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Research on the Information Society and its socio-economic context is limited at the European regional level. This research aims to identify the socio-economic and technological factors that define the underlying structure of household-individual (H+i) digital development, at NUTS 2 level, using Factor Analysis, with data that have been collected from Eurostat, and characterise the socio-economic environments associated with advanced ICT use using Cluster Analysis. We show that, at the regional level in Europe, the use of advanced ICT_H+i is related to GDP pc, the qualification of the population and high-tech employment; broadband internet access is associated with employment and the average educational level of the population; and the degree of innovation, business growth and ICT employment are decoupled from the level of ICT_H+i. The model defines a spatial performance that contrasts the southern and eastern European regions, with high availability of ICT infrastructures but low advanced use of them; with the central-northern regions, the most advanced in the EU in terms of ICT access and use, with adequate infrastructure and high upper-middle education levels that allow for the improvement of ICT skills and regional digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shift to a knowledge society has transformed the way we live and work, which is especially challenging to adults with low education levels. Adult education could be the answer, but low-educated adults participate least in adult education. The present study uses data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to investigate participation needs and barriers of low-, medium- and high-educated adults across 15 European countries (N = 20,593). Descriptives show that low-educated adults report the lowest need for training to exercise their job and indicate to be the least prevented from taking more training because of experienced barriers. We then analysed which barriers non-participating and participating adults were referring to. While medium- and high-educated non-participants indicate being prevented because of work and family responsibilities, low-educated non-participants chose family responsibilities but mainly and remarkably the option 'other' as their most important barrier. Contrary to medium- and high-educated adults, low-educated adults' most important barrier could not be defined. A possible explanation is that they experience more dispositional barriers (such as bad memories of education or low self-esteem), which were not included in the list. Our results point to the importance of targeting low-educated adults in participation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following study focussed on the perception of the public administration by the international students in the context of implementation of the concept of smart administration. New administrative reality requires that public administration should not only adapt to new conditions, but should also introduce complex plans of change, which in consequence should lead to the creation of a new type of smart administration, which adequately answers the needs and expectations of contemporary and future citizens. Smart administration should be understood as an effective, well managed organisation with reasonably simplified structure and conduct oriented primarily towards serenity, comfort and well-being of the recipient of its service. Important feature is easy, two-way communication, which is a gateway for active participation of citizens in public affairs in both local and nationwide level. For the purpose of this study, various dispositions expressed towards public administration were classified into the three categories of behaviour models. Models of behaviour in public administration presented in the paper are meritoric-despotism behaviour, efficient-democratic behaviour and anarchist-informal behaviour and were created for this study on the basis of approaches already present in the field. Main objective of the paper is to provide preliminary analysis of how the international students perceive changes in the behaviour models in public administration and what is the role of smart administration in this. This paper is based on the data collected during the interviews, conducted face to face, with four students from different part of Europe and who are following exchange programmes. Questions concerned the experience in contact with public administration, its role, performance and how should it be changed. Research results showed that regarding behaviour changes in public administration, interlocutors speak in favour of a centralised model of public administration rather than decentralised, which is interesting in the context of smart administration, because this mean that there is still a common perception that the base of classic approach to public administration should be maintained even if modified by new concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades the web expansion from web of things to web of thought presents a real provocation for governments across societies to achieve citizens' expectations. The transition from e-government to digital government from reactive to proactive service delivery mechanisms is one of the governments main challenges worldwide. The aim of this paper is to analyse the readiness of governments across Europe for the transition from the traditional e-government to digital government. In the paper the digital government is analyzed comparatively with the e-government and focusing on the main differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Military Engineer / Hadmérnök is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

First, in this paper we will investigates the influence of one of the most important Greek film directors, Angelopoulos, in all national, European and worldwide tourism thru the eyes of cinema camera and Greek cyber-culture. Initially, his award-winning action and the content of his most important work, has always been united with Greece promotion and touristic development. The paper traces how, in the context of information society, his filmography can be an example of good practice for touristic promotion and development and how this kind of cinematography can be a more dynamic section of Greek touristic economy. Second, this paper aims to investigate how ancient drama which flourished in Greek antiquity still represents a portal of touristic attraction and development. Ancient Greek tragedians as well as Aristophanes' comedies magnetize and attract tourists and students from Europe and the whole world. In addition, touristic destinations where tragedy flourished have a huge number of views from tourists. Finally, we present a case study that analyzes the meaning of literary tourism and examines the prospects of its development in Greece. Through conceptual analyzes in two examples it attempts to present the wealth of literature in regard to the style of writing, values and meanings. The aim of the study is to examine the ways that will help the development of tourism through literature as well as to attract potential tourists to these island destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Central European Public Administration Review is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Public Administration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim. The aim of article is to present the changing of idea of lifelong learning. The article focuses on the idea of lifelong learning. The first part shows the essence of lifelong learning. An attempt has been made to organise concepts such as lifelong learning, lifelong training, continuing education and permanent education, as well as education and adult education, to consequently educe the idea of lifelong learning from the concept of continuing education. Methods. The method used is the literature analysis because of the theoretical character of a paper. Results. In the paper, it is presented how idea of lifelong learning was changing over time. Furthermore, the article shows the social context of the use of lifelong learning in relation to the theory of human capital and social capital theory as well. The next part of the article concentrates on identifying the most important initiatives of the European Union, the objective of which is the implementation of the idea in Europe. The article presents the aims of the EU programmes that are focused on the implementation of that idea in European education. Conclusions. The development of the idea of lifelong learning is related to a social and cultural changes. This idea is a very important part of EU strategy, which main gol is to build the Information Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution examines the different concepts known as social informatics that have historically been separate. The paradigm that is preferred worldwide (based on Kling) is well described and often promoted, with a strong base both in the USA and Europe. This article, however, introduces lesser-known paradigms (based on Sokolov and later Ursul) that originated in the era of the USSR and have so far been employed chiefly in post-Soviet countries, including Russia. These paradigms have been neglected in English-written scientific literature, mainly because of the limited number of articles available in English. Other approaches are also introduced and related, which were historically named or classified as social informatics (American, British, Norwegian, Slovenian, German and Japanese). The present article introduces and further discusses the origin, historical development and basic methodological grounding of these approaches. All the approaches are then discussed and their differences as well as their similarities are pointed out. The aim is to create connections across the current generation of researchers, which includes the formation and conceptualization of different approaches and an exploration of possible areas for future cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, the author deals with some selected legal and practical issues related to the VAT treatment of cloud computing technologies. Cloud computing is major a phase of development and expansion, and is likely to have new tax challenges in the future. In particular, in the first part of the contribution some aspects of the relationships between cloud computing and the ‘VAT concepts’ of fixed establishment and immovable property are discussed. In the second part, some practical issues deriving from the localisation and identification of the customer are presented with a special eye on the most recent OECD proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The private copy exception is a staple in most national copyright laws. It has its roots in the analogue era and has had its difficulties adapting to the new digital environment. The development of new forms of exploitations for protected content has put the exception under pressure. Relatively, new business models allow users to download and stream digital content on multiple devices at home and on-the-go. This article seeks to explore whether the private use exception under Article 5(2)(b) of the Information Society Directive (InfoSoc) is compatible with different online business models. First, the exception at the European level and at selected national levels (UK, FR, DE) is analysed as to its normative content. Second, limitations to the private use exception in the terms of use of download- and streaming-based services are compared and discussed as to their relation with the exception. Finally, the three-step test of Article 5(5) InfoSoc is applied to the private use exception in different scenarios. The article concludes with a brief summary of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education policies, and in particular those related to teacher education, are central to the construction of Europe as a knowledge society and for facing the social and economic challenges that European countries must respond to in this millennium. This article presents an analysis of studies on the evaluation of in-service teacher education conducted in Portugal since 1992. Based on the results of this analysis, the study develops a reflection on the concepts, policies and practices of in-service teacher education, contextualising it within a wider equation related to teachers’ education in Europe. The study consisted of content analyses of scientific articles, research reports, studies of evaluation and legal documents that provide the guidelines for in-service teacher education in Portugal. At the end, a final reflection and some general recommendations for teacher education are presented. There is a focus on the importance of placing in-service teacher education at the centre of educational contexts and on the problems that this causes in teachers’ work, emphasising its importance for social justice in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Closing the technology gap to reduce labour productivity disparities across Europe is crucial for the European cohesion policy. This article explores the sources of labour productivity growth in Europe over the period 1993-2007 in light of the enlargement process. Labour productivity growth has been mostly driven by capital accumulation. New Member States have significantly reduced their inefficiency and their technology gap. Disparities in the levels of labour productivity are still substantial and, to a considerable extent, they can be attributed to technology gap differences. This raises concerns about the process of convergence in labour productivity in Europe and suggests further policies aimed at reducing the technology gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers the significant transformations in the social dimensions of science in last decades. It is argued that science is no more "productive force" only, but it becomes a powerful factor for economic growth, enhancement of quality of life and social prosperity. Another tendency is the enhanced science-policy interactions, as well as the growing role of knowledge transfer and research ethics. New concepts, related to the increasing importance of the social functions of science, have occurred - "knowledge society, "knowledge-based economy, "sustainable development". The scientometric study, presented in the paper, based on counting the publications on science-society relations and issuing new scientific journals on the considered topic, supports these statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This article seeks to deal with the fundamental conceptual differences between consumer law and copyright law that render the application of consumer law to copyright-law related conflicts difficult.Design/methodology/approach – Following a normative approach to copyright and consumer law based on an analysis of the relevant literature and case law, the article examines in which situations consumers encounter obstacles when trying to rely on consumer law to invoke "privileges" granted to them under copyright law, such as the private copying exception.Findings – Research shows that most difficulties lie in the fundamental conceptual differences between consumer law and copyright law regarding the objectives and beneficiaries of each regime, as well as diverging conceptions of "property", "user rights" and "internal market". Such discrepancies undeniably follow from the fact that each regime traditionally never had to deal with each other's concerns: consumers never played a role in copyright law, whereas copyright protected works were not seen as consumer goods.Originality/value – By identifying the main conceptual differences between the two legal regimes, the article contributes in an inter-disciplinary manner to the discussion on the place of the digital consumer under European law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most people in Europe do not know what biobanks are. In this study, public perceptions of biobanks and collection of genetic and health data were analyzed in relation to other technologies and digital networks where personal information is compiled and distributed. In this setting, people contextualized biobanks in line with their daily experiences with other technologies and data streams. The analysis was based on 18 focus group discussions conducted in Austria, Finland and Germany. We examined the ways in which people frame and talk about problems and benefits of information distribution in digital networks and biobanks. People identify many challenges associated with collection of personal data in the information society. The study showed that instead of privacy - which has been the key term of bioethical debates on biobanks - the notions of control and controllability are most essential for people. From the viewpoint of biobanks, issues of controllability pose challenges. In the information society, people have become accustomed to controlling personal data, which is particularly difficult in relation to biobanks. They expressed strong concerns over the controllability of the goals and benefits of biobanks. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of digital inclusion to Europe is obvious: as we move towards an ever more internet-communicating society the lack of access to basic digital infrastructures for a significant segment of the population is both problematic for those individuals without access and also problematic for those providing services which should be efficient and fully utilised. The EU’s ‘Information Society’ project has been the central plank of the European attempt to build a European digital marketplace, a concept which necessitates digital inclusion of the population at large. It is a project which prefers universal service obligations to achieve inclusion. If that is to be the preferred solution I suggest that we must consider exclusion from the banking system, given that the Information Society is at root an economic community.However, universal service obligations are not the only method whereby digital inclusion can be encouraged and I posit we may need to reconsider the role of the state as supplier of services through the concept of ‘social solidarity’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper starts from the fact that the modern Europe relates its own economic and social development, as well as the development of (self) conscious and responsible individuals, to the context of the 'society of knowledge'. Thereby, a 'universal access to knowledge' and creation of the 'learning communities' are seen as the pillars of transition toward the true knowledge societies, which open up new possibilities of humanization of the globalization process. A base of the successful strategy for the realization of the knowledge society is rising of the general education level of entire population and training for continuous learning and acquiring new knowledge throughout life, i.e. the lifelong learning. The following questions are open here: What is the role of employees in the education system in the described changes? What kind of knowledge, skills and abilities should have the teachers who are considered to be the key players of the change? The conclusion is that university education is an indispensable basis for participation in the creation of contemporary understood education process, and that the continuous professional development (based on learning through reviewing and changing the practice of one's own work, continuous self-inspection and self-assessment of one's own knowledge, attitudes, and professional belief) is a base of the progress and development of a learning community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the public administration informatization to have as result benefits for all its affected fields, there is the necessity to be defined a services development direction from this branch in accordance to the national and European environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papers: Revista de Sociologia is the property of Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article we provide an integrated framework for the analysis of higher education governance which allows us to more systematically trace the changes that European higher education systems are currently undergoing. We argue that, despite highly insightful previous analyses, there is a need for more specific empirically observable indicators of policy change and inertia. We therefore propose a systematic classification of empirical indicators of higher education governance. To do so, we look at three historically entrenched and still highly relevant European models of higher education-academic self-governance, the state-centered model and the market-oriented model. Based on these broader overarching models which reflect the tensions between the state, market and academia, we develop three ideal-types that take internal university governance as well as the role of the state and external stakeholders into account. Against this background, we derive empirical indicators with regard to the institutional balance of power, financial governance, personnel autonomy and substantive matters. Our analytical contribution shall enable scholars, and in particular political and social scientists, to trace ongoing patterns of change and convergence as well as persistence and inertia in higher education governance arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The switchover to digital communications was launched as a major information society policy initiative across Europe, and was expected to be a key contributor to the spreading of internet access across all households. More than a decade after its introduction, and as the digital switchover is well-underway, digital television (DTV) is not delivering the promise of interactivity for all. Drawing on the principle of universal access as a politically determined and technologically bound concept, this article assesses the role of public policy in expanding and promoting the diffusion of new media technologies. More specifically, it reviews policy developments in the UK in order to examine the making of DTV as a universally available technology for broadcast transmissions; the lack of a commitment to support access to interactive services; and implications for end-users. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we introduce a system of composite indicators designed to analyze the digital gender divide. This tool, called Gender & ICT Indicators System (GICTIS), is an advance in the measurement and analysis of the difference between men and women in the Information Society. Its application allows us to a) make inter-gender comparisons, determined by their degree of e-equity; b) carry out intra-gender analysis according to the degree of e-inclusion of each sex; and c) contextualize the results obtained with the corresponding thirty-one European countries. Furthermore, this transnational analytical perspective is specified in the ranking of countries that are used to establish five classification categories according to the level of ICT use, combined with the degree of existing gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces a new cultural study based on the interpretation of certain principles of social complexity theory. We analyse the impact of the Information Society on the construction of European cultural identities. The acceleration of communication prevents objective reflection on the experiences of individuals and their communities. Europe's debate on crucial issues of identity, based on volatilized information, and timelessly disoriented by the speed of the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciência da Informação is the property of Instituto Brasileiro de Informacao em Ciencia e Tecnologia (IBICT) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: The diffusion of broadband in Europe is shaped by the penetration rates of the individual European countries. However, the contribution of each country to the total level of diffusion is not the same, due to the existence of a digital divide among the countries. The digital divide is still evident and although diffusion keeps increasing, not all countries have the same rate of broadband adoption. Based on the above, a methodology measuring the digital divide gap is presented in the context of this research, together with forecasts regarding broadband convergence. Evaluation of the methodology was performed for the European countries examined from 2001 to 2009. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of ESSACHESS is the property of ESSACHESS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, it is taken as a goal to evaluate the approach to the Institution of Library in European Union Lisbon Strategy (EU LS) and the United Nations' World Summit on the information society (WSIS) studies. Within this scope, firstly the conceptual frame of the issue was drawn up and then the basic strategy documen, in relation to the subject and later on, "the EU LS Lisbon Strategy" documents, together with UN DBTZ "Declaration of Principles", "Action Plan", "Tunis Commitment", "Tunis Agenda for the Information Society" and "UN DBTZ Targets: A Mid-Term Review" were examined. It was found out that in EU LS studies the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure was associated with the institution of library and it was furthermore figured out in WSIS studies that the institution of library was seen among the effective tools of Information Society, governments, international organizations, private sector and civil society. Conclusively, it was suggested that the institution of library should be taken into account in national e-strategies and development policies -within the scope of information policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the European academic and institutional debate, interoperability is predominantly seen as a means to enable public administrations to collaborate within Members State and across borders. The article presents a conceptual framework for ICT-enabled governance and analyses the role of interoperability in this regard. The article makes a specific reference to the exploratory research project carried out by the Information Society Unit of the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre on emerging ICT-enabled governance models in EU cities (EXPGOV). The aim of this project is to study the interplay between ICTs and governance processes at city level and formulate an interdisciplinary framework to assess the various dynamics emerging from the application of ICT-enabled service innovations in European cities. In this regard, the conceptual framework proposed in this article results from an action research perspective and investigation of e-governance experiences carried out in Europe. It aims to elicit the main value drivers that should orient how interoperable systems are implemented, considering the reciprocal influences that occur between these systems and different governance models in their specific context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to better understand the digital divide by identifying the variety of ways in which people in Europe use the Internet. First, by using cluster analysis on survey data (N=12,666/age: 16–74 years) from Eurostat on Internet usage in Norway, Sweden, Austria, the UK, and Spain, we identified five user types: Non-Users (42%), Sporadic Users (18%), Instrumental Users (18%), Entertainment Users (10%), and Advanced Users (12%). These user types differ in their distributions over country, age, access, household members, and gender. An alarming finding is that 60% of the population was found to be either Non-Users or Sporadic Users, which reflects a large digital divide in Europe. Second, we conducted a logistic regression to identify the predictors for different user types. We found on a cross-national level that age and Internet access are the most salient predictors, whereas gender and household seems to be less relevant. However, the amount of variance explained differs between countries. We also suggested a future increase in the digital divide between the identified user types—a user type divide. The user typology and the identified predictors might help researchers, practitioners, and decision makers to better understand Internet users and the multi-complex variations among individuals and countries. This knowledge will also serve as a means to understand the digital divide by providing a more nuanced perspective on Europeans'' unequal usage of the Internet and participation in an increasingly digital society. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article seeks answers to the question why progress towards gender equality has not turned out to be an inevitable part of the transition towards the knowledge society in Europe, in spite of efforts to ensure such an outcome. In this analysis I demonstrate how the market processes involved in the transition to the knowledge society entail opposing tendencies regarding gender inequalities. The European Union (EU) has brought into play a certain degree of convergence pressure by integrating relevant objectives of the Lisbon Strategy into the European Employment Strategy (EES) in order to pressure member states to develop its model of the knowledge society, which involves economic, employment and social progress. The main concern here is to identify the extent to which the EES and, in particular, the gender mainstreaming strategy is a tool to challenge the market forces underlying gender inequalities. It is argued that the EU's policy processes take as a given, and indeed promote the predominance of market forces in the construction of the knowledge society. Hence, the EU does not have a clear vision of what perpetuates gender inequalities and therefore what needs to be done to change them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to offer an alternative critique to graduated response, a warning and sanction mechanism aimed at fighting online piracy. Design/methodology/approach - This paper reflects on and frames graduated response in terms of theories on surveillance society and code. In particular, it analyses the graduated response debate in the European Union and the current initiatives in France and the UK. Findings - The paper argues that graduated response portrays rights holders as being in a state of emergency, is a form of social sorting, and has a technological bias. Originality/value - This paper contends that many objections raised to graduated response have been reduced to issues concerning the procedure rather than the principle, and that important societal questions concerning graduated response remain un(der)explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]