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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Technologization Of Politics: The Internet And The Electronic Citizen, Charlotte Yun Jan 2015

The Technologization Of Politics: The Internet And The Electronic Citizen, Charlotte Yun

2015 Undergraduate Awards

Dramatic shifts in technology have transformed the structures of civic participation and communication in the latter half of the 20th century, and optimistic presumptions purporting the global establishment of “e-democracy” has become a commonly understood concept. But reality has failed to demonstrate this ideal and has instead proven otherwise: whether online or offline, it is politics as usual. This paper explores the ramifications of online platforms for political engagement from a critical perspective. The author argues that sustaining political activity online in “user-powered,” democratized digital spaces is ultimately fruitless without offline mobilization. While contemporary Web 2.0 platforms for political activity …


An Exploration Of Poverty In Central Appalachia: Questions Of Culture, Industry, And Technology, Cara Robinson Jan 2015

An Exploration Of Poverty In Central Appalachia: Questions Of Culture, Industry, And Technology, Cara Robinson

Social Work and Urban Studies Faculty Research

By most government statistical definitions, Central Appalachia is one of the most impoverished regions in the United States. Many of the region’s residents are low income, dependent on government benefits, have high rates of obesity and diabetes, and low rates of college educational obtainment. Central Appalachia is historically tied to the coal mining and railroad industries. Many scholars believe this historical bond created an internal colony of company-dependent residents who have been unable to transition successfully from those industry’s boom eras or escape the lingering effects of industry environmental, health and economic degradation. While coal mining stripped the land of …