Book categories

Psychology Led Astray

Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy

by Tomasz Witkowski

2016

This book shows how scientific and psychotherapeutic practices change into worthless rituals called by the famous physicist, Richard Feynman, "cargo cult." It is a must-read for everybody who is interested in psychology, who is studying or intends to study it, but also for present and potential clients of psychotherapists and parents of mentally-disabled children. Readers will learn which parts of psychology and therapy are cargo-cult-like and which are reliable. This book is the second part of trilogy devoted to the dark side of psychology. The first volume was published under the title Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy, also released by BrownWalker Press. IN THE NEWS See Chronicle of Higher Education (20 Mar 2017) BOOK REVIEWS Psychologist Witkowski f...

Experiencing Grounded Theory

A Comprehensive Guide to Learning, Doing, Mentoring, Teaching, and Applying Grounded Theory

by Odis E. Simmons

2022

This book is a comprehensive, intelligible guide to grounded theory with a focus on classic grounded theory. It will be useful for graduate students, experienced researchers, and practicing professionals who want to use the method for practical purposes. It will also be useful for mentors and teachers of grounded theory. A glossary is included in the preface so readers can familiarize themselves with grounded theory terminology before beginning the chapters. Its seven chapters provide a comprehensive guide to grounded theory. Chapter one covers how the author’s familiarity with the symbolic interactionist perspective gained from his undergraduate sociology professors enabled him to readily discern how and why Glaser and Strauss had different understandings about grounded theory and what th...

Grounded Theory

The Philosophy, Method, and Work of Barney Glaser

by Vivian B. Martin and Astrid Gynnild (editors)

2011

This anthology provides a unique collection of articles on classic grounded theory, as developed by sociologist Dr. Barney G. Glaser. Organized in four sections, teaching grounded theory, techniques, history and philosophy, and advanced approaches, the 19 chapters fill gaps and correct misunderstandings about the method. Chapters on the merits of classic grounded theory over other versions, the historical and philosophical influences on the method, and advice for Ph.D. students doing classic grounded theory dissertations will be useful to novice and experienced researchers. How-to chapters on the use of focus groups, online interviews, and video for data collection expand data possibilities, while articles on formal theory, software, and testing concepts with structural equation modeling w...

Geoparks and Geotourism

New Approaches to Sustainability for the 21st Century

by Neda Torabi Farsani, Celeste Coelho, Carlos Costa, & Carlos Neto de Carvalho (editors)

2011

This book aims to identify geotourism and geoparks as gateways to socio-cultural, socio-environmental, and socio-economic sustainability in rural areas. At present, geotourism is a new movement helping travelers to increase their knowledge about natural resources, the cultural identities of host communities, and ways of preserving them. The ‘emerging tourism’ niche of geotourism is still at an early stage of commercial development in most countries, and geoparks as a sustainable development model for protected areas are pioneers in the development of geotourism marketing. The establishment of the European Geoparks Network and the Global Geoparks Network are positive steps toward the preservation and presentation of geo-heritage as a new tourist attraction. Geoparks and Geotourism provides...

Against the Tide

A Critical Review by Scientists of How Physics and Astronomy Get Done

by Martín López Corredoira & Carlos Castro Perelman (Editors)

2008

Nobody should have a monopoly of the truth in this universe. The censorship and suppression of challenging ideas against the tide of mainstream research, the blacklisting of scientists, for instance, is neither the best way to do and filter science, nor to promote progress in the human knowledge. The removal of good and novel ideas from the scientific stage is very detrimental to the pursuit of the truth. There are instances in which a mere unqualified belief can occasionally be converted into a generally accepted scientific theory through the screening action of refereed literature and meetings planned by the scientific organizing committees and through the distribution of funds controlled by "club opinions". It leads to unitary paradigms and unitary thinking not necessarily associated to...

Banished

A Comprehensive Look into the Mind and Soul of the Sex Offender with Sex Offender Case Studies and the Recidivism Challenge

by G. Cledwyn Jenkins, PhD, D.Min

2020

Banished presents a detailed review of the sex offender; the pedophile and the child molester, and directly explores his thinking processes, reasoning and related issues that offer a clear and concise exposé in these most hated people. In addition to covering the adult offender, this work also exemplifies the thought processes of child and adolescent offenders in order to offer cues for parents and educators of possible abuse or illicit behavior. Through direct examples of client art, case histories and offender testimonies, the book’s purpose will surely educate, as well as in purposing methods for positive change in the process. The research and findings are based on a journalistic foundation, as well as from an experiential point-of-view, where the author had worked with and had interv...

The End of the Rod

A History of the Abolition of Corporal Punishment in the Courts of England and Wales

by Raymond L. Gard

2009

The End of the Rod describes the tortuous steps that led to the abolition of corporal punishment as a sentence of the courts in England and Wales in 1948. It seeks to give voice to the key actors in the process: civil servants and politicians, along with those actually inflicting and experiencing that corporal punishment. It uses a variety of archival material and original sources to achieve this. The account begins in the late nineteenth century and traces debates, negotiations, and manoeuvring from then to the legislation of 1948. The work then looks at the consequences of that abolition and offers an explanation as to why the changes it describes may have occurred.

Discovering the Real America

Toward a More Perfect Union

by Lewis W. Diuguid

2007

Discovering the Real America examines the often overlooked history of white privilege, racism and discrimination in the United States. The text explains how the media have played a big part in maintaining the status quo. The book offers solutions to overcoming the obstacles of bigotry so that people can finally discover that the richness in the real America is in the long-overlooked diversity of this nation's multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multinational, multitalented people.

Suffering in Silence

The Human Rights Nightmare of the Karen People of Burma

by Claudio O. Delang

2000

Situated in the triangle between South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China, Burma is a country of 50 million people struggling under the oppression of one of the world's most brutal military regimes. Yet, the voices of its people remain largely unheard in the international arena. Most of the limited media coverage deals with the non-violent struggle for democracy led by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi or the Army's repression of university students and urban dissidents, but these only form a small part of the story. This book presents the voices of ethnic Karen villagers to give an idea of what it is like to be a rural villager in Burma: the brutal and constant shifts of forced labor for the Army, the intimidation tactics, the systematic extortion and looting by Army and State authoriti...

The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness

by Gordon L. Patzer

2006

The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness is a scholarly look into physical attractiveness. It articulates the great importance placed on this dimension of a person’s appearance. Analysis of the dynamics and consequences reveals a powerful, pervasive, and frequently unrecognized or denied physical attractiveness phenomenon. This phenomenon transcends time, geography, and culture, regardless of demographics and socioeconomics of individuals and populations. With penetrating vision, Dr. Patzer provides evidence that despite professed ideals, people do judge others by their looks. Physical attractiveness is a more powerful determinant of a person’s fortune and misfortune in life than people admit. No matter the words, thoughts, and ideals proclaimed by people, these same people judg...

Reassessing American Culture

A Rebel's Guide

by Gregory Shafer

2005

Social scientists are only beginning to question the idea of culture and the way it comes to be part of who we are as a people. While most would suggest that culture emanates from our values and traditions, this book wonders if it is given to us by corporations, media, and political institutions as a way to keep us docile and compliant. So much of what we do, how we dress, and what we value is actually a manifestation of government propaganda and advertising. And so, we embrace sentimental notions about our founding fathers, about marriage, our political system, and time honored rituals. While we think of ourselves as free, we are deluged with messages from powerful conglomerates who want us to dress and act a certain way and who have clear agendas for what they want us to believe about o...

The Knowledge-Based Economy

Modeled, Measured, Simulated

by Loet Leydesdorff

2006

How can an economy based on something as volatile as knowledge be sustained? The urgency of improving our understanding of a knowledge-based economy provides the context and necessity of this study. In a previous study entitled A Sociological Theory of Communications: The Self-Organization of the Knowledge-based Society (2001) the author specified knowledge-based systems from a sociological perspective. In this book, he takes this theory one step further and demonstrates how the knowledge base of an economic system can be operationalized, both in terms of measurement and by providing simulation models. The measurement instruments are applied to the German and Dutch economies and elaborated in terms of regional and sectorial differences. The knowledge base is specified in th...

America's Prisons

The Movement Toward Profit and Privatization

by Curtis R. Blakely

2005

This reader introduces the student to prison management. Particular interest is given the increased role of profit in the application of punishment. Profit and prison privatization are viewed within their larger context. As such, public and private prison operations are compared. Part of this comparison takes place through situating each sector upon an ideological continuum. This placement helps indicate the direction being taken by the contemporary prison. It further reveals that tomorrow's prisons may be less driven by traditional objectives and more driven by the notions of profit and efficiency.

Essays in World Languages and Cultures

Stereotypes and the Challenges of Representation

by Yves-Antoine Clemmen, Margit Grieb, and Will Lehman (eds.)

2018

This volume consists of 16 papers selected from the 22nd Southeast Conference on Foreign Languages, Literatures and Films held on February 25-27, 2016 on the campus of Stetson University in Celebration, Florida. The shared focus of the essays is to examine how writers, filmmakers and language educators address stereotypes in their representations of diverse cultural paradigms by using, deconstructing or displacing these stereotypes. The fourth section of this publication includes 4 experimental poems by the artist Susanne Eules.

Understanding International Counter Terrorism

A Professional’s Guide to the Operational Art

by A. Hunsicker

2006

Understanding International Counter Terrorism is one serious effort to lay out a comprehensive strategy of how to deal with a whole gamut of possible terrorist incidents by using a language that any person or first responders like policemen, security personnel, firemen, paramedics, etc. can understand. This guide covers everything from bombings and hostage- taking, to NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) Terrorism, what needs to be done before, during, and after an event. This manual combines what minimally needs to be understood about Operational Counter- Terrorism by the government- level policy maker, while at the same time helping the personnel on the first responder level who are planning to cope with what must at least initially seem like an overwhelming attack. Terrorism i...

The Bipoint in the Settlement of North America

Trans-Oceanic Migrations and Settlement of Prehistoric Americas

by Wm Jack Hranicky

2020

This 378 page archaeological publication covers the development, definition, classification, and world-wide deployment of the lithic bipoint and includes numerous photographs, drawings, and maps. The bipoint is a legacy implement from the Old World that is found through time/space all over America. It was brought into the U.S. on both coasts; the Pacific Coast introduction was around 17,000 years ago and the Atlantic Coast was 23,000 years ago. The basic bipoint is defined and its manufacturing processes are presented along with bipoint properties, shape/form, resharpening, and cultural associations. This publication illustrates numerous bipoints from the Atlantic and Pacific states (and within the U.S.) and presents some of their inferred chronologies which are the oldest in the New World...

Nothing New Under the Sun

An Introduction to Islam

by Paul Culp

2007

Islam draws more attention to itself with each passing day, but surprisingly few people know much about it, even in government, the media, education, and the Church. Nothing New Under the Sun is an accessible, up-to-date study of Islam’s past and present, with an acute analysis of its core logic and what that logic might mean for the future. Islam is a religion not just of scripture and tradition but also of community consensus, and it is not comprehensible without an examination of how that consensus is formed and the direction it is likely to take. Islam’s relationship to the West must also be understood in light of the contemporary Western religious climate - specifically the American one - which is failing badly as an alternative to the Islamist model. Nothing New Under the Sun dra...

Genes, Polymorphisms, and the Making of Societies

A Genetic Perspective of the Divergence between East and West (Revised and Extended Edition)

by Hippokratis Kiaris

2021

Our genes determine to a large extent who we are and why we are different from others. In this book, Hippokratis Kiaris explores how various genetic polymorphisms in different ethnic populations may affect the development of distinct cultures and eventually historical decisions. It should be read by anybody interested in history, anthropology, behavior, psychology or genetics. The reader will find clues linking together these scientific disciplines and how such genetically determined behavioral traits may play an undervalued, as yet, role in shaping historical outcomes. The book initially describes some basic concepts on genetics and proceeds with an outline of human evolution, the journey of early humans Out-of-Africa, and the colonization of Earth by different human populations that eve...

Reassessing Democracy

A Rebel's Guide

by Gregory Shafer

2004

Americans have long believed that they live in a democratic nation--where government is responsive to the people and where wealth and happiness are available to all. In fact, as this work explores, the American government has never sought equality and is often more loyal to business and affluence than to the aspirations of the average citizen. This book delves into the violations of democracy, uncovering the pandering to corporations, the cultural manipulations of people, the violations of fundamental rights.

Barbie - The Icon, The Image, The Ideal

An Analytical Interpretation of the Barbie Doll in Popular Culture

by Kristin N. Weissman

1999

This thesis is a cultural analysis of: a) women's idealized perception of the Barbie doll, and b) the construction of the Barbie doll image through marketing. In addition, both areas will provide a concentrated emphasis on "respectability." The analysis will be focused on Barbie's creation in 1959, and on the current practices of representations in 1999. The thesis is divided into two phases. Phase one illustrates the interpretation of how women perceive Barbie, and how they see themselves in her likeness. It further explores the determined impression of the doll as "respectable." Phase two examines the way that Barbie is presented in the market and the techniques used to formulate the intended representations of the doll. The analysis of the thesis focuses solely on her introduction ...

PaleoAmerican Archaeology in Virginia

by Wm Jack Hranicky, RPA

2017

This book is a full-color study of over 500 pre-Clovis stone artifacts of Virginia. With the 22K-year date of the Cinmar bipoint in Virginia, there is ample evidence of artifact classes that are older than Clovis. Over 50 tool types are illustrated and discussed. Artifact single-site collections are documented. The book argues the differences between Holocene biface technology with the blade and core technology of the Pleistocene era. The requirements for identifying Pleistocene artifacts is presented, such as platforms, remaining cortex, and invasive retouch. They are presented in a tool model. Major stones, namely jasper, are discussed as a lithic determinism. The east coast distribution is presented for various tool types. Additionally, as a major focus, cross-Atlantic flake/blade ident...

Bullied!

Coping with Workplace Bullying

by Vanessa M. Gattis

2018

Workplace bullying, the repeated and regular act of harassing, offending, socially excluding someone, or negatively affecting someone’s work over time has been recognized as a serious threat to the health and well-being of employees. This study sought to explore resilience as a coping strategy to help improve the physical and mental health effects of professional women who have or are experiencing workplace bullying. The central research question was, how does perceived resilience, when used as a coping strategy, help with the physical and mental health stressors while helping to improve the overall well-being of professional women who were or have experienced workplace bullying? Using a qualitative methodology with a single-case study design, 10 professional women who have and are still e...

The Filipina-South Floridian International Internet Marriage Practice

Agency, Culture, and Paradox

by Pamela S. Haley

2013

This dissertation concerns the structures and individual agency of Filipina brides who met their American husbands through Internet or pen pal advertisements. Popular media, legal scholars, and some feminists have largely described the phenomenon in terms of its oppressiveness toward the women involved, thus dismissing any agency on the part of the women. Similarly, much of the scholarship has located the American Internet grooms as ogres who are out to exploit these women for domestic and sexual services. If prominent researchers of this phenomenon are correct in their assessments that Filipina Internet brides operate as effective agents, then one also assumes these women continue that agency when they settle into their new lives as Filipina wives married to American men. Therefore, my c...

Caste Identities and The Ideology of Exclusion

A Post-Script on the Humanization of Indian Social Life

by Sebastian Velassery and Reena Patra

2018

Today, when India is certainly once more emerging as one of the most important social experiments in the world, it is more than ever incumbent to explore and re-discover the underlying reasons and philosophy that marginalized the Indian consciousness in terms of caste, ethnicity, religion and the like. This book is intentionally taking a re-look at caste as ontology in a deeper level by taking recourse to the major mode of dehumanization that has systematically happened in this country by upholding tradition as sacred and thus cannot be challenged. Unlike the European enlightenment which was powerful enough to overthrow a cognitive method that was centered on religious considerations, Indian cultural and civic movements could not depose doctrinal claims based on caste and caste identities....

Rewriting Psychology

An Abysmal Science?

by David Y. F. Ho

2019

Of what use is psychology if it does not help to solve the pressing problems of the day at the individual and collective levels? This is no less a pointed question to the reader as it is to the author that sets the stage for an adventurous sharing of ideas. The author shies away from providing ready-made answers but spares no effort in stirring the reader to ponder questions about human nature and behavior. Soon, the reader will react with the exclamation, “Ah, this book is about me, useful to my life!” In this way, the book serves to bridge the gap between academia and the general public. As the reader may well expect, bold assertions may be found throughout this volume. For instance, Piaget’s stage of formal operations does not represent the final or highest level of cognitive developme...

A Sociological Theory of Communication

The Self-Organization of the Knowledge-Based Society

by Loet Leydesdorff

2000

Networks of communication evolve in terms of reflexive exchanges. The codification of these reflections in language, that is, at the social level, can be considered as the operating system of society. Under sociologically specifiable conditions, the discursive reconstructions can be expected to make the systems under reflection increasingly knowledge-intensive. This sociological theory of communication is founded in a tradition that includes Giddens' (1979) structuration theory, Habermas' (1981) theory of communicative action, and Luhmann's (1984) proposal to consider social systems as self-organizing. The study also elaborates on Shannon's (1948) mathematical theory of communication for the formalization and operationalization of the non-linear dynamics. The development of scientif...

Symbolic Innovations

Lessons from Health Services and Higher Education Organizations

by J. David Johnson

2017

Organizations are often rewarded for doing the trendy and flashy, as the recent fashionable university efforts related to Massively Open Online Course's demonstrate all too clearly. Innovations demonstrate many things symbolically to external stakeholders: you are on the cutting edge, you are the future, you are worthy of investment, you can respond to competitive pressures, you are attuned to a larger world, and so on. Ultimately, unfortunately, it is often not the work you do, but what your efforts stand for symbolically that is critical to evaluations of work performance. Here we will explore symbolic innovations comprehensively. Studying them provides a more thorough view of innovation processes and the underlying factors that motivate, generate them. Looking at innovations as sym...

Rewriting Cultural Psychology

Transcend Your Ethnic Roots and Redefine Your Identity

by David Y. F. Ho

2019

This volume is addressed to scholars as well as a popular audience, aimed to bridge the gap between academia and the general public. It deals with "who we are," concerning our sense of self and identity; and "how we live," concerning our ways of life in diverse cultures. It affirms that we may transcend our cultural-ethnic roots and redefine our identities, individual or collective. Transcendence opens the door not only to personal transformation but also to confront ethnic stereotypes and prejudices. Readers will gain fresh cultural knowledge from both the East and the West and be attuned to the theme of letting no ethnic group be alien to us.This book is at once about the immersion of life in culture and the remaking of culture by human action--reciprocal influence at work. The idea of i...

In Between

Cultures and Languages in Transition

by Margit Grieb, Yves-Antoine Clemmen, and Will Lehman

2019

The essays in this anthology probe and comment on the "space/time/issue between" in aesthetic or linguistic productions in a variety of cultures. For over three decades the Southeast Conference on Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Film (SCFLLF), which convenes biennially, has been and continues to be a showcase for scholarship in the Humanities with a special emphasis on non-English language area studies. In 2018, at the 23rd SCFLLF, fifty-three national and international scholars presented their research on linguistics, literature, film, culture, and language pedagogy. The essays we selected to showcase all probe and comment on the “space/time/issue between” in aesthetic or linguistic productions in a variety of cultures. We have organized these contributions in three parts entitled: Pa...

The Deritualization of Death

Toward a Practical Theology of Caregiving for the Bereaved

by Charles Lynn Gibson

2019

The problematic field of investigation for this study was for the care of bereaved human beings in the context of significant cultural shifts now shaping the twenty-first century. Deritualization was identified as a significant interdisciplinary concern that contributes to potential distress in processes of grieving. The objective of the research was the development of a practical theology of compassionate caregiving for the bereaved with deference to the problem of deritualization. The theoretical framework was guided by the Oxford Interdisciplinary Research model and the Loyola Institute of Ministries model of practical theology. The study was designed for applied research for funeral directors and vocational pastors utilizing qualitative research methods. Hermeneutical and empirical com...

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles

Exploring the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles Among Information Technology Professionals

by Eniola O. Olagundoye

2019

All around the world, information technology is evolving at an alarming rate, and it could be challenging keeping up with the growing changes that we are witnessing with it. This paper explored the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership styles among information technology professionals. Does emotional intelligence predict leadership style and do leadership styles predict emotional intelligence components? A total of 185 participants were involved in this study. The leadership styles, which are comprised of transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant, were measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire - MLQ 5X (Bass & Avolio, 1995). The emotional intelligence components, which are comprised of perception of emotion, managing own emotions, managing others...

Fundamental Concepts and Functions of Passenger and Freight Transportation in Great Britain

by Mengqiu Cao and John Spurling

2022

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts and function of transport, as well as covering a wide array of themes, including different modes of both passenger and freight transport, primarily using various case studies from Great Britain, accompanied by short narratives/stories. It is suitable not only for academics and students, but also for people working in the transport industry. This book is particularly useful for those who are interested in the broad subject of transport in general, within the field of social sciences, but may not have studied engineering, economics, statistics or mathematics.

Determinism and Its Discontents

Morality, Religion, and the Need for Freedom of Will

by Suresh Kanekar

2021

The deterministic position is that all events are effects of previous events and causes of future events, in inexorable cause-effect sequences, which leave no room for intervention of anything outside of the stream of causal relationships, such as free will, thus rendering moral responsibility meaningless. Libertarians believe in freedom of will which is, for them, indispensable for moral responsibility. This controversy can be resolved only by making a clear distinction between two kinds of freedom. In common parlance, freedom means freedom from constraint or compulsion, which can be designated as contra-constraintual freedom. The second meaning of freedom is freedom from causation, which has been referred to as contra-causal freedom, and this is the meaning that is inherent in the conce...

Commodification of Sexual Labor

Contribution of Internet Communities to Prostitution Reform

by Jeffrey R. Young

2016

Most feminists agree that successful prostitution reform requires that prostitutes be respected by their clients, peers, and the community. Although respect is not the only criterion necessary for acceptable reform, many feminists believe that the absence of stigma would be a sufficiently fundamental improvement to merit the reconsideration of policies that severely restrict prostitution. The aim of this study is to show that certain online prostitution venues contribute to acceptable prostitution reform by fostering trust and respect between the participants. My hypothesis is that when commercial sex is conducted in an open atmosphere of respect and mutual understanding, within certain economic parameters, beliefs and practices that stigmatize prostitutes and prostitution are potentially ...

Midlife Mavericks

Women reinventing their lives in Mexico

by Karen Blue

2000

Midlife Mavericks chronicles a new trend--unmarried American and Canadian women building better lives for themselves in Mexico's beautiful colonial villages. Cozy up on a comfortable couch and share a margarita with successful women who have found an alternative to high-stress careers. Sip a glass of wine with empty-nesters seeking adventure and drink a glass of ice tea with retirees living in comfort on just their Social Security or disability income. You'll laugh and cry with these gutsy gringas as they journey from unfulfilled yearnings towards answers each woman must ultimately discover for herself. "Like the seafaring sirens, Midlife Mavericks, will lure reticent readers from their lukewarm existences into lives of discovery and purpose." Marilyn Davis, aut...

Democracy by Force?

A study of international military intervention in the conflict in Sierra Leone from 1991-2000

by Abass Bundu

2000

Although democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights are the defining idioms of contemporary state governance and international relations, they are hardly commonplace in Africa. In domestic environments severely degraded by abuse of power and rebellion, what kind of existence do African leaders give to their people? Can they proclaim rights for their citizens in international instruments but behave in ways that are diametrically opposite? What future has democracy when the last election was a rogue one and the incumbent regime the beneficiary? Sierra Leone, whose civil conflict enters its tenth year in March 2001, carries the unenviable status of playing host to the world's largest peacekeeping force. Yet there is still no lasting peace in a conflict that has deter...

Modern Nature

Essays on Environmental Communication

by Luke Strongman

2012

This book presents ten essays about environmental communication. Chapter one introduces the concept of environmental communication and the ways in which it was conceived, imagined, and developed as a form of interdisciplinary enquiry. Chapter two explores the concept of green communication and education for the sustainable development movement. Chapter three is concerned with one of the major underlying socio-cultural influences of the human/nature divide: that of anthropomorphic or anthropogenic reasoning. Chapter four takes an ecological view of economics and develops an argument for the place of economic intangibles in the modern political economy. Chapters five and six explore specialist aspects of environmental communication practices: Chapter five is concerned with the contexts of ps...

The Politics of Crystal Meth

Gay Men Share Stories of Addiction and Recovery

by Kenneth Cimino

2005

A non-profit executive, governmental employee, financial advisor, travel agent, student, fashion designer - what these gay men have in common is a knowledge of pain, obsession, despair, degradation, and finally freedom from the one element that connects their stories: crystal meth use. Dr. Ken Cimino reveals the intimate and horrifying nature of meth abuse and presents ten inspiring true life dramas of meth use and recovery in The Politics of Crystal Meth: Gay Men Share Personal Stories of Addiction and Recovery. In part one he illustrates the varied reasons why gay men use methamphetamines, from gay oppression to homophobia to building self esteem to HIV issues. In the second part of the book he shares ten personal and motivating stories of meth use and recovery. In The Politics of...

Sexual Violence in Conflict

A Threat to Global Security

by Francis Chinedu Abara

2020

The originality of this book rests in the application of the human security framework to analyze sexual and gender-based violence in conflict. The human security paradigm is concerned and centered on the individual's security threats holistically and is inclusive of both men and women in its agenda. The author argues that making a balanced narrative of sexual violence that includes both men and women as both victims and perpetrators could be a more effective means of preventing conflict-related sexual violence than when men are excluded. Another positive feature of the book rests in its analysis of the plights of victims and survivors of sexual violence during conflict and post-conflict situations. The author describes the devastating emotional and traumatic pain, the psychological agony,...

The Rise of Security and Why We Always Want More

by Mike Croll

2023

Security is now a $500 billion global business, and it`s growing fast. It's developed from the night watchman keeping a sleepy eye out, to the guard patrolling the shopping mall, to smart surveillance systems monitoring everything, everywhere, all the time. This book explains: --how demand for security is generated by an alignment of interests between big business, insurance companies, the media, lawyers, politicians, and human nature; --how our response to terrorism is driven by fear rather than risk; --and how security has become a key feature of our lives at home, on-line, at work, when shopping, and when flying. This is a panoramic view from an industry insider who describes why the more security we have, the more we want. And crucial question emerges, as securit...

Are You a Junkaholic?

A Humorous Approach to Junk Collecting (Hoarding)

by Schar Ward and Debra Varin

2023

Are You a Junkaholic? Is an insightful new book written by the founders of Twin Cities Hoarding Clean Up, Schar Ward, and Debra Varin. Schar and Debra offer invaluable advice and support for those grappling with Junk Collecting Disorder (JCD). This compelling resource sheds light on the complexities of JCD and provides practical strategies to help individuals transform their cluttered living spaces into organized and harmonious homes. Are You a Junkaholic? is not just a book; it’s a guiding light towards a clean and more fulfilling life. Does your blood pressure rise and your heart speed up when you see a garage sale? Do you find yourself buying one more used umbrella even though you already own four? You could be suffering from Junkaholism! It's a disease that can destroy relationships...

Fads, Fakes, and Frauds

Exploding Myths in Culture, Science and Psychology

by Tomasz Witkowski, Ph.D., Foreword by Roy Baumeister, Translated by Ken Fleming

2022

This book is a collection of skeptical social essays in which the author reveals that much of our popular beliefs, psychology and science are defective, because, although we live in the 21st century, our approach to them is deeply rooted in our culture, and biased by history and evolution. These essays help the reader take a step sideways, think independently, and not fall victim to fads, fakes, and frauds. Anyone who values a deeper understanding of contemporary social reality and the changes taking place in it should read this book--from students to scientists and intellectuals. Through these essays we learn to look under the veneer of reality, behind the altars of science, under the scenery of pop-psychology and behind the facade of therapeutic culture. Thanks to essays on suicide...

Theoretical and Practical Approaches to Non-Formal Education

Interdisciplinary Examinations into Various Instructional Models

by Daniel Mara and Margareta M. Thomson (editors)

2021

In this collection of work, the contributing authors tackle the topic of non-formal education from a variety of disciplines, such as computer science, psychology, education, science education, literacy, music, art, and social studies by sharing original perspectives, and proposing novel educational approaches. The book chapters present insights into designing and carrying out non-formal education activities, operational management strategies related to non-formal education, activating and creating the well-being of participants in non-formal education activities, and implementing active learning. The current volume appeals to a wide audience, including teachers, parents, students, and education specialists, as well as researchers and community members working with youth and children. More...

Life Without Rights

Human Rights or Neighborly Love

by Birgit Berggrensson

2022

The topic of the book is the focus on rights, which has spread like wildfire above all in the Western part of the world since the Second World War and the impact this way of thinking has had on how we see our fellow human beings. The author sees rights focused thinking and neighborly love as opposites and does not think that the two are compatible. They are mutually exclusive. In other words a different way of thinking is called for, and this applies to all the things that we human beings feel we are entitled to and claim, starting with The Declaration of Human Rights and continuing to the right to a roof over one’s head; throughout the chapters of the book the author argues that we human beings do not have any rights at all, and how we instead have to take a closer look at the parts of r...

Pressure to Behave, Believe, and Become

Identity Negotiation Stories from People Who Grew Up "Cult"

by Patricia A. Millar

2013

This research explored how identity transitions are accomplished when individuals experience distress in relationship to the social systems in which they are embedded. Study participants grew up in cultic groups, where they were parented by committed members. Twenty-two people who chose to leave or were ejected from 12 cultic groups provided low point, high point, and turning point stories for an exploratory narrative analysis. Life story narratives revealed a jarring disconnect between what participants were expected to believe and become and how they experienced themselves. The research interviews provided richly textured data about the experience of growing up cult, the process of leaving, and what helped or hindered as participants navigated new social contexts. A categorical conten...

Disabled Literature

A Critical Examination of the Portrayal of Individuals with Disabilities in Selected Works of Modern and Contemporary American Literature

by Miles Beauchamp, Wendy Chung, Alijandra Mogilner, & Svetlana Zakinova

2015

This book examines how authors have used characters with disabilities to elicit emotional reactions in readers; additionally, how writers use disabilities to present individuals as "the other" rather than simply as people. Finally, the book discusses how literature has changed, or is changing, with regards to its presentation of those with a disability.

Genres and Genre Theory in Transition

Specialized Discourses across Media and Modes

by Giuliana Garzone & Cornelia Ilie (eds.)

2014

This volume collects a series of studies focusing on the evolution of text genres in corporate and professional communication. Genre change is explored in various contexts under the pressure of the increasing importance of new media and the profound social changes that have occurred in the last few decades. Theoretical issues are also raised and discussed, highlighting the need to reconsider the repertoire of conventions traditionally identified in each specific genre, and to reassess and update the analytical tools used to investigate them about three decades after the emergence of genre analysis.

The Adaptation Process of a Resettled Community to the Newly-Built Environment

A Study of the Nubian Experience in Egypt

by Wael Salah Fahmi

2014

Generally, construction of dams is regarded as means of economic progress in many countries. However, major consequences of such projects are the inundation of upstream areas and the resettlement of entire communities in newly built environments where they experience dramatic transformation in their lifestyles. The present study takes the Nubian resettlement experience after the creation of Lake Nasser that submerged their old settlements, along the river Nile. Following their resettlement, the design of the newly-built environment disrupted the Nubian traditional lifestyles and patterns of privacy mechanisms, territoriality and social interaction. However, the inadequacy of the newly-built environment was mainly attributed to the Nubians' transfer from spacious homes in the old village...

Shamanism in the Interdisciplinary Context

by Firnhaber, R. Paul and Leete, Art, eds

2004

The understanding of shamanism in its variety of forms and manifestations has become vital in our understanding of the origins and development of ideological systems of the human family. Though not a religion, shamanism is the first formalization of the human quest for meaning, understanding and participation in the mysteries of the cosmic drama. It is a global phenomenon; cultural specific practices and beliefs reflecting and embodying universal "truths." This book is a collection of the papers presented at the 6th Conference of the International Society for Shamanistic Research held at the Viljandi Kultuurikolledz, Viljandi, Estonia in August of 2001. It represents the contemporary work of international scholarship in its attempt to understand the complexities of shamanism, both anc...

Subjectivity, Creativity, and the Institution

by Christopher Crouch (editor)

2009

This book is an interdisciplinary collection of essays that examine the subjective experiences of the moulding of creativity, for good or bad, by institutional values. It is essential reading for anyone who wishes to gain a glimpse into the circumstances that surround the creative individual in our current globalising world. In chapters ranging from the function of the internet in building creative social spaces to an examination of the dreaming of their history by the Zapara Amazonian people, this book will introduce the reader to critical analyses of the many differing creative spaces we have made for ourselves across the world. In a radical break from the traditional academic practice of keeping specialists and disciplines separate, this collection brings international scholars and prac...