Social & Ethical Issues books

International Perspectives on Higher Education Research is a series which aims to feature something of the variety of research being undertaken into higher education systems and issues outside of North America. The theme of this volume covers what is and isn't permitted, included or allowed within our higher education institutions. As with the first volume, this one deliberately sets out to convey a diversity of ideas and approaches. Thus, it includes contributions from researchers working in Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, relating to higher education experiences and systems in Australia, Europe and South Africa. They offer examples of quantitative, survey based approaches and more qualitative, interview based strategies for data collection and analysis, with methodological strategies ranging from multinational comparisons to analyses of newspaper reportage. The consideration of what it is that is being accessed or excluded from is also deliberately broad. Thus, the ten chapters in this volume do not solely concern themselves with students, and the differential access or exclusion they experience in relation to their social class, wealth, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, location, etc. They also examine access and exclusion as they impact upon academics and their managers, are experienced in terms of teaching and learning approaches, effect the content of the curriculum, relate to disciplines and what counts as academic knowledge, and are perceived externally in the media.

This special volume features contributions aligned with the interdisciplinary explosion of research on the biological and neurological foundations of social behavior and organization. Biosociology and neurosociology are rapidly developing scientific fields that draw from, and contribute unique knowledge to, a number of interdisciplinary partners, including: biopsychology, neuropsychology, evolutionary psychology, social and affective neuroscience and neurophilosophy. The chapters in this volume focus on the complex and dynamic links between brain, mind, self, society, and human evolutionary heritage in relation to group dynamics and social interaction, emotions, morality, historical processes, anti-social behavior, and mental health.

This volume contains a further selection of the best papers presented at the Seventh Emonet conference (Montreal, Canada, August 2010), following on from Volume 7 and augmented once again with invited chapters authored by leading scholars in the field. "Experiencing and managing emotions in the workplace" comprises fourteen chapters arranged in four sections: The experience of emotion; The dynamics of emotion; Regulating emotion; and The emotionally intelligent organization. These encompass a variety of methodological approaches, including qualitative and quantitative research, sourced from research conducted in organizations in the USA, Europe, and Australasia. The volume's secondary theme is "care and compassion", the theme of the Academy of Management meetings that followed the Emonet conference in Montreal. In effect, organizations that understand their members' emotions and utilize this information in their management practices become "emotionally intelligent" and capable of showing care and compassion to all stakeholders. The chapters in this book provide a rich and varied coverage of the latest developments in the study of the role of emotions in organizational settings.

This text explores the impact of social factors on health, illness and the use of care. Contributors examine a number of social factors including sex, gender and socio-economic status on the healthcare experience and focus on both patients within the care process and the providers of care. It also presents papers employing a variety of methodological approaches. In the range of illnesses discussed, the social factors under consideration, and the variety of methodological approaches, this volume represents the diversity within the field of medical sociology.

This volume of "Research in Race and Ethnic Relations" analyzes the pattern of assimilation and incorporation among the Hispanic population in the Washington DC metro region. Following a comprehensive introduction looking at theoretical and policy implication, the book consists of two conceptual chapters discussing the literature of ethnic incorporation and assimilation in urban regions, one chapter analyzing demographic trends among the Hispanic population, and four chapters analyzing different issues related to assimilation, in particular the nature entrepreneurialship, civic engagement, political participation, and education among migrants. This book makes a considerable contribution to the literature of emerging gateways in the field of migration and urban development with articles from notable academics and public policy analysts in their respective fields. It is the only comprehensive study of its kind concerning Hispanic migration to the Washington DC region (the majority of other studies in the field are based on data from major metropolitan cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles).

The 10th volume of International Review of Comparative Public Policy, focuses on the Labor Markets in Transition.

The articles in this book are intended to be a much-needed corrective to the literature on marginality. In the recent past, and at present, the concept of marginality has been used with little specificity, and when used with specificity, the delineation of the complex dimensions of the term has been less than satisfactory. To illustrate the many ways in which marginality exists and operates in many societies Rutledge Dennis has assembled a rich array of articles designed to highlight the history and evolution of the concept of marginality along with the theorists, issues and situations which prompted the use of the term, and the issues for which the term is applicable today. The very title of the volume comes into play here because, though many of the early marginality theorists took the term into the realm of psychology, the contributors to this volume who discussed the theory highlighted the social structural foundation of marginality. Dennis sought a marriage of theory and research while assembling the articles for this volume. For this reason he actively sought papers which used divergent research strategies to uncover the existence of marginality in its various forms and contexts. Thus, some of the papers utilize ethnographic and life history approaches, whereas others use statistical analysis and historical data analysis. In addition to theoretical and methodological concerns a major theme for this volume is the combination of both theory and method towards an investigation of issues and problems emanate from the social structure, and are closely linked to power and domination.

This volume provides a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence on corruption generated by recent laboratory and field experiments conducted by economists and political scientists. The first part of the volume reviews the evidence produced by laboratory experiments in relation to gender and cultural differences in corruption decision-making, as well as the effectiveness of different anti-corruption policies. This part concludes with an assessment of the external validity of corruption investigations relying on laboratory experiments. The second part of the volume reviews recent contributions to corruption research made through the use of field experiments. Special attention is given to advances in measuring corruption in the field, investigations of clientelism and vote-buying, and the role that information can play in the fight against corruption. A critical assessment of the effectiveness of top-down and bottom-up anti-corruption interventions completes this section. The volume concludes with important reflections on the role that behavioral and experimental economics can play in anti-corruption research and practice.

Social movement strategies and coalition dynamics in movements are two of the hottest arenas for cutting-edge research. Many case studies offer useful analytical windows through which we can understand the strategic choices made by individual movement organizations. Equally if not more important questions remain about how the positions a movement organization occupies in the broader social movement field impacts strategic decision-making. Coalition politics and conflicts matter to social movements.Thus Section One of this volume of "Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change" presents a series of papers focused on the complex dynamics of coalitions and the interorganizational relations within social movements. Another section follows immediately that compliments in an integrated way the first, this one focused on strategic decision making in social movements, including with regard to strategic alliances. The Volume closes with a third section on political opportunities and political inequalities. This volume of the "Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change" does what the series has always done best: showcase sound empirical work and creative theory-building that addresses those questions currently at the forefront of the field.

This work presents original and critical papers on the life and sociological contributions of Oliver C. Cox. The unique features of this volume include an analysis of Cox's enigmatic career as a sociologist, his links with Marx, Weber and Mills, his contributions to world system theory, and his legacy with and exclusion from the Chicago School.