[AG-TECH] Information Society and Civil Society in Japan

[jch at engineering.ucsb.edu]

We could use some participants to join us this Friday for a short 
presentation about information and civil society in Japan.  Please let me 
know if you would like to attend.

June 7 at 12:00 PST
Laurie Freeman, Department of Political Science
 	 
	Professor Freeman's talk will focus on several of the local (historical, 
regulatory and technological) factors shaping 
Internet development in Japan, and evaluate their potential impact on 
Japanese democracy, especially their role in 
the creation of an active, literate and participatory information and civil 
society. I am planning on talking about two 
cases and their potential impacts: 1.) strict government controls on 
Internet use during electoral campaigns, and 
2.) the rapid rise and diffusion of web-enabled cell phones.