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The Tyranny of Identity

The Tyranny of Identity is both a personal and highly interdisciplinary examination of the wide range of factors and disciplines at play in the formation of identity. It takes a novel and unique approach to this through use of metaphor, images, poetry and a wide range of academic sources to provide a holistic approach to the study of identity. This book uses the concept of Babushka dolls to show that we all have a series of activities during our lives that reside in our mind, body, spirit – each influencing the multiple identities we knowingly or unknowingly possess. This collage of factors and forces allows us to create an identity. The layers of identity unfold as the chapters progress and in doing so the book addresses the manifold ways in which identity intersects with nationhood, politics, education, the culture wars, family, religion, gender and contemporary institutions. The Tyranny of Identity is a wide-ranging, cross-cultural book that integrates and explores how the issue of identity has become a central issue in every academic discipline. This book is essential reading to all students studying identity and all readers seeking a deeper understanding of this complex topic.

The Tyranny of Identity

The Tyranny of Identity is both a personal and highly interdisciplinary examination of the wide range of factors and disciplines at play in the formation of identity. It takes a novel and unique approach to this through use of metaphor, images, poetry and a wide range of academic sources to provide a holistic approach to the study of identity. This book uses the concept of Babushka dolls to show that we all have a series of activities during our lives that reside in our mind, body, spirit – each influencing the multiple identities we knowingly or unknowingly possess. This collage of factors and forces allows us to create an identity. The layers of identity unfold as the chapters progress and in doing so the book addresses the manifold ways in which identity intersects with nationhood, politics, education, the culture wars, family, religion, gender and contemporary institutions. The Tyranny of Identity is a wide-ranging, cross-cultural book that integrates and explores how the issue of identity has become a central issue in every academic discipline. This book is essential reading to all students studying identity and all readers seeking a deeper understanding of this complex topic.

Ubuntu Virtue Theory and Moral Character Formation: Critically Reconstructing Ubuntu for the African Educational Context (Routledge Research in Character and Virtue Education)

This book investigates the ubuntu theory-based conception of virtue and moral character formation in the northern, western, and eastern regions of Africa, suggesting a critical reconstruction of ubuntu by conceptualising the four different forms of practices in moral character formation. Arguing for the critical reconstruction of ubuntu virtue theory as more nuanced than simply the standard ubuntu normative virtue theories (which give priority to the community as the sole locus for understanding virtues and character formation in Africa), the book builds a comprehensive model of virtue and moral character formation that draws insights from the reconstructed notion of ubuntu and other theories within and beyond the African thought. Chapters feature experience from across Africa including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and centre on topics such as traditional cultural views and practices, political systems in various nations, neoliberalist thought, and primary, secondary and tertiary education systems in Africa and further afield. This is a valuable resource for scholars, academics, and postgraduate students, working in the fields of moral and values education, philosophy of education, and the theory of education more broadly. Those also interested in educational psychology may also find the volume of interest.

Ubuntu Virtue Theory and Moral Character Formation: Critically Reconstructing Ubuntu for the African Educational Context (Routledge Research in Character and Virtue Education)

This book investigates the ubuntu theory-based conception of virtue and moral character formation in the northern, western, and eastern regions of Africa, suggesting a critical reconstruction of ubuntu by conceptualising the four different forms of practices in moral character formation. Arguing for the critical reconstruction of ubuntu virtue theory as more nuanced than simply the standard ubuntu normative virtue theories (which give priority to the community as the sole locus for understanding virtues and character formation in Africa), the book builds a comprehensive model of virtue and moral character formation that draws insights from the reconstructed notion of ubuntu and other theories within and beyond the African thought. Chapters feature experience from across Africa including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and centre on topics such as traditional cultural views and practices, political systems in various nations, neoliberalist thought, and primary, secondary and tertiary education systems in Africa and further afield. This is a valuable resource for scholars, academics, and postgraduate students, working in the fields of moral and values education, philosophy of education, and the theory of education more broadly. Those also interested in educational psychology may also find the volume of interest.

Umdenken lernen mit ACT für Dummies (Für Dummies)

Raus aus der Gewohnheitsfalle hin zu einem sinnhaften Leben Möchten Sie Ihrem Leben mehr Sinn geben und Ihren Werten entsprechend leben? Die Akzeptanz- und Commitment-Therapie kann Ihnen dabei helfen. Üben Sie sich in Akzeptanz, also Dinge und Gefühle anzunehmen, wie sie sind. Lernen Sie, der Gewohnheitsfalle zu entfliehen und anders mit Ihren Gedanken und Gefühlen umzugehen. Üben Sie sich in Achtsamkeit und dem Leben im Hier und Jetzt. Sorgen Sie durch Selbstmitgefühl und Selbstfürsorge dafür, dass es Ihnen gut geht. Und finden Sie heraus, welche Werte Ihnen im Leben wirklich wichtig sind und wie Sie sie mit engagiertem Handeln verfolgen können. Sie erfahren Wie Sie eine andere Perspektive auf sich selbst entwickeln Wie Sie Gewohnheiten ändern, die Ihnen nicht guttun Wie Sie mit dem ständigen Gedankenkarussel und Gefühlschaos umgehen

Unconditional Freedom: Universal Basic Income and Social Power

'A carefully argued case for basic income as central to a democratic transformation of society' Carole Pateman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, UCLA 'This path-breaking work throws new light on how we understand work, freedom, and emancipation in today's highly precariatised and insecure world ... A must-read' Sarath Davala, Chair, Basic Income Earth Network As the rich get richer and take more of our wealth, our democratic freedoms are also in danger. The elite are gaining large profits without contributing back to society, hollowing out our public services and institutions and preventing the vast majority of us from living our lives to the fullest. In Unconditional Freedom, David Casassas argues that for us to live freely, we need unconditional resources such as Universal Basic Income. In a sharp and lucid analysis, he shows that UBI would not only liberate us from the nightmare of social exclusion and precarious employment, it would also increase our bargaining power as individuals and collectives, opening doors to democratise our lives.

Unconventional Emergency Management Research (Reports Of China's Basic Research Ser.)

Under the Spell of Freedom: Theory of Religion after Hegel and Nietzsche

How do the history of religion and the history of political freedom relate to each other? The variety of views on this subject in philosophy, the humanities and social sciences, and the public is broad and confusing. But the grandiose synthesis in which Hegel brought together Christianity and political freedom is still an enormous source of orientation for many-despite or even because of the influential provocations of Friedrich Nietzsche. As Hans Joas shows in Under the Spell of Freedom, a different view has developed in the religious thinking of the twentieth century based on a conception of history that is more open to the future and on a concept of freedom that is richer than that of Hegel. Using sixteen selected thinkers, Joas deconstructs the grand Hegelian narrative of human history as the self-realization of the idea of freedom, setting as a counterpart the sketches of a theory of the emergence of moral universalism. Further, taking the classical views of Hegel and his emphasis on the role of Protestant Christianity and the extremely negative views about Christianity in the work of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Joas elaborates on this new understanding of religion and freedom, which avoids both Eurocentrism and an intellectualist view of religious faith and practice. The result is a forceful plea for a global history of moral universalism. Under the Spell of Freedom is an important step in this direction.

Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms

Why do top-down reforms to public services so often over-promise and under-deliver? Using five concepts from psychology, economics and organisational sociology, Thomas Elston addresses this pressing question of good governance. Rather than focusing on the challenge of implementation, Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms reveals how flawed policy design is often the major contributor to reform failure. Cognitive bias, restrictive social institutions and inattention to ‘quiet costs’ during the policy-making process are essential to explaining the poor track record of reforms to date – and point the way towards better decision-making in future. Written for policy professionals, service managers, students and researchers alike, this concise, practical and multidisciplinary study draws on varied examples to help reconceive the perennial problem of public management reform – and to propose new solutions.

Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms

Why do top-down reforms to public services so often over-promise and under-deliver? Using five concepts from psychology, economics and organisational sociology, Thomas Elston addresses this pressing question of good governance. Rather than focusing on the challenge of implementation, Understanding and Improving Public Management Reforms reveals how flawed policy design is often the major contributor to reform failure. Cognitive bias, restrictive social institutions and inattention to ‘quiet costs’ during the policy-making process are essential to explaining the poor track record of reforms to date – and point the way towards better decision-making in future. Written for policy professionals, service managers, students and researchers alike, this concise, practical and multidisciplinary study draws on varied examples to help reconceive the perennial problem of public management reform – and to propose new solutions.

Understanding The Everyday Digital Lives of Children and Young People

Understanding Individual Commitment to Collective Action: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches (Routledge Studies in Political Sociology)

When speaking colloquially of political participation or civic action, one thinks, in the first instance, of groups and organizations such as political parties, social movements or various types of voluntary associations. The perspective of individuals is not the first thing that comes to mind when seeking to understand their functioning. In contrast to this vision, understanding the dynamics of participation requires taking a closer look at the individual, that is, at his or her moral dispositions and projects, his or her multiple and simultaneous identities, the breaking points in his or her biographical trajectory, the roles he or she adopts in an organization or the styles of communication which he or she uses. The book comprises a variety of case studies and theoretical and methodological contributions that, independent of rational choice theories, seek to understand collective action at the level of the individual and, in doing so, to articulate the various fields of study in this regard with the singularity of biographies and the reflective personal identities that characterize contemporary individualism.

Understanding Individual Commitment to Collective Action: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches (Routledge Studies in Political Sociology)

When speaking colloquially of political participation or civic action, one thinks, in the first instance, of groups and organizations such as political parties, social movements or various types of voluntary associations. The perspective of individuals is not the first thing that comes to mind when seeking to understand their functioning. In contrast to this vision, understanding the dynamics of participation requires taking a closer look at the individual, that is, at his or her moral dispositions and projects, his or her multiple and simultaneous identities, the breaking points in his or her biographical trajectory, the roles he or she adopts in an organization or the styles of communication which he or she uses. The book comprises a variety of case studies and theoretical and methodological contributions that, independent of rational choice theories, seek to understand collective action at the level of the individual and, in doing so, to articulate the various fields of study in this regard with the singularity of biographies and the reflective personal identities that characterize contemporary individualism.

Understanding Information History: The Case of America in 1920 (SpringerBriefs in History of Computing)

Microhistory is a technique that has been used effectively by writers of both fiction and nonfiction. It enables the author to cut through the complexities of large swaths of history by focusing on a particular time and place. Microhistories are particularly useful in historical study when a subfield has recently arisen and there are not yet enough monographic studies from which to draw general patterns. This microhistory focuses on a single year (1920) across the United States, with the goal of understanding the various roles of information in this society. It gives greater emphasis to the informational aspects of traditional historical topics such as farming, government bureaucracy, the Spanish flu pandemic, and Prohibition; and it gives greater attention to information-rich topics such as libraries and museums, schools and colleges, the financial services and office machinery industries, scientific research institutions, and management consultancies.

Understanding Intercultural Interaction: An Analysis of Key Concepts

In an increasingly global world, it is more important than ever that we deepen our understanding of how people interact and communicate across different cultural contexts. Designed as an introduction to a wide range of theories and ideas that influence social encounters around the globe, this 2nd Edition of Understanding Intercultural Interaction places new emphasis on the ‘global workplace’, providing an overview and analysis of key concepts in culture and interaction to develop your knowledge in areas such as global working, diversity management, interculturality, and cross-cultural ethics. Cutting across the world of work and education, this is a timely refresh for equipping a diverse range of both students and professionals with the tools to understand, discuss, and ultimately fulfil the role that they can play on the international stage.

Understanding Intercultural Interaction: An Analysis of Key Concepts

In an increasingly global world, it is more important than ever that we deepen our understanding of how people interact and communicate across different cultural contexts. Designed as an introduction to a wide range of theories and ideas that influence social encounters around the globe, this 2nd Edition of Understanding Intercultural Interaction places new emphasis on the ‘global workplace’, providing an overview and analysis of key concepts in culture and interaction to develop your knowledge in areas such as global working, diversity management, interculturality, and cross-cultural ethics. Cutting across the world of work and education, this is a timely refresh for equipping a diverse range of both students and professionals with the tools to understand, discuss, and ultimately fulfil the role that they can play on the international stage.

Understanding Strategic Analysis: A Simple Guide to Choosing, Developing and Implementing Business Strategy

Understanding Strategic Analysis is a concise and practical guide for organisational strategic analysis, strategy development, decision-making, and implementation. The book takes the reader step by step through the background of strategic management and the process of developing a new strategy. It considers how to assess the strategic capabilities and context of the organisation, how to identify and choose between the various strategic options, and how to successfully implement the change in strategy. Mini-case studies and reflective questions provide stimuli for class discussion, whilst chapter objectives and summaries structure and reinforce learning. The final chapter sets out a complete worked example to illustrate the process as a whole. Refreshing and concise, this text provides valuable and practical reading for postgraduate, MBA and executive education students of strategic management, as well as practising managers in organisations of all sizes. Online resources include a short Instructor’s Manual, chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, and a test bank of exam questions.

Understanding Strategic Analysis: A Simple Guide to Choosing, Developing and Implementing Business Strategy

Understanding Strategic Analysis is a concise and practical guide for organisational strategic analysis, strategy development, decision-making, and implementation. The book takes the reader step by step through the background of strategic management and the process of developing a new strategy. It considers how to assess the strategic capabilities and context of the organisation, how to identify and choose between the various strategic options, and how to successfully implement the change in strategy. Mini-case studies and reflective questions provide stimuli for class discussion, whilst chapter objectives and summaries structure and reinforce learning. The final chapter sets out a complete worked example to illustrate the process as a whole. Refreshing and concise, this text provides valuable and practical reading for postgraduate, MBA and executive education students of strategic management, as well as practising managers in organisations of all sizes. Online resources include a short Instructor’s Manual, chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides, and a test bank of exam questions.

Universal Design in Video Games: Active Participation Through Accessible Play (Human–Computer Interaction Series)

As participation in game related activities increases around the world and across a larger part of the population, it is obvious that games are not just an entertainment medium for children or young people. Games can be used to accomplish different purposes for different groups of people in society. Developing a universal designed game involves more than adding a cast of diverse characters. Games with universal design, at their core, are experiences that are designed from the ground up to be accessible to everyone – through mechanics, options, and user experience. This book explains the meaning and need for universal design in video games and sheds light on important disciplines. Researchers define a universal designed game as a video game that actively welcomes all players. When players connect authentically with a video game, they’re much more likely to engage with the content. Conversely, when players can’t physically play a game, or don’t see characters that look like them, they feel isolated and miss out on beneficial opportunities to learn and collaborate. Universal design maximizes the impact of playing games, for instance, by ensuring that they’re accessible, empowering and representative for every participant.

Universities and Academic Labour in Times of Digitalisation and Precarisation (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

This book provides a critical perspective on the digitalisation of universities and precarisation of academic labour. While research and teaching become more virtual and digital at universities, academic labour is becoming more and more casualised and temporary. This book aims to analyse and theorise academic labour and study the experiences academic workers have made at universities that are shaped by economic, political and cultural contexts. It will be a valuable tool for international scholars and students of subjects such as media, communication and cultural studies, sociology, education, management and labour studies. The insights will also be of particular relevance for unions and other initiatives that are concerned about the working conditions at universities.

Universities and Academic Labour in Times of Digitalisation and Precarisation (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

This book provides a critical perspective on the digitalisation of universities and precarisation of academic labour. While research and teaching become more virtual and digital at universities, academic labour is becoming more and more casualised and temporary. This book aims to analyse and theorise academic labour and study the experiences academic workers have made at universities that are shaped by economic, political and cultural contexts. It will be a valuable tool for international scholars and students of subjects such as media, communication and cultural studies, sociology, education, management and labour studies. The insights will also be of particular relevance for unions and other initiatives that are concerned about the working conditions at universities.

University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority (Research in the Sociology of Organizations #86)

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online. The higher education and research system faces a constant dilemma. On the one hand, research and higher education are run by autonomous, interrelated academic communities, often described as collegial governance. On the other hand, they are an instrument for the fulfillment of goals that are often external to the academic community. What, then, is the role of academics and academic knowledge in governance of higher education and research, and how does this reflect on and impact their aims and overall place in society? Fostered through joint workshops and an open dialogue, this double volume of Research in the Sociology of Organizations develops a deeper understanding of collegiality, examining through a unique comparative perspective how it is translated and practiced in different settings across the world. Concentrating on challenges to collegiality and the erosion of faculty governance, this first installment analyzes global waves of reforms, ways in which various kinds of managerial modes of organization and control come to reshape universities, and how this intersects with the evolving missions of universities as institutions. Revealing the globalization, homogenization and variation that have come to characterize the collegiate system, University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority critically considers the state of and future of the higher education system, and how we can consciously shape it moving forward.

University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority (Research in the Sociology of Organizations #86)

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online. The higher education and research system faces a constant dilemma. On the one hand, research and higher education are run by autonomous, interrelated academic communities, often described as collegial governance. On the other hand, they are an instrument for the fulfillment of goals that are often external to the academic community. What, then, is the role of academics and academic knowledge in governance of higher education and research, and how does this reflect on and impact their aims and overall place in society? Fostered through joint workshops and an open dialogue, this double volume of Research in the Sociology of Organizations develops a deeper understanding of collegiality, examining through a unique comparative perspective how it is translated and practiced in different settings across the world. Concentrating on challenges to collegiality and the erosion of faculty governance, this first installment analyzes global waves of reforms, ways in which various kinds of managerial modes of organization and control come to reshape universities, and how this intersects with the evolving missions of universities as institutions. Revealing the globalization, homogenization and variation that have come to characterize the collegiate system, University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority critically considers the state of and future of the higher education system, and how we can consciously shape it moving forward.

Unlearning Silence: How to speak your mind, unleash talent and lead with courage

‘Books have the power to change how we think. Unlearning Silence goes one further: a book that has the conviction to change how we act' Megan Reitz, Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University and author of Dialogue in Organisations‘This book will transform your relationship with silence so that your voice can finally be heard' Simon Alexander Ong, author of Energize'A must-read for every leader' Deepa Purushothaman, author of The First, The Few, The OnlyHaving a seat at the table doesn't mean that your voice gets heard. Knowing something is wrong doesn't make it easy to speak up. But this silencing - intentional or not - has profound consequences on our work and life. It blocks talent, skews decisions and causes teams and individuals to fail. So what if there was another way?Drawing on her experience as a lecturer at Harvard Law School and as a Managing Partner at one of the world's leading leadership development companies, Elaine Lin Hering delves into the roots of silence, examining the patterns that keep us trapped, and showcases the impact that rewiring unconscious behaviours can have on innovation, creativity and collaboration.From the boardroom to the classroom, from personal relationships to wider communities, Hering shows us how we can have more authentic conversations, foster inclusive spaces and amplify all voices. Because only by unlearning silence can we fully unleash talent, speak our minds, and be more complete versions of ourselves... and help other people do the same.

Unlocked: The Real Science of Screen Time (and how to spend it better)

'A welcome counterpoint to the technopanic that screen time is causing a mental health crisis' Bruce Hood 'A rare mix of trustworthy science, practical advice, and human stories ... I'm going to recommend it to all the parents I know, and keep it handy for reference next time I see a scary headline about how technology is ruining our lives' Timandra HarknessMost of us spend a significant part of the day in front of a screen. Our work and social lives play out through our computers, tablets and phones: on email, social media, video conference calls and gaming servers. But what is all this screen time doing to our health, our sleep, and our relationships?Professor Pete Etchells studies the way we use screens, and how they can affect us. In UNLOCKED, he delves into the real science behind the panic about our alleged device addiction and withering attention spans. Armed with the latest research, he reveals how little we have to fear, and the great deal we have to gain, by establishing a more positive relationship with our screens. That begins with asking ourselves some essential questions about how we use them.Instead of clamouring for us to ditch our devices (before guiltily returning to the same old habits), UNLOCKED is a sustainable, realistic and vital guide to transforming our connection with technology.