How do we mourn the dead and proceed with our lives when the dead do not absent themselves from our everyday world, but remain integrated into our community of friends on social networking sites? This paper explores the changes occurring in the ways in which we experience online the deaths of our loved ones, namely, a collapse between public and private modes of grief. The changes under examination include the changing perception of death, identity creation and ownership, the role of the bereaved, theoretical/therapeutic approaches to grieving, the function of ritual, and commemoration of the dead. Questions this paper addresses include: to whom do the dead belong? Does death become banal when it is incorporated into everyday life? How can a ritual reflect a passage from one state of being to another when you are part of a system that does not recognize a change in status? / text

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2003. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Bibliography: leaves 280-299.

No / This paper is concerned with the potential of new Information Communication Technologies as a means of furthering a children¿s `community of interest¿. A `community of interest¿ is taken from Raymond Williams¿ concept of people forming communities not around place but around specific `interests¿. I wish in this paper to explore the forms and tensions of a children¿s `community of interest¿ that might be facilitated around ICTs in general and the Internet in particular. The paper draws on community development literature around the potentials and use of ICTs as a means of developing communities. The paper highlights these potentials but also investigates the obstacles that a children¿s online `community of interest¿ may confront.

Orientador: Sérgio Luiz Monteiro Salles-Filho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T04:55:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mattos_CarolinaVaghetti_M.pdf: 2720248 bytes, checksum: 6f08c6c657b9b103069ec6a8d4e71b0a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A Lei de Informática (Lei n° 8.248/91) é o principal instrumento de incentivo à indústria de tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TICs) do Brasil. Mesmo sendo, também, o principal instrumento de incentivo à P&D do país, incoerentemente, a Lei de Informática não foi criada para ser uma política de inovação e talvez seja mais justo não avaliá-la como tal, muito embora essa opção seja extremamente custosa para o país. Criada para manter os produtos de TICs nacionais competitivos frente aos importados, concede redução fiscal (Imposto sobre Produto Industrializado - IPI) para empresas de TICs mediante: i) a fabricação de produtos incentiváveis com cumprimento de etapas básicas do processo produtivo no Brasil e ii) a exigência de investimento em P&D de parte do faturamento, incluindo parcerias obrigatórias com Instituições de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICTs). Consideramos, então, que esses dois elementos (produtos incentivados e parcerias com ICTs) são as variáveis mais importantes afetadas por esse instrumento. O objetivo do presente trabalho é identificar se, mesmo não sendo uma política de inovação, a Lei foi capaz de promover melhorias no sistema setorial de inovação da indústria de TICs brasileira por meio da aproximação das relações entre firmas e ICTs para atividades de P&D. Pretendemos verificar, também, se a Lei cumpriu seu objetivo de promover uma maior competitividade dos produtos nacionais frente aos importados / Abstract: The Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) Law is the main instrument to promote the ICT industry in Brazil. Despite also being the main instrument to encourage R&D investments in the country, the ICT industry was not supposed to be an innovation policy and it may not be fair to evaluate it such a way, yet this option represents a high cost for the country. Created with the aim of keeping the national ICTs products competitive compared to the imported goods, the ICTs Law concedes fiscal incentives (reduction of the IPI - a Brazilian tax over the industrialized products) to ICT companies under the following conditions: (i) manufacturing of a few basic phases of the production process of stimulated products in the national territory, and (ii) investing a percentage of sales in R&D activities, including partnerships with Science and Technology Institutions (STI) as part of this requirement. Thus, we consider these two elements (stimulated products and partnerships with STI) are the most affected by this instrument. The objective of the present research is to identify if, despite not being an innovation policy, the Law was capable of promoting enhancements in the sectoral system of innovation of the Brazilian ICT industry through closer relations between firms and STI for R&D activities. We also intend to verify if the Law has carried out the goal of promoting a greater competitiveness of the national products facing the imported goods / Mestrado / Politica Cientifica e Tecnologica / Mestre em Política Científica e Tecnológica

The adoption of eHealth is very slow despite evidences showing its benefits. This research examines the individual, clinical, technical and organizational challenges for eHealth adoption from healthcare provider‟s perspectives. A cross-sectional study design with a quantitative paradigm was used. The study was conducted on 312 doctors and nurses randomly selected from ten hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Most respondents viewed eHealth positively with no significant differences in terms of profession or gender. Computer skill, workload, patient interaction, management support, cost and infrastructure were the main concerns. Privacy and security were not the main concerns. Knowledge of eHealth applications and utilization was low, even for evidence-based medicine and online databases. Specialists and males were better aware of eHealth applications. The study showed that eHealth acceptance was good. Increasing eHealth literacy was recommended as a cost effective means for improving access to updated information to improve the quality of healthcare. / Health Studies / M.A. Public Health (Medical Informatics)

After the break-up of the former Soviet Union in 1991, several states declared independence, including the Republic of Kazakhstan. Under the centralised soviet system Kazakhstan provided mainly raw materials to the USSR, and agriculture operated under a Moscow-based command and control model. Kazakhstan possesses vast wealth of mineral and energy resources and its agricultural land is well able to ensure national food security. However, after independence the rapid and frequently unplanned state actions such as land reform, taken to move from socialism to a market economy, were not always successful and the state of agriculture was initially one of chaos. A major exodus from the land to the cities ensued. Gradually Kazakhstani agriculture recovered some of its productivity but still lags well behind developed nations in the use of ICT supported agricultural information management (AIM). This research contributes to new knowledge in the area of ICT-based AIM by supplementing the limited statistical and scientific analyses of Kazakh agriculture by seeking to discover, through semi-structured interviews, the views and perceptions of agrarians who are both the customers and end users of ICT-based AIM in a post-soviet state. The researcher established that agrarian stakeholders were aware of the need for a centralised AIM system, but felt that to implement it, more assistance was required from the state. Kazakhstan can learn from the experiences of both developed and developing countries in furthering ICT-based AIM, and although its situation is unique, understanding of the perceptions of end users, who have had to make a series of flawed initiatives work, will arguably be relevant to policy makers in other post-soviet states.

The aim of the thesis was to investigate factors influencing ICT use by older-adults. A selection of psycho-social, socio-demographic and health determinants were investigated with Internet use. Data were collected through questionnaires (Studies I-III) and interviews (Study IV). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, investigating Internet use as a dichotomous variable, with the aforementioned factors. The results indicated that psycho-social determinants did not affect older-adults’ Internet use (Study I). Scoring higher on the personality traits openness and extraversion did not affect whether the older adults started to use the Internet (Study II). However, well-being increased for some frail older-adults when using the tablet computer and connected to the Internet (Study IV). Some socio-demographic determinants affected Internet use. Being younger in age was a strong contributing factor in all four studies whether the older-adult would use the Internet. Higher education influenced Internet use (Study I & III), correlated with living in a rural or urban setting (Study III); yet education was not influencing whether they would start to use the Internet. Living alone was correlated with Internet use, especially if the older-adult lived in an urban setting (Study III). Functional disability and household economy did not affect Internet use. Finally, the health determinants on Internet use were quite strong. Normal cognitive functioning influenced whether older-adults would start to use the Internet (Study II). The older-adult living in an urban environment, would use the Internet if they had normal cognitive functioning (Study III). It was noted also from Study IV that the learning to use the Tablet PC and Skype took longer for older people and more repetition was needed. Being frail was a strong factor whether the older-adult would use the Internet. They would not want to learn or try to use the technology if they were too ill (Study IV). The findings show only a small increase (7.7%) in Internet use by older-adults over time. The indicators of non-use are: higher in age, lower educated, living alone or rurally, lower cognition and frailty. There are two different profiles of rural and urban Internet users. These determinants along with an understanding of the use of technology, and a good support system, are a few pillars in ICT adoption by older-adults. As ICT continues to develop as a means to provide better health care, it will be important to take into account the abovementioned indicators. In certain cases Internet use is not a given, which continues to exclude older-adults. Part of healthy aging is social participation; therefore being connected and included in the digital society is important. Alternative and not only one design solutions should be explored in health care and by organisations, so as to cater to the heterogeneity of the aging population.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has gained increased use in the construction industry in recent years. ICT brings many benefits to an organisation including improving the way information is sourced, manipulated and utilised to increase the efficiency of business processes and improve a company’s productivity. This research demonstrates that while ICT has a role to play in the construction industry, its exploitation by SMEs in South Africa still needs development as they focus on simpler forms of ICT such as mobile phones and landlines, but not advanced solutions such as Enterprise Resource Planning systems and CAD. Furthermore, one of the major challenges identified in this research is the issue of poor ICT skills and the lack of information on available ICT solutions. The government and the private sector have a role to play in ensuring that requisite ICT skills are developed and improved in the sector.

Thesis (M.M. (Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2014. / The establishment and growth of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in most economies have been attributed with a corresponding need and desire for these SMEs as catalysts for economic growth, unemployment reduction, etc. Various factors are also impacting on how SMEs can become competitive and one of these enablers is the adoption of ICT by SMEs to improve performance. The purpose of this research was to establish the perceived relationship between the adoption by SMEs of Information Communication Technology (ICT) usage in the manufacturing sector in South Africa and its perceived impact on firm performance. The intended objective was to assess whether the perception of ICT adoption usage within SME’s operating within a manufacturing sector will either have a positive or negative performance outcome. The research methodology adopted was a quantitative approach which was guided by a positivist paradigm. The population targeted were SMEs in the manufacturing sector in South Africa but deliberately excluded SME manufacturers involved in the production of computers, electronics, etc. A combination of an online survey and paper questionnaire was utilised to gather data. The adoption of ICT and the perceived impact on performance within SMEs in manufacturing in South Africa revealed some findings consistent with existing literature in terms of the overall accepted perception that ICT adoption has a perceived positive impact on firm performance, including but also not limited to market share, products and service innovation, etc. as measured in the research. A deeper analysis is required to understand why the respondents in the research did not overwhelmingly state that ICT adoption has a perceived positive impact on performance, market share, product and service innovation etc.

Since its inception in the 1980s digital technology is considered to be at the heart of contemporary education in the developed world, supported by national ICT strategies and exponentially rising levels of public funding. Yet the promised educational transformation, as measured by learning outcomes, has arguably failed to materialise, while developing countries continue to emulate unproven digital educational programmes. A substantial body of empirical research, conducted by policy makers, business and educators over the past fourty years has found tangible beneficial evidence consistently elusive. This qualitative-based study seeks to explain the dichotomy by critically investigating what is actually happening when digital technology meets education in UK secondary schools as opposed to what is often envisaged as 'should' or 'might' be happening. It moves the debate beyond both its learning focus predominance, and deterministic view of education and technology to one which addresses the educational phenomenon by reference to the broader context of the social, political, historical and cultural conditions that influence all educational practices and which recognises the mutual social-shaping nature of the relationship. Consequently, this qualitative study utilises semi-structured interviews in a multilevel framework to explore how secondary school heads of department; a hitherto under-researched group, at the organisation's structural intersection, have responded to the introduction of ICT from the 1980s to the current day. This thesis contributes to the advancement of knowledge and understanding by drawing attention to issues of continuity and change, and structure and agency within the educational process and by offering insights into why (unforeseen) developments have occurred, how they have evolved and with what consequences for the profession and its educational institutions. It concludes by establishing a link between ICT-induced structural developments and agency constraints, offering policy makers a means of addressing key detrimental oganisational procedures in order to improve educational processes.