scholarly journals Institutional Resistance To Transparency: The Quest for Public Sector Information in Mexico

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillén Torres
Keyword(s):  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Open Data ◽  
The State ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Information Control ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Political Dimension ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Public Sector Information

Despite the popularization of progressive Freedom of Information and Open Data policies, both transparency practitioners and academia have warned about an increase in attempts to control and reduce the informa- tion that flows from the state to citizens. Within the literature dedicated to investigate this phenomenon, the notion of resistance to transparency has been used often to characterize instances of problematic governmental information control. However, within this body of research, the concept of resistance has been stripped of its contentious elements and treated as a synonym of reluctance, unwillingness or foot-dragging, rather than a category with an inherent political dimension. As a result, what is insti- tutional resistance to transparency and what are its political consequences remains vague. Drawing from the theoretical toolbox of the fields of Re- sistance Studies and Science and Technology Studies, this paper explores the politics of institutional resistance to transparency through a case study of Mexican information activists. By focusing on activists’ experiences, I suggest that institutional resistance originates in how transparency mech- anisms allow some citizens to make the state more legible, controllable, and accountable. Furthermore, I argue that institutional resistance is car- ried out mostly through everyday, subtle, seemingly non-political strategies implemented by the state’s institutions, which reduce citizens’ ability to produce and/or process data regarding governmental action.

scholarly journals Auditing the State: Everyday Forms of Institutional Resistance in the Mexican Freedom of Information Process

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillén Torres
Keyword(s):  
Recent Trend ◽  
The State ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Information Control ◽  
Information Process ◽  
Liberal Democracies ◽  
Flow Of Information ◽  
Scholarly Attention

Governmental transparency through Freedom of Information (FOI) Laws has become a standard in modern liberal democracies. However, a recent trend documented by practitioners and academics alike consists of governments stating in paper their support for transparency, but in practice implementing various kinds of strategies to limit the flow of information towards engaged citizens, increasing secrecy and opaqueness. While scholarly attention has mostly been set on the motivations and effects of secrecy within institutions, the consequences experienced by politically engaged citizens have received less interest. In this paper I focus on how information activists experience and make sense of instances of information control during the performance of the FOI process, through a case study set in Mexico. I suggest that the constant denials, delays and obstructions activists face during the process of requesting information can be productively analyzed through the concept of Everyday Forms of Resistance.

scholarly journals Mobile people, phones and photography: Somali visual practices in Nairobi's Eastleigh estate

Africa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-245
Author(s):  
Neil Carrier
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Dimension ◽  
Somali Diaspora ◽  
Mobile Phone Camera ◽  
The Way

AbstractThe coming of the mobile phone camera has transformed photography. This article explores this transformation through a case study of photography in Eastleigh, a Nairobi estate that is home to many thousand Somalis, both Kenyan Somalis and refugees from Somalia. It is a trade hub for East Africa, a social and economic hub for the global Somali diaspora, and a place regarded as suspect in a country where Somalis have long been marginalized. This article examines Eastleigh as photographic subject and setting, comparing the ubiquity of mobile phone photography there with seldom-practised more traditional forms of photography that are often treated with suspicion in an estate subject to securitized government policy and negative press. It shows how mobile phone photography helps people in the estate communicate visually with the wider Somali diaspora through social media, and how it helps people sell their goods, using as a case study a particular archive of images sent through WhatsApp to the author by Mohaa, a friend of his and a trader in the estate. The article also adds a political dimension to recent anthropological theorizing on mobile photography, showing how, in Eastleigh, Somalis have used photography and social media to take control of the way in which the estate is represented visually, and to demand from the state better services and better treatment.

scholarly journals Politics of disclosure: Organizational transparency as multi-actor negotiation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Heimstädt ◽  
Leonhard Dobusch
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Transformative Power ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
And Function ◽  
Organizational Transparency

Transparency is in vogue, yet oftentimes used as an umbrella concept for a wide array of phenomena. More focused concepts are needed to understand the form and function of different phenomena of visibility. In this article, we develop a definition of organizational transparency as systematic disclosure programs that meet the information needs of other actors. Organizational transparency, we argue, is best studied as an inter-organizational negotiation process on the field- level. To evaluate its merit, we apply this framework to a case study on the introduction of open data in the Berlin city administration. Analyzing the politics of disclosure, we learn about the similarities and differences between phenomena of visibility (e.g. open data, freedom of information), explore the transformative power of negotiating transparency, and deduce recommendations for managing transparency.

scholarly journals A Case Study of New England Open Data Portals

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-80
Author(s):  
Bonnie Paige ◽  
Luanne Freund
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
Open Data ◽  
The State ◽  
Open Government ◽  
State Law ◽  
Us States ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data

Open government data has proliferated across every level of government in the 2010s, but research has focused primarily on national or municipal portals, which may obscure the challenges faced in providing open government data in less densely populated areas. This research focuses on the cases of three US states- Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We examine the stated goals of each portal and any policies related to their establishment or upkeep. We then examine the portals with regard to updating, reuse, organization and other factors. Of the three cases, Vermont’s portal is moderately successful and continues to be used. New Hampshire’s strategy of linking to data on agency websites is inconsistent, but the state law requiring data published to be in open formats does mean data is more open when it is provided. Maine’s portal went dormant soon after its initial creation, and was fully taken down in the timeframe of this research. These cases illustrate that the establishment of a state portal alone does not guarantee that the portal will support the desired outcomes.

Varied Responses to Human-Induced Seismicity in the City of Azle, Texas

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sarmistha R. Majumdar
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Induced Seismicity ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Prior History ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
The Status

Fracking has helped to usher in an era of energy abundance in the United States. This advanced drilling procedure has helped the nation to attain the status of the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world, but some of its negative externalities, such as human-induced seismicity, can no longer be ignored. The occurrence of earthquakes in communities located at proximity to disposal wells with no prior history of seismicity has shocked residents and have caused damages to properties. It has evoked individuals’ resentment against the practice of injection of fracking’s wastewater under pressure into underground disposal wells. Though the oil and gas companies have denied the existence of a link between such a practice and earthquakes and the local and state governments have delayed their responses to the unforeseen seismic events, the issue has gained in prominence among researchers, affected community residents, and the media. This case study has offered a glimpse into the varied responses of stakeholders to human-induced seismicity in a small city in the state of Texas. It is evident from this case study that although individuals’ complaints and protests from a small community may not be successful in bringing about statewide changes in regulatory policies on disposal of fracking’s wastewater, they can add to the public pressure on the state government to do something to address the problem in a state that supports fracking.

Islamic and Jewish Religious Feminists Tackle Islamic and Jewish Oral Law: Maintenance and Rebellion of Wives

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-63
Author(s):  
Ruth Roded
Keyword(s):  
State Policy ◽  
Political System ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
The State ◽  
The Political ◽  
Jewish Law ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Parallel Case ◽  
First Time

Beginning in the early 1970s, Jewish and Muslim feminists, tackled “oral law”—Mishna and Talmud, in Judaism, and the parallel Hadith and Fiqh in Islam, and several analogous methodologies were devised. A parallel case study of maintenance and rebellion of wives —mezonoteha, moredet al ba?ala; nafaqa al-mar?a and nush?z—in classical Jewish and Islamic oral law demonstrates similarities in content and discourse. Differences between the two, however, were found in the application of oral law to daily life, as reflected in “responsa”—piskei halacha and fatwas. In modern times, as the state became more involved in regulating maintenance and disobedience, and Jewish law was backed for the first time in history by a state, state policy and implementation were influenced by the political system and socioeconomic circumstances of the country. Despite their similar origin in oral law, maintenance and rebellion have divergent relevance to modern Jews and Muslims.

The application of E-commerce among small medium enterprises : a case study in Kelantan

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Norudin Mansor ◽  
Che Ismail Long ◽  
Ahmad Ismail Mohd. Annuar
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
General Assumption ◽  
The State ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Small Medium Enterprises ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The research project was conducted to investigate the understanding of E-commerce Application among the SMEs in the state of Kelantan. Focusing on the population of registered members of Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia, Kelantan, a total of302 respondents were selected to participate in our study. Moving in line with the general assumption of world business community it is agreed that e-commerce application is highly relevant for the survival and meeting the challenges of borderless economy. At the same time, the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding the environment, coping with changes, and speeding up the business decision, able to further enhance the competitive advantage of the SMEs. Using the established model, our investigation focused on 5 identifiable variables to demonstrate its usefulness towards motivating SMEs to adopt e-commerce. Our analysis indicated that all the selected variables were significant towards enhancing the application of e-commerce and thus maintaining competitive advantage in the industry.

Analysis of geodetic and legal documentation in the process of expropriation for roads. Krakow case study

2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-84
Author(s):  
Anna Trembecka
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
The State ◽  
Property Value ◽  
Real Property ◽  
Construction Design ◽  
Special Rules ◽  
The City

Abstract Amendment to the Act on special rules of preparation and implementation of investment in public roads resulted in an accelerated mode of acquisition of land for the development of roads. The decision to authorize the execution of road investment issued on its basis has several effects, i.e. determines the location of a road, approves surveying division, approves construction design and also results in acquisition of a real property by virtue of law by the State Treasury or local government unit, among others. The conducted study revealed that over 3 years, in this mode, the city of Krakow has acquired 31 hectares of land intended for the implementation of road investments. Compensation is determined in separate proceedings based on an appraisal study estimating property value, often at a distant time after the loss of land by the owner. One reason for the lengthy compensation proceedings is challenging the proposed amount of compensation, unregulated legal status of the property as well as imprecise legislation. It is important to properly develop geodetic and legal documentation which accompanies the application for issuance of the decision and is also used in compensation proceedings.

The impact of business tourism clustering on the regional economy's development: A Greater Moscow case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1397-1414
Author(s):  
K.S. Golondarev
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
The State ◽  
Investment Climate ◽  
Private Investors ◽  
The Impact

Subject. This article explores the issues of business tourism clustering in Greater Moscow. Objectives. The article intends to justify the need to create a business tourism cluster in Greater Moscow to improve the investment climate in the region. Methods. For the study, I used a multivariate analysis, forecasting, and extrapolation. Results. The article shows a certain relationship between the efficient functioning of the business tourism cluster and the economy's development. Conclusions and Relevance. Certain types of tourist clusters can serve as platforms for attracting investors and implementing marketing plans. The business tourism cluster is a link between buyers and sellers in various industries. The results of the study can be used to improve the effectiveness of the cluster initiative in business tourism, as well as find ways of cooperation between the State and private investors when creating the business tourism cluster in Greater Moscow.

De la gestión local a la gobernanza global: actores e interacciones multiniveles en la gestión del agua en la ciudad de México

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-66
Author(s):  
Joyce Valdovinos
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
The State ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Service Contracts ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
The One

The provision of water services has traditionally been considered a responsibility of the state. During the late 1980s, the private sector emerged as a key actor in the provision of public services. Mexico City was no exception to this trend and public authorities awarded service contracts to four private consortia in 1993. Through consideration of this case study, two main questions arise: First, why do public authorities establish partnerships with the private sector? Second, what are the implications of these partnerships for water governance? This article focuses, on the one hand, on the conceptual debate of water as a public and/or private good, while identifying new trends and strategies carried out by private operators. On the other hand, it analyzes the role of the state and its relationships with other actors through a governance model characterized by partnerships and multilevel networks.Spanish La provisión del servicio del agua ha sido tradicionalmente considerada como una responsabilidad del Estado. A finales de la década de 1980, el sector privado emerge como un actor clave en el suministro de servicios públicos. La ciudad de México no escapa a esta tendencia y en 1993 las autoridades públicas firman contratos de servicios con cuatro consorcios privados. A través de este estudio de caso, dos preguntas son planteadas: ¿Por qué las autoridades públicas establecen partenariados con el sector privado? ¿Cuáles son las implicaciones de dichos partenariados en la gobernanza del agua? Este artículo aborda por una parte, el debate conceptual del agua como bien público y/o privado, identificando nuevas tendencias y estrategias de los operadores privados. Por otra parte, se analizan el rol y las relaciones del Estado con otros actores a través de un modelo de gobernanza, definido en términos de partenariados y redes multi-niveles.French Les services de l'eau ont été traditionnellement considérés comme une responsabilité de l'État. À la fin des années 1980, le secteur privé est apparu comme un acteur clé dans la fourniture de certains services publics. La ville de Mexico n'a pas échappé à cette tendance et en 1993, les autorités publiques ont signé des contrats de services avec quatre consortiums privés. À travers cette étude de cas, nous nous interrogerons sur deux aspects : pourquoi les autorités publiques établissentelles des partenariats avec le secteur privé ? Quelles sont les implications de ces partenariats sur la gouvernance de l'eau ? Cet article s'intéresse, d'une part, au débat conceptuel sur l'eau en tant que bien public et/ou privé, en identifiant les tendances nouvelles et les stratégies menées par les opérateurs privés. D'autre part y sont analysés le rôle de l'État et ses relations avec d'autres acteurs à travers un modèle de gouvernance, défini en termes de partenariats, et des réseaux multi-niveaux.

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