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Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > General
This book examines the increasing popularity of online citizen science projects arising from developments in ICT and rapid improvements in data storage and generation. As these new technologies allow for much higher levels of participation, collaboration and interaction, the author explores what online citizen science projects reveal about the 'democratisation' of science and distributed engagement with authentic research. Analysing the wider appeal of these projects as well as their potential for informal science learning and creating communities of practice, this book asks whether 'citizen' and 'researcher' will ever be on equal footing. Drawn from years of mixed-methods research, this volume sheds light on this under-researched subject area despite its recent growth and enormous potential. It is sure to be of interest to students and scholars of democratised knowledge, citizen science and online learning, as well as those already involved in citizen science.
This book begins with an observation: At the time when empiricism arose and slowly established itself, the word itself had not yet been coined. Hence the central question of this volume: What does it mean to conduct empirical science in early modern Europe? How can we catch the elusive figure of the empiricist? Our answer focuses on the practices established by representative scholars. This approach allows us to demonstrate two things. First, that empiricism is not a monolith but exists in a plurality of forms. Today's understanding of the empirical sciences was gradually shaped by the exchanges among scholars combining different traditions, world views and experimental settings. Second, the long proclaimed antagonism between empiricism and rationalism is not the whole story. Our case studies show that a very fruitful exchange between both systems of thought occurred. It is a story of integration, appropriation and transformation more than one of mere opposition. We asked twelve authors to explore these fascinating new facets of empiricisms. The plurality of their voices mirrors the multiple faces of the concept itself. Every contribution can be understood as a piece of a much larger puzzle. Together, they help us better understand the emergence of empiricism and the inventiveness of the scientific enterprise.
The first textbook to explore diversity by demonstrating how satirical content can advance the discussion and change attitudes Engaging in diversity and promoting inclusion means working to remove institutional inequities and actively assist those who have suffered from these inequities. In our changing media and cultural environment, satire has emerged as an increasingly popular approach for promoting diversity and inclusion. Effective satire highlights the absurdity of marginalization processes, but misinterpretation can potentially reinforce historical power dynamics and perpetuate marginalization. Diversity and Satire examines how satire in both traditional media and new spaces reinforces or disrupts issues of marginalization in the United States. Critically analyzing many different forms of satire, this innovative textbook helps students understand what makes effective satire, describe the value of satirical content to others, and recognize how satirical artifacts advance or hinder efforts to diversify institutions. Beginning with an introduction to satire and how it can drive conversations about diversity, the text addresses how satire can be used to address historical discriminatory practices. Each chapter features satirical artifacts that contextualize the material as well as practical advice and tips to consider when engaging with satirical content and distinguishing satire. This textbook also: Illustrates the difference between satire that disrupts discourse and content that merely reinforces stereotypes Explains the historical relevance of satire and its importance in addressing the marginalization of certain populations Describes the nature of satire in the changing media and cultural environment of the twenty-first century Features engaging case studies drawn from a wide variety of satirical sources such as The Daily Show (with Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah), The Onion, Saturday Night Live, The Hunger Games, Weird Al Yankovic, Family Guy, Rick and Morty, Sinclair Lewis, MTV, and College Humor Based on the author's popular course at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Diversity and Satire Laughing at Processes of Marginalization is an important resource for students, instructors, and general readers looking to explore disparities related to Class, Gender, Sexuality, and Race through the lens of satire.
This book explores different theories of law, religion, and tradition, from both a secular and a religious perspective. It reflects on how tradition and change can affect religious and secular legal reasoning, identifying the patterns of legal evolution within religious and secular traditions. It is often taken for granted that, even in law, change corresponds and correlates to progress - that things ought to be changed and they will necessarily get better. There is no doubt that legal changes over the centuries have made it possible to enhance the protection of individual rights and to somewhat contain the possibility of tyranny and despotism. But progress is not everything in law: stability and certainty lie at the core of the rule of law. Similarly, religions and religious laws could not survive without traditions; and yet, they still evolve, and their evolution is often intermingled with secular law. The book asks (and in some ways answers) the questions: What is the role of tradition within religions and religious laws? What is the impact of religious traditions on secular laws, and vice-versa? How are the elements of tradition to be identified? Are they the same within the secular and the religious realm? Do secular law and religious law follow comparable patterns of change? Do their levels of resilience differ significantly? How does the history of religion and law affect changes within religious traditions and legal systems? The overall focus of the book addresses the extent to which tradition plays a role in shaping and re-shaping secular and religious laws, as well as their mutual boundaries.
This book treats the notion of morphisms in spatial analysis, paralleling these concepts in spatial statistics (Part I) and spatial econometrics (Part II). The principal concept is morphism (e.g., isomorphisms, homomorphisms, and allomorphisms), which is defined as a structure preserving the functional linkage between mathematical properties or operations in spatial statistics and spatial econometrics, among other disciplines. The purpose of this book is to present selected conceptions in both domains that are structurally the same, even though their labelling and the notation for their elements may differ. As the approaches presented here are applied to empirical materials in geography and economics, the book will also be of interest to scholars of regional science, quantitative geography and the geospatial sciences. It is a follow-up to the book "Non-standard Spatial Statistics and Spatial Econometrics" by the same authors, which was published by Springer in 2011.
This book offers meaningful work as one of the most relevant issues for 21st century workplaces, and organizations seeking to develop leadership and drive positive change. It uses Viktor Frankl's legacy as a scientific and philosophical pioneer, while combining cutting edge research findings from the behavioural sciences, organizational and management research, and human resource development with outstanding examples of new work approaches of leadership from around the globe. In order to respond to 21st century demands on meaningful work, this book harnesses the power of living meaning, values, purpose and compassion in workplaces. Beate von Devivere shows managers, human resources experts, consultants, coaches, medical experts, students and counsellors as well as all dedicated individuals, how to find meaning in their organizations, their teams and individual functions and challenges, bringing Viktor Frankl's approach to today's workplaces. Integrating a wide range of knowledge and expertise, this book covers organizational development, management practice, and findings from psychology, neuroscience as well as therapeutic approaches and new work concepts. Meaningful work is promoting an integrated approach for the 'Copernican turn', further promoting meaningful work, purpose and a good life.
This book presents the first critical examination of the overlapping ethical, sociocultural, and policy-related issues surrounding disasters, global bioethics, and public health ethics. These issues are elucidated under the conceptual rubric: Public health disasters (PHDs). The book defines PHDs as public health issues with devastating social consequences, the attendant public health impacts of natural or man-made disasters, and latent or low prevalence public health issues with the potential to rapidly acquire pandemic capacities. This notion is illustrated using Ebola and pandemic influenza outbreaks, atypical drug-resistant tuberculosis, and the health emergencies of earthquakes as focal points. Drawing on an approach that reckons with microbial, existential, and anthropological realities; the book develops a relational-based global ethical framework that can help address the local, anthropological, ecological, and transnational dynamics of the ethical issues engendered by public health disasters. The book also charts some of the critical roles that relevant local and transnational stakeholders may play in translating the proposed global ethical framework from the sphere of concept to the arena of action. This title is of immense benefit to bioethics scholars, public and global health policy experts, as well as graduate students working in the area of global health, public health ethics, and disaster bioethics.
Effective science communication is no easy task. While the effective conveyance of technical knowledge presents formidable roadblocks to sharing scientific knowledge and discoveries, certain communication tools like video and film production help to bridge this gap. This user's manual provides a complete set of easy-to-follow directions for video-making as well as tricks of the trade to leverage these skills to better inform the intended audience.
This book explores varieties of spiritual movements and alternative experiments for generation of beauty, dignity and dialogues, in a world where the rise of the religious in politics and the public sphere is often accompanied by violence. It examines how spirituality can contribute to human development, social transformations and planetary realizations, urging us to treat each other, and our planet, with evolutionary care and respect. Trans-disciplinary and trans-paradigmatic to its very core, this text opens new pathways of practical spirituality and humanistic action for both scholarship and discourse and offers an invaluable companion for scholars across religious studies, cultural studies and development studies.
This book presents scientific metrics and its applications for approaching scientific findings in the field of Physics, Economics and Scientometrics. Based on a collection of the author's publications in these fields, the book reveals the profound links between the measures and the findings in the natural laws, from micro-particles to macro-cosmos, in the economic rules of human society, and in the core knowledge among mass information. With this book the readers can gain insights or ideas on addressing the questions of how to measure the physical world, economics process and human knowledge, from the perspective of scientific metrics. The book is also useful to scientists, particularly to specialists in physics, economics and scientometrics, for promoting and stimulating their creative ideas based on scientific metrics.
 The complementary workbook to Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, which has sold more than 5,000,000 copies Learning the Nonviolent Communication (NVC) process has often been equated with learning a whole new way of thinking and speaking. The NVC Companion Workbook helps you easily put these powerful, effective skills into practice with chapter-by-chapter study of Marshall Rosenberg's cornerstone text, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Find a wealth of activities, exercises, and facilitator suggestions to refine and practice this powerful way of communicating. Join the hundreds of thousands worldwide who have improved their relationships and their lives with this simple yet revolutionary process. Included in the new edition is a complete chapter on conflict resolution and mediation.
A cutting-edge guide to quantum trading Original and thought-provoking, Quantum Trading presents a compelling new way to look at technical analysis and will help you use the proven principles of modern physics to forecast financial markets. In it, author Fabio Oreste shows how both the theory of relativity and quantum physics is required to makes sense of price behavior and forecast intermediate and long-term tops and bottoms. He relates his work to that of legendary trader W.D. Gann and reveals how Gann's somewhat esoteric theories are consistent with his applications of Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum theory to price behavior.Applies concepts from modern science to financial market forecasting Shows how to generate support/resistance areas and identify potential market turning points Addresses how non-linear approaches to trading can be used to both understand and forecast market prices While no trading approach is perfect, the techniques found within these pages have enabled the author to achieve a very attractive annual return since 2002. See what his insights can do for you.
This book focuses on innovative strategies to manage and build software systems for generating new knowledge from large archaeological data sets The book also reports on two case studies carried out in real-world scenarios within the Cultural Heritage setting. The book presents an original conceptual framework for developing software solutions to assist the knowledge generation process in connection with large archaeological data sets and related cultural heritage information- a context in which the inputs are mainly textual sources written in freestyle, i.e. without a predetermined, standard structure. Following an in-depth exploration of recent works on the knowledge generation process in the above-mentioned context and IT-based options for facilitating it, the book proposes specific new techniques capable of capturing the structure and semantics implicit in such textual sources, and argues for using this information in the knowledge generation process. The main result is the development of a conceptual framework that can accommodate textual sources and integrate the information included in them into a software engineering framework. The said framework is meant to assist cultural heritage professionals in general, and archaeologists in particular, in both knowledge extraction and the subsequent decision-making process.
This book represents an outstanding contribution to the field of somatic psychology. It focuses on the relationship between body and emotions, and on the linkages between mindfulness-based emotion studies and neuroscience. The author discusses the awakening of somatic intelligence as a journey through pain and trauma management, the moral dimensions of somatic passions, and the art and practice of embodied mindfulness. Issues such as the emotions and the body in relation to Buddhist contemplative practice, against the background of the most recent findings of current neuroscience, are expanded in the book. A broad review of the Darwinian-Jamesian heritage on emotion studies is a unique contribution to the tradition of the somatogenic strands of emotions, and provides a contrasting focus to the ideogenic emotions in Sigmund Freud. This work provides an invaluable resource for students of psychology and philosophy, psychotherapists and meditation teachers, students, and for anyone with an interest in the field of somatic psychology.
This book explores how human population genetics has emerged as a means of imagining and enacting belonging in contemporary society. Venla Oikkonen approaches population genetics as an evolving set of technological, material, narrative and affective practices, arguing that these practices are engaged in multiple forms of belonging that are often mutually contradictory. Considering scientific, popular and fictional texts, with several carefully selected case studies spanning three decades, the author traces shifts in the affective, material and gendered preconditions of population genetic visions of belonging. Topics encompass the debate about Mitochondrial Eve, ancient human DNA, temporality and nostalgia, commercial genetic ancestry tests, and tensions between continental and national genetic inheritance. The book will be of particular interest to scholars and students of science and technology studies, cultural studies, sociology, and gender studies.
Biological rhythms time the ebb and flow of virtually every physiological process, and their mutual coordination guarantees the integrity of the organism over space and time. Aging leads to the disintegration of this coordination, as well as to changes in the amplitude and/or frequency of the underlying rhythms. The results of this are accelerated loss of health during aging, and in experimental model systems curtailed lifespan occurs. This book will examine the machinery that constitutes circadian systems and how they impact physiologic processes. It will also discuss how disturbances of circadian rhythms can lead to complex diseases associated with aging. Much of this treatment will focus on metabolism and genome stability. Importantly, the chapters in this book will encompass work in several different models, in addition to human. The book will conclude with a discussion of modeling approaches to biologic cycles and chronotherapy, for future research and translation.
This book provides an analysis of the construction, diagnosis (as chaotic) and evaluation of models in chaos theory. It contains a detailed look at the interaction of the different models used in chaos theory and analyses how these models influence the way chaos is defined. Furthermore, the book discusses the conditions for the occurrence of chaos and the detection of chaos in nature.
This book will take an evidence-based approach to current knowledge about biomolecules and their place in our lives, inviting readers to explore how we know what we know, and how current gaps in knowledge may influence the way we approach the information. Biomolecular science is increasingly important in our everyday life, influencing the choices we make about our diet, our health, and our wellness. Often, however, information about biomolecular science is presented as a list of immutable facts, discouraging critical thought. The book will introduce the basic tools of structural biology, supply real-life examples, and encourage critical thought about aspects of biology that are still not fully understood.
Interdisciplinarity has become as important outside academia as within. Academics, policy makers, and the general public seek insights to help organize the vast amounts of knowledge being produced, both within research and at all levels of education. The second edition of The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity offers a thorough update of this major reference work, summarizing the latest advances within the field of inter- and transdisciplinarity. The collection is distinguished by its breadth of coverage, with chapters written by leading experts from multiple networks and organizations. The volume is edited by respected interdisciplinary scholars and supported by a prestigious advisory board to ensure the highest quality and breadth of coverage. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity provides a synoptic overview of the current state of interdisciplinary research, education, administration and management, and of problem solving-knowledge that spans the disciplines and interdisciplinary fields. The volume negotiates the space between the academic community and society at large. Offering the most broad-based account of inter- and transdisciplinarity to date, its 47 chapters provide a snapshot of the state of knowledge integration as interdisciplinarity approaches its century mark. This second edition expands its coverage to discuss the emergence of new fields, the increase of interdisciplinary approaches within traditional disciplines and professions, new integrative approaches to education and training, the widening international presence of interdisciplinarity, its increased support in funding agencies and science-policy bodies, and the formation of several new international associations associated with interdisciplinarity. This reference book will be a valuable addition to academic libraries worldwide, important reading for members of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities engaged in interdisciplinary research and education, and helpful for administrators and policy makers seeking to improve the use of knowledge in society.
This book presents the features and advantages offered by complex networks in the machine learning domain. In the first part, an overview on complex networks and network-based machine learning is presented, offering necessary background material. In the second part, we describe in details some specific techniques based on complex networks for supervised, non-supervised, and semi-supervised learning. Particularly, a stochastic particle competition technique for both non-supervised and semi-supervised learning using a stochastic nonlinear dynamical system is described in details. Moreover, an analytical analysis is supplied, which enables one to predict the behavior of the proposed technique. In addition, data reliability issues are explored in semi-supervised learning. Such matter has practical importance and is not often found in the literature. With the goal of validating these techniques for solving real problems, simulations on broadly accepted databases are conducted. Still in this book, we present a hybrid supervised classification technique that combines both low and high orders of learning. The low level term can be implemented by any classification technique, while the high level term is realized by the extraction of features of the underlying network constructed from the input data. Thus, the former classifies the test instances by their physical features, while the latter measures the compliance of the test instances with the pattern formation of the data. We show that the high level technique can realize classification according to the semantic meaning of the data. This book intends to combine two widely studied research areas, machine learning and complex networks, which in turn will generate broad interests to scientific community, mainly to computer science and engineering areas.
In creating and developing the new genre of the televised novela, a one-hour long dramatic serial, the Brazilian television industry grew, in less than 15 years, from an insignificant player in the international market to one of the largest, most influential in the world. In the first book in English to explore the phenomenon of the telenovela Michele and Armand Mattelart challenge accepted views of the world dominance of United States television and probe the socioeconomic impact of this new genre on a third world country. Using the telenovela and its impact on the medium world-wide, the authors document the important changes in the international circulation of television programs and in the way television is perceived theoretically as a subject of research. The book traces the development of the novela in a country that, in the early 1960s, did not have any nationwide media and later--from 1964 to the 1970s--was ruled by a military dictatorship. It further analyzes the formation of the genre and its mode of production, placing the novela's appearance and development in its cultural, institutional, and economic context. The authors look at the peculiar contradictory relation between the genre's creators and developers--generally left wing intellectuals--and the manipulations required to construct a television industry in a highly competitive marketplace. The book begins with a description of the economic, institutional, and cultural context which produced the genre. It explores the world of soap operas, the development of a national television industry, and the beginnings of an urban consumer society in Brazil. The authors include a valuable and detailed study of the mode of production of the telenovela, placing both the form and content of the genre in their specific economic and institutional context. The book goes on to examine the relationship between the genre and its wider social and cultural environment, explaining its immense popularity and the social function it fulfills. Finally, the authors link the study of Brazilian television to wider debates in media and cultural studies.
'Transdisciplinarity' is a form of research and practice that synthesises knowledge from a range of academic disciplines and from the community. There is now global interest and a significant body of work on transdisciplinarity and its potential to address the apparently intractable problems of society. This creates the opportunity for a specific focus on its practical application to sustainability issues. Transdisciplinary Research and Practice for Sustainability Outcomes examines the role of transdisciplinarity in the transformations needed for a sustainable world. After an historical overview of transdisciplinarity, Part I focuses on tools and frameworks to achieve sustainability outcomes in practice and Part II consolidates work by a number of scholars on supporting transdisciplinary researchers and practitioners. Part III is a series of case studies including several international examples that demonstrate the challenges and rewards of transdisciplinary work. The concluding chapter proposes a future research pathway for understanding the human factors that underpin successful transdisciplinary research. As Emeritus Professor Valerie Brown AO notes in her Preface, this book moves transdisciplinary inquiry into the academic and social mainstream. It will be of great interest to researchers and practitioners in the fields of sustainability, qualitative research methods, environmental impact assessment and development studies.
As disputes concerning the environment, the economy, and pandemics occupy public debate, we need to learn to navigate matters of public concern when facts are in doubt and expertise is contested. Controversy Mapping is the first book to introduce readers to the observation and representation of contested issues on digital media. Drawing on actor-network theory and digital methods, Venturini and Munk outline the conceptual underpinnings and the many tools and techniques of controversy mapping. They review its history in science and technology studies, discuss its methodological potential, and unfold its political implications. Through a range of cases and examples, they demonstrate how to chart actors and issues using digital fieldwork and computational techniques. A preface by Richard Rogers and an interview with Bruno Latour are also included. A crucial field guide and hands-on companion for the digital age, Controversy Mapping is an indispensable resource for students and scholars of media and communication, as well as activists, journalists, citizens, and decision makers.
Might it be possible to rearticulate the term digital in digital media, so that it refers at least as much to the deft movements or orientations of hands and fingers (of digits) as it does to the new media technologies themselves? What if digital media are understood as manual media? Has the academic field of media studies tended to focus too much on media, and not enough on the practices and experiences of daily living that help to give media their meaningfulness? What if media researchers were to pay more attention to knowledge-in-movement or to matters of orientation and habitation, and rather less to those of symbolic representation and cognitive interpretation? Digital Orientations is a bold call for non-media-centric media studies (and ultimately for everyday-life studies) with a non-representational theoretical emphasis. The author engages here with a broad range of work from across the humanities and social sciences, drawing on Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological philosophy, Ingold's anthropology, the geographies of Massey, Seamon and Thrift, and the sociologies of Bourdieu, Sudnow and Urry. |
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