explored by focusing on concepts of risk and materialization of risk‐based policing at the practice level in two cases: 1) a special unit fighting serious and organized crime utilizing proactive policing methods, police informers, crime profiling and databases, and 2) a police station focusing on low‐level crime by using a problem‐oriented policing model, transmitting responsibility for personal security onto identified ‘problem‐owners’.1 ‘Problem‐owner’ is a notion used by the police in the two cases. It is referring to the POP‐model, and whom they identify as important to participate in the risk‐management. According to Wright (: 121): “Partnership refers to a purposeful relationship between the police and the public or between the police and other agencies in the field.” Based on an examination of risk phenomena as contextual, embedded in practice and cultural settings, various stories about risk management will be told. The stories reflect different control strategies in the crime control discourses, and point to how risk‐based technologies are shaped and adapted in occupational culture and practice. The article illuminates the importance of studying the empirical complexity ICT is used in, and looks towards, to paraphrase O'Malley and Palmer (), ‘firewalls of resistance’ in the local occupational culture, that are preventing full integration of risk tools.     

让评论飞——浅析弹幕视频的传播新特点

"为了满足受众对信息交流的需求,网络视频传播的功能也越来越丰富,近年来一种新型的视频交流方式——弹幕也开始迈上主流社交平台。弹幕视频具有信息反馈的即时性与瞬时性、信息表达的多样性和内容的碎片化的特征,其对传统的传播模式带来的创新,主要体现在反馈渠道和受众对内容的二次创作中,并且弹幕视频的传播也为受众构建了一个新的公共话语空间。弹幕作为新型的视频传播形式,一路高歌猛进,但在其发展过程中也频频爆出版权纠纷事件,如何提高受众的观感体验,是未来小众视频网站亟需解决的难题。     

The Role of Verbal and Nonverbal Behavior in Televised Political Debates

This paper presents a study of televised political debates based on an integrated model that simultaneously examines verbal and nonverbal communication and their interconnections. An integrative approach yields better explanatory power than a separate analysis of each of these modalities. This model was used to analyze televised debates from Israeli election campaigns and identify consistent discrepancy and nondiscrepancy patterns of behavior of winners and losers. The model also sheds light on gender differences and similarities in a novel perspective of discrepant and nondiscrepant communication styles. A set of propositions on the kinds of behaviors that might be beneficial or detrimental for contenders in a televised debate is provided.     

Measuring Political Brands: An Art and a Science of Mapping the Mind

The field of political brands has developed a host of approaches and explored a variety of cases over the last years. However, less attention has been devoted to brand measurement—specifically efforts to construct a measure that attempts to explain the relationship between voters and parties. Against this backdrop, this article discusses how to measure a political brand by first selecting one part of the diverse brand concept for further investigation. Next, the two existing brand measures in the literature are evaluated, and the article proposes an alternative measure that underlines a stronger connection to the immense political science literature on voters and parties. Then, the three measures are compared by empirically investigating which measure is best at explaining voters' party sympathy. Here, it is demonstrated that the alternative measure seems to be the most valid and reliable construct when it comes to explaining voters' sympathy for a particular party. Finally, the proposed alternative measure is further validated in a representative sample (N = 2251), establishing a preliminary correlation between party brand and voter sympathy.     

Conceptualizing Usage in Voting Behavior for Political Marketing: An Application of Consumer Behavior

Political marketing has borrowed and adapted many terms from mainstream marketing, such as image management (segmentation, targeting, and positioning) and consumer (voter). In marketing, the terms “user” and “usage” have been established, yet their application to political marketing is less clear. This paper analyzes the feasibility and usefulness of usage in the political context. Drawing from the literature on usage, a model is developed and applied to four voting environments: Britain, Australia, Russia, and Belarus. One critical factor that emerges is the concept of choice, whereby the voter may chose to indicate their preference for one party yet be forced to use a different party as chosen by collective choice. Another issue is the potential for habitual voting behavior to limit decision making. It is concluded that usage needs to be contextualized specifically for political marketing.