SIS 644.001
Fall 2007

American University
THE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Tuesdays, 2:10-4:50 p.m.
Nanette S. Levinson
Associate Professor, International Communication Program
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 10a.m.-12p.m., Thursdays, 3:00-5:00pm, Tuesdays, after class & by Appointment & Anytime By E-mail
Phone: (202) 885-1480
E-Mail: nlevins@american.edu
www.american.edu/levinson

OVERVIEW

Description

This is an extraordinary time to be studying communication & social & economic development. The second Internet Governance Forum (IGF) with a strong focus on development will be held in Rio, November 12-15, 2007. Follow-up on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) continues. These events set the context for the work of SIS 644. Rapidly changing and converging technologies influence the rise of cross-national alliances, the growth of economic globalization, and the roles of non-state actors. Particular attention is paid to government policies in the context of increasing globalization and international competition as well as to administrative issues. Inter-organizational, institutional, knowledge/technology transfer and innovation diffusion perspectives are examined to understand better the complex change processes at work.

Learning Outcomes

• Use of approaches/paradigms/concepts for effectively examining communication and social and economic development
• Analysis of the major players, their changing roles, and their impacts
• Conduct of powerful case analyses, presentations, podcasts, and case teamwork

Methods of Instruction

Utilizing a range of cases, the class format combines lecture, discussion, and teamwork. Case studies serve to illustrate and make concrete key concepts. In addition, class work requires the use of the internet and BLACKBOARD — facilitating learning, enhancing teamwork, and demonstrating technological impacts. Students also complete podcasts which they post on Blackboard and which highlight their most interesting case study findings. You may best access BLACKBOARD at www.american.edu/blackboard.

Grading

Grades for the course will be assigned as follows:

Communication

Effective oral and written communications are essential for professional activities. Clear and concise writing is a required part of all materials submitted.

Academic Integrity Code Statement Overview

All students are governed by American University's Academic Integrity Code. The Academic Integrity Code details specific violations of ethical conduct that relate to academic integrity. By registering, you have acknowledged your awareness of the Academic Integrity Code, and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the code. All of your work (whether oral or written) in any and all classes is governed by the provisions of the Academic Integrity Code. Academic violations include but are not limited to: plagiarism, inappropriate collaboration, dishonesty in examinations whether in class or take-home, dishonesty in papers, work done for one course and submitted to another, deliberate falsification of data, interference with other students' work, and copyright violations. The adjudication process and possible penalties are listed in American University's Academic Integrity Code booklet, and is also available on the American University website. Being a member of this academic community entitles each of us to a wide degree of freedom and the pursuit of scholarly interests; with that freedom, however, comes a responsibility to uphold the high ethical standards of scholarly conduct.

Assessment Format

The first assessment is essay type and in class; it contains a mini-case for analysis. The second assessment is an oral presentation with a focus on effective use of concepts from the class as well as the effective communication of research project findings. Providing a holistic view of SIS-644 learning, the Podcast serves as an additional assessment tool. (The Podcast is graded on a pass-fail basis; all other assessments yield a numeric score to be used in the final grade calculation.)

READING MATERIALS

Note: Students are expected to complete and prepare the reading and case assignments for each session prior to each class meeting. (Grades of incomplete can only be considered upon receipt of medical certification; late submissions receive one letter grade lower per day past the specified due date.)

Required Books

• Wilson, Ernest. The Information Revolution in Developing Countries. MIT Press, 2006.
• SIS 644 CoursePack 2007. Available from the Campus Book Store.
• Required Articles and Reports. (See individual session listings by date.)

Strongly Recommended

• Braman, Sandra. Change of State: Information, Policy and Power, MIT Press, 2007.
• Castells, Manuel et al. Mobile Communication and Society : A Global Perspective. MIT Press, 2006.
• Collier, Paul. The Bottom Billion: Why The Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Franda, Marcus F. Launching Into Cyberspace: Internet Development and Politics in Five World Regions. Lynne Rienner, 2001.
• Fountain, Jane. Building the Virtual State: Information Technology and Institutional Change. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2001.
• Kogut, Bruce, ed. The Global Internet Economy. The MIT Press, 2003.
• Latham, Robert and Sassen, Saskia, eds. Digital Formations: IT and New Architectures In The Global Realm. Princeton University Press, 2006.
• Litan, Robert and Rivlin, Alice. Beyond the Dot.coms: The Economic Promise of the Internet. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2001.
• Lodge, George and Neilson, Craig. A Corporate Solution to Global Poverty: How Multinationals Can Help The Poor and Invigorate Their Own Legitimacy. Princeton University Press, 2005.
• Mansell. Robin et al. The Oxford Handbook of Information and Communication Technologies. Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Mansell, Robin and U. Wehn, eds. Knowledge Societies: Information Technology for Sustainable Development. Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Marlin-Bennett, Renee. Knowledge Power: Intellectual Property, Information, and Privacy. Lynne Reinner, 2004.
• Morse, Kristin and Raymond J. Struyk. Policy Analysis for Effective Development: Strengthening Transition Economies. Lynne Rienner, 2006.
• Mowlana, Hamid and Wilson, Laurie J. The Passing of Modernity: Communication and the Transformation of Society. Longman, 1990.
• Mueller, Milton. Ruling the Root: Internet Governance and the Taming of Cyberspace. MIT Press, 2004.
• Norris, Pippa. Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide. Cambridge University Press, 2001.
• Prahalad, C.K . The Fortune At The Bottom Of The Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits. Wharton School Publishing, 2005.
• Rogers, Everett. Diffusion of Innovations, Free Press, 1995.
• Rosenau, James N. and J. P. Singh, eds. Information Technologies and Global Politics: The Changing Scope of Power and Governance. SUNY University Press, 2002.
• Sarikakis, Katharine and Daya K. Thussu. Ideologies of the Internet. Hampton Press, 2006.
• Sassen, Saskia. Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global Assemblages. Princeton University Press, 2006.
• Singh, J.P. Leapfrogging Development: The Political Economy of Telecommunications Restructuring. State University of New York Press, 1999.
• Venturelli, Shalini. Liberalizing the European Media: Politics, Regulation, and the Public Sphere. NY: Clarendon Press, 1998.
• Warschauer, Mark. Technology and Social Inclusion: Rethinking the Digital Divide. MIT Press: 2003.
• Yin, Robert. Case Study Research Design and Methods. Third Edition. Sage, 2002.

Forthcoming Reading

• Gallagher, Kevin and L. Zarsky. The Enclave Economy: Foreign Investment and Sustainable Development in Mexico's Silicon Valley. MIT Press.
• Mayer-Schonberg, Viktor and D. Lazer, eds. Governance and Information Technology: From Electronic Government to Information Government, 2007. MIT Press.

Recommended Reading

• Borgman, Christine L. From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure: Access to Information in the Networked World. MIT Press, March 2000.
• Brynjolfsson, Erik and Brian Kahin, eds. Understanding the Digital Economy. MIT Press, 2000.
• Ceruzzi, Paul E. A History of Modern Computing, MIT Press, February, 2000.
• Drake, William. Sustainable Competition in Global Telecommunications, Brookings Institution Press, 2000.
• Dunn, H. S., ed. Globalization, Communications, and Caribbean Identity. St. Martin's Press, 1995.
• Hamel, Gary. Leading the Revolution. Harvard Business School Press, 2000.
• Hudson, Heather E. Global Connections: International Telecommunications Infrastrature and Policy. Wiley and Sons, 1997.
• Mowlana, H. Global Communication and Transition: The End of Diversity. Sage Publications, 1996.
• Mytelka, Lynn Krieger, Competition, Innovation and Competitiveness in Developing Countries, OECD, August 1999.
• National Research Council. Broadband: Bringing Home The Bits. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002.
• Noam, Eli. Globalism and Localism in Telecommunications. Elsevier, 1997.
• Noam, Eli. Telecommunications in Latin America. Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Rosecrance, Richard, The Rise of the Virtual State: Wealth and Power in the Coming Century, Basic Books, 1999.

For additional recommended readings, see individual class sessions.

Representative Journals

Academy of Management Review
Administrative Science Quarterly
American Sociological Review
Communication for Development and Social Change
Communication Research
Development
Economic Development and Cultural Change
First Monday
Global Governance
Information, Communication and Society
The Information Society
Intermedia
International Journal of Communications
Journal of Communication
Journal of Economic Development and Organizational Behavior
Journal of Human Development
Journal of International Communication
Journal of Information Technology and Politics
Information and Management
Information Technology and International Development
International Journal of Electronic Commerce and Business Media
International Organization
International Politics
International Studies Quarterly
International Studies Review
Mass Communication Review
Political Communication
Research Policy
Review of Policy Research
Science, Technology and Human Values
Telecommunications Policy

RESEARCH CASE STUDY

Research Case Study Information:

Proposal

Due: September 25, 2007
Length: One-two pages
Format:

• Your "Knowledge Niche": Brief Discussion of the Issue Area In which your Focal Organization Works
• Brief Description of Your Focal Organization for the Case Study
• Preliminary Bibliography
• Work Plan (the projected milestones for completion of the required research paper components)

Research Case Study

Due: November 27, 2007
Length: 20 pages
Format: Section & Possible Points

• Executive Summary: 5
• Research Questions/Significance of Research: 10
• Review of Literature/Identification of Gaps in Literature: 20
• Findings/Conclusion/Use of Theories from Class & Readings: 40
• Implications for Future Research: 10
• Writing/Communication Skills: 10
• Creativity: 5

PODCAST

Due: December 4, 2007
Length: 7-10 minutes
Format:

• Introduction: Attention Catcher and Case Focus
• Policy Implications/Recommendations re: Your Case Study!
• Conclusion
• Remember creativity and professionalism in communicating your policy ideas to make a difference!

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Key Dates

Sessions I and II: Introduction and Overview/Perspectives and Paradigms
28 August and 4 September

1. Introduction
2. Discussion of Syllabus and Course Requirements/A Case Approach
3. Discussion of Podcast
4. Perspectives/Paradigms on Communication and Development: The Roles of Knowledge
5. Teamwork: Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corporation Case (A) and (B) and Building A Cluster: Electronics and IT in Costa Rica Case

Required Reading

• Wilson, Chapter 1
• Zhao, H. et al. Social Institutional Explanations of Global Internet Diffusion: A Cross-Country Analysis. 2007. Journal of Global Information Management 15 (2): 28-55.

Recommended Reading

• Addressing the Communication Needs of the Poor, InfoDev & Alcatel, November 2005.
• Franda, 1-7.
• Human Development Report. 2001, 2006.
• Kahin & Wilson, 1-24; 261-287
• Kogut, Bruce, ed. The Global Internet Economy, Chapter 1: The Internet Has Borders.
• Mansell and Wehn. Knowledge Societies, 1-20.
• Levinson, Nanette. 2003. Developing Nations. In The Internet Encyclopedia, ed. by H. Bidgoli. John Wiley and Sons.
• Modelski, George. 1990. Is World Politics Evolutionary Learning? International 0rganization 44 (1).
• Mowlana and Wilson, xi-171
• Roman, Paul. 2003. Diffusion of Innovations as a Theoretical Framework for Telecenters. Information Technologies and International Development. 1 (2).
• Morse and Struyk, 2006.
• Scheve, Kenneth and Slaughter, M. July/August 2007. A New Deal for Globalization. Foreign Affairs.
• Yin, 2002.

Session III: International Communication and Technological Convergence: Inter-organizational Perspectives
11 September

1. Introduction to Inter-organizational Theory
2. Application to Communication and Development in the New Century
3. Teamwork: TCL Multimedia and Globe Telecom Cases

Required Reading

• Scott, W.R. 2004. Reflections On a Half-Century of Organizational Sociology. Annual Review of Sociology 30.
• Becker, F. 2007. Organizational Ecology and Knowledge Networks. California Management Review.

Recommended Reading

• Franda, 7-97.
• Golich, V. 1992. From Competition To Collaboration: The Challenge of Commercial Class Aircraft Manufacturing. International Organization, 46 (4).
• Jonsson, C. 1986. Inter-organizational Theory and International Organization. International Studies Quarterly, 30.
• Martin, Xavier and Swaminathan. 1998. Organizational Evolution in the Inter-organizational Environment. Administrative Science Quarterly, September.
• Levinson, N. 1994. Inter-organizational Information Systems: New Approaches to Global Economic Development. Information and Management 26.
• Pitroda, S. 1993. Development, Democracy and the Village Telephone. Harvard Business Review, November-December, 66-79.
• Slaughter, Ann-Marie. 2004. A New World Order. Princeton University Press.
• White, Harrison. 1992. Identity and Control: A Structural Theory of Social Action.

Sessions IV and V: Networks and Network Analysis: Emerging Perspectives on Communication and Development
18 September and 25 September

Research Paper Proposal Due — 25 September (See Research Case Study Information)

1. The Role of Alliances and Networks
2. Knowledge Transfer, Network Analysis, and Economic Development: Knowledge as Capital!
3. The Roles of Technology
4. The Roles of Culture
5. Teamwork: Datacom: The Internet in Mongolia Case and ITC: E-Choupal

Required Reading

• Ford, Dianne P. and Chan,Y. 2003. Knowledge Sharing in a Multi-Cultural Setting. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 1 (1): 11-27
• Heeks, Richard. 2002. Information Systems and Developing Countries: Failure, Success and Local Improvisations. The Information Society, 18, (2): 101-112.
• Wilson, Chapter 2.

Recommended Reading

• Burt, R. 1992. Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition, Harvard University Press.
• Cowhey, P. and Aronson, J. 1993. Managing The World Economy: The Consequences of Corporate Alliances, Council on Foreign Relations.
• Doney, Patricia M., Cannon, Joseph P. and Mullen, Michael R., 1998. Understanding the Influence of National Culture on the Development of Trust. Academy of Management Review, 23, (3),:601-620.
• Franda, 129-187.
• Florida, R. and Kenney, M. 1991. Transplanted Organizations: The Transfer of Japanese Industrial Organization to the U.S. American Sociological Review, June.
• Levinson, N. and Asahi, M. 1995. Strategic Alliances and Inter-organizational Learning. Organizational Dynamics, Autumn.
• Levy, J.S. Learning and Foreign Policy. 1994. International Organization. 48 (2).
• Mansell and Wehn. Knowledge Societies, 20-178.
• Mizruchi, Mark. 1996. What Do Interlocks Do? An Analysis, Critique and Assessment of Research on Interlocking Directorates. Annual Review of Sociology. 22: 271.
• Rogers, E. 1995. Diffusion of Innovations. Free Press.
• Rosenau and Singh, 1-115.
• Wheeler, D. 2001. The Internet and Public Culture in Kuwait. International Communication Gazette 63, (2-3): 187-201.

Session VI: The New Institutionalism and International Communication
2 October

1. An Institutional Approach to Technological Convergence, International Communication, and Competition
2. Institutionalism, Multi-Nationals, and International Communication/Implications for Development
3. Teamwork: Singapore Telecommunications Case and Pacific Century Cyberworks Case

Required Reading

• Martin, Lisa and Simmons, B.A. 1998. Theories and Empirical Studies of International Institutions. International Organization. 52, (4): 729-757,
• Lal, Kaushalesh. 2001. Institutional Environment and the Development of Information and Communication Technology in India. The Information Society, 17, (2) 15-117.

Recommended Reading

• Adler, E. and Barnett, M. 1998. Security Communities (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, 62). Cambridge University Press.
• Barnett and Duvall, eds. 2005. Power In Global Governance.
• Bernauer, T. 1995. International Institutions and the Environment. International Organization. 49 (2).
• Campbell, John L. 2004. Institutional Change and Globalization. Princeton University Press.
• Franda, 187-245.
• Kogut, Bruce, ed. The Global Internet Economy, Chapter 2: From Pockets of Experimentation to Institutional Change.
• Powell, W. and Dimaggio, P. 1991. The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. University of Chicago Press.
• Westney, D. 1993. Institutional Theory and The Multinational Corporation. Organization Theory and the Multinational Corporation. NY: St. Martin's Press.
• Young, O. R. 1991. Political Leadership and Regime Formation: On the Development of Institutions in International Society. International Organization 45 (3).

Session VII: Communication and Development: Industrial Policy Approaches
9 October

1. Alliances and Industrial Policy
2. The Changing Roles of Nation-States
3. Industrial Policy, The New Technology Policy, and Development

Required Reading

• United Nations Conference on Trade & Development Information Economy Report 2006.
• Wilson, E. Chapters 3, 4, 5.

Recommended Reading

• Berger, Ida et al. 2004. Social Alliances: Company/Nonprofit Collaboration. California Management Review 47(1).
• Fountain, 2001.
• Jussawalla, M. and Taylor, R.D. 2003. Information Technology Parks of the Asia Pacific. ME Sharpe.
• Kogut, Bruce, ed. The Global Internet Economy, Chap. 8: The Internet Economy of Korea.
• Mansell and Wehn. Knowledge Societies, 226-261.
• Rosenau and Singh, 189-288.
• Sussman, Gerald. 2003. The Tao of Singapore's Internet Politics: Toward dictatorship or democracy? Journal of International Communication 9 (1).

Session VIII: Beyond the Nation-State
16 October

1. Regionalization, Globalization, and Civil Society
2. Civil Society
3. Teamwork: The New Partnership for Africa's Development Case and Worldspace Digital Radio Case

Required Reading

• Special Issue of The Information Society, Mueller, Milton and B. Lentz, eds. 2004. Socio-Cultural Determinants of Communication and Information Policy 20 (3).
• Risse-Kappen, Thomas. 1994. Ideas Do Not Float Freely: Transnational Coalitions, Domestic Structures, and the End of the Cold War. International Organization 48 (2).
• Rogerson, K. 2004. Talking Past Each Other: International Organization Internet Policy in the Development World. International Politics 41 (2): 176-195.
• Wilson, E. Chapter 6.

Recommended Reading

• Cerny, P. G. 1995. Globalization and Collective Action. International Organization 49(4).
• Chesbrough, H. et al. 2006. Business Models for Technology in the Developing World. California Management Review.
• Kogut, Bruce, ed. The Global Internet Economy, Chapter 14: Conclusion.
• Lewis, D. and Madon, S. 2004. Information Systems and Non-Governmental Development Organisations: Advocacy, Organisational Learning, and Accountability. The Information Society 20.
• Mansell and Wehn. Knowledge Societies, 180-203.
• Mittelman, J. and Pasha, M. 1996. Out From Under Development Revisited. 2nd edition, St. Martin's Press.
• Rosenau and Singh. 115-189.
• Sassen, Saskia. 2006. Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global Assemblages. Princeton University Press.
• Schuler, D. and Day, P., Eds. 2004. Shaping the Network Society. MIT Press.

Session IX: New Issues: Implications for Social and Economic Development
23 October

1. Internet Governance and Developing Nations
2. E-government
3. Cyberinfrastructure and the Digital Divides

Required Reading

• Kumar, R. and M. L. Best. 2006. Impact and Sustainability of E-Government Services in developing Countries: Lessons learned from tamil Nadu, India. Information Society 22 (1): 1-12.
• Samarajiva, Rohan and S. Gamage. 2007. Bridging the Divide: Building Asia-Pacific Capacity For Effective Reforms. Information Society 23: 109-117.
• Wilson, E. Chapters 7 and 8.
• Warschauer, M. 2003. Dissecting the 'Digital Divide': A Case Study in Egypt. The Information Society 19 (4).
• Van Dijk, Jan and Hacker, K. 2003. The Digital Divide as a Complex and Dynamic Phenomenon. The Information Society 19 (4).

Recommended Reading

• Cukier, Kenneth. November/December 2005. Who Will Control The Internet? Foreign Affairs.
• Drake, W. ed. 1995. The New Information Infrastructures: Strategies for U.S. Policy. 20th Century Fund Press.
  
  • Chapter 3, The Globalization of Telecommunications and Information;
  • Appendix: Telecommunications Technology for the 21st Century by Richard J. Solomon;
  • Chapter 7, Building the Global Information Highway by Peter Cowhey;
  • Chapter 9, Multilateral Cooperation in Telecommunications: Implications of the Great Transformation;
  • Chapter 11, International Trade in Information-Based Services: The Uruguay Round and Beyond by Kalypso Nicolaïtis;
  • Conclusion, Policies for the National and Global Information Infrastructures by William J. Drake
• Hart, Jeffrey. 2005. The G8 and the Governance of Cyberspace in Michele Fratianni, John J. Kirton, Alan M. Rugman, and Paolo Savona eds., New Perspectives on the Global Governance: Why America Needs the G8. Ashgate.
• Litan and Rivlin.
• Mansell and Wehn. Knowledge Societies, 204-225.
• Norris.
• Prahalad. 2005. The Fortune At The Bottom of the Pyramid.

Session X: MID-TERM ASSESSMENT
30 October

Sessions XI and XII: Communication and Development: A Strategic Change Perspective
6 November and 13 November

1. Holistic Review
2. Conceptual Frameworks for Understanding Change, Transformation, and Ethical Leadership
3. Teamwork: Dorm99.com case and Eachnet.com Case

Required Reading

• Finnemore, M. and Sikkink, K. 1998. International Norm Dynamics and Political Change. International Organization 52 (4): 887-917.

Recommended Reading

• Dobbin, F. 1994. Forging Industrial Policy: The United States, Britain, and France in the Railway Age. Cambridge University Press.
• Tichy, Noel and A. R. McGill. 2003. The Ethical Challenge: How to Lead with Unyielding Integrity. John Wiley and Sons.

NOVEMBER 20: AMERICAN UNIVERSITY NO TUESDAY CLASS MEETINGS!

Sessions XI, XII, and XIII
27 November, 4 December, and 11 December

Research Paper Due - 27 November

Podcast Due - 4 December

1. Oral Presentations/Assessment #2
2. Discussion/Implications for the Field

Selected Weblinks

Berkman Center for Internet and Society
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home

Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
http://www.citi.columbia.edu/

Digital Opportunity Channel Communication Initiative
http://www.digitalopportunity.org

Economic Development
http://bubl.ac.uk/link/e/economicdevelopment.htm

The Geography of the Digital Divide
http://monarch.gsu.edu/jcrampton/digital-divide/

ICANN
http://www.icann.org

i Connect online: Applying Knowledge to Development
http://www.iconnect-online.org

InfoDev — The Information for Development Program: Promoting Information and Communication Technologies for Social and Economic Development
http://www.infodev.org

Information Economy Site at University of California, Berkeley
http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/resources/infoecon/index.html

International Institute for Communication and Development
http://www.iicd.org

International Telecommunication Union (see especially World Summit on the Information Society)
http://www.itu.int/home/index.html

The Internet Governance Forum
http://www.intgovforum.org

Networklearning.org
http://www.networklearning.org

UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/hp.html

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
http://www.oecd.org

United Nations Development Program
http://www.undp.org

Development Gateway
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/

UNESCO — Communication and Information Program
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en

United Nations Index to Information Technology Sites
http://www.un.org/esa

World Resources Institute's Next Billion Website
http://www.nextbillion.net

The Information Society Project
http://islandia.law.yale.edu/isp/about.html

The World Bank Group
http://www.worldbank.org

The World Economic Forum
http://www.weforum.org

The World Summit on the Information Society
http://www.wsis.org