Sociology and anthropology Books
Liberty Fund Inc Politics as Public Choice 13 Collected Works of
Book Synopsis
£10.40
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Age of Fitness: How the Body Came to
Book SynopsisWe live in the age of fitness. Hundreds of thousands of people run marathons and millions go jogging in local parks, work out in gyms, cycle, swim, or practice yoga. The vast majority are not engaged in competitive sport and are not trying to win any medals. They just want to get fit. Why this modern preoccupation with fitness? In this new book, Jürgen Martschukat traces the roots of our modern preoccupation with fitness back to the birth of modern societies in the eighteenth century, showing how the idea of fitness was interwoven with modernity’s emphasis on perpetual optimization and renewal. But it is only in the period since the 1970s, he argues, that the age of fitness truly emerged, as part and parcel of our contemporary neoliberal era. Neoliberalism enjoins individuals to work on themselves, to cultivate themselves in body and mind. Fitness becomes a guiding principle of social life, an era-defining network of discourses and practices that shape individuals’ actions and self-conceptions. The pursuit of fitness becomes a cultural repertoire that is deeply ingrained in our institutions and way of life. This wide-ranging book shows how deeply fitness is inscribed in modern societies, and how important fitness has become to success or failure, recognition or exclusion, in a society that sets great store by self-responsibility, performance, market, and competition. It will be of great value not only to those interested in sport and fitness, but also to anyone concerned with the conditions of success and failure in our societies today.Trade Review‘fascinating’ The Guardian‘convincing’New Statesman“Jürgen Martschukat uncovers fitness as a regulating force deeply inscribed in liberal societies; it is a state of productivity, social responsibility, and self-worth for which individuals relentlessly strive. An absorbing account of ‘proactive relationships’ with our bodies, The Age of Fitness is also a benchmark history of biopolitics.”Douglas Booth, Thompson Rivers University “This extremely clear and well-argued book is indispensable for those who wish to reflect upon the social and political conditions by which we have become concerned with our ‘fitness’ and the historical development of such an endeavor within a comparative North American and European context. Of particular note is the relation it establishes between the work we undertake on ourselves, our bodies, our vitality, and our potency, and the neoliberal models of society that emphasize individualized performance and competition.”Mitchell Dean, Copenhagen Business School“Bodies, and ideas about bodies, have a powerful history. Martschukat’s The Age of Fitness tracks the current preoccupation with ‘being fit’ across over 200 years and multiple sites within the West. Propelled to consume, yet also to maintain an ideally svelte frame, we are caught within a deeply ambivalent regime. Martschukat’s lively discussion provides clarity and depth to this most vexing of contemporary conditions.”Charlotte Macdonald, Victoria University of Wellington “In this meticulous analysis of contemporary society, Martschukat lays bare the cultural and historical roots of the modern fitness boom.”WOZ–Die Wochenzeitung “This original and engaging book addresses some of the most pressing questions of our time: critical social history at its best.”SWR 2“The Age of Fitness is an evocative and persuasive big picture explanation of fitness... it is a masterful piece of rich, detailed and nuanced contextualisation.” Sport, Education and Society“The book provides an excellent framework for the fat studies researcher/activist to understand fitness as a means of creating self-regulated workers required in the neoliberal epoch and for reinforcing social class privilege.”Fat StudiesTable of ContentsTable of contents:Acknowledgements Introduction: The Age of Fitness 1. “Fit or Fat”? Fitness in Recent History and the Present Day 2. Fitness. Trajectories of a Concept since the Eighteenth Century 3. Working 4. Having Sex 5. Fighting 6. Productive, Potent, and Ready to Fight? Notes Bibliography Index
£15.00
Beacon Press Radicalizing Her Why Women Choose Violence
Book SynopsisAn urgent corrective to the erasure of the female fighter from narratives on gender and power, demanding that we see all women as political actors.“Violence, for me, and for the women I chronicle in this book, is simply a political reality.”Though the female fighter is often seen as an anomaly, women make up nearly 30% of militant movements worldwide. Historically, these women—viewed as victims, weak-willed wives, and prey to Stockholm Syndrome—have been deeply misunderstood. Radicalizing Her holds the female fighter up in all her complexity as a kind of mirror to contemporary conversations on gender, violence, and power. The narratives at the heart of the book are centered in the Global South, and extend to a criticism of the West’s response to the female fighter, revealing the arrayed forces that have driven women into battle and the personal and political elements of these decisions.Gowrinathan, whose own fam
£19.55
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Great Regression
Book SynopsisWe are living through a period of dramatic political change – Brexit, the election of Trump, the rise of extreme right movements in Europe and elsewhere, the resurgence of nationalism and xenophobia and a concerted assault on the liberal values and ideals associated with cosmopolitanism and globalization. Suddenly we find ourselves in a world that few would have imagined possible just a few years ago, a world that seems to many to be a move backwards. How can we make sense of these dramatic developments and how should we respond to them? Are we witnessing a worldwide rejection of liberal democracy and its replacement by some kind of populist authoritarianism? This timely volume brings together some of the world's greatest minds to analyse and seek to understand the forces behind this 'great regression'. Writers from across disciplines and countries, including Paul Mason, Pankaj Mishra, Slavoj Zizek, Zygmunt Bauman, Arjun Appadurai, Wolfgang Streeck and Eva Illouz, grapple with our current predicament, framing it in a broader historical context, discussing possible future trajectories and considering ways that we might combat this reactionary turn. The Great Regression is a key intervention that will be of great value to all those concerned about recent developments and wondering how best to respond to this unprecedented challenge to the very core of liberal democracy and internationalism across the world today. For more information, see: www.thegreatregression.euTrade Review"With 15 fresh, riveting essays by notable political analysts and international studies scholars from nearly as many different countries, The Great Regression, Heinrich Geiselberger's new volume addressing the many perilous aspects of global interdependence, is a must-read for anyone curious to know more about the deeper structures at play in contemporary international politics."HyperallergicTable of ContentsList of Contributors Preface Heinrich Geiselberger 1. Democracy Fatigue Arjun Appadurai 2. Symptoms in Search of an Object and a Name Zygmunt Bauman 3. Progressive and Regressive Politics in Late Neoliberalism Donatella della Porta 4. Progressive Neoliberalism versus Reactionary Populism: A Hobson�s Choice Nancy Fraser 5. Populism or the Crisis of Liberal Elites: The Case of Israel Eva Illouz 6. Majoritarian Futures Ivan Krastev 7. Europe as refuge Bruno Latour 8. Overcoming the Fear of Freedom Paul Mason 9. Politics in the Age of Resentment. The Dark Legacy of the Enlightenment Pankaj Mishra 10. The Courage to be Audacious Robert Misik 11. Decivilisation. On regressive tendencies in Western democracies Oliver Nachtwey 12. From Global Regression to Post-Capitalist Counter-Movements César Rendueles 13. The Return of the Repressed as the Beginning of the End of Neoliberal Capitalism Wolfgang Streeck 14. Dear President Juncker David Van Reybrouck 15. The Populist Temptation Slavoj Zizek
£12.99
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Comfort of People
Book SynopsisAt the end of life, our comfort lies mainly in relationships. In this book, Daniel Miller, one of the world's leading anthropologists, examines the social worlds of people suffering from terminal or long-term illness. Threading together a series of personal stories, based on interviews conducted with patients of an English hospice, Miller draws out the implications of these narratives for our understanding of community, friendship, and kinship, but also loneliness and isolation. This is a book about people's lives, not their deaths: about the hospice patients rather than the hospice. It focuses on the comfort given by friends, carers and relatives through both face-to-face relations and, increasingly, online communication. Miller asks whether the loneliness and isolation he uncovers is the result of a decline of English patterns of socialising, or their continuation. This moving and deeply humane book combines warmth and sharp observation with anthropological insight and practical suggestions for the use of media by the hospice. It will be of interest not only to students and scholars of anthropology, sociology, social policy and media and cultural studies, but also to healthcare professionals and, indeed, to anyone who would like to know more about the role of relationships in the final stage of our lives.Trade Review'The Comfort of People reveals, in both technicolour and shades of grey, the ordinariness, the drama, the simplicity and the complexity of networks as people live out lives in the shadow of a serious diagnosis... These stories need to be read by all those working with dying people.' —Dr Ros Taylor, Clinical Director, Hospice UKTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword Introduction Story 1) Sarah Story 2) Champneys for the Terminal Story 3) The Curse Of Confidentiality Story 4) Parkinson�s Story 5) Four Friends Story 6) Betty and Gloria Story 7) Tom, Dick and Robin Rigby Story 8) My Fair Lady Story 9) Maypole Story 10) Control Centre Story 11) Our Forum Story 12) Depression Story 13) Community Story 14) Bluebells Story 15) The Intimacy Of Strangers Story 16) The Silent Community Story 17) In This Room Story 18) Matt Conclusions Recommendations for Hospice Use of New Media Bibliography
£15.19
Frog Ltd Seed Sovereignty, Food Security: Women in the
Book SynopsisIn this unique anthology, women from around the world write about the movement to change the current, industrial paradigm of how we grow our food. As seed keepers and food producers, as scientists, activists, and scholars, they are dedicated to renewing a food system that is better aligned with ecological processes as well as human health and global social justice. Seed Sovereignty, Food Security is an argument for just that--a reclaiming of traditional methods of agricultural practice in order to secure a healthy, nourishing future for all of us. Whether tackling the thorny question of GMO safety or criticizing the impact of big agribusiness on traditional communities, these women are in the vanguard of defending the right of people everywhere to practice local, biodiverse, and organic farming as an alternative to industrial agriculture.Contents• Seed Sovereignty, Food Security VANDANA SHIVA • Fields of Hope and Power FRANCES MOORE LAPPÉ & ANNA LAPPÉ • The Ethics of Agricultural Biotechnology BETH BURROWS • Food Politics, the Food Movement and Public Health MARION NESTLE • Autism and Glyphosate: Connecting the Dots STEPHANIE SENEFF • The New Genetics and Dangers of GMOs MAE-WAN HO • Seed Emergency: Germany SUSANNE GURA • GM Soy as Feed for Animals Affects Posterity IRINA ERMAKOVA & ALEXANDER BARANOFF • Seeds in France TIPHAINE BURBAN • Kokopelli vs. Graines Baumaux BLANCHE MAGARINOS-REY • If People Are Asked, They Say NO to GMOs FLORIANNE KOECHLIN • The Italian Context MARIA GRAZIA MAMMUCINI • The Untold American Revolution: Seed in the US DEBBIE BARKER • Reviving Native Sioux Agriculture Systems SUZANNE FOOTE • In Praise of the Leadership of Indigenous Women WINONA LADUKE • Moms Across America: Shaking up the System ZEN HONEYCUTT • Seed Freedom and Seed Sovereignty: Bangladesh Today FARIDA AKHTER • Monsanto and Biosafety in Nepal KUSUM HACHHETHU • Sowing Seeds of Freedom VANDANA SHIVA • The Loss of Crop Genetic Diversity in the Changing World TEWOLDE BERHAN GEBRE EGZIABHER & SUE EDWARDS • Seed Sovereignty and Ecological Integrity in Africa MARIAM MAYET • Conserving the Diversity of Peasant Seeds ANA DE ITA • Celebrating the Chile Nativo ISAURA ANDALUZ • Seed Saving and Women in Peru PATRICIA FLORES • The Seeds of Liberation in Latin America SANDRA BAQUEDANO & SARA LARRAÍN • The Other Mothers and the Fight against GMOs in Argentina ANA BROCCOLI • Seeding Knowledge: Australia SUSAN HAWTHORNE
£19.00
Wallflower Press Popular Music and Film
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Princeton University Press One Quarter of the Nation
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A succinct, positive look at the great benefits, both historically and currently, of embracing immigration." * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"A timely and important work. . . . Each chapter can stand alone in its analytic and empirical acumen; taken holistically, the book provides a primer on the state of immigration since 1965. . . . Rarely has the big picture about American immigration been communicated in such a straightforward and enlightening way."---Robert Adelman, Contemporary Sociology"One Quarter of the Nation . . . explains how [immigrants and their children] have changed local economies, communities, and politics for the better."---Alison Beard, Harvard Business Review"Packed with compelling data about how immigrants are transforming the American cultural and economic landscape, the book is a fast and engaging read."---Maileen Hamto, Seattle Book Review"A far-ranging look at how immigrants and their children—nearly 86 million people in all—have transformed America." * University of Chicago Magazine *"This well-written and highly accessible book is a valuable contribution to the scholarship on immigration. Its deep historical standpoint and its impressive synthesis of research on current patterns and trends provides an insightful analysis of how immigration is transforming America."---John Iceland, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Foner sketches the landscape of American society since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act abolished national-origins quotas in the US immigration system, leading to increased diversity." * Christian Century *"Foner's synthetic account . . . sift[s] through and make[s] sense of the vast body of research that has been produced in recent decades. . . . A richly documented and engaging overview."---Peter Kivisto, Sociological Forum"A succinct, accessible overview of how immigrants have transformed the country since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act." * Choice Reviews *"A remarkable book. . . . A tour d’horizon of the twenty-first-century influences of immigration on American society."---Richard Alba, Patterns of Prejudice"One Quarter of the Nation is a timely and important work. . . . Rarely has the big picture about American immigration been communicated in such a straightforward and enlightening way."---Robert M. Adelman, Contemporary Sociology
£15.19
Columbia University Press Challenging Modernity
Book Synopsis
£25.20
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd Political Change through Social Innovation
Book SynopsisTrade Review‘This thought-provoking volume sits at the nexus of social innovation and democratic political theory and practice. Leading international scholars compare and confront different approaches to nurturing emancipatory social change in a world increasingly encountering populist politics and ruptures to “democratic” systems. It provides a valuable landmark for anyone interested in solidarity-based social relations and the potential for social political change.’ -- Jean Hillier, RMIT University, AustraliaTable of ContentsContents: Foreword 1. Can Mutual Aid in a Post-industrial Society Reforge the Political? Frank Moulaert, Bob Jessop, Erik Swyngedouw and Liana Simmons 2. Bottom-linked Governance and Socio-political Transformation Frank Moulaert 3. Is Emancipatory Politicization Still Possible Today? Erik Swyngedouw 4. Exploring the Dilemma between Self-emancipation and Self-responsibilization Bob Jessop 5. Debate: A Dialogical Encounter on the Potentialities of Social Innovation for Social-Political Transformation 6. Towards Socially Innovative Political Transformation Frank Moulaert, Pieter Van den Broeck, Liana Simmons, Bob Jessop and Erik Swyngedouw Index
£20.95
McGraw-Hill Education Introducing Communication Theory Analysis and
Book SynopsisIntroducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application reflects the fact that communication theory courses are vibrant and teachers of communication understand the importance of theoretical thinking. Thousands of instructors and students have appreciated the consistent, organized template employed throughout Introducing Communication Theory that guides exploration and inquiry.The authors wrote the book to demonstrate to students how theorizing can help them understand themselves, as well as their experiences, relationships, media, environment, and culture. They felt that some books trivialized theory, while others were written at a level that was far too advanced for an undergraduate. Students benefit from a text that relates theory directly to their lives, and thorough updates of scholarship and examples enhance the relevance of Introducing Communication Theory for learners.
£53.99
STBY Ltd Explorers: Thoughts on Mapping in Design Research
Book Synopsis
£16.00
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers First Person Plural Multiple Personality and the
Book SynopsisThis text argues that most explanations of multiple personalities fail to distinguish the condition clearly enough from related states such as hypnotic trance, dreaming, and mediumship, and maintains that even the deeply divided personality contains an underlying psychological unity.Trade ReviewA valuable addition to the growing body of new philosophical literature on descriptive psychopathology. * The British Journal of Psychiatry *Illuminating, deftly and clearly written, and richly thought-provoking. . . . It breaks new ground in philosophy. * Journal Of The American Society For Psychical Research *
£53.17
University of California Press Collateral Damages Tracing the Debts and
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£22.50
Harvard University, Asia Center The Anime Boom in the United States
Book SynopsisThe Anime Boom in the United States is a comprehensive and empirically grounded study of the expansion of anime marketing and sales into the United States. It explores the transnational networks of anime production and marketing while also investigating the cultural and artistic processes the art form inspired.
£18.86
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Uprooting
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Uprooting is at once a stunning document on colonial conflagration and a pioneering analysis of its distinctive rationale that will enrich the rapidly growing scholarship on empires, colonies and postcolonies.” Loïc Wacquant, University of California, Berkeley “A classic text that is as relevant today as it was almost 60 years ago. As such, it provides a critical contribution to scholarship on post-conflict recovery and/or postcolonial studies and should constitute foundational reading for scholars working in these areas.”Rural Sociology“Uprooting [is] … an impressive early study that went beyond narrow policy analysis to encompass a major multi-site project grounded in a thorough understanding of the colonial history and current situation, and helped spark some of the most important general theoretical concepts in the social sciences.”Anuac
£18.04
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Migrants and Militants
Book SynopsisThe question of migration has come to dominate the news agenda in many countries, but what does the word ‘migrant’ really mean today and how should we respond to those who are labelled ‘migrants’? In this short book Alain Badiou argues that our way of thinking about migration should be governed both by an ethical duty to welcome the migrant in the name of hospitality and also by the urgent need to put an end to the global capitalist oligarchy that has produced the migrant as a figure of contemporary crisis. For the ‘migrant,’ argues Badiou, is in fact a nomadic proletarian. Today, our homeland is the world, and any meaningful politics must include those who come to us and who represent the universal nomadic proletariat. Writing with the rigor, clarity, and polemical flair that have made him one of the world’s most influential philosophers, and drawing on a rich body of material including contemporary poetry and the words of an anonymous migrant, Badiou develops a powerful riposte to those who have stoked the fear of migrants and exploited the migration question for political ends.
£11.77
Columbia University Press In Translation
Book SynopsisCelebrated practitioners speak on the creative, critical, political, and historical aspects of their work.Trade ReviewIn Translation promises to be an essential part of any translation library. Allen and Bernofsky have assembled a collection of thoughtful essays by a wide-ranging group of translators whose opinions about the knotty art of translation are varied, fascinating, and eminently intelligent -- Edith Grossman, Translator, author of Why Translation Matters In Translation is an essential addition to the canon of translation studies, offering fascinating insights about the role and the work of the translator. Anyone interested in the making of literature will want this book. -- John Biguenet, coeditor of The Craft of Translation and Theories of Translation Serious and witty by turns, and sometimes both at once, these informative essays illuminate what matters in translation and why translation matters. -- Motoyuki Shibata, University of Tokyo A panoramic view of the craft of translation. An impressive gathering of the expertise of the finest translators working in English today from a wide range of languages and literatures. -- Peter Constantine, winner of the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize for Benjamin Lebert's novel, The Bird Is a Raven The essays in In Translation, exploring both the larger, complex questions of translation's role and function in the world of literature and the more detailed, word-by-word dilemmas faced by every translator, are consistently stimulating, engaging, and eye-opening, not to speak of eloquent and occasionally even dramatic and/or funny. I came away from reading them with a host of new ideas and insights. -- Lydia Davis, translator of Swann's Way and Madame Bovary A strong introduction to the field. Publishers Weekly Knowledgeable and articulate... the book raises and clarifies a variety of significant issues about the many decisions translators must contend with. Kirkus Reviews An obvious choice for writers and readers interested in translation; challenging but also accessible to the nonacademic reader. Library Journal I loved this book. I felt I was introduced to a new universe, and not only translation, but language itself, will never look the same again. San Francisco Book Review Translators, academics, students, editors, and publishers will want torecommend In Translation to anyone with a curiosity about who translators are,what translators do, how they do it, and why. Publishing Research QuarterlyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: A Culture of Translation, by Esther Allen and Susan Bernofsky Part I: The Translator in the World 1. Making Sense in Translation: Toward an Ethics of the Art, by Peter Cole 2. Anonymous Sources (On Translators and Translation), by Eliot Weinberger 3. Fictions of the Foreign: The Paradox of "Foreign-Soundingness", by David Bellos 4. Beyond, Between: Translation, Ghosts, Metaphors, by Michael Emmerich 5. Translation as Scholarship, by Catherine Porter 6. Translation: The Biography of an Artform, by Alice Kaplan 7. The Will to Translate: Four Episodes in a Local History of Global Cultural Exchange, by Esther Allen Part II: The Translator at Work 8. The Great Leap: Cesar and the Caesura, by Forrest Gander 9. Misreading Orhan Pamuk, by Maureen Freely 10. On Translating a Poem by Osip Mandelstam, by Jose Manuel Prieto, translated by Esther Allen 11. Are We the Folk in This Lok?: Translating in the Plural, by Christi A. Merrill 12. Choosing an English for Hindi, by Jason Grunebaum 13. As Translator, as Novelist: The Translator's Afterword, by Haruki Murakami, translated by Ted Goossen 14. Haruki Murakami and the Culture of Translation, by Ted Goossen 15. Translating Jacopone da Todi: Archaic Poetries and Modern Audiences, by Lawrence Venuti 16. "Ensemble discords": Translating the Music of Sceve's Delie, by Richard Sieburth 17. Translation and the Art of Revision, by Susan Bernofsky 18. The Art of Losing: Polish Poetry and Translation, by Clare Cavanagh
£25.20
Penguin Books Ltd Redirect
Book SynopsisTimothy D. Wilson is the Sherrell J. Aston Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He is the author of Strangers to Ourselves, which was named by New York Times Magazine as one of the Best 100 Ideas of 2002, and is co-author of the bestselling Social Psychology textbook, now in its seventh edition. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife and two children.
£14.39
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Liquid Life
Book Synopsis* A new book by one of the most original and brilliant social thinkers of our time. * Extends and develops some of the key themes in other Bauman titles, namely what it is like to live in a time of 'liquid modernity', identity, culture and consumerism.Table of ContentsIntroduction: On Living in a Liquid-Modern World. 1. The Individual Under Siege. 2. From Martyr to Hero, and from Hero to Celebrity. 3. Culture: Obstreperous and Unmanageable. 4. Seeking Shelter in a Pandora Box or Fear, Security and the City. 5. Consumers in Liquid-Modern Times. Consuming Life. Consuming Body. Consuming Childhood. 6. Learning to Walk in Quicksand. 7. Thinking in Dark Times (Arendt and Adorno Revisited). Notes. Index.
£15.19
Beacon Press All Made Up
Book SynopsisA fascinating journey through history and culture, examining how makeup affects self-empowerment, how people have used it to define (and defy) their roles in society, and why we all need to careThere is a history and a cultural significance that comes with wearing cat-eye-inspired liner or a bold red lip, one that many women feel to this day, even if we don’t realize exactly why. Increasingly, people of all genders are wrestling with what it means to be a woman living in a patriarchy, and part of that is how looking like a woman—whatever that means—affects people’s real lives.Through the stories of famous women like Cleopatra, Empress Wu, Madam C. J. Walker, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marsha P. Johnson, Rae Nudson unpacks makeup’s cultural impact—including how it can be used to shape a personal or cultural narrative, how often beauty standards align with whiteness, how and when it can be used for safety, and its function in the work
£15.29
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Platforms, Power, and Politics: An Introduction
Book SynopsisPolitical communication has fundamentally transformed as digital technologies have become increasingly important in everyday life. Technology platforms have become powerful political instruments for world leaders, campaigns, social movements, journalists, and non-governmental organizations. Moreover, they are essential to how people communicate about politics, encounter and share political information, and take action to pursue their political goals. This is the first textbook to center digital platforms in understanding political communication. With global examples beyond the context of Western democracies, the text reveals how digital technologies such as social media and search engines are increasingly shaping political communication in countries around the world. It shows how the core processes of political communication are being reshaped by platforms, from how elections are contested to how issues make it onto policymaking agendas. Topics covered include public opinion, journalism, strategic communication, political parties, social movements, governance, disinformation, propaganda, populism, race, ethnicity, and democratic backsliding. Full of lively examples and pedagogical features, Platforms, Power, and Politics offers an exciting and innovative new approach to political communication. It is essential reading for students of political communication and an important resource for scholars, journalists, and policymakers.Trade Review“This pathbreaking text brings the field of political communication fully into the digital age. This much needed update of the field explains how hybrid media systems impact participation, politics, and power in society. Readers and instructors will appreciate the clear writing, helpful organization, and diverse examples.”W. Lance Bennett, University of Washington“A comprehensive primer for students who want to learn more about the power mechanisms involved in digital media. A must-read for everyone who is interested in the relations between global policy, social media activism, and platform power.”José van Dijck, Utrecht UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsChapter 1: Introduction: Political Communication in the Platform EraChapter 2: Definitions and Variations of Political CommunicationChapter 3: Platforms and their PowerChapter 4: Platforms, Public Spheres, and Public OpinionChapter 5: Platforms and JournalismChapter 6: Platforms and Strategic Political CommunicationChapter 7: Platforms, Campaigns and CampaigningChapter 8: Platforms and MovementsChapter 9: Platform GovernanceChapter 10: Platforms, Misinformation, Disinformation, and PropagandaChapter 11: Platforms and Populism, Radicalism, and ExtremismChapter 12: Platforms, Politics, and EntertainmentChapter 13: Conclusion: Platforms and the Future of Political CommunicationRevision: Chapter Objectives RevisitedReferencesIndex
£18.04
OUP India Structure and Transformation Theory and Society
Book SynopsisThis title attempts to look at some of the key theoretical and empirical debates in the fields of urbanization, industrialization and stratification in India. It engages with the problems of typologies - tribal, peasant and industrial - in order to understand the problem of modernity and tradition in India.
£21.14
MIT Press Ltd Conflicted American Landscapes
Book SynopsisHow conflicting ideas of nature threaten to fracture America's identity.Amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesties: American invest much of their national identity in sites of natural beauty. And yet American lands today are torn by conflicts over science, religion, identity, and politics. Creationists believe that the Biblical flood carved landscapes less than 10,000 years ago; environmentalists protest pipelines; Western states argue that the federal government's land policies throttle free enterprise; Native Americans demand protection for sacred sites. In this book, David Nye looks at Americans' irreconcilably conflicting ideas about nature.A landscape is conflicted when different groups have different uses for the same location—for example, when some want to open mining sites that others want to preserve or when suburban development impinges on agriculture. Some landscapes are so degraded from careless use that they become toxic “anti-landsc
£31.35
MIT Press Ltd The Politics of Dating Apps Gender Sexuality and
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£27.55
Yale University Press Where We Stand
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£17.36
Open University Press SOCIOLOGY OF SEX AND SEXUALITY
Book SynopsisA Sociology of Sex and Sexuality offers an historical sociological analysis of ideas about expressions of sexual desire, combining both primary and secondary historical and theoretical material with original research and popular imagery in the contemporary context.While some reference is made to the sexual ideology of Classical Antiquity and of early Christianity, the major focus of the book is on the development of ideas about sex and sexuality in the context of modernity. It questions the widespread assumption that the anxieties and fears associated with old sexual mores have been overcome in the late twentieth century context, and asks whether the discourses of Queer sexual politics have successfully fractured the binary categories of heterosexuality and homosexuality.A Sociology of Sex and Sexuality will be of interest to students in the fields of sociology, sexual history, gender studies and cultural studies.Table of ContentsSeries editor's prefaceThe specialness of sexSex and modernityEnlightenment pleasures and bourgeois anxietiesThe science of sexPlanning sexPleasurable sexLiberalizing heterosexuality?Subverting heterosexualityFinal thoughts and questionsIndex.
£32.29
Open University Press Feminist Research in Theory and Practice
Book Synopsis"...an extremely welcome addition to the field of feminist research."British Journal of Educational StudiesThis is a clear and accessible exploration of feminist method, methodology and epistemology. After situating herself and her work, Gayle Letherby charts the debates concerned with the epistemological, political and practical issues involved in doing feminist research, and places the debates within a wider consideration of the status of knowledge. The main focus of the book is then the particular and practical issues for feminist researchers. It examines how the process of research affects the results of that research and explores the relation between politics and practice in terms of research and knowledge production. Throughout the book there is a practical emphasis on specific examples of feminist research in action and, as well as summarizing current theoretical debates, Gayle Letherby adds to them. Feminist Research in Theory and Practice is desiTable of ContentsAcknowledgements IntroductionEducating Rita revisited: knowledge and language in the 'male' academyUnited we stand? The feminist reconstruction of knowledgeDoing it for ourselves: feminist research as feminist theory in actionQuoting and counting: the qualitative/quantitative divideWhose life is it anyway? Issues of power, empowerment, ethics and responsibilityTexts of many lives: the implications for feminist researchClose encounters: presentations and audiencesReflectionsReferencesIndex.
£27.54
Open University Press Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research
Book Synopsisâœa book all self-respecting social researchers should readâ SRA News * What are unobtrusive methods in social research?* How are they undertaken and what are their advantages?* What are the problems associated with their use?Webb et al's 1966 classic, Unobtrusive Methods introduced the concept of unobtrusive research. Since then very little else has been written in the field. This book revisits the ground covered by Webb et al, re-contextualizing it for the information age and putting the case for an increased use of unobtrusive methods. Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research provides an updated discussion of the role of unobtrusive methods in social research. It explores the theoretical underpinnings of Webb et al's approach in order to understand more explicitly how unobtrusive methods are generated and examines some of the wider ethical issues raised by the use of unobtrusive methods in social research. In addition, it offers a discussion of usingTable of ContentsSeries editor's forewordAcknowledgementsIntroduction to unobtrusive methodsFound dataCaptured dataRetrieved datarunning recordsRetrieved datapersonal and episodic recordsUnobtrusive methods and the InternetConclusionGlossaryReferencesIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
Book Synopsis*What do advanced statistical techniques do?*When is it appropriate to use them?*How are they carried out and reported?There are a variety of statistical techniques used to analyse quantitative data that masters students, advanced undergraduates and researchers in the social sciences are expected to be able to understand and undertake. This book explains these techniques, when it is appropriate to use them, how to carry them out and how to write up the results. Most books which describe these techniques do so at too advanced or technical a level to be readily understood by many students who need to use them. In contrast the following features characterise this book:- concise and accessible introduction to calculating and interpreting advanced statistical techniques- use of a small data set of simple numbers specifically designed to illustrate the nature and manual calculation of the most important statistics in each technique- succinct illustration of wrTable of ContentsSeries editor’s foreword Preface 1 IntroductionPART 1Grouping quantitative variables together2 Exploratory factor analysis3 Confirmatory factor analysis4 Cluster analysisPART 2Explaining the variance of a quantitative variable5 Stepwise multiple regression6 Hierarchical multiple regressionPART 3Sequencing the relationships between three or more quantitativevariables7 Path analysis assuming no measurement error8 Path analysis accounting for measurement error PART 4Explaining the probability of a dichotomous variable 9 Binary logistic regression PART 5Testing differences between group means 10 An introduction to analysis of variance and covariance 11 Unrelated one-way analysis of covariance 12 Unrelated two-way analysis of variance PART 6Discriminating between groups 13 Discriminant analysisPART 7Analysing frequency tables with three or more qualitative variables 14 Log-linear analysis Glossary References Index
£31.34
Open University Press DISCOURSE
Book Synopsis* What do we mean by discourse?* What are the different conceptions of discourse and methods of discourse analysis in the contemporary social sciences?* How can this concept help to clarify key theoretical problems and illuminate empirical cases?The concept of discourse provokes considerable debate and is understood in a variety of ways in the contemporary social sciences. This text presents a comprehensive overview of the different conceptions and methods of discourse analysis, while setting out the traditions of thinking in which these conceptions have emerged. It surveys structuralist, post-structuralist and post-Marxist theory, and the author sets out a fresh approach to discourse analysis, drawing principally on the writings of Saussure, Levi-Strauss, Gramsci, Althusser, Foucault, Derrida, Laclau and Mouffe. He evaluates a number of pertinent criticisms of this approach, and explores ways in which discourse analysis can assist our understanding of identity formatioTrade Review"Howarth's comprehensive yet user-friendly introduction not only sharply sketches the basic aspects of the concept of discourse, but also subjects various discourse approaches to a methodical reflection that proposes new possibilities for research." - Jan MatonohaTable of ContentsSeries editor's forewordPreface and acknowledgementsIntroductiondefining the concept of discourseSaussure, structuralism and symbolic systemsPost-structuralism, deconstruction and textualityFoucault's archaeology of discursive practicesGenealogy, power/knowledge and problematizationThe limits of ideology in Marxist theoryLaclau and Mouffe's theory of discourseDeploying discourse theoryFurther readingBibliographyIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press BIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH
Book Synopsis"Roberts is certainly successful in conveying a sense of the rich diversity of biographical research. This is a book based upon a formidably wide-ranging bibliography together with his own, by no means insignificant, contributions to the fieldâ[the]âreader will be left in no doubt as to the central importance of biographical research and of its legitimate position within the social sciences" - David Morgan, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Manchester University (former President, British Sociological Association), Auto/Biography, a BSA Study Group journal, 2002."Brian Robertsâ book is a highly accessible introduction to biographical methodâThe author deftly and confidently addresses the available work in a variety of disciplines ranging from education through oral history, feminism to memoryâ I warmly recommend this book to any historian interested in biography and what its study can tell them about what they doâ. - Alun Munslow, Professor of History, Staffordshire UnTrade Review'Anyone who set out to encompass the whole of biographical research in around 200 pages faces a formidable task...Roberts is certainly successful in conveying a sense of the rich diversity of biographical research. This is a book based upon a formidably wide-ranging bibliography together with his own, by no means insignificant, contributions to the field...[the]...reader will be left in no doubt as to the central importance of biographical research and of its legitimate position within the social sciences'. - David Morgan 20020101Table of ContentsSeries editor's forewordIntroductionbiographical researchUses of biographical researchThe life historyAutobiography and biographyAuto/biography and sociologyOral historyThe narrative analysis of livesMemory and autobiographyEthnography and biographical researchConclusionReferencesIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press PERSPECTIVES ON WELFARE
Book Synopsis"Of the several discussions of the American poverty theorists I have read, this is easily the best. Anyone interested in that debate should begin here." - Professor Lawrence M. Mead, New York University"...a compelling guide to the ideas that have shaped and seek to re-shape welfare provision. This is a student text that teachers will want to read first." - Professor Robert Walker, University of Nottingham* How do welfare benefits and services shape the attitudes, behaviour and character of claimants? Should entitlement be dependent upon good behaviour?* What are the major intellectual influences upon current welfare reforms in the UK and the US?* Is it possible to reform welfare in ways which tackle both social inequality and welfare dependency?This lucid and engaging book provides an introduction to the current debates about the future direction of welfare reform on both sides of the Atlantic. The first part outlines a range of different perspectives oTrade Review"...the book succeeds in shifting the analysis of welfare into the twenty-first century by offering well-focussed discussions of the moral debates of the new social policy and the prescriptive ways in which governments now seek to achieve compliance to their new designs." - Martin HewittTable of ContentsSeries editor's forewordAcknowledgementsList of abbreviationsIntroductionPart oneWelfare and equalityWelfare and self interestWelfare and paternalismWelfare and obligationWelfare as temporary supportPart twoEnding dependency? welfare reform in the United StatesA new deal for welfare? New Labour and the reform of welfare in BritainConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex.
£30.39
Open University Press Citizenship in a Global Age
Book Synopsis* What is citizenship?* Is global citizenship possible?* Can cosmopolitanism provide an alternative to globalization?Citizenship in a Global Age provides a comprehensive and concise overview of the main debates on citizenship and the implications of globalization. It argues that citizenship is no longer defined by nationality and the nation state, but has become de-territorialized and fragmented into the separate discourses of rights, participation, responsibility and identity. Gerard Delanty claims that cosmopolitanism is increasingly becoming a significant force in the global world due to new expressions of cultural identity, civic ties, human rights, technological innovations, ecological sustainability and political mobilization. Citizenship is no longer exclusively about the struggle for social equality but has become a major site of battles over cultural identity and demands for the recognition of group difference. Delanty argues that globalization both threatens aTable of ContentsSeries editor's forewordPreface and acknowledgementsIntroductionPart one: Models of citizenshipThe liberal theory of citizenshiprights and dutiesCommunitarian theories of citizenshipparticipation and identityThe radical theories of politicscitizenship and democracyPart two: The cosmopolitan challengeCosmopolitan citizenshipbeyond the nation-stateHuman rights and citizenshipthe emergence of the embodied selfGlobalization and the deterritorialization of spacebetween order and chaosThe transformation of the nation-statenationalism, the city, migration and multi-culturalismEuropean integration and postnational citizenshipfour kinds of postnationalizationPart three: Rethinking citizenshipThe reconfiguration of citizenshippostnational governance in the multi-levelled polityConclusionthe idea of civic cosmopolitanismReferencesIndex.
£27.54
Open University Press SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Book Synopsis* What does 'social structure' mean?* What are the principal ways in which societies are 'organized' or 'structured'?* How can structural ideas be used in sociological analysis?Despite the importance of the concept of social structure, sociologists have not agreed on how to define it and discussions have been plagued by confusion. In this concise and enlightening text, Jose Lopez and John Scott argue that analysing the conceptual frameworks in which different concepts of social structure are embedded can help to clarify their meanings and reshape debates. They show that competing conceptions of social structure can be seen as capturing significant and different aspects of the reality of social organization. Social Structure is organized around a discussion of 'institutional structure', 'relational structure' and 'embodied structure'. It argues that these conceptions of social structure can be fruitfully combined in order to provide a richer and more powerful overview, iTable of ContentsPreface and acknowledgementsWhat is social structure?Conceptualizing social structureInstitutional structureRelational structureLevels of structureEmbodied structureBibliographyIndex.
£25.64
Open University Press SURVEILLANCE SOCIETY
Book Synopsis In what ways does contemporary surveillance reinforce social divisions? How are police and consumer surveillance becoming more similar as they are automated? Are we forced to choose between classical and poststructuralist approaches in explaining surveillance? Why is surveillance both expanding globally and focusing more on the human body? Surveillance Society takes a post-privacy approach to surveillance with a fresh look at the relations between technology and society. Personal data is collected from us all the time, whether we know it or not, through identity numbers, camera images, or increasingly by other means such as fingerprint and retinal scans. This book examines the constant computer-based scrutiny of ordinary daily life for citizens and consumers as they participate in contemporary societies. It argues that to understand what is happening we have to go beyond Orwellian alarms and cries for more privacy to see how such surveillance Table of ContentsSeries editor's forewordPreface and acknowledgementsIntroductionPart one: Surveillance societiesDisappearing bodiesInvisible frameworksLeaky containersPart two: The spread of surveillanceSurveillant sorting in the cityBody parts and probesGlobal dataflowsPart three: Surveillance scenariosNew directions in theoryThe politics of surveillanceThe future of surveillanceBibliographyIndex.
£30.39
Open University Press MAKING SENSE OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Book Synopsis"...effectively demonstrates the enduring importance of 'classical' social movement theory...and provides a cutting edge critical review of recent theoretical developments. This is one of the most important general theoretical texts on social movements for some years." - Paul Bagguley, University of Leeds Why and how do social movements emerge? In which ways are social movements analysed? Can our understanding be enhanced by new perspectives? Making Sense of Social Movements offers a clear and comprehensive overview of the key sociological approaches to the study of social movements. The author argues that each of these approaches makes an important contribution to our understanding of social movements but that none is adequate on its own. In response he argues for a new approach which draws together key insights within the solid foundations of Pierre Bourdieu's social theory of practice.This new approach transcends the barriers which sTrade Review'...a clear and accessible overview of both classical and more recent theoretical approaches in social movement research. ...a well written book that makes a persuasive case for revisiting the work of classical social movement theorists, and a stimulating reflection on the applicability of Bourdieu theory of practice within social movement research. ...an important and thought-provoking contribution to the to the social movements literature' - Robert GibbTable of ContentsAcknowlegementsIntroductionSocial unrest, movement culture and identitythe symbolic interactionistsSmelser's value-added approachRational actor theoryResources, networks and organizationsOpportunities, cognition and biographyRepertoires, frames and cyclesNew social movementsSocial movements and the theory of practicea new synthesisBibliographyIndex.
£29.44
Open University Press Towards A Sociology For Childhood
Book Synopsis"...explores some very timely and critical issues in the current development of Childhood Studies...It will be especially valuable for students because it integrates concrete empirical studies with reflection on underlying theoretical assumptions." - Leena Alanen, Professor in Early Childhood Education, University of Jyvaskyla, FinlandThis important book moves the sociology of childhood forward. Berry Mayall argues, that, since childhood is a permanent component of society, in order to understand how society works, we must take account of children as well as adults, otherwise our explanation omits an important social group. Children's lives are shaped by policies and practices, but they are also agents, who make a life for themselves through their relationships with adults and other children. This book argues that feminist theory and practice is useful for understanding childhood; we should start from the children's own accounts to show how the organisation of social relations Trade Review"...explores some very timely and critical issues in the current development of Childhood Studies...It will be especially valuable for students because it integrates concrete empirical studies with reflection on underlying theoretical assumptions."-Leena Alanen, Professor in Early Childhood Education, University of Jyvaskyla, FinlandTable of ContentsIntroductionStudying childhoodStudying relational processesRelations with parentsChildhood workThe moral status of childhoodTowards a child standpointComparing childhoodsGeneration and genderAppendixBibliographyIndex.
£26.59
Open University Press Providing Quality in the Public Sector
Book SynopsisThis book argues that if public services are to be âreformedâ or âimprovedâ, achieving the best possible quality of service is essential.It starts from the premise that citizens and users are the key âstakeholdersâ. They need to be consulted and involved at every stage. Within inevitable resource constraints, it is their needs, balanced with those of society, which must be met. Service providers need to change their culture and behaviour to make this happen.This book presents a straightforward and comprehensive model for understanding quality and putting it into practice. Existing quality philosophies and approaches are examined. Overviews of recent policy on quality in central and local government, in the health service, and in public service partnerships are included. Finally, five practitioners present practical âvignettesâ of citizen involvement, local partnerships, and quality improvement in health, housing and local government.Providing Quality in the Public SectorTable of ContentsPart I: Setting the scene1.Introduction2.The Public Policy contextPart II:The Theory3.The conceptual framework:stakeholders, values, objectives and definitions.4.Implementing quality5.Standards, monitoring and evaluationPart III: Learning from each other - overviews6.Quality in central government7.Quality in local government8.Quality in health9.Quality issues in partnership workingPart IV: Quality in Practice10.Quality from the citizen's perspective:campaigning, consultation and involvement11.Partnership and Participation:better government for older people in South Lanarkshire12.Making it work in health: a stakeholder model for quality management13.Making it work in housing:choice and need in social housing14. making it work in local government: experiences of Tameside MBCPart V: Conclusions15. Conclusions and ReflectionsAppendixBibliographyIndex
£32.29
Open University Press Democracy Third Edition
Book SynopsisIn praise of previous editions: "...brilliant introduction." - New Statesman and Society"From start to finish, Arblaster's book is stimulating and highly readable." - Times Higher Educational Supplement"...an ideal first book to place in the hands of a student embarking on the study of democracy." - Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics What is the meaning of democracy? Why has democracy provoked hostility in the past? Has the hostility entirely vanished? * How democratic are contemporary Western societies in reality and how might they be made more democratic? The revised and updated edition of this widely acclaimed survey takes account of the very different global context in which any discussion of democracy must now take place, including the mighty power of the multinationals vis-a-vis elected governments, the resurgence of the idea of an Islamic alternative to the Western democratic ideal, and the suggestion thTable of ContentsPreface and acknowledgementsPreface to the third editionIntroductiondefining democracyPart one: HistoryThe invention of democracyThe re-emergence of democracyPopular politicsPart two: IdeasGovernment by the peopleMajority rule and its problemsEquality and the general interestRepresentation and 'direct' democracyConsent, freedom and debateConclusioncreating democracyNotesBibliographyIndex.
£28.49
Open University Press Sport and Society History Power and Culture
Book SynopsisThis is a succinct and comprehensive account of the contemporary sociology of sport. It starts by tracing the key âmomentsâ in the transition from pre-modern to modern sport, giving detailed accounts of the athletic competition in the ancient games at Olympia; the genesis of modern track-and-field athletics in nineteenth-century England; and the reconstruction by de Coubertin and unfolding of the Olympic movement through the twentieth century. The second section analyses features of sport in detail: The links between exercise, sport and health, including a look at growing rates of obesity and of the role of drug use in society and sport The hyper-commodification of football in the 1990s Representations of sport in the media Sports iconography, with sociological portraits of Muhammad Ali and David Beckham The re-emergence of violence in sport The third section critically analyses the various theoretical approaches adopted by sociologists, anTable of ContentsSeries Editor’s Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Part One: History and Sport Chapter 1: The Ancient Games Chapter 2: The Genesis of Modern Sport Chapter 3: The Modern Olympiads Part Two: Features of Contemporary Sport Chapter 4: Exercise, Sport and Health Chapter 5: Sport and Violence: A “De-Civilizing Spurt”? Chapter 6: The Colonialization and Mediation of Sport Part Three: Social Theory and Sport Chapter 7: Sociological Perspectives on Sport Chapter 8: Towards a Critical Sociology of Sport References Index
£27.54
Open University Press Gender Equity in the Early Years
Book SynopsisGender Equity in the Early Years critically evaluates the extent to which current early years policies, provision and practice promote and foster gender equity. It explores the rationale for the drive to employ more men in the early years field and examines the link made between âunderachievementâ in boys and the âfeminineâ nature of early years provision. It also looks at the underpinning philosophy and impact of the Foundation stage in early years provision. Taking into consideration recent research, this book considers the validity of the âscientificâ conclusions being drawn about the biological basis for gender differences. Childrenâs perceptions of âmasculinitiesâ and âfemininitiesâ are also under scrutiny as the author analyses their imaginative role play and storytelling in early years settings. The author also looks at the principles behind the pre-school provision in Reggio Emilia and focuses on the extent to which this approach fosters gender equity. This groundbTable of ContentsCONTENTS Acknowledgements INTRODUCTION 1.WHERE ARE WE NOW ? 2.SEDUCTIVE SCIENCE 3 THE APPEAL OF NEW PEDAGOGIES 4 GIRLS AND BOYS UNDERSTANDING, PLAYING AND TALKING ABOUT GENDER 5 MUMMIES AND SUPERHEROES 6 REFLECTIONS ON WHAT WE DO 7‘RECUPERATIVE MASCULINITY’ STRATEGIES AND SUPERHERO PLAY 8 ARE MORE MEN NEEDED? AFTERWORD Bibliography Index
£26.59
Open University Press The Essential Public Manager
Book SynopsisThis is a new kind of book on public management. Using conversations, cases and original sources, it engages, in a challenging and amusing way, with the key themes and problems of the field. After writing many conventional books and articles Christopher Pollitt has turned to this novel approach in order to offer students, teachers and practitioners alike a refreshing introduction to both the 'classic' and the most fashionable issues in public management.The book provides a vigorous overview of such crucial topics as the differences and similarities between public and private sector management, the nature of the 'New Public Management', the development of networks and partnerships, the impacts of politics and citizen participation on public administration, changes in the ethics and value climate for public servants, and the fundamental question of what kind of advice academics can (and cannot) offer to practising managers. It is international in its scope and draws upon examplesTable of ContentsIntroductionPublic sector, private sectorwhere would we be without a few good stereotypes?The New Public Managementrevolution or fad?Partnerships, networks, joined-up governance, the information age (and all that)Politicians, citizens, participation and accountabilitypublic managers facing every which way?Evaluationhow do we measure success?Values, ethics and motiveswhat makes public managers tick?Getting and giving advice on public managementReferencesIndex.
£33.24
Open University Press Simulation for the Social Scientist
Book Synopsis What can computer simulation contribute to the social sciences? Which of the many approaches to simulation would be best for my social science project? How do I design, carry out and analyse the results from a computer simulation? Interest in social simulation has been growing rapidly worldwide as a result of increasingly powerful hardware and software and also a rising interest in the application of ideas of complexity, evolution, adaptation and chaos in the social sciences. Simulation for the Social Scientist is a practical textbook on the techniques of building computer simulations to assist understanding of social and economic issues and problems. This authoritative book details all the common approaches to social simulation, to provide social scientists with an appreciation of the literature and allow those with some programming skills to create their own simulations. New for this edition:A new chapter on designing multi-agent Table of Contents1: Simulation and social science 2: Simulation as a method 3: Systems dynamics and world models 4: Microanalytical simulation models 5: Queuing models 6: Multilevel simulation models7: Cellular automata 8: Multi-agent models 9: Developing multi-agent systems 10: Learning and evolutionary models Appendix A (websites) Appendix B (Linear stability analysis of the hawk–dove–lawabider model) Appendix C (Random number generators)
£32.29
Open University Press Social Science
Book Synopsis What is social science? Does social scientific knowledge differ from other kinds of knowledge, such as the natural sciences and common sense? What is the relation between method and knowledge? This concise and accessible book provides a critical discussion and comprehensive overview of the major philosophical debates on the methodological foundations of the social sciences. From its origins in the sixteenth century when a new system of knowledge was created around the idea of modernity, the author shows how the philosophy of social science developed as a reflection on some of the central questions in modernity. Visions of modernity have been reflected in the self-understanding of the social sciences. From the positivist dispute on explanation vs. understanding to controversies about standpoint to debates about constructivism and realism, Delanty outlines the major shifts in the philosophy of social science. He argues that social science is an intelleTable of ContentsIntroduction: Challenges for Social Science 1. Positivism, Science and the Politics of Knowledge 2. Hermeneutics and Interpretation: The Search for Meaning 3. The Dialectical Imagination: Marxism, Critique and Emancipation 4. Communication and Pragmatism: Habermas, Apel and the Renewal of Critical Social Science 5. Deconstructionism and Postmodernism: Implications of the Cultural Turn 6. Return of the Actor: The Reflexive Turn and Feminist Standpoint Epistemology 7. Constructivism and Realism 8. Social Science and Public Discourse Bibliography
£25.64
Open University Press Education in a Post Welfare Society
Book SynopsisReviews of the first edition"This book must become the classic text for students of education, social and welfare policies. Sally Tomlinson, doyenne of policy-orientated education and social research, has written with commendable clarity and comprehensiveness a superb book on British education." â Journal of Social PolicyâœThis book provides a context for understanding education policy which is currently missing from education and social policy courses. It should be compulsory reading." â Len Barton, Institute of Education, University of London"The persistence and reinforcement of class advantage through English education policy is a key theme... this book does a superb job of both highlighting the key social justice concerns and controversies over the last fifty years and providing an overview of education policy developments over the same period." â British Journal of Sociology of EducationHighly commended - S.E.S Book Prize 2002Table of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: Social Democratic Consensus? Education 1945-79 Chapter 2: Market Forces Gather: Education 1980-87 Chapter 3: Creating Competition: Education 1988-94 Chapter 4: The Consequences of Competition: Education 1994-97 Chapter 5: New Labour and Education: 1997-2000 Chapter 6: Diversity, Selection and Privatisation 2000-2005 Chapter 7: Centralising Life-Long Learning 1997-2005Chapter 8: Education and the Middle classes Chapter 9: Equity issues: Race and Gender Chapter 10: Education and the Economy Conclusion: Education in a Post-Welfare Society
£30.39
Open University Press Theorizing Sexuality
Book SynopsisThis book surveys and evaluates the sociological contribution to the study of sexuality. It not only maps major theoretical shifts and debates, but also offers a unique examination of the topic that emphasises the sociality of sexuality. In particular, it considers the institutional, biographical and interactional contexts of our sexual lives as well as the cultural significance and everyday practice of sexuality.The authors contest not only popular understandings of sexuality as natural, but also psychoanalytic explanations and forms of analysis that privilege the cultural construction of sexuality over its everyday social accomplishment. In particular, they challenge the 'specialness' of sexuality within contemporary culture, arguing that sexuality is better understood as a routine part of everyday social life. The book confronts the anxieties associated with sexuality in the late modern, western world and engages with wider debates on social transformations in late modernity. Table of ContentsIntroduction: The case for the sociality of sexuality Conceptualizing sexuality: From kinsey to queer and beyondFeminist engagements: politicizing the personal and engendering theoryModernity and its discontentsIs heterosexuality still compulsory?Risk, governance and surveillance: the boundaries of childhoodThe sexual self in late modernityEmbodied practices and sexual pleasureConcluding thoughts on ordinary sexuality
£29.44
Open University Press Policy
Book Synopsis"This third edition of Hal Colebatch's book, Policy, is a welcome addition to the policy literature. Through as series of interrelated questions--such as Why worry about policy? What is it for? What does it look like on the ground? and How do we do it?--Colebatch interestingly unravels and elaborates on the key issues, both practical and theoretical, that constitute the field of policy studies. In a very succinct and highly readable style, the nine chapters weave together discussions of traditional models and approaches (e.g., process models, rationality, and incrementalism) with a presentation of newer emphases (e.g., social constructivism, discourse, and his own innovative concept of ''policy work''). He does it in ways that are accessible to the beginning university student, but that are, at the same time, helpful to the experienced practitioner. As such, the book is highly recommendable."Professor Frank Fischer, Rutgers University, USA "This 3rd editionTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsWhy worry about it?What's the idea?What's going on?What is it for?What else is there?What do they say about it?What does it look like on the ground?How do you do it?Where do we go from here?BibliographyIndex
£28.49
