Sociology Books

Book SynopsisIn the early 1960s, the city of Durban consolidated racially circumscribed group areas with brutal intensity. In the tiny enclave of Wentworth, designated a Coloured area, newly relocated residents made their homes and sought work in the numerous heavy industries that proliferated on its edges. As people built places of worship and newborn friendships reached across fences and staircases, soccer became the game of choice. Rudimentary pitches were marked out, cool drinks staked and the game unfolded with a mixture of delicate touches and bruising tackles. By the early 1970s, Wentworth’s ability to spawn soccer talent, headlined by the glamorous Leeds United, grew into the stuff of legend. Ashwin Desai digs deep into this history, bringing to life those who inspired and played the game when Wentworth was nothing more than a jumble of shacks and whitewashed blocks of flats, watched over by plumes of smoke from local factories that blackened the sky and slowly poisoned the body. The book’s power comes from its ability to keep its focus on soccer while situating the game in the broader social relations, as geography and history, spatial and temporal meld into a beguiling narrative. Page after page reveals writing of haunting power and sensitivity as memories are cajoled from ageing soccer legends and the interior lives of families are illuminated. It is an evocative exemplar of how community history should be brought to life.

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Book SynopsisIndia. Sexual politics. Dowry killings in India and their victims.

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Book SynopsisExpanding educational facilities is not enough to boost education demand. "Schooling for All" stresses the importance of generating demand for schooling in India, criticizing the education system's flaws. Parental involvement is key, with proposed measures to enhance education demand nationwide.Table of ContentsForeword by Anurag Behar ; Acknowledgements ; List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes; List of Abbreviations ; 1. Introduction: The Need to Encourage; All Parents to Use School Education ; 2. Who Drops Out of School?; 3. Who Does Not Attend School Regularly?; 4. Who Does Not Learn in Schools?; 5. What May Dampen the Demand for Schooling?; 6. Experiences from India and Abroad; 7. Attempts to Create Demand; 8. What We Have Learnt and What We Can Do; Appendix ; References ; Index ; About the Authors

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Book SynopsisHow can egalitarian ideals be put into action? This ground-breaking book sets out a new interdisciplinary model for equality studies. Integrating normative questions about the ideal of equality with empirical issues about the nature of inequality, it applies a new framework to a wide range of contemporary inequalities. Proposing far-reaching changes in the economy, politics, law, education and research practices, it sets out innovative political strategies for achieving those aims. It is an invaluable resource for both academics and activists.Trade Review'This book confidently crosses the chasm between theory and action. It is a major achievement which deserves to be on the reading list of every politician, academic and activist concerned about social inequity and justice' -Professor Madeleine Arnot, Chair of Sociology of Education, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK 'This is a truly extraordinary book, combining sophisticated philosophical discussion of the fundamental moral issues linked to equality with solid sociological analysis of existing institutions and how they work to generate inequality, and provocative political analysis of strategies to transform those institutions...It provides a powerful framework for a new egalitarianism for the 21st century' -Erik Olin Wright, Vilas Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA 'The book is astonishing in its scope' -Jonathan Wolff, Professor and Head of Department of Philosophy, University College London, UK 'This book makes a significant contribution to the field and is a positive sign of things to come from the equality studies discipline' -Faith Armitage, Feminist Review 'This is a well-researched text, which benefits from international a well as local examples of equality and inequality...This book represents one small step on the road to a greater equality' -Pedagogy, Culture and Society 'The book provides a thorough examination of the politics and theory of equality and should be read by academics, equality lawyers, students, activists and anyone who desires a more equal world' -Harriet Samuels, Feminist Legal StudiesTable of ContentsPreface to Second Edition PART I: THE NEW EQUALITY AGENDA New Challenges to an Unequal World Dimensions of Equality: A Framework for Theory and Action The Centrality of Equality: Equality and Other Values Contexts of Egalitarian Change: Social Systems and Social Groups PART II: PUTTING EQUALITY INTO PRACTICE Towards Economic Equality The Challenge of Participatory Democracy Equality, the Legal System and Employment Law Equality and Education Emancipatory Research as a Tool of Change PART III: STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE Class, Gender and the Equality Movement Ideology and Resistance Strategic Issues for the Equality Movement Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA provocative and probing argument showing how human beings can for the first time in history take charge of their moral fate.Is tribalism—the political and cultural divisions between Us and Them—an inherent part of our basic moral psychology? Many scientists link tribalism and morality, arguing that the evolved “moral mind” is tribalistic. Any escape from tribalism, according to this thinking, would be partial and fragile, because it goes against the grain of our nature. In this book, Allen Buchanan offers a counterargument: the moral mind is highly flexible, capable of both tribalism and deeply inclusive moralities, depending on the social environment in which the moral mind operates.We can't be morally tribalistic by nature, Buchanan explains, because quite recently there has been a remarkable shift away from tribalism and toward inclusiveness, as growing numbers of people acknowledge that all human beings have equal moral status, and that at

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Book Synopsis"a must for any specialist and advanced practitioner's bookshelf." Journal of Interpersonal CareThis book focuses on what happens after a death has taken place. Drawing on social theory and anthropology, contributors examine responses to death as they occur within the unique set of cultural, social and historical circumstances which characterizes post-war society. The book does not just document and make sense of contemporary practices but also critically reviews the ways grief, mourning and death ritual have been approached by academics and practitioners in the field. It does this by combining substantial reviews with shorter illustrative examples of grief, mourning and death ritual as they are manifest in specific settings and with defined groups. These illustrative examples include personal and institutional responses to death at different points in the life cycle, and responses to different sorts of death - the death of children and death in disasters for exampTable of ContentsSeries editor's prefaceIntroductionTheories of griefa critical reviewIs grief an illness? Issues of theory in relation to cultural diversity and the grieving processFour siblings' perspectives on parent deatha family focus'Naturalizing' death among older adults in residential careJust an old fashioned love song or a harlequin romance? Some experiences of widowhood Discourse into practicethe production of bereavement careThe skills we need. Bereavement counselling and governmentality in England'You have to get inside the person' or making grief privateimage and metaphor in the therapeutic re-construction of bereavementSupporting bereaved children at schoolThe child death helplineA place for my child. The evolution of a candle serviceChanging death ritualsFuneral ritual, past and presentForget me notmemorialisation in cemeteries and crematoriaThe cemeterythe evidence of continuing bondsHindu death and mourning ritualsthe impact of geographical mobilityGrieving in publicPost-disaster ritualsConclusionsReferencesIndex.

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Book SynopsisThe evolutionary vision is a term coined by economist Kenneth E. Boulding to describe a unified view of evolution that encompasses all levels of reality, from the cosmic or physical through the biological, ecological, and sociobiological to the sociocultural. It focuses less on systems or any particular entity than on the processes through which they evolve. In this volume various approaches to the self-organization of matter and information are outlined by authors who are among the chief developers of this new paradigm. They focus on the general laws governing evolutionary dynamics across all levels of evolution, including the evolution of humans and human systems.Table of Contents1 Synergetics: Is Self-Organization Governed by Universal Principles? 2 The Evolutionary Paradigm of Dissipative Structures 3 Time, Irreversibility, and Randomness 4 Unifying Principles of Evolution, 5 Symbol-Structure Complementarity in Biological Evolution 6 Knowledge of Evolution and Evolution of Knowledge 7 The Function of Mathematics in the Evolution of the Noosphere 8 Evolutionary Visions, Sociology, and the Human Life Span 9 The Old and the New Vision 10 Concluding Remarks: Outlook

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Book SynopsisWhile fat sexual bodies are highly visible as vehicles for stigma, there has been a lack of scholarly research addressing this facet of contemporary body politics. Fat Sex: New Directions in Theory and Activism seeks to rectify this, bringing debates about fat sex into the academic arena and providing a much-needed critical space for voices from across the spectrum of theory and activism. It examines the intersection of fat, sex and sexuality within a contemporary cultural landscape that is openly hostile towards fat people and their perceived social and aesthetic transgressions. Acknowledging and engaging with some of the innovative work being done by artists, activists, and academics around the issue of fat sex, this collection both challenges preconceptions regarding fatness and sexuality, but also critiques and debates various aspects of the fat activist approach. It draws on a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, bringing together work from the UK, US, Europe, and Australia to offer a wide-ranging examination of the issues of size, sex, and sexuality. A cutting-edge exploration not only of fat sex, but of identity politics, neoliberalism and contemporary body activism in general, Fat Sex: New Directions in Theory and Activism will be of interest to scholars of sociology, cultural studies, geography, porn studies and literary studies working on questions of gender, sexuality and the body.Trade Review’Fat sex - what a wonderful topic! What a great addition to the scholarly discipline of fat studies, which has not focused much at all on theorizing fat sexuality. Women in particular are made to feel ashamed of their looks and body parts, so fat sex is a feminist issue. This anthology discusses the meaning of sexual pleasure in fat communities, integrating activism and scholarship - a great read.’ Esther Rothblum, San Diego State University, USA and editor of Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society ’Fat Sex is essential reading for academics and activists, being both scholarly and accessible it makes a significant contribution to Fat Studies and Sexuality Studies. More importantly, it refuses to make the obese anonymous, abstract and abject; this is a rare book where fat people speak autonomously and demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of their own lives.’ Charlotte Cooper, psychotherapist, UK ’There is much to recommend Fat Sex: its carefully considered arguments about fat theory and activism are characterized by a great deal of ideological variety, and it helpfully expands the conversation from its US-centered core. This text is essential for readers seeking to better understand the politics of fat representation and the representation of fat politics.’ Kathleen LeBesco, Marymount Manhattan College, USATable of ContentsFat Sex: New Directions in Theory and Activism

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Book SynopsisDrawing on interviews with a breadth of different showgirls, from shows in Paris, Las Vegas, Berlin, and Los Angeles, as well as her own artworks and those by other contemporary and historical artists, this book examines the experiences of showgirls and those who watch them, to challenge the narrowness of representations and discussions around what has been termed sexualisation' and the gaze'. An account of the experience of being looked at', the book raises questions of how the showgirl is represented, the nature of the pleasure that she elicits and the suspicion that surrounds it, and what this means for feminism and the act of looking. An embodied articulation of a new politics of looking, Viewing Pleasure and Being a Showgirl engages with the idea (reinforced by feminist critique) that images of women are linked to selling and that women's bodies have been commodified in capitalist culture, raising the question of whether this enables particular bodies tTable of ContentsIntroduction1. How Do They Look?2. How Do I Look?: How Do I Feel as I Watch Showgirls?3. How Do I Look?: Doing ShowgirlConclusion: Showgirl ManifestoAppendix: Showgirl LexiconIndex

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Book SynopsisAn unflinching look at the challenges and misunderstandings mixed-race people face in family spaces and intimate relationships across their varying cultural backgroundsIn this emotionally powerful and intellectually provocative blend of memoir, cultural criticism, and theory, scholar and essayist Samira Mehta reflects on many facets of being multiracial.Born to a white American and a South Asian immigrant, Mehta grew up feeling more comfortable with her mother’s family than her father’s—they never carried on conversations in languages she couldn’t understand or blamed her for finding the food was too spicy. In adulthood, she realized that some of her Indian family’s assumptions about the world had become an indelible part of her—and that her well-intentioned parents had not known how to prepare her for a world that would see her as a person of color.Popular belief assumes that mixedness gives you the ability to feel at

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Book SynopsisFeatures stories of Latin-American immigrant women living in public housing in two Boston-area neighborhoods. In this book, the author argues that these immigrant women parlay social ties that provide support and leverage to develop networks and achieve social positioning to get ahead.Trade ReviewGetting Ahead by Silvia Dominguez makes an important contribution to the urban poverty literature by investigating the well being of low-income Latin American immigrants and their children in the post-welfare reform era. . . I urge readers to purchase this excellent book. -- David Varady,Teachers College RecordA valuable contribution to the understanding of Latin American immigrants in the U.S. -- Roberta Villalón,author of Violence Against Latina Immigrants: Citizenship, Inequality, and CommunityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1 Social Flow 2 The Neighborhoods 3 Social Support and Family Life 4 Leverage-Based Social Positioning 5 Family and Work Support 6 When Social Positioning Is Not Enough 7 When Intervention Is Necessary 8 Immigrant Networks Notes References Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisOffers an overview of Asian American studies and the state of Asian America. This work exposes its readers to developments within the discipline, from its inception as part of the ethnic consciousness movement of the 1960s to the more contemporary theoretical and practical issues facing Asian America at the century's end.Trade Review"Contemporary Asian America addresses pressing issues and theoretical concerns of Asian Americans in the twenty-first century. Its wide range of coverage and high quality in the depth of its analysis make this volume valuable." -- Esther Ngan-ling Chow,American University"A highly useful collection of readings that trace the topography of contemporary Asian American studies and introduce the major themes and concerns in the field: social movement, immigration policy, racism and racialization, labor, gender and sexuality, and cultural expression. In this ambitious reader, Zhou and Gatewood bring together the histories and contemporary issues facing Asian Americans of different ethnic heritages, generations, and social class backgrounds." -- Elaine H. Kim,University of California, Berkeley"An impressive and comprehensive collection of theoretically grounded and historically rich accounts of the Asian American collective and specific experiences. Ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses in Asian American Studies." -- Yen Le Espiritu,author of Asian American Women and Men: Labor, Laws, and Love"An outstanding collection of essays, representing some of the most insightful work being done in Asian American Studies today. The wide range of topics covered and the quality of the selections, make this an indispensable volume, both in terms of its substantive content and its theoretical sophistication." -- Lane Ryo Hirabayashi,University of Colorado, Boulder"Presents a valuable collection of readings that address the complexities of contemporary Asian American communities. Bringing together a wide range of scholars who work in the areas of history, sociology, gender and sexuality studies, critical race theory, transnationalism, and cultural studies, Contemporary Asian America will serve as the standard reader in courses dealing with the issues confronting contemporary Asian America for years to come." -- K. Scott Wong,co-editor of Claiming AmericaTable of ContentsPreface to the Second EditionPreface to the First Edition Introduction: Revisiting Contemporary Asian America Min Zhou and J. V. GatewoodPart I Claiming Visibility: The Asian American Movement and PoliticsPart II Traversing Borders: Contemporary Asian Immigration to the United StatesPart III Ties That Bind: The Immigrant Family and the Ethnic CommunityPart IV Struggling to Get Ahead: Economy and WorkPart V Sexuality in Asian AmericaPart VI Race and Asian American IdentityPart VII The Complexity of EthnicityPart VIII Confronting Adversity: Racism, Stereotyping, and ExclusionPart IX Behind the Model MinorityPart X Multiplicity, Citizenship, and Interracial Politics

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Book SynopsisA translation of a succinct introduction to the challenging and far-reaching thought of Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969), one of the twentieth centurys most important thinkers.Trade Review“[Schweppenhäuser’s] book (now expanded and available in English in James Rolleston’s brisk and lucid translation) provides a concise but astonishingly thorough overview of the main elements of Adorno’s thought, while simultaneously highlighting both Adorno’s importance as a thinker and his continued relevance for today.” - Erica Weitzman, German Quarterly“[I]t is fair to say that appreciating the brilliance and fecundity of Adorno’s thought remains a difficult challenge. . . . [G]iven the difficulties that are bound to be experienced, any reader new to him is likely to be eternallygrateful for the existence of Gerard Schweppenhäuser’s introductory volume. . . . Schweppenhäuser’s text is never less than eminently read -able and often deeply insightful and it serves to remind us how, in an age dominated by consumerism, this great thinker’s ideas remain deeply relevant.” - Peter Sedgwick, Times Higher Education Supplement“Schweppenhäuser is intimately familiar with the complexity of Adorno’s thought, but he is able to truly translate and introduce these ideas in a remarkably clear, engaging, jargon-free, and highly readable language.” - Shannon Mariotti, Review of Politics“The book's general clarity, breadth and depth of understanding make it a valuable, informative and advanced introduction to one of the more complex thinkers of the twentieth century.” - Paul Mazzocchi, Political Studies Review“In this work, Schweppenhäuser, through his lucid representation of Adorno’s often esoteric prose, which is augmented by James Rolleston’s exemplarytranslation, and his erudite comparison with similar theorists, presents uswith an examination of Adorno that remains faithful to the theorist’s owncommitment to an interdisciplinary and contextually aware approach tophilosophy.” - Steven Leddin, International Journal of Philosophical Studies“Theodor W. Adorno: An Introduction is a useful survey of Adorno’s thought. It is concise, written in plain language, and focused on the most important topics and themes of the theorist’s work. Gerhard Schweppenhäuser gives basic background about the intellectual and historical context of Adorno’s thought and writings, and he makes a convincing case for the internal coherence of a complex and at times apparently heterogeneous body of work.”—Uwe Steiner, Rice University“This is a clear and concise overview of Theodor W. Adorno’s philosophical, political, sociological, and aesthetic thought, written by a brilliant German critical theorist. Gerhard Schweppenhäuser covers all the central topics in Adorno’s writing, shows a firm grasp not only of his work but also of the secondary literature on it, and relates his thought to the more recent theoretical literature that has challenged it.”—George Steinmetz, University of Michigan“This superb introduction to Adorno’s complex and difficult work is full of extraordinary insights, which will benefit the old hands as well as the beginners.”—Fredric Jameson, Duke University“[I]t is fair to say that appreciating the brilliance and fecundity of Adorno’s thought remains a difficult challenge. . . . [G]iven the difficulties that are bound to be experienced, any reader new to him is likely to be eternally grateful for the existence of Gerard Schweppenhäuser’s introductory volume. . . . Schweppenhäuser’s text is never less than eminently readble and often deeply insightful and it serves to remind us how, in an age dominated by consumerism, this great thinker’s ideas remain deeply relevant.” -- Peter Sedgwick * Times Higher Education *“[Schweppenhäuser’s] book (now expanded and available in English in James Rolleston’s brisk and lucid translation) provides a concise but astonishingly thorough overview of the main elements of Adorno’s thought, while simultaneously highlighting both Adorno’s importance as a thinker and his continued relevance for today.” -- Erica Weitzman * German Quarterly *“In this work, Schweppenhäuser, through his lucid representation of Adorno’s often esoteric prose, which is augmented by James Rolleston’s exemplary translation, and his erudite comparison with similar theorists, presents us with an examination of Adorno that remains faithful to the theorist’s own commitment to an interdisciplinary and contextually aware approach to philosophy.” -- Steven Leddin * International Journal of Philosophical Studies *“Schweppenhäuser is intimately familiar with the complexity of Adorno’s thought, but he is able to truly translate and introduce these ideas in a remarkably clear, engaging, jargon-free, and highly readable language.” -- Shannon Mariotti * Review of Politics *“The book's general clarity, breadth and depth of understanding make it a valuable, informative and advanced introduction to one of the more complex thinkers of the twentieth century.” -- Paul Mazzocchi * Political Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface to the English Edition vii Translator's Preface xi 1. The Project of Renewing Childhood by Transforming One's Life 1 2. Critical Theory 11 3. Reason's Self-Criticism 18 Defined Negation 20 The Two Faces of Enlightenment 26 4. Rescuing What is Beyond Hope 34 Philosophy from the Perspective of Redemption 34 Primacy of the Object 38 5. The Totally Socialized Society 51 The Concept of Society 52 Liquidation of the Individual 58 Critical Theory on Morality 68 6. The Goal of the Emancipated Society 77 7. The Powerless Utopia of Beauty 91 The Destruction and Salvation of Art 93 The Silence of Music 102 The Transition from Art to Knowledge 109 Theorizing Art and Culture in the Institute for Social Research 112 Benjamin and Kracauer: Theorizing Mass Art 120 Anarchistic and Bourgeois Romanticism: Adorno's Critique of Benjamin 125 The Work of Art and the Concept of Truth 128 8. The Failure of Culture 136 The Radically Pathetic and Guilty Culture 137 Enlightenment as Mass Deception 144 Biographical Timeline 159 Notes 163 Bibliography 171 Index 179

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Here, thankfully, is a collection of essays that recognizes life in the rural West is multi-layered, variegated and even surprising." Mark Lisac, Edmonton Journal" one of the most important contributions in recent years to the study of rural Western Canada." Jeffery Taylor, the Post".great value to anyone who wants to truly understand the reasons behind a major tearing of the very fabric of the nation." Verne Clemence, The StarPhoenix"This informative book is, sadly, an eloquently written lament. It accounts for the former greatness of the rural west, the importance of rural communities to a younger nation, and the work community leaders face in order to revitalize the grandeur that was once Canada's rural west...It looks like the rural west will have to revitalize itself from with the community level, bottom-up. This book is a start." Matthew Majkut, AMM Policy Analyst (Full review at: www.amm.mb.ca/Magazine/April 2002/bookreview.htm)"Twenty-four learned authors have contributed to this analysis of the fast change from rural to urban that rivals the exodus of the Dirty Thirties....Highlights are the dispute between Ranchers and the Sour Gas Industry, and the White-Aboriginal Relations. Useful to litigators in these fields." The Barrister, Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association"Dave Whitson...feels that it becomes a question of what rural societies can do to stem the outflow of people and social capital that will help keep people on the land....All of this requires the rebirth of political activism outside party politics, according to Roger Epp." Jane Ross, Legacy, Spring 2002"In Writing Off the Rural West, Roger Epp and Dave Whitson, two Alberta political scientists, have gathered together a collection of essays that either directly examine the exodus from the rural West or put it into the wider context of globalization. The result is a thought-provoking look at the past, present, and futures of Western Canada's heartland." Alberta Views"This edited volume by Roger Epp and Dave Whitson on the transformation of community in the rural west presents an interesting picture of the effects of globalization on rural places....This book would be perfectly appropriate for an upper-level undergraduate class in geography, rural sociology, or a course on globalization." The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology Revue"Writing Off the Rural West is to be strongly recommended as reading for anyone interested in learning more about how communities in rural Canada are responding to the powerful external forces buffeting them. It is rendered more valuable by the breadth of expertise of its contributors and the wealth of case studies it incorporates. I have no doubt that I shall be dipping into this book frequently over the coming months for illustrations of the modern rural transformations throughout western Canada." Guy M. Robinson, British Journal of Canadian Studies"Liberal, market societies so value individualism and exchange relations that the tolls taken by liberal practices on self-worth and honour-based societies figure poorly in policy calculations. Authors here directly or otherwise challenge the costs of concentration and globalization, raising basic questions of what our politics and policy ought to be for. Writing Off the Rural West is an able, often stimulating tour of the prairie provinces' rural settlements, hanging on due to the slender hopes and enduring habits of those who remain eager to live in, not write off, their places. The transformation of Canada's rural life continues at a rapid pace, with too little public debate, too little consideration for the future of the landscape, the social and personal consequences of these new, sometimes more harsh arrangements. This collection should help promote clear thinking on ways of life and places now unfamiliar to many." Michael Treleaven, The American Review of Canadian Studies, Winter 2005.

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Book SynopsisErrington explores linguistic evidence of social change among the traditional priyayi elite of Surakarta in south-central Java.Trade Review“The main merit of this study is that it is based on observation and participation in the field, among speakers of Javanese…. This work will, one hopes, form a basis for further research into how language-use correlates with social status in Java.” * Bijdragen *

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Book SynopsisEveryone knows what intoxication and drunkenness are, what they look like, how to define and measure them and what their consequences are. At least we might assume so given the ways these words are used by the media, by politicians and policy makers and by various medical, educational and legal experts in Australia and around the world. A whole variety of concerns about young people, individual and public health, road safety, sexual assault and violence are connected to these takenforgranted understandings of intoxication and drunkenness. Drawing on an extensive review of research from biomedicine, psychology, sociology and legal studies, and from news media reporting, the authors reveal a far more complex picture. This is a picture marked by little agreement on how to define intoxication and drunkenness, how to measure intoxication, what getting drunk means to those who drink (including young people, men and women and people from different cultural and national backgrounds), and where

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Book SynopsisFrom an astute observer of business behavior and expert in climate denial comes a thought-provokingexplanation of how corporations delay, distract, and deflect blame and spread disinformation surrounding health issues, pollution, and climate change.?Brilliantly subversive and witty. If you want to be a vile, greedy capitalist, this how-to book will be a great help. And if you want to identify vile, greedy capitalists, it will show you how to recognize them. A landmark book.? ?Brian EnoAre you a corporation out to make your fortune at any cost? Are you worried about ?facts? and ?experts? getting in the way of your profits? Do you wish you could make scientists, journalists, and anyone who asks questions about your suspect business practices disappear? Now you can.Whether you are selling tobacco, dealing in oil, or pushing pharmaceuticals, denying climate change or exploiting workers, The Playbook is here to help you obfuscate your way to what you want. Including how to: Massage the statistics to suit your needs. Or, even better, fund studies to make up some new onesAttract and cultivate university professors who have an axe to grind and are short of cashMake your problem somebody else?s problem?ideally the government?sRemember: Tame journalists, PR firms, think tanks, lawyers, and threats of physical violence are your friends!Follow these rules and you are guaranteed to make a killing. It?s economic sense, after all.

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Book SynopsisAn original study of the language of mediation, which uses excerpts from real mediation sessions to illustrate how mediation works and how mediators can best help disputants make claims, present evidence and propose solutions. It will interest researchers and students of sociolinguistics, conversation analysis, and the sociology of law.Trade Review'… the book is an excellent blend of rigorous analytic focus with relevance to disputants' and mediators' behaviour and outcomes drawn out clearly. It is highly readable, making Conversational Analysis accessible and relevant to new audiences. It is recommended for anyone who is interested in how mediation works, why it often breaks down, and how it can be done more effectively.' Janet Smithson, Journal of Pragmatics'… a compelling read, especially for linguists, mediation practitioners and others who may be interested in how mediation sessions work in some parts of the United States and beyond. Its strengths lie in the observational, aptly illustrated and longitudinal character of the data corpus and presentation of analyses. … the author has significantly bridged the knowledge gap by showing, using the conversation analysis approach, how conflict is resolved in small claims and divorce mediation sessions in the United States.' Eniola Boluwaduro, Sociolinguistic Studies'Angela Cora Garcia has written an interesting book which looks in depth at how mediation works.' Dr Treasa Kenny, Journal of Mediation and Applied Conflict AnalysisTable of Contents1. Introduction – approaches to mediation; 2. The interactional organization of mediation; 3. Minimizing and managing argumentative talk in mediation; 4. Disputants' opening statements and persuasive arguments in mediation; 5. Mediator representation of disputants' positions; 6. Soliciting proposals for resolution of the dispute; 7. Producing ideas for resolution of the dispute; 8. Mediator teamwork; 9. Autonomy, empowerment, and neutrality in divorce and small claims mediation.

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses the forms and dynamics of political processes in rural India with a special emphasis on West Bengal, the nation''s fourth-most populous state. West Bengal''s political distinction stems from its long legacy of a Left-led coalition government for more than thirty years and its land reform initiatives. The book closely looks at how people from different castes, religions, and genders represent themselves in local governments, political parties, and in the social movements in West Bengal. At the same time it addresses some important questions: Is there any new pattern of politics emerging at the margins? How does this pattern of politics correspond with the current discourse of governance? Using ethnographic techniques, it claims to chart new territories by not only examining how rural people see the state, but also conceiving the context by comparing the available theoretical frameworks put forward to explain the political dynamics of rural India.Table of ContentsList of tables; List of abbreviations; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Land, development and politics in West Bengal; 3. Changing landscape of two villages in West Bengal; 4. Seeing the state and governance in the grassroots; 5. Party and politics at the margin; 6. A narrative of peasant resistance: land, party and the state; 7. Caste and power in rural context; 8. Women and caste: in struggle and in governance; 9. Conclusion: a new kind of peasant mobilization?; Glossary; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores early modern ideas of chastity and their cultural, political, medical, moral and theological applications, demonstrating how early Stuart thinking on chastity governed even the construction of different literary genres. It will appeal to scholars of early modern literature, theatre, political, medical and cultural history, and gender studies.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Unchastity in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, Caroline court performance and theological dispute; 2. Chastity, medical controversy and the theatre of John Ford; 3. Chastity, William Harvey's demonstrations and court ceremony; 4. Marian chastity: Caroline masques and Henrietta Maria's chaste births; 5. Protestant chastity: the language of resistance in Milton's 'A Maske' and A Maske; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together for the first time in English internationally-recognized specialists who seek to identify what is ''living'' and what is ''dead'' in the great German social scientist Max Weber''s analyses of China, India and Ancient Israel found in his massive, unfinished Economic Ethic of the World Religions. In so doing, the volume offers a powerful new perspective on the current debate concerning the timing of and deeper roots of the ''Great Divergence'' - and more recent convergence - in the economic and political development of the West on the one hand, and the great civilizations of Asia on the other. At the same time, this volume also rebalances our understanding of Weber''s entire intellectual output by returning The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism to its proper place within Economic Ethic of the World Religions and establishing that work as the equal of the similarly unfinished Economy and Society.Table of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. Max Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions: a neglected social science classic? Thomas Ertman; Part II. Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions in the Context of his Overall Intellectual Project: 2. Max Weber's Sociology of Religion: a project in comparison and developmental history Wolfgang Schluchter; 3. Introductory remarks on Max Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions Hartmann Tyrell; Part III. Reassessing Weber on China: 4. Weber's religion of China Timothy Brook; 5. The Chinese state, social order and economic change R. Bin Wong; 6. Max Weber and patterns of Chinese history Dingxin Zhao; Part IV. Reassessing Max Weber on India: 7. Max Weber and Indian religions David Lorenzen; 8. Politics, state and empire in Weber's The Religions of India Philip Stern; 9. India in comparison: Max Weber's analytical agenda Martin Fuchs; Part V. Reassessing Max Weber on Ancient Israel: 10. Max Weber's sociological approach and ancient Israel: an archaeological critique William Dever; 11. Weber's Ancient Judaism: how well has it worn? Ziony Zevit; 12. Max Weber's sociology of Ancient Judaism as part of his project on the economic ethics of the world religions Eckart Otto; Part VI. Conclusion: 13. Living and dead in Max Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions Thomas Ertman; Index.

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Book SynopsisPolitical revolutions, economic meltdowns, mass ideological conversions and collective innovation adoptions occur often, but when they do happen, they tend to be the least expected. Based on the paradigm of ''leading from the periphery'', this groundbreaking analysis offers an explanation for such spontaneity and apparent lack of leadership in contentious collective action. Contrary to existing theories, the author argues that network effects in collective action originating from marginal leaders can benefit from a total lack of communication. Such network effects persist in isolated islands of contention instead of overarching action cascades, and are shown to escalate in globally dispersed, but locally concentrated networks of contention. This is a trait that can empower marginal leaders and set forth social dynamics distinct from those originating in the limelight. Leading from the Periphery and Network Collective Action provides evidence from two Middle Eastern uprisings, as well aTrade Review'This important book adds to theories of collective action by describing conditions under which protests and rebellions actually spread following the disruption of centralized leadership and communication. The contagious spread of peripheral networks results in distributed collective action that becomes ever more difficult to contain. This subtle argument is illustrated with data from contemporary uprisings in Egypt and Syria, along with fascinating experiments on risk-taking in disrupted information environments.' Lance Bennett, Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication, University of Washington, Seattle'… the book is an important, novel, and valuable contribution to the study of social movements, and constitutes a blueprint for how one can conduct research on relevant historical processes interweaving useful insights from extensive data collection, formal modeling, and experiments.' Delia Baldassarri, American Journal of SociologyTable of Contents1. Mobilization from the margins; 2. Decentralization of revolutionary unrest: dispersion hypothesis; 3. Vanguards at the periphery, a network formulation; 4. Civil war and contagion in small worlds; 5. Peripheral influence, experimentations in collective risk taking; 6. Decentralization and power, novel modes of social organization; Appendix.

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Book SynopsisAndrew Linklater''s The Problem of Harm in World Politics (Cambridge, 2011) created a new agenda for the sociology of states-systems. Violence and Civilization in the Western States-Systems builds on the author''s attempts to combine the process-sociological investigation of civilizing processes and the English School analysis of international society in a higher synthesis. Adopting Martin Wight''s comparative approach to states-systems and drawing on the sociological work of Norbert Elias, Linklater asks how modern Europeans came to believe themselves to be more ''civilized'' than their medieval forebears. He investigates novel combinations of violence and civilization through a broad historical scope from classical antiquity, Latin Christendom and Renaissance Italy to the post-Second World War era. This book will interest all students with an interdisciplinary commitment to investigating long-term patterns of change in world politics.Trade Review'Using a masterful synthesis of Elias's process sociology and Wight's comparative states-systems, Linklater gives us an eye-opening history lesson on how the civilizing process worked at both the domestic and international levels to embed restraints on violence. In this long anticipated second volume of his trilogy on harm, he surveys nothing less than the history of Western civilization to provide the empirical evidence for his case that we have made progress.' Barry Buzan, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science'In one monumental, breath-taking volume Andrew Linklater has synthesised Eliasian historical sociology with English School IR theory and has created something of epic proportions that I doubt Norbert Elias or Martin Wight could have achieved. This book is not simply a worthy heir to Elias's 2-volume masterpiece, The Civilizing Process, but its brilliance is such that it should take its rightful place alongside Michael Mann's first volume of The Sources of Social Power and Immanuel Wallerstein's first volume of The Modern-World System.' John M. Hobson, University of SheffieldTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The Hellenic city-states system; 2. New territorial concentrations of power in antiquity; 3. The international relations of Latin Christendom; 4. The Renaissance city-state system; 5. The European states-system and the idea of civilization; 6. Cruelty and compassion in the Age of Empire; 7. Enlightenment thought and global civilization; 8. Total warfare and decivilizing processes; 9. Modernity, civilization and the Holocaust; 10. Sovereignty, citizenship and humanity in the global civilizing process; 11. Process sociology, civilization and international society; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis new book is a wide-ranging, contemporary and accessible analysis of familiar and recurring myths about mass education in the United Kingdom. Looking at a variety of important issues and problems, each chapter begins by dispelling myths and assumptions about the classroom, going beyond class, race and gender, to offer analysis of topics such as discipline, youth cultures, information technology and globalisation. Utilising an interdisciplinary lens, this book offers knowledge from disciplines as diverse as sociology, philosophy, jurisprudence and cultural studies. Gordon Tait examines the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical approaches to education, from critical theory to postmodernism, and Foucaultian governance to post-colonialism. Analysing the many assumptions about education taken for granted in British public discourse, important conclusions are drawn about which of these assumptions are fair and reasonable, and which we should challenge. This book is an essentiTrade Review'Professor Tait sets an ambitious agenda for Schooling and Society: Myths of Mass Education. The result is a ready reckoner of the myths that form the overall illusion of modern schooling. His forensic exposition of these myths, provides a genuine opportunity for the reform of both teacher education and of schooling itself. I hope people take up Tait's counsel.' Roger Slee, School of Education, University of South Australia'This book is a really great resource for undergraduates studying sociology of education. Presenting myths and then debunking them in a clear and accessible writing style is exactly what many students need to develop a more sociological understanding of a phenomenon that they often take for granted.' Peter Hemming, Cardiff UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Re-Assessing the Three Pillars: Modern and Postmodern Sociologies of Education: 1. Social class; 2. Gender; 3. Race/ethnicity; Part II. The Foundations of an Alternative Approach: Education and Governance: 4. Governance; 5. Subjectivity; 6. Pre-adulthood; 7. Big data; Part III. Cultural Contexts of Contemporary Education: 8. The media; 9. Popular culture; 10. Technology; 11. Globalisation; Part IV. Philosophy and Mass Education: 12. Philosophy; 13. Ethics, disability and the law; 14. Truth and postcolonialism; Conclusion: the central aims of this book.

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Book SynopsisHow do we understand the multitude of faith movements in our post-secular world? Faith and Social Movements explores this question by analyzing the theology and practice as well as the transformation of two discrepant religious movements in contemporary India. The research opens up a conversation between the sociology of religion and social movements. Using a comparative lens, two different movements - a Hindu and an Islamic reform movement - have been studied in ethnographic detail. The book is divided into two parts. The first part dwells on Svadhyaya, a Hindu reform movement, and the second part on the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic reform movement. Focusing on the internal dynamics of these movements and the 'unintended consequences' of piety, the author argues that it is only by raising new questions vis-Ã-vis religion, secularity and civil society that their entanglement could be uncovered. This book aims to raise some of these questions.Table of ContentsList of figures; Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: dissent, religion and civil society; Part I. Svadhyaya Ethics and the Spirit of Voluntarism: 1. Theologies of self-reform: what transforms the cross?; 2. Praxis of an emergent congregation: metaphysics of reform and rebirth; 3. The structure of Lokasamgraha: volunteers, networks and training; 4. Succession, routinization of charisma and judicial religion; Part II. The Tablighi Jamaat's Call for Self-reform: 5. Pedagogy of Tablighi reform: the mission and the messenger; 6. 'Unintended consequences' of piety and discourses of Islamic reform; Conclusion: religion, movements and secularity; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Age of Sail has long fascinated readers, writers, and the general public. Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, Jack London et al. treated ships at sea as microcosms; Petri dishes in which larger themes of authority, conflict and order emerge. In this fascinating book, Pfaff and Hechter explore mutiny as a manifestation of collective action and contentious politics. The authors use narrative evidence and statistical analysis to trace the processes by which governance failed, social order decayed, and seamen mobilized. Their findings highlight the complexities ofgovernance, showing that it was not mere deprivation, but how seamen interpreted that deprivation, which stoked the grievances that motivated rebellion. Using the Age of Sail as a lens to examine topics still relevant today - what motivates people to rebel against deprivation and poor governance - The Genesis of Rebellion: Governance, Grievance, and Mutiny in the Age of Sail helps us understand the emergence of populism and rejection of the establishment.Trade Review'This brilliant book captures all the high drama of the Age of Sail, while providing invaluable lessons on the maintenance and failure of social order. Pfaff and Hechter's powerful analysis of how mutinies arose in the tight societies aboard British navy ships is a great read, and essential for everyone aiming to understand the nature of legitimacy, good governance, and rebellions against unjust authority.' Jack A Goldstone, George Mason University, Virginia'Pfaff and Hechter offer us a good read, a great puzzle, and a compelling analysis. Their book unfolds its treasures with every page. It provides entertaining - and sometimes horrifying - tales of mutiny and rebellion in the British Age of Sail … The authors combine a wealth of material with theory and insight to make real advances in understanding the conditions that produce large-scale collective actions.' Margaret Levi, Stanford University, California'This book is the best and most systematic treatment of Royal Navy mutiny in the Age of Sail, and is brimming with insights about rebellion on a broader scale … a landmark in the study of mutiny.' Peter T. Leeson, George Mason University, Virginia'The subject of mutiny in the eighteenth-century British Navy has long fascinated historians of different traditions, and has provoked some lively controversy between them. What it has not provoked - until now - is the massive research effort necessary to open naval archives to serious statistical analysis. As a result it has been difficult to evaluate different claims and approaches. At long last Steven Pfaff and Michael Hechter have surmounted the challenge, and in this book they present evidence of the utmost value for historians, not only of navies but of law and order in society at large. Though it deals with the eighteenth-century, it has implications for the modern world as well.' Nicholas Rodger, All Souls College, Oxford'It's hard to know where to begin in praise of The Genesis of Rebellion. For starters, this book represents comparative historical sociology at its very best. But the great value of this project lies in Pfaff and Hechter's deep command of the literatures on the study of rebellion, the convincing and original account of mutiny they adduce from their data, and their methodological commitment to studying not just ships that experienced mutinies, but those that did not. Pfaff and Hechter have given us one of very best comparative studies of rebellion conducted to date.' Doug McAdam, Stanford University, California'Using mutinies as both an empirical case and a metaphor for rebellion, The Genesis of Rebellion is a theoretically crisp and empirically insightful account that links subjectively felt and collectively shared grievances with failures of governance to explain rebellious collective action. A fascinating read and an important contribution.' Stathis N. Kalyvas, All Souls College, Oxford'Engagingly written, methodologically innovative, and based on previously unstudied data, The Genesis of Rebellion is a major contribution to the study of collective action. Pfaff and Hechter show that quality of governance is central to the patterns of naval mutinies, whereas private incentives and material grievances are secondary, which sheds important light on rebellions in general.' Craig Calhoun, Arizona State University'The book is a masterful analysis of mutiny in the British Royal Navy, relying on decades of ships' logs and navy records to identify two factors - grievances and governance - that explain why some ships experienced mutiny and others did not. Pfaff and Hechter provide theoretical insights with contemporary relevance for understanding rebellion and other collective threats to social order.' Christine Horne, Washington State UniversityTable of Contents1. The genesis of rebellion; 2. Governance and social order in the Age of Sail; 3. One and all: the anatomy of mutiny; 4. Why seamen rebelled: the causes of mutiny; 5. Insurgency and solidarity: the mass mutinies at Spithead and the Nore; 6. Discipline, punishment and the fear of insurrection; 7. The consequences of mutiny; 8. Conclusion and implications.

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