Social discrimination and social justice Books

Book Synopsis**LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 PEN/JOHN KENNETH GALBRAITH AWARD FOR NONFICTION****LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDALS FOR EXCELLENCE****WINNER OF THE 2022 POZ AWARD FOR BEST IN LITERATURE***Sarah Schulman named The Viral Underclass one of the Best Books of the 21st Century for the New York Times*An irresistibly readable and humane exploration of the barbarities of class...readers are gifted that most precious of things in these muddled times: a clear lens through which to see the world.Naomi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of This Changes Everything and The Shock DoctrineFrom preeminent LGBTQ scholar, social critic, and journalist Steven W. Thrasher comes a powerful and crucial exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our times: how viruses expose the fault lines of society. Having spent a ground-breaking career studying the racialization, policin

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Book SynopsisArshin Adib-Moghaddam is Professor in Global Thought and Comparative Philosophies, Fellow of Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, UK and Inaugural Co-Director of the SOAS Centre for AI Futures, University of London, UK.Trade ReviewWritten with intellectual flair, this is a stimulating if sobering assessment of what we can expect in a world increasingly dominated by biased AI. A must-read to understand the paradigm shift we are already experiencing, and better anticipate the all too human flaws in the embedded tech so rapidly accumulating in our techno-societies. * Roxane Farmanfarmaian, University of Cambridge, UK *A fascinating work on the age of artificial intelligence, surveillance, and algorithmic regimes. Arshin Adib-Moghaddam asks compelling questions regarding our dice-throw with the virtual, the digital, and the simulated, taking us into those timescapes of the near-beyond where we will have to confront dire questions of our own post-humanism. This work unveils with exceptional precision both the potentiality for catastrophic violence beneath the surface of such epochal technologies yet also an escape-route into its more boundless figurations. * Jason Mohaghegh, Babson College, USA *A cutting-edge piece of work illustrating how we can transform our psychology and change values within an AI-controlled system in the age of post-human society. * Hisae Nakanishi, Doshisha University, Japan *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Beyond Human Robots Chapter 2: The Matrix Decoded Chapter 3: Capital Punishment Chapter 4: Techno-Imperialism Chapter 5: Death-Techniques Conclusion: Decolonial AI - A Manifesto

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Trade Review“A kind of social worker’s journal, offering intimate glimpses into troubled lives but without jargon or tortured psychoanalytic interpretations.” —The New York Times Book Review“Paid Servant adds to Mr. Braithwaite’s stature. . . . Absorbing to read and skilfully composed.” —The Times Literary Supplement “Warm but never sentimental.” —Booklist Table of Contents Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven About the Author

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Book SynopsisFeaturing an intersectional approach, Social Inequalities: Select Readings on Race, Class, and Gender introduces students to social inequalities embedded within society at both the micro and macro level. Through compelling, scholarly articles, students gain the knowledge necessary to address social inequalities and inspire social change.The anthology features six distinct units. Unit I focuses on race, racism, and immigration and features readings on racial formation, defining racism, and the consequences of racism on U.S. immigration policy. In Unit II, students read about gender, patriarchy, and formal and informal discrimination against women at work. Unit III features coverage of social class, power, and privilege, and Unit IV speaks to the tensions between wealth, privilege, and inequality. Students learn about inequality and discrimination within social institutions like schools, housing, and mass incarceration. The final unit encourages students to pursue social change and social transformation.Social Inequalities is an ideal reader for courses in sociology, women and gender studies, and race and ethnic studies, as well as those that address social stratification and the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, class, and gender.

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Book SynopsisAs public schools in low income areas fell into disrepair and failed to meet the needs of disadvantaged and minority students, charter schools offered an alternative. These schools were born out of the idea that low income families should be allowed to choose where their children went to school, just the same as high income families. If the public school in the community was unsatisfactory, shouldn't they be allowed to seek out an alternative? The alternatives are surprisingly effective. Charter schools located in low income black and Latinx communities achieve results surpassing both traditional public schools in their areas, and also, in many cases, public schools in more affluent neighbourhoods. In Charter Schools and Their Enemies, celebrated conservative intellectual Thomas Sowell explores the surprising success of this model and the surprising backlash that threatens to dismantle it.Instead of being celebrated for their successes, charter schools are caught in political crosscurrents. In addition to uncovering the success of the charter school movement, Sowell pays careful attention to its adversaries to understand how these schools became such a contentious issue and why the controversy rages on. Teachers' unions, fearful of their hold over government-funded education, fund political candidates to oppose the charter school movement. Liberal educators also oppose charter schools, Sowell argues, because they believe that the school system should indoctrinate the young in progressive politics.Deeply researched and amply documented, Charter Schools and Their Enemies is essential reading for anyone concerned with debates over education in America.

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Book SynopsisIn the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, it was widely assumed that society ought to foster the breeding of those who possessed favorable traits and discourage the breeding of those who did not. Controlled human breeding, or "eugenics" as it was called, was a movement with broad support that lasted into the 1930s. In this concise historical account, the author answers the questions of why eugenics, the search for means to propage only "good genes," was so attractive earlier in the twentieth century, why it then fell into disrepute, and whether it has returned today in the new guise of genetic counseling.Trade Review""This is an excellent book and deserves a wide readership.”-Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences

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Book SynopsisA survey of the historical, political, and sociological contexts of antisemitism in more than 50 countries.Antisemitism: A Reference Handbook is the first reference work to present a global survey of antisemitism that goes beyond its history to reveal the roots and nature of antisemitism. Exploring how antisemitism has manifested itself in various countries from pre-Christian times to today's ongoing Palestinian Intifada, which has caused severe reactions in Arab and Muslim communities all over the world, this unique work traces the history of the hatred of Jews worldwide.Approximately 20 biographical sketches profile advocates of antisemitism such as William Marr, who coined the term "antisemitism," and opponents of antisemitism such as St. Anselm and Martin Luther King. In this serious yet accessible volume, students, scholars, government officials, and diplomats will discover the answers to such puzzling questions as "What is antisemitism?" and "How does antisemitism relate to racism and to group prejudice in general?" A detailed worldwide survey of antisemitism, covering every major country from Austria to Yemen Biographical sketches of influential antisemitic figures such as John Chrysostom, Father Charles Coughlin, and David Duke as well as individuals who fought against antisemitism such as Abraham Foxman, David Harris, and Martin Niemoller Trade Review"This is a useful handbook that provides objective information. It will help readers understand antisemitism and gather data for research, databases, or personal use. Public, academic, school, and synagogue libraries will welcome it for their collections." - American Reference Books Annual"Biographical sketches are followed by a country-by-country reference discussing both historical legacy and recent developments, making Antisemitism an excellent overview reference recommended for college-level and advanced high school collections alike." - The Midwest Book Review"Chanes provides an exploration in depth of the historical, political, and sociological contexts of antisemitism from an international perspective. Recommended. All libraries." - Choice

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1999, in the tiny west Texas town of Tulia, thirty-nine people, almost all of them black, were arrested and charged with dealing powdered cocaine. The operation, a federally-funded investigation performed in cooperation with the local authorities, was based on the work of one notoriously unreliable undercover officer. At trial, the prosecution relied almost solely on the uncorroborated, and contradictory, testimony of that officer, Tom Coleman. Despite the flimsiness of the evidence against them, virtually all of the defendants were convicted and given sentences as high as ninety-nine years. Tom Coleman was named a Texas Lawman of the Year for his work. Tulia is the story of this town, the bust, the trials, and the heroic legal battle that ultimately led to the reversal of the convictions in the summer of 2003. Laws have been changed in Texas as a result of the scandal, and the defendants have earned a measure of bittersweet redemption. But the story is much bigger than the tale of just one bust. As Tulia makes clear, these events are the latest chapter in a story with themes as old as the country itself. It is a gripping, marvellously well-told tale about injustice, race, poverty, hysteria, and desperation in rural America.Trade Review"Reading this gripping account of the appalling Tulia case brought to mind Bill Gillespie, the police-chief played so convincingly by Rod Steiger in the film The Heat of the Night. Being real life, Blakeslee's story is much worse: 39 people, almost all black, convicted for drugs on the testimony (uncorroborated and contradictory) of one police officer. That he was uncovered and a colossal legal battle reversed the convictions goes some way towards mitigating a terrible miscarriage of justice." Publishing News "Blakeslee's riveting account of what proved to be a gross miscarriage of justice does not shy away from the moral complexities of the case...This is strong stuff and would make an interesting tale in almost any hands. But Nate Blakeslee uses his considerable journalistic skill and invaluable local knowledge to turn his account of what happened in Tulia into something exceptional... this account is utterly compelling. The next time you feel the urge to pick up a thriller, don't. Read Tulia instead." Scotland on Sunday "Tulia is a splendid read: engagingly and enthusiastically written, with close attention to detail and a grim sense of tragedy. By focusing on the experience of individuals such as Joe Moore, Blakeslee gives the tale a powerfully personal thrust, but what is really disturbing is that the case was not especially unusual. No one reading this book can fail to be horrified by the staggeringly corrupt and incompetent Texas justice system - a system capable of sentencing dozens of men for crimes they palpably never committed." Daily Telegraph"

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Book SynopsisIn many ways, race has come to the forefront of contemporary American life. From the Black Lives Matter movement sparked by unarmed police shootings of black people to the health and economic disparities exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have been forced to reckon with our country’s fraught history – and present – of racial bias and inequality. Now that we have scratched the surface on courageous conversations about race, many are wondering: what is the next step towards healing and justice? Lies About Black People: Challenging Common Racist Stereotypes on Our Path to Common Antiracist Understanding is designed for anyone who wants to examine their own biases and behaviors with a deeper critical lens in order to take action, make change, and engage positively in the fight for racial equality. In this honest and welcoming book, diversity and inclusion expert, professor, and award-winning speaker Dr. Omekongo Dibinga argues that we must embark on a massive undertaking to re-educate ourselves on the stereotypes that have proven harmful, and too often deadly, to the black community. Through personal anecdotes, nuanced historical inquiry, and engaging analysis of modern-day events and their historical context and implications, this invaluable guide will break down some of the most powerful lies told about black people. Whether those lies are pernicious, like the idea that “most black people are criminals,” or seemingly innocuous, like “black people can’t swim,” all of the lies and stereotypes combatted in this book are rooted in hate and continue to undermine not only black people in America, but our society as a whole. Beyond combatting these harmful lies, Dr. Dibinga also provides readers with powerful insights on our racial vocabulary, reflective hands-on exercises that will allow readers to confront and change their own biases, and an honest discussion about how to move beyond misplaced shame and use privilege to serve others.Featuring personal surveys alongside real-life interviews with those who have been affected by racial biases first-hand, this open and thoughtful guide will lead readers on a path to understanding, action, and change.

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Book SynopsisWhite fear is not new. It enabled the rise of Donald Trump. It’s behind the recent flood of restrictive voting laws disproportionately impacting people of colour. It’s why reactions to movements like Black Lives Matter and a football player taking a knee have been so negative and so strong. For two centuries, the deep-seated fear that many white people feel - of losing power, of losing economic standing, of losing a particular “way of life” - has been the driving force behind American politics and culture. And as we approach a future where white people will become a racial the minority in the US, something estimated to occur as early as 2043, that fear is only intensifying, festering, and becoming more visible. Are we destined for a violent clash? What can we do to step into our country’s inevitable future, without tearing ourselves apart in the process? Nationally renowned journalist and award-winning author Roland Martin has been sounding this alarm for more than a decade. In White Fear, he provides a primer on how white fear has shaped, and continues to shape, our democracy and our culture. He connects the separate puzzle pieces, from the Tea Party Movement and QAnon to the decline of white American optimism to the diminishing blue-collar workforce, to illuminate the larger picture of what will unfold in America over the next decade-plus, and offers a better way forward. If we want to create the kind of country that we’re all welcome in and proud to live in, we can no longer ignore white fear. To neutralise it - in our country and, for white readers, ourselves - we must first understand it. Only then can we recognise and dismantle it. And as the last few years have shown, we don’t have any time to lose.

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Book SynopsisA farmhouse is being reproduced a dozen times, with slight variations, throughout a valley. Three small graves have been dug in the front garden, the middle one lying empty. A woman in a wheelchair sorts through boxes while her husband clambers around the old demolished buildings, wondering where the animals have gone. A young woman - called 'the barren one' behind her back - dreams of love, while an ageing headmaster contemplates the end of his life. At the entrance to the long dirt driveway, a car appears and pauses - pointed towards the house like a silver bullet, ticking with heat. So begins The Dream House, Craig Higginson's riveting and unforgettable novel set in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. Written with dark wit, a stark poetic style and extraordinary tenderness, this is a story about the state of a nation and a deep meditation on memory, ageing, meaning, family, love and loss. This updated 2016 edition contains new content, with Craig Higginson exploring the background to The Dream House, his varied experiences in a farmhouse in KwaZulu-Natal and the subsequent and poignant motivations for this moving novel.Trade Review'It's here at last - the South African novel that throws off all the literary baggage of political cliche and posturing, and gives us an honest exploration of not only what it is to be human, but what it is to be South African.' - City Press

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Book SynopsisCorruption breeds corruption. If the police and courts practice corruption, then corruption seeps into society at large, from the police who think that it is fair game to assault miners protesting about their treatment, to victimising black kids simply for being black. Police have been fitting up people for years. The average citizen will shrug their shoulders, brush it aside muttering they ‘no doubt deserved it,’ without thinking of the deeper implications. However, the damage is being done, as can be seen in society today. My books explore the corruption and the potential influence of the Freemasons on the courts.

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Book SynopsisToday, whichever party is in power, Aboriginal issues are very much part of the national agenda. No account of the nature of Australian politics, or discussion of the future of Australian society, can be complete without consideration of the Aboriginal interest. Citizens, whatever their political preferences, are learning that the Aboriginal demand for a full role in society has a profound impact on public life. In White Politics and Black Australians Scott Bennett coolly and dispassionately describes how the aspirations of Aboriginal Australians are expressed through a political system designed, first and foremost, for the white majority. Mabo, Wik, Native Title, Stolen Generation - these are just some of the issues discussed here. In a field so often characterised by rhetoric rather than analysis, here is an account which acknowledges the day-to-day reality of political contest.

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Book SynopsisThe first book to unearth the Christchurch massacre’s fascist roots and examine what it represents and threatens. The massacre of more than fifty worshippers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, shocked the world. The murders were not random. They expressed a particular ideology, one that the alleged perpetrator described as ‘fascism’. But what does fascism mean today — and what kind of threat does it pose? Jeff Sparrow traces the history of the far right, showing how fascists have adapted to the new politics of the twenty-first century. Burgeoning in dark places online, contemporary fascism exults in violence and picks its targets strategically. Today, it is Muslims; tomorrow, it will be Jews or gays or Asians. With imitative massacres already occurring around the world, Christchurch must be a wake-up call. This book makes a compelling, urgent case for a new response to an old menace.Trade Review‘This short but incisive book builds to a stirring and well-argued conclusion ... What Sparrow does so eloquently ... is overtly link fascism, historically and theoretically, with political violence.’ FOUR STARS -- Kelsey Oldham * Books + Publishing *‘With conceptual clarity and meticulous research, Jeff Sparrow has produced an indispensable guidebook to the intellectual and political sewers from which the Christchurch mass murderer emerged. Sparrow understands the role social media has played in the rebirth of fascism. He also understands that ideas matter.’ -- Robert Manne, emeritus professor of politics and vice-chancellor's fellow at La Trobe University‘This is a very good book and well worth a read.’ -- James Pierson * NB Magazine *‘Part history lesson, part detective story, part deep-dive into an online swamp, Fascists Among Us is essential reading for anyone who wants to take a stand against hate.’ -- Scott Ludlam‘Jeff Sparrow charts the ideological underpinnings of fascism with uncommon clarity, demonstrating the importance of confronting the truth rather than retreating from its horrors. Read. This. Book.’ -- Sisonke Msimang‘Lit with insight and urgency. Read it, just read it.’ -- Chloe Hooper‘This is succinct, steady writing, well-informed and organised. With the advantage of having recently completed a book on the rise of the right (Trigger Warnings), Sparrow has managed to deal with the problems associated with writing about such a sensationally awful event.’ -- Rosemary Sorensen * Daily Review *‘Sparrow’s analysis is poignant and confronting, yet avoids being voyeuristic or disrespectful.’ -- Ellen Muller * ArtsHub *‘[A]rgues that we need more information, rather than information blackouts, in response to fascist terrorism … He shows how and where fellow fascists form shadowy internet communities to foment violence against immigrants and minorities and spur dialogue on the “Optics War,” “ecofascism,” and “accelerationism” … Sparrow convincingly argues that the more we understand about the last terrorist, the better we can prevent the next one.’ * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisThis book advocates for community-based research with vulnerable populations within the field of higher education. The chapters outline how research can democratize knowledge generation to make it more accessible and socially relevant, and emphasizes the value of the lived and experiential knowledge of vulnerable and marginalized populations. Rooted in a critique of the current practices of higher education that fail to support participatory and transformative research, the research is structured at micro, macro and meso levels to ultimately emancipate colonized thinking of stakeholders about power, privilege and participation. Focusing primarily on various contexts within the Global South, the contributors argue that the time is ripe for community-based research which combines the theoretical knowledge of the academy with the local, experiential knowledge of those experiencing the consequences of social inequality to co-construct knowledge for change.Table of ContentsPart 1: Community-based Research in Higher EducationChapter 1: Community-based Research in Higher Education: Research Partnerships for the Common Good, Lesley Wood and Ortrun Zuber-SkerrittChapter 2: Rethinking Ethical Processes for Community-based Research Partnerships: Lessons from Practice, Mary Brydon-Miller and Lesley WoodChapter 3: Building Capacity for Community-based Research, Lesley WoodPart 2: Case Studies of Partnership for Community-based Research with Vulnerable PopulationsChapter 4: Developing and Sustaining Community-University Partnerships: Reflecting on Relationship Building, Heloise Sathorar and Deirdre GeduldChapter 5: Community-based Research to Enhance Holistic Wellbeing in School Contexts, Ansie Elizabeth Kitching and Robert Tubb CarstensChapter 6: Developing Relationship for Community-based Research at Rhodes University: Values, Principles and Challenges, Diana Hornby and Savathrie MaistryChapter 7: A Community-based Approach to Engaging Older Adults in the Promotion of their Health and Wellbeing Through Social Dance, Orfhlaith Ni Bhriain and Amanda CliffordChapter 8: Community-based Research for Peace: A Case Study in Colombia, Doris SantosChapter 9: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach to Community-based Research for Development of a Social Enterprise, Karen Venter and Alfi MoolmanChapter 10: "University Mtaani”: A Case Study of Service Learning and Civic Engagement for Social Transformation in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements, Nkatha Mercy and Jonas Yawovi DzinekouChapter 11: The Importance of Access, Time and Space: Developing the Collective Change Facilitator Role as Part of a Multi-Partner Research Programme, Sara Branch, Kate Freiberg, Ross Homel and Charmaine StubbsPart 3: A Framework for Conducting Ethical, Inclusive and Sustainable Community-based ResearchChapter 12: Towards Holistic and Community-led Development: The GULL System for Self-Directed Lifelong Action Learning, Richard TeareChapter 13: Community-based Research with Marginalized Populations as Transformative Adult Education, Lesley WoodChapter 14: An Ethical, Inclusive and Sustainable Framework for Community-based Research in Higher Education, Lesley Wood

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