Social theory Books

Book SynopsisTreating social theory as an exciting intellectual journey in its own right, this new introductory-level textbook presents the key ideas and concepts in social theory together with an account of the intellectual background from which they emerged. Aimed at first-year undergraduates studying sociology and all related disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, it provides an introduction to the major questions and debates facing social theorists and sociologists. Clearly designed presentation and layout features help readers navigate their way around the material thus giving them the best chance of finding what they need quickly and easily. The book is supported by a companion website, containing additional materials for both students and lecturers using the book, which is available from the link aboveTrade Review"Very good for students who don't have a social science background" Ros Garrick, Sheffield Hallam"Encyclopaedic in detail but also engaging, balanced, and accessible. Paul Ransome has produced a text of some originality: a beginners' guide that covers every nook and cranny of social thought. I have little doubt that it will prove to be of indispensable use for undergraduates of all levels of study." Shaun Le Boutillier, Anglia Ruskin University"The attention paid to the importance of metaphorical and chronological definitions is invaluable to beginners attempting to construct relevant literature around the different time scales in social theory." 2nd Year student in BA Human GeographyTable of ContentsIntroduction: who is this book for and how do I use it?; What is social theory?; Where did social theory come from?; Émile Durkheim and the coming of industrial society; Karl Marx, capitalism and revolution; Max Weber, rational capitalism and social action; Talcott Parsons, functionalism and the social system; Social interactionism and the real lives of social actors; Western Marxism, Antonio Gramsci and the Frankfurt School; Language, structure, meaning; Discourse and power: post-structuralist social theory; Feminist social theory; Reviving theories of modernity: Habermas, Giddens and Bourdieu; Theories of modernity and post-modernity; Reflexive modernisation: the global dimension and cultural theory; The boundary problem in contemporary social theory.

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Book SynopsisTreating social theory as an exciting intellectual journey in its own right, this new introductory-level textbook presents the key ideas and concepts in social theory together with an account of the intellectual background from which they emerged. Aimed at first-year undergraduates studying sociology and all related disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, it provides an introduction to the major questions and debates facing social theorists and sociologists. Clearly designed presentation and layout features help readers navigate their way around the material thus giving them the best chance of finding what they need quickly and easily. The book is supported by a companion website, containing additional materials for both students and lecturers using the book, which is available from the link aboveTrade Review"Very good for students who don't have a social science background" Ros Garrick, Sheffield Hallam"Encyclopaedic in detail but also engaging, balanced, and accessible. Paul Ransome has produced a text of some originality: a beginners' guide that covers every nook and cranny of social thought. I have little doubt that it will prove to be of indispensable use for undergraduates of all levels of study." Shaun Le Boutillier, Anglia Ruskin University"The attention paid to the importance of metaphorical and chronological definitions is invaluable to beginners attempting to construct relevant literature around the different time scales in social theory." 2nd Year student in BA Human GeographyTable of ContentsIntroduction: who is this book for and how do I use it?; What is social theory?; Where did social theory come from?; Émile Durkheim and the coming of industrial society; Karl Marx, capitalism and revolution; Max Weber, rational capitalism and social action; Talcott Parsons, functionalism and the social system; Social interactionism and the real lives of social actors; Western Marxism, Antonio Gramsci and the Frankfurt School; Language, structure, meaning; Discourse and power: post-structuralist social theory; Feminist social theory; Reviving theories of modernity: Habermas, Giddens and Bourdieu; Theories of modernity and post-modernity; Reflexive modernisation: the global dimension and cultural theory; The boundary problem in contemporary social theory.

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Book SynopsisWhile the notion of social harm has long interested critical criminologists it is now being explored as an alternative field of study, which provides more accurate analyses of the vicissitudes of life. However, important aspects of this notion remain undeveloped, in particular the definition of social harm, the question of responsibility and the methodologies for studying harm. This book, the first to theorise and define the social harm concept beyond criminology, seeks to address these omissions and questions why some capitalist societies appear to be more harmful than others. In doing so it provides a platform for future debates, in this series and beyond. It will be a valuable resource for academics and researchers across criminology, sociology, social policy, socio-legal studies and geography.Trade Review"Simon Pemberton’s groundbreaking volume provides a major step forward in understanding the causation and alleviation of widespread harm." Danny Dorling, University of Oxford“In a sense, criminology has been `waiting’ for this original and highly topical book. It is of theoretical, conceptual, methodological and empirical significance, making novel contributions in each respect.” Steve Tombs, The Open UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction; Defining social harm; Capitalist formations and the production of harm; Harm reduction regimes and the production of physical harm; Harm reduction regimes and the production of autonomy and relational harms; Harm reduction regimes, neoliberalism and the production of harm

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Book SynopsisWhile the notion of social harm has long interested critical criminologists it is now being explored as an alternative field of study, which provides more accurate analyses of the vicissitudes of life. However, important aspects of this notion remain undeveloped, in particular the definition of social harm, the question of responsibility and the methodologies for studying harm. This book, the first to theorise and define the social harm concept beyond criminology, seeks to address these omissions and questions why some capitalist societies appear to be more harmful than others. In doing so it provides a platform for future debates, in this series and beyond. It will be a valuable resource for academics and researchers across criminology, sociology, social policy, socio-legal studies and geography.Trade Review"Simon Pemberton’s groundbreaking volume provides a major step forward in understanding the causation and alleviation of widespread harm." Danny Dorling, University of Oxford“In a sense, criminology has been `waiting’ for this original and highly topical book. It is of theoretical, conceptual, methodological and empirical significance, making novel contributions in each respect.” Steve Tombs, The Open UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction; Defining social harm; Capitalist formations and the production of harm; Harm reduction regimes and the production of physical harm; Harm reduction regimes and the production of autonomy and relational harms; Harm reduction regimes, neoliberalism and the production of harm

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Book SynopsisThis timely and important book presents a unique study of happiness from both economic and political perspectives. It offers an overview of contemporary research on the emergent field of happiness studies and contains contributions by some of the leading figures in the field.General issues such as the history and conceptualization of happiness are explored, and the underpinning theories and empirics analyzed. The ways in which economic and political factors - both separately and interactively - affect the quality of human life are examined, illustrating the importance of a self-consciously multi-disciplinary approach to the field. In particular, the effects of consumption, income growth, inequality, discrimination, democracy, the nature of government policies, and labor organization on happiness are scrutinized. In conclusion, the contributors prescribe what can and should be done at individual and societal levels to improve human well-being and happiness.This wide-ranging and interdisciplinary book makes a unique contribution to the literature. As such, it will prove a fascinating read for students and scholars of economics, political science, psychology, sociology, and of course, to those with a special interest in the analysis of happiness and human well-being.Trade Review'This volume presents a unique and interesting study of happiness from both economic and political perspectives. . . This interdisciplinary volume represents a distinctive contribution to the relatively large and clearly increasing literature of the subject. It will prove a worthy reading for all those, students or researchers, with a special interest in the analysis of happiness and human well-being.' -- Elena E. Nicolae, Journal of Philosophical Economics'For those already drawn by the allure of happiness studies, Dutt and Radcliff here provide a rich tour of the frontier in the field. And for curmudgeons, this work goes far to defuse the skeptical reflex. It is subtle, intelligent, wide-ranging, informative and even readable throughout.' -- James K. Galbraith, The University of Texas at Austin, USTable of ContentsContents: Preface Introduction: Happiness, Economics and Politics Amitava Krishna Dutt and Benjamin Radcliff PART I: HAPPINESS 1. The History of Happiness and Contemporary Happiness Studies Darrin M. McMahon 2. On the Measurement and Mismeasurement of Happiness: Contemporary Theories and Methodological Directions Anthony D. Ong 3. How Do We Assess How Happy We Are? Tenets, Implications and Tenability of Three Theories Ruut Veenhoven 4. Happiness and Domain Satisfaction: New Directions for the Economics of Happiness Richard A. Easterlin and Onnicha Sawangfa PART II: HAPPINESS AND ECONOMICS 5. Happiness when Temptation Overwhelms Willpower Alois Stutzer 6. Happiness and the Relative Consumption Hypothesis Amitava Krishna Dutt 7. The Easterlin Paradox Revisited Robert H. Frank 8. Does Inequality Matter to Individual Welfare? An Initial Exploration Based on Happiness Surveys from Latin America Carol Graham and Andrew Felton 9. Perceptions of Discrimination, Effort to Obtain Psychological Balance and Relative Wages: Can we Infer a Happiness Gradient? Arthur Goldsmith PART III: HAPPINESS AND POLITICS 10. Politics and Happiness: An Empirical Ledger Alexander C. Pacek 11. Democracy and Happiness: What Causes What? Ronald Inglehart 12. The Causal Link between Happiness and Democratic Welfare Regimes Charlotte Ridge, Tom Rice and Matthew Cherry 13. Labor Organization and the Quality of Life in the American States Suzanne M. Coshow and Benjamin Radcliff PART IV: WHAT IS TO BE DONE? 14. Should National Happiness be Maximized? Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer 15. Change your Actions, Not Your Circumstances: An Experimental Test of the Sustainable Happiness Model Kennon M. Sheldon and Sonja Lyubomirsky 16. What is to be Done? Toward a ‘Happier’ World Amitava Krishna Dutt and Benjamin Radcliff Index

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Book SynopsisThis important book translates seven landmark essays by one of Japan?s most respected and influential legal thinkers. While Takao Tanase concedes that law might not matter as much in Japan as it does in the United States, in a provocative challenge to socio-legal researchers and comparative lawyers, he asks: why should it? The issue, he contends, is not whether law matters to society; it is how society matters to law.Developing a descriptive and normative theory of community and the law, the author directly challenges the view that legal liberalism represents the pinnacle of legal achievement. He criticises liberalism for destroying community in the United States and for offering false hope for a delayed modernity in Japan. By applying a distinctive interpretivist methodology, he constructs a communitarian model of law and society that serves as an alternative to legal liberalism. The book challenges conventional understandings of such legal sociological staples as torts, lawyers? ethics, family law, human rights, constitutionalism and litigiousness.This fascinating book will prove a stimulating, thought provoking read for researchers and scholars of law, Japanese and American studies, sociology and jurisprudence.Trade Review‘Takao Tanase seamlessly combines sociolegal and philosophical analysis as he explores the tensions between individual legal rights and communitarian values in settings ranging from post-divorce visitation rights to tort liability, lawyer–client relationships, and rising litigation rates. Contrasting Japan with the individualistic thrust of American law, Tanase stresses the importance of building legal processes that encourage stronger social and communal bonds. Students of law and society on all continents will find rich food for thought in this intellectually bold and intriguing volume.’ -- Robert A. Kagan, University of California, Berkeley, US‘Takao Tanase’s Community and the Law is a path breaking and often surprising interpretation of legal culture in Japan which includes subtle analyses of the changing role of lawyers and courts and the extent to which modernity and reliance on law are interlinked. But it is much more than that. His reflections on the different way law responds to social dilemmas in Japan and the USA are the building blocks of a much more ambitious project - no less than constructing a coherent account of what law can and should do to maintain communal ties in postmodern times. The book is a pleasure to read for its learning and sophistication. Nottage and Wolff also deserve high praise for their light touch as editors and translators.’ -- David Nelken, University of Cardiff, UK and University of Macerata, ItalyTable of ContentsContents: Part I: Introduction 1. Introduction — Community and the Law: A Critical Reassessment of American Liberalism and Japanese Modernity Part II: A Critique of American Liberalism 2. Invoking Law as Narrative: Lawyers’ Ethics and the Discourse of Law in the United States 3. The Moral Foundations of Tort Liability 4. Post-Divorce Child Visitations and Parental Rights: Insights from Comparative Legal Cultures Part III: A Normative Theory of Community and the Law 5. Rights and Community 6. Communitarianism and Constitutional Interpretation Part IV: A Re-Evaluation of Japanese Modernity 7. Japanese Modernity Revisited: A Critique of the Theory and Practice of Kawashima’s Sociology of Law 8. Litigation in Japan and the Modernisation Thesis Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe first emphasis of the volume is on developments in the social theory of environmental issues, the environment, and the environmental crisis. The second emphasis is on the increasingly questionable possibility of shared knowledge at a time of increasing fragmentation of common frameworks, distraction from key issues, and dilution of the idea of objectivity. The thematic emphasis on environmental challenges and issues, includes one contribution on climate change, the resource crunch, and the global growth Imperative, along with critical responses by other experts in this field, and two contributions on the development of planetarian accountancy, and the ubiquity of risk in consumer societies. Further contributions address issues relating to the dialectic of selfhood, the aftermath of postmodernism, limitations inherent to feminist perspectives, the project of public sociology, the fortieth anniversary of Jurgen Habermas' classic, Knowledge and Human Interests, and the need for critical theory to rely on social research.Table of ContentsList of Contributors. Introduction. Climate Change, the Resource Crunch, and The Global Growth Imperative. Social theory, climate change, and the humanity–nature relation. ‘Choose life’ not economic growth: critical social theory for people, planet and flourishing in the ‘age of nature’. Reply to my critics: Choosing life. Developing planetarian accountancy: Fabricating nature as stock, service, and system for green governmentality. Social action and catastrophe. Forty years of knowledge and human interests. Public sociology and the governance of possibility. Peirce, pragmaticism and public sociology: Translating an interpretation into praxis. The dialectic of selfhood. Under surveillance: Herbert Marcuse and the FBI. The actuality of critical theory: A reply to Dahms’ late prolegomenon. Beyond ‘feminisms’: Refocusing the women's movement through the lens of liberation. After post-modernism: Toward the recovery of theory. Current Perspectives in Social Theory. Nature, knowledge and negation. Copyright page. Editor.

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Book SynopsisThis Handbook is the first attempt to systematically examine, empirically and analytically, the contours of the third sector policy process in the European Union (EU). While scholarship on the social, economic and political contributions of organisations existing between the market and the state has proliferated in recent years, no sustained attention has previously been paid to how such organisations are collectively treated by, and respond to, public policy. The expert contributors examine the policy environment for, and evolving policy treatment of, the third sector in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom from a comparative perspective. They also look at how the third sector relates to multi-level European policy processes, including the Open Method of Co-ordination, the Community Method, nationally-led 'partnership' approaches within an overall EU framework and the United Nations International Year of Volunteering; an initiative implemented in the EU but originating externally.Providing a rich and compelling examination of a crucially important aspect of policymaking, this unique Handbook will fill a major gap in the knowledge of both general policy analysts and specialists in third sector studies. Researchers and students in the overlapping fields of organised civil society, voluntary and third sector studies and the non-profit sector will also warmly welcome this important book.Trade Review'The book is an excellent example of the usefulness of comparative research. . . This is an excellent book which ought to be of widespread interest to the third sector research community, and not just those undertaking comparative national or EU level research. The quality of its policy analysis should also make it of interest to political scientists interested in the third sector but also more broadly to those interested in social policy making in Europe.' -- Peter Wells, Voluntary Sector Review'Take the European dimension of third sector policy seriously in the new millennium - that is the content and message of this important Handbook. It contains rich material, framed with a very useful and interesting conceptual framework. The case studies give a strong sense of what emerges from connections between EU-initiated multi-level programs and national contexts, the interaction of broad categories of drivers for third sector policy, and shapers of the associated policy environment. Inter alia, the Handbook shows convincingly that third sector European policy is not simply pre-determined by "Brussels" - but can develop productively from inside and outside EU structures.' -- Adalbert Evers, Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen, Germany'This book will be a major resource for all those interested in the third sector policy environment in Europe. It is the product of extensive research collaboration, and Kendall has done an excellent job in bringing together the talents and knowledge of key researchers across the EU. There are detailed country based chapters and others exploring cross-cutting policy issues. Kendall brings these different perspectives together in overview chapters which explore, and explain, the developing European third sector policy landscape.' -- Peter Alcock, University of Birmingham, UKTable of ContentsContents: PART I: INTRODUCTION AND NATIONAL POLICY SITUATIONS 1. Terra Incognita: Third Sectors and European Policy Processes Jeremy Kendall 2. Germany: On the Social Policy Centrality of the Free Welfare Associations Annette Zimmer, Anja Appel, Claudia Dittrich, Chris Lange, Birgit Sittermann, Freja Stallmann and Jeremy Kendall 3. The Third Sector and the Policy Process in France: The Centralized Horizontal Third Sector Community Faced with the Reconfiguration of the State-centred Republican Model Laurent Fraisse 4. The UK: Ingredients in a Hyperactive Horizontal Policy Environment Jeremy Kendall 5. The Third Sector and the Policy Process in Italy: Between Mutual Accommodation and New Forms of (Blurred) Partnership Costanzo Ranci, Mauro Pellegrino and Emmanuele Pavolini 6. The Third Sector and the Policy Process in Spain: The Emergence of a New Policy Player Teresa Montagut 7. The Third Sector and the Policy Process in the Netherlands: A Study in Invisible Ink Taco Brandsen and Wim van de Donk 8. Sweden: When Strong Third Sector Historical Roots Meet EU Policy Processes Lars-Erik Olsson, Marie Nordfeldt, Ola Larsson and Jeremy Kendall 9. The Third Sector and the Policy Process in the Czech Republic: Self-Limiting Dynamics Pavol Frič PART II: MULTI-LEVEL POLICY CASES 10. The European Statute of Association: Why Still an Obscure but Contested Symbol in a Sea of Indifference and Scepticism? Jeremy Kendall and Laurent Fraisse 11. European Social Fund Local Social Capital Pilots and Mainstreamed Global Grants: On the Troubled Trajectory of Third Sector Policy Transfer Isabel Crowhurst and Jeremy Kendall 12. National Action Plans on Social Inclusion: Opportunities for the Third Sector? Taco Brandsen, Emmanuele Pavolini, Costanzo Ranci, Birgit Sittermann and Annette Zimmer 13. The European Employment Strategy, Social Economy and Employment Policy: Coordination Failure and Neglect in the Face of Fragmentation and Complexity Jeremy Kendall and Taco Brandsen 14. A New Settlement for Europe: Towards ‘Open, Transparent and Regular Dialogue with Representative Associations and Civil Society’? Catherine Will and Jeremy Kendall 15. The United Nations’ International Year of Volunteers: A Significant Non-EU Transnational Initiative for European Countries? Angela Ellis Paine, Jeremy Kendall and Simone Baglioni PART III: THE EU INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL AND CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS 16. The Third Sector and the Brussels Dimension: Trans-EU Governance Work in Progress Jeremy Kendall, Catherine Will and Taco Brandsen 17. Concluding Observations: A Diverse and Evolving Third Sector Policy Landscape Jeremy Kendall Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisThis groundbreaking book explores whether, how and why firms may generate value from social assets. Based on original empirical evidence, this is the first book that systematically integrates different approaches to social capital and develops a new and more comprehensive framework that relates social capital to various firm s strategies.The author delves deeply into the nature, dimensions and dynamics of social capital deploying research and analytical techniques from a wide variety of disciplines including, the theory of the firm, entrepreneurship, regional studies, strategic management, international business and innovation studies. Francesca Masciarelli provides insights into a new multilevel configuration of social capital and supports this with an abundance of empirical evidence.Making a step towards the development of a more comprehensive theory of social capital this book will prove essential for graduate students and scholars in business strategy, the social sciences, technology strategy, industrial organization, political science, economics of innovation, economics of technological change, internationalization and regional studies. Practitioners, leading consultancies, business advisers and policymakers operating in the field of business strategy and management of innovation will also find plenty of stimulating information in this valuable study. Contents: Foreword by Helena Yli-Renko 1. Introduction and Overview Part I: The Strategic Value of Geographically Bound Social Capital 2. The Regional Determinants of Firms Innovation: The Role of Social Capital and Regional Creativity 3. The Impact of Social Capital on Firm Bank Relationships Part II: The Strategic Value of Individual Social Capital 4. Turning Public into Private: How Geographically Bound Social Capital Amplifies Entrepreneurs Network for Innovation 5. International Social Capital and the Offshoring of Intangibles 6. The Role of Social and Human Capital in the Succession Process in Family Firms 7. Conclusions References IndexTrade Review’Embracing the seminal work of Putnam, Masciarelli offers an insightful and comprehensive overview of social capital literature organized in a thoughtful and easily accessible way. The book builds theoretical bridges between social capital and firm behavior in a compelling and novel fashion and goes on to employ powerful data for rigorous empirical investigations into the relationship. It stands as a comprehensive and imaginative contribution to a growing literature spanning multiple disciplines. This book will become essential for scholars interested in the role of social capital.’ - Toke Reichstein, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark Masciarelli's book provides an original perspective on the relationship between social capital and firms strategies, innovation and performance. Since the beginning, the reader enters a deep theoretical discussion, coupled with empirical insight and ability to judge what is scientifically sound and reliable, and what is not. The chapters dealing with innovation are particularly inspiring: social capital, knowledge production and open innovation have never been linked so tightly and clearly.’- Francesco Rullani, LUISS Guido Carli, Italy This is an outstanding book by an outstanding scholar. This is the first book to really explain what social capital means and how and why firms generate value and profit from social capital. The author combines a rigorous approach to empirical evidence in support of her arguments with new theoretical insights. This is a 'must read' for all those concerned with firm competitiveness, knowledge acquisition and social capital theory.’ -- Michael G. Hobday, University of Sussex, UKTable of ContentsContents: Foreword by Helena Yli-Renko 1. Introduction and Overview Part I: The Strategic Value of Geographically Bound Social Capital 2. The Regional Determinants of Firms’ Innovation: The Role of Social Capital and Regional Creativity 3. The Impact of Social Capital on Firm–Bank Relationships Part II: The Strategic Value of Individual Social Capital 4. Turning Public into Private: How Geographically Bound Social Capital Amplifies Entrepreneurs’ Network for Innovation 5. International Social Capital and the Offshoring of Intangibles 6. The Role of Social and Human Capital in the Succession Process in Family Firms 7. Conclusions References Index

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Book SynopsisWelfare State, Universalism and Diversity is a thought-provoking book dealing with key ideas, values and principles of social policies and asking what exactly is meant by universal benefits and policies? Is the time of post-war universalism over? Are universalism and diversity contradictory policy and theory framings? Well-known scholars from different countries and fields of expertise provide a historically informative and comprehensive view on the making of universal social policies. Universalism is defined and implemented differently in the British and Scandinavian social policies. Service universalism is different from universalism in pensions. The book underlines the multiple and transformative nature of universalism and the challenge of diversity. There certainly is need for a greater diversity in meeting citizen s needs. Yet, universalism remains a principle essential for planning and implementing sustainable and legitimate policies in times characterized by complex interdependences and contradictory political aims. This impressive book is an attempt to untangle the multiple meanings of universalism and clarify the concept's relevance to contemporary policy debates. It will prove invaluable for students, researchers and practitioners in social policy, public policy, social administration, social welfare, social history, social work, sociology and political sciences. Policy makers and administrators involved with social and public policies, social services, social welfare, and social work will also find this book groundbreaking. Contributors: A. Anttonen, A. Borchorst, J. Clarke, J. Goul Andersen, L. Haikio, B. Hvinden, M. Kautto, J. Newman, J. Sipila, K. Stefansson, M. Szebehely, M. VaboTrade Review’This book is a most timely academic intervention. The concept of universalism is central to social policy and welfare state development yet it is rarely explored with such attention to its time and place specificities as in this book. Nordic and British authors investigate the different dimensions and meanings of universalism and the challenges it has faced. Buffeted by markets and choice on the one side and diversity on the other, can universalism survive? To find out, read on...’- Fiona Williams, University of Leeds, UK ’Universalism in social policy is politically challenged and normatively contested. This book examines how the principle of universalism can be understood and how it has been put into practice in various national contexts. Universalism is contrasted with the idea of diversity which has gained strength as a result of growing affluent middle classes and of multiculturalism in highly developed welfare states. The book deals with varieties of universalism and inspires a re-thinking of the normative basis of the welfare state.’ - Stein Kuhnle, University of Bergen, Norway and Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, GermanyTable of ContentsContents: 1. Universalism and the Challenge of Diversity Anneli Anttonen, Liisa Häikiö, Kolbeinn Stefánsson and Jorma Sipilä 2. Universalism in the British and Scandinavian Social Policy Debates Anneli Anttonen and Jorma Sipilä 3. What is in a Word? Universalism, Ideology and Practice Kolbeinn Stefánsson 4. Finding the Way between Universalism and Diversity: A Challenge to the Nordic Model Liisa Häikiö and Bjørn Hvinden 5. Brave New World? Anglo-American Challenges to Universalism John Clarke and Janet Newman 6. Reassessing Woman-friendliness and the Gender System: Feminist Theorizing About the Nordic Welfare Model Anette Borchorst 7. A Caring State for all Older People? Mia Vabø and Marta Szebehely 8. The Pension Puzzle: Pension Security for all Without Universal Schemes? Mikko Kautto 9. Universalization and De-universalization of Unemployment Protection in Denmark and Sweden Jørgen Goul Andersen 10. The Future of Welfare State: Rethinking Universalism Anneli Anttonen, Liisa Häikiö and Kolbeinn Stefánsson Index

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Book SynopsisThe British Empire covered three centuries, five continents and one-quarter of the world's population. Its legacy continues, shaping the societies and welfare policies of much of the modern world. In this book, for the first time, this legacy is explored and analyzed. Colonialism and Welfare reveals that social welfare policies, often discriminatory, and challenging to those colonized were introduced and imposed by the 'mother country.' It highlights that there was great diversity in rationales and impacts across the empire, but past developments had a major impact on the development of much of the world's population. Contributions from every continent explore both the diversity and the common themes in the imperial experience. They examine the legacy of colonial welfare - a subject largely neglected by both historians of empire and social policy analysts. This original book shows that social welfare today cannot be understood without understanding the legacy of the British Empire. Academics, specialized students with an interest in comparative social policy, history of social policy, imperial history, colonialism, and contemporary third world social policy will find this book invaluable to their studies.Contributors include: J. Harrison, N. Jayaram, E. Kaseke, R. Kattumuri, J. Lewis, J. Midgley, L. Patel, D. Piachaud, P. Smyth, K.-l. TangTrade ReviewMidgley and Piachaud's book. . .offers scholars, students and social policy advocates an eminently readable, thought provoking overview of the historical development, current goals and future prospects of social protection policy in China, India, Brazil and South Africa. --Tanusha Raniga, Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare'Offering a rich comparative analysis of welfare policies across modern Commonwealth nations, the volume demonstrates how the creation of both processes and subjects of colonial domination historically unfolded as a 'ugly affair'. --Eleanor Conlin Casella, Journal of Social PolicyThe uniqueness of this book is that the contributing authors, who are sociologists and social policy analysts, examine the neglected social policies promoted by the British imperial system, which have drawn little or no attention in the literature but affected the lives of millions of inhabitants of colonised societies. . . makes an important contribution to the discussion of the British imperial legacy and is recommended for policy analysts, historians, and anyone interested in comparative politics. --Kwame Badu Antwi-Boasiako, International Social Science ReviewTable of ContentsContents: Preface Introduction James Midgley and David Piachaud PART I: OVERVIEW 1. The British Empire and World History: Welfare Imperialism and ‘Soft’ Power in the Rise and Fall of Colonial Rule Joanna Lewis 2. Imperialism, Colonialism and Social Welfare James Midgley PART II: ISSUES AND COUNTRY EXPERIENCES 3. The Colonial Legacy and Social Policy in the British Caribbean John Harrison 4. Race, Inequality and Social Welfare: South Africa’s Imperial Legacy Leila Patel 5. Caste, Corporate Disabilities and Compensatory Discrimination in India: Colonial Legacy and Post-colonial Paradox N. Jayaram 6. Colonial Policy and Social Welfare: The Hong Kong Experience Kwong-leung Tang 7. The Poor Laws, Colonialism and Social Welfare: Social Assistance in Zimbabwe Edwell Kaseke 8. Fabianism, Social Policy and Colonialism: The Case of Tanzania David Piachaud 9. The British Influence on Social Security Policy: Provident Funds in Asia and Africa Edwell Kaseke, James Midgley and David Piachaud 10. Higher Education in India: The Legacy of Colonialism Ruth Kattumuri 11. The British Social Policy Legacy in Australia Paul Smyth PART III: CONCLUSION 12. Conclusion: Interpreting the Imperial Legacy for Social Welfare James Midgley and David Piachaud Index

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative two volume collection presents both the classic articles and the most important recent literature which are essential for an understanding of the sociology of knowledge. Topics covered in Volume I include the intellectual precursors and emergence of the sociology of knowledge; the classical sociology of knowledge; and the sociology of knowledge dispute. Volume II focuses on more contemporary sociologies of knowledge and the future of the debate.Trade Review'Volker Meja and Nico Stehr's end-of-the-millennium selection of 60 articles dealing with the history, contemporary state, and future prospects of the sociology of knowledge presents a reliable reference source not only for those especially interested in this field of sociology, but also for those interested in social conditions of genesis and changes of cognitive content of human everyday, religious, philosophical, artistic, scientific, and other beliefs. Meja and Stehr's collection can be regarded as the most comprehensive indicator of the present state of theory and research in the field of the sociology of knowledge compiled so far.'Table of ContentsContents: Volume I: Acknowledgements • Introduction Part I: Intellectual Precursers of Sociology of Knowledge 1. Francis Bacon (1620), ‘On the Interpretation of Nature and the Empire of Man’ 2. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1844/1932), ‘Concerning the Production of Consciousness’ 3. Karl Marx (1867), ‘The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof’ 4. Auguste Comte (1875-77), ‘From Metaphysics to Positivist Science’ 5. Friedrich Nietzsche (1873), ‘On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense’ 6. Vilfredo Pareto (1916), ‘Mind and Society’ 7. Sigmund Freud (1901/1927), ‘Projection and Wish-fulfillment’ Part II: The Emergence of Sociology of Knowledge 8. Emile Durkheim (1902-1914), ‘Sociology of Knowledge’ 9. Maurice Halbwachs (1925), ‘The Social Frameworks of Memory’ 10. Lucien Lévy-Bruhl (1910), ‘The Retreat from Prelogical Mentality and the Progress Toward Logical Thought’ 11. Max Weber (1904-1905), ‘Asceticism and the Spirit of Capitalism’ 12. Georg Lukács (1923), ‘Class Consciousness’ 13. John Dewey (1938), ‘Common Sense and Scientific Inquiry’ 14. Georg Herbert Mead (1922), ‘A Behaviorist Account of the Significant Symbol’ Part III: The Classical Sociology of Knowledge 15. Max Scheler (1926), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge: Formal and Material Problems’ 16. Karl Mannheim (1925), ‘The Problem of a Sociology of Knowledge’ 17. Karl Mannheim (1926), ‘The Ideological and Sociological Interpretation of Intellectual Phenomena’ 18. Karl Mannheim (1931), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge’ Part IV: The Sociology of Knowledge Dispute 19. Karl Mannheim (1928), ‘Competition as a Cultural Phenomenon’ 20. Karl Mannheim (1929), ‘Ideology and Utopia’ 21. Hannah Arendt (1929), ‘Philosophy and Sociology’ 22. Ernst Grünwald (1934), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge and Epistemology’ 23. Herbert Marcuse (1929), ‘The Sociological Method and the Problem of Truth’ 24. Max Horkheimer (1930), ‘A New Concept of Ideology?’ 25. Helmuth Plessner (1931-32), ‘The Conception of Ideology and its Vicissitudes’ 26. Hans Speier (1938), ‘The Social Determination of Ideas’ 27. Theodor W. Adorno (1953), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge and its Consciousness’ 28. Karl Popper (1962), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge’ 29. Martin Jay (1974), ‘The Frankfurt School’s Critique of Karl Mannheim and the Sociology of Knowledge’ Name Index Volume II: Part V: The Classical Sociology of Knowledge Revisited 1. Arthur Child (1941), ‘The Theoretical Possibility of the Sociology of Knowledge’ 2. Robert K. Merton (1945), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge’ 3. C. Wright Mills (1940), ‘Methodological Consequences of the Sociology of Knowledge’ 4. Talcott Parsons (1959), ‘An Approach to the Sociology of Knowledge’ 5. Kurt H. Wolff (1959), ‘The Sociology of Knowledge and Sociological Theory’ 6. Georges Gurvitch (1966), ‘Types and Forms of Knowledge’ 7. Werner Stark (1960), ‘The Conservative Tradition in the Sociology of Knowledge’ 8. Florian Znaniecki (1940), ‘Sociology and Theory of Knowledge’ Part VI: Contemporary Sociologies of Knowledge 9. Norbert Elias (1971), ‘Sociology of Knowledge: New Perspectives Part 1’ 10. Norbert Elias (1971), ‘Sociology of Knowledge: New Perspectives Part 2’ 11. Barry Barnes and David Bloor (1982), ‘Relativism, Rationalism and the Sociology of Knowledge’ 12. Ulrich Beck (1992), ‘Modern Society as a Risk Society’ 13. Peter Berger (1966), ‘Identity as a Problem in the Sociology of Knowledge’ 14. Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann (1966), ‘Introduction: The Problem of the Sociology of Knowledge’ 15. David Bloor (1981), ‘Durkheim and Mauss Revisited: Classification and Sociology of Knowledge’ 16. David Bloor (1976), ‘The Strong Programme in the Sociology of Knowledge’ 17. Michel Foucault (1969), ‘Science and Knowledge’ 18. Clifford Geertz (1973), ‘Thick Description: Towards an Interpretive Theory of Culture’ 19. Jürgen Habermas (1968), ‘Technology and Science as Ideology'’ 20. Sandra Harding (1986), ‘The Social Structure of Science: Complaints and Disorders’ 21. Karin Knorr-Certina (1984), ‘The Fabrication of Facts: Toward a Microsociology of Scientific Knowledge’ 22. Thomas Kuhn (1962), ‘The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolutions’ 23. Michael Mulkay (1981), ‘Knowledge and Utility: Implications for the Sociology of Knowledge’ 24. Barry Schwartz (1981), ‘Conclusion’ 25. Dorothy E. Smith (1990), ‘Women’s Experience as a Radical Critique of Sociology’ 26. Nico Stehr (1994), ‘The Texture of Knowledge Societies’ 27. Janet Wolff (1975), ‘The Sociology of Art and the Concept of World-view’ Part VII: Prospects 28. Dick Pels (1996), ‘Karl Mannheim and the Sociology of Knowledge: Toward a New Agenda’ 29. Volker Meja and Nico Stehr (1988), ‘Social Science, Epistemology, and the Problem of Relativism’ 30. Harvey Goldman (1994), ‘From Social Theory to Sociology of Knowledge and Back: Karl Mannheim and the Sociology of Intellectual Knowledge Production’ 31. Ann Swidler and Jorge Arditi (1994), ‘The New Sociology of Knowledge’ Name Index

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Book SynopsisThis exciting and innovative book fills a gap in the growing area of discourse analysis within the social sciences. It provides the analytical tools with which students and their teachers can understand the complex and often conflicting discourses across a range of social science disciplines. Examining the theories of Foucault, Koselleck, Laclau and Luhmann, the book: · focuses on the political and social aspects of their writing; · discusses and combines their theories to suggest new analytical strategies for understanding society; · combines theory with practical illustrations. A best seller in Denmark, this English edition is vital reading for anyone with an interest in discourse analysis. It will also be invaluable to anyone looking at the analytical works of Foucault, Koselleck, Laclau and Luhmann. Students will find the clear exposition of the theories and strategies supported by an easy-to-digest, easy-to-read layout, which includes summaries and boxed examples highlighting the relevance of analytical strategies to social and policy research.Trade Review"... a fascinating read. The book's originality lies in providing a welcome comparison of the analytical strategies of four theorists whose work is not usually brought together - Foucault, Koselleck, Laclau and Luhmann. It will appeal to both academics and their students." Norman Fairclough, Department of Linguistics and M.E.L., Lancaster UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction; The discourse analysis of Michel Foucault; Reinhart Koselleck's history of concepts; The discourse theory of Ernesto Laclau; Niklas Luhmann's systems theory; A hall of mirrors or a pool of analytical strategies.

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Book SynopsisNew Labour has concentrated many of its social policy initiatives in reinvigorating the family, community and work in the paid labour market. But just how 'new' are the ideas driving New Labour's policy and practice? In this book, Simon Prideaux shows how New Labour has drawn on the ideas and premises of functionalism, which dominated British and American sociological thought during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The book provides an accessible overview of the theories that underpin the policies of New Labour, including the often labyrinthine theories of Talcott Parsons, Amitai Etzioni and Anthony Giddens; examines the ideas of Charles Murray and John Macmurray, philosophers publicly admired by Tony Blair; looks at the sociological origin of debates and controversies that surround the provision of welfare in both the US and UK and considers the alienating effects that New Deal schemes may have in Britain today. Not so New Labour's innovative approach to the analysis of social policy under New Labour will be invaluable to academics, students and researchers in social policy, sociology, politics and applied social studies.Trade Review"This is a very readable book, clearly structured and one I would have thought would readily find a place on undergraduate sociology and social policy course reading lists. One of the strengths of Prideaux's book is that it is accessible and it brings together in one volume a diverse assortment of influences on New Labour." Journal of Social Policy"A unique book that presents an original perspective on the American influence on British social policy under Tony Blair's New Labour by debating interesting new evidence from functionalist theory. Highly recommended." Luke Martell, School of Social Sciences, University of SussexTable of ContentsIntroduction; The role and transmission of ideas in policy; Functionalism and society: the American interpretation of Durkheim; From organisational theory to the New Communitarian movement; John Macmurray, the Parsonian legacy and Blair's communitarianisms; Organisational theory and managerialisation: the symbiotic rise of an 'accountancy mentality'; Norms and the dysfunctional underclass: a convenient yet complementary critique form the New Right; 'The Third Way', 'opportunity' and functionalist remedies; 'Workfare' in practice: alienated lessons from the past, present and future; Where to now, Mr Blair? A conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe history of social policy is emerging as an area of growing interest to both students and researchers. This topical book charts the period from the 1830s to the present day, providing a fresh analysis of the relationship between social theory and social policy in the UK. Drawing on recent historical research, the book: · reconsiders and challenges many long-held beliefs about the 'evolution' of social policy; · presents a wide-ranging reappraisal of links between social theories and changes in social policy; · pays particular attention to the importance of idealist social thought as an intellectual framework for understanding the 'welfare state' ; · has a distinctive focus on the importance of ideas in the history of social policy.Trade Review"John Offer's engaging and challenging book examines idealism in modern welfare. ... while [his] arguments are almost always judicious and well qualified, he seems to enjoy a flirtation with the bold. ... There is much to commend in this book." Twentieth Century British History"Offer's account raises an important question about the relationship between the advocates of voluntary welfare and those of statutory provision." Social Policy"John Offer's engaging and challenging book examines idealism in modern British welfare ... this is simply a good work on ideology and social policy ... It is often the case that existing personal opinions often find coherent form in a particular school of thought. Offer's qualified arguments and close readings never fail to miss this important point about ideas and social policy." Twentieth Century British History"John Offer's challenging new book on the development of ideas about social policy in the nineteenth century will be essential reading for teachers, students and researchers with interests in the field of social welfare theory." Robert Pinker, Emeritus Professor of Social Administration, London School of EconomicsTable of ContentsContents: Images of welfare: conceptual bearings; 'The most pressing of evils': outdoor relief, the Poor Law and social theory; Herbert Spencer, beneficiance and voluntaryism; Charity: the engine of social progress; 'A definite minimum of civilised life': Hobson, Hobhouse and the Webbs; Beveridge; Idealist thought, Titmuss and the new subject of social administration; Non-idealism resurgent: the rediscovery of informal care and welfare pluralism; New Labour and a new idealism: the state, voluntary action and the 'Third Way'; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisAvailable Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. Paul Spicker's new book takes the three founding principles of the French Revolution - Liberty, Equality, Fraternity - and examines how they relate to social policy today. The book considers the political and moral dimensions of a wide range of social policies, and offers a different way of thinking about each subject from the way it is usually analysed. The book is in three main parts, one part devoted to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity in turn. Each part explores the elements and dimensions of the key concept, its application to policy, its interrelationship with the other two principles, and how policies have developed to promote the principle in society. The conclusion outlines three models of radical politics, based on the main concepts. Liberty, equality, fraternity is an original, thought-provoking book, addressing perennial themes with many topical examples drawn from policy in practice, and offering distinctive insights into socialist and radical thinking.Trade Review"With 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity' Spicker has eloquently reiterated the moral justification for the prescence of the state in the social policy domain." Journal of Social Policy, 2008."This book will prove to be an essential text for teachers and students of social policy. Professor Spicker analyses the complex issues of his subject matter with clarity, cogency and brevity and sets out, with commendable even-handedness, the dilemmas of choice that policy makers confront in the world of practical politics. The clarity of his exposition makes Liberty, equality, fraternity a pleasure to read." Robert Pinker, Emeritus Professor of Social Administration, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part One: Liberty: Liberty; Towards a free society; Part Two: Equality: Equality; Towards equality; Part Three: Fraternity: Fraternity and solidarity; The inclusive society; Conclusion: radical politics.

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Book SynopsisDesigned to address practical questions, applied ethics is one of the most exciting areas in contemporary philosophy. Yet the relevance of ethical theories to social policy has been under-explored. Until now. In "Applied ethics and social problems" Tony Fitzpatrick presents introductions to the three most influential moral philosophies: Consequentialism, Kantianism and Virtue Ethics. He then relates these to some of the most urgent questions in contemporary public debates about the future of welfare services. These include taxing unhealthy habits, drug legalisation, parental choice in education, abortion, euthanasia and migration & cultural diversity. In each case he asks a perennial question: what are the legitimate boundaries of state action and individual liberty? Never before has there been such a rigorous overview of the topic offered to social policy students, academics and professionals, as well as those interested in public policy, politics and social science. A user-friendly intervention into these key debates "Applied ethics and social problems" will set the agenda for years to come.Trade Review"At a time of increasing disillusion with facile ideological posturing and the banalities of party politics 'Applied ethics & social problems' will awaken students to some of the deeper ethical debates and timeless philosophical questions that should inform our study of contemporary social policy. It is a welcome contribution." Dr Hartley Dean, Reader in Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsIntroduction; Foundations; Consequence; Right; Virtue; Applications; Protecting; Choosing; Relating; Becoming; Dying; Sharing; Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisDesigned to address practical questions, applied ethics is one of the most exciting areas in contemporary philosophy. Yet the relevance of ethical theories to social policy has been under-explored. Until now. In "Applied ethics and social problems" Tony Fitzpatrick presents introductions to the three most influential moral philosophies: Consequentialism, Kantianism and Virtue Ethics. He then relates these to some of the most urgent questions in contemporary public debates about the future of welfare services. These include taxing unhealthy habits, drug legalisation, parental choice in education, abortion, euthanasia and migration & cultural diversity. In each case he asks a perennial question: what are the legitimate boundaries of state action and individual liberty? Never before has there been such a rigorous overview of the topic offered to social policy students, academics and professionals, as well as those interested in public policy, politics and social science. A user-friendly intervention into these key debates "Applied ethics and social problems" will set the agenda for years to come.Trade Review"At a time of increasing disillusion with facile ideological posturing and the banalities of party politics 'Applied ethics & social problems' will awaken students to some of the deeper ethical debates and timeless philosophical questions that should inform our study of contemporary social policy. It is a welcome contribution." Dr Hartley Dean, Reader in Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsIntroduction; Foundations; Consequence; Right; Virtue; Applications; Protecting; Choosing; Relating; Becoming; Dying; Sharing; Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisWe are often told that 'money can't buy happiness'. But if money is not the answer then what is? This book considers this question by examining empirical data stretching back almost 10 years. Whereas previous concerns of individual well-being have been drawn towards the negative outcomes of life experiences, this book provides a new approach by directly addressing the circumstances under which high subjective well-being is experienced, often with surprising results. Drawing on nine years of panel data, the book examines demographic, social, spatial, health, domain satisfaction and socio-economic circumstances in a rich and complex longitudinal study, providing previously unknown information on factors associated with improved and sustained high well-being. It shows that subjective assessments of our circumstances are more important to well-being than our objective conditions and suggests that high well-being may be the key to improvements in people's subjective experience of a wide range of adverse (and other) life events. It also highlights that high levels of well-being are more likely to be associated with our social relationships and health status than with income or personal status, and that affluence is no guarantee to high subjective well-being and indeed may have negative consequences. The 21st century is seeing the emergence of a positive science, with a new focus on subjective well-being. This research adds new knowledge to the issues and debates which support the move towards a better understanding of the factors that promote subjective well-being. Such findings will be important to the international academic field as well as the national political arena where improving well-being has become a part of the government's agenda.Trade Review"Thorough and very readable ... This is a most useful book. It contains thorough treatments of methodology, innovative and clear representations of results, and intelligent discussion." Citizen's Income Newsletter"Beverley Searle's research is a key benchmark study on the state of well-being. It is essential reading for all those interested in a better understanding of subjective well-being and in the measurement of it at a national level." Professor Jonathan Bradshaw, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of YorkTable of ContentsContents: Introduction; The enigma of well-being; Achieving high subjective well-being; Advancing the study of subjective well-being; Well-being: the state of the art; Well-being: a welfare ideal.

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Book SynopsisThe starting point of Ann Oakley's fascinating book is the fracture of her right arm in the grounds of a hotel in the USA. What begins as an accident becomes a journey into some critical themes of modern Western culture: the crisis of embodiment and the perfect self; the confusion between body and identity; the commodification of bodies and body parts; the intrusive surveillance and profiteering of medicine and the law; the problem of ageing; and the identification of women, particularly, with bodies - from the intensely ambiguous two-in-one state of pregnancy to women's later transformation into unproductive, brittle skeletons. "Fracture" mixes personal experience (the author's and other people's) with 'facts' derived from other literatures, including the history of medicine, neurology, the sociology of health and illness, philosophy, and legal discourses on the right to life and people as victims of a greedy litigation system. The book's genre spans fiction/non-fiction, autobiography and social theory. Trade Review"A new book by Ann Oakley always engages us. Fracture weaves her personal story with a very fine meditation on the body. Reading it opens up important questions about the meaning of where we live from." Susie Orbach, psychoanalyst and writer"In a remarkably scholarly essay which includes a wide range of clearly explained references to the neurology of action and perception, the basis of the subjective body image, the supremacy of the right hand, not to mention many other themes, social and psychological, Professor Oakley re-introduces the reader to the overlooked significance of being an embodied self. What an admirable work." Jonathan Miller, physician, satirist, writer, theatre director and television presenter"A fascinating reflection on the meaning and experience of embodiment through the lens of an accident and its aftermath. Oakley draws on her distinguished career as a social science researcher and feminist to explore the interconnections between the body, medicine and ordinary life. A profoundly human book that sheds light on the common experiences of the body and age." Julia Twigg, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology, University of KentTable of ContentsPreface; An accident at White Creek Lodge; Our bodies, ourselves; Nervous disorder; Right hands; The daily drama of the body; Living corpses; Old bones; Two in one; The law of uncivil actions; Accidental bodies.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the 1990's, privatization of inefficient state-owned enterprises was strongly embraced in developing and transitional economies. Little attention has gone to the distributional implications of the privatization movement, a particularly surprising oversight given the current backlash in many settings against further privatization. This book offers a comprehensive set of country-specific studies on the effects of privatization on people —winners and losers in different income, employment, and education groups. The studies analyze the changes in public tax revenue from privatized enterprises, shifts in pension and other liabilities, and changes in income of different groups. Contributors include David McKenzie (Stanford University), Dilip Mookherjee (Boston University), Gover Barja (Universidad Católica Boliviana, La Paz), Miguel Urquiola (Columbia University), Samuel Freije (Universidad de Las Américas in Puebla, Mexico), Luis A. Rivas (Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nicaragua), Máximo Torero, Enrique Schroth, and Alberto Pasco Font (Group of Analysis for Development [GRADE], Lima), Roberto Macedo (University of São Paulo, Presbyterian Mackenzie University, and Foundation Institute of Economic Research, São Paolo), Antonio Estache (World Bank), Michael Bleyzer and Edi Segura (SigmaBleyzer Corporation), Gary H. Jefferson, (Brandeis University), Su Jian (Brandeis and Peking Universities), Jiang Yuan and Yu Xinhua (National Bureau of Statistics, Beijing), and Malathy Knight-John and P.P.A. Wasantha (Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka).Trade Review"Privatization was one of the key elements that helped to jump-start economic revival in Latin America in the 1990s. But politically, it has always been a difficult sell: Critics claim it rewards the wealthy and the foreign at the expense of the poor and the local. The studies in this book show that this is not the case; privatization's bad reputation is largely undeserved." —Pedro-Pablo Kuczynski, Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru|"This book fills an important gap in the privatization literature by documenting its distributional consequences in developing and emerging-market nations. It provides an answer to a key question that has long haunted policymakers and privatization researchers: Why has privatization become so unpopular in developing and emerging economies, when the research clearly shows that privatization 'works' economically?" —Bill Megginson, Professor and Rainbolt Chair in Finance, University of Oklahoma|"Privatization continues to be a contentious issue throughout Latin America, and indeed, the world. This volume of careful studies moves the debate from polemic to analysis. It shows that in Latin America at least, privatization has not been a major contributor to the increased inequality seen in the last decade." —Nora Lustig, President, Universidad de las Américas|"Most studies of privatization look at what happens to companies; this volume looks at what happens to people--workers, consumers, and the disadvantaged--and measures whether they were better or worse off after the transaction. This is progress." —Joseph Stiglitz, Professor, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisEmerging Africa> describes the too-often-overlooked positive changes that have taken place in much of Africa since the mid-1990s. In 17 countries, five fundamental and sustained breakthroughs are making old assumptions increasingly untenable: The rise of democracy brought on by the end of the Cold War and apartheid Stronger economic management The end of the debt crisis and a more constructive relationship with the international community The introduction of new technologies, especially mobile phones and the Internet The emergence of a new generation of leaders. With these significant changes, the countries of emerging Africa seem poised to lead the continent out of the conflict, stagnation, and dictatorships of the past. The countries discussed in the book are Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

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Book SynopsisGambling, the risky enterprise of chance, is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Office March Madness brackets, a day at the race track, a friendly wager, the random ridiculous Super Bowl prop bet, bingo night, or the latest media frenzy over the Powerball jackpot—all emphasize the ubiquity of this major economic force and cultural phenomenon. Approximately 70 percent of Americans regularly engage in some form of betting, amounting to over $140 billion in combined casino and lottery revenue every year. A hundred years ago, however, legal gambling was a rarity in the United States. A fresh take on the history of modern American gambling, All In provides a closer look at the shifting economic, cultural, religious, and political conditions that facilitated gambling’s expansion and prominence in American consumerism and popular culture. In its pages a diverse range of essays covering commercial and Native American casinos, sports betting, lotteries, bingo, and more piece together a picture of how gambling became so widespread over the course of the twentieth century.Drawing from a range of academic disciplines, this collection explores five aspects of American gambling history: crime, advertising, politics, religion, and identity.In doing so, All In illuminates the on-the-ground debates over gambling’s expansion, the failed attempts to thwart legalized betting, and the consequences of its present ubiquity in the United States.Trade ReviewA diverse range of essays covering commercial and Native American casinos, lotteries, sports betting, pool rooms, bingo, and more, All In pieces together a picture of how gambling became so widespread in the United States and the cultural, political, and economic consequences of this ubiquity."" - Chloe Taft, author of From Steel to Slots: Casino Capitalism in the Postindustrial City

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Book SynopsisWritten in response to the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel disaster of 1931 in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, The Book of the Dead is an important part of West Virginia’s cultural heritage and a powerful account of one of the worst industrial catastrophes in American history. The poems collected here investigate the roots of a tragedy that killed hundreds of workers, most of them African American. They are a rare engagement with the overlap between race and environment in Appalachia.Published for the first time alongside photographs by Nancy Naumburg, who accompanied Rukeyser to Gauley Bridge in 1936, this edition of The Book of the Dead includes an introduction by Catherine Venable Moore, whose writing on the topic has been anthologized in Best American Essays.Trade ReviewIf Rukeyser had left us only The Book of the Dead and The Life of Poetry, she would have made a remarkable contribution to American literature. But the range and daring of her work, its generosity of vision, its formal innovations, and its level of energy are unequalled among twentieth-century American poets."" - Adrienne Rich, introduction to Muriel Rukeyser, Selected Poems""Muriel Rukeyser’s words are a painful, haunting memorial to an American crime. Catherine Venable Moore’s graceful essay sets the work in its time and place, and ties it to today’s struggles."" - Jedediah Purdy, author of After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene

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Book SynopsisObstetric fistula is a birthing injury caused by prolonged obstructed labor that results in urinary and fecal incontinence. It is nearly non-existent in the Global North. In contrast Niger, in West Africa, has one of the highest rates of fistula in the world. In Western humanitarian and media narratives, fistula is presented as deeply stigmatizing, resulting in divorce, abandonment by kin, exile from communities, depression and suicide. In Fistula Politics, Alison Heller illustrates the inaccuracy of these popular narratives and shows how they serve the interests not of the women so affected, but of humanitarian organizations, the media, and local clinics. Trade Review"Alison Heller has transformed the discourse on fistula with her brilliantly detailed ethnography of the lives of affected women in Niger. Fistula Politics is an inspiring account of the real lives of determined women facing the hardships of birthing injuries: pregnancy losses and social suffering, persistent wetness and months-long waiting for treatment in the context of 'regional poverty' and mismanaged care. Transformed my understanding! Truly brilliant!" -- Ellen Gruenbaum * author of The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological Perspective *“Most of us know the 'fistula narrative,' a story of innocent girls who suffer the dreadful consequences of early childbearing and can be saved through a simple biomedical intervention. Ali Heller’s evocative and meticulously empirical book reveals the complexities that this sensational narrative fails to capture. The alternative accounts told here raise vital questions about fistula’s true causes, consequences, cures, and costs—and about the marketing of humanitarian biomedicine.” -- Claire L. Wendland * author of A Heart for the Work: Journeys through an African Medical School *"Chronicle of Higher Education new scholarly books weekly book list," by Nina C. Ayoub * Chronicle of Higher Education *" A recommended read for scholars and practitioners in global public health, international development and medical anthropology." * Anthrodendum *"Fistula Politics is a highly readable, teachable, and beautifully illustrated monograph that is grounded in careful empirical observation. The book is elegantly organized and could be taught in undergraduate and graduate courses in medical anthropology or sociology, global health, human reproduction, gender studies, human rights, or research methods." * Medical Anthropology Quarterly *"Fistula Politics is a richly-documented ethnography of Nigerian women's reproductive lives...Compellingly illustrates the value of anthropology as it provides us with an ethnographically-based, yet comprehensive and holistic, insight into people's lived experiences." * Anthropos *"Fistula Politics is written in clear, accessible language. I expect it will be widely read not only by medical anthropologists and gender and sexuality studies specialists but also by the very actors who intervene in preventing and repairing fistula." * Africa *"Heller’s ethnography, Fistula Politics, is a welcome addition to ethnographic studies of fistula, biomedicine, and the body." -- Chau J. Kelly * H-Net *Table of ContentsContents Note on Terminology List of Abbreviations Foreword 1 Chapter 1: Incontinence and Inequalities 44 Part I Living Incontinence 45 Laraba’s Story 53 Chapter 2: Fistula Stigma 96 Chapter 3: Liminal Wives 143 Part II Clinical Encounters 144 Six Beds, Sixty Minutes 153 Chapter 4: The “Worst Place to be a Mother” 193 Chapter 5: The Indeterminable Wait 234 Part III The Marketplace of Victimhood 235 Arantut’s Story 241 Chapter 6: Superlative Sufferers 271 Chapter 7: Costs and Consequences 299 Chapter 8: The Threshold of Continence Appendix Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSex abuse happens in all communities, but American minority religions often face disproportionate allegations of sexual abuse. Why, in a country that consistently fails to acknowledge—much less address—the sexual abuse of women and children, do American religious outsiders so often face allegations of sexual misconduct? Why does the American public presume to know “what’s really going on” in minority religious communities? Why are sex abuse allegations such an effective way to discredit people on America’s religious margins? What makes Americans so willing, so eager to identify religion as the cause of sex abuse? Abusing Religion argues that sex abuse in minority religious communities is an American problem, not (merely) a religious one. Trade Review"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *Table of ContentsContents Introduction: Contraceptive Nationalism 1 America’s Contraceptive Mentality: Catholic Co-belligerence and the New Christian Right Part I Sex, Abuse, and the Satanic Panic 2 Satan Sellers: Michelle Remembers and the Making of a Sex Abuse Panic 3 Believe the Children? Catholicizing Public Morality Part II Sex, Abuse, and American Islamophobia 4 Dark Religion for Dark People: Race, American Islam, and Not Without My Daughter 5 The War at Home: Muslim Masculinity as Domestic Violence Part III Sex, Abuse, and Mormon Fundamentalism 6 From Short Creek to Zion: Mormons, Polygyny, and Under the Banner of Heaven 7 This Is Not About Religion: Raiding Zion to Save It Conclusion: Sex, Abuse, and American Religion Epilogue: Religion Trains Us Like Roses Notes Selected Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisSex abuse happens in all communities, but American minority religions often face disproportionate allegations of sexual abuse. Why, in a country that consistently fails to acknowledge—much less address—the sexual abuse of women and children, do American religious outsiders so often face allegations of sexual misconduct? Why does the American public presume to know “what’s really going on” in minority religious communities? Why are sex abuse allegations such an effective way to discredit people on America’s religious margins? What makes Americans so willing, so eager to identify religion as the cause of sex abuse? Abusing Religion argues that sex abuse in minority religious communities is an American problem, not (merely) a religious one. Trade Review"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *"Significant and eminently timely." -- Melissa M. Wilcox * author of Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody *"A major and multidisciplinary contribution." -- Sean McCloud * author of American Possessions: Fighting Demons in the Contemporary United States *"Evocative, theoretically compelling, and not mincing words, Abusing Religion offers profound new insights into pulp fiction on sexual abuse in/by minority religious communities. Goodwin's 'reproductive nationalism,' bringing together race, religion, sexuality, and gender, will surely change conversations in more than one field." -- Juliane Hammer * author of Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence *"Abuse Happens Because We Let It," by Megan Goodwin https://sojo.net/articles/abuse-happens-because-let-it-Menlo-Park-John-Ortberg-Lavery * Sojo *Sacred Tension: QAnon, Satanic Panic, and New Religious Movements with Prof. Megan Goodwin https://stephenbradfordlong.com/2020/07/14/sacred-tension-qanon-satanic-panic-and-new-religious-movements-with-prof-megan-goodwin/ * Secret Tension podcast *"QAnon Didn't Just Spring Forth from the Void—It's the Latest from a Familiar Movement" by Adam Willems - interview with Megan Goodwin https://religiondispatches.org/qanon-didnt-just-spring-forth-from-the-void-its-the-latest-from-a-familiar-movement/ * Religion Dispatches *"The University of Vermont might be done with Religion, but Religion isn't done with us," by Megan Goodwin * Religion Dispatched *"Are you one of the many Revealer readers who appreciated Megan Goodwin’s 'Abusing Religion' series that explored mainstream media portrayals of Mormons, Muslims, and Satanists and their alleged greater prevalence of sexual abuse? If so, you’ll want a copy of her book, Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions." * The Revealer *"Abusing Religion should, and must, initiate long overdue discussion within communities where abuse occurs, but continues outside the spotlight." * Nova Religio *"In addressing such a fraught, painful, and controversial topic, scholars and students alike would be well served by heeding Goodwin’s persuasive warning." * American Religion *"A strength of this work is its ability to hold the tension between taking seriously allegations or cases of abuse while rejecting religious difference as the source of this abuse. In so doing, Goodwin reveals the complexity and deep entrenchment of contraceptive nationalism in the United States." * Reading Religion *"[A] careful analysis." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"Ultimately, Goodwin's excellent book provides a foundation for future scholarship on the real-life texture of minoritized believers who have heretofore lacked opportunities to inhabit the kinds of privileged narratives that, for example, Catholics have." * American Literary History *Table of ContentsContents Introduction: Contraceptive Nationalism 1 America’s Contraceptive Mentality: Catholic Co-belligerence and the New Christian Right Part I Sex, Abuse, and the Satanic Panic 2 Satan Sellers: Michelle Remembers and the Making of a Sex Abuse Panic 3 Believe the Children? Catholicizing Public Morality Part II Sex, Abuse, and American Islamophobia 4 Dark Religion for Dark People: Race, American Islam, and Not Without My Daughter 5 The War at Home: Muslim Masculinity as Domestic Violence Part III Sex, Abuse, and Mormon Fundamentalism 6 From Short Creek to Zion: Mormons, Polygyny, and Under the Banner of Heaven 7 This Is Not About Religion: Raiding Zion to Save It Conclusion: Sex, Abuse, and American Religion Epilogue: Religion Trains Us Like Roses Notes Selected Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisWhile women have struggled to gain recognition in the discipline of philosophy, there is no shortage of brilliant female thinkers. What can these women teach us about ethics, politics, and the nature of existence, and how might we relate these big ideas back to the smaller everyday concerns of domestic life, work, play, love, and relationships? Australian novelist Julienne van Loon goes on a worldwide quest to answer these questions, by engaging with eight world-renowned thinkers who have deep insights on humanity and society: media scholar Laura Kipnis, novelist Siri Hustvedt, political philosopher Nancy Holmstrom, psychoanalytic theorist Julia Kristeva, domestic violence reformer Rosie Batty, peace activist Helen Caldicott, historian Marina Warner, and feminist philosopher Rosi Braidotti. As she speaks to these women, she reflects on her own experiences. Combining the intimacy of a memoir with the intellectual stimulation of a theoretical text, The Thinking Woman draws novel connections between the philosophical, personal, and political. Giving readers a new appreciation for both the ethical complexities and wonder of everyday life, this book is inspiration to all thinking people.Trade Review"The Thinking Woman, the first work of non-fiction by acclaimed novelist Julienne van Loon (whose career began with a Vogel win for her first novel, Road Story, in 2004) is a knotty, charismatic exploration of the intersection between ideas and lived experience, through six central themes...a surprising and resonant work that cements van Loon's status as a thinking woman well worth reading and following." -- Jo Case * The Sydney Morning Herald *"There is so much life in these conversations. Words and ideas feel hot, propulsive, uncontained in their implications. Above all else, this feeling of thinking—of thinking out loud, of thinking together, of thinking with and alongside—it’s a very special kind of high." -- Maria Tumarkin * author of Axiomatic and winner of the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2018 *"It’s heartening to read a book that encourages us to challenge our assumptions. To think expansively, and to look at those who do, and how that may be relevant to our everyday. An invitation to a thoughtful life. Julienne van Loon’s The Thinking Woman is that kind of book." -- Melissa Cronenburg * Feminist Writers Festival *"A compelling portrait of the relationship between thinking and feeling." -- Amanda Lohrey * winner of the Patrick White Award *"A fascinating book that will have us all thinking, whether or not we are women." -- Anne Summers * author of Damned Whores and God's Police *"The Thinking Woman is also much more than a thematically organised collection of essays that bring the dense theories of living feminist and female philosophers to a general readership. In many ways the book is also a revelation, as it marks van Loon as an extraordinary memoirist, able to draw convincing parallels between her own life and the academic arguments of her philosopher subjects without descending into cant or mawkishness. Van Loon manages to move confidently and convincingly between discussing her early love of trees and her first job working at a Dagwood Dog truck, to Julia Kristeva’s theory of subjective horror and Rosi Braidotti’s concept of bios/zoe." -- Johanna Leggatt * The Australian Book Review *"Towards the end of van Loon’s journey through her interviews with these impressive women, she asks: where are you at? It is a question she says we should all be asking each other, not so much for our physical whereabouts — though that can be crucial when a friend is in trouble — but to enquire about our own journey of becoming in the precarious world we inhabit... The Thinking Woman does a lot to help us think about how we can, how we could, even how we should, deal with our own feelings, and find the fluidity of imagination to live thoughtfully and fully.. I await volume two." -- Drusjilla Modjeska * Inside Story *"Show[s] us why and how philosophy matters in achingly personal, human terms...The quiet delight of this book is not just in watching its women think but understanding how and why they slice the world the way they do; locating their ideas in a biographical context, as the unique product of a life. A woman's life." -- Beejay Silcox * The Australian *"Here is an absolutely original work that may upend the certainties governing your days and nights. Reader beware." -- Christopher Merrill * author of Self-Portrait with Dogwood *"The Thinking Woman displays the myriad of ways we strive to maintain our freedom and to survive and flourish brilliantly." * GALE Newsletter *"The Thinking Woman, the first work of non-fiction by acclaimed novelist Julienne van Loon (whose career began with a Vogel win for her first novel, Road Story, in 2004) is a knotty, charismatic exploration of the intersection between ideas and lived experience, through six central themes...a surprising and resonant work that cements van Loon's status as a thinking woman well worth reading and following." -- Jo Case * The Sydney Morning Herald *"There is so much life in these conversations. Words and ideas feel hot, propulsive, uncontained in their implications. Above all else, this feeling of thinking—of thinking out loud, of thinking together, of thinking with and alongside—it’s a very special kind of high." -- Maria Tumarkin * author of Axiomatic and winner of the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2018 *"It’s heartening to read a book that encourages us to challenge our assumptions. To think expansively, and to look at those who do, and how that may be relevant to our everyday. An invitation to a thoughtful life. Julienne van Loon’s The Thinking Woman is that kind of book." -- Melissa Cronenburg * Feminist Writers Festival *"A compelling portrait of the relationship between thinking and feeling." -- Amanda Lohrey * winner of the Patrick White Award *"A fascinating book that will have us all thinking, whether or not we are women." -- Anne Summers * author of Damned Whores and God's Police *"The Thinking Woman is also much more than a thematically organised collection of essays that bring the dense theories of living feminist and female philosophers to a general readership. In many ways the book is also a revelation, as it marks van Loon as an extraordinary memoirist, able to draw convincing parallels between her own life and the academic arguments of her philosopher subjects without descending into cant or mawkishness. Van Loon manages to move confidently and convincingly between discussing her early love of trees and her first job working at a Dagwood Dog truck, to Julia Kristeva’s theory of subjective horror and Rosi Braidotti’s concept of bios/zoe." -- Johanna Leggatt * The Australian Book Review *"Towards the end of van Loon’s journey through her interviews with these impressive women, she asks: where are you at? It is a question she says we should all be asking each other, not so much for our physical whereabouts — though that can be crucial when a friend is in trouble — but to enquire about our own journey of becoming in the precarious world we inhabit... The Thinking Woman does a lot to help us think about how we can, how we could, even how we should, deal with our own feelings, and find the fluidity of imagination to live thoughtfully and fully.. I await volume two." -- Drusjilla Modjeska * Inside Story *"Show[s] us why and how philosophy matters in achingly personal, human terms...The quiet delight of this book is not just in watching its women think but understanding how and why they slice the world the way they do; locating their ideas in a biographical context, as the unique product of a life. A woman's life." -- Beejay Silcox * The Australian *"Here is an absolutely original work that may upend the certainties governing your days and nights. Reader beware." -- Christopher Merrill * author of Self-Portrait with Dogwood *"The Thinking Woman displays the myriad of ways we strive to maintain our freedom and to survive and flourish brilliantly." * GALE Newsletter *Table of ContentsContents Foreword Introduction CHAPTER 1 Love CHAPTER 2 Play CHAPTER 3 Work CHAPTER 4 Fear CHAPTER 5 Wonder CHAPTER 6 Friendship Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisWhile women have struggled to gain recognition in the discipline of philosophy, there is no shortage of brilliant female thinkers. What can these women teach us about ethics, politics, and the nature of existence, and how might we relate these big ideas back to the smaller everyday concerns of domestic life, work, play, love, and relationships? Australian novelist Julienne van Loon goes on a worldwide quest to answer these questions, by engaging with eight world-renowned thinkers who have deep insights on humanity and society: media scholar Laura Kipnis, novelist Siri Hustvedt, political philosopher Nancy Holmstrom, psychoanalytic theorist Julia Kristeva, domestic violence reformer Rosie Batty, peace activist Helen Caldicott, historian Marina Warner, and feminist philosopher Rosi Braidotti. As she speaks to these women, she reflects on her own experiences. Combining the intimacy of a memoir with the intellectual stimulation of a theoretical text, The Thinking Woman draws novel connections between the philosophical, personal, and political. Giving readers a new appreciation for both the ethical complexities and wonder of everyday life, this book is inspiration to all thinking people.Trade Review"The Thinking Woman, the first work of non-fiction by acclaimed novelist Julienne van Loon (whose career began with a Vogel win for her first novel, Road Story, in 2004) is a knotty, charismatic exploration of the intersection between ideas and lived experience, through six central themes...a surprising and resonant work that cements van Loon's status as a thinking woman well worth reading and following." -- Jo Case * The Sydney Morning Herald *"There is so much life in these conversations. Words and ideas feel hot, propulsive, uncontained in their implications. Above all else, this feeling of thinking—of thinking out loud, of thinking together, of thinking with and alongside—it’s a very special kind of high." -- Maria Tumarkin * author of Axiomatic and winner of the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2018 *"It’s heartening to read a book that encourages us to challenge our assumptions. To think expansively, and to look at those who do, and how that may be relevant to our everyday. An invitation to a thoughtful life. Julienne van Loon’s The Thinking Woman is that kind of book." -- Melissa Cronenburg * Feminist Writers Festival *"A compelling portrait of the relationship between thinking and feeling." -- Amanda Lohrey * winner of the Patrick White Award *"A fascinating book that will have us all thinking, whether or not we are women." -- Anne Summers * author of Damned Whores and God's Police *"The Thinking Woman is also much more than a thematically organised collection of essays that bring the dense theories of living feminist and female philosophers to a general readership. In many ways the book is also a revelation, as it marks van Loon as an extraordinary memoirist, able to draw convincing parallels between her own life and the academic arguments of her philosopher subjects without descending into cant or mawkishness. Van Loon manages to move confidently and convincingly between discussing her early love of trees and her first job working at a Dagwood Dog truck, to Julia Kristeva’s theory of subjective horror and Rosi Braidotti’s concept of bios/zoe." -- Johanna Leggatt * The Australian Book Review *"Towards the end of van Loon’s journey through her interviews with these impressive women, she asks: where are you at? It is a question she says we should all be asking each other, not so much for our physical whereabouts — though that can be crucial when a friend is in trouble — but to enquire about our own journey of becoming in the precarious world we inhabit... The Thinking Woman does a lot to help us think about how we can, how we could, even how we should, deal with our own feelings, and find the fluidity of imagination to live thoughtfully and fully.. I await volume two." -- Drusjilla Modjeska * Inside Story *"Show[s] us why and how philosophy matters in achingly personal, human terms...The quiet delight of this book is not just in watching its women think but understanding how and why they slice the world the way they do; locating their ideas in a biographical context, as the unique product of a life. A woman's life." -- Beejay Silcox * The Australian *"Here is an absolutely original work that may upend the certainties governing your days and nights. Reader beware." -- Christopher Merrill * author of Self-Portrait with Dogwood *"The Thinking Woman displays the myriad of ways we strive to maintain our freedom and to survive and flourish brilliantly." * GALE Newsletter *"The Thinking Woman, the first work of non-fiction by acclaimed novelist Julienne van Loon (whose career began with a Vogel win for her first novel, Road Story, in 2004) is a knotty, charismatic exploration of the intersection between ideas and lived experience, through six central themes...a surprising and resonant work that cements van Loon's status as a thinking woman well worth reading and following." -- Jo Case * The Sydney Morning Herald *"There is so much life in these conversations. Words and ideas feel hot, propulsive, uncontained in their implications. Above all else, this feeling of thinking—of thinking out loud, of thinking together, of thinking with and alongside—it’s a very special kind of high." -- Maria Tumarkin * author of Axiomatic and winner of the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2018 *"It’s heartening to read a book that encourages us to challenge our assumptions. To think expansively, and to look at those who do, and how that may be relevant to our everyday. An invitation to a thoughtful life. Julienne van Loon’s The Thinking Woman is that kind of book." -- Melissa Cronenburg * Feminist Writers Festival *"A compelling portrait of the relationship between thinking and feeling." -- Amanda Lohrey * winner of the Patrick White Award *"A fascinating book that will have us all thinking, whether or not we are women." -- Anne Summers * author of Damned Whores and God's Police *"The Thinking Woman is also much more than a thematically organised collection of essays that bring the dense theories of living feminist and female philosophers to a general readership. In many ways the book is also a revelation, as it marks van Loon as an extraordinary memoirist, able to draw convincing parallels between her own life and the academic arguments of her philosopher subjects without descending into cant or mawkishness. Van Loon manages to move confidently and convincingly between discussing her early love of trees and her first job working at a Dagwood Dog truck, to Julia Kristeva’s theory of subjective horror and Rosi Braidotti’s concept of bios/zoe." -- Johanna Leggatt * The Australian Book Review *"Towards the end of van Loon’s journey through her interviews with these impressive women, she asks: where are you at? It is a question she says we should all be asking each other, not so much for our physical whereabouts — though that can be crucial when a friend is in trouble — but to enquire about our own journey of becoming in the precarious world we inhabit... The Thinking Woman does a lot to help us think about how we can, how we could, even how we should, deal with our own feelings, and find the fluidity of imagination to live thoughtfully and fully.. I await volume two." -- Drusjilla Modjeska * Inside Story *"Show[s] us why and how philosophy matters in achingly personal, human terms...The quiet delight of this book is not just in watching its women think but understanding how and why they slice the world the way they do; locating their ideas in a biographical context, as the unique product of a life. A woman's life." -- Beejay Silcox * The Australian *"Here is an absolutely original work that may upend the certainties governing your days and nights. Reader beware." -- Christopher Merrill * author of Self-Portrait with Dogwood *"The Thinking Woman displays the myriad of ways we strive to maintain our freedom and to survive and flourish brilliantly." * GALE Newsletter *Table of ContentsContents Foreword Introduction CHAPTER 1 Love CHAPTER 2 Play CHAPTER 3 Work CHAPTER 4 Fear CHAPTER 5 Wonder CHAPTER 6 Friendship Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisIn 1984, the celebrated sociologist and historian Norbert Elias convened a major conference on ‘Civilisations and civilising processes’ at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research (University of Bielefeld). Participants included the most distinguished and influential scholars in historical sociology and world history. This book will make available, for the first time in one place, the papers presented by the speakers and, even more interestingly, the transcripts of discussions at the symposium. This conference brought together eminent and internationally reputed scholars of macro-history and historical sociology including Johann P. Arnason, Elias, Hans-Dieter Evers, Johan Goudsblom, Keith Hopkins, William H. McNeill, and Immanuel Wallerstein. This highly informative encounter between various leading scholars of humanity’s global social history has never before been published, although it was completely recorded on paper and in tape recordings. Its publication in one volume should be an important event for all students of the long-term structural transformations of humanity.Table of Contents1. Introduction.2. The Civilising Process: World Figuration or World System?.3. Discussion of Evers’s Paper4. The Modern World-System as a Civilisation5. Discussion of Wallerstein’s Paper6. The Formation of States and Changes in Restraint7. Discussion of Elias’s Paper8. The Rise of the West as a Long-Term Process9. Discussion of McNeill’s Paper10. From Shamelessness to Guilt11. Discussion of Hopkins’s Paper12. Civilisation, Culture and Power: Reflections on Norbert Elias’s Genealogy of the West13. Discussion of Arnason’s Paper14. The Domestication of Fire as a Civilising Process15. Discussion of Goudsblom’s Paper16. Final Discussion.

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Book Synopsis​This book focuses on the experience of leaving unusual or extreme situations: from military careers to religious communities, subcultures, criminal groups and political leadership. It explores how people become disillusioned with and disengaged from these social worlds, challenging their sense of self-identity and cultural belonging. Each chapter considers how participants negotiate the process of ‘role exit’ and adjust to their new identity back in the everyday world. Drawing on symbolic interactionist and existentialist theories, the authors discuss how ex-members dismantle and rebuild their lives in a search for personal meaning. Table of Contents1. Introduction.2. The Reinventive Self: War Veterans’ Accounts of Trauma, Disillusionment and Reparation.3. Exiting an Offender Role: White-Collar Offenders’ Sense of Self and the Demonstration of Change.4. When Certainty Cracks: Early Identity-Change Work among Women Exiting High-Cost Religion.5. Women Leaving and Losing in Politics: Eulogy Work on a Public Stage.6. Identity in Reverse: Exploring ‘Broken Typifications’ and Calibrating ‘Depth’ in Interpretive Inquiry with Ex-Straightedgers.7. From Free to Exoneree: A Narrative Analysis of Ex-treme Identity Processes as Expressed through Autobiographical Accounts of Exonerees.8. Caring for and Containing the Hateful Other: Schools’ Strategies to Deal with Students with Neo-Nazi Convictions.

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Book SynopsisThis open access book is about socio-spatial theory in, and the nature of, Nordic geography. From both historical and contemporary perspectives, the book engages with theorisations of geography in the Nordic countries. Including chapters by geographers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, it reflects how theories about the relations between the social and the spatial have been developed, adopted and critiqued in Nordic human geography in relation to a wide range of themes, concepts and approaches. The book also traces institutional developments, distinct geographical traditions and intellectual histories, as well as authors’ own experiences as geographers in and beyond the Nordic area. The chapters together introduce and engage with debates and discussions that permeate Nordic geography and allows readers a glimpse of geographical thinking and the role of socio-spatial theory in the Nordic countries. By providing insights into how geographical ideas emerge, travel and are translated and adapted in specific contexts, the book contributes to debates about historical-geographical situatedness and theorisations of geography.Table of Contents1. Geographies and theories of geography: An introductionPeter Jakobsen, Erik Jönsson and Henrik Gutzon Larsen2. Sublimated expansionism? Living space ideas in Nordic small state geopoliticsHenrik Gutzon Larsen and Carl Marklund3. Translating Space: The rise and fall of central place theory and planning-geography in SwedenPär Wikman and Marcus Mohall4. Territorial structure: An early Marxist theorisation of geographyPeter Jakobsen and Henrik Gutzon Larsen5. Synthesis of physical and human geography: Necessary and impossible?Arild Holt-Jensen6. Politicisation of nature in Nordic geographyAri Aukusti Lehtinen7. In search of Nordic Landscape Geography: Tensions, combinations and relations.Tomas Germundsson, Erik Jönsson and Gunhild Setten8. Trends and challenges in Nordic Gender GeographyGunnel Forsberg and Susanne Stenbacka9. Economic Geography of innovation and regional developmentBjørn T. Asheim, Høgni Kalsø Hansen and Arne Isaksen10. The Socio-Spatial articulations of tourism studies in Nordic geographyEdward H. Huijbens and Dieter K. Müller11. The spatialities of the Nordic compact city Per Gunnar Røe, Kristin Edith Abrahamsen Kjærås and Håvard Haarstad12. Struggling with conceptual framings to understand Swedish displacement processesCarina Listerborn and Guy Baeten13. Spatial justice and social reproduction in the Nordic peripheryMadeleine Eriksson and Aina Tollefsen14. Nordic geographies of nation and nationhoodJouni Häkli and Mette Strømsø15. Urban space and Everyday Life: A personal theoretical trajectory within Nordic social and cultural geographyKirsten Simonsen16. The institutionalization of regions: An autobiographic view on the making of socio-spatial theory in the Nordic periphery Anssi Paasi

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Book SynopsisWer sich in den letzten Jahren mit dem autoritären Charakter beschäftigt, begibt sich stets in die etwas paradoxe Gefahr, von einer noch älteren Version dieser Figur überholt zu werden. Was in den anti-autoritären 1970er Jahren durch unhaltbar gewordene Prämissen auf theoretischer Ebene abgebaut, in komplexer gelagerte Machtdiskurse überführt und durch Reformen in den pädagogischen, medialen und politischen Institutionen auf praktischer Ebene überwunden oder zumindest gezähmt zu sein schien, taucht Mitte der 2010er Jahre überraschend ‚originalgetreu‘ wieder auf und scheint sich seitdem in permanenter Annäherung an seinen Ursprung zu aktualisieren. Wie verfährt man also mit dem autoritären Charakter? Der vorliegende Sammelband versucht, diese Frage auf zwei Wegen anzugehen. Zum einen nimmt er die Gefahr in Kauf, in seinen Bestandsaufnahmen von aktuellen Entwicklungen überholt zu werden. Zum anderen begibt er sich selbst an den Ursprung zurück und versucht in den ersten Überlegungen der Frankfurter Schule und den Versuchen, den autoritären Charakter zu erforschen, bisher unbeachtete Stellen zu beleuchten. Allerdings ist auch bei einer solchen Rückkehr klar, dass sie nicht am Ursprung stehen bleiben kann. Es sind dann wiederum diese geschärften bzw. revidierenden Betrachtungen, mit denen etliche AutorInnen die Frage für die Gegenwart erneut stellen. Table of ContentsDer Begriff, sein Projekt und das Umfeld.- Manifestationen und Transformationen.- Wiederauflagen und Entgegnungen.

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Book SynopsisMartin Weißmann legt in diesem Open-Access-Buch theoretische Synthesen zu zentralen Themen der interdisziplinären Polizeiforschung vor und leistet damit einen Beitrag zur Integration dieser ansonsten oft empiristischen Forschung in die stärker theorieorientierte Soziologie. Er schlägt vor, (Kriminal-)Polizeien als Fall misstrauischer Sozialsysteme zu analysieren. Wie beispielsweise auch Geheimdienste oder der Investigativjournalismus sind sie auf die Gewinnung von Informationen über eine Umwelt spezialisiert, welche dies durch Prozesse des Verbergens und Täuschens erschwert.Empirisch behandelt das Buch zunächst die (Vor-)Geschichte polizeilicher Ermittlungsarbeit in Europa als Fall der Ausdifferenzierung, Professionalisierung und Organisationswerdung sozialer Kontrolle (untersucht an den Fällen Englands im 18. Jahrhundert sowie der Kriminalpolizeien in Paris um 1820 und Berlin um 1920). Die anschließenden Kapitel widmen sich der Arbeit von Polizisten mit Informanten und an Beschuldigten (in der Vernehmung) als Fall des Kontakts einer organisationalen Grenzrolle mit formal nicht zur Kooperation verpflichteten Nichtmitgliedern der Organisation. Und schließlich analysiert der Autor den polizeilichen Korpsgeist als Fall einer kollegialen Versicherungsgemeinschaft gegen die individuelle Verantwortlichkeit für Fehler bei der Arbeit.Table of ContentsEinleitung.- Ausgangspunkte und Perspektiven. Die (Kriminal-)Polizei als misstrauisches Sozialsystem und Polizeiarbeit als Arbeit an den Grenzen des Rechts.- Zur Soziologie der Polizei.- Schluss.

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Book SynopsisDas Buch geht systematisch der Frage nach, wie das Denken Jacques Derridas für die soziologische Theoriebildung und Gesellschaftskritik fruchtbar gemacht werden kann. Dabei versucht es ersichtlich zu machen, wie Identitäten und Normen auf ihr ausgeschlossenes Anderes hin geöffnet werden können. Es richtet sich an interessierte Leser*innen der Soziologie, indem einerseits Derridas philosophische Denkbewegungen zur Sprache gebracht und andererseits ein soziologischer Übersetzungsprozess vollführt wird. Auf welch vielfältige Weise lässt sich innerhalb der Soziologie und auch der politischen Theorie an die Dekonstruktion anschließen? Eine Hierarchiekritik und eine Offenlegung geschlechtlich markierter Machtverhältnisse werden dabei ebenso eine Rolle spielen, wie eine dekonstruktive Befragung sozialer Gründungsszenen und eine soziologische Perspektivierung von Erfindung, Gabe und Gastfreundschaft. Soziologisch denken mit Jacques Derrida umfasst nicht den Entwurf einer wasserdichten Theorie, sondern eine Sensibilisierung für die Instabilität und Spannungen der sozialen Welt.Table of ContentsWie lässt sich die soziale Welt mit der Dekonstruktion erschließen?- Die Denkbewegungen der Dekonstruktion.- Die dekonstruktive Kritik an Begründungsfiguren und Hierarchien.- Die (Un-)Möglichkeit sozialer Handlungsweisen.- Zur Werkbiographie Jacques Derridas entlang einiger Textmarken.

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Book SynopsisThe Bioethics of the "Crazy Ape" collects a wide range of bioethical topics. Bioethical questions are eternal by nature, although our technologized times transform old issues in forms never before experienced. Just like the famous scientist Albert Szent-Györgyi believed in his time, we also believe that all the contributing authors recognised their moral responsibility in adding new approaches to the continuum of each debate. Although this responsibility has became increasingly complex, we must avoid to become barriers of the scientific development. Bioethics as an applied field of philosophy should always try to establish a framework for a sustainable world: in daily clinical practice, in cases of human experiments, and (not least) in the natural environment.Table of Contents Introduction By Oguz Kelemen, Gergely Tari PART I. ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGIES 1. The Dignity of Apes, Humans, and AI, by Stefan Lorenz Sorgner 2. Human Dignity in Genetic Engineering (With Some Hungarian Examples), by Vivien Szútor PART II. BIOETHICS, ANTHROPOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND PHILOSOPHY 3. Please geben vôtre consentimiento! Informed Decision-Making in Intercultural Context, by Attila Dobos 4. Can Kant's Position Be Guessed in a Debate on Access to New Technical Advances in Medicine?, by Daniela Reisz, Alexandra Anghel 5. Children's Bioethics, Theory of Attachment, and P4C, by Florin Lobont 6. Implementing Purity and Combating Impurity: Biopower and Totalist Movements, by Mihai Murariu 7. The Psy-complex: Out of the Techno-Scientific Paradigm?, by Attila Bánfalvi 8. Euthanasia in the Contemporary World: What Role Does Faith Play in the Choice to Legalize Assisted Dying Practices?, by Sorin Grigore Vulc?nescu PART III. GLOBALIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS 9. A Critique of the Environmental Ethical Critique of Christian Anthropocentrism, by Ferenc Hérány 10. Ecocentrism or the Attempt to Leave Antropocentricity, by Dejan Donev 11. Debating Public Policy: Ethics, Politics and Economics of Wildlife Management in Southern Africa, by Matthew Crippen, John Salevurakis 12. The Role of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in the Controversy over Genetically-Modified Food, by Ivica Kelam PART IV. ETHICAL AND LEGAL CHALLENGES IN MEDICINE AND RESEARCH 13. UDBHR: An Interpretation in the Indian Medico-legal and Bioethical Context, by Anamika Krishnan 14. An Evaluation of Faith-Based Perspectives on the Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment from Patients in a Permanent Vegetative State, by Kartina A. Choong, Mahmood Chandia 15. Reproductive Autonomy and Genetic Technologies: Ethical and Legal Implications Related to Sex Selection, by Narine Harutyunyan 16. The Medicalization of Childbirth: Ethical and Legal Issues of Negative Childbirth Experience, by Gergely Tari, Csaba Hamvai 17. Prophylactic Mastectomy on Demand, by Csaba Hamvai, Gergely Tari, Melinda Csenki 18. Truth Disclosure in the Age of Technologized Medicine, by Coralia Cotoraci, Alciona Sasu, Mircea Onel, Cristina Ghib-Para 19. Ethical Challenges Related to Marketing Drugs, by Miroslav Radenkovi?, Ivana Lazarevi?, Marko Stojanovi?, Tanja Jovanovi? 20. Disclosing Research Results to Participants: Is There a Consensus?, by Adél Tóth

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Book SynopsisBioethics has become an important part of everyday dynamics, encompassing both clinical and research ethics. This edited collection aims to challenge some critical cornerstones of today's contemporary bioethical concerns and issues. The individual chapters were prepared by esteemed scholars with international background in their specialties. Nowadays technological revolution is reaching a whole new level, continuously challenging us to define what is human. Keeping this in mind, the authors provided comprehensive and thoughtful views on different bioethical issues, including cultural and social influences on contemporary bioethics, posthumanism and transhumanism, death, the critical importance of informed consent, prenatal genetic testing, gene and cell therapy, mandatory vaccinations, cannabis use, antidoping concerns, treatment of rare diseases and pain management, and finally educational and legislative lines of reasoning.Table of Contents Introduction, by Miroslav Radenkovi? CHAPTER 1. Attila Dobos, Neuroanthropological Turn in Bioethics? Insights from Interculturality CHAPTER 2. Alexander Kremer, Transhumanism or Pragmatism? CHAPTER 3. Oana Iftime, ?tefana-Maria Petru?, The Danger of False Promises and Hopes in the New Age of Science: The Case of Gene and Cell Therapy CHAPTER 4. Miroslav Radenkovi?, Informed Consent. The Current Standing CHAPTER 5. Raluca Dumache, Alexandra Enache, Informed Consent and Medical Decision Making: Ethical Challenges CHAPTER 6. Branislava Medi? Brki?, Miroslav Radenkovi?, Katarina Savi? Vujovi?, Nevena Divac, Sonja Vu?kovi?, Radan Stojanovi?, Dragana Srebro, Miloš Basailovi?, Milica Prostran, Pharmacotherapy of Rare Diseases in Serbia: Bioethical Challenges and How to Overcome Them CHAPTER 7. Katarina Savi? Vujovi?, Miroslav Radenkovi?, Branislava Medi?, Sla?ana Mihajlovi?, Sonja Vu?kovi?, Nevena Divac, Radan Stojanovi?, Dragana Srebro, Miloš Basailovi?, Milica Prostran, Ethical Issues Regarding Chronic Pain From the Perspective of a Clinical Pharmacologist CHAPTER 8. Danijela Vu?evi?, Janko Samardži?, Bojan Jorga?evi?, Igor Panti?, Jovana Paunovi? Panti?, Tatjana Radosavljevi?, The Medicalization of Cannabis as an Ethical Challenge in the 21st Century CHAPTER 9. Luboslava Kostova, Is There a Moral Reproductive Behaviour in the Context of Prenatal Diagnosis and Care? CHAPTER 10. Antoanela Naaji, Gratiana Chicin, Ethical Challenges in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination CHAPTER 11. Danijela Vu?evi?, Igor Panti?, Janko Samardži?, Bojan Jorga?evi?, Jovana Paunovi? Panti?, Tatjana Radosavljevi?, Ethical Issues and Spiritual Challenges in End-Of-Life Care CHAPTER 12. Jelena Roganovi?, The Lack of Dental Ethics Education in the Undergraduate Curricula in Dental Schools of Serbian Universities CHAPTER 13. Jelena Šantri?, The Challenges of the Double Role of the Ethical Commission at the Faculty of Medicine from the University of Belgrade CHAPTER 14. Levente Nagy, Sports and the Ethical Implications of Performance Enhancing Substances

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Mats Alvesson aims to demystify some popular and upbeat claims about a range of phenomena, including the knowledge society, consumption, branding, higher education, organizational change, professionalization, and leadership. He contends that a culture of grandiosity is leading to numerous inflated claims. We no longer talk about plans but strategies. Supervisors have been replaced by managers. Goods have become brands. Wealthy countries try to show that they are knowledge societies through mass higher education but with limited effect on real qualifications or qualified job opportunities for graduates. The book views the contemporary economy as an economy of persuasion, where firms and other institutions increasingly assign talent, energy, and resources to rhetoric, image, branding, reputation, and visibility.Using a wide range of empirical examples to illuminate the realms of consumption, higher education, organization, and leadership, this provocative and engaging book Trade ReviewAlvesson finds grandiosity at work behind an array of disconcerting phenomena, from a narcissistic socialmedia culture, to a hyper-adrenalised yet helplessly inane 24-hour news media cycle, to the explosion of public-relations firms and branding efforts. * Ross A. Mittiga, Political Studies Review *an engaging read that bravely tackles higher education orthodoxies * Joanna Williams, The Times Higher Education Supplement *This is a well-written, powerful book that makes you think and reflect about some of the key issues of our time. You couldnt ask for more. * Cary Cooper, Times Higher Education *The Triumph of Emptiness pulls back the proverbial curtain on our current society to reveal the empty truth behind our illusions of grandeur. Mats Alvesson leads us on a critical, smart, and often amusing romp through a world in which everything is excellent, advice is known as coaching, and vice presidents are a dime a dozen. He shows the increasing gap between reality and fantasy, need and want, and product production and the illusions necessary to sell them. Higher education is not immune to these trends, with ideas of college for all and the pronounced dumbing-down of university study. If you are interested in the strange paradox in rich societies of how we can have so much but not be any happier, read this book. * Jean M. Twenge, author of Generation Me and co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic *The Triumph of Emptiness is a provocative, insightful, and highly ambitious (even grandiose) indictment of consumption, work, and the organizations in which it occurs, as well as higher education. They are all critiqued for their grandiosity, inflated and distorted images, and mindless competitiveness. This is an uncompromising work that is likely to both enlighten and infuriate the reader. * George Ritzer, Distinguished University Professor, the University of Maryland *In The Triumph of Emptiness Mats Alvesson demonstrates the considerable value of critical theory for understanding everyday life in contemporary Western societies. Refreshingly astute as regards our current state of institutional being, this book is engagingly written and well-grounded in the best critical thought has to offer. Alvesson has once again accomplished what he does so wellthink a vital subject through with wit and insight. * Mary Jo Hatch, author of Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic and Postmodern Perspectives *The author, a leading management scholar and a major sociological thinker, punctures the grandiosity and narcissism of our times when we succumb to the illusions that image, hype, and empty talk create value, when everyone must claim to be cutting edge and a world leader. Alvesson succeeds brilliantly in demonstrating that behind such grandiosity lurks an emptiness of meaning, of value, and of imagination. His powerful critical discussions of modern consumption, higher education, professionalism, and leadership insinuate that our current malaise goes far deeper than the economic crisis in which we find ourselves. This is a book that breaks loose of the management publication ghetto and demands to be read by everyone. * Yiannis Gabriel, Chair in Organizational Theory, University of Bath *most delightful book * Thomas Kilkauner, Organizational Change Management *Table of Contents1. Introduction - Zero-Sum Games, Grandiosity, and Illusion Tricks ; 2. Consumption - the Shortcomings of Affluence ; 3. Explaining the Consumption Paradox: Why aren't People (More) Satisfied? ; 4. Higher Education - Triumph of the Knowledge Intensive Society or a Statistical Cosmetics Project? ; 5. Higher Education - an Image-Boosting Business? ; 6. Modern Working Life and Organizations - Change, Dynamism, and Post-Bureaucracy? ; 7. Organizational Structures on the Beauty Parade: Imitation and Shop-Window Dressing ; 8. A Place in the Sun - Occupational Groups' Professionalization Projects and Other Status and Influence Ambitions ; 9. Leadership - A Driving Force or Empty Talk ; 10. The Triumph of Imagology - A Paradise for Tricksters? ; 11. The Costs of Grandiosity

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