The creation, handling and distribution of information is fast becoming a major economic activity for all nations of the world, be they rich or poor, developed or less developed…
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The creation, handling and distribution of information is fast becoming a major economic activity for all nations of the world, be they rich or poor, developed or less developed. Even in countries where there is little production of information goods or services, employment in information related activities is often high. The definition and size of the information producing and knowledge worker labor force in the United States are reviewed and compared to that in other countries. Changing patterns of international trade in information goods and services is also discussed.
The major federal and state laws that govern the privacy aspects of the use of computer data banks fall into three types of relationships between individuals and institutions: 1…
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The major federal and state laws that govern the privacy aspects of the use of computer data banks fall into three types of relationships between individuals and institutions: 1) individuals dealing with private institutions such as colleges or universities, 2) individuals interacting with state and local governments; and 3) individuals interacting with the federal government. A separate section is devoted to each of these relationships, containing assessments of the effectiveness of the legal mechanisms that mediate them. The ability of privacy laws that are presently on the books to protect us from abusive information collection, dissemination, and management practices is specifically considered.
This is the second of three articles addressing the critical issue of abusive data collection and usage practices and their effect on personal privacy. The first article, which…
Abstract
This is the second of three articles addressing the critical issue of abusive data collection and usage practices and their effect on personal privacy. The first article, which appeared in consecutive issue 17 of Library Hi Tech, discussed the individual under assault. This article discusses the evolution of data protection laws within countries and international organizations that have enacted such laws, and compares the scope, major provisions, and enforcement components of the laws.
The tremendous advancements that have recently occurred in computer technology, including central processing speed and low‐cost, high‐density mass storage, provide great potential…
Abstract
The tremendous advancements that have recently occurred in computer technology, including central processing speed and low‐cost, high‐density mass storage, provide great potential benefits for individuals and for society. However, enhanced computer capabilities also can pose a major threat to individuals, if misused by governmental agencies, corporations, organized crime, and other entities. A number of computer‐based systems currently pose a threat to individual freedoms. This threat can increase greatly in the future if vigilant oversight is not constantly directed toward the control and prevention of misuse of databases. This is the first of three articles that will address the issues of personal privacy and the threat of the computer.
The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and…
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The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and ideology of the FTC’s leaders, developments in the field of economics, and the tenor of the times. The over-riding current role is to provide well considered, unbiased economic advice regarding antitrust and consumer protection law enforcement cases to the legal staff and the Commission. The second role, which long ago was primary, is to provide reports on investigations of various industries to the public and public officials. This role was more recently called research or “policy R&D”. A third role is to advocate for competition and markets both domestically and internationally. As a practical matter, the provision of economic advice to the FTC and to the legal staff has required that the economists wear “two hats,” helping the legal staff investigate cases and provide evidence to support law enforcement cases while also providing advice to the legal bureaus and to the Commission on which cases to pursue (thus providing “a second set of eyes” to evaluate cases). There is sometimes a tension in those functions because building a case is not the same as evaluating a case. Economists and the Bureau of Economics have provided such services to the FTC for over 100 years proving that a sub-organization can survive while playing roles that sometimes conflict. Such a life is not, however, always easy or fun.
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Gaelynn P. Wolf Bordonaro, Laura Cherry and Jessica Stallings
The relationship between learning and mental health, as well as a growing body of literature, underscores the need for art therapy in educational settings. This is particularly…
Abstract
The relationship between learning and mental health, as well as a growing body of literature, underscores the need for art therapy in educational settings. This is particularly true for learners with special needs. Shostak et al. (1985) affirmed that “for children with special needs, art therapy in a school setting can offer opportunities to work through obstacles that impede educational success” (p. 19). School art therapy facilitates improved social interaction, increased learning behaviors, appropriate affective development, and increased empathy and personal well-being. It can be adapted to meet the specific developmental needs of individual students and to parallel students’ developmental, learning, and behavioral objectives. This chapter introduces the reader to the history and basic constructs of art therapy as a psychoeducational therapeutic intervention in schools. Model programs are identified, as well as the role of the art therapist within the context of K-12 education settings. Additionally, examples of special populations who benefit from art therapy intervention within school systems are provided, along with considerations for school-wide art therapy.
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Michael Wallace and Joonghyun Kwak
Using a sample of 214 US metropolitan areas, we examine the connection between the Great Recession and bad jobs, taking into consideration the macro-level determinants of the…
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Using a sample of 214 US metropolitan areas, we examine the connection between the Great Recession and bad jobs, taking into consideration the macro-level determinants of the troubled economy. Our measure of bad jobs is derived from Kalleberg, Reskin, and Hudson’s (2000) conceptualization as those that have low pay, lack health insurance, and lack pension plans. We find that the Great Recession increased the prevalence of bad jobs, consistently for men and selectively for women. Among the macro-level processes, the decline of the manufacturing base, union membership, and public sector employment are sources of increasing bad jobs, especially for men. Those macro-level processes which are growing in influence such as casualization, globalization and financialization show no signs of reversing the negative trends in bad jobs. Human capital variables in the labor market such as educational and age variability consistently suggest more adverse effects on bad jobs for men than women. Our findings contribute to the further understanding of the nature of precarious work in a troubled economy.
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Environmental degradation, economic and political threats along with ideological extremism necessitate a global redirection toward sustainability and well-being. Since the…
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Environmental degradation, economic and political threats along with ideological extremism necessitate a global redirection toward sustainability and well-being. Since the survival of all species (humans, animals, and plants) is wholly dependent on a healthy planet, urgent action at the highest levels to address large-scale interconnected problems is needed to counter the thinking that perpetuates the “folly of a limitless world.” Paralleling critical societal roles played by universities – ancient, medieval, and modern – throughout the millennia, this chapter calls for all universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) generally – estimated at over 28,000 – to take a lead together in tackling the pressing complex and intractable challenges that face us. There are about 250 million students in tertiary education worldwide rising to about 600 million by 2040. Time is not on our side. While much of the groundwork has been done by the United Nations (UN) and civil society, concerns remain over the variable support given to the UN-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in light of the negative impact of global biodiversity loss on achieving the UN-2030 SDGs. Ten propositions for global sustainability, ranging from adopting the SDGs at national and local levels to ensuring peaceful uses of technology and UN reforms in line with global socioeconomic shifts, are provided for consideration by decisionmakers. Proposition #7 calls for the unifying One Health & Well-Being (OHWB) concept to become the cornerstone of our educational systems as well as societal institutions and to underpin the UN-2030 SDGs. Recognizing the need to change our worldview (belief systems) from human-centrism to eco-centrism, and re-building of trust in our institutions, the chapter argues for the re-conceptualization of the university/higher education purpose and scope focusing on the development of an interconnected ecological knowledge system with a concern for the whole Earth – and beyond. The 2019 novel coronavirus has made clear that the challenges facing our world cannot be solved by individual nations alone and that there is an urgency to committing to shared global values that reflect the OHWB concept and approach. By drawing on our collective experience and expertise informed by the UN-2030 SDGs, we will be in a much stronger position to shape and strengthen multilateral strategies to achieve the UN-2030 Transformative Vision – “ending poverty, hunger, inequality and protecting the Earth’s natural resources,” and thereby helping “to save the world from itself.”