Maria Célia Furtado Rocha

The Participatory Cube: A Framework for Analysis of Online Participation Platforms

The main goal of this book chapter is to present a framework for analysis of online participation platforms. Recently, the whole range of various participation platforms emerged and there is a need for a model, which would enable to analyse their specific characteristics. The framework presented in this chapter, the participatory cube, is based on models proposed by Fung (2006) and Ferber et al. (2007). It consists of three axes: interactive communication, access to space of participation, and decision power. These categories play a major role in the analysis of the implemented study cases. The study cases were taken from Germany and Brazil. We concentrated on the selection of a variety of technologies that support civic engagement. The participatory cube served as the model for the comparison of the selected cases. We conclude the article with a discussion about the presented model and further research directions.

City Visions: Concepts, Conflicts and Participation Analysed from Digital Network Interactions

The present article investigates the possibility of understanding the different city visions and conflicts arising in digital interactions in network of movements that discuss the use of urban space. We assume “expanded participation” as a way to include new social arrangements, present in cultures that use networked communication as a means to share visions, values and produce meanings and actions collectively. Digital network interactions make possible a form of participation based on personal expression of individuals interacting in social networks. The study analyzed the case of the movement Parco del Basento in the city of Potenza, Italy. The movement grown using as the main platform for the dissemination and discussion of ideas one Facebook page. The analysis of posts and their interactions was based on Social Network Analysis and Text Analysis Tools to investigated convergent positions of members on topics such as Urban Space and the city visions that emerge from discussions. Finally we analyze possibilities and difficulties found in the usage of this kind of tool.

City as Commons: Study of Shared Visions by Communities on Facebook

The present article is an exploratory exercise of analysis of texts present in digital social networks organized by communities that operates on urban public spaces. This text present some ideas about civic and political participation to support our point of view of “expanded participation” provided by social interactions throughout social networks digital platforms. We intend to improve our knowledge about how groups are sharing visions by analyzing a words network created from those interactions. We try to characterize relationship between words used in posts in Facebook pages from two groups, one in Italy and other in Brazil. This work analyzes networks and relations, from this point, it is possible identifying in most important word pairs, words with higher centrality metrics and the main idea expressed in the content of posts and discussions. Finally we discuss possibilities and difficulties found in the usage of this kind of tool.

Spatial Representation: City and Digital Spaces

This paper refers to forms of space representation, essentially derived from cartographic techniques, that bases many web applications which aid to promote the development of new forms of social interaction and influence the perception and use of public spaces. The paper discusses the relationship between spatial representation, spatial knowledge and technologies of representation and visualization of space and how developments and convergence of technologies may influence and shape the cultural practices and the use of contemporary urban space.

Aprendizagem no processo de seleção de ferramenta CASE para o Estado da Bahia

This paper is intended to analyse the determinant factors of organizational learning based upon a cognitive-constructivist focus. The case-study was conducted in the state of Bahia, Brazil, in a public committee for software selection. Their members was enterviewed and talked about what determined learning. The factors which came out from the research were related with context, group and person. The results, although preliminary, confirm many of the postulations of cognitive-constructivist approach.

Conversation About the City: Urban Commons and Connected Citizenship

The analysis of conversations between Italian and Brazilian groups allows to understand meanings that inspire and motivate political demonstrations and different performances in favor of a desired city. The research takes a descriptive perspective, based on categories of analysis informed by theories, but made by the exploration of terms used in conversations caught by members of four Facebook groups. The expectation is to highlight concepts, revealed by the set of statements made by people interested in trends that city growth takes or just in the given uses of urban spaces. To provide clues for the interpretation of the talks, we use centrality indices of Social Network Analysis (SNA) in a semantic network of concepts. Thus, it is possible to establish similarities and differences between current forms of civic participation and politics on urban commons largely supported by online social networks.