Special Collections
Benetech’s Global Certified Accessible Titles
Description: Benetech’s GCA program is the first independent third-party EPUB certification to verify ebook accessibility. By creating content that is born accessible, publishers can meet the needs of all readers. Learn more: https://bornaccessible.benetech.org/
- Table View
- List View
Explaining Guanxi
by Anthony Walker and Ying Lun SoGuanxi, a system of Chinese business relationships, is often described, but is rarely fully understood. Though it seems intangible, there is no doubt that it has contributed significantly to the success of Chinese entrepreneurs and the places where they work. Translated loosely as ‘personal ties’, this simple explanation belies a complex and nuanced system. Guanxi has often been criticised as nepotism - unfair, inefficient, even corrupt, and generally detrimental to business and economic growth… but if it is that bad, how does it survive? This insightful book unravels the origins of Guanxi and provides a much-needed explanation of the phenomena. It investigates: why it was initiated and developed what function it serves how it is maintained why it is such a dominant phenomenon in Chinese business life Combining economics, law and culture, this clear and concise book looks to the future of Guanxi based on its history. Drawing on cultural, organizational and economic studies, it takes a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating these various topics into a coherent explanation of Guanxi ensuring that this illuminating book will be equally useful to students of Asian business as to practitioners working within this market.
The Political Economy of Revolutionary Nicaragua
by Rose J. SpaldingThis book, first published in 1987, is a solid, analytical exploration of the complex dynamics of the revolutionary economic transformation from 1979 to 1986. This collection of eleven essays provides a clear picture of the goals, internal debates, external influences and shifting policy decisions which affected the efforts of the Sandinista government. They help to clarify the dynamics between soaring food prices and falling wages, and explain the complex relationship between the private sector and the state. They also document the policies of the Reagan administration toward the Sandinista government.
Islam, Crime and Criminal Justice
by Basia SpalekThis book brings together research into key aspects of the interconnections between Islam, crime and the criminal justice system in Britain, a particularly timely collection in the light of both the recent disturbances in several northern English cities as well as the impact of the events of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath. Chapters in the book focus on young Muslim men and criminal activity, Muslim women and their experiences of victimisation, the experiences of Muslim police officers, of Muslims in prison, issues of human rights in relation to Muslims in Britain, and the criminal justice policy implications of religious diversity. Main aims pursued through the book include issues of victimisation as perceived by Muslim communities, Muslim perspectives on crime and criminal justice, and ways of addressing issues of marginalisation and exclusion within Muslim communities. Overall the book provides an important contribution to debates over the role of Muslims in British society generally, as well as their experiences of and involvement in the criminal justice system and the policy implications that arise from this.
Film and Television Distribution and the Internet
by Andrew SparrowThere is no area of business that is more dramatically affected by the explosion of web-based services delivered to computers, PDAs and mobile phones than the film and television industries. The web is creating radical new ways of marketing and delivering television and film content; one that draws in not simply traditional broadcasters and producers but a whole new range of organizations such as news organizations, web companies and mobile phone service providers. This companion volume to Andrew Sparrow's Music Distribution and the Internet: A Legal Guide for the Music Business focuses on the practical application of UK and EU law as it applies to the distribution of television and film through the internet. This includes terms of contract and copyright as they affect studios, broadcasters, sales agents, distributors, internet service providers, film financiers, and online film retailers; as well as areas such as the licensing of rights. It also covers the commercial aspects of delivering film and television services to a customer base, including engaging with new content platforms, strategic agreements with content aggregators, protecting and exploiting intellectual property rights, data and consumer protection, and payment, online marketing and advertising. The opportunities for companies operating in this area are extraordinary (as are the legal implications) and Andrew Sparrow's highly practical guide provides an excellent starting point for navigating through what is a complex area of regulation, contract, copyright and consumer law.
The Law of Virtual Worlds and Internet Social Networks
by Andrew SparrowVirtual worlds are the latest manifestation of the internet's inexorable appetite for development. Organisations of all kinds are enthusiastically pursuing the commercial opportunities offered by the growth of this phenomenon. But if you believe that there are no laws which govern internet social networks and virtual worlds this book will persuade you otherwise. There is law, and a good deal of it. Why would there not be? As with many other aspects of the world wide web, this new medium is unregulated and offers many opportunities for companies to damage their reputation, run into a whole host of problems relating to intellectual property, trade marks and copyrights, and compromise the rights of individuals participating within the virtual environment. By reading The Law of Virtual Worlds and Internet Social Networks you will gain a good understanding of the legal issues which govern this expanding and fascinating world - are you ready for the leap from internet plaything to meaningful social and business tool? The Law of Virtual Worlds and Internet Social Networks is an essential reference for advertising and media agencies; television broadcast producers; academic institutions including university law, knowledge and information departments. In fact, it has been written for anyone interested in virtual worlds and social networks whether commercially because you want to explore the possibilities such environments present, or for academic curiosity.
The Philosophy of Hegel
by Allen SpeightFew philosophers can induce as much puzzlement among students as Hegel. His works are notoriously dense and make very few concessions for a readership unfamiliar with his systematic view of the world. Allen Speight's introduction to Hegel's philosophy takes a chronological perspective on the development of Hegel's system. In this way, some of the most important questions in Hegelian scholarship are illuminated by examining in their respective contexts works such as the "Phenomenology and the Logic". Speight begins with the young Hegel and his writings prior to the "Phenomenology" focusing on the notion of positivity and how Hegel's social, economic and religious concerns became linked to systematic and logical ones. He then examines the "Phenomenology" in detail, including its treatment of scepticism, the problem of immediacy, the transition from "consciousness" to "self-consciousness", and the emergence of the social and historical category of "Spirit". The following chapter explores the Logic, paying particular attention to a number of vexed issues associated with Hegel's claims to systematicity and the relation between the categories of Hegel's logic and nature or spirit (Geist). The final chapters discuss Hegel's ethical and political thought and the three elements of his notion of "absolute spirit": art, religion and philosophy, as well as the importance of history to his philosophical approach as a whole.
Ending Apartheid
by Jack Spence and David WelshThe release of Nelson Mandela from twenty-seven years imprisonment in 1990 and the free elections which followed four years later were among the most dramatic events of the twentieth century. David Welsh and J. E. Spence here examine the complex forces which lay behind that drama. They chart the rise and decline of apartheid ideology in South Africa, the internal insurrection and increased international isolation which characterised the 1980s and the political roller-coaster ride of the period after 1990 as constitutional negotiations got underway. Based on extensive interviews with those involved, Ending Apartheid traces the negotiating process in penetrating detail, noting the political skills of de Klerk and Mandela in keeping their potentially unruly constituencies in line and avoiding the major violence that many had predicted. Reaching agreement on a democratic constitution was a major achievement that surprised many sceptical observers, but the book ends on a more sombre note. Reviewing the period subsequent to the transition, it argues that while progress has been made, the future of South Africa's democracy is still far from assured. Written by two eminent scholars with decades of experience teaching in the field, Ending Apartheid is an invaluable resource for all students of South African politics seeking a deeper understanding of a defining episode in recent history.
Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain for Social Impact
by Wolfgang Spiess-KnaflArtificial Intelligence and Blockchain for Social Impact provides an accessible overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies, and explores their applications for social enterprise and impact investing. The opening chapter introduces the impact space, exploring different social business models, the role of technology, the impact investing market and general problems in the space. The remainder of this book falls into two paths: the first focusing on AI and the other looking at the blockchain technology. Providing introductions to each of these technologies and their histories, the author goes on to examine them from the perspectives of social business models and impact finance. A concluding chapter explores AI and cryptocurrencies in the impact space in the future. Readers are supported with international case studies and other student-friendly features. Situated at the intersection between technology, fintech, social enterprise, impact investing and social impact, this book is a valuable resource for upper-level courses across all these areas. It also offers an introduction to this emerging topic for researchers and business professionals. Online teaching resources to accompany this book include instructor lecture slides and data sets.
Fleeing Homophobia
by Thomas SpijkerboerEach year, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) asylum seekers apply for asylum in EU Member States.This book considers the position of LGBTI asylum seekers in European asylum law. Developing an encompassing approach to the topic, the book identifies and analyzes the main legal issues arising in relation to LGBTI people seeking asylum including: the underestimation of the relevance of criminalization of sexual orientation as well as the large scale violence against trans people in countries of origin by some European states; the requirement to seek State protection against violence even when they originate from countries where sexual orientation or gender identity is criminalized, or where the authorities are homophobic; the particular hurdles faced during credibility assessment on account of persisting stereotypes; and queer families and refugee law. The book gives a state of the art overview of law in Europe, both at the level of European legislation and at the level of Member State practice. While being largely focused on Europe, the book also takes into account asylum decisions from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States and is of relevance internationally, offering analysis of issues which are not specific to particular legal systems.
Financial Crises
by Brenda Spotton VisanoThis study explores the major patterns of change in the evolution of financial crises as enduring phenomena and analyzes the paradoxical position that crises are at once similar to and different from each other. Brenda Spotton-Visano examines economic, psychological and social elements intrinsic to the process of capitalist accumulation and innovation to explain the enduring similarities of crises across historical episodes. She also assesses the impact that changing financial and economic structures have on determining the specific nature of crises and the differential effect these have in focal point, manner and extent of transmission to other, otherwise unrelated, parts of the economy. Financial Crises offers a consistent method for interpreting variations in financial crises through time and allows for a better overall appreciation for both the transitory fragility and enduring flexibility of financial capitalism and the potential vulnerability created by on-going financial development. Topical and informative, this key book is of keen interest to all those studying and researching international economics and political economy.
Support-Bargaining, Economics and Society
by Patrick SpreadSupport-Bargaining, Economics and Society links support-bargaining to Darwin's theory of natural selection and traces the implications of support-bargaining and money-bargaining across society. It provides a wholly different account of the functioning of human societies from anything that has gone before. Social scientists, ever since there have been such people, have missed the crucial human characteristic – the propensity to seek support – that has given rise to group formation and the evolution of human society.
Santayana-Arg Philosophers
by Timothy L. SpriggeFirst published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Genocide
by Jane SpringerWhat is genocide? Why does it happen, and what can be done to prevent it from happening again? These urgent questions are clearly and concisely explored for young adult readers. Some view the systematic killing, rape and destruction of homes in Darfur as a grave humanitarian crisis. For others, it’s a clear example of the ultimate crime against humanity — genocide. Who is right? What is genocide? What is the impact on humanity of wiping out entire groups of people? Who are the endangered human beings in today’s world? This thoughtful book helps young readers understand these and other difficult questions. Providing an overview of the history of genocide worldwide, the book explores the paradox that while a person who murders another person can be tried and even executed for the crime, a person who murders hundreds or thousands of people usually goes free. Using case studies the book points out their unique character while at the same time establishing important links between them. Most important, the book answers the question, what can be done to prevent genocide from happening in the future? "[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." — Globe and Mail Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Secret Sects Of Syria
by SpringettFirst published in 2007. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Corporatism, Social Control, and Cultural Domination in Education
by Joel SpringStarting with the 1972 publication of his seminal work, Education and the Rise of the Corporate State, Joel Spring has been documenting and analyzing the politics of knowledge and education. Throughout his work he has explored the attempts to use education to advance the economic and political interests of dominant groups. The general term he uses for the relationship between schools and power is "ideological management." His scholarly work first looked at the influence on American schooling of business and economic doctrines embodied in human capital theories and consumerism. The next step in his exploration of the politics of knowledge was to examine these issues in the context of globalization, leading to a proposed educational rights amendment to national constitutions and a new paradigm for education, both of which might ensure that schools are protected from ideological management by economic and political elites. Spring’s indigenous background has strongly shaped his interest in the political and economic goals of schooling, particularly the attempts of those in power to use schools to destroy indigenous languages and cultures. In this collection, Spring brings together 10 of his key writings, providing an overview not just of his own career but the larger contexts in which it is situated. In the Introduction he reviews the evolution and scope of his work and his earlier arguments and reflects on its central themes, which are reflected in the writings selected for this volume. In the World Library of Educationalists, international scholars themselves compile career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces – extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, major theoretical and/practical contributions – so the world can read them in a single manageable volume. Readers will be able to follow the themes and strands of their work and see their contribution to the development of a field, as well as the development of the field itself. Contributors to the series include: Michael Apple, James A. Banks, Stephen J. Ball, Elliot Eisner, Howard Gardner, John Gilbert, Ivor F. Goodson, Peter Jarvis.
Pedagogies of Globalization
by Joel SpringIn this ground-breaking book, Joel Spring examines globalization and its worldwide effects on education. A central thesis is that industrial-consumerism is the dominant paradigm in the integration of education and economic planning in modern economic security states.In the twenty-first century, national school systems have similar grades and promotion plans, instructional methods, curriculum organization, and linkages between secondary and higher education. Although there are local variations, the most striking feature is the sameness of educational systems. How did this happen? How was education globalized? Spring explains and analyzes this phenomenon and its consequences for human life and the future improvement of social and economic organizations. Central themes include:*the elements of the educational security state and the industrial-consumer paradigm in relationship to classical forms of education such as Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity, and their concerns with creating a just and ethical society;*the role of the 'other' in the globalization of educational structures as international military and economic rivalries spark competition between educational systems;*the transition from the Confucian village school to Western forms of education as exemplified in the lives of Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong;*the effect of the cultural and economic rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States and its impact on schooling in both countries;*the rise of the educational security state in China, the Soviet Union, and the United States as these countries focus their educational efforts on military and economic development;*the evolution of progressive education as it appeared in revolutionary movements in South America, Cuba, Nicaragua, and El Salvador;*the transition from traditional to Westernized forms of Islamic education against the background of European imperialism, Arab nationalism and wars of liberation, and the uneasy tension between Western educational ideals and Islamic religious values;*socialist education in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea;*current developments in educational security states such as China, Japan, the United States, the new Russia, and the European Union; and*the consequences of English as the global language and the global spread of the industrial-consumer paradigm.Readership for this book includes scholars and students in comparative, international, and multicultural education; educational policy and politics; historical, social, and philosophical foundations of education; and curriculum studies. It is a particularly timely, informative, engaging text for courses in all of these areas.
Body, Paper, Stage
by Tami SpryTami Spry provides a methodological introduction to the budding field of performative autoethnography. She intertwines three necessary elements comprising the process. First one must understand the body – navigating concepts of self, culture, language, class, race, gender, and physicality. The second task is to put that body on the page, assigning words for that body’s sociocultural experiences. Finally, this merger of body and paper is lifted up to the stage, crafting a persona as a method of personal inquiry. These three stages are simultaneous and interdependent, and only in cultivating all three does performance autoethnography begin to take shape. Replete with examples and exercises, this is an important introductory work for autoethnographers and performance artists alike.
Light Perpetual
by Francis SpuffordFrom the critically acclaimed and award‑winning author of Golden Hill, a mesmerizing and boldly inventive novel tracing the infinite possibilities of five lives in the bustling neighborhoods of 20th-century London.Lunchtime on a Saturday, 1944: the Woolworths on Bexford High Street in southeast London receives a delivery of aluminum saucepans. A crowd gathers to see the first new metal in ages—after all, everything&’s been melted down for the war effort. An instant later, the crowd is gone; incinerated. Among the shoppers were five young children. Who were they? What futures did they lose? This brilliantly constructed novel lets an alternative reel of time run, imagining the life arcs of these five souls as they live through the extraordinary, unimaginable changes of the bustling immensity of twentieth-century London. Their intimate everyday dramas, as sons and daughters, spouses, parents, grandparents; as the separated, the remarried, the bereaved. Through decades of social, sexual, and technological transformation, as bus conductors and landlords, as swindlers and teachers, patients and inmates. Days of personal triumphs, disasters; of second chances and redemption. Ingenious and profound, full of warmth and beauty, Light Perpetual illuminates the shapes of experience, the extraordinariness of the ordinary, the mysteries of memory and expectation, and the preciousness of life.
Developments in Australian Buddhism
by Michelle SpulerThis book examines the adaptation of Buddhism to the Australian sociocultural context. To gain insight into this process of cross-cultural adaptation, issues arising in the development of Diamond Sangha Zen Buddhist groups (one of the largest Zen lineages in the West) in Australia are contextualised within the broader framework of the adaptations of Buddhist teachings and practices in other Westernised countries. The book also examines the methodological approaches currently used for studying this process and suggests a synthesis of the approaches used for studying convert and ethnic Buddhist groups.
The Post-Reformation
by John SpurrThe 17th century was a dynamic period characterized by huge political and social changes, including the Civil War, the execution of Charles I, the Commonwealth and the Restoration. The Britain of 1714 was recognizably more modern than it was in 1603. At the heart of these changes was religion and the search for an acceptable religious settlement, which stimulated the Pilgrim Fathers to leave to settle America, the Popish plot and the Glorious Revolution in which James II was kicked off the throne. This book looks at both the private aspects of human beliefs and practices and also institutional religion, investigating the growing competition between rival versions of Christianity and the growing expectation that individuals should be allowed to worship as they saw fit.
Selling Transformed
by Philip SquireFor years, sales people have struggled with cliched views of how they sell, while at the same time customers have become more sophisticated and discerning, stopping off at different or unconventional places in the sales funnel. The result is that the technique of sales people controlling the sales conversation and learning how to influence the customer no longer works. Selling Transformed introduces the new world of selling, and addresses the reasons why sales people are so poorly perceived. Selling Transformed provides fresh, tangible ideas on how to develop better sales practices. Focusing as much on the customers as on the sellers, it explains key theories of selling effectively and introduces four proven strategies that are based on the values customers look for in sales people: authenticity, client-centricity, proactive creativity and being tactfully audacious. Explaining what customers look for in sales people, and advising on how to develop and deliver these values, this is a new type of sales manual guaranteed to improve sales performance.
Counseling and Psychotherapy for South Asian Americans
by Ulash Thakore-Dunlap and Devika Srivastava and Nita TewariThis essential text explores what it means to be a South Asian American living in the US while seeking, navigating and receiving psychological, behavioral or counseling services. It delves into a range of issues including cultural identity, racism, colorism, immigration, gender, sexuality, parenting, and caring for older adults. Chapter authors provide research literature, clinical and cultural considerations for interviewing and treatment planning, case examples, questions for reflection, suggested readings, and resources. The book also includes insights on the future of South Asian American mental health, social justice, advocacy, and public policy. Integrating theory, research, and application, this book serves as a clinical guide for therapists, instructors, professors and supervisors in school/university counseling centers working with South Asian American clients, as well as for counseling students.
African Political Economy
by Kempe Ronald Sr.This is a multidisciplinary book that analyses the problems and issues of development in Africa along with the attempts at, and outcomes of, policy reform measures that have been implemented to surmount those problems. Topics covered include the economic crisis in Africa, urbanisation and urban management, uneven development, the socio-economic context of AIDS, bureaucratic corruption and reform, and proposed development solutions.
Tools and Techniques of Leadership and Management
by Ralph StaceyMany of today’s books on the tools and techniques of leadership and management provide descriptions of long lists for use in decision-making, leading, coaching and project management. This book takes a completely different approach. It contests the claims that the tools and techniques are based on evidence and explains why human activities of leading and managing are simply not amenable to scientific proof and consequently, why long-term futures of organizations are unpredictable. The book undertakes a critical exploration of just what these tools and techniques are about; showing that while they may lead to competent performance they cannot go further to expert performance because expertise involves going beyond rules and procedures. Ralph Stacey investigates the many questions that are thrown up as a result of this new approach. Questions such as: How do we apply this new way of thinking? What are the practical tools and techniques it gives us? What is the role of leaders in an unpredictable world? How does complexity affect the way organizations are structured and function? This book will be relevant to students on courses and modules that deal with leadership, decision-making and organizational development and behaviour as well as professional leaders and managers who want to develop their own understanding and techniques.
Gregor Strasser and the Rise of Nazism
by Peter D. StachuraThe most influential and substantial leader, after Hitler, in the pre-1933 National Socialist Party was Gregor Strasser. This book (originally published in 1983 but as yet not superseded) is a comprehensive and scholarly assessment of Strasser’s significant and ultimately tragic career, based largely on previously unpublished German archival material. Strasser’s importance as a Nazi propagandist, organiser, ideologue and spokesman is examined and the analysis and interpretation which follow are fundamentally revisionist in that many of the accepted ideas about Strasser’s career are challenged and shown to be untenable. The book provides important insights into an interesting personality which in turn considerably enhances our understanding of the character of early National Socialism and the politics of the Weimar Republic.