Rozprawy doktorskie na temat „Conceptualizing”

Gateways handle many functions in todays telecommunication networks and as the move towards IP-based telecommunication networks continue, their importance is growing. Many vendors offer a tiered architecture where logic is separated from the gateways for easy extensibility. Currently gateway control and gateway communication is handled using the H.248 protocol. As more and more equipment starts moving over to SIP based communication there has been a degree of interest in homogenizing the system and possibly replacing the H.248 protocol with a SIP based protocol.

In this paper we examine how the communication between a gateway controller and gateway may look if implemented in SIP. We also examine the performance characteristics of the proposed protocol from both an execution time, communication size and memory consumption perspective. Implementation and tests will be performed using a language, developed by Ericsson specifically for the telecommunication sector, called Erlang. The protocol designed herein is not intended for production use and is only examined for viability. It is NOT the official stance of Ericsson that H.248 will be replaced with the protocol or any like it.

The purpose of this thesis is to conceptualize the idea of a “digital civil society”. During the latest half-century, technological developments in the areas of information and communication have been increasingly ingrained in everyday-life of many people. Not surprisingly, politics have also been affected by these developments. The concept of a global civil society is getting increasingly fashionable, and it is my belief that this global civil society in many ways is related to the technological developments manifested in the digital revolution. From this point of departure, it is my intent to depict the idea of a digital civil society within a conceptual framework substantiated by a number of cases of collective action where the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has been instrumental. By doing this, my intention is to see if, and how, the ICT revolution is altering civil society organization, mobilization, advocacy and action.

The essay has five parts. First, there is a brief introduction of the subject where the main research issues are put forward. The second part describes the methodology and defines the central concepts; global civil society, globalization and the ICT revolution. This framework, elaborated more thoroughly in part three, will serve as both goal and means for the research as it constitutes the research method as well as a potential basis for further research in the area. In part four, a number of cases of civil society collective action are portrayed and analyzed in connection to the conceptual framework. In some of these cases, ICT is used as a way to support and supplement more traditional “offline” collective action whereas in the second part of this chapter, cases of more pure “online action” are described. With the features and characteristics of these case studies in mind, the aim is to identify tendencies supporting the idea of a possibly emerging digital civil society. In the last chapter, there is a discussion concerning the potential characteristics and outcomes of such a digital civil society. I also present a model describing the logic of the conceptual framework and the processes and concepts which are central to this study.

My conclusions are meant to create an environment conducive to further research on the subjects I have studied. First, it appears as if the logic of “networking” as power structure within civil society is favourable for organization, participation, communication, mobilization and action. As such, the networked, dynamic and horizontal character of the Internet seems to influence the organizational character of many civil society entities. Secondly, the Internet’s ability to allow for many-to-many communication seems to contribute to a broader and more inclusive way to debate issues of all kinds. Thirdly, ICT in some ways appears to “individualize” collective action, a development possibly related to the individual and isolating character of Internet use itself and the relative anonymity which can be enjoyed online. In sum, these findings suggest that the idea of a digital civil society broadens the base of collective action and, to some extent, reduces the costs of participation.

Democracy in the United States is in crisis. With trust in elected officials low, corporate interest high, and faith in democratic mechanisms in question, my research turns to how local community organizers of different political ideologies navigate and maintain faith in democratic practice. Gaining insights into democratic practice is critical in order to aid in the cultivation and maintenance of just and sustainable communities through collective power. To that end, my thesis investigates how organizers perceive democracy and work with it at both structural and ideal levels. My research also investigates if organizers consider there to be a tension between the two and how their democratic practices are impacted by this. It is an exploration into the transformative capabilities of democracy and the maintenance in faith in democratic practice within the world as it stands versus the world as it can be. To that end, my research investigates these four questions: 1) How do community organizers from different backgrounds conceptualize democracy? 2) What are the stories that they tell about democracy? 3) Do they experience a tension within democratic practice? If so, what stories do they tell that help them make sense of these tensions? 4) Do they describe a tension between structural and ideal democracy? If so, what stories do they tell about this tension?

The format is a narrative study of democracy and explores the varying conceptualizations organizers hold of it. The information was gathered through one-on-one semi-structured in-depth interviews with seven participants, aiming to gain understanding, insight and inspiration from life stories and a dedication to organizing practices. My goal is to provide varying accounts of ways in which to perceive democracy, negotiating the variety of tensions we, the organizers, activists, educators, and healers, face within our daily organizing practices, and the furthering of future democratic efforts through differing means and commitments.

This study, guided by a Chicana feminist epistemology and Latina/o Critical Theory narrates and contemplates the experiences of people who have decided to take part in collective struggle. It explores the ways 10 Mexican-origin activists and organizers (5 women and 5 men, ages 19 to 60) from Santa Ana, California conceptualize identity, community, space, and grassroots. Within the findings, "alternative educational spaces" is introduced as a concept based in the participants' experiences in spaces that contributed to self-worth and built a sense of collective responsibility that countered institutionalized racism and classism in schools and within city policies. This study highlights the heterogeneity of Mexican-origin peoples and investigates the ways in which the participants' lived experiences as Santa Ana-based activists and organizers contribute to developing histories and community building.

This thesis presents a tentative definition of the concept of sustainopreneurship - in the most simplified form described as entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainability - “Business with a Cause”. The concept takes its departure from generic entrepreneurship theory development, its extensions and further contextualization into the domains of sustainability, primarily through recent research. A literature review provides core references related to the conceptualization of sustainability entrepreneurship. A claim is made that there is a need for further conceptual development, especially viewed in contrast to the empirical material and experience, when digesting the literature that deals with concepts preceding sustainopreneurship. These concepts are eco-preneurship and social entrepreneurship, as well as current descriptions of sustainability entrepreneurship, including some sources where the word sustainopreneurship in itself is introduced for the first time. The methodological approach used when conducting the literature review is an analytical stance. Additional analysis, integrating and extending the reviewed sources, leads us to a performative definition of sustainopreneurship. This tentative definition is presented as an imagined prospective wordbook entry in a “future history” format. One of the key distinctions in between entrepreneurship in general and sustainopreneurship, is that sustainopreneurship is mission- and cause oriented - business activity is used as a means to solve sustainability-related problems. In short, to turn business activity from being a part of the problem to be a part of the solution.

This world of ideas is set in contrast to the practical enaction of On a Mission Sweden – Inc. Ass, and the seven brands developed from this business platform – Club PuLS™, DJ Anders, SEEDS Sustainability Investment Fund, SEEDS Magazine, Ignition®, SLICE Services and Publishing™ and S*E*N*S*A. Three of these only reached conceptual stage for future potential launch. Four got established, and of these; one idle, two spun off in their own ventures, and one intended to spin off during 2007. Entrepreneurship as a concept to describe the nature of these ventures was experienced as insufficient, until 2003, when the concept of “sustainopreneurship” was found by serendipity. The conceptual dissatisfaction with “entrepreneurship-as-usual”, together with finding this new concept, made me instantly embrace this concept in the moment when stumbled upon. Another major driver for this work is a strong aspiration to take the abstract, general words and statements from world summits and conferences to the practical, hands on, down to earth, grass-root, local level with real world interaction to make possibilities of the problems related to the sustainability agenda. The ventures created from a time span of over seven years, forms a vast, deep, dense, intense and extremely rich “gross” empirical base from where the study collects its selective “net” material relevant for this study. The methodological approach to make sense and use of these serial and parallel self-initiated and self-experienced venturing processes is enactive research. The enactive research provides an opportunity to test the suggested formulation of sustainopreneurship – from the abstract idea to the concrete interaction. A special form of ethnography is used named self-ethnography. The ventures who have proven to perpetually evolve, develop and sustain are focused; On a Mission Sweden – Inc. Ass. and Ignition®. These ventures have provided the most significant change in both idea development, practice, and effect - both regards my inner world of insight breakthroughs and personal development, and the findings on a more abstract, conceptual, theoretical level. In order to highlight the three key dimensions of the concept, some key courses of events have been selected where they are considered to hold illustrative power: Firstly, the central events before the formalized venturing. Secondly, the milestones singled out during the venturing. Thirdly, some post-venture reflections around the process as such. The ethnographic style of the tales of the field is predominantly realist, with some degree impressionist.

The final chapter summarizes and presents an intermediary conclusion whether the concept has met the test and also discusses the meaning of the exercise as a whole. My own function is examined and evaluated briefly. The promise of the conceptual introduction is contrasted towards the approaches-as-usual regards the sustainability agenda that introduced the thesis, and some key points are delivered. Venturing in the name of sustainability allows agents to “act outside the box” related to the institutional framework that governs the structures that is set to solve the problems today, equipped with an upgraded mindset, operating with an agility made possible by the flexibility offered by creative business organizing. The quest to make (business) opportunities from the agenda set by sustainability, and organizing upon them in itself creates a sustaining meaning internally within the team to be able to ride through the storms – the same force traditionally driving NGO’s “not-for profit”, now coupled with a good business sense operating “for-profit”, with profit as a means, not as an end in itself - in a new in-between-land named “for prosperity”. When properly understood from knowledge increasing among other stakeholders than the sustainopreneurial teams and their closest supporters and early adopters, the welcoming of sustainopreneurial ventures are destined to increase. Proliferation and diffusion of sustainopreneurship in idea, applied interaction and reflective practice beyond this point can turn sustainability to be the main driver for business activity, internalizing the external sustainability demands as the primary purpose of the business creation and idea, forming its strategic intent, and integrated in its “organizational DNA”. Sustainopreneurship holds the power to give even more leverage to forces emerging from the business world that contributes to sustainability. Throughout the process, a question has been emerging to serve as a new opening for further interaction, where the claim is that sustainopreneurship delivers a good part of the answer;

How can we innovate and interact in order to reach a critical mass of people and energies to create a sustainable world?