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Social Stratification in an Aging Society with Low Fertility: The Case of Japan (Economy and Social Inclusion)
by Sawako ShirahaseThis edited book empirically discusses stratification in contemporary Japanese society. It is unique for its examination of social inequality in relation to declining fertility and an aging population. Japan is the most aged society in the world: according to the Statistics Bureau of Japan, people who are aged 65 and above comprised 29.1% of the country’s total population in 2021. Meanwhile, the fertility rate has continuously declined since the mid-1970s. Japan experienced a dramatic change in its demographic structure in a short period of time. Such fast change could be a major factor that generated social stratification. In her industrialization, Japan was thought to share a pattern of social stratification similar to that of developed European and North American countries but with a low degree of socio-economic inequality and a high degree of homogeneity. There is no clear support for this description of Japan, although the country does share a pattern and degree of social stratification similar to that observed in Europe and North America. The social stratification theory has been developed in close relationship to the labor market; however, it is necessary to further examine the social stratification of very aged societies in which a substantial number of the population—namely, retired persons—no longer have any ties to the labor market. In this book, the contributors explore the pattern of social stratification at three life stages: young, middle-aged, and elderly. Included are discussions of various aspects of stratification such as education, work, wealth, marriage, family, gender, generation, and social attitudes.
Self-Construction in a Transcultural Context: Young Chinese Immigrants Constructing Selves in the UK
by Yijia ZuoThis book explores the ways in which individuals construct and integrate self-positions in a transcultural context, by adopting a pluralist theoretical and methodological approach that includes both Western post-modern viewpoints and ancient Chinese philosophical ideas.The book starts with stories of two second-generation Chinese young people and their mothers' life experiences in the UK, which can be seen as an epitome of individuals living in the modern and complex environment of the time. Using social constructionist viewpoints, it then analyzes the overt interaction between the individual and outside environment and interprets the recessive interaction, such as the individual’s psychological response to the outside environment, which might be unknown to him or herself, using the psychodynamic approach based on object relations theory and other psychoanalytic concepts, such as defense mechanisms. The book uses Confucian philosophy to show how Chinese people think about the relation between other people and themselves and also integrates different and even opposing theories and viewpoints from Taoist philosophy.This creative book provides a theoretical and practical approach to explore the conception of “self” and the way in which individuals construct their self-positions in a complex context. Combining cutting-edge Western psycho-social viewpoints and ancient Chinese philosophy, it appeals to readers interested in “self,” psycho-social approaches, psychoanalytic viewpoints and Chinese philosophy.
Production Dynamics for Life Quality in the Incipient 21st Century
by Chau-kiu CheungThis book addresses the life quality of the average adult in the world, based on international data weighted according to national population size. It rests on the theoretical framework of analytic-functionalism to explain statics and dynamics in the production of life quality. The statics means the influences of personal and national factors on life quality, whereas the dynamics mean the changes in the influences over time. This approach elucidates life quality at the personal level rather than at the national level, which overlooks what happens to the average person living in the world. The approach involves a broad view of the production of life quality, including experiences, practices, and appraisals of life. This production also involves personal background characteristics and the national indicators of modernization, globalization, and environmental issues. Knowledge about the production is helpful for policymakers, researchers, students, and other people to upgrade life quality. Such knowledge is valuable because it is up-to-date, generalizable, and sensible based on the analytic-functionalist theoretical framework and statistical estimation.
Homelessness and Mobile Communication: Precariously Connected
by Justine HumphryThis book examines how mobile phones and the internet have become a vital part of the everyday lives of people experiencing homelessness. But the access mobile phones provide is costly, insecure and limited, producing an experience of being precariously connected. Drawing on findings of research conducted with over one hundred young people, families and adults experiencing homelessness in Australia and the United States, this book analyses homelessness as a mediated condition and explores the underpinning processes that shape digital disparities. It contributes to scholarship on mobile communication and inequality, highlighting the digital patterns, issues and difficulties of a group disproportionately affected by service reform and developments in digital citizenship, smart cities and algorithmic governance.
The Viral Politics of Covid-19: Nature, Home, and Planetary Health (Biolegalities)
by Vanessa Lemm Miguel VatterThis book critically examines the COVID-19 pandemic and its legal and biological governance using a multidisciplinary approach. The perspectives reflected in this volume investigate the imbrications between technosphere and biosphere at social, economic, and political levels. The biolegal dimensions of our evolving understanding of “home” are analysed as the common thread linking the problem of zoonotic diseases and planetary health with that of geopolitics, biosecurity, bioeconomics and biophilosophies of the plant-animal-human interface. In doing so, the contributions collectively highlight the complexities, challenges, and opportunities for humanity, opening new perspectives on how to inhabit our shared planet. This volume will broadly appeal to scholars and students in anthropology, cultural and media studies, history, philosophy, political science and public health, sociology and science and technology studies.
Graduate Employability Across Contexts: Perspectives, Initiatives and Outcomes
by Tran Le Huu Nghia Binh Chi Bui Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh Vinh N. LuThis book explores stakeholders’ perspectives, their practices, and engagement with enacting the employability agenda in the context of a rapidly changing world. It explains the need for developing graduate employability under socioeconomic, cultural, and political pressure exposed to the higher education sector. Largely framed within Bourdieu’s concepts of social field, habitus, and capital, it explores international stakeholders’ perspectives and experiences with graduate employability agenda in different contexts, which serves as a point of reference for the adoption of such initiatives. Based on empirical evidence, the authors develop a new graduate employability framework seeing it as a lifelong process, denote the relationships between types of employability capital, and shed light on the consequences of different strategies to translate employability capital to employment and career outcomes. Overall, this book generates both theoretical and practical insights which help to advance employability programs, better prepare the future workforce, and anticipate turbulence in the labour markets.
Motherland: Soviet Nostalgia in the Russian Federation
by Charles J. SullivanThis book explores the extent to which and the reasons why Russia’s citizens harbor feelings of nostalgia for the Soviet Union today. Based on the results of a nationwide survey and rigorous field research carried out within several of Russia’s regions, Dr. Sullivan uncovers material and cultural rationales for this sentiment of nostalgia – which poses both an opportunity and a challenge to the Russian government. With Russian nationalism and revanchism a resurgent force in contemporary global affairs, this detailed study will interest scholars of international relations and of populist authoritarianism around the world.
Trends and Determinants of Healthy Aging in China
by Yi Zeng Jiehua Lu Xiaoyan Lei Xiaoming ShiThis book studies healthy aging in China based on analyses of the datasets of eight waves of longitudinal survey in 1998-2018 with worldwide largest sample of oldest-old. It consists of four parts. The first part reports the 6th, 7th, and 8th surveys of “Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey” (CLHLS), with the largest sample of oldest-old aged 80+ in the world and comparable sample of young-old aged 65–79, trends and characteristics of physical health and mental health of older adults in China based on analyses of the CLHLS datasets. The second part focuses on analyses and discussions of the influencing factors of healthy aging from perspectives of families, socioeconomics and community environments. The third part reports studies on the gender and age differences in main chronic diseases’ prevalence rates, inflammation, anti-oxidation, trace elements, effects of the nutritional dietary structure and the environmental selenium on health among the older adults. The fourth part focuses on the analyses and discussions of policy recommendations to face the serious challenges of the population aging in China and the database of the eight waves of CLHLS from 1998 to 2018, which are available free of charge to scholars, practitioners and general public for scientific research and socioeconomic planning. This book is easy to read and to understand by researchers and the general public, and no special professional background is required.
Edification in the Chinese Philosophy of Confucianism (Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture)
by Jinglin LiThis pivot focuses on “the concept of edification” in a bid to systematically expound its connotative structure and logical evolution. It is divided into ten chapters, embracing various issues, such as human nature as the foundation of edification, the development of edification and cultivation, the evolution of edification and the resultant life based on ritual and music, the political orientation and ultimate care of edification, and the nurturing of social edification, in an effort to offer a panoramic view of the intellectual features of Confucianism, and consequently a profound reflection on the cultural consciousness of contemporary China. The book is expected to satisfy the needs for a better understanding of edification as a Confucian concept, and the conceptual features of Chinese philosophy, or rather, Confucianism.
The Living Environmental Education: Sound Science Toward a Cleaner, Safer, and Healthier Future (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Wei-Ta Fang Arba'at Hassan Ben A. LePageThis open access book is designed and written to bridge the gap on the critical issues identified in environmental education programs in Asian countries. The world and its environments are changing rapidly, and the public may have difficulty keeping up and understanding how these changes will affect our way of life. The authors discuss various topics and case studies from an Asian perspective, but the content, messaging, and lessons learned need not be limited to Asian cultures. Each chapter provides a summary of the intensive research that has been performed on pro-environmental behaviors, the experience of people working in industry and at home, and their philosophies that guide them in their daily lives. We highlight humanity’s potential to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by understanding better the environmental psychology, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability and stewardship protection elements that contribute to responsible environmental citizenship. The content of the chapters in this book includes a discussion of the crucial issues, plans, and evaluations for sustainability theories, practices, and actions with a proposed management structure for maximizing the cultural, social, and ecological diversity of Asian experiences compared to other theories and cultures internationally. We intend that the data in this book will provide a comprehensive guide for students, professors, practitioners, and entrepreneurs of environmental education and its related disciplines using case studies that demonstrate the relationship between the social and behavioral sciences and environmental leadership and sustainability.
Uyat and the Culture of Shame in Central Asia (The Steppe and Beyond: Studies on Central Asia)
by Jean-François Caron Hélène ThibaultThis book proposes an interdisciplinary look at the culture of shame in Central Asia and evaluates its role in the regulation of social and political interactions in the region. Contributors demonstrate how 'uyat' relies on patriarchal and hierarchical gender norms that negatively affect women and queer bodies. More specifically, contributors address issues of the taboo of sex education in Kazakhstani schools, favored heteronormativity and its consequences on queer bodies, and the compliance of parents to give their first born to adoption to the husband’s parents in Kyrgyzstan. The book also reflects on how these norms are challenged by young generations. Lastly, the book will also bring a novel reading on local political dynamics by examining the role of shame in Kazakhstani politics as a form of accountability in the absence of genuine political competition. This book will interest scholars of Central Asia, gender theorists, and scholars of post-socialist societies.
A Resilience Approach to Acceleration of Sustainable Development Goals
by Mika ShimizuThis is the first book to articulate how to address interlinkages among sustainable development goals (SDGs), which are keys to implementing those goals by 2030. At the heart of the book is a resilience approach to the enabling relevant systems, practices, and education and research. While SDGs are well known at different levels from local to global spheres, a major gap can be seen between goals and approaches, as approaches are lacking for addressing interlinkages among SDGs. The United Nations General Assembly in 2015 acknowledged interlinkages as being of crucial importance in ensuring the purpose of the goals. However, few actual approaches have been specified to address the interlinkages or interconnections at both the policy and practical levels. Thus, it is urgent to face the question of how to address the interlinkages by stakeholders—not only policy communities and researchers but also practitioners and students, especially innovators who can go beyond existing boundaries. By highlighting that challenge, this book lays out a path for addressing interlinkages among SDGs by applying a resilience approach to the issues of a sustainable society. The resilience approach has been developed from combinations of different modes of thinking and practices, including the systems approach, systems and design thinking, and resilience thinking and practices. Based on this overarching approach, innovators seek out the relevance of that approach to their SDGs-related practices at the system, local, and educational levels. The book therefore serves as a guide to how the resilience approach can contribute to accelerating implementation of SDGs by 2030.
Crowdsourced Politics: The Rise of Online Petitions & Micro-Donations
by Ariadne Vromen Darren Halpin Michael VaughanThis book focuses on online petitioning and crowdfunding platforms to demonstrate the everyday impact that digital communications have had on contemporary citizen participation. In doing do, the book argues that crowdsourced participation has become normalised and institutionalised into the everyday repertoires of citizens and their organisations. Within the digitally-enabled shift in individual acts of participation, creating, signing and sharing online petitions and micro-donations have become a focal point because of the clear evolution from their offline and online counterparts.To illustrate their arguments the authors use an original nationally representative survey on acts of political engagement, undertaken with Australian citizens. Additionally, through detailed interviews and analysis of their web presence they show how advocacy organisations use online petitions within their repertoire of strategic actions. Lastly, they analyse the kinds of policy issues that mobilise citizens on crowdsourcing platforms, based on a unique dataset of 17,000 petitions from the popular non-government platform, Change.org. They contrast these mass public concerns with the policy agenda of the government of the day to show there is a disjuncture and general lack of responsiveness to this form of citizen expression.
Lifestyle Change and Transport in China (Population, Regional Development and Transport)
by Pengjun Zhao Di LyuThis book aims to provide a complete overview of the current status of lifestyle and transport changes in China, focusing on the ongoing trends in lifestyle and transport technologies, which are shaping a new lifestyle and transport system. An additional focus is to discuss the mechanism behind the influence of transport on lifestyles, and analyze the influence of transport facilities on lifestyles, which will help to give efficient and effective transport solutions. Using macro statistics and survey data from Beijing and Chinese villages and towns, this book explores the interactive development of lifestyle and transportation in China over the past 40 years. The analyses and findings in this book would enhance our existing knowledge of the relationship lifestyle and transport. The policies discussed in the book would provide fresh evidences for policy-making on updating transport services in order to cope with the changes of people’s lifestyle. This book will be of great interest to scholars and governmental agencies interested in transport development, transport policy, social transition, sustainable transport, urban planning, urban governance, and is relevant to China and other developing countries.
Empowering Teachers and Democratising Schooling: Perspectives from Australia
by Keith Heggart Steven KolberThis edited book brings together teachers and education academics who are committed to education about, for and through democracy. It presents a diverse range of viewpoints about the challenges facing educators working across different sectors and discusses ways to challenge issues like neoliberalism, excessive managerialism and accountability and privatisation. It also engages with the times that education has, and continues, to fail students. This book outlines both logistical and ideological challenges which educators committed to democracy face and describes innovative approaches they have adopted, including networking, the use of social media and digital tools and extending their reach beyond their local communities to international audiences. It encourages conversations about how educators and academics might re-commit to education for democracy and generate further avenues for discussion and action by educators and academics.
Research on the Mode of Targeted Poverty Alleviation in China
by Chengbin Liu Weiping TanThis book conducts systematic theoretical research on the social mechanism running system based on China's targeted poverty alleviation model and poverty reduction experience. In light of the theories of Parsons’ structural functionalism, Luhmann’s social system theory, and Merton's structural functionalism, this book puts forward the "coupling" theory of China's targeted poverty alleviation strategy. From the theoretical level, the operation process of poverty reduction policy is a complex social system. The "coupling" theory of China's targeted poverty alleviation strategy is mainly a theoretical innovation for the general expression of China's targeted poverty alleviation model. In terms of the design and running process of the targeted poverty alleviation strategy, the multilevelness of antipoverty and the heterogeneity of poverty objects reflect the complexity of poverty reduction, which displays systematic complexity in the structural evolution and functional differentiation of poverty reduction, as well as the evolution of the subjective intention of poverty objects. Therefore, this book conducts a "systematic" analysis of the implementation conditions and operation process of targeted poverty alleviation from the perspective of "coupling," presenting a social practice mechanism in which multiple systems coordinate and interact with each other, the poverty reduction system is continuously optimized, and policy effectiveness is continuously improved in China's poverty reduction practice.
Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing: 16th CCF Conference, ChineseCSCW 2021, Xiangtan, China, November 26–28, 2021, Revised Selected Papers, Part I (Communications in Computer and Information Science #1491)
by Yuqing Sun Tun Lu Buqing Cao Hongfei Fan Dongning Liu Bowen Du Liping GaoThe two-volume set CCIS 1491 and 1492 constitutes the refereed post-conferenceproceedings of the 16th CCF Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, ChineseCSCW 2021, held in Xiangtan, China, November 26–28, 2021. The conference was held in a hybrid mode i.e. online and on-site in Xiangtan due to the COVID-19 crisis.The 65 revised full papers and 22 revised short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 242 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections:Volume I:Collaborative Mechanisms, Models, Approaches, Algorithms and Systems; Cooperative Evolutionary Computation and Human-like Intelligent Collaboration; Domain-Specific Collaborative Applications;Volume II: Crowd Intelligence and Crowd Cooperative Computing; Social Media and Online Communities.
Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing: 16th CCF Conference, ChineseCSCW 2021, Xiangtan, China, November 26–28, 2021, Revised Selected Papers, Part II (Communications in Computer and Information Science #1492)
by Yuqing Sun Tun Lu Buqing Cao Hongfei Fan Dongning Liu Bowen Du Liping GaoThe two-volume set CCIS 1491 and 1492 constitutes the refereed post-conferenceproceedings of the 16th CCF Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, ChineseCSCW 2021, held in Xiangtan, China, November 26–28, 2021. The conference was held in a hybrid mode i.e. online and on-site in Xiangtan due to the COVID-19 crisis.The 65 revised full papers and 22 revised short papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 242 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections:Volume I:Collaborative Mechanisms, Models, Approaches, Algorithms and Systems; Cooperative Evolutionary Computation and Human-like Intelligent Collaboration; Domain-Specific Collaborative Applications;Volume II: Crowd Intelligence and Crowd Cooperative Computing; Social Media and Online Communities.
Withstanding Vulnerability throughout Adult Life: Dynamics of Stressors, Resources, and Reserves
by Dario Spini Eric WidmerThis open access interdisciplinary book integrates the major findings and theoretical advances of a 12-year research program run by the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES research program hosted by the universities of Lausanne and Geneva, within a single comprehensive and coherent publication on vulnerability across adulthood. The book is based on the idea that vulnerability is an essential component of the life course that can inform how we use our resources, reserves and cope with stressors across the life course. It provides a unique interdisciplinary research framework based on the idea that vulnerability is a complex and dynamic process that can only be approached through a multidimensional, multilevel, and multidirectional perspective.This is an invaluable new resource for students and researchers in life course studies, and those from other disciplines willing to include life course factors in their research on vulnerability issues.
Nature and Dynamics of Social Influence: Interpersonal and Organizational Contexts
by Janak PandeyThe book presents the various ways in which persuasion can be used to make people behave in certain ways without coercion, intimidation, or brute force. It explores the intricacies of social influence processes like self-presentation, impression management, ingratiation, persuasion, manipulative social behavior, and compliance in socio-cultural contexts. Social influence constitutes one of the key themes in the field of social psychology. Contributions in the book highlight social influence behavior and its importance in human social life. The book deepens the reader's understanding of social psychology research on the science and applications of social influence. It invites readers to consider critical questions, such as the interactive effects of personality/disposition and situational factors on social influence. Given its scope, the book is of interest to those in academic fields like social psychology, political science, mass communication, and marketing.
Deconstructing ‘Energy Security’ in Oman: A Journey of Securitisation from 1920 to 2020 (Gulf Studies #6)
by Lamya HarubThis book makes a substantial and timely contribution to discussions on energy security in Oman, providing a systematic analysis of energy security in Oman from 1920 to 2020. It is particularly relevant in light of the recent global geopolitics of the Gulf particularly, and the Middle Eastern region broadly, as well as connecting to current climate change research and debates. Combining a political sociological account with postcolonial concepts within a theoretical and empirical exploration of energy politics, the book weaves a study of energy security into the historical and contemporary development of political, economic, security, and social structures in Oman. Including interviews with Omani and Oman-based practitioners, as well as grounded in historical documents which include Arabic-language sources, this book evaluates the energy question beyond the typical economic perspective, considering socio-political opportunities and challenges. It also makes economic-related recommendations in tandem with rentier state theory. Unlike the dominant accounts of energy security in Oman, this book sets itself apart by moving away from utilising liberal and realist approaches for its analysis and engages systematically with critical security studies to introduce a non-Eurocentric perspective to the arena. Of interest to scholars in Middle Eastern history, energy security, and security studies, this book assumes an important place in the critical literature on the Gulf, particularly within environmental studies and energy policy literature.
Formation of Teachers for Catholic Schools: Challenges and Opportunities in a New Era (Catholic Education Globally: Challenges and Opportunities #1)
by Leonardo Franchi Richard RymarzThis book explores in a theoretical and practical sense the challenges and opportunities arising in the initial and ongoing formation processes for teachers in Catholic schools. It showcases a range of international perspectives on how prospective teachers for Catholic schools are prepared both academically and pastorally for their professional role. Divided into two parts, Part 1 of the book focuses on certain countries in the Anglosphere; each country with a dedicated chapter in which the academic and pastoral approaches to teacher formation are examined in the context of its particular cultural, political and religious landscape. Part 2 of the book examines specific areas of interest with particular reference to what it means for the Catholic Church’s mission to offer suitable formation to its corps of teachers. Building on the editors' previous work, this book offers a fresh perspective on this subject by bringing together observations from selected local contexts on what Catholic teacher formation looks like as a set of organised processed and structures. It also shows how the study of educational themes offers challenges to current practices, but also opportunities for fruitful engagement with other educational perspectives.
Bayesian Statistical Modeling with Stan, R, and Python
by Kentaro MatsuuraBayesian Statistical Modeling with Stan, R, and Python
The Pilgrim’s Guide to the Workplace (SpringerBriefs in Business)
by Agustin ChevezThis is an Open Access book.Hoping to incubate a unique idea about workplace design, Dr. Agustin Chevez walked in isolation for 42 days from Melbourne to Sydney. His pilgrimage delivered 34 Signposts, a collection of insights which hold the promise to guide us to a better place to work. While firmly positioned within the shifting context of work, the Signposts point away from reactive solutions with a short shelf life. Instead, these markers are infused with a diversity of thought instilled by Agustin’s pilgrimage and reclaim the forgotten qualities of solitude, boredom, adversity, and absurdity as mechanisms to deliver innovation and create improved working environments. On his way to Sydney Agustin relied on maps and people with local knowledge of the lands he traversed. Similarly, in this book, he consults people with local knowledge in various design disciplines, management, and technology as he navigates the many regions of the workplace and work practices covered by the Signposts. When he reaches the end of the known trails, he starts laying paths that take us closer to where the Signposts converge. Agustin writes from the perspective of a pilgrim, architect, workplace consultant, and researcher and invites you to join him as a fellow pilgrim. You will be rewarded with a journey that revisits our assumptions about the way we use space to host the ever-evolving notion of work – an expedition leading not only to better versions of the workplace, but a better version of ourselves. “This book takes about three hours to read, and it could take a lifetime to fully extract all the benefits that it contains. This does not suggest that there are not immediate benefits available from reflecting on and applying the Signposts that are core to the book's intellectual contribution.” - Peer Review extract
Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering: Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on MMESE (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #941)
by Balbir S. Dhillon Shengzhao LongMan-Machine-Environment System Engineering: Proceedings of the 22nd Conference on MMESE are an academic showcase of the best papers selected from more than 500 submissions, introducing readers to the top research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE. This proceedings are interdisciplinary studies on the concepts and methods of physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environment science, management, education, and other related disciplines. Researchers and professionals who study an interdisciplinary subject crossing above disciplines or researchers on MMESE subject will be mainly benefited from this proceedingsMMESE primarily focuses on the relationship between Man, Machine and Environment, studying the optimum combination of man-machine-environment systems. In this system, “Man” refers to working people as the subject in the workplace (e.g. operators, decision-makers); “Machine” is the general name for any object controlled by Man (including tools, machinery, computers, systems and technologies), and “Environment” describes the specific working conditions under which Man and Machine interact (e.g. temperature, noise, vibration, hazardous gases etc.). The three goals of optimization of the man-machine-environment systems are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy. The integrated and advanced science research topic Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering (MMESE) was first established in China by Professor Shengzhao Long in 1981, with direct support from one of the greatest modern Chinese scientists, Xuesen Qian. In a letter to Shengzhao Long from October 22nd, 1993, Xuesen Qian wrote: “You have created a very important modern science and technology in China!”