Warigia Bowman and Arifa Khandwalla
This essay surveys and synthesizes the academic literature, archival sources and interviews with key policy makers regarding the emergence of community technology centers in the…
Abstract
This essay surveys and synthesizes the academic literature, archival sources and interviews with key policy makers regarding the emergence of community technology centers in the US. Community Technology Centers (CTCs) came to the fore in the late 1990s through an activist nonprofit sector combined with federal government and private sector funding. Federal data indicates that CTCs now represent the most important access points to information communications technology for the poor in the US. This essay reviews the latest arguments for and against continued investment in CTCs and public access in general. In addition to providing access, which is often used beneficially for employment and education related purposes, CTCs appear to contribute to social capital as they become social gathering points. This paper concludes, that both government and nonprofits play a vital role in ensuring public access for the poor and that continued investment in CTCs is warranted.
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Key messages from a series of five reports on issues surrounding drug use and drug services amoung Black and minority ethnic communities in England.
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Key messages from a series of five reports on issues surrounding drug use and drug services amoung Black and minority ethnic communities in England.
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Jane Fountain, Samantha Howes, Colin Taylor and Strang
A survey of the substance use of 389 homeless people included questions on current income and expenditure. The two sources of income most often reported were state benefits and…
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A survey of the substance use of 389 homeless people included questions on current income and expenditure. The two sources of income most often reported were state benefits and begging. Those whose main substance was heroin or crack cocaine were more likely to have a larger financial expenditure, and to obtain this income from criminal activities, than those whose main substance was another drug or alcohol. By far the most commonly‐cited main items of expenditure were drugs and alcohol. The findings are discussed in terms of current interventions and service development.
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Alastair Roy, Jane Fountain and Sundari Anitha
This paper examines the social and institutional context of barriers to drug service throughcare and aftercare for prisoners in England and Wales, including those that…
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This paper examines the social and institutional context of barriers to drug service throughcare and aftercare for prisoners in England and Wales, including those that specifically affect Black and minority ethnic prisoners. A research project in 2004 reviewed relevant literature and statistical data, mapped prison drug services, and sought the perspectives of relevant stakeholders: in total, 334 individuals were recruited to the study. The methodology facilitates analysis of the structure of services and the agency prisoner in accessing them. Recommendations are made for changes to the structure and delivery of prison drug services.
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Jane Fountain, Alastair Roy, Nicole Crompton, Sundari Anitha and Kamlish Patel
The police service in London report a commitment to inspiring confidence from, and responding to the needs of black and minority ethnic communities. They are also committed to…
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The police service in London report a commitment to inspiring confidence from, and responding to the needs of black and minority ethnic communities. They are also committed to tackling the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, with which members of the Jamaican and Turkish communities respectively are strongly identified. Members of these communities report concerns about drug supply issues, but are extremely reluctant to co‐operate with the police to address them because they perceive that they are unfairly targeted, particularly by the stop and search strategy. The challenge is to implement a long‐term, community engagement programme with strategic level commitment.
Fang Zhao, Joseph Wallis and Mohini Singh
– The purpose of this paper is to capture and understand the nature of the relationship between e-government development and the digital economy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to capture and understand the nature of the relationship between e-government development and the digital economy.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model and Fountain’s technology enactment theory, a multidimensional research model was developed. The model was tested empirically through an international study of 67 countries using reputable archival data, primarily including the UN’s e-government survey and the Economist Intelligence Unit’s digital economy rankings.
Findings
The empirical findings indicate a strong positive reciprocal (two-way) relationship between e-government development and the digital economy. This finding provides empirical evidence to support the general notion of “co-evolution” between technology and organisations. The study also finds that along with social, economic, political, technological and demographic factors, certain national cultural characteristics have significant effects on the digital economy and e-government development.
Research limitations/implications
Relying on archival global data sets, this study is constrained by the coverage and formulation of the data set indices, the sample size (67 countries), and the impossibility of detecting errors that may occur in the process of data collection. Therefore, caution should be taken when making generalisations about the findings of this study.
Originality/value
The paper addresses a deficit of empirical research that is supported by sound and established theories to explain short-term dynamics and the long-term impact of the digital economy on public administration. The study contributes to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the dynamic relationship between e-government development and the digital economy.
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THE library year ends in no spectacular way. If posterity has any cause to remember 1932 it will probably be as of a year when the doctrine of economy was raised to the rank of a…
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THE library year ends in no spectacular way. If posterity has any cause to remember 1932 it will probably be as of a year when the doctrine of economy was raised to the rank of a divine dogma by a world of debtors and creditors all crazed with fear over international debts. A year of hurried committees producing reports for the reduction of expenditures, beneficient or otherwise; especially, in this last month, a report which if implemented would cripple almost every local activity, and set back the clock of social effort at least thirty years. The intention of such reports is no doubt good; their effects are yet to be seen. So far, the increased parsimony in national and local affairs seems only to have intensified unemployment without bettering the general situation. A reaction against all this is beginning, not a moment too soon, and all who care for the finer things in our civilisation will be compelled to stand against the more unsocial recommendations of these reports.