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This study determined the geological provenance of the two unique Early Neolithic obsidian bladelets (PFO1 and PFO2) found among the numerous ovens identified at the site of Portonovo (Tab. 1), near the city of Ancona. The analyses were carried out at the Department of “Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali” of Bari University where a well-defined outline of the circulation of various Mediterranean sources of obsidian (Monte Arci, Palmarola, Lipari, Pantelleria, Gyali and Melos) was obtained (Acquafredda et alii 1999, Acquafredda, Muntoni 2005; Acquafredda, Muntoni 2008; Acquafredda et alii 2011), mainly with respect to its distribution in Southern and Central Italian Neolithic sites.

Olmec Lithic Economy at San Lorenzo examines the specialized craft production, manufacturing, adoption, and spread of obsidian cutting tools at San Lorenzo, Mexico, the first major Olmec center to develop in the southern Gulf Coast region of Mesoamerica. Through the systematic analysis of this single commodity, Kenneth Hirth and Ann Cyphers reconstruct the importation of raw material and the on-site production and distribution of finished goods from a specialized workshop engaged in the manufacture of obsidian blades. The obsidian blade was the cutting tool of choice across Mesoamerica and used in a wide range of activities, from domestic food preparation to institutional ritual activities. Hirth and Cyphers conducted a three-decade investigation of obsidian artifacts recovered at Puerto Malpica, the earliest known workshop, and seventy-six other sites on San Lorenzo Island, where these tools were manufactured for local and regional distribution. Evidence recovered from these excavations provides some of the first information on how early craft specialists operated and how the specialized technology used to manufacture obsidian blades spread across Mesoamerica. The authors use geochemical analyses to identify thirteen different sources for obsidian during San Lorenzo's occupation. This volcanic glass, not locally available, was transported over great distances, arriving in nodular and finished blade form. Olmec Lithic Economy at San Lorenzo offers a new way to analyze the Preclassic lithic economy—the procurement, production, distribution, and consumption of flaked stone tools—and shows how the study of lithics aids in developing a comprehensive picture of the internal structure and operation of Olmec economy. The book will be significant for Mesoamericanists as well as students and scholars interested in economy, lithic technology, and early complex societies.

First published in 1991, this volume responds to the major changes in the petrochemical industry over the previous decade due to increases in raw material costs, improvements in process efficiency and the increasing importance now being placed on environmental issues.The Handbook of Petrochemicals and Processes provides comprehensive, up to date information on 76 petrochemicals and their processes, giving details of the chemical reactions involved in transforming raw materials, such as olefins and aromatics, into chemicals, plastics and synthetic fibres. The competing processes for each product including the latest technical developments are described, with their feedstock requirements, catalysts and conversion rates compared. Many of the processes are illustrated with clear flow diagrams.The book is easy to use with the products arranged in alphabetical order. Within each chapter on the individual products there are details of the physical characteristics and properties; grades available; handling; transportation; health and safety aspects and lists of the major manufacturers and licensorsThe Handbook of Petrochemicals and Processes gathers together in one volume, all the commonly sought chemical information. It will prove an invaluable source of reference for industrial chemists, chemical engineers, and industry professionals, as well as librarians and information centres concerned with the petrochemical industry.

First published in 1984. This study is designed as an introductory course in phonology for linguistics students. Like phonology itself, the book is divided into two main parts, the first dealing with segmental phonology, and the second with suprasegmental aspects, including stress, rhythm and intonation. Finally, there is a section on applied phonology, including dialects, historical change and language acquisition, all areas which provide the raw material for theoretical phonology. While the author is sympathetic to orthodox generative phonology, he also offers a critique of it, and argues that theoretical phonology should be concerned with the fundamental phonological processes of language-processes which are found repeatedly in different languages at different periods of time.

Waste Reduction for Pollution Prevention discusses the philosophy, regulatory background, and technical options dealing with waste minimization. The book explains waste reduction as a form of pollution prevention to minimize the amount of hazardous materials dumped into the environment. The 1984 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act amendments restrict the amount of waste that can be disposed on land. The approach of the United States is to address pollution after the problem has been created, where attention and resources of industry shift to regulatory compliance. The text notes that waste reduction is the key to preventing future hazardous waste problems. Examples of techniques of waste minimization are good housekeeping, changes in technology and procedures, raw material substitution, recycling, and waste exchanges. The book discusses the biological, thermal, and other emerging thermal processes for industrial waste management, as well as municipal solid-waste recycling, and the organization of a recycling program. The text can benefit economists, environmentalists, urban developers, and policy makers involved in waste management, community preservation and development.

I Swear I Saw This records visionary anthropologist Michael Taussig's reflections on the fieldwork notebooks he kept through forty years of travels in Colombia. Taking as a starting point a drawing he made in Medellin in 2006—as well as its caption, “I swear I saw this”—Taussig considers the fieldwork notebook as a type of modernist literature and the place where writers and other creators first work out the imaginative logic of discovery. Notebooks mix the raw material of observation with reverie, juxtaposed, in Taussig's case, with drawings, watercolors, and newspaper cuttings, which blend the inner and outer worlds in a fashion reminiscent of Brion Gysin and William Burroughs's surreal cut-up technique. Focusing on the small details and observations that are lost when writers convert their notes into finished pieces, Taussig calls for new ways of seeing and using the notebook as form. Memory emerges as a central motif in I Swear I Saw This as he explores his penchant to inscribe new recollections in the margins or directly over the original entries days or weeks after an event. This palimpsest of afterthoughts leads to ruminations on Freud's analysis of dreams, Proust's thoughts on the involuntary workings of memory, and Benjamin's theories of history—fieldwork, Taussig writes, provokes childhood memories with startling ease. I Swear I Saw This exhibits Taussig's characteristic verve and intellectual audacity, here combined with a revelatory sense of intimacy. He writes, “drawing is thus a depicting, a hauling, an unraveling, and being impelled toward something or somebody.” Readers will exult in joining Taussig once again as he follows the threads of a tangled skein of inspired associations.

Perhaps no other art form in the Western world has polarized opinion to the same extent as opera. While its devotees can be almost fanatical in their enthusiasm, its detractors will dismiss lyric theatre as an impossible hybrid. Literature and music undermine one another when brought together, they maintain. Their contempt for the genre is more often than not motivated by the supposedly mediocre quality of the librettos or scripts to which the works are set as well as the implausibility of characters singing instead of speaking their emotions. But what if these much maligned scripts provided composers with the raw material necessary to convert stereotypes into exemplary figures and place them in powerfully dramatic situations? What if the unreality of opera opened up gripping vistas onto the reality of human emotions? When Literature Becomes Opera strives to answer these questions by analyzing the artistic process through which literary texts are simplified then transformed into lyric dramas. Using as examples eight outstanding operas inspired by works of French writers (Rigoletto, La traviata, Carmen, Thaïs, La Bohème, Tosca, Pelléas et Mélisande and Dialogues des Carmélites), this study demonstrates that a libretto, like a film script, enters into a partnership with the art it serves: music. When the quality of the partnership is high, all of opera's liabilities that purists take pleasure in deriding become stunning assets.

'Enduring Work Ethics'presents a fascinating exploration of how ancient approaches to work and productivity continue to shape our modern economic landscape. This comprehensive analysis spans from early Mesopotamian temple economies to contemporary workplace practices, revealing surprisingly persistent patterns in how societies organize labor and measure productivity. Through careful examination of archaeological evidence and historical records across six continents, the book uncovers the deep-rooted connections between ancient work systems and current economic frameworks. The book's unique strength lies in its systematic analysis of productivity concepts across civilizations, demonstrating how early agricultural societies established fundamental patterns that still influence today's workplace dynamics. From the structured labor systems of ancient Sumer and Egypt to medieval guild organizations, the author traces the evolution of work as a social construct, revealing how these historical foundations continue to shape modern management strategies and organizational behavior. Following a clear chronological and thematic progression, the book bridges multiple disciplines to provide both scholarly insights and practical applications. The analysis combines archaeological findings with contemporary economic data, making complex historical patterns accessible to modern readers. This approach offers valuable perspectives on current workplace challenges, including work-life balance and employee motivation, while providing professionals and policymakers with evidence-based frameworks for understanding and improving contemporary work environments.

J.G. Ballard's Crash (1973) remains a byword for transgression in literature: declared'too disgusting for words'upon publication. The basis for David Cronenberg's equally provocative film, Crash has been regarded variously as the apotheosis of New Wave science fiction, the ur-source for postmodernism, a transhumanist manifesto, and a pornographic masterpiece in the tradition of Sade and Bataille. This revisionist account, based on previously unexplored archive material, shatters the myths that have accrued around this tantalising work whilst also revealing why it continues to inspire writers, artists, musicians and filmmakers in the 21st century. The book vividly reconstructs how Ballard came to write Crash, the cultural landscape in which it was written, the effect of its reception, and the toll it took on its author. New perspectives reveal how Crash reworks surrealist anthropology, evolutionary theory, and pornographic imagery in order to expose a society addicted to the abuse of power, the silencing of others, and its own environmental destruction. As Ballard later admitted, he'must have been mad'to write Crash.

Chou explores the structural dilemmas, mindsets, challenges, and solutions of the net-zero transition in Taiwan. Using Taiwan as a representative example of the structural challenges faced by East Asian countries in achieving the global net-zero carbon emission goal, the book examines the proposition of developmental environmentalism in the context of East Asia.Taiwan faces diverse challenges, such as internal and external net-zero carbon emission pressures, geopolitical socioeconomic competition, an internal carbon-intensive industrial structure, and the path dependence of the brown economy. Within this framework, the developmental net-zeroism perspective, from the vantage point of developmental environmentalism and the distinctive characteristics of Taiwan, offers insights into the climate governance particularities of East Asian countries as high-carbon manufacturing systems and as part of the global supply chain.A valuable read for researchers and policymakers concerned about the political, economic, and social situations in Asia and Taiwan affecting the net-zero transition.

Waste management has become a great challenge for cities and urban areas, especially in countries with a high population density. This book looks at the waste management apparatus of the city of Indore, India, to see how the city overhauled its waste management practices and strategies to become one of the cleanest cities in the country.The volume highlights the challenges that the city faced and its use of innovative business models, technology, and infrastructure as well as instituting sweeping policy and process changes to bring change. It examines the city's successful efforts to bring informal waste management systems to the mainstream and other interventions to close the gaps between government institutions, sanitation workers, and the general public. It further throws light on the use of technological interventions that the city government adopted for streamlining waste management and developing a sustainable business model for waste and emission reduction leading to achieve carbon credits and net zero goals.This book will be of interest to students, teachers, and researchers of urban planning and management, urban sociology, urban geography, waste management, and environmental studies. It will also be useful to policymakers and professionals working in the field of city management planning and governance.

This book traces the development-environment discourse in India and examines the multi-layered interaction between society and nature in the light of the role of the state, judiciary and the civil society. Through an array of perspectives, the volume challenges the conventional approach to understanding the environmental politics in South Asia without considering the role of the civil society and other informal actors, which has radically altered the conventional articulation of the phenomenon.The volume underlines distinct structural characteristics of developmental politics in India and the social concerns and challenges which come in the way of environmental policy and governance in India. It is a meaningful intervention in unearthing significant socio-political and economic processes which are critical to the environmental governance in India. The book will not only be helpful in studying the state of policy, administration and politics of environmental discourse in India, but also guide the policymakers to explore the sustainable ways of environmental governance in South Asia.Insightful and lucid, this book will be useful to the students, researchers and faculty working in the field of political science, public administration, public policy, political sociology, political economy and governance studies. It will also be an invaluable and interesting reading for those interested in South Asian studies.

This book takes the technological revolution and industrial changes as the background. The timeline uses the timeline to explain the path of changes in standard concepts since the millennium, showing the scientific system and gradually becoming the focus of the people. This book refers to the classics of a number of standard theories, introduces a number of standards and its theoretical content, and combines the industrial observation experience and typical cases accumulated by the author to put forward opinions on standards and standardization. As the awareness of standards gradually rooted in people's hearts, this book is not only an undergraduate reading, which meets the attention of readers, but also has some appeals to the academic, industry, and business circles to provide reference for the development of world standards.

The Agency of Access examines how access can be employed as a methodology for curating art exhibitions using a multi-sensorial approach. Crip curator and art historian Amanda Cachia illustrates how bodies take in information and process stimuli, making the inequities in museums and galleries more transparent. She also argues that, as contemporary disabled artists move away from representations of disability, they create an art of access, or access aesthetics, through works that center translation, sensory expansion, touch, and movement for audiences and offer an experience of “being with” disability. Showcasing artwork by contemporary disabled artists Corban Walker, Christine Sun Kim, and Carmen Papalia, among others, The Agency of Access inscribes contemporary disability art in the broad canon of contemporary art, where the artistic past is regarded differently. Cachia is an outspoken advocate for artists living with sensory disabilities. She understands disabled artists'experiences in both the world and the gallery. The artists she has curated make bold, astonishing, and compelling statements about interdependency, care, and the ways in which our environment affects disabled, ill, and immunocompromised bodies.

With the rise of ‘identity politics'both in right-wing extremism as well as in activist academia, arts and feuilleton, major differences between the traditional left and the right have become blurred. This book addresses the ideological shifts from a vantage point of critical theory, psychoanalysis, as well as Marxist interventions. Discussed are prevailing ideologies of identitarianism, putting the latter into social and historical, as well as philosophical and epistemological context. The chapters offer theoretical elaborations on the myriad connections of identitarianism and counter-enlightenment, analyzing in particular the role of ethnocentric populism, antisemitism, as well as conformist and conservative rebellion.

Asynchronicity is a study of the information stress and its genesis in the accelerative dynamics of computation and automation. In simple terms, this volume illustrates how anti-democratic communication has become characteristic of our present social and political reality. This book is significant in two respects. By fully realising a general theory of social time, it advances temporal analysis as a mode of social enquiry. Grounding the production of time within the event-dynamics of media systems, it establishes a framework for analysing the temporal logics of digital media, and shows that they may be fundamentally incompatible with the requirements of democratic communication.

This book presents fundamental aspects of financial accounting, its basic terminology, the accounting process and the preparation of a journal, ledger, trial balance, income statement and balance sheet. It also introduces complex topics like tools of management accounting, sustainability reporting and financial reporting. The volume comprehensively delivers lessons and examples to build strong accounting skills guiding readers to learn how to read and analyse financial statements, and discusses the theoretical concepts followed by elaborating on the accounting process in a simple and lucid style. Numerical examples and case studies support every discussion involving a conceptual difficulty. Several charts and diagrams have been included to shed light on the finer points of the subject to make it easily comprehensible.This book would be useful to students, researchers and teachers of financial accounting, accounting, statistics and business management. The book would also be useful for anyone interested in learning the basic concepts of financial accounting to help them in their daily lives.

This book presents an in-depth and provoking analysis of the current global landscape and the challenges it presents for development. Offering a unique approach examining the implications of strategic uncertainty on strategies for development, it discusses contemporary challenges to the field, particularly those relating to crisis management. Positing that we live in an age of strategic uncertainty, the authors progress the notion that crisis responses require extensive and holistic strategic deliberation vis-à-vis economic and social considerations, short-term and long-term projections, as well as evaluations of domestic and international spheres of development. Tracing the infrastructure of globalization, the book acknowledges the need for medium-term strategies for each crisis but emphasizes that they must be intricately woven into a larger unitary vision, ultimately highlighting the critical role of strategic thinking in addressing complex challenges we face today.

New essays from foodways archaeology related to cuisine in social, cultural, and environmental contexts

History and politics were two important concepts defining Jewish identity prior to the Second World War. This book explores how these were expressed in the war writings of Emanuel Ringelblum and Reuven Ben-Shem, inmates at the Warsaw Ghetto. Each produced different accounts in purpose and style, Ringelblum's diary was a historical record whereas Reuven Ben-Shem's was personal, primarily intended to inform the world what had happened to his family. Despite their vast political differences, one thing stands out, Jewish history defined their personal identity, and they derived moral and political inspiration from it. Scrutiny of the diaries suggests that the range of topics and how they were recorded reflects traditional approaches to appropriacy, resulting in a focus predominantly on the public sphere, leaving us to speculate the private arena. The book examines relationships between physical spaces in the Warsaw Ghetto, and how they were conceived. That is, how writing reflected the disruption of Jewish spaces by blurring boundaries between the private and public spheres resulting in abjection. The more Jews were crowded into progressively dwindling space, the more the private became public. The innovation of this research lies in creating a model using historical records, philosophy and literature to understand the interactions between people, spaces and conditions in the Warsaw Ghetto, and their effect on its inhabitants and outsiders. Indeed, the study of these diaries indicates that language operated as a spatial vehicle for introducing order into chaos.

This book focuses on the methods and approaches in comparative politics while tracing the evolution of the discipline. Exploring its historical legacy through a comparative perspective, it uses research methods and methodologies to critically analyse the approaches discussed in the book.This unique volume provides an exclusive reading on the dimension of gender in comparative politics. It also investigates the foundational approaches and insights from the perspective of postcolonial societies and diverse regions of the world.Lucidly written to serve a diversity of readership, this book is an invaluable resource for students, researchers and teachers from the departments of political science, public administration, history and journalism. Owing to its detailed, diverse and rich discussions on the different aspects of these themes, it will be equally useful to researchers in the field of gender studies and comparative politics.

This book explores the single Chinese concept and practice of “shaping the mind through education”—jiaohua—from multi-disciplinary perspectives, with a view to furthering the understanding of jiaohua, and of China more broadly. It proceeds from the assumption that the concept has played a critical role over at least two millennia in what Benjamin Schwartz described as China's “common socio-political patterns and common cultural orientations” and holds a key to understanding Chinese culture and societies as a whole. Though a large body of scholarship in Chinese and English has shed light on various aspects of the concept, its shifting sociological significance, as it is oriented toward social questions and functions, remains under-examined. The book develops a better understanding of jiaohua on the basis of greater conceptual clarity and a broader perspective than can be found in the extant literature. In considering a range of social domains and various schools of thought on the one hand, and on the other, major shifts in the meaning, functions, and significance of jiaohua from the past to the present, this book is indispensable to students and scholars researching the various facets of Chinese society, philosophy, and culture.

Media Communication Studies provides an insightful exploration of the foundational principles of communication and journalism, emphasizing their importance in personal, professional, and societal contexts. Communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is essential for expressing ideas, emotions, and building relationships, making it a crucial tool for individuals and organizations alike. This book covers key aspects of communication theory, advertising, public relations, media influence, and the evolution of journalism in the digital age. It highlights how effective communication channels enhance organizational credibility, professionalism, and success. With chapters on news writing, reporting, and public relations tools, the book underscores journalism's role in democratic societies by informing citizens and shaping worldviews. Whether you're a student, professional, or media enthusiast, this book offers a comprehensive guide to mastering communication skills and understanding the dynamic field of media and journalism.

'Human Trafficking Truths'delivers a comprehensive examination of modern slavery's global crisis, revealing the shocking statistic that every 30 seconds, someone becomes a victim in this $150 billion criminal enterprise. This groundbreaking work uniquely combines law enforcement data, survivor testimonies, and international policy research to present a thorough understanding of human trafficking's complex nature and its devastating impact on society. The book progresses through three distinct yet interconnected dimensions: the evolution of criminal networks, survivor experiences across five continents, and evidence-based intervention strategies. Through previously unreleased Interpol data and firsthand accounts from rehabilitation centers, readers gain unprecedented insight into trafficking operations and their profound human cost. The analysis extends beyond mere statistics, examining how factors like technological advancement and economic disparities create environments where trafficking flourishes. What sets this work apart is its balanced approach to combining scholarly rigor with practical application. While maintaining academic integrity, it presents complex information in an accessible format that serves both professionals and general readers. The book concludes with actionable recommendations for stakeholders at all levels, from individual citizens to international organizations, making it an invaluable resource for law enforcement professionals, policy makers, and anyone committed to combating this persistent human rights violation.

An ethnography of mezcal and how it has become a global,'artisanal'good. Mezcal is booming. Once considered a peasant drink—the rough, lowbrow cousin of the more refined tequila—the smoky spirit is now prized by connoisseurs the world over. It is also hailed as a savior of Oaxaca, powering a craft industry that can uphold rural economies and Indigenous traditions. Ronda L. Brulotte traces mezcal's swift rise and its effects on communities that have distilled and enjoyed the beverage for generations. Only in the late 1990s did mezcal begin to escape its longstanding associations with Indigenous and working-class life, even as these very qualities supply the “authenticity” that elite consumers crave. Through a detailed ethnography of the spirits industry in Oaxaca, Brulotte compares the ideal of the artisanal economy with the reality of participation in global markets. Her findings—focused on tourism-led development and gentrification, the exploitation of women and smallholders, and swelling regional migration pressures—raise troubling questions about the ecological and social sustainability of a new craft imaginary that rebrands rustic products as luxury goods.

This book is a comprehensive compilation of academic papers and presentations delivered at the conference. It brings together research from various disciplines within the humanities and social sciences, such as cultural studies, sociology, psychology, education, literature, and history.It meticulously covers several critical areas of study, reflecting the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of the conference. In the realm of post-pandemic economic development, it explores strategies for economic recovery and resilience, highlighting the role of finance and social capital in rebuilding economies. Technology and sustainable cities are examined through case studies and theoretical frameworks that discuss smart city initiatives, technological integration, and sustainability practices. The section on economic development, accountability, and finance risk delves into methods for ensuring transparency and managing financial uncertainties in a globalized economy. Social and environmental policies and planning are addressed with a focus on creating equitable and sustainable communities.This text will be valuable to academics, researchers, and students in the fields of humanities and social sciences.

Technology is reshaping the humanities, bringing innovation to traditional fields like literature, history, and art. Humanities in the Digital Age explores the integration of digital tools into research and education, covering topics like digital archiving, data analysis, and virtual exhibitions. This book highlights how these advancements enhance accessibility and foster new insights into cultural studies. Perfect for educators, students, and scholars, it serves as a guide to navigating the intersection of technology and the humanities, inspiring creativity and collaboration in the digital era.

Wedding Cost Wars delves into the fascinating intersection of economics and cultural traditions in modern marriage celebrations, revealing how wedding costs have skyrocketed by 300% since 1980 while household incomes have barely moved. This comprehensive analysis explores how what was once a community-centered celebration has transformed into a complex economic event that often serves as a marker of social status. Through rigorous research spanning 15 countries and four decades of economic data, the book uncovers the intricate relationships between wedding industry dynamics, cultural traditions, and societal pressures. One of the most compelling insights reveals how vendor pricing strategies have created a unique wedding inflation phenomenon, while another highlights the shift from traditional community-based celebrations to increasingly individualized, commercially-driven events. The book progresses logically through three main sections, starting with an examination of the wedding industry's evolution, moving through cultural practices across different societies, and concluding with the economic and social implications of current trends. By combining quantitative economic analysis with 200 original interviews and cultural anthropology research, the authors provide both scholarly insight and practical relevance for audiences ranging from economists and sociologists to engaged couples and wedding professionals. This unique approach makes complex economic concepts accessible while maintaining academic rigor through real-world examples and case studies.

Scholars and commentators have noted the frequent inefficacy of “development,” and criticized the power relations it entrenches. Aware of these problems, some North Americans choose to disengage from transnational work. But the reality is that we cannot avoid participating in global networks that affect people in many countries, and there are vast inequalities in access to resources that need to be addressed. Through philosophical insights, narrative accounts, and testimony from community members, we can discover a path between development and disengagement, through which relational morality and meaningful action can enrich intercultural collaboration and yield many fruits.

Artists, Cosmopolitanism, and the Civic Imagination unpacks the political agency of artists by looking at artists as moral, reflexive, and political agents. Do artists play a role in civil society? Can artists “make a difference” in the world? In what ways do artists act politically? To address these questions, this book moves away from a focus on social organisation and the production of art, to ask how artists attach meaning to their interventions in social and political conditions.Maria Rovisco draws from in-depth interviews with UK-based visual artists and theatre practitioners with a migrant background, and semiotic analysis of a theatre play, visual artworks, and film texts, to argue that artists are quintessential cosmopolitans who care deeply about changing society for the better. By explaining how artists get involved in cross-cultural encounters, this book reveals the processes of listening, reflection, imagination, social learning, and moral intentionality through which artists imagine and realise their visions of a better world. In so doing, it offers a new direction in thinking about the intersection of art and politics, by showing how artists play a crucial role in building a civic culture outside traditional sites of political participation.This book will be essential reading for students and scholars across the social sciences and the humanities with interests in migration, citizenship and the public sphere, cultural sociology, media and culture, cosmopolitanism, and art.

This book investigates the ways in which contemporary Indian cinema, particularly 2010 onwards, has projected and represented women on screen – not just on films and TV but also on new media platforms like OTT and other digital media.The wide-ranging essays reflect on issues of gender violence, sexuality, performance, domestic and public spaces, along with the role of women in the Indian film industry. They draw on current global discourses on gender including #Me Too, ‘Time's Up', LGBTQIA, and a call for wages for women on a par with their male counterparts and other socio-cultural debates in the Indian society.The book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of film studies, gender studies, culture studies, and South Asian studies.

From the debate over affirmative action to the increasingly visible racism amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have emerged as key figures in a number of contemporary social controversies. In Making the Human: Race, Allegory, and Asian Americans, Corinne Mitsuye Sugino offers the lens of racial allegory to consider how media, institutional, and cultural narratives mobilize difference to normalize a white, Western conception of the human. Rather than focusing on a singular arena of society, Sugino considers contemporary sources across media, law, and popular culture to understand how they interact as dynamic sites of meaning-making. Drawing on scholarship in Asian American studies, Black studies, cultural studies, communication, and gender and sexuality studies, Sugino argues that Asian American racialization and gendering plays a key role in shoring up abstract concepts such as “meritocracy,” “family,” “justice,” “diversity,” and “nation” in ways that naturalize hierarchy. In doing so, Making the Human grapples with anti-Asian racism's entanglements with colonialism, antiblackness, capitalism, and gendered violence.

This concise, interpretive history of American schooling focuses on the evolving relationship between education and social change.Like its predecessors, this fully updated new edition investigates the impact of social forces such as industrialization, urbanization, immigration, globalization, and cultural conflict on the development of schools and other educational institutions. It also examines the various ways that schools have contributed to social change, particularly in enhancing the status and accomplishments of certain social groups and not others. Detailed accounts of the experiences of women and minority groups in American history consider how their lives have been affected by education at key points in the past.Updates to the seventh edition include: Enhanced coverage for understanding the experiences of Native Americans, students in poverty settings, and the LGBTQ+ community in the midst of social change. New topics include settler colonialism, indigeneity, culturally diverse education, gay and transgender educational policies, charter schools, voucher programs, and the rise of testing in schools. It has been edited throughout to update information and sources regarding the history of American education and related processes of social transformation in the nation's past.This bestselling introductory text is essential reading for Educational Foundations, History of Education, and Schools and Society, and similar courses for pre-service teachers, educational leaders, and others.New online material includes discussion questions and links to further reading and resources, available at www.routledge.com/9781032745947

People traveling around the Sonoran Desert will see the traces of an ancient society, the Hohokam, through the material that they left behind—pottery, shell ornaments, carved stone, and rock imagery. The Hohokam and Their World offers readers the opportunity to explore how these various images and objects may have been used by the Hohokam, and what the icons and objects may have meant, including how the Hohokam conveyed ideas about water, the Sonoran Desert, the ocean, travel, ancestors, and the cosmos. Authors Linda M. Gregonis and Victoria R. Evans discuss how artists drew inspiration from their Sonoran Desert homeland and were also influenced by the cultures of western Mexico, the hunter-gatherers of the western desert, the Mogollon to the east, and the Pueblo cultures of the northern Southwest. Unlike traditional archaeological texts, this book takes a holistic approach by examining a diverse range of artistic expressions used by the Hohokam. From intricately crafted pottery to mesmerizing carvings in rock, each medium offers a unique glimpse into the Hohokam's relationship with their environment and the wider world. Whether you're planning a visit to national parks or museums in the Southwest or simply intrigued by ancient civilizations, The Hohokam and Their World is a must-read. The work includes a glossary of key archaeological and anthropological terms, as well as endnotes and an extensive list of references for those who want to dig deeper.

Why do we seek to return to the past or rescue pieces of the past that may have value in the present? Why does nostalgia attach to an approach to the world, social rules, and material products that willfully rejected the past? Larry Bennett explores the complexities of nostalgia with considerations of the historic preservation of brutalist architecture, specifically Bertrand Goldberg's Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago; the memoirs and recollections of early and mid-twentieth-century Brooklyn and Detroit; and the turntable's rebirth as a musical instrument alongside the vinyl LP's resurgence as a prized way of consuming music. Bennett tracks modernity as expressed through ideas, artistic products, and widespread social practices. His consideration of nostalgia focuses on our inclination to rediscover value in people, places, and social habits diminished by the passage of time. Provocative and multidisciplinary, Reclaiming Modernity delves into the paradox of how we feel nostalgia for ideas and times that emerged from an impulse to shun nostalgia.

'Exploring Chinese Society and Culture'delves into the diverse and complex themes of modern China. We examine the country's social and economic changes, its growing global influence, and the various perspectives on China's development and governance. Our compendium covers topics such as social welfare, gender, ethnicity, and the role of the Communist Party and the State. We provide detailed accounts of social changes, from causal processes to the political dynamics of right-wing populism and the causes of major technological disasters. Since the founding of the Communist Party in 1921, China's ethnic relations have continuously evolved. We discuss the impact of ethnic minorities and intra-ethnic relations on the nation. We also explore the framework of urban and rural society in transitional China, examining how family background affects children's academic achievement. Additional chapters focus on cultural sociology, market disputes, government intervention, and the measurement invariance across gender and age among Chinese adolescents. We also investigate the motivations and forms of practicing CSR in art and culture in China, highlighting the driving factors behind corporate engagement in cultural initiatives.

'Best of Sweden'offers a compelling exploration of how this Nordic nation has become a global leader in social innovation, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. The book meticulously examines Sweden's unique approach to balancing free market capitalism with comprehensive social welfare programs, known as the'Middle Way,'which has evolved since the 1930s. Through detailed case studies and research, it reveals how a population of 10.4 million has created systems that consistently rank among the world's most effective in areas ranging from public services to environmental protection. The narrative unfolds across three main themes: the social welfare system, environmental policies, and cultural values. Drawing from government data, academic studies, and firsthand observations, the book illuminates successful initiatives like Sweden's renewable energy transition and innovative urban planning approaches. Cultural concepts such as'lagom'(moderation) and'allemansrätten'(right to roam) are explored to show how deeply ingrained values influence policy decisions and social behaviors. While maintaining an objective stance, the book addresses contemporary challenges facing the Swedish model, including immigration integration and housing shortages. It provides valuable insights for policy makers, researchers, and general readers interested in understanding how complex social systems can be structured and maintained. The work stands out for its practical approach, examining real-world applications at national, municipal, and individual levels, while offering comparative analysis with other developed nations to contextualize Sweden's achievements globally.

Social movements—organized efforts by relatively powerless people to change society—can result in legal and policy changes, such as laws protecting same-sex marriage and tax rebates for solar energy. However, movements also change people's beliefs, values, and everyday behavior. Such changes may help bring about new policies or take place in the absence of new policy, yet we still know little about when and why they occur. In Changing Minds, sociologists Francesca Polletta and Edwin Amenta ask why movements have sometimes had fast and far-reaching cultural influence. Polletta and Amenta examine the trajectories of U.S. social movements, including the old-age pension movements of the 1930s and 1940s, the Black rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, the women's movement of the 1970s, right-wing movements in the 1980s and 1990s, and the environmental movement up to the present, to determine when, why, and how social movements change culture. They find that influential movements are featured in the news, but not only in the news. Movement perspectives may appear also in opinion and commentary outlets, on television talk shows and dramas, in movies, stand-up comedy, and viral memes. Popular culture producers remake movement messages as they transmit them, sometimes in ways that make those messages compelling. For example, while the news largely ignored feminists'challenge to inequality in the home, popular cultural outlets turned “liberation” into a resonant demand for women's right to self-fulfillment outside the home and within it. Widespread attention to the movement may lead people to change their minds individually. But more substantial change is likely when companies, schools, and other organizations outside government strive to get out in front of a newly legitimate issue, whether environmental sustainability or racial equity, by adopting movement-supportive norms and practices. Eventually, ideas associated with a movement may become a new common sense—though not always the ideas that the movement intended. Throughout Changing Minds, Polletta and Amenta provide activists with strategies for getting their message heard and acted on. They suggest how movement actors can get into the news as political players or experts rather than lawbreakers or zealots. They show when it makes sense for activists to work with popular cultural producers and when they should create their own cultural outlets. They explain why the routes to cultural influence have changed and why urging people to take one easy step to save the planet can do more harm than good. Changing Minds is a fascinating exploration of why and how some social movements have caused profound shifts in society.

This is an open access book. The Open Society Conference is the annual conference hosted by the Faculty of Law, Social, and Political Sciences, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia. The conference has been held 5 times, starting from a national conference, and escalating into an international conference. This is a place for us, academicians, to disseminate our research. We also invited speakers either academicians or professionals for sharing and exchange knowledge. You may visit our past conference through UT TV Channel at @universitasterbukatv follow for more updates about Universitas Terbuka. The conference theme of OSC 2024 “Facing Resilient Future Through Sustainability and Innovation: Multidisciplinary Perspectives”.

What are key causes and effects of structural inequality across many social, economic, and psychological situations of life? Power-dependence/exchange theory and relevant data are used in this book to help answer this complicated question. Crucial dimensions of interpersonal behavior, social symbolic communication, and individual social psychology are explored in the context of exchange network and group dynamics. Developed across the past 60 years, the research program covered here provides a distinctive perspective on “social exchange theory,” bringing to bear data produced through use of various research methods: qualitative ethnography, controlled laboratory experiment, vignette experiment, social sample survey, and psycholinguistic analysis.

This book critically examines assumptions about age, women, and gender. Amidst all the attention that has been granted to difference and inequality, however uneven and unsatisfactory in terms of class and caste, race and ethnicity, sexuality and gender, disability, religion, and nation, questions of age and its importance for feminism have been less well defined. Drawing on recent literature on childhood, the chapters in this volume cover a range of fresh perspectives. These include: What kinds of biological, legal, chronological histories age has and the fundamental ways in which these links are being recast How gender differences occupy a prominent place in historical constructions of identities, especially the frequent infantilisation of women, who are never seen as adults in the full sense of the term nor equally allowed to be children beyond the first years of life Ways in which class, caste, gender, and ethnicity shaped classrooms and opportunities for education in the colonial period and the 20th century to produce new ideas of childhood Gendered outcomes for children in the context of a long entanglement of law with labour, transformations in practices of parenting over time, and how the concept of care emerged in both Western and non-Western societies An incisive study on how childhoods have come to be understood, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of gender studies, childhood studies, family studies, modern history, legal history, social policy, social psychology, education, and sociology. This volume will also interest parents, paediatricians, family health providers, teachers and educators, and anyone who works with children.

This title was first published in 2003. An exhaustive and synthetic framework for the use of Internet tools in customer-supplier relationships is one aspect of e-business that is still missing from existing literature. This book analyses the main management implications related to the adoption of the Internet in the supply chain and unifies different research studies and contributions in order to build such a framework. It is based on wide empirical evidence including four in-depth case studies in both Europe and the US, a cross-industry survey of more than 160 US companies and website research describing emerging Internet initiatives in B2B relationships. By creating a concrete link between theory and practice it should appeal to academics and practitioners alike.

Bringing together nearly one hundred tales translated from fourteen languages, Folktales of India opens the vast narrative world of Indian folklore to readers of English. Beck includes oral tales collected from tribal areas, peasant groups, urban areas, and remote villages in north and south India, and the distinctive boundary regions of Kashmir, Assam, and Manipur. The tales in this collection emphasize universal human characteristics—truthfulness, modesty, loyalty, courage, generosity, and honesty. Each story is meant to be savored individually with special attention given to the great range of motifs presented and the many distinct narrative styles used. Folktales of India offers a superb anthology of India's bountiful narrative tradition.'This collection does an excellent job of representing India.... It is the type of book that can be enjoyed by all readers who love a well-told tale as well as by scholars of traditional narrative and scholars of India in general.'—Hugh M. Flick, Jr., Asian Folklore Studies'The stories collected here are representative, rich in structural subtlety, and endowed with fresh earthy humor.'—Kunal Chakraborti, Contributions to Indian Sociology

This book is a major early work of Japanese philosopher Wataru Hiromatsu (1933-1994). Originally published in 1972, the primary theme is overcoming the subject-object schema of modern philosophy. Hiromatsu seeks to replace this subject-object schema with what he calls the intersubjective fourfold structure, in which “the given is valid as something more to someone as someone more.” This fourfold structure is not a sum of four independent elements, but exists only as a functional relationship. From this relationist point of view, Hiromatsu develops his philosophical theory as a systematic critique of “reification,” defined as the hypostatizing misconception of a functional relation.

Phenomenological approaches to sounds, noises, voices, and music traditionally privilege methods that center visual perception. This book aims not only to phenomenologically describe sonic environments, but also to develop an audition-centered phenomenological methodology to enable this task.'Sonic environment'is this book's term for the acoustic shape of human life-environment, which is multisensory and does not exclude visual, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory sensations connected with sounds or their sources. Sonic environments (in so far as they are lived) are not composed of separate sounds, but created by “sonic phenomena” – i.e., lived (real or imagined) experiences with sounds, noises, voices, and music. Just as phenomenology traditionally privileges the visual over the audio, phenomenology thematically prefers listening to a voice or a music over less articulated sonic experiences (i.e., sounds without an obvious meaning, melody, or rhythm).In this respect, the book not only provides missing phenomenological descriptions of sonic environments, but also redefines phenomenological methodology with respect to acoustic perception.

Discover'Schiller-Code': Poetry, Spirituality, Ecology, Historical and Contemporary New Stories. In 2021, during the pandemic, the author discovered that her partner Michael is a descendant of the poet Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller. This surprising revelation, combined with her work on educational books and the'Experience Growth'project, inspired her to explore deeper aspects of growth in both education and society. In'Schiller-Code,'the author demonstrates how true growth extends beyond school, blending knowledge, creativity, moral values, and spiritual development. The book also unveils the'Schiller-Code'project, revealing that Schiller was poisoned rather than dying from a chronic illness. Coincidentally, Michael's work is focused on'detoxification,'specifically in hazardous waste disposal. His lifelong dedication to ecological responsibility ties back to the garbage of war that Michael once dealt with, now resurfacing globally. It's as if Schiller's advocacy for peace has a timely message for us today. The book emphasizes that preserving the ecological environment relies on the'human'factor, and that true civilization encompasses both material and spiritual dimensions. Through real-life examples, the book underscores the importance of a conscious and sustainable lifestyle. Immerse yourself in'Schiller-Code'– a captivating fusion of Myth versus reality and religion versus science, philosophy versus everyday life, explore the essence of mindful living.

This is an open access book. In our rapidly evolving modern era, the intersection of green technology and digital society has shifted paradigm shifts across various facets of human life. The fusion of these two domains holds the potential to profoundly impact society's social aspects. Therefore, The 5th Borobudur International Symposium with the theme “Smart and Sustainable: The Synergy of Green Technology and Digital Society” is designed to delve into and celebrate the strong synergy between green technology and the digital society, specifically focusing on social sciences. The background of this conference reflects the significant tensions in modern society. On the one hand, we witness innovative strides in green technology to reduce negative environmental impacts and develop more sustainable systems. On the other hand, our society is becoming increasingly interconnected in a vast digital network, enabling unprecedented information exchange that influences social interactions, work, education, and many other aspects of daily life. As green technology and the digital society converge, new and crucial opportunities and challenges emerge in the social context. Through this International Conference, we hope to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders to share knowledge, experiences, and innovative ideas to better understand how green technology and the digital society can collaborate to achieve smarter and more sustainable societies.

This new edition provides a step-by-step guide to applying the Rasch model in R, a probabilistic model used by researchers across the social sciences to measure unobservable (“latent”) variables. Although the focus is on simple R code, the book provides updated guidance through the point-and-click menus of BlueSky Statistics software.The book covers all Rasch models frequently used in social sciences, from the Simple Rasch model to the Rating Scale, Partial Credit, and Many-Facets Rasch models. Using a pragmatic approach to model-data fit, this book offers helpful practical examples to investigate Rasch model assumptions. In addition to traditional Rasch model approaches, it introduces the Rasch model as a special case of a Generalized Mixed Effects Model. Readers will also benefit from the online support material which includes all the code used in the book in downloadable and useable files.It also provides a comprehensive guide to R programming and practical guidance on using BlueSky Statistics software's point-and-click menus. This dual approach enables readers to experiment with data analysis using the provided data sets, enhancing their understanding and application of statistical concepts. It will be a valuable resource for both students and researchers who want to use Rasch models in their research.

The world is grappling to come up with alternative imaginations for transformation despite repeated crises, inequalities and immiseration caused by the increasing dominance of the neo-liberal capitalist framework and the collapse of twentieth-century socialist models. This book looks at concepts that form the core of development economics and political economy and brings together perspectives that explore the inextricable relationship between development and human rights, social movements and the call for social transformation.The essays in this volume honour the massive corpus of work across a large number of areas around development issues by the eminent economist Jayati Ghosh. The book includes contributions by academics, activists and practitioners and attempts to understand the socio-economic causes of inequality, poverty and oppression. Divided into five parts – corresponding broadly to key areas of Ghosh's work – the book explores capitalism, inequality and development, gender and development, political economy of trade and financial systems, human development and human rights, and music. The volume situates Ghosh's work within a heterodox and broad-based understanding of development processes and provides many insights towards a new vision that sets an agenda for further research as well as mobilisation.This volume will be of great interest to students, researchers, practitioners and scholars working on the issues of development, transformations, political economy, social science, economics, macroeconomics, international economics, politics and development studies.

This book introduces the concept of “oceanic strategy,” expanding beyond traditional maritime and naval perspectives to include political, economic, socio-cultural, and ecological dimensions. It highlights the Indian Ocean Region as a critical arena for global power competition, where the abundance of resources, strategic significance, and emerging interests have made it a new frontier for opportunity, growth, and conflict. By incorporating aspects like oceanic security, resource exploration, the blue economy, and hydrography, the book presents a broader view of strategic thought and the role of oceanic spaces in national and global geopolitics.Focusing on key players such as India, China, the US, and other traditional and emerging powers, the book analyses the reorientation of national interests and the intensifying struggle for dominance in the Indian Ocean. It argues that control over this region is crucial for attaining influence in 21st-century geopolitics. The work also addresses non-traditional security threats like piracy and transnational crime, situating the Indian Ocean at the heart of modern geopolitical discourse.This book is an essential resource for students and scholars of international relations, strategic studies, and political science, offering critical insights into the evolving power dynamics shaping the future of the Indian Ocean Region.