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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions
Identity Transformation and Politicization in Africa: Shifting
Mobilization, edited by Toyin Falola and Celine A. Jacquemin,
questions whether identity is providing and sustaining power for
elites, or fueling oppression and conflicts, being mobilized for
exclusionary movements versus inclusive societal changes, or
educating in ways that foster progress and development. Do aspects
of African identities and the challenges they present also hold
prospects for more inclusive and peaceful democratic and
representative futures? The contributors cover a wide spectrum of
expertise on different African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana,
Rwanda, Morocco, and Libya). They come from diverse disciplines
(History, Political Science, Public Administration, Philosophy,
Economics and Finance, Cultural Studies, Music, and International
Relations), and use various methods and approaches in their
research. Some contributors belong to the groups whose identity is
being scrutinized and are participants in the efforts to politicize
and mobilize, while others remain outside observers, who share some
traits or interests with the African identities examined and
provide different kinds of insights. Several chapters explore how
innovative pedagogical projects studying African history and
identity-facilitated by the internet and new social media-transform
and connect with the African continent. Each author provides
important insights on how mobilization around identity issues has
been shifting with the internet and social media.
Is beauty a form of oppression for women? Or does it offer them a
path to empowerment? Some scholars see beauty as an oppressive
system thwarting women's agency, sometimes to the point of damaging
their mental health; others have promoted an understanding of
beauty as an empowering practice through which women can affirm
their agency and self-determination. Western beauty culture is
organized by contradictory injunctions framing women's
participation in beautification. Drawing on relevant scholarly
literature, contemporary North American popular culture, and two
years of sociological fieldwork, The Beauty Paradox begins by
identifying the four main paradoxes of beauty culture: the worth
paradox, the authenticity paradox, the power paradox, and the
commitment paradox. Piazzesi looks at how these four paradoxes
trail women's everyday experiences, choices, and reflections
regarding beauty. She examines the role of beauty in women's
everyday lives and in a variety of contexts: informal social
encounters, work and career settings, parenting, intergenerational
relationships, self-care, and online networking practices. The
author supports her theoretical stance with data collected through
two years of fieldwork with eleven women living in Montreal (funded
by Fond du Quebec de la Recherche-Societe et culture). Participants
were interviewed about their views on attractiveness,
beautification, the pressure to be beautiful or to appear young,
and how they negotiate these challenges on an individual basis. As
part of this project, each participant produced a series of
selfies, which they discussed in interviews. In a first for
sociological scholarship on beauty, Walking the Tightrope
foregrounds the place of attractiveness in women's visual
self-expression online.
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. Leading mobilities theorist Mimi Sheller offers an
up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of the complex mobility
disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath in this
timely Advanced Introduction. It outlines the formation of the
interdisciplinary field of mobility studies, arguing that
mobilities theory is crucial to planning post-pandemic recovery,
sustainable communities, and low-carbon transitions. From tourism
to migration to urban infrastructure, to informal and reproductive
mobilities, Sheller reveals how multiple im/mobilities are
interconnected, as the novel coronavirus reminds us as it
hitchhikes across the globe through its human hosts. Key features:
Centres mobility justice as a key topic throughout, revealing the
vast inequities in im/mobilities, structured by gender, race and
nationality Challenges existing approaches to social science,
calling for the extension of critical mobility studies to address
complex contemporary challenges Offers up-to-date analysis of key
policy programs such as the Green New Deal, and a comparative
analysis of differing visions of alternative mobilities futures.
This innovative Advanced Introduction will be a beneficial read for
students and scholars of mobilities research, tourism studies,
migration studies, human geography, urban studies and
sustainability.
Sexy Like Us: Disability, Humor, and Sexuality takes a humorous,
intimate approach to disability through the stories, jokes,
performances, and other creative expressions of people with
disabilities. Author Teresa Milbrodt explores why individuals can
laugh at their leglessness, find stoma bags sexual, discover
intimacy in scars, and flaunt their fragility in ways both
hilarious and serious. Their creative and comic acts crash,
collide, and collaborate with perceptions of disability in
literature and dominant culture, allowing people with disabilities
to shape political disability identity and disability pride, call
attention to social inequalities, and poke back at ableist cultural
norms. This book also discusses how the ambivalent nature of comedy
has led to debates within disability communities about when it is
acceptable to joke, who has permission to joke, and which jokes
should be used inside and outside a community's inner circle.
Joking may be difficult when considering aspects of disability that
involve physical or emotional pain and struggles to adapt to new
forms of embodiment. At the same time, people with disabilities can
use humor to expand the definitions of disability and sexuality.
They can help others with disabilities assert themselves as sexy
and sexual. And they can question social norms and stigmas around
bodies in ways that open up journeys of being, not just for
individuals who consider themselves disabled, but for all people.
The volume "Language and Identity in Migration Contexts", which
contains studies from different languages and migration contexts
across the world, provides an excellent overview of the topic while
highlighting some key elements like multilingualism, societal and
educational contexts, as well as forced migration. The volume will
therefore be of much interest to researchers working on these
topics. (Prof. Dr. Anita Auer, Universite de Lausanne, Switzerland)
The contributions to this volume shed a new light on various
central topics in the discourses on language, migration and
identity. The continued centrality of language on identity
formation processes is underlined but it is shown that language is
not a defining criterion for identity formation processes of
migrants, in the context of migration or for heritage speakers in
all cases. However, societal contexts play an important role in
identity formation and these societal contexts themselves are
strongly influenced by the ideologies that are prevalent in
societies and that may be perpetuated in educational contexts. In
the discussion of language, identity and migration in this volume,
perspectives from the Global North are enriched by perspectives of
the Global South, and the impact of media influence in migration
discourse is analysed.
Combining theoretical approaches with practical applications,
Rethinking Social Capital delineates the meaning, uses, and
problems surrounding the concept of social capital. Carl Bankston,
a leading scholar in the field, offers a fresh take on the topic,
presenting an original way of understanding social capital as a
process. The book provides key definitions of social capital,
describing its functionality, the surrounding theoretical issues,
and its relationship with social structure. Examining capital in
its various forms, Bankston discusses the complications of defining
social relationships in a financial resource analogy as investments
in future outcomes, and proposes an alternative of an original
structural model that approaches social capital as a process.
Chapters then explore the major applications of social capital
theory: to families, communities and education; to formal
organizations and informal networks; to class, race, ethnicity and
inequality; and to the nation-state. This cutting-edge book is
invaluable in clarifying ambiguities surrounding the concept of
social capital to students and scholars of the social sciences. Its
practical applications will also prove useful to policy makers and
public policy institutes.
In recent decades, due to unprecedented technological advancements,
Europe has seen a move towards on-demand service economies. This
has allowed the growth of self-employed professionals who are able
to satisfy an increasing demand for flexible and high-skilled work.
This book explores the need for reform of regulations in Europe,
studying the variance in legal status, working conditions, social
protection and collective representation of self-employed
professionals. It provides insights into ways that policy could
address these important challenges. Presenting the results of a
wide-reaching European survey, this book highlights key issues
being faced across Europe: the implementation of universal social
protection schemes; active labour market policies to support
sustainable self-employment and the renewal of social dialogue
through bottom-up organisations to extend the collective
representation of self-employed professionals. With its
theoretically-informed, empirical and interdisciplinary comparative
analysis, this book identifies and explains key strategies to
resolve these challenges. This book will be of great benefit to
both advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of labour and
economic sociology, political science, industrial relations, human
resource management and social law. It will also appeal to
scholars, practitioners and policymakers concerned with the labour
market and self-employment in the European context.
Don't just see the sights-get to know the people. Never conquered
by foreigners, this proud and ancient land has been shaped by
Buddhism, the monarchy, and the military. Today it is a
manufacturing powerhouse and a tourist paradise that welcomes more
than 30 million visitors a year. Yet despite the veneer of Western
modernity, the country and its people remain an enigma for many
visitors. Culture Smart! Thailand describes how the Thai people
view the world and themselves. It examines the impact of religious
beliefs and history on their lives, as well as recent social and
political developments. With a wealth of tips on communicating, on
socializing, and on navigating the unfamiliar situations that you
are likely to encounter, this guide will help you to get the very
best out of your time in the Land of Smiles. Have a richer and more
meaningful experience abroad through a better understanding of the
local culture. Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and
traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while
tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate
unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.
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