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Social Change in the Gulf Region: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Gulf Studies #8)
by Md Mizanur Rahman Amr Al-AzmThis open access book, comprising thirty-nine chapters divided into social, cultural, economic, and political spheres, offers a unique opportunity to dive into the complex, dynamic, and sometimes contradictory transformation of Gulf societies in the last few decades. Whilst the Gulf region has at times been seen as impervious to this natural phenomenon of transformation—timeless, never changing, deeply rooted in its ancient tribal customs and traditions and able to blend past and present seamlessly without suffering the wrenching trauma of change—this is clearly not the case, and the region is not immune to the inevitable forces of social change. There is no doubt today that the social change sweeping the Gulf has been profound, affecting almost every aspect of life in the Gulf societies. This volume has an encyclopedic value as the chapters collectively offer multifaceted and multidisciplinary perspectives to understand social change in the Gulf region. Through these chapters, the role of economic and educational transformation, and the impact of social media, migration, and urbanization have in driving social change in the Gulf societies is examined in detail with a focus on their directions, magnitudes, and relevant policy options. It also considers how COVID-19 is affecting the lives of the people in the Gulf. This book bridges gaps in the understanding of the rapid pace of social change in the Gulf, offering practical solutions for policy interventions. It is of interest to scholars and students in Middle Eastern studies, specifically, as well as sociology, media studies, migration studies, and educational policy.
A Better Metro Manila?: Towards Responsible Local Governance, Decentralization and Equitable Development
by Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem Maria Ela L. AtienzaThis book contributes to efforts in furthering the democratization and development processes in the Philippines by examining the decentralization efforts in Metro Manila. It explores existing as well as proposed development models for governance with focus on the effective and efficient delivery of social services, bringing forth growth with equity through development efforts, and addressing national-local concerns to promote political and socio-economic stability in the country. In doing so, the book examines the strong and weak governance points in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, and identifies areas for reform.
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Economic Management and Green Development (Applied Economics and Policy Studies)
by Xiaolong Li Chunhui Yuan John KentThis proceedings book, together with the conference, looks forward to spark inspirations and promote collaborations. International Conference on Economic Management and Green Development (ICEMGD) is an annual conference aiming at bringing together researchers from the fields of economics, business management, public administration, and green development for the sharing of research methods and theoretical breakthroughs. The proceedings consist of papers accepted by the 6th ICEMGD, which are carefully selected and reviewed by professional reviewers from corresponding research fields and the editing committee of the conference. The papers have a diverse range of topics situated at the intersecting field of economic management, public administration, and green development. ICEMGD is working to provide a platform for international participants from fields like macro- and microeconomics, international economics, finance, agricultural economics, health economics, business management and marketing strategies, regional development studies, social governance, and sustainable development. The proceedings will be of interest to researchers, academics, professionals, and policy makers in the field of economic management, public administration, and development studies.
Ten Worlds of Welfare Capitalism: A Global Data Analysis
by Christian AspalterThis book presents a new step farther into the twenty-first century, for the first time truly combining a comprehensive global data analysis with social policy theory development. The theory of global ideal-typical welfare regimes, also known as the “Ten Worlds of Welfare Regime Theory”, as set forth earlier by Christian Aspalter, is now in this book tested empirically using a quantitative global data analysis for the first time. The strong and rich results fully vindicated the Ten Worlds Theory. All in all, about 150 countries are included in this test, measuring numerous variables on two main dimensions, i.e., povertization and inequality. The innovative approach of using a new indicator, Aspalter’s Standardized Relative Performance Index, is applied, which facilitated the exact measurements of distances between relative performances of each variable, each dimension, each country, and each ideal-typical welfare regime (in relation to one another, respectively). In addition, one explanative and one normative meta-study is added to the book, to point to ways to understand and deal with the global culprit of inequality and, hence, poverty.“On the backdrop of decades of comparative theoretical and empirical research we now, for the first time, have a truly global analysis of welfare regimes.” ---- Peter Abrahamson, Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen
Ecological Migration and Targeted Poverty Alleviation in Ningxia: Experience and Lessons (International Research on Poverty Reduction)
by Xiaoyi WangThis book assesses Ecological Migration and Precision Poverty Alleviation Measures, based on research conducted in Ningxia. “Resettling residents currently living in poor areas” is an important measure for “precise poverty alleviation.” China’s central government has provided extraordinary support for these areas, so as to help with “removing poverty nests,” “changing poverty industries,” and “pulling out the roots of poverty.”This book is mainly based on research conducted in Ningxia, one of the earliest areas in China to achieve poverty alleviation and development through immigration and relocation. Since the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, Ningxia’s ecological migration has been integrated into the process of new urbanization and industrialization. Poverty alleviation and relocation not only involves regional transfer, industrial transformation, and changes in livelihood, but also the social adaptation and integration of migrant groups. In addition to examining these aspects, the book shares stories of how impoverished individuals have succeeded in changing their fates.
The New Journey of China’s Economic and Social Development
by Fuzhan Xie Fang Cai Xuesong LiThis book aims at China's economic and social development, which has embarked on a new journey. It collects more than 20 major research achievements of researchers in relevant fields of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. These topics cover rural revitalization and anti-poverty, industrialization and manufacturing transformation, service industry upgrading, fiscal and taxation system and fiscal sustainability, major financial reform, industry and competition policy, ownership structure, new pattern of opening up, digital economy, innovation driven, financial stability, macro-control, new urbanization, regional development, ecological environment, aging population, labor market, income distribution, social governance, people's livelihood, social security, the rule of law, cultural power, and other major issues. This book helps people from all walks of life better understand and grasp the new trends, opportunities, and challenges of China's economic and social development in the future and provides useful reference for thinking about China's medium and long-term development strategy and development path.
Coordinated Education Development Policy in China: Insight from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region (Exploring Education Policy in a Globalized World: Concepts, Contexts, and Practices)
by Eryong Xue Jian LiThis book examines educational resource allocation in Beijing, the allocation of educational resources in student resource optimization analysis in Tianjin, educational resource allocation in Hebei Province, and the optimal allocation of vocational education resources in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. It also offers a holistic landscape of exploring coordinated education development historically. This book has interdisciplinary appeal and is of interest to all studying and researching Chinese educational policy.
Revolutionary Approach to International Law: The Role of International Lawyer in Asia (International Law in Asia)
by Eric Yong Joong LeeThis book brings together critical legal analyses of ongoing global issues in the digital age by international lawyers in Asia. Digital revolution is the key to understanding the contemporary human society. In this book, the authors critically redefine the mainstream thinking and ideas of contemporary international legal issues that the global community is facing. Given the rapidly shifting global legal landscape and framework, they shed light on the theoretical and practical questions in international law and reexamine their global context. Such independent and forward-looking approach suggests the ideas to shaping the global common good in the future human society.IIn both theory and practice, this book is a useful guide to Asian law, politics, economy, and business providing a fair and balanced point of view.
Living Well in a World Worth Living in for All: Volume 1: Current Practices of Social Justice, Sustainability and Wellbeing
by Kristin Elaine Reimer Mervi Kaukko Sally Windsor Kathleen Mahon Stephen KemmisThis open access book is the first of a two-volume series focusing on how people are being enabled or constrained to live well in today’s world, and how to bring into reality a world worth living in for all. The chapters offer unique narratives drawing on the perspectives of diverse groups such as: asylum-seeking and refugee youth in Australia, Finland, Norway and Scotland; young climate activists in Finland; Australian Aboriginal students, parents and community members; families of children who tube feed in Australia; and international research students in Sweden. The chapters reveal not just that different groups have different ideas about a world worth living in, but also show that, through their collaborative research initiative, the authors and their research participants were bringing worlds like these into being. The volume extends an invitation to readers and researchers in education and the social sciences to consider ways to foster education that realises transformed selves and transformed worlds: the good for each person, the good for humankind, and the good for the community of life on the planet. The book also includes theoretical chapters providing the background and rationale behind the notion of education as initiating people into ‘living well in a world worth living in'. An introductory chapter discusses the origins of the concept and the phrase.
Exploring What Drives Indian Stock Market During Covid-19: Fads or Fundamentals (SpringerBriefs in Economics)
by Indrani ChakrabortyThis book analyses the dynamics of Indian stock market with a special emphasis during the period following emergence of Covid-19. Coming from the instability in stock market following Covid-19, it delves deeper into the dynamics and unfolds the causal relationship between various economic fundamentals and the stock prices. Observing short-term herding in the stock market following Covid-19, the book's finding suggests that investors in the Indian stock market made investment choices irrationally during Covid-19 crisis periods. It also showcases how the stock market became inefficient following the emergence of pandemic and did not follow the fundamentals. Interestingly, the findings suggest no relationship between stock returns and real economic activities in India. The format of presentation makes the book well suited not only for students, academics, policy makers and investors in the stock markets, but also people engaged or interested in business and finance. The book would thus be of interest to both specialists and the laity. Analysis contained in this book will help different readership groups in different ways. Researchers from economics and finance disciplines will be able to learn about frontiers in the theoretical paradigms discussed in the book; advanced econometric techniques applied in the book will also be useful for their own research. The macroeconomic insights, and insights from behavioural economics, can expand the knowledge of corporate sector, useful in making real life decisions. Finally, it will help policy makers, like SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), to formulate appropriate regulatory policies so as to minimize possibility of speculative bubbles as experienced during the pandemic period in the Indian stock markets.
Advances in Civil Engineering Materials: Selected Articles from the 6th International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering (ICACE 2022), August 2022, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #310)
by Elham Maghsoudi Nia Lloyd Ling Mokhtar Awang Seyed Sattar EmamianThis book presents selected articles from the 6th International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering 2022 (ICACE 2022), held in Malaysia. Written by leading researchers and industry professionals, the papers highlight recent advances and addresses current issues in the fields of civil engineering and architecture.
East-West Dialogue
by Sudeshna SarkarThis Open access book is a collection of interviews published by China News Service, a Beijing-based news agency, in its “West-East Talk” column. It has been divided into five sections: “Mutual Learning Among Civilizations,” “Hot Issues,” “About China,” “Sino-U.S. Relations” and “Cultural Collision”. The interviews are with more than 50 eminent scholars, scientists, politicians, authors, etc., from different parts of the world as well as China, who have an association with China and see the real China beyond the stereotypes. Besides current global issues, the book also covers Chinese culture, history as well as China-U.S. relations, described as one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world today. The book aims to build a platform for dialogue among different civilizations and appreciate the “harmony within diversity” of different cultures, especially of the East and West. We hope it will foster tolerance and rationality, dispelling the misconceptions about China in particular.
Nationalization of Gulf Labour Markets: Higher Education and Skills Development in Industry 4.0 (The Political Economy of the Middle East)
by Ashraf Mishrif Magdalena Karolak Cameron MirzaThis book addresses critical aspects of the nationalization of labour markets in the Gulf countries. It examines the role of higher education institutions in providing the market with the right skills that are most needed in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0). The book also explores the new dynamics of technology and information systems in upgrading the skills, changing the work environment, and generating employment for the youth in the Gulf countries. The holistic approach of the subject area makes this volume indispensable to academics, researchers, students, and policy makers in the Gulf region and beyond.The book covers a broad range of topics including the nationalization of labour market programmes such as Emiratization and Saudization, attitudes toward women in workplace, the role of high-tech firms in upskilling and enhancing the productivity of workforce, while also providing sector-specific investigations in healthcare, banking, finance, tourism, and hospitality. The analysis is based on original research and primary data collected by a group of scholars from 15 countries and presented in an illustrative, accessible, and concise manner.
Einwanderungspolitik und Krise im regionalen Kontext: Asiatische und europäische Erfahrungen
by Chin-Peng Chu Sang-Chul ParkDieses Buch vergleicht die Einwanderungspolitik der EU-Staaten und der asiatischen Länder - Deutschland, Polen, Estland, Taiwan, China, Südkorea, Japan, Vietnam und Thailand -, analysiert die Stärken und Schwächen der verschiedenen politischen Akteure in den Regionen und untersucht, was aus den Erfahrungen der verschiedenen Staaten gelernt werden kann. In den letzten Jahrzehnten ist die Einwanderungspolitik aufgrund der Globalisierung zu einem heißen Thema geworden. Seit der Flüchtlingskrise im Jahr 2015, als mehr als eine Million Migranten und Flüchtlinge nach Europa kamen, steht die EU vor Herausforderungen im Bereich der Einwanderung. In Asien ist die Einwanderungsproblematik noch komplizierter geworden, da die wirtschaftlichen Beziehungen zwischen den asiatischen Ländern in den letzten Jahren erheblich zugenommen haben. Mit Beiträgen von Professoren, Experten und Wissenschaftlern aus verschiedenen Ländern Europas und Asiens bietet das Buch sowohl eingehende Analysen als auch breite Perspektiven zu diesem Thema und ist damit eine wertvolle Lektüre für Wissenschaftler und politische Entscheidungsträger gleichermaßen.
Big Brother Naija and Popular Culture in Nigeria: A Critique of the Country's Cultural and Economic Diplomacy
by Christopher Isike Olusola Ogunnubi Ogochukwu UkwuezeThis book is about Big Brother Naija (BBN), which is a Nigerian version of the Big Brother franchise featured in more than 50 countries of the world with its major concept drawn from George Orwell ’s novel, Nineteen Eigther-Four . It is organised and starred by Nigerians but viewed in many parts of the world. The book critically engages this relatively new phenomenon in Nigeria which apparently lacks scholarly attention. It proffers insights into the show’s significance and implications for the nation with relation to mental health, morality, cultural di
The Open World, Hackbacks and Global Justice
by A. Jean ThomasThis book explores the current impasse that global regulators face in the digital sphere. Computer technology has advanced human civilization tenfold, but the freedom to interact with others in cyberspace has made individuals, discrete communities, organizations and governments more vulnerable to abuse. In consequence, political decision-makers are seriously considering granting limited legal immunity to victims who decide to ‘hack- back.’ Many victims frustrated by the slow pace of law enforcement in cyberspace have chosen to ‘take the law into their own hands,’ retaliating against those who have stolen valuable data and damaged network operations. Political deliberations about limited immunity for hackbacks usually ignore global justice and moral justifications for ‘active defense’ policies. Typically, cyber security policies balance deterrence against two different understandings of morality and the ‘good life’ : fairness or welfare. This book proposes a third moral rationale for cyber security policies : capability theory, developed principally by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. Properly formulated, a capability-based defense of retaliatory hackbacks can minimize attribution and cyber-escalation risks, deter bad behavior by casual computer users, disingenuous security experts, big tech companies, criminals and rogue governments, and satisfy calls for more retributive and distributive justice in the ‘open world’. This book will appeal to legal theorists, political philosophers, social activists, investors, international relations scholars and businesspeople in the tech community.
The Economic Value of Digital Disruption: A Holistic Assessment for CXOs (Management for Professionals)
by Vijay KumarThis book is a holistic impact study, replete with real-world examples, of digital transformation enhancing businesses and influencing managers' thinking. It links economic value with digital disruptions, arguing that these disruptions deliver economic benefits, boost shareholder value, and provide societal value. The central discourse is on the ability of digitization to make the world a better place to live in. The book analyses wealth creation due to digital disruption with a global span. It extensively incorporates anecdotal examples of disruptive digitization across countries, accentuating the impact of major digital disruptions. It is targeted at any professional interested in studying digitization's holistic impact. The book provides a discourse on digital topography to make business students industry-ready. Given the pervasive digital economy and a rapidly evolving business world, the book helps practicing managers better appreciate their digital environments. Management students who not only have to survive in this digital landscape but also thrive and chart out a lucrative career will benefit significantly from the book.
Australia in the Anthropocene: War Against China
by Erik PaulThe book is a study on planetary realism in a critical analysis of Australia in the age of the Anthropocene. It contextualises Australia in the degradation of the biosphere deeply harmful to humanity’s wellbeing, accelerating the threat of nuclear war and the tensions of a declining democracy. The Anthropocene is a critical period, threatening the viability of the Australian nation-state. It involves the decarbonisation of the economy driven by domestic and foreign corporate power, and the geopolitics of world domination as a close ally of the US. Australia’s militarisation for war against China must be contested in the pursuit for a green and just new deal framed in the foreign policy of reconciliation with Asia, including a fully cooperative entente with China
Women’s Contributions to Development in West Africa: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives (Globalization, Urbanization and Development in Africa)
by Kelly Ann Krawczyk Bridgett A. KingThis book examines women’s participation in social, economic and political development in West Africa. The book looks at women from the premise of being active agents in the development processes within their communities, thereby subverting the dominate narrative of women as passive recipients of development.
Finland’s Famous Education System: Unvarnished Insights into Finnish Schooling
by Martin Thrupp Piia Seppänen Jaakko Kauko Sonja KosunenThis open access book provides academic insights and serves as a platform for research-informed discussion about education in Finland. Bringing together the work of more than 50 authors across 28 chapters, it presents a major collection of critical views of the Finnish education system and topics that cohere around social justice concerns. It questions rhetoric, myths, and commonly held assumptions surrounding Finnish schooling.This book draws on the fields of sociology of education, education policy, urban studies, and policy sociology. It makes use of a range of research methodologies including ethnography, case study and discourse analysis, and references the work of relevant theorists, including Bourdieu and Foucault. This book aims to provide a critical, updated and astute analysis of the strengths and challenges of the Finnish education system.
Populism, Authoritarianism and Necropolitics: Instrumentalization of Martyrdom Narratives in AKP’s Turkey
by Ihsan Yilmaz Omer ErturkThis book examines how Turkey’s ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan produces and employs necropolitical narratives in order to perpetuate its authoritarian rule.In doing so, the book argues that as the party transitioned from socially conservative Muslim democratic values to authoritarian Islamism, it embraced a necropolitical narrative based on the promotion of martyrdom, and of killing and dying for the Turkish nation and Islam, as part of their authoritarian legitimation. This narrative, the book shows, is used by the party to legitimise its actions and deflect its failures through the framing of the deaths of Turkish soldiers and civilians, which have occurred due to the AKP’s political errors, as martyrdom events in which loyal servants of the Turkish Republic and God gave their lives in order to protect the nation in a time of great crisis. This book also describes how, throughout its second decade in power, the AKP has used Turkey’s education system, its Directorate of Religious Affairs, and television programs in order to propagate its necropolitical martyrdom narrative.
Rural Education Reform in China: A Policy Mapping Perspective (Exploring Education Policy in a Globalized World: Concepts, Contexts, and Practices)
by Eryong Xue Jian LiThis book contextually explores the rural education reform in China from a policy mapping perspective. It discusses a wide range of topics in the context of China's rural areas, including rural school layout adjustment, rural teacher development, rural students' all-round education development, vocational education in rural areas, and rural education informatization development. With the challenges outlined and recommendations provided, the chapters offer a holistic view on China’s rural education reform. This book serves as a guide for scholars and researchers who are interested and work in research on China’s rural education reform, administrators, and stakeholders in China's education system and graduate students who major or minor in the field of rural educational policy.
African Experience in the Application of the Development Aid Effectiveness Principles: The Case of Kenya (African Histories and Modernities)
by Daniel Kipleel Borter Nadeem MalikThis book analyses the diffusion and implementation of Aid Effectiveness Principles in Kenya’s agricultural sector. Although Aid Effectiveness Principles represent a significant step in aid and development discourse, studies on its implementation remain inadequate, especially in the African context. This book combines the perspectives of the Kenyan government, donor representatives and small-scale farmers. The discussion on Kenya brings in comparative perspectives and, therefore, would have broader relevance to the African region, in general. It highlights a disconnect between the government and farmers concerning the ownership concept, where farmers lack a voice in important policy matters. The book shows that donors have exploited the weaknesses in government responses to interpret The Principles in ways that suit their strategic interests. Consequently, the book argues that the diffusion of Aid Effectiveness Principles has taken the form of symbolic imitation – a form of policy diffusion where the policymakers choose policies for their symbolic value rather than their effectiveness.
International Handbook of Disaster Research
by Amita SinghThis handbook is a comprehensive source of information, analysis and directions in disaster studies. It goes beyond the oft-explored issues of management and science related to the topic and explores policies, governance, law and decision-making combined with the processes of implementation and enforcement, all the while integrating the latest science and technology updates related to the topic, such as artificial intelligence and early warning systems. It brings together studies which relate to sociology, politics and institutional economics, which work under the impact of resource availability, issues of leadership and international laws. Disasters are trans-boundary and disaster studies are trans-disciplinary. It is this aspect which would form the fulcrum of contributions and present a new, refreshing and innovative design for the handbook. The transformatory pedagogy which started with the Hyogo Framework for action 2005-2015 and The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 outlines seven clear targets and four priorities for action to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks. The four priority areas around which the book would revolve are (i) Understanding disaster risk; (ii) Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk; (iii) Investing in disaster reduction for resilience and; (iv) Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, and to "Build Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
History Continues: Three Models of the Continuation of History
by Sabri KiçmariDecades after Francis Fukuyama's 'end of history' thesis became famous, the conflicts and turmoil of history have returned; Dr. Kicmari, having seen his own native land erupt in a European civil war in the 1990s, has been thinking about these issues for many years. This book highlights the return of ideology to international relations, presenting harsh ideological models which challenge liberal democracy. This becomes even more relevant in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The publication of this book aims to draw attention to the danger posed to world peace by ideological models alongside the need for commitment to strengthen democracy in the world, and should interest diplomats, journalists, and scholars.