Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Shanyang Zhao provides a unique examination of this evolving topic with a framework to address the common questions: What is self? How is self formed? and Why does self matter? Drawing a fascinating distinction between self and self-concept, Zhao regards both as part of a larger constellation named the 'self-phenomenon.' He separates social determinants of self from neurocognitive prerequisites of self. Focusing on the social determinants, he reviews how social schemas shape self-concept through three intertwined mechanisms and how social resources affect self-conscious action through social position and social capital. Key Features: A clear distinction between self and self-concept A study of the self as both a social product and a social force A new framework for the sociology of the self, built on the foundation of classic works A close examination of three mechanisms of self-concept formation with specifications of the scope conditions under which each mechanism operates An analysis of the distinctiveness of human normative selves through cross-species comparison This Advanced Introduction will provide essential reading for scholars and researchers in sociology, social psychology, and social policy.

Following her internationally bestselling book The Good Women of China, Xinran has written one of the most powerful accounts of the lives of Chinese women. She has gained entrance to the most pained, secret chambers in the hearts of Chinese mothers--students, successful businesswomen, midwives, peasants--who, whether as a consequence of the single-child policy, destructive age-old traditions, or hideous economic necessity, have given up their daughters. Xinran beautifully portrays the "extra-birth guerrillas" who travel the roads and the railways, evading the system, trying to hold on to more than one baby; naive young girl students who have made life-wrecking mistakes; the "pebble mother" on the banks of the Yangtze River still looking into the depths for her stolen daughter; peasant women rejected by their families because they can't produce a male heir; and Little Snow, the orphaned baby fostered by Xinran but confiscated by the state.
For parents of adopted Chinese children and for the children themselves, this is an indispensable, powerful, and intensely moving book. Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother is powered by love and by heartbreak and will stay with readers long after they have turned the final page.

This accessible textbook provides a comprehensive guide to the building blocks of sustainable social enterprise, exploring how core elements contribute to either the success or failure of the social venture. It analyzes the key skills needed to synthesize effective business practices with effective social innovation and points out both what works and what does not. Taking a practical approach, it demonstrates how big ideas can be transformed into entities that produce lasting change. Key Features: Discussion questions and activities to aid student learning and debate A multi-part case study that helps students see social enterprise in practice Recommended resources sections that encourage students to explore the topic further Readable, real-life anecdotes, examples, and analogies that illustrate how social entrepreneurship initiatives operate Learning objectives and chapter summaries to guide students through key topics including product development, idea generation, social change theory, marketing, and operating structures Making the case that social entrepreneurship may be the most effective way to bring about positive changes in society, this textbook will be an essential resource for introductory courses and electives in social entrepreneurship.

This is the second volume of an anthology of articles about critical social science. Can critical social science chart a way out of this chaos? Well, no, sadly it cannot. That is a task for the people of the world to accomplish. But perhaps critical social science can come up with the right way of thinking and talking about problems. That way when the social movement is reanimated, it will have at its disposal a ready-made tool for action. The texts in this anthology are a small contribution towards this aim and include: a novel critique of Trumpism; sexual dysfunctions in Iran; a rhetorical analysis of Henry V; Guy Aldred and proletarian atheism; Otto Gross and psychoanalysis; history of football; humour in psychotherapy; and cricket.

This timely book critically examines the European Social Model as a contested concept and concrete set of European welfare and governance arrangements. It offers a theoretical and empirical analysis of new economic models and existing European investment strategies to address key issues within post-Covid-19 Europe. The authors explore the structural inequalities that have been shaped by strong imbalances in the relationship between public health, work, formal and informal care, inequality, poverty and the labour market across Europe. They then assess the potential of new economic models and measures, when combined with existing European governance and collaborative welfare arrangements, to repair the European Social Model. With a particular focus on policy measures that affect young and older people in Europe, chapters also provide a critical insight into the fragmented, multi-actor and multidimensional process of building a European social space that has led to the hybridization of welfare systems. Offering a firm theoretical foundation to the understanding of European welfare arrangements and the social open method of coordination, this book will be a valuable resource for academics and students of European social policy, comparative social policy and European governance. Its analysis of empirical evidence relating to the implementation of policy measures will also be beneficial for policymakers and practitioners working in health, social care and welfare fields.

This extraordinary book contains the most solid evidence yet seen of a "World shadow government", changing rumour into reality and cause for concern. It's the book "They" most definitely don't want you to read and it keeps its promises with a sharp insight into what's in store. The writer owes no confidentiality to government, commerce, media or military and so may lift the lid.

'I read everything he writes. Every time he writes a book, I read it. Every time he writes an article, I read it . . . he's a national treasure.' Rachel Maddow Patrick Radden Keefe's work has garnered prizes ranging from the National Magazine Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award in the US to the Orwell Prize in the UK for his meticulously reported, hypnotically engaging work on the many ways people behave badly. Rogues brings together a dozen of his most celebrated articles from the New Yorker. As Keefe says in his preface: 'They reflect on some of my abiding preoccupations: crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.' Keefe brilliantly explores the intricacies of forging $150,000 vintage wines, examines whether a whistleblower who dared to expose money laundering at a Swiss bank is a hero or a fabulist, spends time in Vietnam with Anthony Bourdain, chronicles the quest to bring down a cheerful international black-market arms merchant, and profiles a passionate death-penalty attorney who represents the 'worst of the worst', among other bravura works of literary journalism. The appearance of his byline in the New Yorker is always an event, and collected here for the first time readers can see his work forms an always enthralling but deeply human portrait of criminals and rascals, as well as those who stand up against them.

In 1982 acclaimed Washington Post columnist Colman McCarthy was invited to teach a course on writing at an impoverished public school in Washington, D.C. He responded, "I'd rather teach peace." Thus began the work he has passionately pursued for the past twenty-five years????????????????????????teaching courses on nonviolence, conflict management, and peace studies, to students in a range of schools, from Georgetown University Law Center, to a juvenile prison, and various high schools in between. I'd Rather Teach Peace chronicles one semester in six of these schools, as students find themselves challenged and inspired by an unconventional course and by a man who believes that if we don't teach our children peace someone else will teach them violence.

With contributions from top scholars in the field, this cutting-edge Handbook critically examines the effects of glocalisation on various subdisciplines of the humanities and social sciences. Broad and innovative, it provides a fresh take on the different forms of the glocal in contemporary culture. Using engaging case studies, humanities scholars examine how glocalisation has impacted archaeology, art, literature, philosophy, law and food; social science experts discuss the impact on tourism, religion, urban studies, criminology, education and sports. Forward-thinking, the volume engages with new developments in media and communication, considering how technological innovation, digitisation and the mediatised world affect interrelations in consumer culture. It concludes with an examination of new research frontiers, considering translocality, world science theory, and post-colonialism to expand the field by developing original approaches and suggesting new directions for research. Featuring practical insights from a wide range of disciplines, this Handbook is invaluable for students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences. It will also benefit policy makers within cultural domains concerned with glocalisation.

This insightful book critically explores the political, constitutional, legal, and economic challenges of effectively combating the laundering of the proceeds of crime by politically exposed persons (PEPs) in Africa. Professor John Hatchard draws on numerous recent examples from Africa and beyond, arguing that a three-pronged approach is required to address the issues surrounding money laundering by PEPs; there must be action at the national, transnational, and corporate levels. Taking a forward-thinking perspective, he reviews the strategies which would make this approach effective and offers suggestions for their further enhancement. Professor Hatchard also provides an in-depth analysis of the different money laundering techniques used in African countries and suggests how constitutions, financial intelligence units, asset recovery mechanisms, and the African Court of Justice and Human Rights can be utilised to tackle the problem. The book concludes that while challenges remain, there is cause for optimism that money laundering by African PEPs can be addressed successfully. This book will be of interest to academics and students of law, particularly those focusing on financial law, corruption, and economic crime. Containing a wealth of practical case studies, it will also be beneficial for legal practitioners, policymakers, public officials, and civil society organisations.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach this book provides a cutting-edge, in-depth account of social policy research today, how we got here, and where future research should be headed. It defines the core research agenda for the future covering multiple social policy fields, including care, family, health, and housing policy as well as gender equality, labour market policy, and welfare attitudes. The book brings together a unique combination of scholars from social policy, sociology, political science, international relations, and law, who explore how European societies have changed over the last 20 years, the future challenges which need to be addressed and the role for social policy research. The editors argue that to advance research on European social policy, we need to develop a better understanding of the interplay between multiple policies, invest more resources in theoretical development, and effectively utilize perhaps the greatest asset of European social policy research - its multidisciplinarity. Offering crucial insights into the dynamic nature of social policy research, this book will be a valuable guide for social policy scholars and students. Its discussion of a broad range of social policy areas will also be useful for practitioners and policymakers across a wide range of social policy fields.

What have Atheists, Christians and Muslims and all other categories in the human race got in common? Why - despite our shared humanity - do so many of us get involved in clashes about religion? And why do some of us even fight and kill each other? What do you understand by the world 'God'? Are humans the creatures of God or is 'God' the invention of mankind? How can we make sense of 'God' in a suffering world? And finally, why do we need to talk and listen to each other. The author considers these and many other questions posed by the menacing social and political breakdown in our fragile world 'community'.

Analysing one of the most controversial areas in public policy, this pioneering Research Handbook brings together contributions from expert researchers to provide a global overview of the shifting dynamics of drug policy. Chapters tackle a complex and cross-cutting issue from inter and multi-disciplinary perspectives, incorporating political science, history, law and public health into their analyses. Emphasising connections between the domestic and the international, this timely Research Handbook illustrates the intersections between drug policy, human rights obligations and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Integrating detailed discussion of ever-evolving drug markets, a diverse range of policy responses, and political and ideological tensions, the contributors offer an insightful analysis of the regional dynamics of drug control, its historic constructions, and the contemporary and emerging problems it is facing. Aimed at researchers and students interested in drug policy, as well as policy makers and practitioners at different levels of governance, the Research Handbook on International Drug Policy provides a much-needed comparative approach and will prove to be an essential resource for navigating the difficulties surrounding drug policy and control.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. This Research Agenda for Social Wellbeing introduces scholars and planners to the importance of a 'wellbeing lens' for the study and promotion of social flourishing. It demonstrates the importance of wellbeing as a public good, not just a property of individuals. Synthesising wellbeing research from multiple disciplines, including sociology, public health, urban and social planning, moral philosophy and development studies, chapters illustrate how the wellbeing lens promotes positivity, understanding of a variety of viewpoints and systematic appreciation of lives in their social contexts. Encouraging appreciative learning and aspirational planning, Neil Thin looks beyond the implicit 'OK' line of minimal decent standards in order to appreciate and promote moral progress. As an illuminating summary of the field, offering new avenues for employing social wellbeing research across multiple disciplines, this book will be key reading for scholars and students of sociology, development studies and anthropology. It will also benefit practitioners, such as planners, evaluators and social workers in need of practical insights into social wellbeing issues.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. This innovative Research Agenda critically reflects on the state of the art and offers inspiration for future higher education research across a variety of geographical, disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. It explores the impact of Covid-19, and the need to re-engage with the Global South and reconsider conventional paradigms and assumptions. Leading international contributors address a set of salient issues, ranging from research on macro-level themes to meso and micro-level phenomena. Chapters examine the changing patterns in globalization, Europeanization, challenges to mobility and open systems, and trends in system governance, funding, and quality assurance. Organizational change, research performance, university networks, curriculum improvement and global citizenship are also analysed. This forward-thinking Research Agenda aims to reach beyond the Western perspective on higher education and will be an insightful read for both seasoned scholars and newcomers with an interest in higher education policy and research in a changing global context.

‘How can there be only one dedicated hospital in the country for our children?’

When Madiba asked this question, he sowed the seeds of a challenge that would grow into a legacy.

A seed may be small but its size is disproportionate to what it can become over time. The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital was a project that seemed impossible when it was just an idea that started with ten people seated around a dinner table. As they discussed the state of healthcare in the country and shared their experiences, they realised that it was the children of Southern Africa who were the most disadvantaged by the lack of dedicated paediatric facilities. At the end of the evening a statement by the late Dr Nthato Motlana took hold and became the catalyst for a remarkable journey: ‘I will speak to Nelson,’ he said.

With South Africa’s first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela’s backing, the board of the Children’s Fund was inspired to take up the challenge to address this vital need. After years of global research and advice from experts in numerous different fields a Trust was formed to oversee the project and, critically, to set about raising the one billion rand it would take to build, equip and staff a state-of-the-art children’s hospital.

The stories behind the planning for, fundraising and building of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital are inspiring, personal, and sometimes heart-breaking. It was a long and arduous journey, beset with difficulties, but the dedicated team’s commitment and courage prevailed to create a living legacy that will truly impact the lives of children for generations to come.

Today, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg is a proud testimony to a uniquely African story which honours the memory of a great statesman and celebrates the children for whom he cared so deeply.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

'January River' translated means Rio de Janeiro. Irish woman Marie Byrne, takes us along the streets of Rio and the notorious favelas in preparation for world events. Marie includes her police meetings - interview with the former head of one of the toughest police units in the World the BOPE police and numerous encounters. Marie highlights the parallels that naturally emerge between Ireland today, Rio de Janeiro and international crime, poverty and drug problems. Colourful pictures choreograph the journey - Rio's beauty, people, poverty and above all resilience.

Breaking into the Russian market has always been a challenging task, particularly for Western organisations, and personal networks play a crucial role in achieving this. However, personal networks that exist in Russian business remain a mystery. The aim of this book is to address the role of informal relations and trust in Russian society and business. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between Russian business and personal relations, thus helping foreign practitioners and investors to enter the Russian market and develop strong business-stakeholder relationships. With the intention not to criticise or dress up the image of Russia but to provide coherent analysis and discussion on how things work in Russia or describe "the rules of the relationships game", this book discussed ten personal networks existing in Russian society and business, nature and structure of relations, local social norms and codes, trust development process, knowledge and information sharing, entry and exit rules, and provides practical suggestions. This book is essential for anybody intending to do business in Russia and particularly suitable for practitioners, investors, researchers and business students.