Humanities & Social Sciences

Theoriearbeit und -bildung sind aktuell nicht im Fokus der Schul- und Unterrichtsforschung. Dabei scheint ein entsprechender Bedarf angesichts grundlegender Veränderungen von Unterricht, Schule und Gesellschaft vorzuliegen. Vor diesem Hintergrund plädiert der Band für eine (Re-)Fokussierung des schul- und unterrichtstheoretischen Denkens und bündelt dazu aktuelle Beiträge des schulpädagogischen Diskurses. Die Autor:innen des Bandes beschäftigen sich im ersten Teil mit Grundsatzfragen der Schul- und Unterrichtstheorie und mit methodologischen Überlegungen zur Erforschung von Schule und Unterricht. Im zweiten Teil kommen theoretische (Re-)Fokussierungen in ausgewählten Gegenstandsfeldern und Beschreibungen veränderter Schul- und Unterrichtswirklichkeiten in den Blick.

Thermoelectrics for Power Generation - A Look at Trends in the Technology is the first part of the InTech collection of international community works in the field of thermoelectric power generation. The authors from many counties have presented in this book their achievements and vision for the future development in different aspects of thermoelectric power generation. Remarkably, this hot topic unites together efforts of researchers and engineers from all continents of our planet. The reader will find in the book a lot of new interesting information concerning prospective materials for thermoelectric generators, both inorganic and organic; results of theoretical studies of materials characteristics; novel methods and apparatus for measuring performance of thermoelectric materials and devices; and thermoelectric power generator simulation, modeling, design, and practice.

Information Technology

"Der sich selbst behandelnde Kranke: Über die Herausbildung eines neuen Patiententypus am Beispiel der Diabetestherapie. Schon Jahre bevor der Hormonwirkstoff Insulin die Diabetestherapie Anfang der 1920er revolutionierte und das Leben abertausender Diabetiker weltweit von Grund auf verändern sollte, vertrat der renommierte US-amerikanische Diabetesspezialist Elliott Proctor Joslin (1869-1962) die Auffassung, dass ein diabetischer Patient seine eigene Krankenschwester, sein eigener Chemiker und der Assistent seines behandelnden Arztes sein solle. Eine bemerkenswerte Position zu einer Zeit, die gemeinhin als eine gilt, in der die Verwissenschaftlichungstendenzen einer ohnehin paternalistisch geprägten Medizin zu einer weitreichenden Marginalisierung von Patienten und Patientinnen geführt habe. Auf der Suche nach den Gründen dieser für die erste Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts ungewöhnlichen Interaktionspraxis zwischen Ärzten und Patienten leuchtet Oliver Falk in seinem Buch die Herausbildung und Konstituierung dieses kooperierenden, aktiven, sich selbst behandelnden Patient:innentypus aus, der lange vor organisierten Patientenbewegungen und »Citizen Science« konstitutiv für die moderne Diabetestherapie werden sollte. Dabei zeigt er detailliert den engen epistemologischen Zusammenhang zwischen therapeutischem Handeln und wissenschaftlichem Erkenntnisstreben auf und verdeutlicht, dass alltägliches therapeutisches Handeln nicht allein Resultat laborwissenschaftlicher und klinischer Forschungspraxis ist, sondern selbst zum Kern medizinisch-wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisprozesse gezählt werden muss."

The scarabs and related seal amulets published here form a collection that was assembled between 1975 and 2012 during work on the author’s Corpus of stamp-seal amulets from Palestine/Israel. The aim was to prevent numerous unusual and interesting pieces disappearing from view in unpublished private collections or as items of jewellery, and to guarantee researchers and the public continuing access to them. The 700 pieces were selected in such a way that the most significant groups and motifs that were produced in or imported into Canaan/Palestine are represented and, collectively, form a kind of textbook on the subject. In that respect, the collection and this catalogue are both unique.

This open access book presents the high-precision Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning technique of global navigation satellite systems, including its development, principle, implementation, applications and recent innovations. As the highlights of this book, various extensions of the RTK technique are introduced with emphasis on their features to overcome different challenges of different applications. The applications include the positioning with few reference stations available in a large scale of area, the positioning requiring instant convergence, the positioning at sea without normal communication, the high-precision positioning and attitude determination of rigid objects, the positioning with low-cost chip in the canyon environments. The mathematical models of different extended RTK techniques are derived in a unified framework. The characteristics of different RTK extensions are vividly compared with each other based on diagrams. The demonstration application and experimental results of each RTK extension are introduced. In brief, this book provides comprehensive outdoor high-precision positioning solutions for different scientific, engineering and social applications. It is suitable for readers who need or are interested in the high-precision positioning technique.

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed a law repealing one of the most controversial policies in American criminal justice history: the one hundred to one sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder whereby someone convicted of “simply” possessing five grams of crack—the equivalent of a few sugar packets—had been required by law to serve no less than five years in prison. In this highly original work, Dimitri A. Bogazianos draws on various sources to examine the profound symbolic consequences of America’s reliance on this punishment structure, tracing the rich cultural linkages between America’s War on Drugs, and the creative contributions of those directly affected by its destructive effects. Focusing primarily on lyrics that emerged in 1990s New York rap, which critiqued the music industry for being corrupt, unjust, and criminal, Bogazianos shows how many rappers began drawing parallels between the “rap game” and the “crack game." He argues that the symbolism of crack in rap’s stance towards its own commercialization represents a moral debate that is far bigger than hip hop culture, highlighting the degree to which crack cocaine—although a drug long in decline—has come to represent the entire paradoxical predicament of punishment in the U.S. today.

Joining and welding are two of the most important processes in manufacturing. These technologies have vastly improved and are now extensively used in numerous industries. This book covers a wide range of topics, from arc welding (GMAW and GTAW), FSW, laser and hybrid welding, and magnetic pulse welding on metal joining to the application of joining technologies for textile products. The analysis of temperature and phase transformation is also incorporated. This book also discusses the issue of dissimilar joint between metal and ceramic, as well as the technology of diffusion bonding.

This insightful book explores adult learning at the intersection of a rapidly changing world of work and society, and the personal, lived experiences of individuals navigating these shifts. It illuminates the social dimensions of adult learning in the contemporary era, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of being able to thrive in times of change. Each carefully curated chapter presents theoretical insights, empirical findings, and diverse perspectives on adult development across the life course, drawing from historical, cultural, and social contexts to enrich the discourse. Throughout, the authors explore the concept of “liquid modernity” as a lens to understand the complexities of learning and work, presenting innovative frameworks to rethink and redefine these interconnected dynamics. They challenge traditional assumptions about lifelong education and invite readers to see learning differently than it was understood in more predictable times. By focusing on the dynamic interplay between social contexts, life events, and lived experiences, the book provides a nuanced understanding of adult learning as a process shaped by the evolving demands of work and society. This book is an essential resource for researchers, educators, and policymakers, as well as anyone who supports adult learners. Offering profound insights into the ways adults navigate learning, work, and life transitions, it outlines a way to allow adults to flourish in an ever-changing world.

Warum treffen sich soziale Bewegungen? Dieser Frage geht die Studie am Beispiel von transnationalen Bewegungskonferenzen, den Weltsozialforen, nach. Ihr Stattfinden ist ein soziologisches Rätsel: Man trifft sich, so scheint es, um sich getroffen zu haben. Mithilfe einer interaktionssoziologischen Perspektive zeigt die Arbeit, welche Eigenleistungen die Sozialform Interaktion für das Zustandekommen und den Erfolg der Treffen sozialer Bewegungen hat. Die Studie analysiert, wie eine fragile Interaktionsordnung konstruiert, Verstehen ermöglicht, Zusammenhalt geschaffen und dadurch Alternativen lebbar werden. Die Arbeit zeigt, dass es nicht nur bei sozialen Bewegungen einen Eigenwert hat, sich zu treffen, anstatt über technische Medien zu kommunizieren.

Famous for the late 14th-century revolt known as Tuchinaggio, the Canavese area, in north-western Piedmont, provides significant information concerning the relationship between lords and subjects in a longer time span. By analysing a wide range of sources (pastoral visitations, chronicles, court and notarial records, statutes), the essay examines the domini-homines dialectic in the first half of the 14th century: in the Canavese Alpine valleys various degrees of institutional consolidation of communities can be outlined, identifying a process of growth common to communities in the entire Alpine Arc.

Human ecology; Australia

Ethnic Studies; European Union

This book assesses whether belief in spirits is epistemically justified. It presents two arguments in support of the existence of spirits and arguments that experiences of various sorts (perceptions, mediumship, possession and animistic experiences) can lend justification to spirit-beliefs. Most work in philosophy of religion exclusively deals with the existence of God or the epistemic status of belief in God. Spirit beliefs are often regarded as aberrations, and the falsity of such beliefs is often assumed. This book argues that various beliefs concerning spirits can be regarded as justified when they are rooted in experiences that are not defeated. It argues that spirit-beliefs are not defeated by recent theories put forth by neuroscientists, cognitive scientists or evolutionary biologists. Additional arguments are made that traditional theistic belief is epistemically linked to spirit beliefs and that unusual events can be explained in terms of spirit-activity. The book draws on theistic arguments, phenomenal conservatism and defenses of religious experiences to argue for the justification of spirit-beliefs. The arguments draw on examples from various religious traditions ranging from Christianity and Islam to Haitian Vodou and Tibetan Bon. The Epistemology of Spirit Beliefs will be of interest to researchers and advanced students working in philosophy of religion, religious epistemology, ethnography and cognitive neuroscience. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC-BY-NC) 4.0 International license.

The Max Planck Society (MPG), one of the most successful research institutions worldwide, serves as a prime example of the German science system, in which hierarchies and relations of dependency play a major role. This body stands center stage in the present book, which analyzes processes of socio-cultural and structural transformation at the MPG during the first fifty years of its existence—from the non-transparent interdependencies typical of informal networks to a modern research institution geared towards gender equality policy. Two women’s working worlds within this research organization are analyzed through a cultural history and history-of-science lens. One of them, science, was long closed to all but a tiny number of women. The other was the office, where most women in this context worked most of the time. What promoted female scientific careers at the MPG, what obstructed them, and what role did the »Harnack Principle,« the MPG’s own structural principle of the personality-centered organization of research, play in these processes? The book also foregrounds the negotiation of gender equality processes beginning in the late 1980s, which helped break down the traditional gender order and trigger a cultural shift at the Max Planck Society.