Suchergebnisse

Lo scopo di questo articolo è di comprendere quali elementi intangibili del patrimonio culturale influenzino maggiormente la percezione di una destinazione turistica. La metodologia utilizzata è di natura qualitativa; in particolare è stato utilizzato il metodo netnografico per l'analisi dei racconti di viaggio concernenti quattro città italiane (Firenze, Napoli, Roma e Venezia) presenti in una comunità online di viaggiatori. I risultati mostrano una elevata quantità di citazioni riferite a prodotti enogastronomici tipici del luogo visitato, nonché a tradizioni legate al territorio, dimostrando la significatività che tali elementi intangibili rivestono nella esperienza turistica. Sotto il profilo delle implicazioni pratiche, emerge la possibilità di ampliare la consapevolezza afferente al ruolo degli elementi intangibili del patrimonio culturale nei responsabili di politiche di marketing turistico e territoriale. ; The aim of the study is to investigate how intangible elements of cultural heritage influence visitors' perception of a particular tourist destination. This study uses the qualitative research method of netnography, examining travel diaries from online communities in order to analyze the recorded perceptions of heterogeneous visitors of four different tourist destinations (Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice). Evidences show a high quantity of references related to local food and to visited communities (everyday life, contact with locals, etc.) in the examined diary texts. Such a result indicates how these elements remain anchored in the mind of tourists and, therefore, may be interpreted as signifi cant factors in the evaluation of holiday experiences. Regarding the practical implications, this study aims to improve the decision makers' awareness about the importance of intangible heritage elements, specifically concerning heritage tourism.

Lo scopo di questo articolo è di comprendere quali elementi intangibili del patrimonio culturale influenzino maggiormente la percezione di una destinazione turistica. La metodologia utilizzata è di natura qualitativa; in particolare sarà utilizzato il metodo netnografico per l'analisi dei racconti di viaggio concernenti quattro città italiane (Firenze, Napoli, Roma e Venezia) presenti in una comunità online di viaggiatori. I risultati mostrano una elevata quantità di citazioni riferite a prodotti enogastronomici tipici del luogo visitato, nonché a tradizioni legate al territorio, dimostrando la significatività che tali elementi intangibili rivestono nella esperienza turistica. Sotto il profilo delle implicazioni pratiche, emerge la possibilità di ampliare la consapevolezza afferente al ruolo degli elementi intangibili del patrimonio culturale nei responsabili di politiche di marketing turistico e territoriale.The aim of the study is to investigate how intangible elements of cultural heritage influence visitors' perception of a particular tourist destination. This study uses the qualitative research method of netnography, examining travel diaries from online communities in order to analyze the recorded perceptions of heterogeneous visitors of four different tourist destinations (Florence, Naples, Rome and Venice). Evidences show a high quantity of references related to local food and visited communities (everyday life, contact with locals, etc.) in the examined diary texts. Such a result indicates how these elements remain anchored in the mind of tourists and, therefore, may be interpreted as significant factors in the evaluation of holiday experiences. Regarding the practical implications, this study aims to improve the decision makers' awareness about the importance of intangible heritage elements, specifically concerning heritage tourism.

The spread of Covid-19 virus all over the world has been accompanied by the online circulation of a relevant number of fake news. In this regard, the World Health Organization coined the term infodemic, that is, "an epidemic of misinformation - spreading rapidly through social media platforms and other outlets that poses a serious problem for public health" (Zarocostas, 2020). In this short essay, we explore the processes of circulation of fake news within the Italian Twittersphere during Covid-19 emergency. Drawing upon the analysis of 7,237,581 tweets, based on a digital methods approach, we conclude that it is not possible to observe a real infodemic within the Italian Twittersphere. Only 1,44% of the tweets collected are fake news, plus they circulate only in very specific periods and within closed communities. Furthermore, the 61% of fake news deals with the topic of immigration: false information that put the blame of coronavirus diffusion on migrants do not represent, per se, a threat to public health; instead, they are part of the strategy adopted by Italian right-wing populist movements to get online visibility for political purposes. In the conclusion, we also propose a reflection on the characteristics and potentials of real-time social research, arguing that it can give a fruitful and authoritative contribution to enhancing the online public debate on contemporary social issues.

2011 has been a "rose" year for Open Access all over the world, as both the green and the gold ways met with great successes. Due to its social pervasiveness, Open Access is gaining ground within alternative economies and is opening new paths inside the social environment. In 2011 it was increasingly used for support and humanitarian aids worldwide, and acting as a real catalyst for information it involved people and cultures within the social media and the social networks. Its current ramifications are having great impact in the evolution of other open movements like the Open- Data movement, the e-Science's communities, the Open Education Resources (OER) and of newest and fascinating models of modern pedagogy like the so-called Massively Open Courses (MOOC), open online online university courses focused on open access and targeted to the masses. Nevertheless, due to the way scientific communication used to work until a few years ago, there are still a few critical points like the necessity to identify sustainable economic models for scientific publishing, and to find a proper rights' management model together with the consequent allocation of profits within the value chain. Thus, the projects of the Digital Innovation and the policy choices within the research programs of the Commission and the European Union will be strategic in promoting open access in the sense of open innovation, and in working out several critical issues.

2011 has been a "rose" year for Open Access all over the world, as both the green and the gold ways met with great successes. Due to its social pervasiveness, Open Access is gaining ground within alternative economies and is opening new paths inside the social environment. In 2011 it was increasingly used for support and humanitarian aids worldwide, and acting as a real catalyst for information it involved people and cultures within the social media and the social networks. Its current ramifications are having great impact in the evolution of other open movements like the Open-Data movement, the e-Science's communities, the Open Education Resources (OER) and of newest and fascinating models of modern pedagogy like the so-called Massively Open Courses (MOOC), open online online university courses focused on open access and targeted to the masses. Nevertheless, due to the way scientific communication used to work until a few years ago, there are still a few critical points like the necessity to identify sustainable economic models for scientific publishing, and to find a proper rights' management model together with the consequent allocation of profits within the value chain. Thus, the projects of the Digital Innovation and the policy choices within the research programs of the Commission and the European Union will be strategic in promoting open access in the sense of open innovation, and in working out several critical issues. ; Il 2011 è stato un anno "rosa" per l'Open Access a livello internazionale, con dati di crescita più che confortanti: la via verde e la via d'oro si sono costellate di grandi successi. L'OA, grazie alla sua pervasività sociale, si sta muovendo verso economie alternative e si sta creando nuovi percorsi e nuovi spazi dentro l'ambiente sociale. Sempre più usato nel mondo per scopi di supporto e aiuto umanitario, sta coinvolgendo persone e culture entro social media e social network, agendo come un vero e proprio catalizzatore informativo. Le ramificazioni dell'OA stanno avendo ad oggi grande impatto nell'evoluzione di altri movimenti "open": dall'OpenData alle comunità e-Science, dalle Open Education Resources (OER) ai modelli di pedagogia aperta, nel quadro dell'affascinante mondo dei cosiddetti Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC), i corsi universitari online a libero accesso e rivolti alle masse. Tuttavia permangono alcune criticità, retaggio di meccanismi insiti nei processi di comunicazione scientifica, in primis l'individuazione e la sostenibilità di modelli economici per l'editoria scientifica, la gestione corretta dei diritti e la conseguente allocazione dei profitti entro la catena di valore. Le implicazioni nelle scelte politiche entro i programmi di ricerca della Commissione Europea e i progetti dell'Agenda digitale e dell'Unione dell'Innovazione saranno determinanti nel promuovere l'accesso aperto nel senso di open innovation, e nella risoluzione dei nodi critici.

Open data are key-tools for open government strategy. In Italy, from the so-called Codice dell'Amministrazione Digitale (2005) to the Freedom of Information Act (2016), the regulatory framework on open data has started offering precious resources for transparency, participation, and collaboration. Yet, along with regulatory innovations, open government and open data strategies require a renewed civic culture in action, new ways to become citizens and to act as citizens. Civic hacking – through practices that stimulate public data's transparency, openness, and reuse – provides a privileged observatory on the new forms of citizenship in the heterogeneous contexts of open government. The study described in this article explored, in 2015, the practices of civic hacking developed in Italy by data-journalists and active citizens, analysing the civic culture that was in action through these practices. Drawing upon Dahlgren's analytical framework of civic cultures, the exploratory study aimed to understand what kind of civic knowledge, values, trust, and identity was embodied in the practices of the Italian civic hackers and what kind of space enabled these practices. In order to contact civic hackers, who could give sense to these actions, disclosing – through qualitative interviews – their cultural resources, the study employed the online channels of three Italian communities engaged in open data and digital innovation – as suggested by "key-informants". The interviewees discussed practices of civic hacking orientated toward transparency and accountability, in order to "hack" the Italian Public Administration, still "closed", despite the available norms. Few practices, among the ones reported by the interviewees, re-used open data and shared them, encouraging logics of participation and collaboration. The civic culture that drives these practices is built on a mix of knowledge and skills, values that are typical of hacker ethic, experienced in remote and physical spaces. The interviewees feel to be able to make a difference in the Italian public sector organizations, in concert with other civic hackers. This exploratory study opens research paths on the vitality and the transformation of civic hacking in the renewed Italian regulatory framework on open data.

Open data are key-tools for open government strategy. In Italy, from the so-called Codice dell'Amministrazione Digitale (2005) to the Freedom of Information Act (2016), the regulatory framework on open data has started offering precious resources for transparency, participation, and collaboration. Yet, along with regulatory innovations, open government and open data strategies require a renewed civic culture in action, new ways to become citizens and to act as citizens. Civic hacking – through practices that stimulate public data's transparency, openness, and reuse – provides a privileged observatory on the new forms of citizenship in the heterogeneous contexts of open government. The study described in this article explored, in 2015, the practices of civic hacking developed in Italy by data-journalists and active citizens, analysing the civic culture that was in action through these practices. Drawing upon Dahlgren's analytical framework of civic cultures, the exploratory study aimed to understand what kind of civic knowledge, values, trust, and identity was embodied in the practices of the Italian civic hackers and what kind of space enabled these practices. In order to contact civic hackers, who could give sense to these actions, disclosing – through qualitative interviews – their cultural resources, the study employed the online channels of three Italian communities engaged in open data and digital innovation – as suggested by "key-informants". The interviewees discussed practices of civic hacking orientated toward transparency and accountability, in order to "hack" the Italian Public Administration, still "closed", despite the available norms. Few practices, among the ones reported by the interviewees, re-used open data and shared them, encouraging logics of participation and collaboration. The civic culture that drives these practices is built on a mix of knowledge and skills, values that are typical of hacker ethic, experienced in remote and physical spaces. The interviewees feel to be able to make a difference in the Italian public sector organizations, in concert with other civic hackers. This exploratory study opens research paths on the vitality and the transformation of civic hacking in the renewed Italian regulatory framework on open data.

The thesis of this paper is based on the assumption that the socio-economic system in which we are living is characterised by three great trends: growing attention to the promotion of human capital; extremely rapid technological progress, based above all on the information and communication technologies (ICT); the establishment of new production and organizational set-ups. These transformation processes pose a concrete challenge to the training sector, which is called to satisfy the demand for new skills that need to be developed and disseminated. Hence the growing interest that the various training sub-systems devote to the issues of lifelong learning and distance learning. In such a context, the so-called e-learning acquires a central role. The first chapter proposes a reference theoretical framework for the transformations that are shaping post-industrial society. It analyzes some key issues such as: how work is changing, the evolution of organizational set-ups and the introduction of learning organization, the advent of the knowledge society and of knowledge companies, the innovation of training processes, and the key role of ICT in the new training and learning systems. The second chapter focuses on the topic of e-learning as an effective training model in response to the need for constant learning that is emerging in the knowledge society. This chapter starts with a reflection on the importance of lifelong learning and introduces the key arguments of this thesis, i.e. distance learning (DL) and the didactic methodology called e-learning. It goes on with an analysis of the various theoretic and technical aspects of e-learning. In particular, it delves into the theme of e-learning as an integrated and constant training environment, characterized by customized programmes and collaborative learning, didactic assistance and constant monitoring of the results. Thus, all the aspects of e-learning are taken into exam: the actors and the new professionals, the virtual communities as learning subjects, the organization of contents in learning objects, the conformity to international standards, the integrated platforms and so on. The third chapter, which concludes the theoretic-interpretative part, starts with a short presentation of the state-of-the-art e-learning international market that aims to understand its peculiarities and its current trends. Finally, we focus on some important regulation aspects related to the strong impulse given by the European Commission first, and by the Italian governments secondly, to the development and diffusion of e-learning. The second part of the thesis (chapters 4, 5 and 6) focus on field research, which aims to define the Italian scenario for e-learning. In particular, we have examined some key topics such as: the challenges of training and the instruments to face such challenges; the new didactic methods and technologies for lifelong learning; the level of diffusion of e-learning in Italy; the relation between classroom training and online training; the main factors of success as well as the most critical aspects of the introduction of e-learning in the various learning environments. As far as the methodological aspects are concerned, we have favoured a qualitative and quantitative analysis. A background analysis has been done to collect the statistical data available on this topic, as well as the research previously carried out in this area. The main source of data is constituted by the results of the Observatory on e-learning of Aitech-Assinform, which covers the 2000s and four areas of implementation (firms, public administration, universities, school): the thesis has reviewed the results of the last three available surveys, offering a comparative interpretation of them. We have then carried out an in-depth empirical examination of two case studies, which have been selected by virtue of the excellence they have achieved and can therefore be considered advanced and emblematic experiences (a large firm and a Graduate School).

The twentieth century (characterized by the gruesome and haze of horror of two World Wars, the Cold Wars-CW, dictatorships, civil wars, genocides, etc.) has seen a great transformation in warfare but to the expense of the innocent civilians and yet in the full view of regulatory internationally recognized war-laws. So, if at one point in history, civilian populations hardly suffered war directly, the order of the state of affairs has now changed. Many civilians perish simply because warlords so desire; extremes of violence, killings and destruction of property is predominantly preferred. As if that is not enough, the indifference of the majority of the public in tranquil zones of the world towards the fate of the civilians in zones under by fire kind of provide implicit licenses to violence planners to do whatever it takes to "win". Consequently, great numbers of survivors are seen trying to escape from situations of assured death to that of probable death. It is against this background that we feel moved to take on this dissertation. Bearing in mind the generally complex and challenging contemporary conflicts that acutely breeds volatile security environments (for civilians), our thesis is that there needed to be an increased, noteworthy and continued applicable innovation of approaches to civilian protection. To be precise, as a strategy to sustainable peace, we have aspired after a world where the United Nations Peacekeeping Department (UNPKD) is not singly considered the sole custodian of the concept of civilian protection but (based on contexts and cases) as one but a leader among other stakeholders (local and foreign) able and ready to contribute to the common-pool of operational arenas. Thinking about these other stake holders, we have in this work stood by those that: firstly, move towards more civilian-centered operations that are; secondly, carried out by (a mixture of grassroots and international) unarmed civilians by means of; thirdly, engages nonviolent approaches and practices that in themselves anticipate the basic constituents of successive bottom-up Peacemaking (PK) and Peacebuilding (PB) in the hic et nunc of their Peacekeeping (PK) initiatives and applications. All these basics, in our view, do not just add up to drawing a continuous line that intersects the just mentioned Three Approaches to Peace (PK, PM, PB) coined by Johan Galtung way back in 1975; they also open avenues to sustainability. The thesis is taken on through three different parts; each subdivided into two chapters. With due attention to intrastate contemporary violent conflicts, the first part tries to demonstrate the reason why in PK there has been indeed need for rethinking the protection of civilians (PoC) and/or for enriching the methods until now employed in bringing it about. In the first chapter of the part, we kind of gave a sketchy attention to the historical journey that the patterns of violent conflicts in relation to the fate of non-combatants have made. It emerges that, unlike in the past, the pattern of contemporary violent conflict, especially with reference to the CW (especially in third-world countries) and post-CW periods, have become severely complex to handle. Wars have continued and proved to be very hot especially on the populations on the periphery; on those who are minimally directly concerned with and honestly ignorant of its objectives. In the period in question, these innocent men, women and children are more than ever struck hard not just by its direct consequences but also the indirect ones and their hopes are constantly put at the brink of mere survival and of the grave. Mores so the lucky ones who manage to escape these snares, continue to unwaveringly hope for bread, freedom, justice and peace, instead of iron that kills and destroys. In chapter II of the same part, looking at the commitments borne by the UN right from its early years in keeping, initially, the interstate and successively also the intrastate peace (of those tormented by reign of violence and terror), we acknowledge the strides gradually taken along the years. These strides has better late than never embraced a multidimensional point in time where civilian protection counts as a primacy. Accordingly, we recognize that the UN military PK is certainly capable of reducing the level of tension in conflicts but we also negated that, by so doing, it is able to guarantee a durable peace not only because of the application of the non-peaceful means which is limited to separating the conflicting parties but also because it lacks the strategic concern of fostering an active citizenship which is a basic ingredient to democratic populace. In Part Two, we have concentrated on the vision and the peculiar picture of the practitioners of the alternative way, particularly; the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) which operates on a benchmark of bottom-up strategic empowerment of local civilian unarmed and nonviolent efforts by international unarmed and nonviolent civilians to protect civilians, prevent, reduce and stop violent conflicts. The first chapter of this second part begins by singling out some of the nuts and bolts (Like: The centrality of sustainability; strategic, local and multilevel capacity and relational empowerment and mediation for peace; conflict transformation as the adequate language; nonviolence and nonpartisanship as a philosophy) that make Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) stands out faithfully to the above stated aspirations. Without giving importance to the chronological specifics and with a particular reference to the assessment of the practicality of the project that, on a later date, would organizationally become the NP, an extensive attention is paid to the vicissitudes that surrounded the founding of this UCP protection agency and especially to the foundations of the formative elements entailed. Chapter II does not only build on the findings and stimuli of Chapter I, it supersedes it and makes real a new and distinct reality. Herein, a unique place is devoted to the formative components reserved to the practitioners as a strategy for guaranteeing the competencies and high professionalism needed for the successful execution of field strategies attached to the NP UCP objectives, principles, key methods and practices. Through the analysis of the UCP Training Course entitled "Strengthening Civilian Capacities to Protect Civilians; A joint UNITAR- Nonviolent Peaceforce online Course" the chapter tries to show how the activities of the organization intrinsically flow from its very being; from elements which define it. And this is illustrated in how the very life of the NP UCP is blended with its formative spirit and content; a sort of transformative training that seeks to promote transformative operational frameworks that applicable to situations and contexts. The third part of the work is an applied one. It is dedicated to our chosen case study, namely, NP's intervention in the longtime violence-stricken Republic of South Sudan; in a country which (Thomas Hobbes would say) has once again reverted to its natural state; a harsh reality of hand to mouth living and a never ending search for sustenance in an ambiance virtually challenging to change. In chapter I, the pragmatic implementation of NP UCP in strengthening the local civilians' capacity, security and sense of safety in situation of violent conflict is marked out. Here, some concrete instances of this intervention are presented to exemplify the claim that a multiple base of actors (UCPs, the inviting civil society and/or local NGOs of an UCP presence and local partners) can sustainably and strategically provide the PoC work that for a long time was and is still largely entrusted to the military. And at the end of the day PK, PM, PB resources are considered to consist in not only financial and material supports, but also, and (in the same way) importantly, the socio-cultural resources of the affected people. And in this way people in conflict settings are seen as resources rather than recipients. Even though we evidently confirmed that the alternative way counts exceptionally big in strategically promoting, developing, and implementing sustainable unarmed civilian PK as a tool for preventing, reducing and stopping violence and protecting civilians in situations of violent conflict, we also acknowledge that it is not without challenges. These are actually what chapter two of the part extensively dwells on. The second chapter is instead dedicated (at length) to looking at the challenges that NP faces not only with regard to its missions lands but also in general. We have gone about this in the form of a comprehensive assessment and in some humble recommendations are advanced. Among these challenges we have particularly paid attention to issues like: The meager UCP funding and the dominant top-down mentality; the violent bully character of some major world power wielders; the need for more practitioners to carry out UCP; the dynamicity and complexity of conflict nature as a challenge; conflict prevention challenges like delays in capturing the signs of time so as to effectively intervene; the presence of spoilers as a challenge; the challenge of effective sustainable credibility. Recommendations proposed include among others: Investing in systematic reflections on the extent of the progress and failures so far registered in efforts to involve the UN, regional bodies and other donor agencies or individuals in the cause of NP (UCP) and reflecting on the philosophy that underpins the reasons why financial assistance to UCP and NP in particular is founded; more emphasis on the already existing engagement with political leaders and other influential people and embarking on popular campaigns to propagate a concretely evidenced knowledge of the feasibility of the alternative way, instituting and investing in "School Project" (dedicated to preferably to high schools) within the NP Advocacy and Outreach office and insisting on the positives of volunteers' contribution; enriching a little more the content of the just elaborated online UCP training course; etc. Hereafter, the general conclusion of our dissertation will be drawn. A profound acknowledgement of the UNPK pivotal role with its actual multidimensional fronts in PK basically intended as PoC specifically in the contemporary intrastate violent conflicts. It is also observed that, thanks to the appropriate blending of local and international capacities giving priority to the former, UCP's strategic approach to PK (which is not limited to the PoCs but is also anchored to preventing, reducing and ending not just those that are already on but also lays for standing up to the future possible ones) could be counted on. Thus far, it is on one hand, admissible that, despite all the challenges that there may be, NP (UCP) mechanisms is already proffering a great deal to this end, and on the other, it is evident that it can and should still do more. The ability of its interventions to stand the test of time and to stand up to the future conflicts (i.e. its sustainability) resides in a time which is not yet at hand and in the continuous involvement and inventiveness of many. As per now, if the Italian proverb "Il buongiorno si vede dal mattino" (Meaning: You can tell how something will go by how it begins) holds, then it is, up till now, realistic to count on NP as one of the most outstanding Bottom-up UCP organizations in the PoC in (selected) contemporary violent conflict situations. All that is needed is the building and the consolidation of international interest and support for UCP that presents the hope and reality of alternatives to over dependence on armed intervention; alternatives that chances the revitalization of local communities and the restoration of the social fabrics and capital of the affected people.