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Mobile communication, public participation and e-governance in China: a case study of Xiamen anti-PX demonstration

Published: 25 October 2010 Publication History

Abstract

China has become the biggest mobile communication carrier in the world since 2001. Advanced technologies create a communication revolution, and the individual, through the advent of mobile media, has become an active participant in this process. This study investigates the mobile phone's impact upon the developments of public participation, social inclusion and citizenship through the case study of Xiamen PX demonstration. In terms of local environmental activism, the Xiamen residents shared information with the help of wireless communication about the alleged misdeeds of party officials and took various civic actions again them. A rare sense of participation in public affairs is fostered through the use of mobile communication technology. The government must figure out how to improve the effective and regular information exchange and feedback top down and bottom up to raise the awareness and understanding among higher decision making agencies, government and the public.

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  • (2014)The mobile phone in street protest: Texting, tweeting, tracking, and tracingMobile Media & Communication10.1177/20501579135132552:2(117-133)Online publication date: 16-Apr-2014

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      cover image ACM Other conferences
      ICEGOV '10: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance
      October 2010
      452 pages
      ISBN:9781450300582
      DOI:10.1145/1930321
      • Editors:
      • Jim DAVIES,
      • Tomasz JANOWSKI,
      • General Chairs:
      • Peter HADDAWY,
      • HONG Yi,
      • Theresa PARDO
      Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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      Publication History

      Published: 25 October 2010

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      Author Tags

      1. China
      2. citizenship
      3. e-governance
      4. mobile phone
      5. public participation

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      • (2014)The mobile phone in street protest: Texting, tweeting, tracking, and tracingMobile Media & Communication10.1177/20501579135132552:2(117-133)Online publication date: 16-Apr-2014

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