This report first explores the changes journalism is experiencing since the advent of the Internet in a broad manner. Second, and more specifically, it aims to shed more light on the mechanisms that are used by the very diverse Austin-area range of outlets and journalistic corporations, and the way they are embracing and adopting new technologies. To that end, it also tries to analyze the current Austin media ecosystem in depth, focusing on some of the most representative local media outlets and interviewing some of the more relevant personalities that are making all of these changes feasible. / text

Bibliographic note: PRIJATEL, Alan J. The Right to Privacy Deconstructed: International Law in an Age of Virtual Surveillance, 72p. Master's Thesis. Univerzita Karlova (Charles University), Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies: Prague, Supervisor: JU. Dr Milan Lipovský, Ph.D. Abstract: In order to understand the process to which the right to privacy operates under current international and regional legal frameworks, we ask ourselves the question if "the digital age" merits an interpretation of privacy unique to this phenomenon of cyberspace. If indeed the right to privacy can be interpreted in this way, we ask whether or not there is a deficit to legal protections to the. This "right to privacy in the digital age" will be taken in context of international law, conventions, principles, and norms in addition to being explored in case-law from the European Court of Human Rights to draw an understanding of the right to privacy in the digital age- if any such right does indeed exist. This thesis essentially, as the title implies, "deconstructs" what puts together the right to privacy and examines what parts of the law that was intended to fortify privacy in the first place, has shortcomings to its defense. I am arguing that there indeed are normative deficits to the right to privacy. In...

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Thesis advisor: Thomas H. Groome / Thesis advisor: Stephen J. Pope / The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke's Gospel (10:25-37) may be Jesus' most well-known teaching. Though it epitomizes the heart of Christian faith and the Great Commandment to love God and one's neighbors as oneself, the depth of the challenge to "Go and do likewise" like the Samaritan is not well understood and less often put into practice. The Samaritan's example sets a standard that is not met by random acts of kindness; Samaritan-like neighbor love means acting with courage, compassion, and generosity in boundary-breaking solidarity to care for those most in need. According to Gustavo Gutiérrez, by going out of his way and into the ditch to draw near to the robbers' victim, the Samaritan's actions depict the preferential option for the poor. This reverence for the other, especially one in such a vulnerable condition, depicts what Gutiérrez calls a "theology of the neighbor," which he claims has not yet been developed. This dissertation proposes a "theology of neighbor" motivated and oriented by the details of this paradigmatic standard for Christian discipleship to more fully capture how the principles of solidarity and preferential option for the poor may be put into practice. Before working out the theological, moral, and pedagogical implications for this framework, this project focuses on three key features of the present praxis that influence how "neighbor" might be understood today: the complex and compressed systems of globalization, the social disengagement of the "buffered self" as described by Charles Taylor, and the "networked self" that enjoys unprecedented rates of connectivity via digital technologies and social media. In response to the challenges posed by this socio-cultural context, this dissertation articulates a moral vision for being neighbors today. This is given shape by a matrix of virtues that include compassion, courage, fidelity, and prudence. When put into practice, these dispositions and habits are meant to inspire and sustain an integral life-pattern committed to solidarity and preferential option for the poor held in balance with the moral obligations to one's family and friends. Narrowing the focus to students at U.S. Catholic colleges and informed by the current conditions for their personal, social, religious, and moral formation, this dissertation proposes a pedagogical approach to theological education as neighbor-formation. This involves establishing communities of practice that follow the Samaritan's example to draw near - physically and virtually - to neighbors in need in steadfast commitment to right-relationship in solidarity. In doing so, this dissertation develops a framework of principles and practices to effectively engage today's emerging adults to "Go and do likewise" in an increasingly globalized, digital world. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

There has been growing interest in academic literature about young people who are marginalised and disengaged from society. This thesis focuses on young people in Hong Kong and Scotland who physically shut themselves in the bedroom and do not go outside for months and years on end. They are referred to as “hidden youth” in East Asia, and it has emerged as a topical social issue across the region in the past ten years. Previous research studying “hidden youth” (mainly in Japan and Hong Kong) highlights that there are structural barriers in contemporary society which could lead to young people becoming self-secluded. The young people are described as living reclusive and solitary lives, as they are excluded from participation in the labour market and education and disengaged from interactions with families and other communities, especially friends and peer groups. Hence, they are considered as “withdrawn” from society and disconnected from socialising. This thesis critically reflects on “hidden” young people’s sense of connectedness and “being social” based on their lived experience. It also draws on recent debates of the construction of the “social”, particularly in digital sociology, to shed light on the processes of socialising in the digital age. This study uncovered that how “hidden” young people socialise may in fact be heterogeneous. Variability in how they engage in interactions and participation in society was identified. There were also differences in their levels of solitude and loneliness. Hence, describing how the young people are “being social” could be more nuanced than previously thought. This also makes analysing them as “socially withdrawn” particularly problematic. This research uses a qualitative exploratory approach, looking comparatively across two contexts; 32 interviews were conducted with “hidden youth” in Hong Kong and Scotland. These two contexts are considered as instrumental examples, where social disengagements are especially prominent but discussed differently. The participants revealed various perceptions of hopelessness and lack of opportunities in work and education on the hand. This significantly affected their motivations to participate in employment and education; they could feel unable to fulfil their aspirations and become de-motivated. On the other hand, they were more interconnected with different groups of people in the digital world, and their interactions could be fluid. The space of the bedroom was highlighted as an important site where interactions could occur. This adds another dimension to consider how “hidden” young people interact, particularly with communities such as peer groups, friends and families. Moreover, digital interactions may also be important to how they socialise and experience a sense of connectedness. This highlights that there may be tensions in how young people’s motivations, as well as the opportunities they have, affect their engagements in digital and physical interactions. Therefore, this thesis argues that “hidden youth” could feel a sense of powerlessness towards hierarchical macro structures and meaninglessness towards interactions and participation in society. Conversely, they are relying on emerging digital social structures and networks to seek other forms of “being social”. Their high levels of digital interactions could in fact be a reaction to their experiences of unfulfilment in the labour market and in education. This thesis makes an important contribution to understand “hidden youth” and adds a more nuanced perspective to this emerging debate. In addition, it points to further aspects that should be taken into account in future studies to fully comprehend the sociality of a young person and its complexities in the digital age.

La formulación estratégica se enfrenta a nuevos retos, por lo cual resulta interesante analizar su influencia en la ejecución estratégica en la actualidad. Así, la presente investigación plantea como interrogante central: ¿Cómo influye la formulación en la ejecución estratégica? El propósito de este documento es presentar una investigación basada en la evolución de la gestión estratégica a través de los años de acuerdo con los pensamientos de diversos autores que contribuyeron al crecimiento de distinguidas organizaciones. Por esta razón, el objetivo general del presente trabajo es determinar si las estrategias tradicionales desarrolladas por los autores pioneros del siglo XX continúan teniendo vigencia en la formulación y ejecución estratégica de las empresas en la era digital. Para el presente artículo se utilizó un método de investigación cualitativa que permitió, específicamente, identificar los principales enfoques de distintos autores de los siglos XX y XXI. Del estudio se pudo concluir que las estrategias tradicionales están vigentes en esta nueva era digital, pero se considera que su enfoque se debe retroalimentar y evolucionar para ser susceptible de adaptación a las nuevas condiciones de mercado. / Strategic formulation faces new challenges, that is why it is interesting to analyze its influence on strategic execution. Thus, the current investigation states as its main question: How does formulation influence strategic execution? The purpose of this document is to present an investigation based on the evolution of strategic management throughout the years, considering different authors’ reflections which contributed to the growth of distinguished organizations. For that reason, the general objective of this work is to determine if the traditional strategies developed by the pioneering authors in the 20th century are still valid in the formulation and strategic execution of companies in the digital era. This article used a qualitative method of research that helps identify the different approaches of several authors of the 20th and 21st centuries. The study concluded that traditional strategies are still valid in the formulation and strategic execution of companies in the digital era. However, their perspective must be fed back and evolve, in order to be susceptible to adaptation in the new market conditions. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

The purpose of this paper was to analyze students’ reading habits, see what benefits reading can bring to an individual, and to research what affect screen time has on reading. Through a thorough review of available literature as well as a mixed-method approach where I surveyed 52 students in grades 4, 5, 6 and interviewed parents, a librarian and teacher, I was able to better understand reading in our current “digital age”. I have concluded that reading is indeed beneficial, that it is on the decline, and that screen time is on the rise. In addition, I have found patterns that can help educators and parents support this growing imbalance, such as setting screen-time restrictions, creating a so called “book-consciousness” in the home and classroom, and encouraging library visits and a more diverse canon for students to select books from.

The paper emphasizes the resilience and transformative nature of Vietnam's street vending culture in the face of social change. In Vietnam, street vendors operate within a network of cooperation, interdependence, and communal support, forming a new economic system that exemplifies the emergence of a distinctive culture. The interconnectedness and evolution of street vendors, shop owners, and other entities coexisting in shared urban spaces are explored, drawing inspiration from Donna Haraway's concept of tentacular thinking. Street vendors bridge the gap between rural and urban life while preserving the social cohesion of their communities. Their resilience and adaptability are demonstrated by their capacity to negotiate shifting terrain and adjust to varying conditions. The intricate web of connections between authorities, business owners, and digital pioneers and authorities serves as an example of how dynamic and mutually beneficial their relationships are. This street vending culture, which is firmly rooted in kinship and communal ties, stands for harmony, accessibility, and a tie to ancestors within the context of the urban environment.

The research and statistics gathered in this thesis begin in 2000. Newspapers began experiencing change due to technology before 2000. However, the information necessary to complete this thesis only goes back to that year. Since the year 2000, the newspaper industry has struggled to adapt to the age of ever-changing technology. Newspapers across the US, including large and well-established publications have been forced to find new strategies that allow them to keep up with new digital technologies. The New York Times was the focus of this study, but it is only one part of a very large industry. However, it is one of the most successful papers of the digital age and offers a thorough look into the newspaper industry. Therefore, its strategies to adapt to digital and its overall business model were compared to newspapers throughout the nation. The intent of this thesis is to have a better understanding of the future of the newspaper industry in the digital age, including newspapers in small, medium and large markets. A look into The New York Times’ history provides a better understanding of how newspapers have already been affected by the digital age, and its business model offers guidance for other newspapers on how to adapt. This thesis focused on analyzing at least one newspaper to represent each market including a small, medium and large market newspaper then determining if the methods The New York Times uses would be adaptable and scalable to their newspapers. This thesis determines which newspapers could use The New York Times’ strategies to their benefit and draws conclusions on the future of the newspaper industry as a whole.

This thesis aims to explore three pre-teenage children’s text production in online social networking sites. Social networking is a mainstream youth activity in the UK, conducted by (at the time of writing) almost 50% of 10-12 year old internet users (Ofcom, 2011, p.44). While social networking has been the subject of much interest amongst scholars and policy-makers, little has been published that documents the use of social networking amongst pre-teenage children. The literature that does exist is largely concerned with documenting usage (Ofcom, 2011; Livingstone and Haddon, 2010), and children’s safety in these contexts (Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)/Byron 2010; DCSF/Byron, 2008; Livingstone et al., 2011a). This study aims to explore children’s text production in social networking sites with rightful regard for this concern, but with a focus on how children behave as text producers in these contexts. Working from an interpretive qualitative research paradigm, a purposive sample of three children who used (at the time) the popular social networking site Bebo was selected. The children were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule three times between June 2008 and May 2009. Interviews were transcribed using a line by line coding method. To support these data and contextualise analysis, screenshots of the children’s profile pages were also collected at each interview. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006), these data were analysed within data sets around each interview incident, and then synthesised to build a case study for each participant. This recursive process involved initial and focused coding, where following the construction of key codes for each data set, the codes were organised under thematic headings and finally used to construct tentative categories that described how the children behaved as text producers. Four tentative categories were constructed to describe the participants’ behaviour: text production to achieve social positioning; text production to achieve social control; text production to enact a text producing role; and text production for pleasure. Based upon the elaboration of these categories, a model of text production as mastery is proposed. In this model, children’s text production is regarded in relation two spectrums of mastery: a spectrum of social control and a spectrum of textual crafting. This study concludes by recommending that the social networking context must be recognised by educators as a meaningful context in which children’s mastery of these critical skills can be developed in order that they can they learn to be critical and masterful text producers in the new digital age (Gee, 2011 and Hayes, 2011).