Suchergebnisse

The volume collects the contributions of the 'study day' held on June 16, 2010 at the University of Florence on Abbeys and medieval landscapes in Tuscany, that is, on the forms of the territory that have structured the ways of life in the countryside of our region for centuries. Today an infatuation is observed for that kind of landscape, which is confirmed by a lack of interest for its conservation or for transformations respectful of the rules that produced it. It is therefore appropriate to submit to the historic method a synthetic view of the medieval landscape, from the ancient premises to the economic reasons that led to the monastic and feudal forms, up to the appearance of a new structure appreciated for its useful beauty, in a persistent substratum of mysterious storytelling. Tuscany allows multiple evidence of what actually survives of the pervasive order established in the Middle Ages also for its exemplary literary and iconographic representations, both contemporary and of the medieval times.

In Arab countries, openly declaring a disbelief in God is a shocking and sometimes dangerous thing to do. Many have been imprisoned for it, some have been forced into exile and others threatened with execution. And yet, in a region where the influence of religion is almost inescapable, growing numbers are claiming a right to believe – or disbelieve – as they see fit. Social media have given them a voice and the uprisings that toppled Arab dictators have emboldened them to speak out. In this ground-breaking book, journalist Brian Whitaker looks at the factors that lead them to abandon religion and the challenges they pose for governments and societies that claim to be organised according to the will of God. Brian Whitaker is a former Middle East editor of the Guardian newspaper. He is the author of "What's Really Wrong with the Middle East" and "Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East". He blogs about Arab society and politics at www.al-bab.com

Known for his influential role in the debates that established the founding documents of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was not only an astute politician, but also an Atlantic citizen whose commitment to the American cause was informed by years spent in England and France. The life of this iconic founder provides an ideal opportunity for students to take a closer look at eighteenth century colonial society and the contested formation of the early American nation. In this carefully contextualized account, Nathan R. Kozuskanich considers the many facets of Franklin's private and public lives, and shows how Franklin grappled with issues that still concern us today: the right to bear arms, the legacy of slavery, and the nature of American democracy. In a concise narrative bolstered by supporting primary documents, Benjamin Franklin: American Founder, Atlantic Citizen introduces students to the world of the burgeoning United States and enables them to understand the journey from imperial colonies to an independent nation dedicated to the premise that all men are created equal.

"We are entering a new era of leisure. Quality rather than quantity is now the focus of researchers, policymakers and managers. Technological change, an ageing population and a harsh economic climate are changing the values and practices of leisure, as well as the relationship between leisure, society and the individual. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure uses a variety of disciplinary approaches to introduce the most important trends in contemporary leisure in the Twenty-First Century. With contributions from some of the leading international figures in modern leisure studies, the book examines key philosophical and theoretical debates around leisure, with reference to concepts such as happiness, enjoyment and quality of life, as well as the most interesting contemporary themes in leisure studies, from youth leisure and 'dark' leisure to technology and adventure. Understanding changes in leisure helps us to better understand changes in wider society. Contemporary Perspectives in Leisure is a perfect companion to any course in leisure studies, and useful reading for any student or scholar working in sociology, cultural studies, recreation, tourism, sport, or social psychology"--

This work is the first comprehensive history of the Lebanese migrant communities of colonial French West Africa, a vast expanse that covered present-day Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Guinea, Benin and Mauritania. Where others have concentrated on the commercial activities of these migrants, casting them as archetypal middlemen, this work reconstructs not just their economic strategies, but also their social and political lives. Moreover, it examines the fraught responses of colonial Frenchmen to the unsettling presence of these interlopers of empire--responses which, with their echoes of metropolitan racism, helped to shape the ways in which Lebanese migrants represented themselves and justified their place in West Africa. This is a work which attempts not just to reshape broader understandings of diasporic life-of Janus-like existences lived in transit between distant locales, and de- pendent on the constant to-and-fro of people, news, and goods--but also to challenge the way we think about empires, and the relations between their constituent territories and diverse inhabitants.

Fat. In contemporary society the word never fails to elicit powerful emotions, especially as it relates to bodily health and appearance. But fat is a noun as well as an adjective and has a cultural life outside of its relationship with the human body. By focusing on the complex physical and experiential dimensions of this problematic substance, Fat: Culture and Materiality breaks new ground in the study of the relationship between culture and the material world. With contributions from well-respected international scholars, this innovative and interdisciplinary collection will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in fat and its relationship to culture, materiality and lived experience. The volume addresses the role of fats in a variety of cultural settings. Topics include the politics of Palestinian olive oil; the allure of pig fat in heritage pork; the material sources of fat stereotypes in classical and biblical texts; the use of harvested fat in aesthetic surgery; and the status of fat in the self-narratives of anorexics.

"Those of us who have worked on the frontline of Aboriginal health for any length of time know that beneath the surface reality of Aboriginal people's poor health outcomes sits a deeper truth. It is about the importance of social and emotional wellbeing, and how this flows from a sense of control over one's own life. Where this is lacking, as it is in so many Aboriginal families and communities, there is instead indifference and despair and a descent into poor lifestyle choices and self-destructive behaviours. Our medical professionals do a great job of prescribing medicines and devising treatment programs but, to fix the root causes of ill-health, we need something more. As Aboriginal people we need to have a sense of agency in our lives, that we are not stray leaves blowing about in the wind. In a word, we need empowerment". Dr. Pat Anderson, Chairperson, the Lowitja Institute, Australia's National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research.

"This book presents a critical study of citizenship, state, and globalization in societies that have been historically influenced by Islamic traditions and institutions. Interrogating the work of contemporary theorists of Islamic modernity such as Mohammed Arkoun, Abdul an-Na'im, Fatima Mernissi, Talal Asad, Saba Mahmood, and Aziz Al-Azmeh, this book explores the debate on Islam, democracy, and modernity, contextualized within contemporary Muslim lifeworlds. These include contemporary Turkey (following the 9/11 attacks and the onset of war in Afghanistan), multicultural France (2009-10 French burqa debate), Egypt (the 2011 Tahrir Square mass mobilizations), and India. Ali Mirsepassi and Tadd Fernee; critique particular counterproductive ideological conceptualizations, voicing an emerging global ethic of reconciliation. Rejecting the polarized conceptual ideals of the universal or the authentic, the authors critically reassess notions of the secular, the cosmopolitan, and democracy. Raising questions that cut across the disciplines of history, anthropology, sociology, and law, this study articulates a democratic politics of everyday life in modern Islamic societies"--

Homelessness & Health in Canada explores, for the first time, the social, structural, and environmental factors that shape the health of homeless persons in Canada. Covering a wide range of topics from youth homelessness to end-of-life care, the authors strive to outline policy and practice recommendations to respond to the ongoing public health crisis. This book is divided into three distinct but complimentary sections. In the first section, contributors explore how homelessness affects the health of particular homeless populations, focusing on the experiences of homeless youth, immigrants, refugees and people of Aboriginal ancestry. In the second section, contributors investigate how housing and public health policy as well as programmatic responses can address various health challenges, including severe mental illness and HIV/AIDS. In the final section, contributors highlight innovative Canadian interventions that have shown great promise in the field. Together, they form a comprehensive survey of an all too important topic and serve as a blueprint for action.

"The movement of Southern blacks to the urban North and West over the course of the 20th century had a profound impact on black life, affecting everything from politics and labor to literature and the popular arts. This encyclopedia provides readers and researchers with a comprehensive reference work on this central topic of African American history, exploring the breadth of the black migration experience from its origins in the agricultural economy of the post-Civil War South to the return migration of the late 20th century. Entries cover such topics as the destinations that attracted black migrants, the impact of the Great Migration on black religion, the relationship between migration and black politics, and the patterns of discrimination and racial violence migrants encountered. Unlike more general reference works on African American history, each entry in the encyclopedia situates its subject within the context of black migration and articulates connections between the subject of the entry and the overall history of the migration"--Publisher's website

"Women scientists leave the profession in greater proportions than men and are under-represented in leadership roles. In this book, Kate White looks at the challenges that women face, which often result from discrimination and being positioned as outsiders. She asks the question: Why is it so important to keep women in science research? White's research found a huge generational change between the Baby Boomers, the current science leaders, and Gen Xs and Gen Ys. Younger women and men reject the traditional model of a successful scientist--a single male for whom science is like a religious vocation. Instead, they support new professional models that support work-life balance. The Australian Government's Innovation Agenda asserts that the nation cannot afford to invest in educating women to PhD level and then see them discouraged by barriers or struggle to balance families and careers. Keeping Women in Science explores new models to enable younger women and men to combine successful science research careers with family responsibilities" --Publisher's website: https://www.mup.com.au/items/152644

"American Anti-Nuclear Activism, 1975-1990 is a history of a series of anti-nuclear campaigns that took place in the United States in later years of the Cold War. Looking at national peace organizations alongside lesser-known protest collectives, it argues that anti-nuclear activists encountered familiar challenges common to other social movements of the late twentieth century. In these pivotal years, when anti-nuclear sentiment enjoyed a massive public profile, activists debated how to mobilize public support, maintain a successful public profile, and remain effective in their efforts. In an era marked by conservatism and the waning of the Cold War, these debates were especially important. By focusing on anti-nuclear campaigns as diverse as the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, SANE, the Fast for Life, Mobilization for Survival, the Women's Pentagon Action, the Great Peace March, and others, this book demonstrates the complexity and vitality of a wide range of individuals, groups, and organizations who came together to save the world from nuclear devastation"--

The proliferation of media and their ever-increasing role in our daily life has produced a strong sense that understanding media—everything from oral storytelling, literary narrative, newspapers, and comics to radio, film, TV, and video games—is key to understanding the dynamics of culture and society. Storyworlds across Media explores how media, old and new, give birth to various types of storyworlds and provide different ways of experiencing them, inviting readers to join an ongoing theoretical conversation focused on the question: how can narratology achieve media-consciousness? The first part of the volume critically assesses the cross- and transmedial validity of narratological concepts such as storyworld, narrator, representation of subjectivity, and fictionality. The second part deals with issues of multimodality and intermediality across media. The third part explores the relation between media convergence and transmedial storyworlds, examining emergent forms of storytelling based on multiple media platforms. Taken together, these essays build the foundation for a media-conscious narratology that acknowledges both similarities and differences in the ways media narrate.

Human demand for energy has grown multi-folds in recent years. This is the result of rapidly increasing human population, which, in turn, has resulted in increased organic (petroleum) and inorganic pollution on the biosphere. Due to this, we are now facing a number of challenges to sustain life on earth. For example, the increased organic and inorganic pollution in our environment is leading to loss of biodiversity, degradation of environment and thus ultimately causing food insecurity. In this situation, it is imperative to keep updated ourselves with advances on the effects of pollutants, tolerance mechanisms and the potential of different plants and microbes in removing these pollutants from the environment. For this purpose, we invited a number of scientists worldwide to review the current scenario of the problems, current development, and future prospects of the challenges and their solutions in an International Conference on ''Plants and Environmental Pollution'' held in KAYSERI, TURKEY from 6-11 July 2009. The output of this conference has been summarized in the form of this book.

Intro -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Preface -- Introduction -- PART I: OVERVIEW OF RURALITY AND GENERAL ETHICAL ISSUES -- 1 Rural-Urban Differences in End-of-Life Care: Reflections on Social Contracts -- 2 The Challenges of Rural Health Care -- 3 Ethics, Errors, and Where We Go from Here -- 4 The Ethics of Allocating Resources toward Rural Health and Health Care -- PART II: PRACTITIONERS' VOICES -- 5 Reflections on Fifty Years in Rural Health Care -- 6 Serving the Underserved: Personal, Social, and Medical Challenges -- 7 Ethical and Sociocultural Issues in Rural Mental Health Care -- PART III: SPECIFIC ETHICAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS -- 8 Ethical Dimensions of the Quality of Rural Health Care -- 9 Building Bioethics Networks in Rural States: Blessings and Barriers -- 10 Structural Violence in the Rural Context: The Ethical Implications of Welfare Reform for Rural Health -- 11 Rural Geriatric Bioethics: A Texas Perspective -- 12 Supporting the Rural Physician: Processes and Programs -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W.