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Alternatives to Privatization: Public Options for Essential Services in the Global South (Routledge Studies in Development and Society)
by David A. McDonald Greg RuitersThere is a vast literature for and against privatizing public services. Those who are against privatization are often confronted with the objection that they present no alternative. This book takes up that challenge by establishing theoretical models for what does (and does not) constitute an alternative to privatization, and what might make them ‘successful’, backed up by a comprehensive set of empirical data on public services initiatives in over 40 countries. This is the first such global survey of its kind, providing a rigorous and robust platform for evaluating different alternatives and allowing for comparisons across regions and sectors. The book helps to conceptualize and evaluate what has become an important and widespread movement for better public services in the global South. The contributors explore historical, existing and proposed non-commercialized alternatives for primary health, water/sanitation and electricity. The objectives of the research have been to develop conceptual and methodological frameworks for identifying and analyzing alternatives to privatization, and testing these models against actually existing alternatives on the ground in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Information of this type is urgently required for practitioners and analysts, both of whom are seeking reliable knowledge on what kind of public models work, how transferable they are from one place to another and what their main strengths and weaknesses are.
Alternatives to Imprisonment: Intentions and Reality
by Ulla V. BondesonThe detrimental effects of imprisonment have been documented and accepted in most western countries. As a result, alternatives to incarceration have been sought in the effort to reform the penal system. Although during the last thirty years several Nordic official committees have recommended a reduction in the use of jail sentences and an increase in other forms of punishment (i.e. fines and probation) in the hope of decreasing crime and rehabilitating criminals, incarceration rates have been going up in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Still, the interest in alternatives to imprisonment continues to grow, but few studies have actually been published that examine their effectiveness.
Alternatives to Exclusion from School
by Mairi Ann Cullen Pamela Munn Gwynedd Lloyd`. . . an excellent volume, one which should become essential reading for students of education, especially those at the start of their careers. Incidentally, not only is the book concise; unusually for a jointly-authored book it is also hard to see the joins; it really does read well' - Scottish Affairs `An interesting comparison of pairs of schools which differed in the extent to which they excluded, the authors found several differences: the schools' views on what education is all about; the way the curriculum is structured; relations with parents; and decision-making about exclusion' - Times Educational Supplement Exclusion from school is a major concern for teachers, parents and children, and features in government initiatives. This book takes a broad look at exclusion, mapping the extent of exclusions and showing what factors can lead to children being excluded, whether permanently or informally, from school. The authors focus on various kinds of in-school alternatives to exclusion. They show how schools and teachers can make a difference to young people's emotional and social development, as well as to their cognitive-intellectual development. For many children with difficulties in their families or communities, school can be a safe and supportive refuge. School is also much more than just the subjects on the timetable, and the authors look in detail at the hidden curriculum, or school ethos, as a means of preventing exclusion. The book goes beyond in-school alternatives to consider the effectiveness of out-of-school provision, and raises questions about how to conceptualize effectiveness. The authors consider perspectives on exclusion from other countries including the United States, and place exclusion from school in the broader context of social exclusion.
Alternatives to Economic Orthodoxy: Reader in Political Economy
by Randy AlbeldaExploring the question of whether China's peasantry was a revolutionary force, this volume pays particular attention to the first half of the 20th century, when peasant-based conflict was central to nationwide revolutionary processes. It traces key themes of social conflict and peasant resistance.
Alternatives to Cognition: A New Look at Explaining Human Social Behavior
by Christina LeeIn this provocative book, Christina Lee takes a consciously critical approach to the apparently unchallenged principle that conscious thought is the cause of all human behavior. Without becoming polemical or destructive, she reconsiders a wide range of issues in mainstream American and European social psychology. Suitable for an international audience, the book deals with issues in mainstream American and European social psychology. It assumes some familiarity with contemporary social and applied psychology, and would be appropriate as a text or supplementary reading for senior undergraduate and postgraduate courses in social psychology and psychological theory, although it is also written with an academic research audience in mind. While it is written largely for psychologists, it would also be of interest to academics from other social-science disciplines with a general interest in explanations of individual social behavior.
Alternatives: The United States Confronts the World
by Immanuel WallersteinImmanuel Wallerstein draws on a lifetime of study of long-term historical change to shed light in his newest book on the consequences of the recent, significant turn in U.S. foreign and economic policies. Alternatives shows how the U.S. has been in decline since the 1970s and how these longer trends dovetail with current Bush administration policies, which he describes as an attempt to reverse the decline in ways that are disastrous to the future of the country and the world. The book's middle section is a log of insightful commentaries written between 2001 and 2004 detailing how the Bush administration has broken the pattern of foreign policies set by six presidents from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton. Wallerstein suggests that a threshold has been crossed that will make it difficult for future presidents to practice the kind of 'soft' multilateralism in foreign policy they have used in the past and maintain effective alliances. He also shows, surprisingly, why 'globalization' already is dead, especially in terms of the United States' ability to dominate economically in the manner that it has since WWII. He calls for a major revision of U.S. policies, and not an attempt merely to return to the pre-Bush foreign policy. In conclusion, Wallerstein's visionary book speaks to the challenges the U.S. must face if it is to play a meaningful and progressive role in the world-system.
Alternative Work Organizations
by Maurizio AtzeniCurrent and historical examples in the labour movement worldwide have helped to debunk the myth that workers cannot run production. Workers can take control of factories, reverting many assumptions about property, management, work organisation, wages andchallenge the almost natural character of capitalist work relations. This volume uses geographically and historically diverse examples to analyse the challenges and questions that alternative forms of work present to those involved.
Alternative Theories of the Firm (Humanistic Management)
by Michael PirsonThe Theory of the Firm is commonly viewed as axiomatic by business school academicians. Considerations spanning organizational structures, their boundaries and roles, as well as business strategies all relate to the theory of the firm. The dominant theory of the firm poses that markets act perfectly to maximize the well-being of society when people act to maximize the personal utility of their individual purchases and firms act to maximize financial returns to their owners. However, burgeoning evidence and discourse across the scientific and policy communities suggests that the economic, social, and environmental consequences of accepting and applying this theory in the organization of business and society threatens the survival of the human species, among countless others. This book provides the latest thinking on alternatives to the theory of the firm as cornerstone of managerial decision making. Authors explore and elucidate theories that help us understand a firm differently and suggest alternatives to the theory of the firm. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, practitioners, and students interested in leadership, strategic management, and the intersection of corporate interests and the wellbeing of society.
Alternative Takes to the City
by Irini Micha Dina VaiouAlternative Takes to the City presents the mosaic of relations and socio-spatial conditions which compose the plurality of contemporary everyday space(s) in cities, offering "a view from below". It proposes a multidisciplinary and gendered approach to the (relational) spatialities and temporalities of the everyday, of new mobilities and of global and local networks which constitute urban life in contemporary cities. The book raises an empirically informed theoretical proposition which springs from the multiplicity of everyday experiences, as a laboratory for understanding recent socio-spatial, political and ideological transformations. Each chapter takes forward the theoretical argument based on one or more examples of concrete cities, in order to unveil the complexity and diversity of the urban condition in changing conjunctures, in which local practices connect and collide with global developments.
Alternative Sociologies of Religion: Through Non-Western Eyes
by James V SpickardUncovers what the sociology of religion would look like had it emerged in a Confucian, Muslim, or Native American culture rather than in a Christian oneSociology has long used Western Christianity as a model for all religious life. As a result, the field has tended to highlight aspects of religion that Christians find important, such as religious beliefs and formal organizations, while paying less attention to other elements. Rather than simply criticizing such limitations, James V. Spickard imagines what the sociology of religion would look like had it arisen in three non-Western societies. What aspects of religion would scholars see more clearly if they had been raised in Confucian China? What could they learn about religion from Ibn Khaldun, the famed 14th century Arab scholar? What would they better understand, had they been born Navajo, whose traditional religion certainly does not revolve around beliefs and organizations? Through these thought experiments, Spickard shows how non-Western ideas understand some aspects of religions—even of Western religions—better than does standard sociology. The volume shows how non-Western frameworks can shed new light on several different dimensions of religious life, including the question of who maintains religious communities, the relationships between religion and ethnicity as sources of social ties, and the role of embodied experience in religious rituals. These approaches reveal central aspects of contemporary religions that the dominant way of doing sociology fails to notice. Each approach also provides investigators with new theoretical resources to guide them deeper into their subjects. The volume makes a compelling case for adopting a global perspective in the social sciences.
Alternative Schooling and New Education: European Concepts and Theories (Palgrave Studies in Alternative Education)
by Ralf Koerrenz Annika Blichmann Sebastian EngelmannThis book examines the European discussion about alternative schooling in the 20th century. It refers to a stream of concepts that are often described as New Education, Progressive Education, Education Nouvelle or Reformp#65533;dagogik, and discusses a range of different models of alternative schooling. Exploring the works of a range of continental educational philosophers, including Lietz, Blonsky, Kerschensteiner, Freinet, Decroly and Petersen, the book offers a unique insight into texts not yet translated into English. These educational models are presented with regards to the biographical background of the authors; the crucial elements of their construction; the historical interconnections between schooling, society and culture; and finally their connection to today's discussions in educational sciences. The book will be highly relevant for researchers and advanced students working on the theory, history and practice of schooling, particularly those with a focus on alternative schooling and the philosophy of education.
Alternative Religions Among European Youth (Routledge Revivals)
by Luigi TomasiFrist published in 1999, this book provides an overview of various non-conventional notions of what is sacred, currently held among European young people. It analyses the growing estrangement between traditional religious doctrines and current beliefs among young people in the following countries: France, Austria, Holland, England, Germany, Poland, Russia and Iceland. Using fist-hand statistical support and a well-established theoretical approach, the book examines new religious movements and sects, analysing and interpreting the reasons for their growth and spread among young people. The distinctive features of the book are its investigation of diverse religious phenomena and its verification of whether this spread of ‘alternative ‘religiosity is due to the reluctance of a growing section of the European population to accept traditional religious beliefs. The result of eight separate empirical surveys, the book is original in its content and innovative in its theoretical approach. Overall, it provides a detailed and documented analysis of the increasing number of young Europeans now attracted by ‘alternative’ religions.
Alternative Realities: A Study of Communes and their Members (Routledge Revivals)
by Andrew RigbyOriginally published in 1974, this book examines the nature of the commune movement, its members and the communal activities in which they are involved. It explains the forces in 20th Century society that moved people to form and join communes. The author investigates the claim made by many commune members that the commune represents a viable alternative institution to that of the nuclear family, and considers the relevance of the commune movement as a revolutionary social movement aimed at the creation of an alternative society.
Alternative Perspectives on Livelihoods, Agriculture and Air Pollution: Agriculture in Urban and Peri-urban Areas in a Developing Country (Routledge Revivals)
by Neela MukherjeeThis title was first published in 2001. This text is based on participatory field research in selected urban and peri-urban villages in Varanasi and Faridabad districts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, respectively. The topic of air pollution is approached in a holistic manner in terms of local lives and livelihoods.
Alternative Modernities: Antonio Gramsci's Twentieth Century (Marx, Engels, and Marxisms)
by Giuseppe VaccaAntonio Gramsci lived the Great War as a “historic break,” a profound experience that left an indelible mark on the development of his political thought. Translated into English for the first time, Alternative Modernities reconstructs and analyses this critical period of Gramsci’s intellectual formation through a systematic analysis of his writings from 1915 to 1935. For Gramsci, Soviet Communism, “Americanism,” and the “new” Fascist State were the principle responses to the crisis of the old world order. He portrayed them as the three protagonists of twentieth-century modernity, alternatives destined to tragically clash in the worldwide struggle for hegemony. Among the arguments in his Prison Notebooks, Gramsci casts doubt on the political strategy of Soviet Communism and the theoretical underpinnings of “official Marxism.” Instead, he suggests a radical revision of Marxism by breathing life into a new interpretation whose fundamental concepts are: politics as the struggle for hegemony, the “passive revolution” as a historical paradigm of modernity, and the philosophy of praxis as the welding between visions of the worlds, historical analyses, and political strategies. Gramsci’s intuitions culminate in a new theory of the political subject, supported by a reflection upon the 20th century that still speaks to us today, pointing the way toward a new narrative of world history.
An Alternative History of Pittsburgh
by Ed SimonEd Simon tells the story of Pittsburgh through this exploration of its hidden histories--the LA Review of Books calls it an "epic, atomic history of the Steel City." The land surrounding the confluence of the
Alternative Futures and the Present: Postcolonial Possibilities (Critiques and Alternatives to Capitalism)
by Ranabir SamaddarThis book explores the idea that alternatives to our present condition are available in the present, such that a search for alternatives must involve rigorous study of some of its central texts, events, and thinkers. Through engagement with selected modern thinkers, texts, and events, it imagines a different future from the position of the current postcolonial moment, indicating the possibilities that emerge from the present and which shape contemporary radical thinking. An invitation to imagine a possible future marked with alternative possibilities of conducting struggles, and living through contentions and social restructuring, it will appeal to scholars with interests in social and political theory, political philosophy, colonialism and postcolonialism, and historical materialism.
Alternative Energy In The Middle East
by Gawdat BahgatThe Middle East region holds the world's largest oil and natural gas proven reserves. Several Middle Eastern States are major oil producers and consumers. Given price fluctuations and environmental concerns many countries have sought to diversify their energy mix. The Middle East is no exception. Gawdat Bahgat analyzes the geopolitical, economic and strategic forces behind this diversification in the Middle East. He highlights the main advantages and disadvantages of each source of energy.
Alternative Education and Community Engagement: Making Education a Priority
by Ornette D. Clennon Cassie Earl Kehinde AndrewsThis book explores the ethical and philosophical issues behind the provision of market-led alternative education. The volume examines the models of Free, Studio, Supplementary and Co-operative school provisions, asking whether a market-based approach to delivering higher standards of education actually works.
Alternative Discourses on Modernization and Development: East Asian Perspectives
by Kim Kyong-DongThis cutting edge work offers an alternative perspective on existing paradigms of modernization and development that originated in the West from the vantage point of non-western, late-modernizing societies. It considers how East Asian philosophical ideas enrich the reformulation of the concept of development or societal development, and how influential principles of traditional culture such as yin-yang dialectic interact with modern ideas and technology. It addresses the significance of alternative discourses as culturally independent scholarship, and the problems of pervasive mechanisms of social, political, economic, and cultural dependence in the global academic world.
Alternative Discourses And The Academy
by Christopher Schroeder Helen Fox Patricia BizzellPatricia Bizzell has argued that teachers of composition, if they are going to prepare students for success in other classrooms and other contexts, cannot afford to ignore alternative forms of discourse that are appearing now in the academy. This edited collection of original essays both discusses and at times exemplifies extraordinary examples of just such alternatives-discourses that embody new and different forms of intellectual work Together, their writings pose and answer some intriguing questions about the: use of nonstandard discourse to illustrate unconventional forms of intellectual work role of nonstandard discourse in scholarship from disciplines across the curriculum theoretical complexities of discourses defined as "alternative," "hybrid," "mixed," or "constructed" relationships among communities, discourses, and linguistic standards new conditions in composition classrooms made up of more students of English as a foreign language and students using non-standard dialects teacher-student relationships within the context of alternative forms of intellectual work. Using unconventional structures and formats while acknowledging new modes and methods, this provocative volume argues eloquently for inclusion of a broader range of expression in academic writing.
'Alternative' cultures and leisure: Creating pathways for sustainable livelihoods
by Alan Law Stephen L. WearingContemporary discourse on sustainability points to the need for substantial, if not radical, shifts in relations between productivity, environment, consumption and identities, in ways which bring or restore balance to the intersecting domains. The catchphrase of ‘sustainability’ has made its way into mainstream discourse on the heels of the ongoing global financial crisis and responses to global warming. The literature of leisure, sport and particularly tourism are replete with fine examples of ‘sustainability’, contributing to full ecology planning approaches. This book aims to stimulate debate and discussion within the leisure studies community about the roles of ‘alternative cultures’ in producing viable models of sustainable relations between work, leisure and environment. Key elements of these discussions, such as participatory democracy and deep ecology, have long been characteristic of cultural configurations loosely called ‘counter’ or ‘alternative’ to a voracious, hierarchical and unconscious modernity. However the leisure studies community has largely neglected their significance up until now. How are leisure, sustainable livelihoods and ‘alternative’ cultures connected, and what influence do they have? This book was originally published as a special issue of Annals of Leisure Research.
Alternative Business: Outlaws, Crime and Culture (Routledge Companions In Business, Management And Accounting Ser.)
by Martin ParkerFrom Robin Hood to Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, outlaws have been a central part of 800 years of culture. These are characters who criticise the power of those in the castle or the skyscraper, and earn their keep by breaking the law. Outlaws break categories too. They are fact and fiction, opposition and product, culture and economy, natural justice and organized crime. Beginning with Robin Hood stealing from the rich, and covering along the way pirates, smugglers, highwaymen, the Wild West, the Mafia and many others, Martin Parker offers a fresh and exciting insight into the counter culture of the outlaw – one that rebels against the more dominant and traditional forms of economy and organization and celebrates a life free from wage slavery. Alternative Business is a highly readable, entertaining book that will prove a helpful study tool for all students and lecturers working on organizations, cultural studies and criminology.
Alternative Approachies To the Study of Sexual Behavior
by Donn Byrne Kathryn KelleyFirst published in 1986. This book focuses on a multiciliary approach to studying sexual behavior. It purports that biosexual, sociosexual, and psychosexual research can be combined within a single framework as they are complementary rather than in conflict, and together they provide an integrative picture of human sexual functioning.
Alternative (Changing Mobilities)
by Maria Alice de Faria NogueiraBy introducing the new concept of alternative (im)mobilities, this collection draws attention to a different approach to mobility practices. In doing so, this ground-breaking volume explores a range of issues related related to (im)mobilities and the Covid-19 pandemic, transport and social practices, and media and urban tourism. Designed and organized in a legally or illegally way, alternative (im)mobilities are examples of those daily practices of displacement of people, objects, and information, which mobilize a multidisciplinary framework of urbanization, shedding light on important and long-standing issues of inequality and the lack of recognition of diversity in economics, social and culture urban life. This volume opens up a new set of research questions related to the complex ways in which informal actors cope with their everyday life experience, regarding dwelling, commuting, working, caring of vulnerable people, health issues, access to information, among other mobility practices, besides the lack of essential – and infrastructural - public services. This volume will be of great interest to researchers and scholars in geography and the social sciences interested in mobilities, transport, communication, tourism, mobility justice and inequality, public decision making and health studies.