The Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series Newsfeed

Berkman Buzz: December 20, 2012

rheacock — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:45:40 -0500

The Berkman Buzz is selected weekly from the posts of Berkman Center people and projects.
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The Berkman Center is now accepting applications for fellowships in the 2013-2014 academic year! More information is available online.

DPLA and Europeana launch joint digital exhibition

To mark the beginning of a unique digital collaboration the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) and Europeana are pleased to announce the launch of Leaving Europe: A new life in America. The all-new virtual exhibition tells the story of European emigration to the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Jointly curated by the two digital libraries, the exhibition uses photographs, manuscripts, broadsheets, paintings, letters, audio, government documents and other unique materials to chart people’s journeys across the European continent and their settlement in the United States. The digital items displayed are from U.S. and European libraries, museums and archives and the accompanying narrative has been commissioned specially for the exhibition from U.S. and European experts.

From the Digital Public Library of America, "Digital Public Library of America and Europeana Launch Joint Migration Exhibition
About the DPLA | @digpublib

Kinder & Braver World project releases eight new papers on the role of youth in social change

As a part of its collaboration with the Born This Way Foundation, the Berkman Center is publishing on this website a series of papers that synthesize existing peer-reviewed research or equivalent scholarship and provide research-grounded insight to the variety of stakeholders working on issues related to youth empowerment and action towards creating a kinder, braver world. This series, called the The Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series (danah boyd, John Palfrey, and Dena Sacco, editors), is presented by the Born This Way Foundation & the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This set of papers involves topics related to the Role of Youth Organizations and Youth Movements for Social Change.

From the Berkman Center, Publications: The Role of Youth Organizations and Youth Movements for Social Change
About the Kinder & Braver World Project

David Weinberger explores ontology through library metadata

Paul Deschner and I had a fascinating conversation yesterday with Jeffrey Wallman, head of the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center about perhaps getting his group’s metadata to interoperate with the library metadata we’ve been gathering. The TBRC has a fantastic collection of Tibetan books. So we were talking about the schemas we use — a schema being the set of slots you create for the data you capture. For example, if you’re gathering information about books, you’d have a schema that has slots for title, author, date, publisher, etc. Depending on your needs, you might also include slots for whether there are color illustrations, is the original cover still on it, and has anyone underlined any passages. It turns out that the Tibetan concept of a book is quite a bit different than the West’s, which raises interesting questions about how to capture and express that data in ways that can be useful mashed up.

From David Weinberger's blog post, I bet your ontology never thought of this one!
About David Weinberger | @dweinberger

danah boyd issues a plea to the media: leave the people of Newtown alone

verything about what happened in Newtown is horrible. And as the public processes it, I understand the need to talk about the issues. Mental health. Gun control. Violence in society. Turning killers into celebrities. Disenfranchisement of youth. There are a lot of topics that need to be seriously discussed and, for better or worse, there’s nothing like a crisis to propel those issues into the public consciousness.

But please, please, please… can we leave the poor people of Newtown alone? Can we not shove microphones into the faces of distraught children? Can we stop hovering like buzzards waiting for the fresh meat of gossipy details? Can we let the parents of the deceased choose when and where they want to engage with the public to tell their story? Can we let the community have some dignity in their grief rather than turning them and their lives into a spectacle of mourning?

From danah boyd's blog post, "Dear Media, Back The F*** Off Newtown"
About danah boyd | @zephoria

Another Terms of Service overreach: "Instagram changes terms of service, but will pro photographers flee anyway?" http://t.co/rBSllmrR
—David Ardia (@dsardia)

New edX course: Copyright

HLS1x Copyright will explore in depth the law, theory, and practice of copyright. Approximately two thirds of the course will focus on the copyright system of the United States; the remainder will be devoted to the laws pertaining to copyright and "neighboring rights" in other countries. Considerable attention will be devoted to the relationship between copyright law and creative expression in a variety of fields: literature; music; film; photography; graphic art; software; comedy; fashion; and architecture. The course will commence on January 28, 2013, and last for 12 weeks.

From edX, "HLS1x: Copyright"
HLS1x: Copyright is taught by Berkman Center co-director Terry Fisher

Frenzied media coverage of mass killings turns them into a spectacle & inspires copycats. This needs to change: http://t.co/kBmv7lKb
—Zeynep Tufekci (@techsoc)

Cambodia Bans Internet Cafes Near Schools

Cambodia's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has issued a circular banning internet cafes within 500 meters of schools or educational buildings. The circular also prohibits internet cafes from welcoming young people under the age of 18, pointing that internet poses numerous dangers such as terrorism, economic crimes and the distribution of pornography, as the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported.

This circular came a few months after the government enforced a previous circular that required internet cafes to set up surveillance cameras and register callers.

From Kounila Keo's blog post for Global Voices, "Cambodia Bans Internet Cafes Near Schools"
About Global Voices Online | @globalvoices

This Buzz was compiled by Rebekah Heacock.

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Engaging Youth, Serving Community: Social Change Lessons from a 4H Rural Youth Development Program

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:03:44 -0500

Social change targeted at empowering youth requires youth and adults to work together as equals. Youth-adult partnerships create a platform to amplify youth voices. To succeed, youth-adult partnerships must be built on open communication and equal voice.

Using a case study, this paper shares six broadly applicable lessons learned through the Engaging Youth, Serving Community (ESYC) program. Based on evaluation and understanding of the EYSC experience, it highlights examples of how youth-adult partnerships can promote social change and civic engagement.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

Youth Organizations and Positive Development: Lessons Learned from a Century of Girl Scouting

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:56:04 -0500

by Kamla Modi, Judy Schoenberg, and Kallen Tsikalas of the Girl Scout Research Institute
© 2012 Girl Scouts of the USA

Since its inception in 2000, the Girl Scout Research Institute has employed a research-to-action approach so that insights from our work with girls and young women can directly inform Girl Scouts of the USA’s program and policy development, as well as impact the larger youth development field. In the last decade, GSRI’s research and evaluation work has touched numerous organizations in the public and private spheres, making a practical impact on the lives of youth and providing other organizations with evidence needed to make a case for their own work.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

Youth and Social Movements: Key Lessons for Allies

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:19:02 -0500

We have much to learn from young people who are already engaged in mobilizing their peers, families, and communities towards positive social transformation. This paper discusses challenges, and provides recommendations for educators and adult allies of youth movements.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

How Participatory Action Research Can Promote Social Change and Help Youth Development

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:16:46 -0500

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a process through which people investigate meaningful social topics, participate in research to understand the root causes of problems that directly impact them, and then take action to influence policies through the dissemination of their findings to policymakers and stakeholders. Like other types of youth organizing, PAR promotes youth’s involvement in their communities and the development of leadership skills. It emphasizes the development of young people’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to be experts on issues of importance to them, and catalyze systemic change in collaboration with their peers and supportive adults.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

Cultivating Young Women's Leadership for a Kinder, Braver World

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:08:14 -0500

There is not much research exploring leadership development and civic participation among youth, and even less among young women. Policymakers and others seeking to better serve youth in pursuit of a “kinder, braver world” should take into account the research that does exist. This research indicates that youth who engage in service to their communities learn leadership skills through civic action and may be more likely to vote and be civically engaged as adults. Youth who demonstrate leadership skills can, and should, be considered current assets to their communities.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

The Value of Youth Organizing

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:07:24 -0500

Across the country, adolescents have become deeply involved in struggles for equity and social justice, as they work to promote a kinder, braver world. Although youth have long been leaders in social change efforts, today’s young people are increasingly supported in this work through youth organizing programs. This paper explains what youth organizing is, identifies four ways in which it benefits the young people involved, offers suggestions for mitigating any downsides of participation, and addresses barriers that youth organizing groups may face.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

Out of the Box: Positive Development & Social Change Through the Arts

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:07:01 -0500

From early childhood to adolescence, the arts can foster youth movements for social change through positive development. Students who experience high levels of arts enrichment show greater academic performance, enrollment in and graduation from high school and college, civic and community service, news consumption, and engagement in local politics. Moreover, participation in the arts—even as a spectator—predicts increases in civic engagement, tolerance and altruism, regardless of age, race, or education.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

How to Engage Young People: Lessons From Lowell, MA

rtabasky — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:59:07 -0500

A youth organization’s success depends on young people’s participation within the local community. Many of the issues facing young people today reflect a poor engagement with community politics, cultural identity formation, and risk-taking behaviors based on that identity formation. The Teen Block was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1990 with the goal of addressing these issues. Since that time, it has served over 8,000 young people, integrating social, behavioral, mental, and physical health.

If you would like to provide feedback, please contact: kbw-series@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.

Bullying in a Networked Era: A Literature Review

ashar — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:52:02 -0400

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is pleased to share a new literature review by the Youth and Media team, contributing to The Kinder & Braver World Project led by danah boyd and John Palfrey:

"Bullying in a Networked Era: A Literature Review", by Nathaniel Levy, Sandra Cortesi, Urs Gasser, Edward Crowley, Meredith Beaton, June Casey, and Caroline Nolan, presents an aggregation and summary of recent academic literature on youth bullying and seeks to make scholarly work on this important topic more broadly accessible to a concerned public audience, including parents, caregivers, educators, and practitioners.

The document is guided by two questions: “What is bullying?” and “What can be done about bullying?” and focuses on the online and offline contexts in which bullying occurs. Although the medium or means through which bullying takes place influence bullying dynamics, as previous research demonstrates, online and offline bullying are more similar than different. This dynamic is especially true as a result of the increasing convergence of technologies. Looking broadly at the commonalities as well as the differences between offline and online phenomena fosters greater understanding of the overall system of which each is a part and highlights both the off- and online experiences of young people – whose involvement is not typically limited to one end of the spectrum.

The authors wish to thank all the collaborators at the Berkman Center, especially danah boyd and John Palfrey, for encouragement, guidance, and help. Thanks also to Dewey Cornell, Mia Doces, Dorothy Espelage, David Finkelhor, Lisa Jones, Amanda Lenhart, Mary Madden, Susan Swearer, and Michele Ybarra for their contributions and important work in the field. Further, we are deeply grateful for the invaluable research assistance provided by all the Youth and Media Lab team members.

The Youth and Media project at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University encompasses an array of research, advocacy, and development initiatives around youth and technology. To learn more, visit: http://youthandmedia.org.

The Kinder & Braver World Project (KBW) is co-presented by the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF) and generously supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The authors would like to thank Connie Yowell for her leadership and support. To learn more about the KBW Project and to access all publications in the KBW research series, visit: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/youthandmedia/kinderbraverworld.

This paper is part of the Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series.