scholarly journals Measuring Polarization in Online Debates

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 11879
Author(s):  
Teresa Alsinet ◽  
Josep Argelich ◽  
Ramón Béjar ◽  
Santi Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Precise Measure ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Polarization Level ◽  
Balanced Bipartition

Social networks can be a very successful tool to engage users to discuss relevant topics for society. However, there are also some dangers that are associated with them, such as the emergence of polarization in online discussions. Recently, there has been a growing interest to try to understand this phenomenon, as some consider that this can be harmful concerning the building of a healthy society in which citizens get used to polite discussions and even listening to opinions that may be different from theirs. In this work, we face the problem of defining a precise measure that can quantify in a meaningful way the level of polarization present in an online discussion. We focus on the Reddit social network, given that its primary focus is to foster discussions, in contrast to other social networks that have some other uses. Our measure is based on two different characteristics of an online discussion: the existence of a balanced bipartition of the users of the discussion, where one partition contains mainly users in agreement (regarding the topic of the discussion) and the other users in disagreement, and the degree of negativity of the sentiment of the interactions between these two groups of users. We discuss how different characteristics of the discussions affect the value of our polarization measure, and we finally perform an empirical evaluation over different sets of Reddit discussions about diverse classes of topics. Our results seem to indicate that our measure can capture differences in the polarization level of different discussions, which can be further understood when analyzing the values of the different factors used to define the measure.

Two Case Studies of Online Discussion Use in Computer Science Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 409-434
Author(s):  
Gokce Akcayir ◽  
Zhaorui Chen ◽  
Carrie Demmans Epp ◽  
Velian Pandeliev ◽  
Cosmin Munteanu
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Asynchronous Discussion ◽  
The Other ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Integration Strategies ◽  
Deep Integration

In this chapter, two cases that include computer science (CS) instructors' integration of an online discussion platform (Piazza) into their courses were examined. More specifically, the instructors' perspectives and role in these cases were explored to gain insight that might enable further improvements. Employing a mixed methods research design, these cases were investigated with text mining and qualitative data analysis techniques with regard to instructors' integration strategies and students' reactions to them. The results of the study showed that among these cases, one entailed a deep integration (Case 1) and the other a shallow one (Case 2). Instructors' presence and guidance through their posting behaviors had a bigger effect than the nature of the course content. Additionally, TA support in online discussions helped address the limitations of the asynchronous discussion when the TAs had the maturity to only respond to questions for which they were adequately prepared.

Sport Volunteerism and Social Capital

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Harvey ◽  
Maurice Lévesque ◽  
Peter Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Social ◽  
Precise Measure ◽  
The Relationship

This study focuses on the relationship between sport volunteerism and social capital, defined here as a resource that stems from participation in certain social networks. A position generator and a resources generator were used to measure the social capital of respondents. Results from this pilot study survey, exploring several aspects of volunteerism in sport in two Canadian communities (one in Québec, the other in Ontario), show a strong relationship between volunteerism in sport and social capital but do not allow a precise measure of the direction of this relationship. Results also show stronger relationships between sport volunteerism and social capital when we control for gender, language, and age.

scholarly journals New Media and the Internet in the Regional Stability Design Process

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 7410-7413
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
New Media ◽  
Necessary Conditions ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Regional Stability ◽  
The Republic

The paper presents the results of a number of author's studies on the possibilities of using new media and the Internet to design innovative social reality in the conditions of such a polyethnoconfessional region as the Republic of Tatarstan. Using an example of an analysis of online discussion and practices around two problematic cases (the obligation to learn the Tatar language by schoolchildren of the republic and the construction of a new incinerator in the territory of Tatarstan), we managed to obtain results, firstly, regarding typical areas of using the Internet by users, and models for their responding to online information; secondly, an assessment of the main sources of information about the Republic of Tatarstan in the network, representations of the positive and negative aspects of the life in the republic in the context of online discussion; thirdly, to identify groups of factors that determine the degree of activity demonstrated by users of social networks online and offline; and, finally, describe strategies for linking online and offline activity when discussing socially significant problems of the republic. The conclusions indicate the factors and necessary conditions for mobilizing users of online discussions for specific actions outside the Internet (participating in meetings, flash mobs, and charity events, joining various kinds of communities, and establishing new personal contacts).

scholarly journals Black Lives Matter: Police Brutality, Media and Injustice in "The Hate U Give," "Dear White People," and "On the Other Side of Freedom"

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-22
Author(s):  
Francesco Bacci
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Police Brutality ◽  
White People ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Use Of Social Media

This paper aims to explore the connection between activism and the use of social media in contemporary stories, belonging to different genres. The study scrutinizes two literary works, Angie Thomas’ novel The Hate U Give (2017), DeRay McKesson’s memoir On the Other Side of Freedom (2018), and a TV series directed and written by Justin Simien–Dear White People (2017). With a methodological approach constituted by works of sociology, history, and cultural studies, this text-focused analysis exposes the intersection of activism, literature, and television. Different genres address the same issues with a common ground: with the support and filter of social media, these stories reveal incidents of police brutality, and episodes traceable to the rise of#BlackLivesMatter. Moreover, the protagonists of these narratives find in activism a way to accomplish personal realization. All in all, the results of this investigation illustrate how social media are not the primary focus in the narration of moments of crisis or change, but slowly acquire a central role in the characters’ interactions and in the dynamics connected with forms of protests. McKesson’s memoir differs in its personal and specific representation of the use of social networks as an essential instrument for activism in the twenty-first century.

CASE STUDY OF ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD USE IN AN ENGINEERING EDUCATION GRADUATE COURSE

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Davidson ◽  
Lisa Romkey ◽  
Allison Van Beek
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Asynchronous Learning ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Online Discussion Board

Due to the increasing prevalence of asynchronous learning platforms, the development and implementation of online discussion boards have become important considerations in the design of post-secondary learning environments. This research is conducted as a case study of the online discussion board use in a small engineering education graduate course, consisting of in-class and online discussion components. By varying the structure of the online discussion board to allow different types of student interaction, the study identifies trends in discussion board use, specifically pertaining to student participation, student collaboration, and the integration between in-class and online discussions. As a result, the study provides insight into the utility and limitations of online discussion boards in post-secondary courses.  

The Internationalization Of Human Rights And The Importance Of Normative Dialogues Between International And National Courts

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Mariane Morato Stival ◽  
Marcos André Ribeiro ◽  
Daniel Gonçalves Mendes da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
National Courts ◽  
European Court ◽  
Differences Of Opinion ◽  
Rights Discourse ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Human Rights Discourse

This article intends to analyze in the context of the complexity of the process of internationalization of human rights, the definitions and tensions between cultural universalism and relativism, the essence of human rights discourse, its basic norms and an analysis of the normative dialogues in case decisions involving violations of human rights in international tribunals such as the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and national courts. The well-established dialogue between courts can bring convergences closer together and remove differences of opinion on human rights protection. A new dynamic can occur through a complementarity of one court with respect to the other, even with the different characteristics between the legal orders.

scholarly journals God Below: A Faith Born in Hell—Life and Fate and the Otherwise Than Being

Humanities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Karl Shankar SenGupta
Keyword(s):  
Emmanuel Levinas ◽  
Problem Of Evil ◽  
The Other ◽  
French Army ◽  
Holy Fool ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
The Problem Of Evil ◽  
Utopian Thought ◽  
Primary Focus

This essay examines the idea of kenosis and holy folly in the years before, during, and after the Holocaust. The primary focus will be Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate, though it also will touch upon Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Demons and the ethics of the Lithuanian-Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, speaking to their intersecting ideas. Dostoevsky, true enough, predates the Shoah, whereas Grossman was a Soviet Jew who served as a journalist (most famously at the Battle of Stalingrad), and Levinas was a soldier in the French army, captured by the Nazis and placed in a POW camp. Each of these writers wrestles with the problem of evil in various ways, Dostoevsky and Levinas as theists—one Christian, the other Jewish—and Grossman as an atheist; yet, despite their differences, there are ever deeper resonances in that all are drawn to the idea of kenosis and the holy fool, and each writer employs variations of this idea in their respective answers to the problem of evil. Each argues, more or less, that evil arises in totalizing utopian thought which reifies individual humans to abstractions—to The Human, and goodness to The Good. Each looks to kenosis as the “antidote” to this utopian reification.

scholarly journals Impact of using learning analytics in asynchronous online discussions in higher education

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pedro Cerro Martínez ◽  
Montse Guitert Catasús ◽  
Teresa Romeu Fontanillas
Keyword(s):  
Learning Analytics ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
Asynchronous Online Discussions

Abstract Following asynchronous online discussion activities as a complex communication process is a demanding task for teachers. In this paper, the authors have explored the potential in supporting such activity through learning analytics. From the beginning, the authors acknowledged the limitations of technology to support the complexities of a pedagogical activity. Therefore, the methodology used was participatory design-based research (DBR) divided into two main stages. The first design phase dealt with the engagement of teachers and pedagogical experts in defining the data and metrics to be used to support the pedagogical concepts. The second consisted of an implementation phase including pilots with students and with crucial engagement of teachers in commenting their understanding over students’ learning processes and the feedback the teachers could offer to them. Overall, the students shown improvements in their performance as monitored through the learning analytics group in contrast with control groups. The discussion over the design and its results could be potentially extrapolated to other educational contexts.

scholarly journals Commercial Limits to Personality: Instagram Influencers and Commoditized Content Receptivity

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Tyler Horan
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
The Other ◽  
Audience Reception ◽  
Media Audiences ◽  
Unique Identity ◽  
The One ◽  
Commercial Relationships ◽  
Network Power

Social media influencers-individuals who utilize various forms of network power on social networks occupy a unique identity space. On the one hand, their network power is often tied to their social identity as creators of engaging material. On the other hand, their ability to promote commercial products and services steps outside the traditionally distinct commercial–social, occupational–personal divides. In this work, the network morphologies of influencers are explored in relation to their delivery of sponsored and non-sponsored content. This article explores how the disclosure of content as ‘sponsored’ affects audience reception. We show how that the promotion of content on social media often generates higher levels of engagement and receptiveness amongst their audience despite the platform’s assumption of organic non-commercial relationships. We find that engagement levels are highest among smaller out-degree networks. Additionally, we demonstrate that sponsored content not only returns a higher level of engagement, but that the effect of sponsorship is relatively consistent across out-degree network sizes. In sum, we suggest that social media audiences are not sensitive to commercial sponsorship when tied to identity, as long as that performance is convincing and consistent.

scholarly journals Taking sociality seriously: the structure of multi-dimensional social networks as a source of information for individuals

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1599) ◽  
pp. 2108-2118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Barrett ◽  
S. Peter Henzi ◽  
David Lusseau
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Life ◽  
The Other ◽  
Feedback Process ◽  
Cognitive Evolution ◽  
Systems Approaches ◽  
Entropy Measures ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Source Of Information

Understanding human cognitive evolution, and that of the other primates, means taking sociality very seriously. For humans, this requires the recognition of the sociocultural and historical means by which human minds and selves are constructed, and how this gives rise to the reflexivity and ability to respond to novelty that characterize our species. For other, non-linguistic, primates we can answer some interesting questions by viewing social life as a feedback process, drawing on cybernetics and systems approaches and using social network neo-theory to test these ideas. Specifically, we show how social networks can be formalized as multi-dimensional objects, and use entropy measures to assess how networks respond to perturbation. We use simulations and natural ‘knock-outs’ in a free-ranging baboon troop to demonstrate that changes in interactions after social perturbations lead to a more certain social network, in which the outcomes of interactions are easier for members to predict. This new formalization of social networks provides a framework within which to predict network dynamics and evolution, helps us highlight how human and non-human social networks differ and has implications for theories of cognitive evolution.

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