For Thomas, folklore' is an all-encompassing term that incorporates the sum total of the rituals, practices, and behavior of the black community. . . . Although some readers will quarrel with the elasticity of Thomas's theoretical framework, this study nevertheless offers a useful overview of the various ways in which Afro-American writers have drawn upon a common cultural heritage. Choice This study focuses on the transposition of Afro-American folk heroes and rituals from folklore to literature. Thomas shows how black American novelists perceive the heroes and rituals of their community, and the challenge these writers face in making oral forms serve the needs of their writing. The evolution of folklore in black fiction is clearly demonstrated. Works of writers from Charles Chesnutt and Paul Dunbar to recent ones such as Paule Marshall and Toni Morrison are analyzed to reveal both the writers' ability to convert folklore into fiction and to dramatize the ontological value of the lore to Afro-American society. From Folklore to Fiction joins in the ever enlarging dialectic for studying and understanding the black American reality. The introduction to this book presents a review of scholarship on Afro-American folklore and fiction. The origins and functions of Afro-American folk forms are covered next. Major folk heroes are introduced, including the John Henry and black Moses, defiant heroes, and the trickster. The techniques and reasons for incorporating Afro-American rituals are the folk sermon, singing of spirituals, and ecstasy of the black church, the blues, the dozens, and jive.

Even after 20 years of children's rights and new thinking about childhood, children are still frequently seen as apolitical. All over the world there has been a growing emphasis on 'participation', but much of this is adult-led, and spaces for children's individual and collective autonomy are limited. "Children, politics and communication" questions many of the conventional ways in which children are perceived. It focuses on the politics of children's communication, in two senses: children as political actors, and the micropolitics of children's interaction with each other and with adults. It looks at how children and young people communicate and engage, how they organise themselves and their lives, and how they deal with conflict in their relationships and the world around them. These are children at the margins, in various ways, but they are not victims; they are finding ways to take charge of their own lives. The book is also about adults and how they can interact with children and young people in ways that are sensitive to children's feelings, empowering and supportive of their attempts to be autonomous. With international contributions from a range of disciplines, "Children, politics and communication" is timely and relevant for policy makers, practitioners and researchers engaging with children and young people.

Even after 20 years of children's rights and new thinking about childhood, children are still frequently seen as apolitical. All over the world there has been a growing emphasis on 'participation', but much of this is adult-led, and spaces for children's individual and collective autonomy are limited. "Children, politics and communication" questions many of the conventional ways in which children are perceived. It focuses on the politics of children's communication, in two senses: children as political actors, and the micropolitics of children's interaction with each other and with adults. It looks at how children and young people communicate and engage, how they organise themselves and their lives, and how they deal with conflict in their relationships and the world around them. These are children at the margins, in various ways, but they are not victims; they are finding ways to take charge of their own lives. The book is also about adults and how they can interact with children and young people in ways that are sensitive to children's feelings, empowering and supportive of their attempts to be autonomous. With international contributions from a range of disciplines, "Children, politics and communication" is timely and relevant for policy makers, practitioners and researchers engaging with children and young people.

First published in 1997. Area Child Protection Committees are at the heart of interagency child protection services in Britain. Drawing on original research, this book provides the first detailed analysis of ACPs and how they operate. The authors examine the policy role of the committees, the processes of representation, and the effectiveness of the committees' work both in directing practice and in responding to change. They also report on research into how ACPCs deal with cases that go wrong. The book considers the impact both of agency reorganisation and of changes in child care policy on the work of the committees, and includes an account of the development of children's service plans. If child protection policy is to change its direction, then ACPCs will have to change too. This book aims to contribute to an understanding of how that can happen.

What part should children take in decisions about their lives? Does their need to be involved in decisions conflict with adult responsibility for their welfare? In its search for answers to these questions, Children, family and the state examines different theories of childhood, children's rights and the relationship between children, parents and the state. Focusing on children who are looked after by the state, it reviews the changing objectives of the care system and the extent to which children have been involved in decisions about their care.

Disability sport is a relatively recent phenomenon, yet it is also one that, particularly in the context of social inclusion, is attracting increasing political and academic interest. The purpose of this important new text - the first of its kind - is to introduce the reader to key concepts in disability and disability sport and to examine the complex relationships between modern sport, disability and other aspects of wider society. Drawing upon original data from interviews, surveys and policy documents, the book examines how disability sport has developed and is currently organised, and explores key themes, issues and concepts including: disability theory and policy the emergence and development of disability sport disability sport development in local authorities mainstreaming disability sport disability, physical education and school sport elite disability sport and the Paralympic Games disability sport and the media. Including chapter summaries, seminar questions and lists of key websites and further reading throughout, Sport, Disability and Society provides both an easy to follow introduction and a critical exploration of the key issues surrounding disability sport in the twenty-first century. This book is an invaluable resource for all students, researchers and professionals working in sport studies, disability studies, physical education, sociology and social policy. Nigel Thomas is Head of Sport and Exercise at Staffordshire University, UK, where his research focuses on the history, mainstreaming, and media coverage of disability sport. He previously worked for ten years with young disabled people as a sports development officer in local authorities and national governing bodies. Andy Smith is Lecturer in the Sociology of Sport and Exercise at the University of Chester, UK. He is a co-editor of the International Journal of Sport Policy, and a co-author of Sport Policy and Development: A Sociological Introduction, and An Introduction to Drugs in Sport: Addicted to Winning? Both books are published by Routledge (2009).

First published in 1997. Area Child Protection Committees are at the heart of interagency child protection services in Britain. Drawing on original research, this book provides the first detailed analysis of ACPs and how they operate. The authors examine the policy role of the committees, the processes of representation, and the effectiveness of the committees' work both in directing practice and in responding to change. They also report on research into how ACPCs deal with cases that go wrong. The book considers the impact both of agency reorganisation and of changes in child care policy on the work of the committees, and includes an account of the development of children's service plans. If child protection policy is to change its direction, then ACPCs will have to change too. This book aims to contribute to an understanding of how that can happen.

Between 1941-45, the Germans recruited around 175,000 men from a number of minorities in the USSR, distinguishing between 'Turkomans' (predominantly Muslims) and 'Caucasians' (predominantly Orthodox Christians). Of these, many formed rear-area auxiliary units, but at least 55,000 were combat troops. The first recruits formed two battalions in the 444th Security Division raised as early as November 1941; during 1942- 43 seven legions were formed, each of several battalions, eventually totalling some 53 battalions (equivalent to about 6 full divisions). However, with one exception (162nd Turkoman Division), they were not deployed as whole formations; after training in Poland, individual battalions were posted to fill out German regiments in the front lines, at first in Army Group South but later in all three Army Groups fighting on the Eastern Front. Units were also sent to Yugoslavia, Italy and the Western Front. This fully illustrated history of the Eastern legions details the organization, battle orders, combat history, uniforms and insignia of these unique units, combining contemporary photographs and full-colour illustrations with expert research from military historian Dr Nigel Thomas.

Featuring rare photos, detailed colour illustrations and insignia tables, this study explores the contribution made by Czech and Slovak troops fighting alongside Allied forces during World War II. Following the Anglo-French failure at the Munich Conference in March 1938 to prevent a Nazi take-over of Bohemia-Moravia (modern Czech Republic/Czechia), many frustrated Czech and Slovak soldiers sided with Allied forces and fought alongside their armies – first in Poland, then in France, and finally from Britain. Using depictions of relevant uniforms and equipment plus photos of the troops in action, military uniformology expert Nigel Thomas explains how the Czech Army was organized and how it fought alongside Allied forces in the Middle East and at Normandy. He describes the involvement of free Czech agents operating from Britain in Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Nazi governor Reinhard Heydrich in occupied Bohemia-Moravia, and the part Czech soldiers played in mutinies in both Italy and Prague against German occupation which ultimately helped to secure a final Allied victory.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th European Workshop on Computer Performance Engineering, EPEW 2022, held in Santa Pola, Spain, in September 2022.The 14 papers presented in this volume together with one invited talk were carefully reviewed and selected from 14 submissions. The papers presented at the workshop reflect the diversity of modern performance engineering. The sessions covered a wide range of topics including robustness analysis, machine learning, edge and cloud computing, as well as more traditional topics on stochastic modelling, techniques and tools.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the Fifth European Performance Engineering Workshop, EPEW 2008, held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in September 24-25, 2008.

The 17 papers presented in this volume, together with abstracts of 2 invited papers, were carefully reviewed and selected from 39 submissions. The topics covered are software performance engineering; stochastic process algebra and SANs; performance query specification and measurement; computer and communications networks; queueing theory and Markov chains; and applications.

Disability sport is a relatively recent phenomenon, yet it is also one that, particularly in the context of social inclusion, is attracting increasing political and academic interest. The purpose of this important new text - the first of its kind - is to introduce the reader to key concepts in disability and disability sport and to examine the complex relationships between modern sport, disability and other aspects of wider society. Drawing upon original data from interviews, surveys and policy documents, the book examines how disability sport has developed and is currently organised, and explores key themes, issues and concepts including: disability theory and policy the emergence and development of disability sport disability sport development in local authorities mainstreaming disability sport disability, physical education and school sport elite disability sport and the Paralympic Games disability sport and the media. Including chapter summaries, seminar questions and lists of key websites and further reading throughout, Sport, Disability and Society provides both an easy to follow introduction and a critical exploration of the key issues surrounding disability sport in the twenty-first century. This book is an invaluable resource for all students, researchers and professionals working in sport studies, disability studies, physical education, sociology and social policy. Nigel Thomas is Head of Sport and Exercise at Staffordshire University, UK, where his research focuses on the history, mainstreaming, and media coverage of disability sport. He previously worked for ten years with young disabled people as a sports development officer in local authorities and national governing bodies. Andy Smith is Lecturer in the Sociology of Sport and Exercise at the University of Chester, UK. He is a co-editor of the International Journal of Sport Policy, and a co-author of Sport Policy and Development: A Sociological Introduction, and An Introduction to Drugs in Sport: Addicted to Winning? Both books are published by Routledge (2009).

In World War II Germany's doctrine of mobile warfare dominated the battlefield. By trial and error, the Germans were the first to correctly combine the strength in tanks and in mobile infantry and artillery. This integration of mobile units, equipment and tactics underpinned Germany's successes in the first half of the war. As the war dragged on, the Allies sought to copy German tactics but German armies remained supreme in this type of warfare until their losses had seriously degraded their capabilities. This study traces the development of the different types of unit that came together in the Panzergrenadier branch from the inter-war years through World War II. Using colour plates to display the changes in uniform, equipment and insignia in all theatres of operations throughout the conflict, this is a complete account of Hitler's elite armoured infantry.

Immediately following the end of World War I, amid the collapse of the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires, bitter fighting broke out in the Baltic region as Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania struggled for their independence, and Red and White Russian armies began their civil war. There were also German forces still active in what had been the northern end of Germany's Eastern Front. This book offers a concise but detailed introduction to this whole theatre of war, focusing on the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and relevant German and Russian forces, plus Finnish, Danish and Swedish contingents. For each region there is a detailed map as well as meticulous orders-of-battle and insignia charts. Detailed for the first time in the English language, this fascinating book concisely tells the story of the birth of these Baltic nation states.

Given the merciless way in which the war on the Eastern Front of World War II was conducted, it is difficult to envisage anyone changing sides during the conflict. Yet after the German invasion of Russia in Operation Barbarossa, well over 400,000 former Soviet citizens went on to fight for Nazi Germany. These included not only the 'legions' recruited from non-Russian ethnic groups eager for freedom from Stalin's dictatorship, but also some 100,000 Russians and Cossacks. What began as small local security units of 'Ostruppen', enrolled for the ongoing campaigns against Soviet partisans, were later reorganized, given special systems of uniform and insignia, amalgamated into larger formations, and eventually committed to the front line. This book offers up an essential guide to the appearance, formation and equipment of the myriad Russian and Soviet units that fought for the Germans. It uses rare photographs and revealing colour illustrations to create a peerless visual reference to the troops who switched from one ruthless superpower to another and met with a horrific fate when the fighting was over.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Analytical and Stochastic Modelling Techniques and Applications, ASMTA 2017, held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne UK, in July 2017.The 14 full papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 27 submissions. The scope of the conference is on following topics: analytical, numerical and simulation algorithms for stochastic systems, including Markov processes, queueing networks, stochastic Petri nets, process algebras, game theoretical models.

No Safeguards, the first in a trilogy, follows Jay and his brother Paul from childhood to young adulthood. We witness the destructive impact of fundamentalist Christian beliefs on their mother and father, opposition to those beliefs by the boys' grandmother and each boy's very different response to their parents' religiosity. This becomes even more poignant after they leave their grandmother's comfortable home in St. Vincent to join their mother in Montreal. The revelation that both boys are gay adds to their sense of oppression and divides them from their mother, whose views are shaped by the church and the theology of the Torah.

High blood pressure has become known as, "the silent killer," for a very good reason. It is estimated that around one third of all adults suffer from high blood pressure. Even more concerning is the fact that a great deal of them will be unaware they even suffer from the condition. More people suffer from high blood pressure now than at any other time In this book you will learn: What the effects of high blood pressure are. How cayenne pepper is a natural cure for high blood pressure. How to use cayenne pepper to lower high blood pressure And, how to prevent high blood pressure This is a GREAT little guide book for learning How to Lower High Blood Pressure Using Cayenne Pepper that I am sure you will benefit from.

Once the sore throat and aching limbs of a cold begin, what you need is something that will quickly relieve the symptoms and get you back onto the road to recovery. Cayenne pepper is the very thing. Although there are many over the counter products that claim to be able to do this, cayenne pepper is a natural product that has a huge healing benefit. These healing properties have remained unknown to the majority of people, whilst those in the know have used them to their advantage for hundreds of years. Learn how using this secret miracle cure will relieve the symptoms of a cold quickly and easily. Miracle is not a word used lightly to describe the healing benefits of Cayenne Pepper. This book describes in detail the usage and directions for each step to cure a sore throat, cold and cough. For anyone wanting a more natural approach to recover from a cold or flu like symptoms then Cayenne Pepper should be at the top of your list. In this book you will learn: The different recipes and dosages to be taken for each stage of the cold. The benefits and reasons why they help you . . . . . . and, how often to use them. The healing properties of this natural spice should not be taken lightly, its benefits go way beyond just relieving a cold or flu and these benefits are also listed in this book. This is a GREAT little guide book for using Cayenne Pepper to relieve a cold.

Recent history should remind us that it was events in the Balkans which sparked off World War I (1914-1918), with the assassination of the Austrian heir Prince Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, and the consequent invasion of Serbia by Austro-Hungarian armies on 2 August 1914. Nevertheless, the subsequent four-year war in that theatre is always overshadowed by the simultaneous campaigns on the Western Front. For the first time this book offers a concise account of these complex campaigns, the organisation, orders of battle, and the uniforms and insignia of the armies involved: Austro-Hungarian, German, Ottoman, Serbian, Montenegrin, Albanian, British, French, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian, Greek and Rumanian.

Hitler first considered an invasion of Great Britain in autumn 1940, then scheduled Operation Barbarossa, the conquest of the European part of the Soviet Union, for May 1941. Anxious to emulate Hitler's successes, the Italian dictator Mussolini embarked upon unnecessary military adventures in North Africa and the Balkans, which forced Hitler's intervention, diverting and depleting precious German resources, and a six-week postponement of Barbarossa. In this second of four volumes [Men-at-Arms 311, 316, 326 & 330] on the German Army of the Second World War, Nigel Thomas examines the uniforms and insignia of the forces involved in North Africa and the Balkans.