What are organizations? Where do they come from? How are they transformed and adapted to new situations? In the digital age and in the global network society, traditional theories of the organization can no longer answer these questions. Based on actor-network theory, this book explains organizations as flexible, open networks in which both human and non-human actors enter into socio-technical assemblies by constantly negotiating and re-negotiating programs of action. Organizations are not macro social structures or autonomous systems operating behind the backs of individuals. Instead, they are scalable actor-networks guided by network norms of connectivity, flow, communication, participation, authenticity, and flexibility.
After postmodern critique has deconstructed, decentered, and displaced order and identity on all levels, we are faced with the Humpty Dumpty question of how to put the pieces back together again. This book brings together the seldom associated discourses of hermeneutics, actor-network theory, and new media in order to formulate a theory of a global network society. Hermeneutics re-opens the question of unity in a fragmented world. Actor-network theory reinterprets the construction of meaning as networking. New media studies show how networking is done. Networks arise, are maintained, and are transformed by communicative actions that are governed by network norms that make up a social operating system. The social operating system offers an alternative to the imperatives of algorithmic logic, functionality, and systemic closure that dominate present day solutions to problems of over-complexity in all areas. The world of meaning constructed by the social operating system is a mixed reality in which filters and layers replace the physical restraints of space and time as parameters of knowing and acting. Society and nature, humans and non-humans come together in a socio-sphere consisting of hybrid, heterogeneous actor-networks. This book proposes reinterpreting hermeneutics as networking and networking as guided by a social operating system whose norms are based on new media. There emerges a theory for a global network society described by different concepts than those typical of Western modernity.
The information age has brought about a growing conflict between proponents of a data-driven society on the one side and demands for protection of individual freedom, autonomy, and dignity by means of privacy on the other. The causes of this conflict are rooted in the modern Western opposition of individual and society and a self-understanding of the human as an autonomous rational subject with an inalienable right to informational self-determination. Andréa Belliger and David J. Krieger propose a theory of information as a common good and redefine the individual as an informational self who exists in networks made up of both humans and nonhumans. Privacy is replaced by publicy and issues of data use and data protection are described in terms of governance instead of government.
In this pathbreaking book, one of the world’s leading analysts of globalization and global governance confronts the failures of international politics in the aftermath of 9/11 and the war against Iraq. He argues that there were and are alternatives to the way the western coalitions responded to the profound challenges of mass terrorism and political violence - alternatives which can better address the roots of these challenges and deliver political and social justice. In order to grasp this alternative, the changing structure of the global order has to be understood. To this end, the book is divided into three sections: economics, politics and law. In each section contemporary trends are analyzed, problems confronted, and a series of detailed policies set out. The aim of the book is to focus on feasible and effective policy choices which could lead to a progressive transformation of global affairs. Against the ideologues who are wholly in favour or hostile to globalization, this book shows how globalization can be better regulated to deliver human development, equitable economic change, democracy and justice. This is an original book that will appeal to all those - students, policy makers, and the general reader - who confront questions about globalization and global governance. It is an optimistic text that holds that progressive political change is still within our grasp. To read the transcript of an interview with the author on the Global Covenant in democratiya, please click here .
By making claims for its universalism a religious community establishes its collective identity, orients itself in the world, and articulates its basic common convictions about what is real, meaningful, valuable. For those engaged in the search for a theology of religions in today's context of appreciation for radical plurality, the question is this: Can there be a single, unified theology that expresses adequately the apparently very different truths of humanity's religions? 'The New Universalism' argues that theology can no longer content itself with correlating the question which the world poses with the answer given in revelation. Within today's global horizon every religion and worldview has as much right to answer the basic questions of human existence as any other. The task confronting theology, therefore, lies in the integration and mutual appropriation of many seemingly conflicting revelations. Drawing upon the work of Panikkar and Wittgenstein, Krieger constructs a method and a philosophical foundation for resolving ideological conflicts and carrying out a theological appropriation of non-Christian religions.
This book provides a highly original account of the changing meaning of democracy in the contemporary world, offering both an historical and philosophical analysis of the nature and prospects of democracy today.
The issues that increasingly dominate the 21st century cannot be solved by any single country acting alone, no matter how powerful. To manage the global economy, prevent runaway environmental destruction, reign in nuclear proliferation, or confront other global challenges, we must cooperate. But at the same time, our tools for global policymaking - chiefly state-to-state negotiations over treaties and international institutions - have broken down. The result is gridlock, which manifests across areas via a number of common mechanisms. The rise of new powers representing a more diverse array of interests makes agreement more difficult. The problems themselves have also grown harder as global policy issues penetrate ever more deeply into core domestic concerns. Existing institutions, created for a different world, also lock-in pathological decision-making procedures and render the field ever more complex. All of these processes - in part a function of previous, successful efforts at cooperation - have led global cooperation to fail us even as we need it most. Ranging over the main areas of global concern, from security to the global economy and the environment, this book examines these mechanisms of gridlock and pathways beyond them. It is written in a highly accessible way, making it relevant not only to students of politics and international relations but also to a wider general readership.
The eighteen months between June 2016 and the end of 2017 saw the victory of Leave in Britain’s EU referendum, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, and unprecedented support for Marine Le Pen of the Front National in her campaign for the same office in France. Nearly a decade after the great financial crash, it is these figures and the alarmingly confident and radical version of right-wing politics they represent that have gained the initiative over a moribund center and a still weak left. But what exactly does this new reality represent? While some argue that we are hurtling towards fascism in a replay of the 1930s, and others insist there is little substantial change from “politics as usual,” Renton takes a different and more nuanced view. In country after country, under the clouds of economic austerity and post-9/11 Islamophobia, we have seen a convergence between traditional conservatives, the authoritarian far-right, and previously marginal fascists. The result is a new, still emergent, and deeply troubling form of right-wing radicalism, at once more moderate than classical fascism in its political strategy, yet indulgent of the racism of its most extreme components.
This new edition combines lucid exposition and clarity of expression with careful scholarship and originality, making it highly attractive both to students and to experts in the field.
In Language Online, David Barton and Carmen Lee investigate the impact of the online world on the study of language. The effects of language use in the digital world can be seen in every aspect of language study, and new ways of researching the field are needed. In this book the authors look at language online from a variety of perspectives, providing a solid theoretical grounding, an outline of key concepts, and practical guidance on doing research. Chapters cover topical issues including the relation between online language and multilingualism, identity, education and multimodality, then conclude by looking at how to carry out research into online language use. Throughout the book many examples are given, from a variety of digital platforms, and a number of different languages, including Chinese and English. Written in a clear and accessible style, this is a vital read for anyone new to studying online language and an essential textbook for undergraduates and postgraduates working in the areas of new media, literacy and multimodality within language and linguistics courses.
This volume offers an incisive overview of central issues and controversies in political thought and analysis. It includes major discussions of the idea of the modern state, contemporary theories of the state, problems of power and legitimation, new forms of democratic ideal, citizenship and social movements, the direction of public policy and the fate of sovereignty in the modern global system. While analysing these topics, the author critically assesses the thought of many of those who have contributed decisively to political discussion. Among those whose works are discussed are classic figures such as Hobbes, Locke, Mill and Marx, as well as contemporary writers such as Habermas, Offe and Giddens. Political Theory and the Modern State is an ideal resource for students seeking an introduction to modern politics and political sociology. It is also an original statement about the many competing perspectives in political thought today.
Textbook of Emergency Medicine (Vol. 1 and 2) is a comprehensive and contemporary exposition of the vast array of disorders and emergencies that might present to the emergency or casualty department of a hospital.
Global experts, in conjunction with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, bring you up to date with today’s best approaches to lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. IASLC Thoracic Oncology, 2nd Edition, keeps you abreast of the entire scope of this fast-changing field, from epidemiology to diagnosis to treatment to advocacy. Written in a straightforward, practical style for the busy clinician, this comprehensive, multidisciplinary title is a must-have for anyone involved in the care of patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Offers practical, relevant coverage of basic science, epidemiology, pulmonology, medical and radiation oncology, surgery, pathology, palliative care, nursing, and advocacy. Provides authoritative guidance from the IASLC – the only global organization dedicated to the study of lung cancer. Includes new content on molecular testing, immunotherapy, early detection, staging and the IASLC staging system, surgical resection for stage I and stage II lung cancer, and stem cells in lung cancer. Features a new full-color design throughout, as well as updated diagnostic algorithms.
This book documents a paradigm shift, not only in the sciences but also in society. Everywhere in society systems are becoming networks. This implies not only a new understanding of social science but also of society and ourselves. The book describes the systems model based on Luhmann’s theory of social systems and compares this to Latour’s actor-network theory. It argues that present day society cannot be successfully modeled as a system and illustrates the transformation to a global network society by citing many examples from business, education, and healthcare. The authors argue that actor-network theory provides a more comprehensive account of these changes than systems theory. Based on actor-network theory, they propose a theory of the “digital transformation” that is ushering in the global network society. Although people in all areas talk about systems, adaptive behavior, evolution, complexity, and networks, few know where these concepts come from, and what they mean in the theories they belong to. This book is for all who are concerned with clarifying the often taken-for-granted assumptions and concepts that are implicitly or explicitly derived from systems theory and network theory. It offers an introduction to the work of Luhmann and Latour and a critical and constructive development of these important theories for the 21st century.
By allowing the reader to draw comparisons between women's movements in Canada and the United States, Challenging Times shows that certain political and theoretical issues transcend international borders, ebbing and flowing between the two countries symbiotically. Topics discussed include the origins of "second-stage feminism," the strength of the women's movement within academic structures, and the challenges posed by racial, ethnic, and class diversity; violence against women; the promise and limits of legal reform; reproductive technology; and economic discrimination. Readers who are interested in the recent history of the North American women's movement will find answers to many of their questions about the victories, defeats, and fundamental challenges facing modern feminism. Those who have been active in the current wave of feminism, either as central participants or serious critics, will find Challenging Times equally fascinating because it endeavours to provide answers to pressing questions about the nature of feminism, the inter-relationships and tensions between different sectors of the movement, and the prospects for future growth. Many of the contributors to this volume have lived through and personally shaped the unfolding of the rich history of North American feminism. In addition to Backhouse and Flaherty, the contributors are Catharine A. MacKinnon, Greta Hofmann Nemiroff, Monique Bégin, Mariana Valverde, Naomi Black, Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Micheline de Sève, Micheline Dumont, Margrit Eichler, Sara M. Evans, Marianne A. Ferber, Lorraine Greaves, Marjorie Heins, M. Patricia Fernández Kelly, Patricia A. Monture-Okanee, Arun Mukherjee, Jean F. O'Barr, Christine Overall, Glenda Simms, and Jill Vickers.
Marsden's Book of Movement Disorders covers the full breadth of movement disorders, from the underlying anatomy and understanding of basal ganglia function to the diagnosis and management of specific movement disorders, including the more common conditions such as Parkinson's Disease through to very rare conditions such as Niemann-Pick disease.
In this book, the authors set forth a new model of globalization that lays claims to supersede existing models, and then use this model to assess the way the processes of globalization have operated in different historic periods in respect to political organization, military globalization, trade, finance, corporate productivity, migration, culture, and the environment. Each of these topics is covered in a chapter which contrasts the contemporary nature of globalization with that of earlier epochs. In mapping the shape and political consequences of globalization, the authors concentrate on six states in advanced capitalist societies (SIACS): the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany, and Japan. For comparative purposes, other statesparticularly those with developing economicsare referred to and discussed where relevant. The book concludes by systematically describing and assessing contemporary globalization, and appraising the implications of globalization for the sovereignty and autonomy of SIACS. It also confronts directly the political fatalism that surrounds much discussion of globalization with a normative agenda that elaborates the possibilities for democratizing and civilizing the unfolding global transformation.
Thirty years ago the Irish State embarked on a programme of development which rapidly transformed the economy and with it Irish society. This book is about that transformation and its effects. In particular, it focuses on the relationship between the policies pursued by the State and the class structure of Ireland. It argues that, despite promises of general prosperity, the benefits of Ireland's economic development have been very unevenly distributed, leading to a growing polarisation between social classes.
Surgical Anatomy of the Ocular Adnexa is a beautifully and thoughtfully illustrated anatomical text that provides the ophthalmic surgeon or any surgeon working in the eyelid/orbital region with detailed yet concise, easy to read and understand descriptions of the anatomy in any particular region of the eyelid, orbit or nasolacrimal system. Throughout the text are clinical pearls and vignettes to help the reader appreciate why certain anatomical features are important to understand. Key anatomical concepts are highlighted and easy to visualize with real cadaver photos as well as the artists rendition of the same region. This book: - Develops a thorough understanding of the anatomy in the eyelid, orbit, nasolacriaml and periocular regions. - Fosters an appreciation of how knowledge of the anatomy leads to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of various disease processes involving the eyelid, orbit, nasolacrimal and periocular region. - Conveys the importance of anatomy in the surgical approach to various disease processes in the eyelid, orbit, nasolacrimal and periocular regions. This second edition will be an invaluable guidel to all those working in the eyelid, orbital, and nasolacrimal areas including residents, fellows and staff in ophthalmology, otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, plastic surgery and neurosurgeons working in and around the orbit.
The stage is set for the Beijing Olympiad to be the greatest mega-event, sporting or otherwise, in history. Still, the issues taxing many minds include whether the Beijing Games will be successful; whether they will be wrought with and wrecked by troubles; and who they will benefit. What value will the 2008 Games be to the people of China? Will they mainly serve the purposes of the dominant political, economic and cultural groups at and between the local, regional and global levels of modern social life? The Beijing Olympiad examines these among other questions, providing a range of original insights of interest to an array of scholars, researchers and students from Sports Studies to Sociology, Politics, Economics, International Relations and Legal Studies.
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