On the 80th anniversary of Beveridge's report on the 'Five Giants' confronting societal progress in the 1940s, this innovative book examines the 'New Giants' confronting us today: inequality, preventable mortality, the crisis of democracy, job quality, and environmental degradation. Ian Greener uses Qualitative Comparative Analysis and cluster analysis across 24 countries to analyse which countries are the highest performing in relation to each of the New Giants, and what they have in common. The book indicates that confronting the New Giants requires more participative modes of governance, as well as a greater commitment to redistributing wealth and achieving higher levels of education. Greener also highlights how higher levels of globalization, so long as they are combined with these factors, can be compatible with confronting the New Giants. The book further considers how these factors combined in countries with lower levels of mortality in the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be critical reading for social policy and politics scholars and policy makers interested in comparative analysis. The clear explanation of the research methods used in the book will be useful to advanced level students and researchers in the field.

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. Written by eminent scholar Chiara Saraceno, this Advanced Introduction offers a synthetic overview of the core theoretical and policy issues involved in family policy, currently the most dynamic sector of social policies in both developed and developing countries. It discusses the three primary areas of family policy in contemporary society: financial support for the cost of children, short and long term care for children and dependent people, and work-family conciliation. Key features include: An engaging and accessible style exploration of the roles of civil law and feminist studies a comparative, global perspective including analysis of the Global South presentation of the core conceptual and methodological debates in the field. Providing a compact and concise introduction to the rich scholarship of the field, the Advanced Introduction to Family Policy will be a key resource for students and scholars of family policy, social policy and sociological theory.

Providing an up-to-date portrait of the concepts and methods of analytical sociology, this pivotal Research Handbook traces the historical evolution of the field, utilising key research examples to illustrate its core principles. It investigates how analytical sociology engages with other approaches such as analytical philosophy, structural individualism, social stratification research, complexity science, pragmatism, and critical realism, exploring the foundations of the field as well as its major explanatory mechanisms and methods. Chapters examine the ways in which analytical sociology addresses crucial concepts, including norms, structures, context, contingency, action theory, and models of social interactions. Offering an in-depth analysis of cumulative advantage, complex contagions, and network amplification, this comprehensive Research Handbook discusses the range of data sources and methods available to analytical sociologists for empirical research, in particular digital traces, historical archives, game-theoretic models, causal inference techniques, social networks analysis, and agent-based simulations. Creating a new synthesis of the theoretical and methodological resources required to carry out research using analytical sociology tools, the Research Handbook will be a key pedagogical resource for students and scholars of sociology and sociological theory, research methods, demography, social psychology, economics, and computer science.

Written by a team of renowned sociologists with experience in both the field and the classroom, The Art and Science of Social Research offers authoritative, accessible and balanced coverage of the methods used to study the social world. The authors highlight the challenges of investigating the unpredictable topic of human lives while providing insights into what really happens in the field, the laboratory and the survey call centre. A streamlined Second Edition is now accompanied by three new InQuizitive activities and writing tutorials that help students master the building blocks of research and hone key writing skills.

Who were the women who fought back at Grunwick and Gate Gourmet? Striking Women gives a voice to the women involved as they discuss their lives, their work and their trade unions. Striking Women is centred on two industrial disputes, the famous Grunwick strike (1976-78) and the Gate Gourmet dispute that erupted in 2005. Focusing on these two events, the book explores the nature of South Asian women's contribution to the struggles for workers' rights in the UK labour market. The authors examine histories of migration and settlement of two different groups of women of South Asian origin, and how this history, their gendered, classed and racialised inclusion in the labour market, the context of industrial relations in the UK in the two periods and the nature of the trade union movement shaped the trajectories and the outcomes of the two disputes. This is the first account based on the voices of the women involved. Drawing on life/work history interviews with thirty-two women who participated in the two disputes, as well as interviews with trade union officials, archival material and employment tribunal proceedings, the authors explore the motivations, experiences and implications of these events for their political and social identities.

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. This Advanced Introduction to the Sociology of Sport highlights the relationship between sport and violence, brain injury, social class, sexual minorities, gender, and race. Eric Anderson and Rory Magrath expertly draw on a range of scholarly evidence to outline how these issues intersect with contemporary sports culture. Key features include: close examination of the most salient issues confronting sport scholars and policy makers a focus on how sport contributes to the process of 'othering' a range of recommendations for future improvements to the culture of sport for the 21st Century. This book provides essential reading for scholars and students in sports science, sociology and public policy.

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. Exploring the innovative and thriving field of animal geographies, this Research Agenda analyses how humans think about, place, and engage with animals. Chapters explore how animals shape human identities and social dynamics, as well as how broader processes influence the circumstances and experiences of animals. This Research Agenda presents recent forays into theories of power, methodological innovations unearthing animal lifeworlds, and commitments to praxis. It demonstrates opportunities for animal geographies to engage creatively with diverse movements, including industrial farm workers' rights, intersectional feminism, the environmental movement, racial equality, and decolonization. Critical and timely, contributions from top and emerging scholars suggest that it is time to bring the animals outwards into broader geographical dialogue to address pressing contemporary issues such as climate change. An important read for animal and human geographers, this will be a foundational text for emerging scholars interested in critical perspectives on human-environment relations and societal dynamics. Its grounding in historical evaluation, discussion of scholarly innovation in the field and the opportunities to reflect on the topic in a time of socio-ecological crisis will also be helpful for more established scholars.

Revised and extended for its second edition, Contemporary Issues in Management provides a unique up-to-date view of the 'messy reality' of the complex management dilemmas facing workers and managers in the business environment today. Using a critical approach, the authors offer original perspectives on organisational behaviour and the sociology of work. Presenting business case studies and analysis, this textbook covers a broad range of key themes, including ethical and social issues, diversity, migration, continuity and change. Chapters present research studies into diverse areas, from teleworking to apprenticeships, food production, volunteering and factory working. This fully updated second edition textbook provides: Discussions of management issues in their wider philosophical and political contexts to allow students to have a broader understanding and interpretation of how management affects complex real-life situations Original and in-depth qualitative case studies present lived experience rather than abstract 'model' or 'idealised' problems for successful application of theory Examples of a wide range of management practices gives students the necessary knowledge for a globalised perspective on work and business A critical approach to the topic, to develop students' analytical skills to recognise problems, and suggest suitable solutions Questions and further reading sections for use in teaching and self study. This textbook is an invaluable guide for those studying organisational behaviour and business management, as well as the sociology and ethnography of work and workplaces. Contributors include: S.B. Emery, S. French, L. Hamilton, M. Keleman, D. Knights, A. Mangan, D. McCabe, L. Mitchell, T. Oultram, G. Pearson, U. Salmon, L. Stringer, E. Surman, N. Taylor

This stimulating and challenging book marks a unique departure from traditional social theories. Fifty years in the writing, the author pulls few punches as he studies the current human condition in light of our little-realized, yet true collective potential. Focusing on the obvious disjointedness of contemporary society, this weighty study not only details the story of our tragic march towards Machine-based societies, but also points the way to surely the only enduring solution; our collective advancement to supraconsciousness, and to a truly humane, or 'humantrue' society.

In this timely book, Barbara Czarniawska and Bernward Joerges examine the hopes and fears around work and job security inspired by automation, from the original coining of the term 'robot' to the present day media fascination. Have these hopes and fears changed or do they remain the same? This discerning book investigates whether these changes in perception correlate to actual changes taking place in the field of robotics. Exploring several streams of popular culture, including ground-breaking science fiction novels and films, the impact of these globally renowned works on public opinion regarding robotics is assessed. Detailed media analysis identifies the frequency and complexity of common views that stem from the ideas found in both fiction and scientific research results disseminated by the news. Recent social science works dedicated to the study of robotziation are then reviewed, illustrating current and future debates surrounding the phenomenon of the 'robot revolution'. Robotization of Work? will be a key resource for students and scholars studying the organization of work, IT and digitalization, and cultural studies. It will also be of interest to anyone engaged with the concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotization.

This comprehensive and innovative book demonstrates the dynamics of welfare policies in different socioeconomic settings by providing comparative analyses of the Baltic and Nordic welfare state systems. The book contributes to finding and reflecting upon innovative solutions to common challenges in European welfare states. Challenging conventional welfare state research, the authors compare the Nordic countries with the welfare states of the market-oriented democracies of the Baltic area, discussing welfare state theories, family policy regimes and welfare state models. Top international contributors provide a better understanding of the complex inequalities that families and individuals are facing in the 21st century, and cover important topics such as poverty, social insurance and family policy in the Nordic and Baltic areas. Challenges to the Welfare State will be of great interest to social policy scholars and policy makers, particularly those with an interest in the Baltic and Nordic countries. It will also be a welcome addition to the literature for students interested in family policy and pension protection reforms, and those with a general interest in the contemporary welfare state studies in Europe.

Searching for paid tasks via digital labour platforms, such as Uber, Deliveroo and Fiverr, has become a global phenomenon and the regular source of income for millions of people. In the advent of digital labour platforms, this insightful book sheds new light on familiar questions about tensions between competition and cooperation, short-term gains and long-term success, and private benefits and public costs. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge from a range of disciplines, including law, management, psychology, economics, sociology and geography, it pieces together a nuanced picture of the societal challenges posed by the platform economy. Chapters present a comprehensive, multidisciplinary overview of the rise of gig work, reflecting on long-term developments in the gig economy and incorporating contemporary developments into the rich theoretical and empirical literature on the topic. Charting new research territory, the book addresses key academic and policy challenges, arming readers with relevant analytical tools and practical solutions to face common problems. This book comprises a key reference for future research on the topic as well as critical policy measures for addressing challenges relating to gig work. Offering an integrated outline of the latest insights, this book is crucial reading for scholars and researchers of the platform economy and gig work, outlining academic insights and empirical research, and illustrating a research agenda for future scholarship. The book's comprehensive approach will also benefit policy-makers, managers and workers as they confront the platform economy's wide variety of legal, economic and management challenges.

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. This Advanced Introduction examines the economic, social, and political conditions that have shaped the 21st century workplace in wealthy democracies, highlighting the changes in work since the 1970s which have produced the 'new economy'. Amy S. Wharton illuminates important aspects of today's workplace, including the service economy, customer-facing jobs, the transformative effects of digital platforms, and the 'opening' of the employment relationship. Key Features: Analysis of algorithms and the gig economy in the broader context of workplace change Insight into the interconnections between gender, work, and family, as well as the sources of stability and change in these relations over time Understanding changes in the spatial, physical, and temporal aspects of work and their impacts on workers and families Foregrounds inequality, using the intersectional lenses of race, class, gender, and citizenship to explore this issue Revealing the continuities and discontinuities between the workplace of the past and the present, this Advanced Introduction will be a valuable guide for sociology researchers and advanced students. Business scholars, students and leaders will also benefit from its discussion of platform-based service work and the rise of nonstandard, contingent, and temporary jobs.

'With their fascinating synthesis of two fields of study, leadership and sexuality, editors James Beggan and Scott Allison provide a forum for scholars to investigate two concepts that have long shaped human behavior and captured both academic interest and the curiosity of the general public. In addition to its appeal to academics, this cross-disciplinary book will interest anyone who has ever had a boss, been on a date, or contemplated an office romance.' -Robert Giacalone, John Carroll University, US Although both leadership and sexuality are important and heavily researched topics, there is little work that addresses the interaction of the two areas. Leadership and Sexuality: Power, Principles, and Processes is a scholarly synthesis of leadership principles with issues related to sexuality and sexual policy-making. The authors' multi-disciplinary analysis of the topic examines sexuality in the context of many different kinds of leadership, exploring both the good and the bad aspects of leadership and sexuality. These integrated topics are examined through three broad areas of study. The first involves individuals who become leaders in sexual domains by advancing new views of human sexuality. The second involves problems that leaders of businesses and other institutions must address as a result of issues related to human sexuality, including sexual harassment and sexually-based discrimination in the workplace. The third area involves understanding how being a leader influences sexual desire and sexual attraction, and may impact the course of workplace romance and the expression of sexuality. Written to be accessible to both laypeople and scholars, this book will appeal to academics and scientists interested in human sexuality as well as many related disciplines, including psychology, sociology, leadership studies, heroism science, political science, religion, and economics. Contributors: S.T. Allison, J.K. Beggan, L. Dwight, O. Efthimiou, J. Fyke, S. Huss, K. Lucas, S. Pichler, C. Pitzulo, C. Shakeshaft, W.R. Stayton, M.B. Stone, B. Trisler, E. Turley

This cutting-edge Handbook offers fresh perspectives on the key topics related to the unequal use of digital technologies. Considering the ways in which technologies are employed, variations in conditions under which people use digital media and differences in their digital skills, it unpacks the implications of digital inequality on life outcomes. International contributors assess a variety of key contexts that impact access to digital technologies, including contextual variations related to geography and infrastructure, as well as individual differences related to age, income, health and disability status. Chapters explore how variations emerge across the life course, illustrating the effects of digital disparities on personal wellbeing. Intervening in critical debates relating to the digital divide, this Handbook offers key insights into privacy and trust issues that affect technological usage. Employing both quantitative and qualitative investigations into the relationship between social inequality and the Internet, this Handbook is crucial reading for scholars and researchers in both communication and sociology, particularly those focusing on digital inequalities and human-computer interaction. It will also benefit policymakers in need of innovative approaches to understanding, challenging and addressing the digital divide.

This Research Handbook presents the state of the art of empirical sociological research on the causes of, and solutions to, pressing environmental problems. It provides cutting-edge insights into some of the most urgent challenges facing humanity, including anthropogenic climate change and environmental pollution. The contributors argue that profound collective efforts to protect the environment are vital for sustainable development and offer practical solutions to specific contemporary issues. Wide ranging and insightful, this Research Handbook encompasses the causes and consequences of environmental deterioration, the measurement, development and precedents of environmental concern, the determinants of pro-environmental behavior, and the acceptance of environmental policies. Key topics include the development of global CO2 emissions, prices, income and energy demand, climate change knowledge, meta-knowledge and beliefs, the collective risk social dilemma and support for city road tolls. Scholars and students in the environmental social sciences will find this innovative Research Handbook invaluable. Critical case studies also provide important insights and recommendations for environmental decision makers.

This book tells the story of my days in, and my love of, the fields and countryside, starting when I was just a small lad, learning the ways and the fine art of poaching. I am in my early fifties now, with nearly a lifetime of experiences behind me. This book records all of my antics, my escapades and closely-kept secrets. I tell all the different ways of rabbit catching, plus many of the poaching tricks I have mastered over those bygone years. In my opinion, it is a book to be passed on down the generations, for the up-and-coming young rabbiting lads who want to learn the fine art of rabbit catching and mastering the art of growing wild moorland heather up on the hill tops.