With an increasing proportion of older people in the Australian population and increasing health and longevity, paid work after the age of 65 years may become an option or a necessity in the future. The focus of this research is on Australian women of the baby boom generation, their working futures, and the work-retirement decision. This is explored both from the viewpoint of women and from a social policy perspective. The research draws on Considine�s model of public policy, futures studies, and Beck�s concept of risk society. The research comprises three studies. Using focus group research, Study 1 explored the views of Australian women of the baby boom generation on work after the age of 65 years. Study 2 aimed to explore current thinking on the research topic in Australia and overseas. Computer-mediated communication involving an Internet website and four scenarios for the year 2020 were used for this study. Study 3 consists of the analysis of quantitative data from the Healthy Retirement Project, focusing on attitudes towards retirement, retirement plans, and the preferred and expected age of retirement. The importance of choice and a work � life balance emerged throughout the research. Women in high-status occupations were found to be more likely to be open to the option of continuing paid work beyond age 65 than women in low-status jobs. However, the women were equally likely to embrace future volunteering. The research findings suggest that policies for an ageing female workforce should be based on the values of inclusiveness, fairness, self-determination, and social justice, and address issues of workplace flexibility, equality in the workplace, recognition for unpaid community and caring work, opportunities for life-long learning, complexity and inequities of the superannuation system, and planning for retirement. Further, providing a guaranteed minimum income for all Australians should be explored as a viable alternative to the current social security system.

自一九八Ｏ年代起，現代資訊與通訊科技(Information and Communication Technology or ICT)、電腦中介傳播(Computer-Mediated Communication or CMC)、網際網路(Internet)及全球資訊網(World Wide Web or WWW)的發展和普及化，已被學者、政治人物、以及論者們認為是可用以加強實踐公民參與及民主政治之有效工具。本研究即探討政府如何透過網際網路來提供公民參與機制。 本研究以網際網路之公民參與機制的理論為基礎，建構一個完整的網際網路之公民參與機制，亦即建構一個理想的網路公共論壇版面。並檢視台北市政府於全球資訊網網站上之公共論壇版面的運作現況及其成效，檢驗其中公民參與公共事務價值的實踐程度。最後，將探討網際網路之公民參與機制的實踐會有哪些侷限，應如何加以突破，藉此提供學術界及實務界研究貢獻。 / Since the 1980's, many scholars, statesmen, and researchers have come to realize that the development and popularity of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Computer-mediated Communication (CMC), Internet, and the World Wide Web (WWW) will become the effective mechanism for citizen participation. The main purpose of this research paper is to study how government provides citizen participation through Internet. First, the paper will take the theory of Internet citizen participation to construct an ideal mechanism of Internet citizen participation, i.e., to build an ideal operational procedural of Internet Public Forum. Second, the paper will use Taipei City Government's "Citizen Forum" in the World Wide Web as a case study to compare and analyze this case with the ideal operational procedural of Internet Public Forum. Last, the paper will discuss the constraints of Internet citizen participation, and search for solutions to these constraints.

社交網站，尤其是Facebook，在近幾年使用人口日趨增加，變得非常熱門。本研究觀察到在組織內，許多人運用Facebook這類社交網站與同事維繫人際關係。有趣的是，當Facebook進入組織情境後，這種以電腦中介傳播為基礎的人際互動方式，與實體人際關係模式不同，也迥異於全然線上的人際互動模式，其特殊性進一步帶來組織內人際關係的重要改變。 　　本研究共分三方面來探討Facebook進入組織情境後，對組織內人際關係所造成的改變。首先，受Facebook科技屬性影響，組織成員在Facebook上人際關係樣態根基於「虛實交錯」此一概念。由於同事間相互認識，其人際關係發展歷程從線下的實體互動開始，蔓延到Facebook的線上互動，而眾人在線上互動結果又會再度影響實體關係。換句話說，組織成員在「虛擬」和「實體」不同場域來回擺盪，造成「虛實交錯」情形，也讓組織內人際關係模式產生改變。 　　在這基礎上，本研究進一步發現Facebook「虛實交錯」的人際關係模式展現在兩個層面上。從整體角度來看，當Facebook出現後，在組織內形成另一個人際關係場域，彷彿是辦公室內的「線上茶水間」，組織成員在該場域互動、維繫人際關係的方式與實體茶水間有所不同，有其獨特性，因此我們用「線上茶水間」來描繪Facebook「虛實交錯」下的人際關係場域特性。在線上茶水間，組織成員以大量且多樣化資訊做為連結人際關係基礎，達到不同於實體茶水間的社交功能，如大量且速成的安慰與支持、跨越時空的陪伴感等，也使得線上茶水間的人際關係具有一定特色，例如淺層情感交流等。從個人層次來探討，組織成員的形象在此人際關係場域內也有不同展現方式，當Facebook出現後，它的科技屬性提供組織成員「另一個舞台」，讓個人得以展現出在正式組織場域中難以呈現的某種形象，因此我們用「另一個舞台」來描繪其轉變與特性。然而Facebook終究位於組織體系內，因此組織成員無法扮演一個全新或不真實形象，在舞台上的「演出」難免受到束縛。儘管如此，組織成員仍可透過Facebook調節自己在實體組織場域予人的形象，展現出欲呈現面貌。 / This study discusses the impact and influence of Facebook on interpersonal relationships at the work place. Social networking sites (SNS), Facebook in particular, have grown in popularity in recent years. In addition to personal usage, many use Facebook as a tool to interact with their colleagues in corporate settings. When used in this manner, the mode of interaction is based on computer-mediated communication (CMC), which is distinct from physical interactions or from virtual online interactions. This study focuses on three aspects of Facebook that influence and shape the relationships among employees in a corporation. Firstly, the members of a business organization know each other, so the process of interaction begins with physical acquaintance. The interaction then migrates online through Facebook, which, in turn, shapes the nature of the physical interaction. In other words, aided by technology, the corporate personnel interact both in "virtual (online)" space and in "physical" space, resulting in a mode of interaction that can be called "virtually and physically interlaced" interaction. On this basis, this study examines the effects of "virtually and physically interlaced" interaction from two perspectives. First, from the overview perspective, the introduction of Facebook in a corporate setting creates a space for a new form of interaction, an "online break room" of sorts, in which the corporate personnel's interaction is experienced differently than in a physical break room. Employees in "online break rooms" communicate with each other in multiple modes and methods such as videos, music, forwarded articles and so on. Unlike in a physical break room where the conversations are limited in number and also limited by the necessity of shared space and time, the online break room offers unconstrained space where employees can readily exchange their thoughts, opinions, as well as their feelings with others. The experience creates a new social dimension to the "online break room" at hand that employees can be accompanied by colleagues anytime and anywhere and also be able to receive much comfort and support from the coworkers. However, the level of communication remains superficial because employees do not interact in person. Second, from the individual perspective, an employee's experience of interaction with others in an "online break room" is changed. The introduction of Facebook in a corporate setting provides its personnel an alternate platform to express themselves more personally, in ways which may have been difficult to do in a rigid and formal business environment. We use the term "alternative stage" to describe the changes in interactions afforded by the addition of another platform. On the "main stage" of a conventional corporate environment, a person may feel compelled to conform to the corporate culture, and the expression of individuality may be limited, which results in a projected image that tends to be formal. In such an environment, Facebook becomes a stage/place where individuals can express and highlight their own personality or hobbies, giving a more personal and informal image to adjust the physical and conventional formal images.

Ce mémoire examine l'adoption des téléphones mobiles et l'utilisation des messages texte (SMS) par les adolescents chinois, selon la théorie des usages et gratifications et de la recherche sur la communication par ordinateur. Certains champs particuliers de l'utilisation des messages textes par les adolescents chinois, comme le contrôle parental, la circulation des chaînes de messages, la popularité des messages de salutations et l'utilisation répandue des émoticônes ont été étudiés. La fonction sociale des SMS, plus particulièrement des pratiques sociales et des relations émotionnelles des adolescents chinois, a également été explorée. Cette étude est basée sur un sondage réalisé sur le terrain auprès de 100 adolescents chinois. Elle révèle que chez les adolescents chinois, les deux principales raisons pour l'adoption du téléphone mobile sont l'influence parentale et le besoin de communication sociale. Quant à l'utilisation des messages texte, elle répond à sept usages et gratifications : la flexibilité, le coût modique, l’intimité, éviter l'embarras, le divertissement, l'engouement et l'évasion. Il a également été observé que les messages texte jouent un rôle positif dans la construction et l'entretien des relations sociales des adolescents chinois. / This thesis examined the adoption of mobile phones and use of SMS among Chinese teenagers based on the uses and gratification theory and computer-mediated communication research. Specific areas of Chinese teenagers’ SMS use, such as parental control, the circulation of chain messages, the popularity of greeting messages and the wide use of emoticons were studied. The social functions of SMS, especially in Chinese teenagers’ social-emotional practice, were explored as well. This study is based on a field survey conducted among one hundred Chinese teenagers. It reveals that, for Chinese teenagers, the two main reasons for the adoption of mobile phones are parental influence and the need for social communication; the use of SMS corresponds to seven uses and gratifications: flexibility, low cost, privacy, embarrassment avoidance, entertainment, fad and escape. SMS is also used by Chinese teenagers to build and maintain their social relationships.

Ce mémoire présente les recherches et réflexions entourant la conception d’une application à base d’ontologie dédiée au e-recrutement dans le domaine des services de dotation de personnel en technologies de l’information à l’ère du Web Social. Cette application, nommée Combine, vise essentiellement à optimiser et enrichir la Communication Médiée par Ordinateur (CMO) des acteurs du domaine et utilise des concepts issus du paradigme technologique émergent qu’est le Web sémantique. Encore très peu discuté dans une perspective CMO, le présent mémoire se propose donc d’examiner les enjeux communicationnels relatifs à ce nouveau paradigme. Il présente ses principaux concepts, dont la notion d’ontologie qui implique la modélisation formelle de connaissances, et expose le cas de développement de Combine. Il décrit comment cette application fut développée, de l’analyse des besoins à l’évaluation du prototype par les utilisateurs ciblés, tout en révélant les préoccupations, les contraintes et les opportunités rencontrées en cours de route. Au terme de cet examen, le mémoire tend à évaluer de manière critique le potentiel de Combine à optimiser la CMO du domaine d’activité ciblé. Le mémoire dresse au final un portrait plutôt favorable quant à la perception positive des acteurs du domaine d’utiliser un tel type d’application, et aussi quant aux nets bénéfices en frais d’Interactions Humain-Ordinateur (IHO) qu’elle fait miroiter. Il avertit toutefois d’une certaine exacerbation du problème dit « d’engagement ontologique » à considérer lors de la construction d’ontologies modélisant des objets sociaux tels que ceux dont le monde du recrutement est peuplé. / This thesis presents the research and reflections on the development of an ontology based application dedicated to e-recruitment in the field of Information Technologies’ staffing services, and especially e-recruitment using Social Web platforms as sources for candidates. This application, called Combine, essentially aims to optimize and enhance the field recruiters’ Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) and uses concepts from the emerging technological paradigm that the Semantic Web represents. Rarely discussed in a CMC perspective, this submission therefore proposes to study the communications issues related to this new paradigm. It presents the main concepts, as the notion of ontology, which involves the formal modeling of knowledge, and outlines the development case of Combine. It describes how the system was designed, from the requirements analysis to the prototype evaluation, revealing the concerns, the constraints and the opportunities met along the way. After this examination, the thesis stretches out to critically assess Combine’s potential to optimize the CMC in the targeted field of activity. In the end, the thesis conveys a rather favorable outcome concerning the positive perception of the field recruiters about using this type of application, and also concerning the promising benefits in Human-Computer Interactions (HCI). However, it mentions as well the exacerbation of the problem called "ontological commitment", which is to consider when building ontologies that model social objects such as those which the world of recruitment is made of.

The social web has emerged concurrent with a decline in Americans' community involvement and number of close friendships. Hundreds of millions of people connect online, but they appear to have fewer confidants and trust each other less. However, contrasting research finds that web users have better social integration and stronger relationships than their offline counterparts. This thesis resolves these contradictory views through a detailed examination of social network site (SNS) use and changes in relationships and individual well-being. The research is conducted at multiple levels looking at how different types of SNS use—direct interaction with others and more “passive consumption” of social news—influence the number and quality of individuals’ social ties and their aggregate social capital and well-being, including perceived social support, happiness, and physical health. The studies combine objective measures of SNS use (communication activity from the server logs of a popular social networking site) with self-reports of tie strength and well-being to accurately differentiate types of use with different partners. Longitudinal methods reveal how well-being changes over time with SNS use and are moderated by personal characteristics such as social communication skill and recent job loss.

With an increasing proportion of older people in the Australian population and increasing health and longevity, paid work after the age of 65 years may become an option or a necessity in the future. The focus of this research is on Australian women of the baby boom generation, their working futures, and the work-retirement decision. This is explored both from the viewpoint of women and from a social policy perspective. The research draws on Considine�s model of public policy, futures studies, and Beck�s concept of risk society. The research comprises three studies. Using focus group research, Study 1 explored the views of Australian women of the baby boom generation on work after the age of 65 years. Study 2 aimed to explore current thinking on the research topic in Australia and overseas. Computer-mediated communication involving an Internet website and four scenarios for the year 2020 were used for this study. Study 3 consists of the analysis of quantitative data from the Healthy Retirement Project, focusing on attitudes towards retirement, retirement plans, and the preferred and expected age of retirement. The importance of choice and a work � life balance emerged throughout the research. Women in high-status occupations were found to be more likely to be open to the option of continuing paid work beyond age 65 than women in low-status jobs. However, the women were equally likely to embrace future volunteering. The research findings suggest that policies for an ageing female workforce should be based on the values of inclusiveness, fairness, self-determination, and social justice, and address issues of workplace flexibility, equality in the workplace, recognition for unpaid community and caring work, opportunities for life-long learning, complexity and inequities of the superannuation system, and planning for retirement. Further, providing a guaranteed minimum income for all Australians should be explored as a viable alternative to the current social security system.

Univerzita Karlova v Praze Filozofická fakulta Ústav etnologie Historické vědy - etnologie Tomáš Samek Možnosti deixe jako interpretačního principu: česky a německy mediovaný prostor The Possibilities of Deixis as a Principle of Interpretation: Mediation in Czech and German Public Space Abstrakt dizertační práce (anglicky) Vedoucí práce: Doc. PhDr. František Vrhel, CSc. 2015 Key Words and Abstract Key words: deixis; deictic perspective; linguistic categories; descriptive metalanguage; public space; social interaction; interpretive approach; mediated communication; mass media; ideologies; social identity; origo; situatedness; phatic function; Czech; German. Abstract: This thesis examines whether, and to what extent, deixis can be conceptualized as an interpretive principle of social interactions and communication. It addresses the question on both theoretical and empirical levels, analyzing samples of direct and mediated communication in Czech and German public space. In order to capture deictic phenomena by an adequate conceptual framework, I take some binary dichotomies of the descriptive metalanguage of linguistics and reconceptualize them as continuous scales. Using these scales, I explore the notional borders of the term "deixis." I further identify protosymbolic potential in deictic expressions as...

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:05:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3952.pdf: 2039842 bytes, checksum: 13562902fbbd07a996facebf66d35dd7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-21 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / In this research, we describe how common sense knowledge with machine translation can help the communication among people with different cultural background. In order to evaluate this possibility, we developed a bilingual chat called Culture-to-Chat or C2C that provides a communication channel and has resources that help its user to create messages in a second language. In the computer-mediated communication field, it is possible to notice that people are crossing geographic borders and having opportunities to share experiences among different cultures. Sharing information in a non native language can be difficult to some users. Some computational tools that support communication uses machine translation to aid users that need to work with different language. C2C also uses this approach and adopts a semantic network of cultural knowledge, collaboratively built on the Web through the Open Mind Common Sense in Brazil project (OMCS-Br) to work with cultural expression, in other words, terms whose meaning depends on user‟s culture. Following a user-centered design approach that focuses on prototyping, we present the development of C2C passing by low, middle and high fidelity prototypes. In order to observe how this computational tool is used and collect the opinion of target users, we perform a pilot study involving Brazilian and Canadian users. This study showed some enhancements for the tool and pointed evidences that this chat contributes to the communication between people with different cultural backgrounds. / Neste trabalho é descrito como o conhecimento de senso comum em conjunto com a tradução automática pode apoiar a comunicação entre pessoas de diferentes culturas. Para verificar a viabilidade do senso comum foi desenvolvido um chat bilíngue chamado Culture-to-Chat ou C2C, que, além de prover um canal de comunicação, possui mecanismos que auxiliam o usuário na criação de mensagens em língua estrangeira. No campo da comunicação mediada por computador, percebe-se que as pessoas estão cruzando as fronteiras geográficas e tendo oportunidades de troca de experiências entre diferentes culturas. Para alguns usuários, essa troca de informações é feita em uma língua não nativa, o que pode ser uma tarefa difícil para eles. Algumas ferramentas computacionais que apoiam a comunicação propõem o uso de tradução automática para trabalhar com usuários falantes de diferentes línguas. O C2C, além de adotar tal estratégia, adota a rede semântica de conhecimento cultural construida colaborativamente via Web do projeto Open Mind Common Sense no Brasil (OMCS-Br) para trabalhar com expressões culturais, ou seja, termos cujo significado depende da cultura do usuário. Utilizando uma abordagem centrada no usuário focando-se em prototipação, o desenvolvimento do C2C e suas funcionalidades são apresentados por meio de protótipos de diferentes níveis de fidelidade (baixa, média e alta). Com o intuito de observar o uso dessa ferramenta computacional e coletar opiniões de usuários, foi realizado um estudo piloto envolvendo usuários brasileiros e canadenses. Tal estudo mostrou possíveis melhorias pra a ferramenta e apontou indícios de que este chat contribui na comunicação entre pessoas de diferentes culturas.

Cette recherche a pour objet les interactions en ligne sur un réseau social numérique dédié à l’enseignement / apprentissage du français langue étrangère (FLE) et s’interroge sur la façon dont l’espace en ligne s’intègre au dispositif de formation pour fournir des contextes nouveaux pour les interactions sociales et l’apprentissage de la langue. La recherche repose sur une analyse écologique d’usages dans un contexte universitaire homoglotte d’apprentissage de la langue et une analyse des discours des différents acteurs pour mettre au jour leurs perceptions du dispositif et de ses affordances ainsi que leur appropriation de l’espace en ligne. Ce travail se veut contribuer à élaborer des outils pertinents pour l’analyse de la participation et à une meilleure compréhension de ce qui se construit dans les interactions sociales, pour les participants, dans le cadre d’une communication médiatisée en contexte pédagogique. L’analyse s’intéresse (1) aux activités participatives et à leurs formats conversationnels et énonciatifs, (2) à la pluralité des modes de participation et des modes relationnels d’engagement social qui s’installent sur le réseau socio-pédagogique, et (3) aux régimes spatiaux et attentionnels propres aux espaces numériques. L’étude montre que le réseau socio-pédagogique est peu utilisé et les usages observables profitent peu des propriétés d’ouverture, conversationnelles et sociales du réseau. Si un certain nombre d’affordances sont perçues par les participants, elles restent peu actualisées dans le cadre de notre étude. Face à ces usages limités, l’analyse tente de repérer dans les discours et les activités proposées, les freins et obstacles à des changements de pratiques. A partir de ce constat, la recherche propose des pistes didactiques tenant compte des enjeux sociaux et relationnels afin que le réseau socio-pédagogique puisse plus distinctement être perçu comme un espace médiateur d’activités sociales de littératie numérique. / This research aims at studying online interactions in a social network that is specific to teaching and learning French as a Foreign Language (FFL). It questions the way the virtual environment incorporates with the training device so to provide new contexts of interactions and language learning.The data used for this research belong to an academic and language learning context which enabled an ecological analysis of the uses.Furthermore a discourse analysis from various participants was undertaken to highlight their impressions of the device, the noticed affordances and their appropriation with the online environment. This study contributes at elaborating useful tools for the analysis of participation and a better understanding of social interactions in the case of a mediated communication in a pedagogical context.The analyses are based on (1) participative activities, their conversational and enunciative format, (2) the various participation modes and relationnal social commitment that flourishes in a socio-pedagogical network and (3) the spatial and attentionnal features that are specific to a virtual learning environment.The study shows that there are few uses of the socio-pedagogical network, and the various ones that have been noticed did not benefit from the network’s wide access, conversational and social design.As a certain number of affordances have been noted by the participants, few of them were used in the case of our study. Considering those limited uses, the analysis tries to spot the restraints and obstacles to these changing practices by taking into account the participant’s discourse and suggested activities. From this observation, the research suggests didactical guidelines that include this social and relational challenge - and to consider this socio-pedagogical network as an environment which mediates social activities and digital litteracy.