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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social groups & communities > General
In all developed countries - though to widely varying extents - a
minority of the population suffers from deprivation. The Labour
Government in Britain in particular has sought to conceptualize and
deal with this through the notion of 'Social Exclusion': similar
ideas have been found in other countries.
The concept of the social responsibility of business has roots in the Puritan doctrine of stewardship as well as the nineteenth-century "gospel of wealth," but business leaders only began to consider community welfare as a whole in the context of their corporate aspirations of the latter half of the twentieth century. Originally appearing in 1970, The Social Responsibilities of Business surveys the history of corporate actions in pursuit of social responsibility, and attempts to assess likely developments. Reissued in 1988 by Transaction with a new introduction by the author and now available in paperback, the volume provides Morrell Heald the opportunity to evaluate his earlier predictions and identify prospects for further development in the area of corporate social responsibility. Some of Heald's predictions have not yet come to fruition, and he reflects upon the reasons. No effective structure yet exists to permit an open exchange of views and needs between business and representatives of its various constituencies. In addition, two of Heald's earlier suggestions have not taken root in the way he anticipated--the company foundation, and the corporate social audit--and he assesses why they have not, and what opportunities they still provide. The Social Responsibilities of Business provides essential background for understanding the developing social role of the corporation and for assessing its future direction.
This book critically examines sustainability challenges that humankind faces and offers responsible organising as a solution in responding to these challenges. The text explores how different actors can responsibly organise for transformative action towards sustainable outcomes, as expressed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Responsible refers to a reflexive understanding of how to organise in times of sustainability challenges. Organising refers to activities and practices where different actors take transformative action together. This comprehensive edited collection of short, clear, concise, and compelling chapters brings together scholars in a range of disciplines and blends theoretical perspectives to study humans and social interactions, organisations, nonhumans, and living environments. It offers topical examples from across the world and from organising of companies and other organisations, supply chains, networks, ecosystems, and markets. The book is written for scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities as well as for practitioners working with the SDGs. It discusses complex issues in an informative and engaging way. It is critical and collaborative. The book serves as an introduction to key themes and perspectives of responsible organising and offers new insights on connections between themes and perspectives.
In contemporary European and American urban policy and politics and in academic research it is typically assumed that spatial concentrations of poor households and/or ethnic minority households will have negative effects upon the opportunities to improve the social conditions of those who are living in these concentrations. Since the level of concentration tends to be correlated with the level of spatial segregation the 'debate on segregation' is also linked to the social opportunity discussion. This book explores the central questions in urban and housing studies: Do poor neighbourhoods make their residents poorer? Does the neighbourhood structure exert an effect on the residents (behavioural, attitudinal, or psychological) even when controlling for individual characteristics of the residents? This issue has offered a locus for multi-disciplinary investigations on both sides of the Atlantic, and this volume demonstrates the rich geographical, sociological, economic and psychological dimensions of this issue. This book was previously published as a special issue of the journal Housing Studies.
Published in 1999, this book explores the emergence of contemporary urban agriculture as well as official attitudes toward this practice. Using three theoretical models, the author tells us who is more likely to be involved in urban agriculture. In line with this, he explains why, contrary to expectations, in Ghana there are more males than females involved in urban agriculture. The author also addresses issues such as the influence of social inequality and the effects of social networks on urban agriculture. Furthermore, he identifies the problems urban cultivators encounter as city farmers and how they cope with such problems. Finally, the author predicts the future trend in urban agriculture. This thought-provoking book will be of interest not only to public policy makers and planners, but also to students and teachers of African studies, urban studies, and sociology.
A close collaboration between an eminent sociologist and an eminent historian, this seminal work shows that sociology is and should be the ally of the historian and vice versa. Taking Egypt and the Ancient East as the subject matter, this analysis of early society seeks to show the beginnings of social order and its first steps onto the ladder that leads to classical civilization of the ancient and modern world. The book covers in a systematic way, both theoretically and historically, totemic organization, individualized and communistic power, the progress from clans to kingdoms, especially in ancient Egypt and the Semitic world, the empires of Iran, and the Barbarian invasions. A stimulating and authoritive study in history and sociology.
How common is child sexual abuse? How can victims and abusers best be treated? In Innocence Destroyed, originally published in 1993, the author uses interviews with victims and with experienced professionals, as well as new data from Britain, North America and Australia, to give a clear picture of the problem of child sexual abuse - its extent, its effects, and the most up-to-date recommendations for treating its victims and preventing its recurrence at the time. For those new to the subject, her book provides a readable account of a complex area, and for the more experienced worker it gives as invaluable overview of the findings of other professionals in the field.
Responding to security scholars' puzzling dearth of attention to children and childhoods, the contributors to this volume reveal the ways in which they not only are already present in security discourses but are actually indispensable to them and to the political projects they make possible. From zones of conflict to everyday life contexts in the (post)industrial Global North, dominant ideas about childhood work to regulate the constitution of political subjects whilst variously enabling and foreclosing a wide range of political possibilities. Whether on the battlefields of Syria, in the halls of the UN, or the conceptual musings of disciplinary Security Studies, claims about or ostensibly on behalf of children are ubiquitous. Recognizing children as engaged political subjects, however, challenges us to bring a sustained critical gaze to the discursive and semiotic deployments of children and childhood in projects not of their making as well as to the ways in which power circulates through and around them. This book was originally published as a special issue of Critical Studies on Security.
Narrating Nomadism provides an unflinching account of ethnic groups and nomadic communities across the world that were branded as 'criminal' during colonial times. It explores the tragic effect of the new identity imposed on them, the traumatic survival of these communities and cultures, and the creative expression of this experience in their arts and literature in the form of resistance. Presenting specific contexts and locations of cultural devastation in history, the volume traces colonial social imagination as such, showing how the grossly misperceived non-sedentary communities in the colonies were subjected to the mission of 'settling' them. The essays presented here document these alternative histories from perspectives ranging from literary criticism and art history to ethnography and socio-linguistics, highlighting in what ways different nomadic communities negotiate discrimination and challenge in contemporary times, while finding remarkable convergence in their local histories and collective testimonies. This anthology opens up a new area in postcolonial studies as well as cultural anthropology by bringing the viewpoint of marginalized communities and their cultural rights to bear upon history, society and culture. It places an activist's 'view from below' at the centre of literary interpretation, engages with oral history more substantially than folklore studies usually do, and brings together several historical narratives hitherto unexplored. This will be essential for students of anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, history, linguistics, post-colonial studies, literature and tribal studies, as well as the general reader.
Levy-Bruhl speculates about what he posited as the two basic mind-sets of mankind; "primitive" and "Western." The primitive mind does not differentiate the supernatural from reality, but rather uses "mystical participation" to manipulate the world. Moreover, the primitive mind doesn't address contradictions. The Western mind, by contrast, uses speculation and logic. 'How Natives Think' IS an accurate and valuable contribution to anthropology.
Offering a fresh and exciting new perspective on differentiation and inequality, this absorbing book investigates how our most personal choices (of sexual partners, friends, consumption items and lifestyle) are influenced by hierarchy and social difference. Exploring the topics of assortative mating; social capital; friendship networks and cultural identity; the book examines how hierarchy affects our tastes and leisure time activities, and who we choose (and hang on to) as our friends and partners. This book: * introduces debates on stratification by exploring its effect on everyday social relations * relates class inequalities to broader processes of social division and cultural differentiation, exploring the associational and cultural aspects of hierarchy * explores how groups draw on social, economic and cultural resources, using cultural 'cues', to admit some and exclude others from their social circle * explores new theoretical approaches to stratification: drawing on cultural theories of class, social interaction approaches, and research on differential association The book has a novel and fresh new way of looking at a well-established area in sociology - social stratification.
The book explores the notion of Gypsy and Traveler ethnicity and
provides a critique of the conceptual basis of racial and ethnic
categorization. An analysis of the post-war housing situation is
given in order to illustrate a connection between social and
economic conditions, legislation affecting gypsies and travelers
and the visibility and general consciousness of the gypsy and
traveler population.
Since the 1980s, Mexico has alternately served as a model of
structural economic reform and as a cautionary example of the
limitations associated with market-led development. Because of the
importance of the Mexican experience in continuing debates about
options available to developing countries, the twenty-three
contributors to this book provide a comprehensive,
interdisciplinary assessment of the principal economic and social
policies adopted by Mexico during the 1980s and 1990s.
Around the world, citizens in local communities are utilising ICTs
to underpin the creation of a participatory and democratic vision
of the network society. Embedded in the richness and diversity of
community practice, a vision of a 'civil network society' is
emerging. A society where ICTs are harnessed as tools to improve
the quality of life and reflect the diversity of social networks;
where people are viewed as citizens, not just as consumers, and
where heterogeneity is perceived as a strength rather than a
weakness.
This book provides the most comprehensive examination of community reinvestment and fair lending problems and policies currently available. It outlines the history of lending discrimination and redlining in U.S. mortgage and small business lending markets, and documents the persistence of such problems today. The author explains the role that government has played in developing banking and credit markets in the United States, from the creation of Alexander Hamilton's First Bank of the United States to the ongoing support government provides through the subsidization of secondary markets and through maintenance of critical regulatory infrastructure. Immergluck takes issue with those calling for deregulation of financial services - especially in the arena of fair lending and consumer protection - and gives new voice to rationales for social contract policies such as the Community Reinvestment Act. He provides new long-term analysis of the failure of federal bank regulators to enforce the CRA, and also shows how increased community activism and media attention have led to sporadic periods of stronger CRA enforcement. Finally, he recommends a number of policy changes that are needed to modernize the nation's fair lending and community reinvestment laws and make them more relevant for the 21st century.
Around the world, citizens in local communities are utilising ICTs
to underpin the creation of a participatory and democratic vision
of the network society. Embedded in the richness and diversity of
community practice, a vision of a 'civil network society' is
emerging. A society where ICTs are harnessed as tools to improve
the quality of life and reflect the diversity of social networks;
where people are viewed as citizens, not just as consumers, and
where heterogeneity is perceived as a strength rather than a
weakness.
Morley's book offers the first accessible guide for students to show how theories, models and concepts have been applied to ancient history. Showing readers how they can use theory to interpret historical evidence for themselves, as well as to evaluate the work of others, the book includes a survey of key ideas and theories on a wide range of ancient historical topics including society and economy, the environment, gender and sexuality, and myth and rationality. Also including a helpful annotated guide to further reading on all the topics covered, students will not want to miss out on this essential guide to the ancient world.
The western, one of Hollywood's great film genres, has, surprisingly, enjoyed a revival recently in Asia and in other parts of the world, whilst at the same time declining in America. Although the western is often seen as an example of American cultural dominance, this book challenges this view. It considers the western from an Asian perspective, exploring why the rise of Asian westerns has come about, and examining how its aesthetics, styles and politics have evolved as a result. It analyses specific Asian Westerns as well as Westerns made elsewhere, including in Australia, Europe, and Hollywood, to demonstrate how these employ Asian philosophical and mythical ideas and value systems. The book concludes that the western is a genre which is truly global, and not one that that is purely intrinsic to America.
Until recently, issues surrounding ethnic-linked inequality, whether between Jews and Arabs or between Jewish ethnic groups, have dominated research on stratification in Israel to the exclusion of other dimensions. Rapidly growing inequality in Israeli society, and its intergenerational persistence, however, have generated several new trends in research. The chapters included in this volume represent the range and depth of recent developments in the study of social stratification, mobility, and inequality. Although they address a variety of issues, they have in common a focus on the institutional mechanisms that govern the allocation of rewards. The volume is divided into five parts: Part 1, "The Role of Education in the Stratification Process"; Part 2, "Class and Intergenerational Process"; Part 3, "The Ethnic Organization of the Labor Market"; Part 4, "Gender in the Stratification Process"; Part 5, "The State and the Stratification Process." Some chapters apply to Israel classical status attainment models and labor market research, developed primarily in American sociology, highlighting the peculiarities of Israeli society. Others start out with particular characteristics of Israeli society, most notably the centrality of the state apparatus, and explore their consequences for social stratification. Gender inequality inside and outside the military is examined as well as the issue of gender-related labor market inequality. Together these chapters provide a comprehensive picture of the structure of domination and subordination in various spheres of Israeli society, ranging from educational institutions to the labor market, housing, standard of living, and the cultural arena. This volume portrays the multiple dimensions of stratification and inequality in Israel by bringing together some of the most informative sociological research conducted during the past decade. It will be of particular interest to sociologists, social scientists, and students of Judaica.
China's Scientific Elite is a study of those scientists holding China's highest academic honour - membership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Having carried out extensive systematic data collection of CAS members Cao examines the social stratification system of the Chinese science community and the way in which politics and political interference has effected the stratification. The book then goes on to compare the Chinese system to the stratification of the US scientific elite. The conclusions are fascinating, not least because one national elite resides in a democratic liberal social system, and the other in an authoritarian social system.
Are all cities alike? This text highlights the extent to which the different histories, economies, politics and cultures of cities affect people's daily practices so that they vary from one city to another. In particular, it focuses on whether the assumed differences between London, the global city and Jerusalem, the holy city reflected in people's experiences in living in the two cities. The book suggests that some of these everyday practices are not so different as might be assumed. It proposes that people of different national, cultural or gender identities might experience their city - as home for similar reasons. It explores the experiences of women and men of different national, cultural and ethnic identities and age groups, who live in the two cities. Their narratives focus on three main concepts: comfort, belonging and commitment as they are experienced with regards to seven categories of environments: the home, the building, the street, the neighbourhood, the city center, the city itself and urban parks in the city. everyday life experiences? Two significant identities are at focus in the analysis; gender and national identity. The analysis of each of the concepts discovers how these identities shape peoples' ways of interpreting and the meanings given to comfort, belonging and commitment. The analysis is carried out among people of both minority and majority groups in the two cities. Nationality and gender identities cross cuts the analysis through the whole book chapters. It makes the links between everyday life experiences termed in the book as: local embodied knowledge and the planning practice. The book shows how it is possible to articulate the local knowledge that has been exposed and analyzed in the various book chapters into the planning practice. The book suggests new ways of incorporating these similar and different experiences in the planning process.
"The Survival of a Counterculture" is a lively, engaging look into the ways communards, or people who live in communes, maintain, modify, use, and otherwise live with their convictions while they attempt to get through the problems of everyday life. Communal families shape their norms to the circumstances they live with, just as on a larger scale nations and major institutions also shape their ideologies to the pressures of circumstance they feel. With a new introduction by the author that brings his work up to date, this volume raises important questions regarding sociological theory.
The Renaissance of Takefu tells the story of a citizen group that made good in an enduring and fundamental way through the example and results of their participation in local civic life. The book draws attention to the complicated conditions under which civic participation may succeed. The story foregrounds individuals and organisations in the regional Japanese town of Takefu (2001 population 73,000), but these events are also placed in the context of the surrounding Japan Sea region of west Japan and the wider currents of the Japanese nation-state at the time. The author relies on the familiar qualitative research methods of participant-observation, conversations, survey and semi-structured interviews in order to weave primary sources with his own observations as an interested outsider. Combined with the scholarship on citizen movements, cultural politics and historical representation, the result is a memorable account about good people perservering in their love of their townscape, in spite of numerous socially and culturally rooted obstacles they faced. |
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