imperfection and impartiality liberal theory of social

Laughter and Ridicule: Towards a Social Critique of Humour

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Billig, Mick / Billig, Michael, PUBLISHER: Sage Publications (CA), From Thomas Hobbes' fear of the power of laughter to the compulsory, packaged "fun" of the contemporary mass media, Billig takes the reader on a stimulating tour of the strange world of humour. Both a significant work of scholarship and a novel contribution to the understanding of the humourous, this is a seriously engaging book' - David Inglis, University of Aberdeen This delightful book tackles the prevailing assumption that laughter and humour are inherently good. In developing a critique of humour the author proposes a social theory that places humour - in the form of ridicule - as central to social life. Billig argues that all cultures use ridicule as a disciplinary means to uphold norms of conduct and conventions of meaning. Historically, theories of humour reflect wider visions of politics, morality and aesthetics. For example, Bergson argued that humour contains an element of cruelty while Freud suggested that we deceive ourselves about the true nature of our laughter. Billig discusses these and other theories, while using the topic of humour to throw light on the perennial social problems of regulation, control and emancipation.

Logical Learning Theory: A Human Teleology and Its Empirical

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Rychlak, Joseph F., PUBLISHER: University of Nebraska Press, In , B. F. Skinner told Joseph Rychlak that the greatest disappointment resulting from the "cognitive revolution" was the turning of the human organism into a machine. Intrigued by this statement, Rychlak decided that after many years of formulation it was time to present his fundamentally teleological view of the human being, which he calls the "logical learning theory" (LLT). In this new theoretical perspective the author re-presents such concepts as intention, purpose, and free will. Significant aspects of the "mind-body" issue are explored here. Rychlak addresses teleological issues and provides a language for proper conceptualization. He uses experimental findings to support the notion of behavior as self-directed rather than mechanistic. In the process, Rychlak places LLT on the side of teleological explanation, in which concepts like free will, self-choice, purpose and intention are no longer dismissed. Rychlak compares LLT and existing formulations of behavior, including classical and operant conditioning, social learning theory, social constructionism, cognitive science, gestalt theories, and personality theories. Extensive research data and thorough discussions support Rychlak's theory. A glossary is also included.

A History of Anthropological Theory, Third Edition

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Erickson, Paul A. / Murphy, Liam D. / Murphy, Pae Liam D., PUBLISHER: University of Toronto Press, Recognizing that anthropology--"the integrated study of humanity in its biological, social, and cultural dimensions--"has deep roots in the Western experience, this concise survey begins in antiquity, then moves forward through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the modern era. The authors focus on the twentieth century, covering American, British, and French anthropological traditions and discussing developments in theory that point to future directions in archaeology, physical anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. This edition features a new preface and new and expanded sections on transactionalism, feminist anthropology, postmodernity, medical anthropology, and globalization.

Guns and Garlic: Myths and Realities of Organized Crime

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Homer, Frederic D., PUBLISHER: Purdue University Press, "With the appearance of Homer's study, it is no longer possible to base any serious work about organized crime on the superficial debate over whether or not this set of activities is dominated by one or more particular ethnic groups," writes political scientist Michael A. Weinstein in his introduction. "Homer removes the study of organized crime from the realm of sensationalism and ethnic chauvinism, and places it in the context of contemporary American social structure. He reviews prevalent myths and hypotheses about organized crime and critically analyzes them in the framework of contemporary organization theory. In this context, organized crime is analyzed in its economic, political, ethnic, and social class dimensions."

Doing Critical Ethnography

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Thomas, Jim / Thomas, Jim, PUBLISHER: Sage Publications (CA), "The book offers communication researchers some of the best recent work on qualitative inquiry in the human disciplines.... Published by Sage, the leading publisher of qualitative research in the social sciences today.... Jim Thomas's method, well displayed in illustrations drawn from his emancipatory work in prisons, has important connections to the participatory action (Friere) and critical theory traditions.... This work brings the communication scholar up-to-date on where qualitative methods are in current sociological and educational discourse." --Norman K. Denzin in Journal of Communication If a researcher's responsibility entails the righting of social wrongs and producing valid research results, how is it possible to juxtapose these two goals? Representing the marriage of two traditions in social science, critical theory and qualitative research, Doing Critical Ethnography applies a critical worldview to the conventional logic of cultural inquiry. This innovative volume does not oppose conventional ethnography; rather, it offers a style of thinking about the direct relationship between knowledge, society, and political action. The author defines the rules and guidelines for a praxis-oriented ethnographic tradition, one both ideologically engaged and scientifically valid. He also outlines the various types of critical ethnography and explains the tenets of each and how research can be carried out under these frameworks. This challenging volume will be useful to students and professionals in qualitative research in social theory, and critical studies.

The Theory of Relativity

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Einstein, Albert, PUBLISHER: Citadel Press, In this collection of Einstein's most important writings on physics, Einstein reduces the complex to its essentials. Covers the Theory of Relativity, E=MC2, Physics and Reality, and much more.

Social Ecology

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Guha, Ramachandra, PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press, USA, Social Ecology brings together a selection of pioneering essays on a subject of increasing interest to sociologists and social anthropologists. With the growing awareness of the causes and consequences of environmental degradation, the once neglected field of social ecology has assumed enormous theoretical and practical importance. The essays assembled in this anthology provide a state of the art survey of the field as well as an orientation to future research. As the first such anthology of its kind, it provides a compact and analytically sophisticated overview of environment and society in contemporary India. It should be of great interest to administrators, activists, and development professionals as well as students and scholars working in the field.

Human Liberty and Freedom of Speech

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Baker, C. Edwin, PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press, USA, Although an inchoate liberty theory of freedom of speech has deep roots in Supreme Court decisions and political history, it has been overshadowed in judicial decisions and scholarly commentary by the marketplace of ideas theory. In this book, Baker critiques the assumptions required by the marketplace of ideas theory and develops the liberty theory, showing its philosophical soundness, persuasiveness, and ability to protect free speech. He argues that First Amendment liberty rights (as well as Fourteenth Amendment equality rights) required by political or moral theory are central to the possibility of progressive change. Problem areas are examined, including the question of whether individual political and civil rights can in principle be distinguished from property rights, freedom of the press, and the use of public spaces for expressive purposes.

How Children Develop Social Understanding

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Carpendale, Jeremy / Lewis, Charlie, PUBLISHER: Blackwell Publishing Professional, This book provides a critical review of research into how children come to understand the social world, an area often known as children's "theories of mind." Takes an integrated approach to the development of children's social understanding Brings out the connections between mental state understanding and children's understanding of language, social skills, morality and emotions. Sets research within a historical and theoretical context Contributes unique insights and perspectives, particularly in its discussions of Piaget and Vygotsky, and in its Wittgensteinian focus on the role of language.

The Discretionary Economy: A Normative Theory of Political

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Tool, Marc R., PUBLISHER: Westview Press, The Discretionary Economy argues that we do in fact control our own political and economic destinies. As a community, we have discretion over policies that determine whether an economic process adequately provides for the necessities of life. We also determine who participates in normative public judgments and whether decisions distinguish between what is and what ought to be. Tool argues that we must continuously organize the institutional structures through which economic and political functions in the social process are carried on. We must exercise discretion by creating and modifying institutions that coordinate our behavior. To exercise discretion effectively requires that we employ distinctively American economic, political, and philosophical theory. In this volume, the pivotal twentieth-century contributors to this encompassing theory of political economy are Thorstein Veblen, John Dewey, Clarence Ayres, and R. Fagg Foster. This volume presents, in detail, their analytical and philosophical perspective on social change. A major purpose of this volume is to compare and contrast the American tradition with the traditions of capitalism, Marxism, and fascism, demonstrating that the former can resolve compelling economic and political problems and the latter two cannot. This book explains how to identify and analyze social, economic, and political problems confronted in all communities, and how to go about framing and implementing structural adjustments in the political economy. It will be of interest to students in non-traditional courses in political economy including institutional economics, contemporary social problems, economics and social policy, methodology, andcontemporary economic thought.

Markets, Morals and the Law

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Coleman, Jules L., PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press, This collection of essays by one of America's leading legal theorists is unique in its scope: It shows how traditional problems of philosophy can be understood more clearly when considered in terms of law, economics and political science. There are four sections in the book. The first offers a new version of legal positivism and an original theory of legal rights. The second section critically evaluates the economic approach to law, and the third considers the relationship of justice to liability for unintentional harms and to the practice of settling disputes rather than fully litigating them. Finally, Coleman explores formal social choice in democratic theory, the relationship between market behaviour and voting, and the view that morality itself, like law, is a solution of the problem of market failure. This book will be of cardinal importance to philosophers of law, legal theorists, political scientists and economists.

Marriages & Families: Intimacy, Diversity, and Strengths

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Olson, David / DeFrain, John / Skogrand, Linda, PUBLISHER: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Langua, An introductory text, "Marriages and Families" accentuates the positive aspects of relationships and focuses on enriching students' knowledge and experience in building strong, successful couple and family relationships. The authors, seasoned family scholars and therapists, integrate research, theory, and practical applications with an interdisciplinary perspective on marriage and family. To enhance teaching and student learning, an updated AWARE (Awareness of Attitudes and Relationships Expectations) Online computerized assessment contains 15 categories that match the chapters of the book.

Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement and

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Sax, Gilbert, PUBLISHER: Wadsworth Publishing Company, This edition continues Sax's tradition of comprehensive and comprehensible coverage of testing and measurement principles while including the most recent theory and research.

The End of Empire and the Making of Malaya

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Harper, T. N., PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press, This is the first general social and political history of Malaya. Focusing on the years to , the last years of British rule and the achievement of independence, it embraces a wealth of social, economic and cultural, as well as political themes. It contains new research on the impact of the Second World War in Malaya, the origins and course of the Communist Emergency, and the response of Malaya's various ethnic communities to nationalism and social change. A concluding chapter takes these themes forward into the s to shed new light on the emergence of this important Southeast Asian nation.

A Narrative History of Experimental Social Psychology: The

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Patnoe, Shelley, PUBLISHER: Springer, "A Narrative History of Experimental Social Psychology" presents lengthy and intensive interviews with the contemporary scientists that founded and shaped the field of social psychology. The story of social psychology is told through the autobiographical narratives of leading figures, such as Dorwin Cartwright, Harold Kelley, Kurt Back, Robert Krauss, Stanley Schachter, and Leon Festinger. The author traces the beginning of the field from the close-knit group of students around Kurt Lewin to the major research groups responsible for the scientific origins of the discipline. The interviews offer unique insights into the beginnings of the fields and prospects for future trends.

Transport Economics: Theory, Application and Policy

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Mallard, Graham / Glaister, Stephen, PUBLISHER: Palgrave MacMillan, "Transport Economics"introduces students to the key areas of the transport sector, combining lucid explanation of theory with detailed case studies from across the European Union. The book applies microeconomic theory and isaimed at students taking their first course in the subject.

An elementary treatise upon the theory and practice of the

An elementary treatise upon the theory and practice of the art of dancing - Carlo Blasis Libro in lingua inglese. Translated by Mary Stewart Evans. Buono stato di conservazione

S/He

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Pratt, Minnie Bruce, PUBLISHER: Firebrand Books, Minnie Bruce Pratt expands the boundaries of gender and its theory in these sophisticated lyrical vignettes sited at the crossroads of feminist analysis, queer theory and transgender liberation.

The Triumph of Imperfection: The Silver Age of Sociocultural

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Nemoianu, Virgil P., PUBLISHER: University of South Carolina Press, In this sequel to his Harry Levin Prize-winning The Taming of Romanticism, Virgil Nemoianu expands his survey of the intellectual and literary movement that swept Europe in the early and middle decades of the nine-teenth century to include rarely studied paraliterary texts in historiography, travel writing, and religious exposition. With The Triumph of Imperfection, Nemoianu traverses literary terrain beyond the canon to gauge the impact of late romanticism's moderate tone on the upheaval, revolution, and agitation associated with the advent of the modern era. He suggests that writers and scholars of the period wielded tools of discourse in such a way as to integrate the new ideals of modernity peacefully and calmly into the normal evolution of society. Subverting the conventional approach to romanticism, Nemoianu argues for a balance between works composed in Western and Central Europe. From this fresh starting point, he analyzes texts from authors both remembered and forgotten, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Franois Auguste-Rene de Chateaubriand, and Robert Southey. He considers their approach to educational techniques, the aesthetics of religion, and the interplay of history writing with fiction and contends that, in dealing with the radical changes of their day, thinkers, writers, statesmen, and reformers of the period sought a practical accommodation between the avalanche of revolutionary ideas and the intellectual history that had shaped the past millennia. Nemoianu suggests that at the center of this reconciliation was an acceptance of the notion of imperfection, of partial victories, and of a deliberate search for moderation and balance. Sure to spark scholarlydebate, Nemoianu underscores the value and relevance of the moderating influences he finds in romanticism for the intellectual and social questions facing the current century.

Reason in the Age of Science

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Gadamer, Hans-Georg / Lawrence, Frederick G., PUBLISHER: MIT Press (MA), The essays in this book deal broadly with the question of what form reasoning about life and society can take in a culture permeated by scientific and technical modes of thought. They attempt to identify certain very basic types of questions that seem to escape scientific resolution and call for, in Gadamer's view, philosophical reflection of a hermeneutic sort. In effect, Gadamer argues for the continued practical relevance of Socratic-Platonic modes of thought in respect to contemporary issues. As part of this argument, he advances his own views on the interplay of science, technology, and social policy. These essays, which are not available in any existing translation or collection of Gadamer's work, are remarkably up-to-date with respect to the present state of his thinking, and they address issues that are particularly critical to social theory and philosophy. Perhaps more than anyone else, Hans-Georg Gadamer, who is Professor Emeritus at the University of Heidelberg and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Boston College, is the doyen of German Philosophy. His previously translated works have been widely and enthusiastically received in this country. He is recognized as the chief theorist of hermeneutics, a strong and growing movement here in a number of disciplines, from theology and literary criticism to philosophy and social theory. A book in the series Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought.

Parallelisms of Complete Designs

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Cameron, Peter J. / Hitchin, N. J., PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press, These notes present an investigation of a condition similar to Euclid's parallel axiom for subsets of finite sets. The background material to the theory of parallelisms is introduced and the author then describes the links this theory has with other topics from the whole range of combinatorial theory and permutation groups. These include network flows, perfect codes, Latin squares, block designs and multiply-transitive permutation groups, and long and detailed appendices are provided to serve as introductions to these various subjects. Many of the results are published for the first time.

Mathematical Methods in Queuing Theory

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Kalashnikov, Vladimir V., PUBLISHER: Springer, This volume presents an overview of mathematical methods used in queuing theory, and various examples of solutions of problems using these methods are given. Many of the topics considered are not traditional, and include general Markov processes, test functions, coupling methods, probability metrics, continuity of queues, quantitative estimates in continuity, convergence rate to the stationary state and limit theorems for the first occurrence times. Much attention is also devoted to the modern theory of regenerative processes. Each chapter concludes with problems and comments on the literature cited. For researchers and graduate students in applied probability, operations research and computer science.

Price Indexes in Time and Space: Methods and Practice

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Biggeri, Luigi / Ferrari, Guido, PUBLISHER: Physica-Verlag Heidelberg, This book deals with the currently most relevant topics in price index numbers theory and practice. The problem of the harmonization of Consumer Price Indexes (CPIs) and the time-space integration of baskets is analyzed at the EU-zone level, with methodological and practical proposals on how to proceed for an overall treatment of the matter. Another issue are comparisons between Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) and CPIs. Likewise, the construction of sub-indexes for households, economic and social groups is investigated, in order to obtain specific inflation measurement instruments. The book provides evidence from the most updated databases. Among the other issues treated in this book are spatial comparisons of price levels through PPPs and the international comparisons of macroeconomic aggregates, a re-consideration of index numbers theory, the measurement of production in non-market services, deflation problems, and price indexes in financial markets.

Politics and the Theory of Language in the USSR :

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Brandist, Craig / Chown, Katya, PUBLISHER: Anthem Press, 'Politics and the Theory of Language in the USSR ' provides ground-breaking research into the complex interrelations of linguistic theory and politics during the first two decades of the USSR. The work examines how the new Revolutionary regime promoted linguistic research that scrutinised the relationship between language, social structure, national identity and ideological factors as part of an attempt to democratize the public sphere. It also looks at the demise of the sociological paradigm, as the isolation and bureaucratization of the state gradually shifted the focus of research. Through this account, the collection formally acknowledges the achievements of the Soviet linguists of the time, whose innovative approaches to the relationship between language and society predates the emergence of western sociolinguistics by several decades. These articles are the first articles written in English about these linguists, and will introduce an Anglophone audience to a range of materials hitherto unavailable. In addition to providing new articles, the volume also presents the first annotated translation of Ivan Meshchaninov's 'Theses on Japhetidology', thereby providing insight into one of the most controversial strands within Soviet linguistic thought.

Universalism vs. Communitarianism: Contemporary Debates in

ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Rasmussen, David M. / Rasmussen, David, PUBLISHER: MIT Press (MA), "Universalism vs. Communitarianism" focuses on the question, raised by recent work in normative philosophy, of whether ethical norms are best derived and justified on the basis of universal or communitarian standards. It is unique in representing both Continental and American points of view and both the older and a younger generation of scholars. The essays introduce the key issues involved in universalism vs. communitarianism and take up ethics in historical perspective, practical reason and ethical responsibility, justification, application and history, and communitarian alternatives. Based on a special issue of the "Journal Philosophy and Social Criticism, "the book includes two additional essays by Chantal Mouffe and by Hubert and Stuart Dreyfus. David Rasmussen is Professor of Philosophy at Boston College and editor of "Philosophy and Social Criticism." Contents: introduction, David, Rasmussen. Universalisms: Procedural, Contextualist, and Prudential, Alessandro Ferrara. Beyond Liberalism and Communitarianism: Toward a Critical Theory of Social Justice, Gerald Doppelt. The Liberal/Communitarian Controversy and Communicative Ethics, Kenneth Baynes. Discourse Ethics and Civil Society, Jean Cohen. Equality, Political Order and Ethics: Hobbes and the Systematics of Democratic Rationality, Rolf Zimmermann. Atomism and Ethical Life: On Hegel's Critique of the French Revolution, Axel Honneth. The Gadamer-Habermas Debate Revisited: The Question of Ethics, Michael Kelly. What Is and What Is Not Practical Reason? Agnes Heller. Adorno, Heidegger, and Postmodernity, Hauke Brunkhorst. Impartial Application of Moral and Legal Norms: A Contribution to Discourse Ethics, Klaus Gunther. An Ethics, Politics, and History, Jurgen Habermas in an interview conducted by Jean-Marc Ferry. Rawls: Political Philosophy without Politics, Chantal Mouffe. What Is Morality: A Phenomenological Account of the Development of Ethical Expertise, Hubert L Dreyfus, Stuart E. Dreyfus. Universalism and Communitarianism: A Bibliography, Michael Zilles.

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