Browse Results

Showing 75,651 through 75,675 of 75,848 results

Unconventional Emergency Management Research (Reports Of China's Basic Research Ser.)

by Weicheng Fan

Under the Spell of Freedom: Theory of Religion after Hegel and Nietzsche

by Hans Joas

How do the history of religion and the history of political freedom relate to each other? The variety of views on this subject in philosophy, the humanities and social sciences, and the public is broad and confusing. But the grandiose synthesis in which Hegel brought together Christianity and political freedom is still an enormous source of orientation for many-despite or even because of the influential provocations of Friedrich Nietzsche. As Hans Joas shows in Under the Spell of Freedom, a different view has developed in the religious thinking of the twentieth century based on a conception of history that is more open to the future and on a concept of freedom that is richer than that of Hegel. Using sixteen selected thinkers, Joas deconstructs the grand Hegelian narrative of human history as the self-realization of the idea of freedom, setting as a counterpart the sketches of a theory of the emergence of moral universalism. Further, taking the classical views of Hegel and his emphasis on the role of Protestant Christianity and the extremely negative views about Christianity in the work of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Joas elaborates on this new understanding of religion and freedom, which avoids both Eurocentrism and an intellectualist view of religious faith and practice. The result is a forceful plea for a global history of moral universalism. Under the Spell of Freedom is an important step in this direction.

Understanding Adolescents’ Political Agency: Examining How Political Interest Shapes Political Development (Studies in Adolescent Development)

by Håkan Stattin

This ground-breaking volume shows that young people largely shape their own political development, and that to understand young people's political development, we must consider their political agency.Håkan Stattin explores the findings of an extensive longitudinal study of the political socialization of young people in Sweden from the ages of 13 to 28, which shows that, contrary to popular belief, it is not parents, peers, teachers or other key adults who are the primary agents in shaping young people's political development; it is their own self-directed political interest. Given that political interest is both an input and an output, the book examines how political interest affects young people's political interactions with their parents, and why young people and their parents perceive these interactions differently. It covers key issues such as the impact of political-interest-triggering events and civil unrest, the role of school and peers, parental involvement and the path from political interest to future political and civic engagement.Launching a new field of research internationally, this volume is essential reading for researchers, students, educators, and policy developers interested in young people's political and civic attitudes, engagement, communication, core values and the emergence of intrinsic political sophistication.

Understanding Adolescents’ Political Agency: Examining How Political Interest Shapes Political Development (Studies in Adolescent Development)

by Håkan Stattin

This ground-breaking volume shows that young people largely shape their own political development, and that to understand young people's political development, we must consider their political agency.Håkan Stattin explores the findings of an extensive longitudinal study of the political socialization of young people in Sweden from the ages of 13 to 28, which shows that, contrary to popular belief, it is not parents, peers, teachers or other key adults who are the primary agents in shaping young people's political development; it is their own self-directed political interest. Given that political interest is both an input and an output, the book examines how political interest affects young people's political interactions with their parents, and why young people and their parents perceive these interactions differently. It covers key issues such as the impact of political-interest-triggering events and civil unrest, the role of school and peers, parental involvement and the path from political interest to future political and civic engagement.Launching a new field of research internationally, this volume is essential reading for researchers, students, educators, and policy developers interested in young people's political and civic attitudes, engagement, communication, core values and the emergence of intrinsic political sophistication.

Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms

by Thomas Elston

Why do top-down reforms to public services so often over-promise and under-deliver? Using five concepts from psychology, economics and organisational sociology, Thomas Elston addresses this pressing question of good governance. Rather than focusing on the challenge of implementation, Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms reveals how flawed policy design is often the major contributor to reform failure. Cognitive bias, restrictive social institutions and inattention to ‘quiet costs’ during the policy-making process are essential to explaining the poor track record of reforms to date – and point the way towards better decision-making in future. Written for policy professionals, service managers, students and researchers alike, this concise, practical and multidisciplinary study draws on varied examples to help reconceive the perennial problem of public management reform – and to propose new solutions.

Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms

by Thomas Elston

Why do top-down reforms to public services so often over-promise and under-deliver? Using five concepts from psychology, economics and organisational sociology, Thomas Elston addresses this pressing question of good governance. Rather than focusing on the challenge of implementation, Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms reveals how flawed policy design is often the major contributor to reform failure. Cognitive bias, restrictive social institutions and inattention to ‘quiet costs’ during the policy-making process are essential to explaining the poor track record of reforms to date – and point the way towards better decision-making in future. Written for policy professionals, service managers, students and researchers alike, this concise, practical and multidisciplinary study draws on varied examples to help reconceive the perennial problem of public management reform – and to propose new solutions.

Understanding and Managing Socioeconomic Systems Behaviour: Applications of Qualitative and Quantitative System Dynamics and Agent-Based Modelling in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Finance, Arts and Culture, Sociology and Education Systems (Contributions to Management Science)

by Rossen Kazakov Penka Petrova Yavora Kazakova

This book illustrates effective decision-making in complex socio-economic systems utilising system dynamics and agent-based simulation modelling approaches. It provides practical guidance on the application of conceptual and numerical modelling and simulation for analysing economic, strategic, regulatory, sociological and ethical questions from a complex systems perspective. Its theoretical, methodological and practical illustrations will enhance readers’ understanding of the application of simulation modelling for effective systems management. By virtually experimenting with alternative management scenarios, it will help them improve decision-making and control mechanisms. The book explores practical examples from the fields of pharmaceuticals, healthcare, finance, sociology, education and culture from a strategic, regulatory and ethics perspective. As such, it offers a valuable resource for managers, both at for-profit corporations and non-profit organisations, public policymakers and regulators alike.

Understanding Individual Commitment to Collective Action: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches (Routledge Studies in Political Sociology)


When speaking colloquially of political participation or civic action, one thinks, in the first instance, of groups and organizations such as political parties, social movements or various types of voluntary associations. The perspective of individuals is not the first thing that comes to mind when seeking to understand their functioning. In contrast to this vision, understanding the dynamics of participation requires taking a closer look at the individual, that is, at his or her moral dispositions and projects, his or her multiple and simultaneous identities, the breaking points in his or her biographical trajectory, the roles he or she adopts in an organization or the styles of communication which he or she uses. The book comprises a variety of case studies and theoretical and methodological contributions that, independent of rational choice theories, seek to understand collective action at the level of the individual and, in doing so, to articulate the various fields of study in this regard with the singularity of biographies and the reflective personal identities that characterize contemporary individualism.

Understanding Individual Commitment to Collective Action: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches (Routledge Studies in Political Sociology)

by Carlos Ramírez

When speaking colloquially of political participation or civic action, one thinks, in the first instance, of groups and organizations such as political parties, social movements or various types of voluntary associations. The perspective of individuals is not the first thing that comes to mind when seeking to understand their functioning. In contrast to this vision, understanding the dynamics of participation requires taking a closer look at the individual, that is, at his or her moral dispositions and projects, his or her multiple and simultaneous identities, the breaking points in his or her biographical trajectory, the roles he or she adopts in an organization or the styles of communication which he or she uses. The book comprises a variety of case studies and theoretical and methodological contributions that, independent of rational choice theories, seek to understand collective action at the level of the individual and, in doing so, to articulate the various fields of study in this regard with the singularity of biographies and the reflective personal identities that characterize contemporary individualism.

Understanding Information History: The Case of America in 1920 (SpringerBriefs in History of Computing)

by William Aspray

Microhistory is a technique that has been used effectively by writers of both fiction and nonfiction. It enables the author to cut through the complexities of large swaths of history by focusing on a particular time and place. Microhistories are particularly useful in historical study when a subfield has recently arisen and there are not yet enough monographic studies from which to draw general patterns. This microhistory focuses on a single year (1920) across the United States, with the goal of understanding the various roles of information in this society. It gives greater emphasis to the informational aspects of traditional historical topics such as farming, government bureaucracy, the Spanish flu pandemic, and Prohibition; and it gives greater attention to information-rich topics such as libraries and museums, schools and colleges, the financial services and office machinery industries, scientific research institutions, and management consultancies.

Understanding Intercultural Interaction: An Analysis of Key Concepts

by Frank Fitzpatrick

In an increasingly global world, it is more important than ever that we deepen our understanding of how people interact and communicate across different cultural contexts. Designed as an introduction to a wide range of theories and ideas that influence social encounters around the globe, this 2nd Edition of Understanding Intercultural Interaction places new emphasis on the ‘global workplace’, providing an overview and analysis of key concepts in culture and interaction to develop your knowledge in areas such as global working, diversity management, interculturality, and cross-cultural ethics. Cutting across the world of work and education, this is a timely refresh for equipping a diverse range of both students and professionals with the tools to understand, discuss, and ultimately fulfil the role that they can play on the international stage.

Understanding Intercultural Interaction: An Analysis of Key Concepts

by Frank Fitzpatrick

In an increasingly global world, it is more important than ever that we deepen our understanding of how people interact and communicate across different cultural contexts. Designed as an introduction to a wide range of theories and ideas that influence social encounters around the globe, this 2nd Edition of Understanding Intercultural Interaction places new emphasis on the ‘global workplace’, providing an overview and analysis of key concepts in culture and interaction to develop your knowledge in areas such as global working, diversity management, interculturality, and cross-cultural ethics. Cutting across the world of work and education, this is a timely refresh for equipping a diverse range of both students and professionals with the tools to understand, discuss, and ultimately fulfil the role that they can play on the international stage.

Understanding Strategic Analysis: A Simple Guide to Choosing, Developing and Implementing Business Strategy

by Tom Elsworth

Understanding Strategic Analysis is a concise and practical guide for organisational strategic analysis, strategy development, decision-making, and implementation. The book takes the reader step by step through the background of strategic management and the process of developing a new strategy. It considers how to assess the strategic capabilities and context of the organisation, how to identify and choose between the various strategic options, and how to successfully implement the change in strategy. Mini-case studies and reflective questions provide stimuli for class discussion, whilst chapter objectives and summaries structure and reinforce learning. The final chapter sets out a complete worked example to illustrate the process as a whole. Refreshing and concise, this text provides valuable and practical reading for postgraduate, MBA and executive education students of strategic management, as well as practising managers in organisations of all sizes. Online resources include a short Instructor’s Manual, chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, and a test bank of exam questions.

Understanding Strategic Analysis: A Simple Guide to Choosing, Developing and Implementing Business Strategy

by Tom Elsworth

Understanding Strategic Analysis is a concise and practical guide for organisational strategic analysis, strategy development, decision-making, and implementation. The book takes the reader step by step through the background of strategic management and the process of developing a new strategy. It considers how to assess the strategic capabilities and context of the organisation, how to identify and choose between the various strategic options, and how to successfully implement the change in strategy. Mini-case studies and reflective questions provide stimuli for class discussion, whilst chapter objectives and summaries structure and reinforce learning. The final chapter sets out a complete worked example to illustrate the process as a whole. Refreshing and concise, this text provides valuable and practical reading for postgraduate, MBA and executive education students of strategic management, as well as practising managers in organisations of all sizes. Online resources include a short Instructor’s Manual, chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, and a test bank of exam questions.

Understanding the Rohingya Displacement: Security, Media, and Humanitarian Perspectives (International Perspectives on Migration)

by Kawser Ahmed Md. Rafiqul Islam

This book provides a focused and comprehensive understanding of the conflict surrounding the Rohingya displacement, using a unique peace and conflict transformation viewpoint. Divided into four sections and nineteen chapters, it covers significant themes related to the conflict. It provides an in-depth examination of its security implications, media impact, and the need for a long-term transformation strategy. The authors offer a sharp perspective on the crisis, covering a wide range of topics, including human rights abuses, geopolitics, media influence, and repatriation of the Rohingya. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the conflict, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the Rohingya displacement-related conflict. The authors advocate for a peaceful end to the conflict through repatriation, offering valuable conflict transformation tools for decision-makers in Bangladesh and around the world. This book is essential for anyone seeking a deeper understandingof the conflict's security implications and highlights original research from academics on the role of the media. It is relevant for scholars, politicians, decision-makers in the security and refugee management fields, academics studying the media, and humanitarian actors.

Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: 18th International Conference, UAHCI 2024, Held as Part of the 26th HCI International Conference, HCII 2024, Washington, DC, USA, June 29 – July 4, 2024, Proceedings, Part II (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14697)

by Margherita Antona Constantine Stephanidis

This three-volume set LNCS 14696-14698 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction, UAHCI 2024, held as part of the 26th International Conference, HCI International 2024, in Washington, DC, USA, during June 29 – July 4, 2024. The total of 1271 papers and 309 posters included in the HCII 2024 proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 5108 submissions. The UAHCI 2024 proceedings were organized in the following topical sections: Part I: User Experience Design and Evaluation for Universal Access; AI for Universal Access. Part II: Universal Access to Digital Services; Design for Cognitive Disabilities; Universal Access to Virtual and Augmented Reality. Part III: Universal Access to Learning and Education; Universal Access to Health and Wellbeing; Universal Access to Information and Media.

Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: 18th International Conference, UAHCI 2024, Held as Part of the 26th HCI International Conference, HCII 2024, Washington, DC, USA, June 29 – July 4, 2024, Proceedings, Part I (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14696)

by Margherita Antona Constantine Stephanidis

This three-volume set LNCS 14696-14698 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction, UAHCI 2024, held as part of the 26th International Conference, HCI International 2024, in Washington, DC, USA, during June 29 – July 4, 2024. The total of 1271 papers and 309 posters included in the HCII 2024 proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 5108 submissions. The UAHCI 2024 proceedings were organized in the following topical sections: Part I: User Experience Design and Evaluation for Universal Access; AI for Universal Access. Part II: Universal Access to Digital Services; Design for Cognitive Disabilities; Universal Access to Virtual and Augmented Reality. Part III: Universal Access to Learning and Education; Universal Access to Health and Wellbeing; Universal Access to Information and Media.

Universal Design in Video Games: Active Participation Through Accessible Play (Human–Computer Interaction Series)

by Adam Palmquist Izabella Jedel Ole Goethe

As participation in game related activities increases around the world and across a larger part of the population, it is obvious that games are not just an entertainment medium for children or young people. Games can be used to accomplish different purposes for different groups of people in society. Developing a universal designed game involves more than adding a cast of diverse characters. Games with universal design, at their core, are experiences that are designed from the ground up to be accessible to everyone – through mechanics, options, and user experience. This book explains the meaning and need for universal design in video games and sheds light on important disciplines. Researchers define a universal designed game as a video game that actively welcomes all players. When players connect authentically with a video game, they’re much more likely to engage with the content. Conversely, when players can’t physically play a game, or don’t see characters that look like them, they feel isolated and miss out on beneficial opportunities to learn and collaborate. Universal design maximizes the impact of playing games, for instance, by ensuring that they’re accessible, empowering and representative for every participant.

Universities and Academic Labour in Times of Digitalisation and Precarisation (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

by Thomas Allmer

This book provides a critical perspective on the digitalisation of universities and precarisation of academic labour. While research and teaching become more virtual and digital at universities, academic labour is becoming more and more casualised and temporary. This book aims to analyse and theorise academic labour and study the experiences academic workers have made at universities that are shaped by economic, political and cultural contexts. It will be a valuable tool for international scholars and students of subjects such as media, communication and cultural studies, sociology, education, management and labour studies. The insights will also be of particular relevance for unions and other initiatives that are concerned about the working conditions at universities.

Universities and Academic Labour in Times of Digitalisation and Precarisation (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

by Thomas Allmer

This book provides a critical perspective on the digitalisation of universities and precarisation of academic labour. While research and teaching become more virtual and digital at universities, academic labour is becoming more and more casualised and temporary. This book aims to analyse and theorise academic labour and study the experiences academic workers have made at universities that are shaped by economic, political and cultural contexts. It will be a valuable tool for international scholars and students of subjects such as media, communication and cultural studies, sociology, education, management and labour studies. The insights will also be of particular relevance for unions and other initiatives that are concerned about the working conditions at universities.

Universities and Non-Governmental Organisations: A Comparative European Study of the Potential for Civil Society Collaboration

by Monika Banaś Franciszek Czech Małgorzata Kołaczek

In the opinion of the general public, universities and NGOs would be natural partners for effective collaboration in many fields. They are indeed, but mainly in theory. This book examines the reasons why this is the case and what possible models of cooperation and facilitated dialogue between institutions of higher education system and NGOs could transform this theoretically optimal union into practice. The authors start with Poland and analyse legal, cultural and socio-economic factors, which impact upon the current state of affairs. Subsequently they move on to consider cases from four other European countries: Portugal, Austria, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Then they propose possible solutions, areas for further research and formulate recommendations for strengthening future cooperation between the two main types of actors which shape education and increase awareness in civil societies. Universities and Non-Governmental Organisations will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in higher education and research, public discourse and civil society.

Universities and Non-Governmental Organisations: A Comparative European Study of the Potential for Civil Society Collaboration

by Monika Bana 347 Franciszek Czech Ma 322 Gorzata Ko 322 Aczek

In the opinion of the general public, universities and NGOs would be natural partners for effective collaboration in many fields. They are indeed, but mainly in theory. This book examines the reasons why this is the case and what possible models of cooperation and facilitated dialogue between institutions of higher education system and NGOs could transform this theoretically optimal union into practice. The authors start with Poland and analyse legal, cultural and socio-economic factors, which impact upon the current state of affairs. Subsequently they move on to consider cases from four other European countries: Portugal, Austria, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Then they propose possible solutions, areas for further research and formulate recommendations for strengthening future cooperation between the two main types of actors which shape education and increase awareness in civil societies. Universities and Non-Governmental Organisations will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in higher education and research, public discourse and civil society.

University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority (Research in the Sociology of Organizations #86)

by Kerstin Sahlin Ulla Eriksson-Zetterquist

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online. The higher education and research system faces a constant dilemma. On the one hand, research and higher education are run by autonomous, interrelated academic communities, often described as collegial governance. On the other hand, they are an instrument for the fulfillment of goals that are often external to the academic community. What, then, is the role of academics and academic knowledge in governance of higher education and research, and how does this reflect on and impact their aims and overall place in society? Fostered through joint workshops and an open dialogue, this double volume of Research in the Sociology of Organizations develops a deeper understanding of collegiality, examining through a unique comparative perspective how it is translated and practiced in different settings across the world. Concentrating on challenges to collegiality and the erosion of faculty governance, this first installment analyzes global waves of reforms, ways in which various kinds of managerial modes of organization and control come to reshape universities, and how this intersects with the evolving missions of universities as institutions. Revealing the globalization, homogenization and variation that have come to characterize the collegiate system, University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority critically considers the state of and future of the higher education system, and how we can consciously shape it moving forward.

University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority (Research in the Sociology of Organizations #86)

by Kerstin Sahlin and Ulla Eriksson-Zetterquist

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online. The higher education and research system faces a constant dilemma. On the one hand, research and higher education are run by autonomous, interrelated academic communities, often described as collegial governance. On the other hand, they are an instrument for the fulfillment of goals that are often external to the academic community. What, then, is the role of academics and academic knowledge in governance of higher education and research, and how does this reflect on and impact their aims and overall place in society? Fostered through joint workshops and an open dialogue, this double volume of Research in the Sociology of Organizations develops a deeper understanding of collegiality, examining through a unique comparative perspective how it is translated and practiced in different settings across the world. Concentrating on challenges to collegiality and the erosion of faculty governance, this first installment analyzes global waves of reforms, ways in which various kinds of managerial modes of organization and control come to reshape universities, and how this intersects with the evolving missions of universities as institutions. Revealing the globalization, homogenization and variation that have come to characterize the collegiate system, University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority critically considers the state of and future of the higher education system, and how we can consciously shape it moving forward.

Refine Search

Showing 75,651 through 75,675 of 75,848 results