Social theory Books

Book SynopsisIn Community Development in an Uncertain World, Jim Ife draws on the principles of social justice, ecological responsibility and post-Enlightenment and Indigenous perspectives to advance new holistic approaches to community development. The book explores the concept of community development on a local and international scale in the context of globalisation and postcolonial theory. Students will gain the essential skills and practical understanding required to navigate the existing managerial environment and cultivate new community practices. This new edition incorporates current research into community development and includes important new work on ''alternative visions'' for a sustainable and just future. It introduces the foundational theories of community development and explains their importance in shaping solutions to uniquely modern issues. Readers are encouraged to critically engage with the material through the accompanying discussion questions. Written in an accessible, engaging style, this text is an essential resource for students and professionals in the human services.Table of Contents1. Crisis, transition and community; 2. Alternatives and transitions; 3. Foundations of community development: ecological and social justice perspectives; 4. Foundations of community development: post-Enlightenment and Indigenous perspectives; 5. A vision for community development; 6. Change from below; 7. The process of community development; 8. The global and the local; 9. Colonialism, colonialist practice and working internationally; 10. Community development: social, economic and political; 11. Community development: cultural, environmental, spiritual, personal and survival; 12. Principles of community development and their application to practice; 13. Roles and skills 1: facilitative and educational; 14. Roles and skills 2: representational and technical; 15. The organisational context; 16. Practice issues.

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Book SynopsisJohn Goldthorpe provides a new rationale for recent developments in sociology, proposing that sociology should be understood as a 'population science' and develop as a science in a way which allows for a degree of continuity with the natural sciences, while preserving the field's distinctiveness.Trade Review'In this book, Goldthorpe provides an elegant discussion on the fundamental tenets of sociology as a population science. Based on nine propositions, he explains what sociology is and is not, and defines its logic as a population science, where traditional disciplinary boundaries between sociology and demography, epidemiology and applied economics blur. Sociology as a Population Science should be read by all sociologists engaged in theoretically driven empirical research. Many will find a solid rationale for the type of sociology that they, in fact, already do and stronger and clearer conceptual bases to pursue their research further on. A precious book.' Fabrizio Bernardi, European University Institute, and Chair, Board of the European Consortium for Sociological Research'Goldthorpe's foundational efforts in defending a scientific approach to social science find a lucid and visionary synthesis in this volume. He sets a realistic agenda, from the need to establish empirical regularities on populations to modes of explanation. A must-read for all social scientists.' Francesco Billari, University of Oxford'Sociology as a Population Science is a timely and very important book for PhD students, advanced researchers in the social sciences and professional sociologists. It makes clear that sociologists need to both establish probabilistic regularities in the aggregates of individuals (or populations) and trace the mechanisms at the individual level that actually produce these regularities. Statistical methodology by itself cannot achieve the provision of causal explanations of regularities, and causal mechanisms are particularly powerful for sociology as an academic discipline if they are related to significant patterns in the population.' Hans-Peter Blossfeld, European University Institute, Italy'John Goldthorpe has written a remarkable book full of deep insights. It is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand what sociological research is really about.' Yu Xie, Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Sociology, Princeton University'John H. Goldthorpe, best known for his research on social stratification and mobility, has also written incisively about the discipline of sociology for 20 years or more. Sociology as a Population Science is an important, mostly positive, and programmatic addition to that body of work.' Michael Hout, American Journal of Sociology'Goldthorpe pushes the discussion further on in many fruitful directions … The book is a perfect textbook for Ph.D. students who wish to work in the scientific tradition of sociology and a stimulating reading for social scientists in general as well … A distinctive value of the book is its very rare capability to trace the historical roots of the topics illustrated and to show their consequences for the current debate.' Barbera Filippo, SociologicaTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Sociology as a population science: the central idea; 2. Individual variability in human social life; 3. The individualistic paradigm; 4. Population regularities as basic explananda; 5. Statistics, concepts and the objects of sociological study; 6. Statistics and methods of data collection; 7. Statistics and methods of data analysis; 8. The limits of statistics: causal explanation; 9. Causal explanation through social mechanisms; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisImagined Societies explores how images of 'society' and of national belonging have been forged by the media and politicians through the portrayal of immigrants and their 'failed integration'. Examining the experience of the Netherlands and other Western European countries, this book analyses how discussions of integration, culture, religion, and sexuality promote notions of national societies.Trade Review'Willem Schinkel is one of the most interesting people writing on issues of identity, cultural difference and the policy responses (and exacerbations) that are making these issues so fraught in Europe today. His work on the moralization of citizenship and the implicit models of society in the discourse about immigrants is informed by wide knowledge and is very insightful.' Craig Calhoun, Director, London School of Economics and Political Science'Schinkle offers an imaginative view of European identity and the immigration phenomenon at the center of current heated debates throughout Western Europe. His stimulating monograph underscores that what it has meant to be European has been both ephemeral and intangible for centuries.' P. Lorenzini, ChoiceTable of Contents1. Immigrant integration imaginaries in Western Europe; 2. Imagining society: social theory and/as social imagination; 3. Measuring society: moral monitoring and the social science of 'immigrant integration'; 4. Transformations of racism: the rise of culturism; 5. Traditionally modern: contemporary frameworks of sexuality and religion; 6. The uses of citizenship; 7. Social science: between moral monitoring and public sociology.

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Book SynopsisWhat do young people want from life? Using analysis of family experiences and life histories, Margaret Archer concludes her investigation of the role of the 'internal conversation' in mediating between structure and agency. She advances a new theory of relational socialisation and shows how forms of reflexivity may be changing.Trade Review'In critiquing the theory of reflexive modernity, Archer provides a valuable service in questioning such a focus … This is an important and welcome critique insofar as it argues, in contrast to reflexive modernization theory, that structural and cultural changes are behind this trend.' Jonathan Joseph, Journal of Critical Realism'… an important and welcome critique …' Jonathan Joseph, Journal of Critical RealismTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. A brief history of how reflexivity becomes imperative; 2. The reflexive imperative versus habits and habitus; 3. Re-conceptualizing socialization as 'relational reflexivity'; 4. Communicative reflexivity and its decline; 5. Autonomous reflexivity: the new spirit of social enterprise; 6. Meta-reflexives: critics of market and state; 7. Fractured reflexives: casualties of the reflexive imperative; Conclusion; Methodological appendix.

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Book SynopsisWhen incentives work well, individuals prosper. When incentives are poor, the pursuit of self-interest is self-defeating. This book is wholly devoted to the topical subject of incentives from individual, collective, and institutional standpoints. This third edition is fully updated and expanded, including a new section on the 200708 financial crisis and a new chapter on networks as well as specific applications of school placement for students, search engine ad auctions, pollution permits, and more. Using worked examples and lucid general theory in its analysis, and seasoned with references to current and past events, Incentives: Motivation and the Economics of Information examines: the performance of agents hired to carry out specific tasks, from taxi drivers to CEOs; the performance of institutions, from voting schemes to medical panels deciding who gets kidney transplants; a wide range of market transactions, from auctions to labor markets to the entire economy. Suitable for advanTable of Contents1. Equilibrium, efficiency, and asymmetric information; 2. Basic models and tools; 3. Hidden action; 4. Corporate governance; 5. Hidden characteristics; 6. Auctions; 7. Voting and preference revelation; 8. Public goods and preference revelation; 9. Matching; 10. Networks; 11. General competitive equilibrium.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a rare window into the micropolitics of contemporary authoritarian rule through a comparison of religious-state relations in Russia and China - two countries with long histories of religious repression, and even longer experiences with authoritarian politics. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in multiple sites in these countries, this book explores what religious and political authority want from one another, how they negotiate the terms of their relationship, and how cooperative or conflicting their interactions are. This comparison reveals that while tensions exist between the two sides, there is also ample room for mutually beneficial interaction. Religious communities and their authoritarian overseers are cooperating around the core issue of politics - namely, the struggle for money, power and prestige - and becoming unexpected allies in the process.Trade Review'Professor Koesel's book is not only an important primer for understanding the role of religion in autocratic societies and how dictators control the faithful, it also provides us with a new view of the interaction between civil society and authoritarianism. This work deserves to be read as part of the general canon in comparative political science.' Tony Gill, University of Washington, author of The Political Origins of Religious Liberty (Cambridge, 2007)'Based on more than two years of field work in China and Russia, this book offers an illuminating account of one of the most remarkable phenomena of the post-Cold War era: the religious revival sweeping the Communist and post-Communist worlds. Koesel rejects a simplistic portrait of repression and resistance in favour of a complex, multilevel pattern of collaboration and reciprocity between state authorities and religious adherents. Her fascinating findings speak not only to area specialists and social scientists of religion, but to those interested in the comparative study of authoritarianism more broadly.' Elizabeth J. Perry, Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government, Harvard University'This book makes an important contribution to the literature on religious freedom. Based on more than two years of field research on China and Russia, Koesel describes the ways in which leaders of religious institutions often negotiate shared interests with representatives of authoritarian governments, especially at the local level. Her comparative focus and rich theoretical argumentation make this an important book for anyone interested in the civic role of religion.' Donald E., Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California'Koesel's comparative analysis is rich and persuasive, demonstrating one can theorize about cooperation beyond a single authoritarian case study. While regime type influences religious actors' likelihood of cooperating with autocrats, it does not determine whether local states cooperate with religious organizations. Koesel's findings also suggest incentives leading to cooperation cut across religions. … Koesel's book is a must read for scholars of comparative authoritarianism, the sociology of religion, and Chinese politics and society.' Marie-Eve Reny, Journal of Chinese Political ScienceTable of Contents1. Introduction: the politics of religion; 2. Religion and state games; 3. Regulating the religious marketplace; 4. The political economy of religious revival; 5. The politics of faith, power, and prestige; 6. Conclusion: cooperation, conflict, and the consequences.

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Book SynopsisLeading sociologists who live and work in East Asia examine their region''s most dangerous and explosive social problems, and some of their most stunning success stories, from the viewpoint of Civil Sphere Theory. This new and increasingly influential sociological understanding of democracy aims to describe and explain the moral codes and institutional foundations of democratic solidarity, as it manifests itself within a distinct social sphere. Part of a multi-volume project, this collection includes cases from Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, bringing together efforts by sociologists based in East Asian academic institutions. Through an extraordinary blend of sophisticated social theory and path-breaking empirical research, The Civil Sphere in East Asia aims to advance civil sphere theory by globalizing and regionalizing it at the same time.Trade Review'At a time when civil spheres are being threatened both by internal forces and external opposition, Jeffrey C. Alexander's seminal work on Civil Sphere Theory gives a powerful sociological account of sources of fragility and resilience. With contributions from a superb team of scholars, this book demonstrates the breadth of Civil Sphere Theory.' Richard Madsden, University of California, San Diego'Jeffrey C. Alexander, one of America's leading cultural theorists, has been wrestling with the broad intellectual issue of how social space shapes the moral codes of societies. He has set the ambition of looking at societies around the world. For this path-breaking volume, he has collaborated with scholars of East Asia to look at the various moral codes of mainland China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.' Ezra F. Vogel, Harvard University, Massachusetts'The Civil Sphere in East Asia is an ambitious work that theorizes civil society using the East Asian experiences from a comparative perspective. It will be a must read for those who seek to understand East Asian society and politics.' Gi-Wook Shin, Stanford University, Connecticut'Combining innovative case studies, comparative leverage, and theoretical strength, this landmark volume provides a new benchmark for comparative studies of political culture. Greater than the sum of its excellent parts, it demonstrates a robust development of civil sphere theory beyond the West and offers a new view of East Asian political cultures.' Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame, IndianaTable of ContentsIntroduction. The civil sphere in the cultural and political transformations of modern East Asia David A. Palmer and Jeffrey C. Alexander; 1. South Korea's presidential scandal and civil repair Jongryul Choi; 2. System crisis and the civil sphere: media discourse on the crisis of education in South Korea Sunwoong Park; 3. Boundary tension and reconstruction: credit information crises and the civil sphere in Korea Hee-Jeong Lee; 4. Performing civil disobedience in Hong Kong Agnes Shuk-mei Ku; 5. Fault line in the civil sphere: explaining new divisions in Hong Kong's opposition movement Andrew Junker and Cheris Chan; 6. Three moral codes and microcivil spheres in China David A. Palmer; 7. Attempting civil repair in China: SACOM's campaigns and the challenge to digital capitalism Pun Ngai and Kenneth Tsz Fung Ng; 8. Fantasy is more believable: the shadow civil sphere in Chinese online fiction Xiaoli Tian; 9. Institutions and civil instantiation: the case of modern Japanese police Mayumi Shimizu; 10. What constitutes 'autonomy' in the Japanese civil sphere? The struggle over surrogacy Yoshie Yanagihara; 11. Developing communicative institutions in local communities: the practice of participatory budgeting in Taiwan Kuo-ming Lin; 12. Reconciliation through the transnational civil sphere? Historical dialogue and the tri-national joint history project in East Asia Horng-luen Wang; Commentary. Opening up civil sphere theory: from the United States through Latin America to East Asia Carlo Tognato; Conclusion. Theoretical issues in comparative perspective Peter Kivisto and Giuseppe Sciortino.

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Book SynopsisWhen it comes to extending citizenship to certain groups, why might ruling elites say neither ''yes'' nor ''no'', but ''wait''? The dominant theories of citizenship tend to recognize clear distinctions between citizens and aliens; either one has citizenship or one does not. This book shows that not all populations are fully included or expelled by a state; they can be suspended in limbo - residing in a territory for protracted periods without accruing citizenship rights. This in-depth case study of the United Arab Emirates uses new archival sources and extensive interviews to show how temporary residency can be transformed into a permanent legal status, through visa renewals and the postponement of naturalization cases. In the UAE, temporary residency was also codified into a formal citizenship status through the outsourcing of passports from the Union of Comoros, allowing elites to effectively reclassify minorities into foreign residents.Trade Review'This pathbreaking book asks the critical yet curiously understudied question of how citizenship in Arab Gulf states is constructed - a question with great stakes given the benefits of nationality in the small, oil rich countries of the region. Lori identifies a new approach to dealing with domestic minorities while constructing national communities - the outsourcing of national membership.' Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University'Offshore Citizens might also have been titled 'Kafka Comes to the Middle East'. We learn that, as in Kafka's parable 'Before the Law', many in the United Arab Emirates await their turn to enter the exalted status of citizenship but are denied, even though they wait dutifully their entire lives. Noora Anwar Lori tells the tale of the many 'permanent temporary' guest workers whose citizenship is 'outsourced' to the tiny Union of Comoros, which supplies them with passports although they have no connection to the country. These persons live in a permanent limbo in the UAE, even though they were born in the Emirates and have never known anywhere else. Surreal and disturbing, but all too real for those permanent non-Arab guest workers who live it. A fascinating study of the 'spectrum' of citizenship statuses in the region with the world's largest proportion of non-citizens.' John Torpey, City University of New York'Original and thoughtful, Offshore Citizens explores why states postpone grants of citizenship and outsource national passports. Challenging established categories of inclusion/exclusion, member/stranger, and democratic/autocratic regimes, Noora Lori unsettles established binaries through a meticulous study of the policies adopted by the Gulf states toward minority resident populations.' Ayelet Shachar, Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften'In short, this book is a remarkable piece of scholarship. It theorizes the question of precarious citizenship among settled groups and migrants that do not fit the historical narrative of postcolonial states. It shows how precarious citizenship evolved historically and how contemporary migration 'management' tools, such as the issuance of biometrical identification cards, compounds these individuals' precarious citizenship status. Most importantly perhaps, the book accounts for the disturbing effects that bureaucratic practices have on the lives of people in countries that have the means to integrate these people in their citizenship regimes but choose not to do so.' James Sater, International Migration Review'This volume by Lori (Boston Univ.) is an outstanding display of erudition along several dimensions … This is a necessary addition to any collection on international law and for researchers interested in Gulf politics.' S. R. Silverburg, Choice'Lori's original empirical data and innovative concept formation make Offshore Citizens an important and welcome contribution to the burgeoning literature on citizenship and immigration policies in the Global South.' Kamal Sadiq, Perspectives on Politics'Lori's work is of far-reaching relevance beyond its obvious interest to scholars - and indeed historians - of the Gulf … With her book, Lori thus convincingly challenges the neat binary of citizens and aliens, highlighting the ambiguities and ambivalences that can exist within the grey area - or areas - between the two.' Thomas McGee, Statelessness and Citizenship Review'Offshore Citizens uses the anomaly of citizenship-for-sale for permanent residents of the United Arab Emirates as a prism for viewing the complexities of statelessness, both in the Gulf and elsewhere. In this ambitious project, Lori delves into archives for political and legal histories of migrants in the region, connects multiple forms of their ambiguous status to broader themes in the citizenship literature, and personalizes the human costs through extensive interviews. In addition to providing a rich analysis about an under-studied region, this unique and provocative case deserves comparative attention from scholars across the Global South.' ENMISA award committeeTable of Contents1. Limbo statuses and precarious citizenship; 2. Making the nation: citizens, 'guests' and ambiguous legal statuses; 3. Demographic growth, migrant policing, and naturalization as a 'national security' threat; 4. Permanently deportable: the formal and informal institutions of the Kafāla system; 5. 'Taʿāl Bachir' (come tomorrow): the politics of waiting for identity papers; 6. Identity regularization and passport outsourcing: turning minorities into foreigners; 7. Conclusion; 8. Methodological appendix; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Brexit and Trump shocks of 2016 mark a deep caesura in the history of liberal societies. It is no longer sufficient, if it ever was, to look at Western states'' immigration and citizenship policies through the single lens of advancing liberalism. Instead, two additional forces need to be reckoned with: a new nationalism, but also the neoliberal restructuring of state and society in which it is generated. Joppke demonstrates that many of the new policies have their roots in neoliberalism rather than the new nationalism. Moreover, some of them, such as ''earned citizenship'', are the product of neoliberalism and nationalism working in tandem, in terms of a neoliberal nationalism. The neoliberalism-nationalism nexus is complex, its elements sometimes opposing but sometimes complementing or even constituting one another. This topical book will appeal to students and scholars of populism, nationalism, and immigration and citizenship, across comparative politics, sociology and political Trade Review'Neoliberal Nationalism is a masterfully executed analysis of the impact of neoliberalism and contemporary nationalism on immigration and citizenship policy across the Global North. By analyzing neoliberalism and nationalism side-by-side, Joppke once again breaks new theoretical ground. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in immigration populism.' Antje Ellermann, Associate Professor of Political Science (Comparative Politics), and Director of the Institute for European Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver'This book is an impressive achievement. It is a work of wide-ranging synthesis - drawing on political theory, immigration studies, and political economy - and of penetrating analysis. Swimming against a mighty current, Joppke rejects the term 'populism' as so varied in meaning to be devoid of content and instead explains immigration and citizenship policy with reference to two concepts: nationalism and neo-liberalism. Brexit, Trump, and the far-right are the triumph of an ugly and exclusivist nationalism, and all three are both products and critiques of neo-liberalism. Contemporary immigration and citizenship are anti-nationalist but neo-liberal: qualifications-based, rights-denuded, and increasingly temporary in the former, earned rather than automatically acquired in the latter. Liberalism, both bloodied and bowed, will survive the dual onslaught, but it will never be the same. Analytically powerful and beautifully written, this is the best book on immigration and citizenship available.' Randall Hansen, University of TorontoTable of ContentsPreface; 1. The Neoliberalism-Nationalism Nexus; 2. Courting the Top, Fending Off the Bottom: Immigration in the Populist Storm; 3. More Difficult to Get, Easier to Lose, Less in Value: The Rise of Earned Citizenship; 4. End of Liberalism?; Endnotes; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisA highly original account of why German and American intellectuals have been so strongly drawn to Max Weber's ideas. Of interest to scholars across a wide range of academic disciplines, as well as to those who simply want to understand why Weber mattered so much in the twentieth century.Trade Review'Joshua Derman's wonderful new study … attempts something that (to my knowledge, at least) has not been attempted before. His book not only provides an overview of Weber's thought, concerns, and historical context but also tells the complicated story of how his fragmentary writings were posthumously turned into the 'collected works' … The strange story of the sea change undergone by 'charisma' is alone worth the price of admission to Derman's study. Like the rest of the book it leaves one with an enhanced understanding of the contingencies, misunderstandings, and institutional vagaries that Weber encountered on his posthumous road to canonization.' Dana Villa, Perspectives on Politics'… an erudite intellectual history of Weber's reception - based on a remarkably comprehensive mastery of all of Weber's major texts and the voluminous German and American secondary literatures … Derman's history refreshes our view of Weber's entire oeuvre, highlighting the differences national, generational, ideological, and disciplinary boundaries made to Weber interpretation.' Matthew Specter, Central European History'This is a lucidly written book that anyone interested in Weber, twentieth-century intellectual history, or the way context shapes ideas will find illuminating.' Matthew Kadane, The American Historical Review'… Derman has made a fine contribution to Weber studies when it comes to understanding the reason for Weber's long life after life. For this book helps us recognize, once again, that Weber's charisma survived routinization precisely because it could not be reified despite canonization.' Sung Ho Kim, Review of PoliticsTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Max Weber and his circles; 2. Value freedom and polytheism; 3. The meaning of modern capitalism; 4. Skepticism and faith; 5. Max Weber's sociologies; 6. Charismatic rulership; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on Chinese cultural and philosophical traditions, this book offers a ground breaking reinterpretation of world politics from Yaqing Qin, one of China''s leading scholars of international relations. Qin has pioneered the study of constructivism in China and developed a variant of this approach, arguing that culture defined in terms of background knowledge nurtures social theory and enables theoretical innovation. Building upon this argument, this book presents the concept of ''relationality'', shifting the focus from individual actors to the relations amongst actors. This ontology of relations examines the unfolding processes whereby relations create the identities of actors and provide motivations for their actions. Appealing to scholars of international relations theory, social theory and Chinese political thought, this exciting new concept will be of particular interest to those who are seeking to bridge Eastern and Western approaches for a truly global international relationTrade Review'With this path-breaking book Yaqing Qin's stature as China's leading scholar of international relations has shifted to a position of global intellectual leadership. Embodying the deep background knowledge of Sinic civilization, relationality is the book's core construct. Scholars who think that rationality rules the world, take note: this book signals the arrival of a truly global discipline of international relations.' Peter J. Katzenstein, Walter S. Carpenter, Jr, Professor of International Studies, Cornell University'Qin's work is a landmark in the creation of a truly global discipline of IR. He makes the case that culture necessarily shapes social theory, and backs this up with explanations of 'the Chinese way of thinking' about social order. He assesses mainstream Western IR theory with a knowledgeable and penetrating outsider's eye, and sets out his own contrasting and complementary relational theory based on Confucian norms and practices. This book will change the way you think about IR theory and its potential development.' Barry Buzan, London School of Economics and Political Science'A Relational Theory of World Politics masterfully blends contemporary IR theory with Chinese history and ideas. It is an original and path-breaking catalyst for moving the field of IR beyond its traditional Western centric concepts and theories towards a Global IR.' Amitav Acharya, American University, Washington DC'Finally we have a full-length English language book outlining the theorisation of world politics by one of China's most influential and interesting scholars! A must read for anyone interested in global international relations theorising, Chinese traditions of thought, or Chinese foreign relations.' Astrid Nordin, Lancaster University'Overall, this book makes a considerable contribution to the global IR literature, which is still considered immature, and will be well received by its intended audience: academics and IR students with a background knowledge of IR theory. The book also provides a reference for those who wish to understand China's role in IR theory.' Özge Taylan, Rising Powers QuarterlyTable of ContentsPart I. Culture and Social Theory: 1. Social theory and the multicultural world; 2. Theoretical hard core; 3. Culture and theoretical innovation; 4. Individualistic rationality and mainstream IR theory; Part II. Relation and Relationality: 5. A world of relations; 6. Meta-relationship and the zhongyong dialectics; 7. The logic of relationality; Part III. Power, Cooperation, and Governance: 8. Power and relation; 9. Cooperation in a relational world; 10. Governance: rule, rules, and relations.

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Book SynopsisEarning an income in our time often involves ownership of or control over creative assets. Employing the law and philosophy of economics, this illuminating book explores the legal controversies that emerge when authors, singers, filmmakers, and social media barons leverage their rights into major paydays. It explores how players in the entertainment and technology sectors articulate claims to an ever-increasing amount of copyright-protected media. It then analyzes efforts to reform copyright law, in the contexts of 1) increasing the rights of creators and sellers, and 2) allocating these rights after employment and labor disputes, constitutional challenges to intellectual property law, efforts to legalize online mashups and remixes, and changes to the amount of streaming royalties paid to actors and musicians. This work should be read by anyone interested in how copyright law - and its potential reform - shapes the ownership of ideas in the social media age.Trade Review'Travis has provided an engaging, fast-paced argument, setting out examples of how copyright has favoured one group over another … What makes this book interesting and worth reading is this creation of small stories and grand narratives around the nature and scope of copyright.' Phillip Johnson, European Intellectual Property ReviewTable of Contents1. On owning ideas in our time; Part I. IP Disparities: 2. Authors as hired hands; 3. Independent invention and its discontents; Part II. IP Liberties: 4. Hollywood's copyright exemptions?; 5. The Beijing consensus; Part III. Pirate's Dilemmas: 6. The inquisitorial internet; 7. Why we can't build universal digital libraries; 8. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe $12 billion self-help industry is under constant attack for pedaling false miracles to duped believers. But sociologist Albert Amao demonstrates that Americans eagerly support self-help books, seminars, and programs because, under the right conditions, these things work.Sociologist Albert Amao analyzes the accuracy of self-help and positive-thinking claims in this groundbreaking--and wholly unexpected--exploration of what works, what doesn't, and why. Regarding my personal experience, Amao writes, I can testify that positive thinking and positive action have worked wonderfully for me. Born in a poor Latin-American country into a very impoverished family with both parents practically illiterate, I was the oldest of five children. I started working when I was six years old, shining shoes and selling newspapers to help my family. Nobody then would have believed that I would be able to finish high school. Nevertheless, I was able to do it going to night

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWith public schools under siege, this deep-dive, elegantly written account of how three school districts dramatically boosted graduation rates and closed the racial and ethnic opportunity gap couldn't be more timely. * Deborah Meier, MacArthur "genius" award winner and author of In Schools We Trust *I love this book because it makes one thing crystal clear: You don't need to have superheroes to run successful school systems. Hard, steady work, informed by good evidence and collective professional wisdom in our schools, can take you a long way. Disrupting Disruption shows, in rich detail, how three US school districts keep transforming teaching and learning in their schools—the same principles that earlier lifted Finland's schools to the top. * Pasi Sahlberg, author of Finnish Lessons and co-author of Let the Children Play *David Kirp and his colleagues have always been ahead of the curve in identifying and explaining how successful school districts go about their work. With Kirp and company, you get painstaking methodology and crystal clarity of results. I invite the reader to read and enjoy the book, understand that district success is describable, and then realize that the devil is in the disruption. Above all, Disrupting Disruption has layers of meaning and insight read it carefully and enjoy every morsel. * Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus and Global Consultant, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto *Disrupting Disruption has an important and timely message. It calls into question a reform movement that, fueled by abundant self-confidence and self-righteousness, deliberately set out to rearrange the basic landscape of American education. Where the standard reform mantra offers a checklist of off-the-shelf reform cure-alls, Disrupting Disruption suggests that what matters is less the specific things a district does than the way that it does them. And by fessing up to the fact that they have no magic medications to peddle, the authors win the reader over with their forthrightness. * Jeffrey Henig, Professor of Political science & Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the author of The End of Exceptionalism in American Education: The Changing Politics of School Reform *At a time when the American Dream is dying and quick-fix education fads are making things worse, Disrupting Disruption gives us what we need. Brilliantly analyzed and fluently written, the book offers powerful, practical lessons from three impressive school districts about what we can do to redeem the promise of public education. * Richard D. Kahlenberg, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation *The authors have done a great service by showing how to debunk the paradigm of 'demography is destiny.' School systems can help all students succeed when they create stable, supportive learning environments where there is a relentless focus on essential ingredients: talented and supported teachers, a challenging and coherent curriculum, high-quality programs, and partnerships with parents and local organizations that reinforce the shared academic mission. These strategies and examples remind us that education is the cornerstone of our democracy—and how we can keep it that way. * Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers *Table of ContentsForeword by Pedro Noguera Introduction: Disruption Versus Steady Work Chapter 1: Union, OK: A Culture of "Us" Chapter 2: Union City, NJ: Learning America Chapter 3: Roanoke, VA: "The Whole Child" is More than a Cliché Chapter 4: The Covid Stress Test Conclusion: Slow and Steady Wins the Race Appendix: Criteria for Selecting the Three Districts Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisAs a philosopher, Richard McKeon spent his career developing Pragmatism in a new key, specifically by tracing the ways in which philosophic problems arise in fields other than philosophyacross the natural and social sciences and aestheticsand showed the ways in which any problem, pushed back to its beginning or taken to its end, is a philosophic problem. The roots of this book, On KnowingThe Social Sciences, are traced to McKeon's classes where he blended philosophy with physics, ethics, politics, history, and aesthetics. This volumethe second in a seriesleaves behind natural science themes to embrace freedom, power, and history, which, McKeon argues, lay out the whole field of human action. The authors McKeon considersHobbes, Machiavelli, Spinoza, Kant, and J. S. Millshow brilliantly how philosophic methods work in action, via analyses that do not merely reduce or deconstruct meaning, but enhance those texts by reconnecting them to the active history of philosophy and to problems o

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Book SynopsisRecent years have seen a growing impetus to explain social life almost exclusively in biological and mechanistic terms, and to dismiss cultural meaning and difference.Trade Review"Complexities challenges the claim that human behavior is fixed in the human genome. The authors explore the problematic assumptions involved in a 'genes only' approach to human behavior, and they demonstrate that environment and culture are essential ingredients in all efforts to solve human problems. This balanced account of human development is essential reading for policymakers, and the fascinating case studies will provoke lively discussions in undergraduate classrooms across the country." - Elizabeth Brumfiel, Northwestern University"

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Book SynopsisUncovering the verbal and nonverbal patterns in the bearing of news on everyday conversations, as well as hospitals and other settings, Maynard shows how people give and receive good or bad news, how they come to realize the news and share it with others.

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Book SynopsisClifford Geertz is the most influential American anthropologist of the past four decades. His writings have defined and given character to the intellectual agenda of a meaning-centered, non-reductive interpretive social science and have provoked much excitement and debate about the nature of human understanding.

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Book SynopsisCollects autobiographies by an international cross-section of well-known sociologists, all of them children of the '60s. This book illuminates the human experience of living through that decade as apprentice scholars and activists, encountering the issues of class, race, the establishment, feminism, war, and the sexual revolution.

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Book SynopsisRichard L. Wood spent several years working with two local groups in Oakland, California, one faith-based, the other race-based. Comparing their activist techniques and acheivements, Wood argues that their alternative cultures offer a more democratic future for all Americans.Trade Review"Faith in Action is a timely and intelligent work - a penetrating look at the efficacy of faith-based community activism. Wood's creative new study will appeal to sociologists of culture, politics, and religion and to anyone interested in how social movements work and continue to prosper." - Christian Smith, author of American Evangelicalism

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Book SynopsisExplores the cultural representation of the female critic in Victorian Britain, focusing especially on how women writers imagined themselves - in literary essays, periodical reviews, and even works of fiction - as participants in complex networks of literary exchange. Kimberly Stern proposes that female critics adopted a social and sociological understanding of the profession.Trade Review“This is destined to be an influential—even a foundational—study that will openup new and exciting vistas in the study ofpost-Enlightenment criticism and culturalcommunity.” - Stephen Behrendt, University ofNebraska–Lincoln

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Book SynopsisFrom the host of the beloved Netflix series Time to Eat and winner of The Great British Baking Show come over 100 time-smart recipes to tackle family mealtime.Nadiya Hussain knows that feeding a family and juggling a full work load can be challenging. Time to Eat solves mealtime on weeknights and busy days with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. Nadiya shares all her tips and tricks for making meal prep as simple as possible, including ideas for repurposing leftovers and components of dishes into new recipes, creating second meals to keep in the freezer, and using shortcuts--like frozen foods--to cut your prep time significantly. In Time to Eat, Nadiya teaches you to make recipes from her hit Netflix show, including Peanut Butter & Jelly Traybake, Instant Noodles, Egg Rolls, and zesty Marmalade Haddock. Each recipe also notes exactly how long it will take to prepare and cook, making planning easy. Helpful icons ide

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Book SynopsisOffers guidance on post-disaster rebuilding and building in anticipation of future disasters in a way that helps preserve the environment, boost economic prosperity, and foster a high quality of life. This report acknowledges that the increased frequency of severe weather events are compelling the real estate industry to address climate change by working with the public sector to implement adaptive measures that better protect both the built and natural environment.

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Book SynopsisRebel Ideas will strengthen any kind of team, while including advice on how, as individuals, we can embrace the potential of an outsider mind-set as our greatest asset.Ideas are everywhere, but those with the greatest problem-solving, business-transforming, and life-changing potential are often hard to identify. Even when we recognize good ideas, applying them to everyday obstacleswhether in the workplace, our homes, or our civic institutionscan seem insurmountable. According to Matthew Syed, it doesn''t have to be this way. In Rebel Ideas, Syed argues that our brainpower as individuals isn''t enough. To tackle problems from climate change to economic decline, we''ll need to employ the power of cognitive diversity. Drawing on psychology, genetics, and beyond, Syed uses real-world scenarios including the failings of the CIA before 9/11 and a communication disaster at the peak of Mount Everest to introduce us to the true power of thinking different

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Book SynopsisPierre Bourdieu is arguably the most influential sociologist of the twentieth century, especially since the once common criticisms of his determinism and reproductionism have receded. Now, however, his intellectual enterprise faces a new set of challenges unearthed by decades of sympathetic research: how to conceive the relationship between society and place, particularly in an increasingly global world; how to recognize the individual as a product of multiple forces and pressures; how to make sense of family relations and gender domination; and, ultimately, how to grasp how we each come to be the unique beings we are. This book tackles these challenges head on, starting from the philosophical core of Bourdieu's sociology and taking in hints and suggestions across his corpus, to propose a range of novel concepts and arguments. In the process it outlines a new way of looking at the world to complement Bourdieu's own – one in which the focus is on the multiple social structures shaping individuals' everyday lives, not the multiple individuals comprising a single social structure.Trade Review"This outstanding book is bound to inspire the growing numbers of students and academics interested in Pierre Bourdieu’s general orientation and in building their own work on it. It makes an important contribution, particularly to Bourdieusian studies in family, gender and childhood." Leena Alanen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland "Atkinson’s book pushes the field of Bourdieu studies into new and exciting territory. Drawing on the author’s expertise in phenomenology, it shows how Bourdieu’s theory can illuminate the study of everyday life, the family and gender. This will be an essential resource for Bourdieu scholars for years to come." Jeffrey J. Sallaz, University of Arizona"Rather than take 'field' as the starting point, as many interpreters of Bourdieu's work have done, Atkinson argues that the individual and their movement across time and space (their lifeworld) which creates and is constrained by 'circuits of symbolic power' is a better approach. […] Atkinson offers a corrective by placing the accent on the individual without forgetting the structures of power. […] This book will be of particular interest to scholars in the sociology of education, psychological sociology, the family, and gender studies."Deborah Reed-Danahay, AnthroposTable of Contents Acknowledgement 1. Introduction 2. The Lifeworld 3. The Field of Family Relations 4. Social Becoming 5. Gender Epilogue: Sketch of a Research Programme Notes References Index

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Book Synopsis Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective explains how development thinking and practice have shaped our world. It introduces students to four interconnected projects, and how their dynamics, contradictions and controversies have influenced development trajectories: colonialism, the development era, the neoliberal globalization project, and sustainable development. Authors Philip McMichael and Heloise Weber use case studies and examples to help describe a complex world in transition. Students are encouraged to see global development as a contested historical project. By showing how development stems from unequal power relationships between and among peoples and states, often with planet-threatening environmental outcomes, it enables readers to reflect on the possibilities for more just social, ecological and political relations. Trade Review"This book has a strong theoretical basis. It is focused on the developing world, so if you intend for the focus of your class to be international, it would be an excellent book to use." -- Rachel Core"I like it because it has a strong narrative and is readable rather than trying to be a comprehensive textbook. It works best for upper-level students and even then you have to spend a bit of time covering concepts, but the students seem to get more out of it because most of the material is well contextualized and emphasizes a few critical themes. Easy to combine with other materials." -- Carolyn Bassett"The book is very comprehensive, and uses multiple lenses to help students understand the multi-faceted aspects of development." -- Jaita Talukdar"Students find the text engaging and relevant." -- Alexandra Springer, PhD"This text would be useful for a Social Change class. McMichael does a brilliant job of explaining to students how the modern world system changed during the 20th and 21st centuries. He provides a conceptual architecture to understand those changes, and he also provides empirical examples to illustrate concretely how social change in the world system happens." -- Dr. Steven Panageotou"Students find it accessible and it is a good starting point to have discussions about colonialism and development..." -- Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern"Good book for challenging students conceptually- sets up a nice framework for development studies, globalization, and food governance." -- Gustavo SetriniTable of ContentsAbout the Authors Preface to the Seventh Edition A Timeline of Development Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chapter 1. Development What Is the World Coming To? Development: History and Politics Development Theory Social Change PART I. THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (LATE 1940s TO EARLY 1970s) Chapter 2. Instituting the Development Project: Colonialism, Anticolonial Struggles, and Decolonization Colonialism Decolonization Decolonization and Development Postwar Decolonization and the Rise of the Third World Ingredients of the Development Project Framing the Development Project Economic Nationalism Chapter 3. The Development Project: An International Framework in Global Context The International Framework of National Development Projects Remaking the International Division of Labor The Food Aid Regime Remaking Third World Agricultures PART II. THE GLOBALIZATION PROJECT (1980s TO 2000s) Chapter 4. Instituting the Globalization Project The Debt Crisis and Structural Adjustment Programs: Organizing Neoliberal Development The Globalization Project Global Governance The World Trade Organization Chapter 5. The Globalization Project: Processes, Experiences, and Implications Neoliberal Governance of Development and Poverty: IFIs and the WTO Outsourcing and the (New) Global Division of Labor Global Labor-Sourcing Politics and Migration Displacement Informalization Neoliberal Development and Extractivism: Reconfiguring International Relations Agricultural Globalization Chapter 6. Global Countermovements Environmentalism Feminisms New Sovereignty Struggles: Food Sovereignty PART III MILLENNIAL RECKONINGS (2000s TO PRESENT) Chapter 7. The Globalization Project in Crisis Social Crisis Legitimacy Crisis Geopolitical Transitions Neo-Illiberalism and the Changing of the Guard Ecological Crisis Chapter 8. Development Climate, or The Nature of Development Life-Worlds at Odds The Challenge of Climate Change Business as Usual? Sustainable Intensification Proposals Sustainable Intensification at Work Renewable Energy Conclusion: Ecosystem Priority Chapter 9. Public and Local Green Initiatives Public Greening Initiatives Urban Initiatives Circular Economy Transition Towns The Commons Rural Initiatives Agroecology Conclusion Chapter 10. Toward Sustainable Development Ingredients of Project Coherence What Is Appropriate to These Times? Sustainable Development Project Implementation Retheorizing Economics Green New Dealism Development Multilateralism Conclusion Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThis is the latest updated book from "Canada’s housing guru" about how design affects our daily livesThis illuminating collection of 22 essays expounds upon the points where design touches life. The essays discuss the big and small things that make us appreciate, or become disconnected from, our homes and neighborhoods. Drawing on his experiences as an architect, planner, world traveler, and educator, Avi Friedman delves into issues such as the North American obsession with monster homes, the impact of scale on the feeling of comfort in our communities, environmental concerns such as deforestation, innovative recycling methods in building materials, the booming do-it-yourself industry, the decline of craftsmanship, and the role of good design in bringing families together. Written with Friedman’s trademark flair, A View from the Porch offers a compelling vision of the influence of design in our everyday lives from one of the world’s most innovative thinkers. With new material, this is a completely revised edition of Room for Thought, originally published in 2005.

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Book SynopsisIn a time of malevolent righteousness, often described as Cancel Culture, J’Accuse is an essay-in-poetry by Canada’s Parliamentarian Poet Laureate emeritus that responds to the impacts of being “cancelled.” Shame is not a word that gets much play these days among the caustically righteous, but Clarke had been wronged, and the people who did the wronging should be ashamed of themselves.J’Accus is a poignant statement that calls upon individuals, scholars, artists, and journalists to never submit to impulses that intentionally, or even unintentionally, forbid debate and questioning.J’Accus ponders what is truly unspeakable: injustice.Clarke boldly confronts the reality that in our turbulent time there must be an interest in real voices and stories, otherwise any individual can fall victim to silencing – blacklisting – gag-orders – cancelling… And ultimately, this cri-de-coeur reveals the personal cost.

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Book SynopsisGeraldine Pratt is Professor of Geography at the University of British Columbia. She is editor of Society and Space and co-editor of The Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th edition, and has published extensively in feminist and cultural geography and theory.

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Book SynopsisGeraldine Pratt is Professor of Geography at the University of British Columbia. She is editor of Society and Space and co-editor of The Dictionary of Human Geography, 4th edition, and has published extensively in feminist and cultural geography and theory.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in French in 1979, The Ambivalence of Scarcity was a groundbreaking work on mimetic theory. Now expanded upon with new, specially written, and never-before-published conference texts and essays, this revised edition explores René Girard’s philosophy in three sections: economy and economics, mimetic theory, and violence and politics in modern societies. The first section argues that though mimetic theory is in many ways critical of modern economic theory, this criticism can contribute to the enrichment of economic thinking.The second section explores the issues of nonviolence and misrecognition (méconnaissance), which have been at the center of many discussions of Girard’s work. The final section proposes mimetic analyses of the violence typical of modern societies, from high school bullying to genocide and terrorist attacks. Politics, Dumouchel argues, is a violent means of protecting us from our own violent tendencies, and it can at times become the source of the very savagery from which it seeks to protect us.The book’s conclusion analyzes the relationship between ethics and economics, opening new avenues of research and inviting further exploration. Dumouchel’s introduction reflects on the importance of René Girard’s work in relation to ongoing research, especially in social sciences and philosophy.

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Book SynopsisRussia today is in many ways different from the country portrayed a decade ago in the first edition of Understanding Contemporary Russia. With an upsurge of both national pride - despite a struggling economy - and civil society activism, with a palpable tension between the support for democratic values and the intense desire for political stability, with an increased role in world politics that puts Putin in the headlines almost daily, contradictions and complexities abound. These contradictions, complexities, and much more are captured in this new edition. The authors provide sophisticated yet accessible introductions to the country’s history, domestic politics, economy, foreign policy, society, and culture. The result is a well-grounded exploration of the realities of contemporary Russia.Trade ReviewPraise for the previous edition:“A solid and insightful introduction to Russia...thoughtful and balanced...[It is] a valuable addition to Russian studies.” —The Russian Review“A great background reader for those looking for a quick and fairly complete evaluation of the many sides of Russia.” —ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction M.L. Bressle Russia: A Geographic Preface D.J.B. Shaw The Historical Context S.G. Marks Politics M.L. Bressler The Economy W. Pyle International Relations A.C. Lynch Ethnicity and Identity K.E. Graney Population, Health, and Migration T. Heleniak The Environment and Environmental Movement L.A. Henry Women in a Changing Context S.L. Henderson Religion O. Kazmina Literature and Film A. Barker Trends and Prospects M.L. Bressler

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Book SynopsisOur world is out of balance, says Henry Mintzberg, and the consequences are proving fateful: the degradation of our environment, the demise of our democracies, and the denigration of ourselves, with greed having been raised to some sort of high calling. But we can set things right.Mintzberg argues that a healthy society is built on three balanced pillars: a public sector of respected governments, a private sector of responsible enterprises, and what he calls a plural sector of robust voluntary associations (nonprofits, NGOs, etc.). Communism collapsed because the public sector was overbearing - balance triumphed in 1989, not capitalism. But that misunderstanding has led to the private sector becoming overbearing in many countries, especially the United States, and this imbalance is wreaking havoc.Many governments are now so co-opted by their private sectors that they wonât be able to lead the process of renewal. And corporate social responsibility, however laudable, cannot compensate for the corporate social irresponsibility we see all around us. So Mintzberg offers specific ideas for strengthening the plural sector, which has the inclination and the independence to lead radical renewal by challenging unacceptable practices and developing better ones. This means change must be led not by some âœthemâ but by each of us and all of us - if we care about our planet and our progeny.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of American ideas of utopia through the lens of one millennial's quest to live a more communal life under late-stage capitalismTold in a series of essays that balance memoir with fieldwork, Heaven Is a Place on Earth is an idiosyncratic study of American utopian experiments—from the Shakers to the radical faerie communes of Short Mountain to the Bronx rebuilding movement—through the lens of one woman’s quest to create a more communal life in a time of unending economic and social precarity. When Adrian Shirk’s father-in-law has a stroke and loses his ability to speak and walk, she and her husband—both adjuncts in their midtwenties—become his primary caretakers. The stress of these new responsibilities, coupled with navigating America’s broken health-care system and ordinary twenty-first-century financial insecurity, propels Shirk into an odyssey through the history and present of American utopian experiments in the hope that they might offer a way forward.  Along the way, Shirk seeks solace in her own community of friends, artists, and theologians. They try to imagine a different kind of life, examining what might be replicable within the histories of utopia-making, and what might be doomed. Rather than “no place,” Shirk reframes utopia as something that, according to the laws of capital and conquest, shouldn’t be able to exist—but does anyway, if only for a moment.

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Book SynopsisNational Book Critics Circle FinalistFinalist for the Dayton Literary Peace PrizeDina Nayeri's powerful writing confronts issues that are key to the refugee experience.—Viet Thanh Nguyen From the author of The Ungrateful Refugee—finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Kirkus Prize—Who Gets Believed? is a groundbreaking book about persuasion and performance that asks unsettling questions about lies, truths, and the difference between being believed and being dismissed in situations spanning asylum interviews, emergency rooms, consulting jobs, and family lifeWhy are honest asylum seekers dismissed as liars?Former refugee and award-winning author Dina Nayeri begins with this question, turning to shocking and illuminating case studies in this book, which grows into a reckoning with our culture’s views on believability. From persuading a doctor that she’d prefer a C-section to learning to “bullshit gracefully” at McKinsey to struggling, in her personal life, to believe her troubled brother-in-law, Nayeri explores an aspect of our society that is rarely held up to the light.For readers of David Grann, Malcolm Gladwell, and Atul Gawande, Who Gets Believed? is a book as deeply personal as it is profound in its reflections on morals, language, human psychology, and the unspoken social codes that determine how we relate to one another.

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