This 19th volume in the series discusses a variety of topics in the field of symbolic interaction.

This handbook provides students of quality-of-life (QOL) research with an understanding of how QOL research can be conducted from an ethical marketing perspective - a perspective based on positive social change. The handbook covers theoretical, philosophical, and measurement issues in QOL research. The handbook also approaches selected QOL studies in relation to various populations in various life domains. The marketing approach is highly pragmatic because it allows social and behavioral scientists from any discipline to apply marketing concepts to plan social change and assess the impact of intervention strategies on the QOL of targeted populations.

The system of vocational and adult education and training in Europe offers young people and adults the opportunity to learn to play an effective part in the workplace and elsewhere in society. Vocational and adult education and training is increasingly seen as crucial to the maintenance of employment, economic growth and the social integration of disadvantaged groups. In an economy and a society which are increasingly based on knowledge and information, these tasks can only increase in importance. This book brings together contributors from different disciplines and the different countries in Europe to look at current developments and debates in the development of European education and training, including the relation between markets and institutions, learning and organisations, different programmes and sectors and the economics of education and training. The book will be of interest to students, researchers and policy makers concerned with the future of education and training in Europe.

Pragmatism provoked both admiration and fear, as global changes brought into the twentieth century provoked a revisioning of the cultural narratives about who the citizen and child are and should be. In a new book edited by Thomas S. Popkewitz, scholars representing twelve nations provide original chapters to explore the epistemic features and cultural theses figured in Dewey's writings as they assembled in the discourses of public schooling. The significance of Dewey in the book is not about Dewey as the messenger of pragmatism, but in locating different cultural, political, and educational terrains in which debates about modernity, the modern self, and the making of the citizen occurred.

Primary care, grounded in the provision of continuous comprehensive person-centred care, is of paramount importance in the delivery of accessible and effective health care around the world. The central notion of person-centred care, however, relies on often-unexamined concepts of self, or understandings of what it means to be a person and an agent. This cutting-edge book explores contemporary pressures on the sense of self for both patient and health professional within a consultation and argues that building new concepts of the self is essential if we are to reinvigorate the central tenets of person-centred primary care. Contemporary trends such as shared decision-making between health professionals and patients and promoting self-management assume those involved are able to make their own decisions and take action. In practice, however, medicine often opts for reductionist perspectives of patients as passive mechanical systems and diseases as puzzles. At the same time, huge political and organisational changes mean time and resources are scarce, putting further pressure on consultations. This book discusses how we can start to resolve these tensions. The first part considers problems posed by the increasing bureaucratisation of primary care, the impact of information technology in the consultation, the effects of chronic disease on our sense of self and how an emphasis on biology over biography leads to over-diagnosis. The second part proposes solutions based on a strong ontology of consciousness, concepts of creative capacity, coherence and engagement, and will show how these can enhance the self-esteem of patients and doctors and benefit their therapeutic dialogue. Combining theoretical perspectives from philosophy, sociology and healthcare research with insights drawn from clinical practice, this edited volume is suitable for those researching and studying primary healthcare, communication and relationships in healthcare and the medical humanities.

Rothstein argues that schools in capitalist societies, and in all societies, inculcate students with understandings of themselves and their economic systems. Using a Freudo-Marxian approach, he shows how educational systems reproduce themselves and the social systems which fund them. Grounded in studies of American and European capitalist societies, this text traces the formation of the public and private identities, and illustrates how individuals are indoctrinated with capitalist ideology through linguistic and cultural transmissions. Rothstein concludes that education must be liberated from ideological effects by focusing learning on the processes which create them, thus giving students deeper insight into their own identities and roles in the social system. The book begins with an overview of sociocultural theories of schooling, in which the author demonstrates that schools reproduce social structures and values through the use of arbitrary ideological understandings and values. Rothstein then suggests that the State intervenes and regulates education in order to propagate politically and economically correct learnings and behavior. This inculcation of values and world views is an act of symbolic violence in which those in authority gain ideological mastery of their students from one generation to the next. This education of the individual also takes place in the worlds of the family and, later, at work, where the student or worker becomes a commodity who can be bought and sold. He or she exists as a cost of production. Rothstein concludes that to free the individual from the shackles of ideological and economic domination, families and schools must be liberated from their arbitrary practices and links with the labor market. Educators will find Rothstein's use of ideology and language valuable and provocative as they struggle to reform educational systems today.

An in-depth look at soft computing methods and their applications in the human sciences, such as the social and the behavioral sciences. Soft computing methods - including fuzzy systems, neural networks, evolutionary computing and probabilistic reasoning - are state-of-the-art methods in theory formation and model construction. The powerful application areas of these methods in the human sciences are demonstrated, including the replacement of statistical models by simpler numerical or linguistic soft computing models and the use of computer simulations with approximate and linguistic constituents. "Dr. Niskanen's work opens new vistas in application of soft computing, fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory to the human sciences. This book is likely to be viewed in retrospect as a landmark in its field" (Lotfi A. Zadeh, Berkeley)

This volume examines the transformation of politics and social movements at various levels. Starting with a transformation of identity within social movements, it goes on to discuss changes in the scale of social movement mobilization. The impact of social movements on the state is also considered, with a particular focus upon the ways in which the state is able to incorporate apparently radical political agendas. Finally, the book examines those intellectual and theoretical debates stimulated by recent political transformations.

The English language version of proceedings of a bilateral UK/FRG conference held at Philipps Universitaet, Marburg. The theme of this conference was the examination of childhood and youth as life-stages in the context of contemporary social and cultural change, with an eye to future developments.

A comprehensive overview of feminist scholarship edited by an internationally recognized and leading figure in the field Companion to Feminist Studies provides a broad overview of the rich history and the multitude of approaches, theories, concepts, and debates central to this dynamic interdisciplinary field. Comprehensive yet accessible, this edited volume offers expert insights from contributors of diverse academic, national, and activist backgrounds--discussing contemporary research and themes while offering international, postcolonial, and intersectional perspectives on social, political, cultural, and economic institutions, social media, social justice movements, everyday discourse, and more. Organized around three different dimensions of Feminist Studies, the Companion begins by exploring ten theoretical frameworks, including feminist epistemologies examining Marxist and Socialist Feminism, the activism of radical feminists, the contributions of Black feminist thought, and interrelated approaches to the fluidity of gender and sexuality. The second section focuses on methodologies and analytical frameworks developed by feminist scholars, including empiricists, economists, ethnographers, cultural analysts, and historiographers. The volume concludes with detailed discussion of the many ways in which pedagogy, political ecology, social justice, globalization, and other areas within Feminist Studies are shaped by feminism in practice. A major contribution to scholarship on both the theoretical foundations and contemporary debates in the field, this volume: Provides an international and interdisciplinary range of the essays of high relevance to scholars, students, and practitioners alike Examines various historical and modern approaches to the analysis of gender and sexual differences Addresses timely issues such as the difference between radical and cultural feminism, the lack of women working as scientists in academia and other research positions, and how activism continues to reformulate feminist approaches Draws insight from the positionality of postcolonial, comparative and transnational feminists Explores how gender, class, and race intersect to shape women's experiences and inform their perspectives Companion to Feminist Studies is an essential resource for students and faculty in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Feminist Studies programs, and related disciplines including anthropology, psychology, history, political science, and sociology, and for researchers, scholars, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and advocates working on issues related to gender, sexuality, and social justice.

The papers in this volume push the study of the multifaceted nature-society relationship and the socioeconomic consequences of human dependence on nature forward in a variety of areas. In the first section, "Theoretical Foundations," the five chapters lay out theoretical models for examining the nature-society relationship. The chapters examine the roles of material process, space, and time in shaping social processes of economic ascent and long term hegemonic change, as well as the role of the analysis of raw materials in environmental sociology.

In the second section, "Commodities, Extraction and Frontiers," a series of case studies covering a range of industries, locations and historical periods present a variety of applications of the political economy of natural resources to critical issues regarding commodities, extraction and frontiers. The case study industries include oil, steel, transport, furs, sugar and Brazil nuts, and the chapters examine regions in Latin America, North America, and Asia.

In the third section, "Connecting Political and Economic Change," four chapters focus on the relationship between raw materials, economic change, and socioeconomic change. These chapters examine long term economic and political change and the relationship between political and economic change in Latin America and Africa.

Dementia is an urgent global concern, often termed a widespread 'problem', 'tragedy' or 'burden' and a subject best addressed by health and social policy and practice. However, creative writers can offer powerful and imaginative insights into the experience of dementia across cultures and over time. This cross-disciplinary volume explores how engaging with dementia through its myriad literary representations can help to deepen and humanise attitudes to people living with the condition. Offering and interrogating a wide array of perspectives about how dementia might be 'imagined', this book allows us to see how different ways of being can inflect one another. By drawing on the 'lived' experience of the individual unique person and their loved ones, literature can contribute to a deeper and more compassionate and more liberating attitude to a phenomenon that is both natural and unnatural. Novels, plays and stories reveal a rich panoply of responses ranging from the tragic to the comic, allowing us to understand that people with dementia often offer us models of humour, courage and resilience, and carers can also embody a range of responses from rigidity to compassion. Dementia and Literature problematises the subject of dementia, encouraging us all to question our own hegemonies critically and creatively. Drawing on literary studies, cultural studies, education, clinical psychology, psychiatry, nursing and gerontology, this book is a fascinating contribution to the emerging area of the medical and health humanities. The book will be of interest to those living with dementia and their caregivers as well as to the academic community and policy makers.

The volume offers a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of time. Based on selected contributions from leading writers, it illustrates the range of issues and perspectives which define the field. The volume traces distinct traditions of time analysis in social science and uses these to explain, for example, the development of capitalist time-consciousness, the ways we structure time in organizations and institutions, and how our time perceptions change in line with changes in culture. The book is for those who wish to understand how time comes to condition our everyday actions and affairs.

Traces the traditions of Black American literature and examines the novels of Paule Marshall, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker.

Australia and New Zealand are arguably two of the world's leading Indigenous tourism destinations. This volume presents a collection of unique case studies focusing on issues pertaining to Indigenous tourism planning and development. Issues covered include: * Strategies for sustainable development; * Diversifying economies through Indigenous tourism; * Preparing for tourism and developing capacity ; * Successful Indigenous tourism entrepreneurship The research papers in this volume introduce some of the most interesting entrepreneurial Indigenous tourism ventures and associated research in the world, providing inspiration and information to readers (i.e., students, researchers and industry) around the world. With contributions from experts in the field Indigenous Tourism: cases from Australia and New Zealand is the first edited volume to specifically focus on the Indigenous tourism sector in Australia and New Zealand. This collection represents the first volume to specifically highlight the culture, traditions, and knowledges of the First Peoples of Australia and New Zealand and provides important reading for researchers, students and practitioners around the globe as awareness of, and interest in the diversity of Indigenous cultures, traditions, histories and knowledges continues to grow.

Based on a case study carried out in the southern city of Guangzhou in China, this book describes the dramatic changes occurring at a large state owned enterprise as this socialist country undergoes market transition. It shows how these changes have led to the dismantling of the "iron rice bowl", the transformation of the socialist work unit and the life of its members, and the creation of a new model of occupational welfare.

Security risk assessment and related control mechanisms are management tools that will fail in their purpose if they are too complex, too bureaucratic or insufficiently focused. Security Risk Assessment and Control presents a comprehensive risk model together with worked examples, helpful tips and blank proformas and forms. Written in a clear, easily digestible style, it also comprises a useful aide-memoire relevant to more experienced security professionals.

.Who are the majority high school dropouts? They are neither the poor nor members of minority groups. Rather they are native-born white youth from homes in which only English is spoken and with incomes above the poverty level. However, minority and poor youth are more likely to be undereducated, and minority youth are more likely to be poor. Undereducation in America provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive examination of the high school dropout problem available today. It examines the numbers, rates, and characteristics of undereducated young people among white majority; African American; Hispanic; American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut; Asian and Pacific Islander youth; and among non-Hispanic language minority whites. Having a non-English language background is not necessarily an educational risk factor of itself for dropping out of school. Dr. Waggoner finds that American schools are failing all youth, but she finds American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut youth are the most likely of all native-born youth to be undereducated. Most of the much-noted disparity between the dropout rates of Hispanic youth and the rates of other groups is due to the limited education of many Hispanic immigrants, who constitute less than 30 percent of the entire group.

The findings of "Undereducation in America" provide a guide for policy makers, school administrators, researchers, community groups, and others seeking solutions to the problems of educating school populations that, increasingly, are culturally and linguistically diverse.

As China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia become world economic powers, questions arise regarding the fate of workers in these countries. This book examines the difficult road traveled by human rights movements in these nations when trying to create independent labor organizations free from governmental interference. The in-depth treatment includes: a worker's rights/labor standards model individumental interference comprehensive data tables on many aspects of the labor struggle ally crafted for each of these nations comprehensive data tables on many aspects of the labor struggle China's problems as it moves from complete state economic control to a modified form of capitalism.

This volume covers topics including: translation issues in cross-cultural research; African American teachers for African American students; the social mediation of metacognition; and cross-cultural similarities and differences in affective meaning of achievement.

This book encapsulates some work done in the DIRC project concerned with trust and responsibility in socio-technical systems. It brings together a range of disciplinary approaches - computer science, sociology and software engineering - to produce a socio-technical systems perspective on the issues surrounding trust in technology in complex settings. Computer systems can only bring about their purported benefits if functionality, users and usability are central to their design and deployment. Thus, technology can only be trusted in situ and in everyday use if these issues have been brought to bear on the process of technology design, implementation and use. The studies detailed in this book analyse the ways in which trust in technology is achieved and/or worked around in everyday situations in a range of settings - including hospitals, a steelworks, a public enquiry, the financial services sector and air traffic control.

Analyzing the relationship between digital technologies and society, this book explores a wide range of complex social issues emerging in a new digital space. It examines both the vexing dilemmmas with a critical eye as well as prompting readers to think constructively and strategically about exciting possibilities.

"Situating Globality" challenges the dominant view that globalization is a primary threat to African societies and economies. It explores how these societies are appropriating elements of the emerging global culture, arguing the significance of this appropriation in local struggles, the expression of critical thinking, ideologies and ritual styles of behaviour. Combining an interest for micro-level processes of situating the multifaceted process of globality with the exploration of reflexivity, creativity and the production of knowledge, "Situating Globality" straddles the divide between anthropological and philosophical representations of Africa in the new world order. The first section examines philosophical issues relating to the production of knowledge in and about Africa from a globalizing perspective, while the other sections include case studies showing how these processes are accommodated in everyday life.