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A Social View of Socotra Island: People, Culture, Heritage
by Nataša Slak Valek Ahmad Abdelmoniem ZedanThis book focuses on Socotra Island, geographically based in Yemen, and aims to explore the island from the social sciences point of view. This book focuses on people indigenous to Socotra, Socotri cultures, heritage and also offers contributions from business, tourism, linguistic, communication, and anthropology. While a lot has been published in natural science about Socotra’s endemic species, biodiversity, and nature in general, social scientific research of the island is very limited. This book addresses therefore addresses this gap and explores various topics of tourism, behaviours, cultures, and language.This book focuses on a clear social science approach of Socotra. The purpose of this book is to publish research about the people, behaviors, heritage, and potential tourism of Socotra. The Socotra Archipelago has long been a land of mystery. It is unknown as a tourism destination for many, however, is a popular destination for adventurers, photographers and travelers who like to travel to remote and undeveloped places. This book explains how Socotra has limited resources of electricity, which is provided by diesel generators, Internet is very slow and limited to certain points on the island. There are no shopping malls or five-star hotels. Roads, schools, and hospitals have been built only recently. This book shoes how these island people do not know the development as we do, which makes it principally interesting to research. Previous interviewers of Socotri people about tourism development in the island have faced many challenges such as language barriers, lack of understanding the meanings and interviewing content, lack of support for the anticipated research results. This book successfully undertakes this challenge as not only in understanding the language, but understanding phenomena like e.g. tourism. Whilst acknowledging the ways in which indigenous island people have never travelled or seen a developed city. Thus, words like ‘developed’, ‘tourism destination’ or ‘washing machine’ may be unfamiliar terms for them. Therefore, new and innovative research methods that are sensitive to Socotra people were implemented in the creation of this book.
LGBT+ Youth and Emerging Technologies in Southeast Asia: Designing for Wellbeing (Perspectives on Children and Young People #14)
by Benjamin HanckelThis book investigates the ways in which emerging digital technologies are shaping and changing the worlds of sexuality and gender diverse youth in Southeast Asia. Primarily focused on the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, the book examines the potential of digital technologies to enhance wellbeing in and across these contexts. Drawing on multi-site ethnographic field research, interviews, survey data, and online content analysis, the book examines the design and use of websites and content by and for LGBT+ youth. The book innovatively interrogates the design of transnational digital wellbeing initiatives, alongside the digital practices of those the technologies are designed for. It illustrates not only the (im)possibilities of technological design, but also the capacity for design to participate in what Hanckel calls ‘(trans)national digital wellbeing’ processes. He asks us to consider the ways that global technologies are contextual—a paradox that is explored throughout the book. The analysis extends important discussions in youth research, contributing to a greater understanding of how LGBT+ youth are engaging new technologies to participate in identity-making, health and wellbeing, as well as political action. It also considers implications for digital wellbeing and digital health promotion efforts globally with young people who experience marginalisation. In doing so the book makes a critical contribution to understanding the ways that transnational digital interventions get deployed and (at times) incorporated into youth practices.
Identity, Space, and Everyday Life in Contemporary Northeast China
by Zhen Troy Chen Jiawen Han Xianwen Kuang Xi LiuThis edited volume is first of its kind to document and critically analyse the changes took place snice China’s opening-up and reform and its impact on Dongbei, China’s North-East region, known for its remote and vast landscape, unique and othered culture, rich resources, mighty infrastructures and industries, geopolitical significance. Through presenting up-to-date and multidimensional case studies, the book covers three major aspects of Dongbei, which put people at the heart of our scholarly focus, namely people’s mediated life through traditional and new media; people’s social, cultural, and living spaces; artistic and fictional representations of people’s everyday life.
The 5G Era: What is 5G and How Will it Change the World?
by Ligang XiangThis book states that the seventh information revolution is the intelligent Internet, and 5G is the foundation of the seventh information revolution. This book gives a clear introduction to the three major scenarios, six characteristics, core technologies, and global landscape of 5G, and answers "What is true 5G?" This book also gives an in-depth explanation of 5G-enabled traditional industries, and outlines the profound changes that 5G will bring to transportation, medical, industry, and agriculture. Finally, the author made bold assumptions about the opportunities and challenges that human society faces in the post-5G era. For readers who want to fully understand 5G, this book provides an important reference and is a must-have book.
Discrete Choice Experiments Using R: A How-To Guide for Social and Managerial Sciences
by Liang Shang Yanto ChandraThis book delivers a user guide reference for researchers seeking to build their capabilities in conducting discrete choice experiment (DCE). The book is born out of the observation of the growing popularity – but lack of understanding – of the techniques to investigate preferences. It acknowledges that these broader decision-making processes are often difficult, or sometimes, impossible to study using conventional methods. While DCE is more mature in certain fields, it is relatively new in disciplines within social and managerial sciences. This text addresses these gaps as the first ‘how-to’ handbook that discusses the design and application of DCE methodology using R for social and managerial science research. Whereas existing books on DCE are either research monographs or largely focused on technical aspects, this book offers a step-by-step application of DCE in R, underpinned by a theoretical discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the DCE approach, with supporting examples of best practices. Relevant to a broad spectrum of emerging and established researchers who are interested in experimental research techniques, particularly those that pertain to the measurements of preferences and decision-making, it is also useful to policymakers, government officials, and NGOs working in social scientific spaces.
India’s Relations with Neighboring South and South East Asian Countries: Perspectives on Look East to Act East Policy (Dynamics of Asian Development)
by Lipi Ghosh Anasua Basu Ray ChaudhuryThis book presents a holistic perspective across various facets of culture, history, politics, economics and strategy in India’s relations with neighbouring South and Southeast Asian countries. This book not only analyses various issues of India’s foreign policy diplomacy but also explores the perspectives of neighbouring countries towards India. It engages experts from India and its South and Southeast Asian neighbours to discuss topics, such as overland linkages, people-to-people interactions, opportunities and implications of India’s Act East policy on its neighbours in changing geopolitical backdrop. The book emphasises on the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests a greater scope of regional cooperation on emergencies such as health crises in the Bay region. This rich collection of essays has strategic and scholarly relevance for researchers working on a wide range of topics related to development studies, cultural studies, Asian studies as well as policy makers and general readers.
Emerging Local Politics in Indonesia: Patronage-Driven Democracy in the Post-Soeharto Era
by Wawan SobariThis book provides a richer understanding of democratic local politics in Indonesia after the implementation of local direct elections in 2005. Co-published with the University of Airlangga Press, it confronts the question as to why incumbent political leaders succeed and fail in their bid for re-election. By focusing on urban and rural districts in East Java, one of the most populated regions in Indonesia, the work unpacks the general trends of local Indonesian politics, drawing from an empirically sound and theoretically well-grounded case study. The author demonstrates that good policy performance does not guarantee the political survival of the incumbent, and reversibly, bad policy performance does not necessarily mean losing political power. It considers the core political strategies of populism, rivalry, and tangibility and cautions that—rather than helping liberal democracy to grow—these strategies support patronage-driven democracy. Within this system, a small number of vital protectors and defenders control patronage, and, problematically, exert influential control over the country’s electoral processes. Relevant to scholars and students in Indonesian studies, and within political science and Asian studies more broadly, this book follows a gripping and nuanced narrative that explains the relationship between policy choices, informal politics, voting behavior, and political survival in Indonesia.
Complexifying Religion
by Andrei-Razvan ColteaThis book provides an original and challenging perspective of religions as abstract complex adaptive systems, using an interdisciplinary approach to try to understand what religions are and how they function, two fundamental issues which, despite an intense struggle from several fields, have not yet been resolved. What is the source of religious belief? How do religions work and what are they made of? Why is religion so important for us that it has survived centuries of scientific progress and secularization? Why are people religious even outside religion? The book addresses these questions using an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to untangle the Gordian knot of defining religion. In short, they can be considered entropy-reducing technologies. What differentiates them from other meaning-producing systems is their configuration which employs specific building blocks as tools for mitigating entropy, which are also subsystems and combine in various ways to build a unique configuration: rituals, myths, taboos, supernatural agents, authority, identity, superstitions, moral obligations, afterlife beliefs and the sacred. As a reaction to perturbances or pressure, systems can collapse. Inspired by Nicholas Nassim Taleb, it is, in this book, referred to as fragility—the negative reaction of systems to random events, and four parameters can be used to evaluate it in religious systems: monotonicity (the inability to learn from past mistakes), coupling (linking with other systems: such as political or economic), centralization and stress starvation. Several case studies are provided in order to test the theoretical claims made in this book, based on the author's field research in Romania, Japan, North Korea and Mongolia, and offering details that could be of interest to casual readers, students and researchers of religion.
The Skills and Ethics of Professional Touch: From Theory to Practice
by Taina Kinnunen Jaana Parviainen Annu HahoThis book introduces readers to the ethical and goal-oriented functions of touch in professional practice. Touch is both an increasingly visible topic today and a core skill in many professions, especially in health, education and social work. This book combines helpful theoretical discussions and practical information, offering a balanced and culturally-informed introduction to an issue that both students and professionals often find difficult to navigate. Chapters discuss the various functions of touch and its uses, giving readers a deeper understanding of the potential of tactile work practices. The authors offer clear legal and ethical guidance to empower learners. They discuss key issues such as harmful touch and the increasing digitisation of patient work. Activities, case studies and further readings promote learning and help readers reflect on their own relationship to touch. This book is an invaluable resource for students in undergraduate and graduate courses in healthcare, nursing, education and social work, and to practitioners looking for guidance on this topic.
Understanding Disability: Interdisciplinary Critical Approaches
by Ranu Uniyal Fatima RizviThis edited volume brings together contributions on disability studies organized around two themes: literary and sociological aspects. The contributors include academics, disability activists, and researchers from within and outside the Indian periphery. While the book strengthens the disability discourse and contributes to building academic scholarship on this subject, it also promotes disability activism by giving space to both direct practitioners and persons with disabilities. The chapters discuss various analytical and literary aspects of the marginalization experienced by the disabled community and bring forth new and elaborate perspectives. It draws connections across multiple identities and includes personal narratives across nations, cultures and societies. It is an excellent research resource on disability studies in India for scholars and students in the area of humanities, education, law, sociology and social work, while at the same time also addressing the global context.
Health Without Bodies: Health Claims and Scientific Evidence on the European Market (Health, Technology and Society)
by Kim HendrickxHealth Without Bodies invites readers on an ethnographic exploration of the boundary between food and medicine. Food-related health claims are governed in the EU as voluntary statements on food labels to help consumers make ‘informed choices’. This poses an interesting problem: when claims refer to health, one can no longer ignore that consumers have bodies. Asking how these claims have become possible as a new kind of truth-statement on the market, this book reveals the contours of a fundamental tension between what is expected from consumers in a liberal market economy, and how food and the body come to trouble those expectations. In doing so, it illuminates why the difference between food and medicine is such a sensitive issue, and why seemingly trivial health claims have been subject to so much debate and political control.Afterword by Isabelle Stengers.
Super Inequality: Theoretical Essays in Economics and Social Policy
by Christian AspalterThis book bridges the disciplines of micro-economics and social policy in general, and, in particular, behavioral/explanatory social policy and public choice theory, plus Leibenstein’s X-efficiency theory. Being trained as an economist and social policy scientist, the author leaps out of the comfort zone of most social policy scientists and experts, right into the exciting world of micro-economic theory, and then extending and connecting those theories to explain major social, political and economic conundrums of our time. In doing so, the book offers a new set of theoretical—and practical—explanations derived from the general proposition of micro-economic theory, of how government officers, policymakers, administrators and the people themselves alike are, by and large, motivated in their daily as well as strategic (long-term) decision-making. Using a meta-analytical approach (based on a number of grand theories), this book also explains systemic factors behind human behavior and the thereof resulting shortcomings in lifetime outcomes (health, wealth and happiness of a person) and at the same time societal, policy-making, and economic outcomes on societal level, and in global comparison.The outcomes thereof can be measured exactly (and hence validated), especially through the method of empirical comparative social science/economic research. Here, the author also (but not only) introduces the new method of using Aspalter's Standardized Relative Performance (SRP) Index in measuring exactly complex, aggregate performances of multiple governments, and that at the same time also across the entire world.
Reconstructions of Gender and Information Technology: Women Doing IT for Themselves
by Hilde G. CorneliussenThis open access book explores what makes women decide to pursue a career in male-dominated fields such as information technology (IT). It reveals how women experience gendered stereotypes but also how they bypass, negotiate, and challenge such stereotypes, reconstructing gender-technology relations in the process. Using the example of Norway to illuminate this challenge in Western countries, the book includes a discussion of the “gender equality paradox”, where gender equality exists in parallel with gender segregation in fields such as IT. The discussion illustrates how the norm of gender equality in some cases hinders rather than promotes efforts to increase women’s participation in technology-related roles.
Philosophies of Appropriated Religions: Perspectives from Southeast Asia
by Soraj Hongladarom Jeremiah Joven Joaquin Frank J. HoffmanThis book brings together different intercultural philosophical points of view discussing the philosophical impact of what we call the ‘appropriated’ religions of Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is home to most of the world religions. Buddhism is predominantly practiced in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia; Islam in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei; and Christianity in the Philippines and Timor-Leste. Historical data show, however, that these world religions are imported cultural products, and have been reimagined, assimilated, and appropriated by the culture that embraced them. In this collection, we see that these ‘appropriated’ religions imply a culturally nuanced worldview, which, in turn, impacts how the traditional problems in the philosophy of religion are framed and answered—in particular, questions about the existence and nature of the divine, the problem of evil, and the nature of life after death. Themes explored include: religious belief and digital transition, Theravāda Buddhist philosophy, religious diversity, Buddhism and omniscience, indigenous belief systems, divine apology and unmerited human suffering, dialetheism and the problem of evil, Buddhist philosophy and Spinoza’s views on death and immortality, belief and everyday realities in the Philippines, comparative religious philosophy, gendering the Hindu concept of dharma, Christian devotion and salvation during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines through the writings of Jose Rizal, indigenous Islamic practices in the Philippines, practiced traditions in contemporary Filipino celebrations of Christmas, role of place-aspects in the appropriation of religions in Southeast Asia, and fate and divine omniscience. This book is of interest to scholars and researchers of philosophy of religion, sociology of religion, anthropology of religion, cultural studies, comparative religion, religious studies, and Asian studies.
Chinese Rural Households in Relative Poverty and Their Economic Activities
by Wenrong QianThis book summarizes the new economic phenomenon and problems of rural families in China from the perspective of relative poverty. Based on the data of China Rural Household Panel Survey (CRHPS), a nationwide on-site survey conducted door to door by Zhejiang University, this book focuses on the theme of relative poverty and provides a systematic analysis of the economic activities of rural households in three main aspects: agricultural production and management, land utility and transfer, and migration of rural households and citizenization of migrant workers. Besides, this book also explores focuses on the performance of relatively poor households in terms of agricultural production, land transfer, non-farm employment and social security, and provides a basic mapping of the situation of relatively poor households in rural China, so as to provide a scientific basis for improving the living standards of rural households, establishing a long-term mechanism for poverty alleviation. CRHPS not only includes individual-level and household-level data, but also corresponding community-level data, which makes it possible to conduct a comprehensive study of the rural households. Researchers of Chinese rural problems and government officials (especially the department of agriculture officials) will find this book especially interesting.
Analysis of Categorical Data from Historical Perspectives: Essays in Honour of Shizuhiko Nishisato (Behaviormetrics: Quantitative Approaches to Human Behavior #17)
by Eric J. Beh Rosaria Lombardo Jose G. ClavelThis collection of essays is in honor of Shizuhiko Nishisato on his 88th birthday and consists of invited contributions only. The book contains essays on the analysis of categorical data, which includes quantification theory, cluster analysis, and other areas of multidimensional data analysis, covering more than half a century of research by the 41 interdisciplinary and international researchers who are contributors. Thus, it offers the wisdom and experience of work past and present and attracts a new generation of researchers to this field. Central to this wisdom and experience is that of Prof. Nishisato, who has spent much of the past 60 years mentoring and providing leadership in the research of quantification theory, especially that of “dual scaling”. The book includes contributions by leading researchers who have worked alongside Prof. Nishisato, published with him, been mentored by him, or whose work has been influenced by the research he has undertaken over his illustrious career. This book inspires researchers young and old as it highlights the significant contributions, past and present, that Prof. Nishisato has made in his field.
A City Cannot Be a Work of Art: Learning Economics and Social Theory From Jane Jacobs
by Sanford IkedaThis open access book connects Jane Jacobs's celebrated urban analysis to her ideas on economics and social theory. While Jacobs is a legend in the field of urbanism and famous for challenging and profoundly influencing urban planning and design, her theoretical contributions – although central to her criticisms of and proposals for public policy – are frequently overlooked even by her most enthusiastic admirers. This book argues that Jacobs’s insight that “a city cannot be a work of art” underlies both her ideas on planning and her understanding of economic development and social cooperation. It shows how the theory of the market process and Jacobs’s theory of urban processes are useful complements – an example of what economists and urbanists can learn from each other. This Jacobs-cum-market-process perspective offers new theoretical, historical, and policy analyses of cities, more realistic and coherent than standard accounts by either economists or urbanists.
Applying the Science of Learning to Education: An Insight into the Mechanisms that Shape Learning
by Wei Loong David Hung Azilawati Jamaludin Aishah Abdul RahmanThis book provides an overview of the various 'Science of Learning' (SoL) research projects led by researchers at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and international research collaborators. It presents the goals and rationale behind the Science of Learning in Education (SoLE) initiative and examines a spectrum of topics relevant to bolstering our understanding of the science underlying learning. The Science of Learning (SoL) is an advancing field, with proponents extolling its potential impact on educational practice. This book investigates the possible correlations or causal relationships between brain functioning and development, physiology, environment factors, and their impact on learning. It promotes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding biological to behavioural mechanisms of learning that are oriented toward optimizing and maximizing every learner’s potential.
Minzu as Technology: Ethnic Identity and Social Media in Post 2000s China
by Lei HaoThis book provides a unique ethnographic approach to the understanding of ethnogenesis in the Chinese context, with a particular focus on how it is being reshaped in the post-2000s era. It reinterprets the Chinese concept of ethnicity, or minzu, by investigating its evolution in relation to the proliferation of media technologies. In an era characterized by digital connectivity, the quest for ethnic identity has taken on new dimensions. Ethnic groups, like the Sibe community from Xinjiang, are now extending beyond the state’s traditional interpretations of minzu. Leveraging the power of media technology, they are articulating and expressing their ethnic identities in new and personalised ways. These developments have led to the emergence of what this book terms ‘networked ethnicity,’ a fresh manifestation of ethnic identity formation in the era of social media. The pivotal question this book attempts to answer is: How does an ethnic group in China today understand its identity, and what role does technology and media play in that process? This exploration offers a critical perspective on the complex interplay between digital technology, individual agency, and ethnic identity formation. This study will be of interest to scholars of cultural studies, Chinese society, ethnic studies, and media studies, or anyone keen to understand the changing landscape of ethnic identity in the digital age.
Perspectives and Trends in Education and Technology: Selected Papers from ICITED 2023 (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies #366)
by Anabela Mesquita António Abreu João Vidal Carvalho Cleuciliz Santana Cristina Helena Pinto de MelloThis book presents high-quality, peer-reviewed papers from the International Conference in Information Technology & Education (ICITED 2023), to be held at the Nilton Lins University, Manaus, Brazil, during June 29–30, 2023. The book covers a specific field of knowledge. This intends to cover not only two fields of knowledge—Education and Technology—but also the interaction among them and the impact/result in the job market and organizations. It covers the research and pedagogic component of Education and Information Technologies but also the connection with Society, addressing the three pillars of higher education. The book addresses impact of pandemic on education and use of technology in education. Finally, it also encourages companies to present their professional cases which will be discussed. These can constitute real examples of how companies are overcoming their challenges with the uncertainty of the market.
Sustainable Urban Development in Singapore: Imagining Walkability in an Urban Concrete Jungle (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Melissa Liow Li Sa Sam Choon-YinThis book offers theoretical and practical insights into land use, transport, and national policies in one of world’s well-known urban concrete jungle, none other than the Singapore city. The emphasis is situated on Singapore’s attempt to promote walking and cycling. Greater appreciation of walkability thrives on Singapore’s rich history, green city, people and the gastronomic kopitiam and hawker culture. The book offers a comprehensive coverage of walkability as a crucial component of urban design to reduce vehicular congestion with the associated carbon emissions, foster a healthy lifestyle and community participation and create jobs to help the economy. A high income per capita and an aging society, lessons drawn from Singapore’s experience will be useful to other societies. Scholars in sustainable tourism field, urban planners, government bodies, tourist boards, entrepreneurs, national parks board, residents, and inbound travellers will benefit from reading the book.
‘Other’ Voices in Education—: Stories as Analytical Tool (SpringerBriefs in Education)
by Carmen BlythThis book explores how stories can be used as ‘data’ that prefigure and make possible the numerous permutations of life that comprise existence, and examines how stories can be reconfigured to transform that existence into something 'other'. It uses varied theoretical and critical frameworks such as autoethnography and posthumanism with which to explore the stories shared that go ‘beyond cause and effect’. This book looks to engage with storying and storytelling as inquiry in non-Western ‘worlds’, and looks to make ‘storying’, ‘restor(y)ing’, and ‘stories’ written by non-Western educators the locus of attention. By doing so, it seeks to illustrate what distinctive ways of storying and storytelling can look like in worlds other than those that follow a Western ethico-onto-epistemological worldview. It provides a way to articulate thought that may be commonly omitted in teacher education around the world, and looks at ‘truth’ as situated rather than as totality, local rather than global, with stories used to problematize subject/object positionings within those same stories.
Chinese People’s Time Use and Their Quality of Life: Research Report of Chinese Time Use Survey
by Fenglian Du Wenbin Wang Xiaoyuan DongThis book analyzes how Chinese people use their time, including how busy Chinese seek a healthy work-life balance, how some children win from the outset in terms of education, and how people pursue quality of life outside of or after work. General readers will get a vivid and detailed impression of the way Chinese people spend their time, while researchers will find a wealth of phenomena and data for analysis from both economic and social perspectives. The research presented here was conducted in the context of the Chinese Time Use Survey (CTUS), a nationwide initiative launched by Inner Mongolia University in 2017. The CTUS covers 29 Chinese provinces, and the database contains the time use information of 30,591 people aged 3 years and over from 12,471 households. The survey collects information at three main levels: personal, family and community.
Smart Learning Ecosystems as Engines of the Green and Digital Transition: Proceedings of the 8th Conference on Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development (Advances in Sustainability Science and Technology)
by Mihai Dascalu Óscar Mealha Sirje VirkusThe book brings together the contributions of the 8th International Conference on Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development aimed at promoting reflection and discussion on the relevance of smart learning ecosystems for regional development and social innovation (e.g., schools, campuses, working places, informal learning contexts) and on how the effectiveness of the relation of citizens and smart ecosystems can be boosted. This forum is interested in understanding how technology-mediated instruments can foster the citizen’s engagement with learning ecosystems and territories, namely by understanding innovative human-centric design and development models/techniques, education/training practices, informal social learning, innovative citizen-driven policies, technology-mediated experiences, and their impact. This set of concerns contributes to fostering the social innovation sectors and ICT, economic development, and deployment strategies alongside new policies for smarter proactive citizens.
Independent Africa, Dependent Science: Scientific Research in Africa (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by R. SooryamoorthyThis book offers an examination of Africa’s scientific landscape based on extensive empirical data encompassing fifty-four African countries. It traces the evolution of science on the continent, highlighting research areas, global partnerships, funding sources, research capacity, and the impact of science policies. Acknowledging that Africa relies heavily on external sources, particularly from the Global North, for scientific research, the book identifies and addresses obstacles hindering self-reliance and underscores the urgent need for revitalized partnerships and cooperation to bolster Africa's scientific autonomy. It offers valuable recommendations to promote self-reliance, making it an indispensable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.