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Understanding Critical Social Psychology
by Dr Keith Tuffin`This is a thoughtful, honest and accessible text which I would certainly recommend to students. The chapter ordering is excellent and should take the student through a logical progression from the more established to the more contemporary approaches in social psychology' - Ian Hodges, Westminster University `It is written in a beautifully clear, engaging and conversational style which will make the book accessible and appealing to those encountering critical ideas for the first time.... Students will find the book both interesting and easy to read, and their lecturers will find it a valuable teaching resource. I will certainly be recommending it to my second and third year undergraduates' - Viv Burr, University of Huddersfield Understanding Critical Social Psychology is an exciting new textbook providing a comprehensive and reader-friendly approach to the theories and methods surrounding Critical Social Psychology. For students taking a course in Critical Social Psychology, this book combines a critical examination of the traditional philosophies, practices and topics with an emphasis on introducing innovative and contemporary developments in social psychological research. In this way, Tuffin integrates newer insights with established modes of thinking. Key Features of this book include: " Student-friendly structure - contains numerous features suitable for undergraduate course use such as section summaries, further reading and a tutorial which answers students' questions about critical social psychology. " Broad framework - Positions newer insights in relation to the historical, theoretical and ideological roots of social psychology. Ideal for students taking a Critical Social Psychology module having already studied a mainstream course. " Applied focus - Understanding Critical Social Psychology tackles key themes in the discipline i.e. prejudice, politics, identity and emotions from critical perspectives. Written in a clear and accessible style, with illustrative data, detailed chapter summaries and key readings at the end of each section, it will be welcomed by undergraduates seeking to develop their understanding of critical social psychology.
Knowing Capitalism
by Nigel Thrift'This is an ambitious, original, and complex treatment of key aspects of contemporary capitalism. It makes a major contribution because it profoundly destabilizes the scholarship on globalization, the so-called new economy, information technology, distinct contemporary business cultures and practices' - Saskia Sassen, author of Globalization and its Discontents 'Nigel Thrift offers us the sort of cultural analysis of global capitalism that has long been needed - one that emphasizes the innovative energy of global capitalism. The book avoids stale denouncements and offers instead a view of capitalism as a form of practice' - Karin Knorr Cetina, Professor of Sociology, University of Konstanz, Germany Capitalism is well known for producing a form of existence where `everything solid melts into air'. But what happens when capitalism develops theories about itself? Are we moving into a condition in which capitalism can be said to possess a brain? These questions are pursued in this sparkling and thought-provoking book. Thrift looks at what he calls 'the cultural circuit of capitalism', the mechanism for generating new theories of capitalism. The book traces the rise of this circuit back to the 1960s when a series of institutions locked together to interrogate capitalism, to the present day, when these institutions are moving out to the Pacific basin and beyond. What have these theories produced? How have they been implicated in the speculative bubbles that characterized the late twentieth century? What part have they played in developing our understanding of human relations? Building on an inter-disciplinary approach which embraces the core social sciences, Thrift outlines an exciting new theory for understanding capitalism. His book is of interest to readers in geography, social theory, anthropology and cultural economics.
The Sociology of Consumption: An Introduction
by Dr Peter CorriganThis lucid introduction to the sociology of consumerism examines the relationship between production and consumption in late capitalist societies. The historical and theoretical discussion provides the student with the tools to examine key themes in the sociology of consumption. After a detailed historical overview of the advent of consumer society, Peter Corrigan examines theoretical accounts of consumption and consumer practice, including: Veblen and conspicuous consumption; Mary Douglas on the world of goods; Jean Baudrillard on the system of objects; and Pierre Bourdieu on cultural capital. This historical and theoretical discussion provides the student with the tools to examine key themes in the sociology of consumption.
The Sociological Ambition: Elementary Forms of Social and Moral Life
by Philip A Mellor Professor Chris Shilling`The Sociological Ambition is a superb book... It is beautifully written, expertly edited and renders complex and original ideas entirely accessible... This is a modern classic' - Journal of Contemporary Religion `For all social scientists who are fed up with corporate-style textbooks, which appeal to the lowest common denominator The Sociological Ambition must come as a relief. Shilling and Mellor have written an account of their discipline but they have done so with a multi-purpose task in mind' - Irish Journal of Sociology In a comprehensive reassessment of the field, Chris Shilling and Philip A Mellor examine the various attempts that have been made to reconstruct sociology over the last century, arguing that classical and contemporary social theories must be studied in relation to the ambition that first shaped and established the discipline. The authors begin by situating sociology in its historical, philosophical and theological contexts; examining how the founders of the discipline developed competing analyses of the processes elementary to social and moral life through their unique contributions. The result is a landmark work in recent sociological study. Accomplished and erudite, this book will be required reading for students of sociology, social theory, religious studies and cultural studies.
The Shopping Experience
by Dr Pasi Falk Professor Colin B CampbellThis shrewd and probing book seeks to theorize shopping as an autonomous realm. It avoids the reductionist characteristics of economics and marketing. At the same time it avoids the moralizing tone of many contemporary discussions of shopping and consumption. It also contains an appendix which gives a brief history and selected literature of shopping.
The Imperative of Health: Public Health and the Regulated Body
by Deborah LuptonIn this reappraisal of public health and health promotion in contemporary societies, Deborah Lupton explores public health and health promotion using contemporary sociocultural and political theory, particularly that building on Foucault's writings on subjectivity, embodiment and power relations. The author examines the implications of the new social theories for the study of health promotion and health communication to analyze the symbolic nature of public health practices, and explores their underlying meanings and assumptions.
The Emergent Manager
by Pauline Harris Tony J. WatsonThe Emergent Manager examines the process of becoming a manager within organizations and considers how people relate the ways in which they 'manage' their lives to their development as managers in the workplace. At the heart of the book is the idea of the individual engaged in a continual process of 'becoming'. Focusing on the reported experiences of managers, the book is richly illustrated throughout with examples drawn from a variety of workplaces, including the civil service, academia, the retail industry, construction and engineering, banking and the prison service. Tony Watson and Pauline Harris together provide a new understanding of the nature of the management role and the ways in which people make sense of their lives as managers. Accessible and innovative, this book will be of interest to students and academics in management and organization studies as well as practising managers.
Studying Organization: Theory and Method
by Cynthia Hardy Stewart R CleggIn response to the needs of lecturers, the acclaimed Handbook of Organization Studies has been made available as two major paperback textbooks. In this, the first of a two-volume paperback edition of the landmark Handbook of Organization Studies, editors Stewart Clegg and Cynthia Hardy survey the field of organization studies. Studying Organization is an ideal textbook around which to build courses on organization theory and research methodology. Central to the enterprise has been a concern to reflect and honour the manifest diversity of the field, including recognition of the extent to which the very notion of a single field of organization studies is debated. Part One locates the study of organization by reviewing some of the most significant theoretical paradigms to have shaped our understanding. The second part reflects on the relationships between theory and research in organization studies.
Social Identity Processes: Trends in Theory and Research
by Dora Capozza Professor Rupert BrownThis landmark work offers a tour of the latest developments in Social Identity Theory from the leading scholars in the field. First proposed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979, Social Identity Theory has proved enormously influential in stimulating new theory and research, and in its application to social problems. The field is developing apace and important new lines of work have opened up in the past few years. The three sections of the book cover: theoretical contributions to the field; recent empirical assessments of key elements of the theory; and applications of Social Identity Theory to bring about changes in problematic intergroup relationships.
Embodying the Monster: Encounters with the Vulnerable Self
by Dr Margrit ShildrickWritten by one of the most distinguished commentators in the field, this book asks why we see some bodies as 'monstrous' or 'vulnerable' and examines what this tells us about ideas of bodily 'normality' and bodily perfection. Drawing on feminist theories of the body, biomedical discourse and historical data, Margrit Shildrick argues that the response to the monstrous body has always been ambivalent. In trying to organize it out of the discourses of normality, we point to the impossibility of realizing a fully developed, invulnerable self. She calls upon us to rethink the monstrous, not as an abnormal category, but as a condition of attractivenes, and demonstrates how this involves an exploration of relationships between bodies and embodied selves, and a revising of the phenomenology of the body.
Realism and Social Science
by Dr Andrew SayerRealism and Social Science offers the reader an authoritative and compelling guide to critical realism and its implications for social theory and for the practice of social science. It offers an alternative both to approaches which are overly confident about the possibility of a successful social science and those which are defeatist about any possibility of progress in understanding the social world. Written by one of the leading social theorists in the field, it demonstrates the virtues of critical realism for theory and empirical research in social science, and provides a critical engagement with leading non-realist approaches.
Researching Leisure, Sport and Tourism: The Essential Guide
by Dr Jonathan A Long"Good entry level text that new students will really appreciate. Clearly written in a style that aids understanding and will develop their knowledge and ability to apply research techniques." - Shane Thurlow, Bishop Burton College "Essential elements associated with research in the fields of leisure, sport and tourism are introduced and explained in a clear manner. This book is informative and easy to read... ideal for those who are not familiar with research in those field." - Miyoung Oh, Sheffield Hallam University "This book would be useful for any leisure, sport, or tourism student who has no previous knowledge of research methods. Its style and language make it particularly useful for first year students in degree or diploma programs." - Annals of Tourism Research "The style of writing is wonderfully clear and the author explains areas such as sampling and significance in a much better way than many very well known texts. It will be an incredibly useful book for students." - Malcolm Williams, University of Plymouth What are the essential research methods for students studying leisure, sport and tourism? What are the main benefits in competing research methods, and how can you avoid gremlins in the research process? This is a comprehensive and informative book written especially for new and inexperienced researchers in the fields of leisure, sport and tourism. Unlike generic research texts that do not 'speak' to people in this field, this book uses subject-specific examples and explains the central methodological issues in straightforward terms. By showing students what they can do to assess, manage and reduce the time they spend on research Researching in Leisure, Sport and Tourism: The Essential Guide will help them achieve a better balance in their course work.
Re-forming the Body: Religion, Community and Modernity
by Philip A Mellor Professor Chris Shilling`Enriches the concpetual arsenal for interdisciplinary analysis of political, social and cultural change... stimulates more nuanced thinking about the cultural and political legacy of the Reformation era... manages both to clarify tensions surrounding cultural and social integration in the late 20th century while underscoring the real historical complexity of modern bodies' - American Journal of Sociology Through an analysis of successive re-formations of the body, this innovative and penetrating book constructs a fascinating and wide-ranging account of how the creation and evolution of different patterns of human community are intimately related to the somatic experience of the sacred. The book places the relationship between the embodiment and the sacred at the crux of social theory, and casts a fresh light on the emergence and transformation of modernity. It critically examines the thesis that the rational projects of modern embodiment have 'died and gone to cyberspace', and suggests that we are witnessing the rise of a virulent, effervescent form of the sacred which is changing how people 'see' and 'keep in touch' with the world around them.
Power in Contemporary Politics: Theories, Practices, Globalizations
by Howard H Lentner Mark Haugaard Philip G. Cerny Professor Henri J GoverdeThis major book provides an up-to-date and state-of-the-art overview of the contemporary theory and practice of the most central concept in political science: power. The concept of political power is introduced within a three-part framework: contemporary theories of power; applications of power processes and practices; and the implications of modern power flows across the globe today. The book explores the many structures of power in the contemporary world from theories of its construction and use, to its operation in policy networks, and its wider exercise at different levels in the political process, from the local to the global. Amongst the many themes explored are the reproduction and the legitimization of power, the dynamics of resistance and coercion, the concepts of private and public power, and the impact of globalization processes and subsequent shifting power arrangements. Combining diverse perspectives and different tools of analysis, this book represents the most comprehensive treatment of political power published in the last fifteen years. It will be essential reading for academics and students alike across political science, international studies and political sociology.
Representing Reality: Discourse, Rhetoric and Social Construction
by Jonathan Potter`This is an admirable book which can be recommended to students with confidence, and is likely also to become an indispensable source of reference for those researching fact construction' - Discourse & Society How is reality manufactured? The idea of social construction has become a commonplace of much social research, yet precisely what is constructed, and how, and even what constructionism means, is often unclear or taken for granted. In this major work, Jonathan Potter offers a fascinating tour of the central themes raised by these questions. Representing Reality overviews the different traditions in constructionist thought. Points are illustrated throughout with varied and engaging examples taken from newspaper stories, relationship counselling sessions, accounts of the paranormal, social workers' assessments of violent parents, informal talk between programme makers, political arguments and everyday conversations. Ranging across the social and human sciences, this book provides a lucid introduction to several key strands of work that have overturned the way we think about facts and descriptions, including: the sociology of scientific knowledge; conversation analysis and ethnomethodology; and semiotics, post-structuralism and postmodernism.
Organizational Culture and Identity: Unity and Division at Work
by Martin ParkerOrganizational Culture and Identity discusses the literature concerned with culture in organizations and explains why the term has been invoked with such enthusiasm. Martin Parker presents further ways of thinking about organizations and culture which suggest that organizational cultures should be seen as `fragmented unities' in which members identify themselves as collective at some times and divided at others.
On Message: Communicating the Campaign
by Dr Margaret Scammell Holli A Semetko Pippa Norris Professor David Sanders Professor John CurticeTo what extent are the techniques of campaigning and media management critical to the outcome of modern elections? This book brings together a group of leading scholars to provide a comprehensive analysis of the role and impact of political communications during election campaigns. They set the context of election campaigning in Britain, and the methodology used to undertand media effects, review party strategies and resulting media coverage, and draw together evidence of the impact of the 1997 British General Election campaign, analyzing how far television and the press media influenced the public's civic engagement, agenda priorities, and party preferences.
Nature and Social Theory
by Adrian Franklin`Written with clarity and sophistication, it is not just an original argument about relationships of nature and culture, but also a useful text' - Keith Tester, Professor of Sociology, University of Portsmouth Is humanity and society separable from nature? Modern accounts emphasised the difference between humanity and nature and set up independent sciences for each domain, but was this separation ever properly achieved? This book contends that fabricated boundaries between nature and culture have been breached both in practice and in new theoretical accounts. Throughout, Franklin develops upon his premise that nature and culture interpenetrate. The argument begins with a critical discussion of the Romantic idea of pure nature; of a nature unsullied by humanity, marginalized, fragile and in need of protection. The argument is developed by examining more recent discourses that identify nature with environment, and cast humans in the role of polluter and destroyer. The author documents contemporary views about nature which suggest that humanity and nature have never been separate but have always co-existed. Humanity is not only more involved with non-human natures, but also seeks persistently to embed itself in the natural world through embodied, naturalised modes of engagement. This book reveals the staggering depth of this engagement in the ordinary spaces and everyday lives of contemporary societies. Thorough and insightful, this book will be of use and interest to students of sociology, environmental studies and cultural studies.
Food, the Body and the Self
by Deborah LuptonIn this wide-ranging and thought-provoking analysis of the sociocultural and personal meanings of food and eating, Deborah Lupton explores the relationship between food and embodiment, the emotions and subjectivity. She includes discussion of the intertwining of food, meaning and culture in the context of childhood and the family, as well as: the gendered social construction of foodstuffs; food tastes, dislikes and preferences; the dining-out experience; spirituality; and the `civilized' body. She draws on diverse sources, including representations of food and eating in film, literature, advertising, gourmet magazines, news reports and public health literature, and her own empirical research into people's preferences, memories, experiences and emotional responses to food. Food, the Body and the Self's strong interdisciplinary approach incorporates discussion of the work of a number of major contemporary social and cultural theorists, including Bourdieu, Elias, Kristeva, Grosz, Falk and Foucault.
Introduction to Politics and Society
by Shaun BestIntroduction to Politics and Society comprehensively demonstrates how key theoretical and concepts in political science have foretold, rationalized and shaped politics in the contemporary world. Students will discover the meaning of `power', `authority', `coercion', `surveillance' and `legitimacy'. The ideas of Weber, Marx, Foucault, Bauman, Sennett, Habermas, Baudrillard and Giddens are explained with clarity and precision. Well-chosen examples, many from popular political culture illustrate the relevance of fundamental theoretical debates. This book also examines: - The central tendencies in the movement from modern to post-modern society - The significance, strengths and weaknesses of `Third Way' politics - The decline of organized party politics - The development of new social movements Developed with an understanding of the requirements of students and lecturers, this book is an extraordinary resource for undergraduate teaching and study needs. It will be required reading for undergraduate students in sociology, politics and social policy.
Researching 'Race' and Ethnicity: Methods, Knowledge and Power
by Dr Yasmin Gunaratnam'Gunaratnam's framework is rich in its examination and synthesis of approaches to the study of "race"… the reward for the reader who does pick up the book is that the author deftly articulates the complicated view of research on "race" first from the quantitative perspective and then skilfully moves the reader to issues of "race" in qualitative research' - Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism 'This is a welcome book for those engaged in policy and empirical work with an active research agenda… there is a level of theoretical sophistication in the text which is often missing from texts concerned with methods in this area' - Race Relations Abstracts `The particular value of this book to readers lies in the discussion of "race", ethnicity and research issues within a political and social context. The author states her intention to explore some of the theoretical and practical dilemmas of researching "race" and ethnicity. This is, without question, achieved. I recommend it as essential reading for those concerned with increasing their awareness of issues relating to race, ethnicity and research practice' - Nurse Researcher 'This is a thought-provoking and challenging book which demonstrated the fractured and fluid nature of difference and power in the research process. Importantly it offers a guide to the ways in which research can be effectively and productively used in challenging the status quo' - Diversity in Health and Social Care Researching `Race' and Ethnicity provides an innovative discussion of the methodological, epistemological and ethical challenges of doing qualitative research that is informed by questions of `race', ethnicity and social difference. By identifying and challenging `categorical thinking' and many longstanding assumptions about the meanings of `race' and ethnicity, the author gets to the heart of many of the everyday dilemmas and difficulties that researchers confront in the field, but are rarely theorised or openly discussed. Yasmin Gunaratnam's insistence that `race' and ethnicity are a significant part of all qualitative research, and are not the `specialist' concerns of those whose work is explicitly focussed upon `race', provokes a radical rethinking of current methological debates. How do racial and ethnic categories inform our approaches to research? How does the racialised indentity of the researcher and the research participants affect the research interaction and the knowledge that we produce? What are the assumptions that are made about racialised subjectivity and inter-subjectivity? How can we make sense of accounts in which `race' and ethnicity are silent or are non-manifest? How can we work ethically across difference? In examining these and other questions, the wide-ranging discussions in the book are animated by examples drawn from the author's ethnographic research with white and minoritized research participants. Through these examples readers will be able to engage with some of the complexities of research relationships, power relations and ethical concerns about engagement, disconnection and complicity in research. The attention that the book gives to the excluded experiences of minoritized researchers will be of particular value to many readers. Researching `Race' and Ethnicity is essential reading for students and academics in the social sciences.
Social Construction in Context
by Kenneth J. GergenThis latest book by one the world's leading protagonists in the field will be welcomed not just by psychologists but by students, academics and professionals interested in social constructionism across a wide range of subjects. Social Construction in Context explores the potentials of social constructionist theory when placed in diverse intellectual and practical contexts. It demonstrates the achievements of social constructionism, and what it can now offer various fields of inquiry, both academic, professional and applied, given the proliferation of the theory across the social sciences and humanities. First order issues of concern within the academic world, objectivity, truth, power and ideology, are now being augmented by widespread developments in practice - therapeutic, pedagogical, organizational and political. This book looks closely at these developments and examines both the positive potentials and limitations of social constructionist theory when applied to a variety of domains. It has been written in an accessible and scholarly manner making it suitable for a wide-ranging readership.
Gender, Sexuality and Violence in Organizations: The Unspoken Forces of Organization Violations
by Jeff R Hearn Ms Pauline Wendy Parkin`This exceptionally interesting study provides an up-to-date and integrated perspective on organizations, violence, gender and sexuality. It pays particular attention to the power wielded by hierarchies of heterosexual men, and the ways in which this produces violence in different, carefully analyzed forms. This book is a major contribution to the construction of sociological and political knowledge that is not founded on the dominant definitions of heterosexual masculinities' - Professor Terrell Carver, University of Bristol `This is a wide-ranging and authoritative book. The authors draw attention to the huge amount of evidence now available that documents the gendering and sexualising processes at the core of organisational life. While they never nag about violation and inequality, they are nonetheless relentless in confronting the reader with the weight of evidence'- Professor Rosemary Pringle, University of Southampton This book brings together the themes of gender, sexuality, violence and organizations. The authors synthesize the literature and research which has been done in these fields and provide a coherent framework for understanding the interrelationship between these concepts. The importance of violence and abuse, and particularly men's violence to women, children and other men has been well established, especially through feminist and some pro-feminist research. The insights of this scholarship have rarely been applied to organizational analysis. The authors draw on this literature and their own research, as well as relevant literatures on safety and risk at work; anxiety and stress at work; organizational policies on violence; sexual harassment and bullying in organizations; and male sexuality, to provide valuable information on violence in and around organizations. Gender, Sexuality and Violence in Organizations breaks new ground in organization studies and will be essential reading for academics and students in both organization studies and all those studying issues of gender and sexuality in organizations.
Understanding Emotion at Work
by Stephen Fineman`Most folks in organizations dichotomize reason and emotion, often treating emotion as an uncommon or marginal occurrence. Written in a clear and lively style, Steve Fineman's book, Understanding Emotion at Work, dispels this notion as he demonstrates how emotions infuse most practices in organizational life, including leading, decision making, organizational change, gender relations, stress, and downsizing. Sprinkled with vivid examples, Fineman captures the positive benefits of emotions at work as well as the darker side of feelings and despair. Scholars, students and practitioners alike will glean important insights from the lens of emotion that Fineman brings to the subtleties of organizational life' - Linda L Putnam, Texas A&M University `Stephen Fineman has written a wise and engaging text about emotions and how they play out in and around organizations. He underscores, with a range of fine examples, thoughtful commentary and careful scholarship, the essential role of emotions in organizational life. He applies his lens to such issues as recruitment, leadership, decision making and change. He extends the reach of emotions into the virtual world of work and he makes apparent the heavy costs to people and their organizations of toxic emotions that stem from bullying,harassment and downsizing. A must-read in any curriculum dealing with the study of organization' - Peter Frost, Edgar F. Kaiser Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, University of British Columbia, Canada Author of Toxic Emotions at Work HBS Press 2003 `Going to work can be a great joy, a great pain, or a mixture of the two. This clearly written, engaging and authoritative book demonstrates the vital necessity of understanding how emotions permeate work organisations at every level and in every situation. No student of work and its organisation can afford to neglect this important area of study. And no writer on work and organisation is better placed to go to the heart of these matters than Stephen Fineman' - Professor Tony J Watson, Professor of Organisational and Managerial Behaviour, Nottingham Business School `In this book, Professor Stephen Fineman has done more of what he does best writing eloquently and perceptively about emotions in organizations. In this case, he is writing directly for students, both undergraduates and postgraduates, and uses a wide range of disciplinary insights to show how emotions are inextricably embedded in organizational life. His book helps to launch students on a voyage of self-discovery to learn for themselves how emotions impact upon them and their colleagues. As someone who has long challenged the "emotion-less" view of emotion that characterizes much of the research on this phenomenon, he uses his considerable skills to convey the importance, richness and nuance of emotion. Nor does he shrink away from tackling the darker side of organizational emotional life challenging students to reflect on the agony, as well as the ecstasy, that passionate emotions can cause. This book is a valuable resource for teachers wanting to introduce students to organizations, and a fascinating and astute aid for students interested in learning about them - Professor Cynthia Hardy, Department of Management, University of Melbourne `Organizational life is shot through with emotions, spawning a growing interest in topics ranging from emotional intelligence to violence at work. Stephen Fineman provides a much-needed survey of these topics, capturing their sprawling breadth without sacrificing depth. Moreover, he succeeds in conveying the everyday feel of emotions in organizational life in a way that is both engaging and informative' - Blake Ashforth, Jerry and Mary Ann Chapman Professor of Business, W P Carey School of Business, Arizona State University Understanding Emotion at Work gets to the heart of what binds and breaks organizations: emotion. It explores beyond the surface of work to the rich emotional life bubbling underneath, showing what employees and managers constantly ...
Expressions of Identity: Space, Performance, Politics
by Kevin HetheringtonThis innovative book sets out to question what we understand by the term `new social movements'. By examining a range of issues associated with identity politics and alternative lifestyles, the author challenges those who treat new social movements as instances of wider social change while often ignoring their more `local' and `dispersed' importance. This book questions what it means to adopt an identity that is organised around issues of expressivism - and offers a series of non-reductionist ways of looking at identity politics. Hetherington analyzes expressive identities through issues of performance, spaces of identity and `the occasion'. This important work shows how the significance of identity politics are at once local, plural, situated and topologically complex.