The social process of internet appropriation: Living in a digitally advanced country benefits less well-educated Europeans

We generalize and extend the sequential model proposed by the resources and appropriation theory to explain the digital divide in the European Union plus the United Kingdom (EU27+UK). We measure the theoretical constructs of the model with data provided by the EU and test the theoretical predictions using a partial least squares structural equation model. We find support for the hypothesized relationships but find that the effects vary depending on the digital development level of countries. While education overall is the primary determinant of the social production of digital inequalities, a country's digital development level is crucial for less well-educated Europeans. These findings have theoretical and practical implications: (1) they call into question the homogeneity of the effect of causal relationships and the assumption that individuals differ only in terms of motivation, access, and digital skills, and (2) they indicate that socially disadvantaged Europeans benefit from living in more digitally developed countries.     

Obtaining indirect internet access: An examination how reasons for internet non-use relate to proxy internet use

Internet non-use is increasingly concentrated in vulnerable groups of people, especially among ageing populations and those with low socio-economic status. As participation in society becomes largely dependent on use of internet-enabled technologies, internet non-users may seek alternative ways of using the internet. Proxy internet use (PIU), where internet non-users ask internet users to perform online activities on their behalf, is a strategy for obtaining (indirect) internet access. This study examines factors for engagement in PIU, focusing specifically on how non-users’ reasons for disengagement relate to their engagement in PIU. The results from multivariate analyses of survey data from a nation-wide representative sample show that 47% of internet non-users in Slovenia who report having someone available for PIU in fact engage in PIU. In analysing four types of reasons for internet non-use—those related to interest, access, costs and skills—the results show that access issues are negatively related to engagement in PIU. Conversely, reasons related to skills issues are positively related to engagement in PIU. Considering that access to online services through PIU offers an important degree of digital inclusion, the results of this study have important policy implications. Policy initiatives tackling digital inequalities should be sensible to access and skills issues resulting in disengagement. For example, policies directed at providing and maintaining internet access at a household level may result in non-users’ increased opportunities for PIU. In contrast, skills policies should be directed at creating opportunities for informal and person-centred learning of digital skills, considering that non-users who are more aware of their deficiency in skills might be more aware of online opportunities.     

Was household internet adoption driven by the reform? Evaluation of the 2013 telecommunication reform in Mexico

In 2013 the Mexican Telecommunications and Broadcasting Reform was launched with the goal of promoting competition and access in the telecommunications sector. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether the 2013 reform had an impact on household fixed internet adoption and to what extent Mexican households, classified into ten wealth groups, had adopted internet. For the assessment, after a revision of supply and demand Reform's measures to reduce the digital divide, data from the 2010 Census and 2015 Intercensal Survey were used to create adoption indexes using Poisson estimations. The results were analyzed by ten wealth groups, constructed on principal components based on household characteristics (type of dwelling, electricity availability, availability of drinking water, sewer system, internet and ICT devices: computer, telephone, cell phone and internet). Additionally, the impact of both indexes was validated by a difference in differences method. The results suggest a 66% overall increase in internet adoption between 2010 and 2015. The decile analysis showed considerable internet adoption in the low and middle wealth groups (deciles 2–8), while in the highest wealth groups (deciles 9–10) the impact of internet adoption has been relatively moderate. It is worth noting that internet adoption is unequally distributed, as less than 1% of households in deciles 1 to 6 had adopted internet in 2015, while nearly all of the wealthiest ten percent of households have internet access. Nevertheless the increment in internet adoption was not only the result of the reform but the combination of the broadband penetration trend and the reform together.     

SAM — a baby with many faces

In the last issue of Food Policy, two articles appeared on the subject of the Mexican Food System, or the Sistema Alimenticio Mexicano (SAM). The first article by Frank Meissner¹ reviewed the background to SAM, the proposed strategies, intended targets, its funding and put forward a strong case for considering SAM as a constructive policy for alleviating Mexico's food and nutrition problems. However, Michael Redclift commented in his article that:² ‘There are three principal points to be made of Dr Meissner's article: its interpretation of Mexico's recent agrarian development is questionable; it does not distinguish between the analysis provided in the SAM documents and the policy measures to which they give rise; and, it glosses over serious problems of implementation, giving too little weight to the participatory element without which SAM is doomed to failure’. This rejoinder is Frank Meissner's response to Michael Redclift's comments.     

Price policies and the SAM: A wheat-maize comparison

This article examines the historical development of Mexico's foodgrain policies and the events that led to the Sistema Allmenticio Mexicano (SAM). Government investment and support price policies are compared for the commercial and smallholder grain sectors. Analysis centres on the relatively favourable wheat policies, in contrast to those for maize. The prospects for success in developing the long-ignored peasant sector through SAM are assessed in the light of these past policies. It is concluded that, without profound structural change in Mexico's grain sectors, it will be consumers and commercial growers who will benefit most from SAM.     

数字印刷的起源和发展

数字印刷的源头在打印机,而打印机的发明和成熟则离不开打字机。本文将以上述思路为主线,回顾从打字机过渡到撞击式打印机、继而从撞击式打印机到非撞击式打印机、并最终发展成现代数字印刷机的历史过程。此外,考虑到每种数字印刷方法有其自身的特殊性和应用领域,本文也讨论了主要数字印刷技术的发展过程和现状。     

Skills in the green economy: recycling promises in the UK e‐waste management sector

In advanced economies the ‘greening’ of the economy is widely seen as promising extensive job creation and upskilling, alongside its other benefits. In popular and policy rhetoric, the growing importance of ‘green skills’ is asserted frequently. This study critically examines these claims within the context of the electronic waste management sector in the United Kingdom. Drawing on the cases of a non‐profit organisation and a small private enterprise in North West England, we observe that despite government support for developing skills in e‐waste, both the development and utilisation of skills remain minimal. Critically, the relatively more skill‐intensive process of reuse is substantially less profitable than recycling and resource capture. The study concludes by noting that the expectations from the green economy for high‐quality jobs need to be assessed within the context of similar, misplaced celebrations of previous transformations of work to avoid recycling the same promises.     

Digital piracy: Causes,consequences, and strategic responses

What should copyright holders do about the piracy of digital media? This paper first discusses the causes of piracy, with particular reference to the factors that lead consumers to engage in piracy en masse. Then it explores the consequences of piracy for copyright holders. The final section of the paper builds upon the proceeding sections to look at the different strategic responses copyright holders can adopt to deal with piracy. Given widespread digital piracy in Asia, these insights have particular relevance for the region.     

Regulatory issues in regional satellite communications: Towards a USA - Mexico bilateral agreement

This article examines the issues raised by the drawing up of a bilateral agreement for satellite communications between the USA and Mexico. Mexico has been mainly leasing capacity from INTELSAT and is developing its own Morelos satellite system. Both the USA and Mexico are keen to develop transborder satellite telecommunications services, but before coming to an agreement both parties must arrive at a clear definition of the main concepts that will constitute the agreement. Key concepts being analysed are: services classification, the reciprocity principle, economic harm to INTELSAT, and technical harm to INTELSAT.     

民间布鞋“卷倒山”的制作工艺及特色

针对鲁西南地区收集到的布鞋进行研究分析。探讨了这一类布鞋的制作工艺及艺术特色,以及对现代服装的制作与设计的借鉴作用。通过对布鞋的制作过程进行详尽的记录与叙述,得出在民间工艺的外观造型要通过人为的、技巧性较强的工艺手段来实现,指出"卷倒山"布鞋是集功能性、审美性于一体,是实用功能性与民俗文化性的结合体,不仅具有一般服饰的实用功能性,并且具有独特的审美功能,形成了民间布鞋独特的艺术特色。     

Developing engineering students' research and technology assessment abilities

This article describes research done among M. Eng. students in several faculties of the Eindhoven University of Technology into their abilities to integrate nontechnical (social) elements in the research that led to their M. Eng. theses. It was found that these students often lacked research skills (the abilities to define the research problem, to comment upon research methodology, to reflect upon research outcomes). As a result, they also tended to neglect social factors relevant to their engineering research.Recommendations to improve this situation are formulated for the curriculum of engineering education programmes.