Social media has emerged as a powerful tool that reaches a wide audience with minimum time and effort. It has a diverse role in society and human life and can boost the visibility of information that allows citizens the ability to play a vital role in creating and fostering social change. This practice can have both positive and negative consequences on society. Examining the Roles of IT and Social Media in Democratic Development and Social Change is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of social media within community development and democracy. While highlighting topics including information capitalism, ethical issues, and e-governance, this book is ideally designed for social workers, politicians, public administrators, sociologists, journalists, policymakers, government administrators, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on social advancement and change through social media and technology.

As the internet has been regulated from its conception, many widespread beliefs regarding internet freedom are actually misconceptions. Additionally, there are already two main categories of internet regulation systems in use: the open and the silent IRSs. Unexpectedly, the former are quite popular among authoritarian regimes, while the latter are implemented mainly in Western democracies. Many IT experts and media analysts criticize Western governments’ choice to use a silent IRS, expressing their fear that this could set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the democratic countries around the world. New regulation systems must be developed and implemented that are more acceptable to the general public. Internet Censorship and Regulation Systems in Democracies: Emerging Research and Opportunities is an essential reference source that discusses the phenomenon of internet regulation in general and the use of internet regulation systems (IRSs) by authoritarian regimes and Western democracies and proposes a blueprint for the development and implementation of a fair internet regulation system (FIRS). using original research conducted in seven countries from 2008 to 2017. The book also considers the function of a fair internet regulation system in terms of maximizing its effectiveness, keeping the implementation cost low, and increasing the probability of acceptance by each country’s general public. Featuring research on topics such as governmental control, online filtering, and public opinion, this book is ideally designed for researchers, policymakers, government officials, practitioners, academicians, and students seeking coverage on modern internet censorship policies within various international democracies.

Activism and the role everyday people play in making a change in society are increasingly popular topics in the world right now, especially as younger generations begin to speak out. From traditional protests to activities on college campuses, to the use of social media, more individuals are finding accessible platforms with which to share their views and become more actively involved in politics and social welfare. With the emergence of new technologies and a spotlight on important social issues, people are able to become more involved in society than ever before as they fight for what they believe. It is essential to consider the recent trends, technologies, and movements in order to understand where society is headed in the future. The Research Anthology on Citizen Engagement and Activism for Social Change examines a plethora of innovative research surrounding social change and the various ways citizens are involved in shaping society. Covering topics such as accountability, social media, voter turnout, and leadership, it is an ideal work for activists, sociologists, social workers, politicians, public administrators, sociologists, journalists, policymakers, social media analysts, government administrators, academicians, researchers, practitioners, and students.

Much like different lenses will give a camera a different view, different forms of media portray different aspects of political relations. Without conveyed messages through audiovisual media, individuals would lose those conveyed messages through sub-textual means. Universal Codes of Media in International Political Communications: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of audiovisual media and applications within political science. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as media representation, political studies, and international communications, this book is ideally designed for policymakers, administrators, and government officials.

The application of theory to practice in addressing social transformation still has a lot of room for growth and improvement. This is also true of theory being informed by practice. Too often, there are gaps between what is studied in the academy and what is needed in the field. The academy develops theories in isolation from the everyday lives of people, especially in post-conflict environments. Communities seeking innovative ways to address their social needs can benefit from the learning of theories and research conducted within academia. At the same time, these methods need to be relevant to the local contexts within which they are being used. While there are certain norms of communication in the academy of how research is conducted and disseminated, there needs to be a translation into practical terms to be used in the field. Redefining Theory and Practice to Guide Social Transformation: Emerging Research and Opportunities addresses the need practitioners and social change agents have in finding processes and practices to use in the field to engage with and transform communities. This critical reference book provides an innovative fieldwork method that leads to social transformation and suggests ways to further develop the relationship between academic theories and practices around social conflicts with the existing local knowledge. The chapters include mini case studies that have been developed over the years from the authors’ work with youth and community leaders with the objective of providing a methodology that allows practitioners to approach the field by engaging with local actors in ways that are generative and trustworthy, yet rigorous. While highlighting the practices, notions, and technologies that are at work in conflict, post-conflict, or transitioning out of conflict settings by local community leaders, this book is ideally for practitioners in the field of conflict, peacebuilding, and social and conflict transformation; community leaders and social organizers; as well as practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in social transformation.

In business, success hinges not only on individual performance but on the vitality of the broader ecosystem in which a company operates. However, crafting a thriving ecosystem alone is not enough to ensure success. Equally vital is the ability to manage relationships within this ecosystem effectively, harnessing its potential to enhance overall performance. Moreover, startups face the daunting challenge of scalability, a pivotal factor in long-term sustainability. Yet, achieving scalability often proves elusive due to complexities in resource management and ecosystem development. Innovation and Resource Management Strategies for Startups Development is a comprehensive solution to the pressing issues of resource management, ecosystem development, and startup scalability. This unique reference book delves deep into these critical aspects, offering a wealth of ideas, case studies, and best practices alongside thorough theoretical analysis. We recognize the undeniable influence of resource management and ecosystems on startup scalability, and our objective is to enhance understanding in this domain. By examining the powerful concepts that have shaped development policy and dissecting the role of resource management and ecosystem development in current discourse, our book provides the necessary insights to identify inefficiencies and facilitate startup scalability. It goes beyond mere theory, fostering collaborative strategies among resources, ecosystems, and startups on a global scale, ultimately contributing to social and economic development.

This book offers insights into social media practices and challenges in developing nations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Covering different aspects of social media during the pandemic, the book offers new frameworks, concepts, tools and techniques for integrating social media to support national development. Thematically organized chapters from a global team of scholars address the different aspects of social media during the pandemic. The book begins by looking at ICT for development and how development agencies have used social media platforms, before looking at engagement with these social media campaigns and the spread of misinformation. Further chapters cover the practical uses of social media in healthcare and virtual medicine, mental health issues and challenges, remote education and government policies. This timely volume will be of interest to scholars and students of social media, health communication, global development studies and NGO communication.