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Liberation Sociology
by Joe R. Feagin Hernan VeraLiberation sociology is concerned with eliminating social oppressions and creating truly just societies. Liberation sociology takes sides with the oppressed and envisions an end to that oppression. Liberation social scientists featured in this book consciously try to step outside their groups or societies and view them critically. The authors examine theories and research of social scientists who ask, Social science for what purpose? and Social science for whom? Case studies offer humanistic, democratic, and activist answers. Featured researchers provide tools to increase human abilities to understand deep social realities, engage in better dialogues, and increase democratic participation in use of knowledge.Many people of all ages today continue to be attracted to sociology and other social sciences because of their promise to contribute to better political, social, and moral understandings of themselves and their social worlds-and often because they hope it will help them to build a better society. We accent the liberation potential of social science with these social science teachers and students firmly in mind.
Liberation Technology in El Salvador
by Summer HarlowThis ethnographic study explores how four alternative media projects in El Salvador integrated digital technologies--particularly social media--into their practices, and whether incorporating these technologies affected citizen participation not only in the media production process, but in a broader discursive sphere of civic and political life as well. Summer Harlow investigates the factors that influence the extent to which alternative media producers are able to use digital tools in liberating ways for social change by opening a space for participation in technology (as content producers) and through technology (as engaged citizens). The book advances existing literature with two main contributions: extending our understanding of the digital divide to include inequalities of social media use, and including technology use--whether liberating or not--as a fundamental component of a mestizaje approach to the study of alternative media.
Liberation and Purity: Race, New Religious Movements and the Ethics of Postmodernity
by Chetan BhattFirst published in 1997. The rise of new religious movements has raised important questions about how race, ethnicity and the lives of black minority communities in the West are to be understood. In Liberation and purity, Chetan Bhatt critically examines the ideas and organization of new Hindu and Islamic movements and relates this to contemporary debates in philosophy, social theory and cultural studies. He considers the creation of new traditions and new ethnicities by these movements and explores how ideas of purity, pollution, the body, sexuality and gender are key themes in their ideas of emancipation. Bhatt explores the relationship between right-wing and progressive social movements in modern civil societies, and examines the influence on these movements of new globally-organized communications technologies.
Liberation in the Face of Uncertainty: A New Development in Dialogical Self Theory
by Hubert J. HermansIn this volume, Dialogical Self Theory is innovatively presented as a guide to help elucidate some of the most pressing problems of our time as they emerge at the interface of self and society. As a bridging framework at the interface of the social sciences and philosophy, Dialogical Self Theory provides a broad view of problem areas that place us in a field of tension between liberation and social imprisonment. With climate change and the coronavirus pandemic serving as wake-up calls, the book focuses on the experience of uncertainty, the disenchantment of the world, the pursuit of happiness, and the cultural limitations of the Western self-ideal. Now more than ever we need to rethink the relationship between self, other, and the natural environment, and this book uses Dialogical Self Theory to explore actual and potential responses of the self to these urgent challenges.
Liberation,: Flipping the Song Bird (New Approaches to Religion and Power)
by Becca WhitlaBecca Whitla uses liberationist, postcolonial, and decolonial methods to analyze hymns, congregational singing, and song-leading practices. By way of this analysis, Whitla shows how congregational singing can embody liberating liturgy and theology. Through a series of interwoven theoretical lenses and methodological tools—including coloniality, mimicry, epistemic disobedience, hybridity, border thinking, and ethnomusicology—the author examines and interrogates a range of factors in the musical sphere. From beloved Victorian hymns to infectious Latin American coritos; congregational singing to radical union choirs; Christian complicity in coloniality to Indigenous ways of knowing, the dynamic praxis-based stance of the book is rooted in the author’s lived experiences and commitments and engages with detailed examples from sacred music and both liturgical and practical theology. Drawing on what she calls a syncopated liberating praxis, the author affirms the intercultural promise of communities of faith as a locus theologicus and a place for the in-breaking of the Holy Spirit.
Liberatory Practices for Learning: Dismantling Social Inequality and Individualism with Ancient Wisdom (Postcolonial Studies in Education)
by Julio CammarotaThis book promotes collaborative ways of knowing and group accountability in learning processes to counteract the damaging effects of neoliberal individualism prevalent in educational systems today. These neoliberalist hierarchies imposed through traditional, autocratic knowledge systems have driven much of the United States’ educational policies and reforms, including STEM, high stakes testing, individual-based accountability, hierarchical grading systems, and ability grouping tracks. The net effect of such policies and reforms is an education system that perpetuates social inequalities linked with race, class, gender, and sexuality. Instead, the author suggests that accountability pushes past individualism in education by highlighting democratic methods to produce a collective good as opposed to a narrow personal success. In this democratic model, participants contribute to the common goal of elevating the entire group. Drawing from a well of creative praxes, reflexivity, and spiritual engagement, contributors incorporate collective dreaming to envision alternate realities of learning and schooling and summon the spirit into action for change.
Liberty Reader (Edinburgh University Press Series)
by David MillerFor centuries past, the quest for liberty has driven political movements across the globe, inspiring revolutions in America, France, China and many other countries. Now, we have Iraq and the idea of liberation through preemption. What is this liberty that is so fervently pursued? Does it mean a private space for individuals, the capacity for free and rational choice, or collective self-rule? What is the difference between positive and negative liberty, or the relationship between freedom and coercion? Reflecting on these questions reveals a surprisingly rich landscape of ideas - and further questions. "The Liberty Reader" collects twelve of the most important and insightful essays on issues of freedom currently available. It is essential reading for students of social and political theory, political philosophy, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the variety of ideas and ideals behind perennial human strivings for liberty.
Liberty Road: Black Middle-Class Suburbs and the Battle Between Civil Rights and Neoliberalism
by Gregory SmithsimonA unique insight into desegregation in the suburbs and how racial inequality persists Half of Black Americans who live in the one hundred largest metropolitan areas are now living in suburbs, not cities. In Liberty Road, Gregory Smithsimon shows us how this happened, and why it matters, unearthing the hidden role that suburbs played in establishing the Black middle-class. Focusing on Liberty Road, a Black middle-class suburb of Baltimore, Smithsimon tells the remarkable story of how residents broke the color barrier, against all odds, in the face of racial discrimination, tensions with suburban whites and urban Blacks, and economic crises like the mortgage meltdown of 2008. Drawing on interviews, census data, and archival research he shows us the unique strategies that suburban Black residents in Liberty Road employed, creating a blueprint for other Black middle-class suburbs. Smithsimon re-orients our perspective on race relations in American life to consider the lived experiences and lessons of those who broke the color barrier in unexpected places. Liberty Road shows us that if we want to understand Black America in the twenty-first century, we must look not just to our cities, but to our suburbs as well.
Liberty and Equality
by Raymond AronAn invaluable reflection on the essence of liberal democracy—and an ideal introduction to the work of political philosopher Raymond AronLiberty and Equality is the first English translation of the last lecture delivered at the Collège de France by Raymond Aron, one of the most influential political and social thinkers of the twentieth century. In this important work, the most prominent French liberal intellectual of the Cold War era presents his views on the core values of liberal democracy: liberty and equality. At the same time, he provides an ideal introduction to key aspects of his thought.Ranging from Soviet ideology to Watergate, Aron reflects on root concepts of democracy and representative government, articulates a notion of liberty or freedom as equal right as distinct from equal outcome, and discusses different kinds of liberties: personal, political, religious, and social. In search of a common truth or at least a common good, and analyzing what he perceives as the crisis of liberal democracies, Aron opens a space for reexamining the relation between liberty and equality.
Liberty and Equality: The American Conversation
by S. Adam SeagraveAlexis de Tocqueville, one of the greatest commentators on the American political tradition, viewed it through the lens of two related ideas: liberty and equality. These ideas, so eloquently framed by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, have remained inextricably and uniquely conjoined in American political thought: equality is understood as the equal possession of natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By considering American reflections on these core ideas over time--in relation to constitutional principles, religion, and race--this volume provides an especially insightful perspective for understanding our political tradition. The book is at once a summary of American history told through ideas and an inquiry into the ideas of liberty and equality through the lens of American history. <p> To a remarkable extent, American politics has always been thoughtful and American thought has always been political. In these pages, we see how some of our greatest minds have grappled with the issues of liberty and equality: Tocqueville and Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton as Publius in The Federalist, James Madison, George Washington, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln debating Stephen Douglas, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In essays responding to these primary sources, some of today's finest scholars take up topics critical to the American experiment in liberal democracy--political inequality, federalism, the separation of powers, the relationship between religion and politics, the history of slavery and the legacy of racism. Together these essays and sources help to clarify the character, content, and significance of American political thought taken as a whole. They illuminate and continue the conversation that has animated and distinguished the American political tradition from the beginning--and, hopefully, better equip readers to contribute to that conversation.
Liberty and Landscape: In Search of Life Chances with Ralf Dahrendorf
by Olaf Kühne Corinna Jenal Karsten Berr Kai SchusterThis book explores the importance of freedom and liberalism in the context of socialities, individualities and materialities. The authors provide a highly unusual and innovative blending of concepts about space and landscape through a deeply theoretical exploration of liberalism.Liberalism is often problematized in contemporary discussions with regard to gentrification, environmental problems and inequality. In contrast, this book refers to a liberalism that maximizes life chances in the context of dealing with spaces. A connection between freedom and space, based on liberal ideas, provides a much needed theoretical intervention in the fields of social and spatial sciences.
Liberty and the News
by Walter LippmannThis little gem of a book, which first appeared in 1920, was written in Walter Lippmann's thirtieth year. He was still full of the passionate faith in democracy that was evident in his writings before the First World War. From today's point of view, Lippmann's argument seems unusually prescient. He was troubled by distortions in newspaper journalism, but was also deeply aware of the need to protect a free press. Lippmann believed that toleration of alternative beliefs was essential to maintaining the vitality of democracy. Liberty and the News is a key transitional work in the corpus of Lippmann's writings. For it is here that he proposes that public opinion is largely a response not to truths but rather to a "pseudo-environment" which exists between people and the external world. Lippmann was worried that if the beliefs that get exchanged between people are hollow, and bear only a purely accidental relationship to the world as it truly is, then the entire case for democracy is in danger of having been built on sand. His concerns remain very much alive and important.
Libraries In A World Of Cultural Change
by Ken Worpole Liz GreenhalghA study of libraries and the role they play in both inner city areas and dispersed rural communities. It examines the library as a cultural institution, considering its spatial and symbolic presence and exploring its public service remit. The book is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates on library and information science courses and as supplementary reading for cultural and communications studies, tourism and recreation, human geography and sociology - as well as for public and academic librarians.
Libraries as Dysfunctional Organizations and Workplaces
by Spencer AcadiaLibraries as Dysfunctional Organizations and Workplaces expands the "dysfunctional" concept in the professional and academic LIS discourse by exposing the internal problematics of libraries, especially at the social and organizational levels. Including contributions written by LIS professionals and scholars, the book demonstrates that although many libraries do well at attending to users and managing external information they often fail at taking care of their own employees and addressing internal workplace issues. Acadia and the contributing authors explore the problem of dysfunctional libraries so that the LIS profession can come to terms with the systemic dysfunction in their institutions and begin solution-oriented progress toward new and sustainable functionality. The book analyzes the dysfunctional nature of modern libraries, while simultaneously proposing solutions to reduce and alleviate dysfunction. Through theory and application, it takes an explicit practice-based approach with the intent to inform and explain dysfunction as experienced in the library workplace at individual and structural levels and perspectives. Libraries as Dysfunctional Organizations and Workplaces brings the dysfunction discourse to the attention of LIS academics and scholars so that further theoretical and empirical research can proceed from and subsequently be addressed in library and information schools. The book will also be essential reading for librarians and LIS students currently working or preparing to work in public, college, and university libraries.
License To Steal: How Fraud Bleeds America's Health Care System, Updated Edition
by Malcolm K. SparrowThis book brings an unusual opportunity to explore the peculiarities of America's health care industry's approach to fraud control, when compared with the financial services sector, credit card companies, or the Internal Revenue Service—all of which have to defend themselves against fraud.
Lie-Ability: How Leaders Build and Break Trust
by Simon Jones Alan WatkinsBusiness success depends on the ability to build trust. Trusted brands succeed and sustain. Trusted leaders inspire followers, grow companies, revenues and futures. But sadly, deceit has infected business and become widespread. Far too many leaders now use their own "alternative facts", to mislead and misinform their customers, colleagues and communities. The skilfulness and ease with which some leaders now lie has become a Lie-Ability. And when customers stop trusting the products, services or the stories a leader tells, then the business suffers. If business leaders don’t lead a truth renaissance, we are all lost. People no longer trust politicians or the media. And many of the institutions and professions we used to turn to have also lost trust. The only people that can really save us now are business leaders. We need to become truth advocates and activists. We must re-establish a new norm where we tell the truth to ourselves, to our employees, to our shareholders, to our customers and to society at large. This book explores the 7 Deadly Lies that business tells itself, the 7 Dark Arts of Deception that are still used with monotonous regularity to manipulate the narrative. It offers C-suite leaders and senior managers a clear path out of deceit. It provides a solution to the Lie-Ability of some leaders by developing a deeper understanding of truth, how to reclaim it and how to build back trust.
Liebe im Konsumkapitalismus (essentials)
by Burkhard BierhoffBurkhard Bierhoff geht in diesem essential von der These aus, dass der Konsumkapitalismus die sexuelle Revolution der 1960er Jahre vollendet hat, indem er die Liebe hinter dem Konsum zum Verschwinden brachte und die Liebe als Konsum vereinseitigte. Der Autor stellt dar, dass die konsumistische F#65533;gsamkeit, die sich in Nacktdating-Shows und Pornografie genauso wie im Swinging und Speeddating zeigt, ein Angriff auf die befreiende Kraft der Liebe ist. Der durch die allgemeine Kommodifizierung nicht erstickbare Kern der Liebe k#65533;nnte zum Ausgangspunkt einer neuen Revolution der Liebe werden.
Liebe ohne Ende: Liebesbiografische Erzählungen vom Leben
by Jo Reichertz Andrea Kleeberg-Niepage Johanna L. DegenIst Liebe romantisch und hält ein Leben lang oder ist sie ein fragiles, potenziell toxisches Konstrukt? Lässt sich Liebe als neurochemischer Prozess (Biologie), als marktkonforme Idee (Soziologie) oder als Möglichkeit zur Erweiterung des Selbst (Psychologie) verstehen? Und wie leben Menschen mit der Liebe, welche Bedeutung hat oder gibt sie ihrem Leben, welche Vorstellungen, Träume aber auch Ängste verbinden sie mit ihr? Anhand von biografischen Interviews mit Menschen aus verschiedenen Altersgruppen, Milieus und sexuellen Orientierungen fragt dieses Buch nach der Bedeutung der Liebe im Leben und danach, ob sich die Vorstellung von Liebe in den letzten Jahrzehnten wesentlich verändert hat. Deutlich wird dabei die zentrale Kraft der Liebe im Leben, die jenseits medial geglätteter Idealisierungen antreibt, hart erarbeitet oder unerreichbar ist, Leiden und Verzweiflung, aber auch Erfüllung und Sinn zu bringen vermag. Die Liebesbiografien bieten tiefe Einblicke in das subjektive Erleben von Liebe, begleitende interdisziplinäre Einordnungen differenzieren und ergänzen aktuelle Theoretisierungen von Liebe.
Liebe ohne Ende: Liebesbiografische Erzählungen vom Leben
by Jo Reichertz Andrea Kleeberg-Niepage Johanna L. DegenIst Liebe romantisch und hält ein Leben lang oder ist sie ein fragiles, potenziell toxisches Konstrukt? Lässt sich Liebe als neurochemischer Prozess (Biologie), als marktkonforme Idee (Soziologie) oder als Möglichkeit zur Erweiterung des Selbst (Psychologie) verstehen? Und wie leben Menschen mit der Liebe, welche Bedeutung hat oder gibt sie ihrem Leben, welche Vorstellungen, Träume aber auch Ängste verbinden sie mit ihr? Anhand von biografischen Interviews mit Menschen aus verschiedenen Altersgruppen, Milieus und sexuellen Orientierungen fragt dieses Buch nach der Bedeutung der Liebe im Leben und danach, ob sich die Vorstellung von Liebe in den letzten Jahrzehnten wesentlich verändert hat. Deutlich wird dabei die zentrale Kraft der Liebe im Leben, die jenseits medial geglätteter Idealisierungen antreibt, hart erarbeitet oder unerreichbar ist, Leiden und Verzweiflung, aber auch Erfüllung und Sinn zu bringen vermag. Die Liebesbiografien bieten tiefe Einblicke in das subjektive Erleben von Liebe, begleitende interdisziplinäre Einordnungen differenzieren und ergänzen aktuelle Theoretisierungen von Liebe.
Liebe – kulturübergreifend betrachtet: Kulturelle Unterschiede und Ähnlichkeiten in der Erfahrung und dem Ausdruck von Liebe
by Victor KarandashevDieses anspruchsvolle Buch stellt eine umfassende Beschreibung der modernen Liebesforschung dar. Es fasst Erkenntnisse aus verschiedenen Disziplinen zusammen und bietet einen systematischen, kulturübergreifenden Überblick über die Erfahrung und den Ausdruck von Liebe. Der Autor integriert biologische und sozialwissenschaftliche Forschungen zum Thema Liebe und untersucht die kulturübergreifenden Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede in den Gefühlen, Gedanken und Ausdrucksformen der Liebe. Alle Leser und Leserinnen, die daran interessiert sind, ein kenntnisreiches Verständnis für die kulturelle Vielfalt der Konzepte, Erfahrungen und Ausdrucksformen der Liebe zu entwickeln, erhalten hier ein umfassendes Hintergrundwissen.Inhalte u.a.: • Wie stellen sich Menschen in verschiedenen Kulturen die Liebe vor? • Wie ähnlich und wie unterschiedlich sind die Erfahrungen und Ausdrucksformen der Liebe in den verschiedenen Kulturen? • Welche kulturellen Faktoren beeinflussen die Erfahrung und den Ausdruck von Liebe? • Ein kulturübergreifendes Verständnis von Liebe als Leidenschaft, Freude, Engagement, Vereinigung, Respekt, Unterwerfung, Intimität, Abhängigkeit und mehr. • Ein Rückblick auf die Vergangenheit und ein Blick in die Zukunft der interkulturellen Liebesforschung. Dieses Buch ist eine wichtige Lektüre, nicht nur für Emotionsforscher und Sozialpsychologen, sondern auch für Praktiker und Praktikerinnen, die mit multikulturellen Paaren und Familien arbeiten. "Das auffälligste Merkmal dieses Buches ist das breite Spektrum an Perspektiven, das abgedeckt wird. Die Liebe wird als ein universelles Gefühl mit biologischen Grundlagen dargestellt. Der Text geht von diesem Kern aus und analysiert eine breite Palette von Erscheinungsformen der Liebe: Leidenschaft, Bewunderung und Unterwerfung gegenüber dem Partner, Geschenke und Wohlwollen, Bindung und Vertrauen usw. Die Informationen zu jedem Thema stammen aus einer Vielzahl von kulturübergreifenden und interdisziplinären Quellen. Der Text ist integrativ und legt den Schwerpunkt auf den Informationswert von Ideen und Erkenntnissen. Wenn Sie sich dafür interessieren, wie Liebe im weitesten Sinne erlebt und ausgedrückt wird, werden Sie feststellen, dass dies ein sehr ergiebiger Text ist."Ype H. Poortinga, Universität Tilburg, Niederlande und Katholische Universität Leuven, Leuven, Belgien "In diesem umfassenden Buch führt uns Victor Karandashev gekonnt durch die schillernde Komplexität des Konzepts und unserer menschlichen Erfahrung von Liebe. Er zeigt nicht nur die vielen verschiedenen Bestandteile auf, aus denen sich Vorstellungen von Liebe in bestimmten Kulturen zusammensetzen, wie die Idealisierung des Geliebten, Bindung, Vereinigung, Intimität, Freundschaft und andere, sondern lenkt unsere Aufmerksamkeit auch auf die verwirrende Vielzahl von Unterschieden zwischen ihren Anwendungen in verschiedenen kulturellen Kontexten oder auf ihr Vorhandensein oder Fehlen in einer Kultur. Bei der Lektüre des Buches erhalten wir als Bonus auch eine Vorstellung davon, wie ein schwer fassbares Konzept wie die Liebe mit einer Vielzahl von Methoden wissenschaftlich untersucht werden kann - zu unserem aller Nutzen. Eine meisterhafte Leistung." Kövecses Zoltán, Eötvös Loránd Universität, Budapest, Ungarn"Lange Zeit galt die Liebe als Forschungsgegenstand nur in einem Teil der Weltkulturen, doch heute wissen wir, dass sie universell ist, wenn auch mit vielen kulturellen Unterschieden in Bedeutung, Form und Ausdruck. Darüber hinaus hat die Liebe eine reiche Geschichte der Wissenschaft in verschiedenen Disziplinen hervorgebracht. Vor diesem Hintergrund hat Karandashev einen bemerkenswert umfassenden Überblick darüber verfasst, wie Menschen ihre Gefühle in der Liebe erleben und ausdrücken. Dieses Buch, welches das Thema aus einer wirklich internationalen und interdisziplinären Perspektive behandelt, ist eine unverzichtbare Wissensquelle über kulturelle und kulturübergreifende Studien der letzten Jahrzehnte und ein Muss für jeden, der sich für die universel
Liefde agter tralies: Ware Suid-afrikaanse Verhale
by Carla van Der SpuyHoekom raak mense verlief op misdadigers? Dit gebeur selfs wanneer hulle steeds hul vonnis uitdien. Carla van der Spuy voer onderhoude met die mense wat liefde probeer onderhou wanneer een of albei agter tralies is, asook kenners soos forensiese sielkundiges, en stel ondersoek in om te sien watter motiewe en denkprosesse sulke verhoudings dryf.
Lies of Omission: Algorithms versus Democracy
by Catherine DeSotoA lie of omission—withholding needed information to correct a false belief. There is a sharp and more hostile divide emerging in the United States. The shift is documented by various polls, and the speed of the change is alarming. There are certainly contributing factors, but one factor is unique to the contemporary era: receiving the majority of our information via social media experiences. Media algorithms, and to some extent overt censorship, serve users curated content that is unlike what their neighbors receive.Lies of Omission brings together various perspectives on the causes and effects of the divided information streams. Psychology and neuroscience, combined with some historical jurisprudence, are woven together to spell out the dangers of the modern social media experience. Importantly, the human response can be understood as rooted in our psychology and neurochemistry. In part two of the book, eight hot button issues that have provoked deep divisions among American citizens are presented as well-researched, opposing-view chapters with a goal to lay bare the extent of the disinformation gap that we are living in. With the rise of ephemeral smart media, and the associated displacement of the permanently printed word, it is rare to have a clear idea of what persons who do not share our opinions actually believe, or why.The decimation of communal information sources is nearly complete. What can one do? One concrete step is to turn some of your attention away from curated, impermanent news and read a book. Read this book. Dr. Catherine DeSoto spells out why it is worth our time to be informed regarding the issues we care about: something your phone&’s curated media will never do for you. Open your mind to the quaint idea that one is not informed unless one understands the opposing view. Surprising all-new research regarding the political divide and the pandemic is included. Together with over 150 references, this book will be the definitive source documenting the effects of the media algorithm revolution.
Lies, Lying and Liars: A Psychological Analysis
by Geoffrey BeattieLies, Lying and Liars: A Psychological Analysis delves into the psychology of lies, exploring the processes of lying and its far-reaching consequences.The author’s unique approach considers the ways in which lying sculpts our realities when used by public figures such as politicians, as well as how lying is woven into our everyday life. This book dissects lies in natural social contexts, from the innocent childhood fibs to the more nefarious fabrications of con artists, cheats, and adulterers. Drawing from a rich tapestry of psychology and sociobiology, as well as research and literature from philosophy and the social sciences, this book discusses the role of lying and liars in day-to-day life. It offers profound insights into the strategies of deceit, the presence or absence of remorse, emotion and rationalisations, pathological liars, the development of lying, its connection to narcissism, the functional utility of lies, and lie detection. Lies, the book argues, are a part of the social structures inherent in everyday social life, and there is a need to explore their psychological significance in a range of natural, everyday contexts.Written in Beattie’s unique and engaging style by using elements of personal narrative and self-reflection, this is a fascinating read for students and scholars of psychology, sociology, and politics, and other disciplines of the behavioural and social sciences, as well as anyone interested in the phenomenon of lying.
Life After Death: Surviving Suicide
by Richard BrockmanAn intertwined tale of a boy&’s world shattered by suicide and a man&’s story rewritten by neuroscience. When Richard Brockman found his mother&’s body, the simple narrative of his childhood ended. Life After Death tells the story of a boy who died and of a man who survived when the boy and the man are one and the same. It tells a very personal—yet tragically common—story of irredeemable loss. It tells the story of story itself. How story forms. How it grows. How it changes. How it can be broken. And finally, how sometimes it can be repaired. Now an expert in genetics, epigenetics, and the biology of attachment, Brockman chronicles his evolution from a child overwhelmed by trauma to a man who has struggled to reclaim his past. He lays bare the core of one who is both victim and healer. By weaving together childhood despair and clinical knowledge, Brockman shows how the shattered pieces of the self—though never the same and not without scars—can sometimes be put back together again.
Life After Welfare
by Laura Lein Deanna T. SchexnayderIn the decade since President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 into law--amidst promises that it would "end welfare as we know it"--have the reforms ending entitlements and moving toward time limits and work requirements lifted Texas families once living on welfare out of poverty, or merely stricken their names from the administrative rolls?Under welfare reform, Texas has continued with low monthly payments and demanding eligibility criteria. Many families who could receive welfare in other states do not qualify in Texas, and virtually any part-time job makes a family ineligible. In Texas, most families who leave welfare remain in or near poverty, and many are likely to return to the welfare rolls in the future. This compelling work, which follows 179 families after leaving welfare, is set against a backdrop of multiple types of data and econometric modeling. The authors' multi-method approach draws on administrative data from nine programs serving low-income families and a statewide survey of families who have left welfare. Survey data on health problems, transportation needs, and child-care issues shed light on the patterns of employment and welfare use seen in the administrative data. In their lives after welfare, the families chronicled here experience poverty even when employed; a multiplicity of barriers to employment that work to exacerbate one another; and a failing safety net of basic human services as they attempt to sustain low-wage employment.