Humanities & Social Sciences

This Open Access book illuminates the significant transformation processes brought about by economy-wide shifts towards sustainable modes of production, distribution, and consumption. In particular, the accelerating industrial transformations towards sustainability, in response to global warming and planetary boundary constraints, bring a range of new research challenges. By integrating perspectives from the interdisciplinary fields of innovation, policy, and sustainability transitions studies, the chapters offer novel conceptual and empirical insights into these complex processes, including on multi-system dynamics and digitalization. An essential read for both researchers and policymakers seeking to understand ongoing industrial transformations towards sustainability.

Traditional animal models for human African trypanosomiasis rely on detecting Trypanosoma brucei brucei parasitemia in the blood. Testing the efficacy of new compounds in these models is cumbersome because it may take several months after treatment before surviving parasites become detectable in the blood. To expedite compound screening, we have used a Trypanosoma brucei brucei GVR35 strain expressing red-shifted firefly luciferase to monitor parasite distribution in infected mice through noninvasive wholebody bioluminescence imaging. This protocol describes the infection and in vivo bioluminescence imaging of mice to assess compound efficacy against T. brucei during the two characteristic stages of disease, the hemolymphatic phase (stage 1) and the encephalitic or central nervous system phase (stage 2).

In Debatten um Sexarbeit und Prostitution wird viel über »die osteuropäischen Prostituierten« diskutiert. Doch wie gestalten sich die Lebensalltage von Menschen aus osteuropäischen Ländern, die in Deutschland der Sexarbeit nachgehen? Basierend auf langfristiger ethnographischer Feldforschung in Berlin bietet Ursula Probst Antworten auf diese Frage. In Auseinandersetzung mit den Erfahrungen von Frauen und Männern aus verschiedenen Ländern des östlichen Europas zeigt sie auf, dass prekäre Lebensumstände sexarbeitender Migrant*innen Ausdruck weitreichender Marginalisierung, Sexualisierung und Rassifizierung von Osteuropäer*innen im neoliberalen Europa sind.

Wer interpretiert, tut etwas. Dieser schlichte Umstand trat mit dem practice turn verstärkt in den Fokus hermeneutischer bzw. interpretationstheoretischer Debatten. Wo steht die Diskussion heute? Wohin soll sie sich bewegen? Als primärer Gegenstand der Hermeneutik erschien lange relativ klar eine Top-down-Reflexion auf die Natur von Erkenntnis, Verstehen und Interpretation. Das hat sich mit dem practice turn geändert. Durch diese zuerst seitens der Wissenschaftsgeschichte und der Sozialwissenschaften kultivierte Umorientierung kommt verstärkt der Bereich des konkreten Interpretationshandelns in den Blick. Die Aufmerksamkeit gilt, bottom-up, den Routinen der Bedeutungsproduktion - und dies insbesondere auch, wo die betreffenden kleinteiligen Praktiken nicht durch Methoden, sondern durch eine implizite und informelle Logik bestimmt sind. Der Sammelband lädt dazu ein, diesen produktiven turn im interdisziplinären Austausch zu bedenken und weiter voranzutreiben. Anyone who interprets does something. But it has only become a focus of hermeneutical debates since the practice turn. What is emphasized here is no longer the bottom up “nature” of understanding and interpretation, but the actual doing interpretation – especially where the practices in question are determined not by methods, but by implicit and informal logic. This volume considers where the debate is today, and where it is supposed to move.

Industry 4.0 is based on the cyber-physical transformation of processes, systems and methods applied in the manufacturing sector, and on its autonomous and decentralized operation. Industry 4.0 reflects that the industrial world is at the beginning of the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by a massive interconnection of assets and the integration of human operators with the manufacturing environment. In this regard, data analytics and, specifically, the artificial intelligence is the vehicular technology towards the next generation of smart factories.Chapters in this book cover a diversity of current and new developments in the use of artificial intelligence on the industrial sector seen from the fourth industrial revolution point of view, namely, cyber-physical applications, artificial intelligence technologies and tools, Industrial Internet of Things and data analytics. This book contains high-quality chapters containing original research results and literature review of exceptional merit. Thus, it is in the aim of the book to contribute to the literature of the topic in this regard and let the readers know current and new trends in the use of artificial intelligence for the Industry 4.0.

In this book Carmen Martinez-Vargas explores how academic participatory research and the way it is carried out can contribute to more, or less, social justice. Adopting theoretical and empirical approaches, and addressing multiple complex, intersectional issues, this book offers inspiration for scholars and practitioners to open up alternative pathways to social justice, viewed through a Global South lens. Martinez-Vargas examines the colonial roots of research and emphasises the importance of problematising current practices and limitations in order to establish more just and democratic participatory research practices. Although practitioners have been challenging the Western roots of research and participatory research for decades, their goals can be compromised by pluralities and contradictions in the field. This book aims not to replicate past participatory research approaches, but to offer an innovative theoretical foundation—the Capabilities Approach—and an innovative participatory practice called ‘Democratic Capabilities Research’. Democratising Participatory Research is not only timely and relevant in South Africa, but also in the Global North owing to the current crisis of values jeopardising the peaceful existence of diverse societies. The book gives essential recommendations for capabilities and human development scholars to reframe their perspectives and uses of the Capabilities Approach, as well as for participatory practitioners to critically reflect on their practices and their often limited conceptualisation of participation.

Singing in the Dark Times is a compilation of scholarly chapters by 21 authors of global reputation in the arts therapies. This publication brings together selected works from the 17th ECArTE conference, which took place in 2024 in Ghent, Belgium. It explores the tensions between inner psychotherapeutic processes and the pursuit of wellbeing and social change. Inspired by Stéphane Hessel’s call to “create to resist and resist to create,” it highlights creativity as a form of active resistance and dignity. The contributions reflect diverse, original responses from international practitioners and scholars. Drawing on the line from Brecht’s poem “Motto” (1939), “Singing about the Dark Times,” the publication emphasizes the role of the arts in enabling transformation. Ultimately, it presents the arts and arts therapies as a powerful space for critical reflection, collaboration, change and hope. Contributors from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Lebanon, Serbia and the United Kingdom come together in this volume to create a challenging and contemporary publication. Their work reflects a range of perspectives and current approaches across several fields, including theatre practice, the philosophy of art, art therapy, dance movement therapy, dramatherapy and music therapy, offering a rich and diverse exploration of theory and practice. This book is designed to engage and benefit not only practitioners within the arts therapies community but also a wider audience. It will be particularly valuable for students and professionals working in psychology, sociology, psychotherapy, the arts, medicine, arts and health and education, providing insights that connect theory, practice and interdisciplinary collaboration. Chapter 4 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 International license

Truancy: Short and Long-term Solutions is a practical and accessible guide to dealing with the problem of truancy and non-attendance. It is the first book on the issue to actively focus on solutions to the problem, rather than the causes. Full of practical examples of the latest ways in which schools, teachers, education welfare officers and LEAs try to overcome their attendance difficulties. Ken Reid identifies nearly 120 short-term solutions as well as several long-term strategic approaches. The book also considers parental-condoned absenteeism, alternative curriculum schemes and mentoring, while the final chapter presents some strategic issues which policy-makers and politicians need to overcome. This book provides all teachers, deputy heads, head teachers, education welfare staff, social workers, learning mentors and other caring professionals with a repository of up-to-date ideas and solutions. It is essential reading for anyone involved in addressing the challenge of truancy.

This anthology ‘The Culture of the Finnish Roma’ is a highly needed collection of articles intended for a wide audience, in Finland and internationally. The editors of the anthology, when participating in many international conferences and seminars, have often been asked: Is there Roma research in Finland? What is it like? Which perspectives does it utilize? The main function of this anthology is to reply to those questions. It compiles an array of contemporary Roma research done in present day Finland, both by Finnish, Finnish Roma, and international scholars. It will be of interest to both academic as well as lay readers interested in Roma culture and Roma life in Finland, past and present. The chapters focus on the research and the life of Roma in Finland. Bringing to light the various sides of the Romani way of life, scholars from different fields include historians, linguists, anthropologists, and cultural and social researchers. Many of the previous books have suffered from a recycling of materials that mythologize and stereotype Romani people. Including the viewpoint of Roma scholars and diverse research branches ranging from culture, language, religion, and gender, the anthology aims at overcoming the stereotypes and bring knowledge of aspects of Romani life. The eternal contemplation and negotiation of identities lies in the heart of any culture. We hope that the way The Culture of the Finnish Roma discusses these issues brings forth interesting topics to consider for any reader, regardless of national or ethnic origin.

Während Überreiche an politischem Einfluss gewinnen, fangen rechtspopulistische Erzählungen das Unbehagen angesichts der wachsenden sozialen Ungleichheit auf. Demokratien geraten so an gefährliche Kipppunkte. Politische Bildung muss deshalb die soziale Frage zurückgewinnen: Sie muss einerseits Wissen über das Ausmaß und die Dimensionen sozialer Ungleichheit vermitteln und andererseits den Raum bieten, um Vorstellungen von Gerechtigkeit zu diskutieren. Neben einer Zeitdiagnose entwickelt Gregor Ritschel ein praxisnahes Stufenmodell zur Diskussion sozialer Ungleichheit, das sich auf die Perspektiven der gegenwärtigen politischen Philosophie stützt.

This book’s goal is to determine the significance of visual culture in the production of contemporary poetry and to sound out the insights poetry might generate into contemporary visual culture. Its main hypothesis is that poetry holds considerable potential for (post-)digital language, image, and media criticism. The visual dimensions of recent poetry encompass, for instance, kinetic writing in digital poetry, visual elements in social media poems, and (spoken and written) text-image interactions in poetry films as well as in book poetry. The articles examine these medial correlations and their political implications by asking how visual culture is applied, exposed, and debated in poetry. This volume brings together contributions by authors from various countries working in disciplines such as literary, media, and film studies, linguistics, cultural and visual culture studies, and in poetic practice. It covers poetry in English, German, Norwegian, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, and also multilingual works. The book thus aims to promote international exchange between poetry researchers and stimulate further investigation into current relations between poetry and visuality from additional research perspectives and languages. ; This book’s goal is to determine the significance of visual culture in the production of contemporary poetry and to sound out the insights poetry might generate into contemporary visual culture. Its main hypothesis is that poetry holds considerable potential for (post-)digital language, image, and media criticism. The visual dimensions of recent poetry encompass, for instance, kinetic writing in digital poetry, visual elements in social media poems, and (spoken and written) text-image interactions in poetry films as well as in book poetry. The articles examine these medial correlations and their political implications by asking how visual culture is applied, exposed, and debated in poetry. This volume brings together contributions by authors from various countries working in disciplines such as literary, media, and film studies, linguistics, cultural and visual culture studies, and in poetic practice. It covers poetry in English, German, Norwegian, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, and also multilingual works. The book thus aims to promote international exchange between poetry researchers and stimulate further investigation into current relations between poetry and visuality from additional research perspectives and languages.

This book sets out to historicise our understanding of contemporary trends by studying the long relationship between science, food and drink marketing and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. It aims to bring together contemporary and historical research from a multimodal perspective, considering how scientific discourse and ideas about health and nutrition are channelled through visual and material culture. Using examples of advertisements, commercials and posters, the 16 chapters in this book will foster a cross-disciplinary and cross-temporal dialogue, uncovering links between past and present ways that manufacturers have capitalised upon scientific innovations to create new products or rebrand existing products and employed science to make claims about health and nutrition. They will, thus, demonstrate the continuity of science in food and drink marketing—even if fundamental ideas of nutrition have evolved over time. The book provides crucial new insights into the significance of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a period of innovation in food and drink marketing and showcasing how many of the marketing strategies employed today, in fact, have a far broader historical trajectory. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of Critical Food Studies, Media and Communication Studies, History of Science and Medicine and Cultural Studies, as well as nutritionists, dieticians, sportspeople, in addition to policymakers and practitioners working in the area of food and drink marketing.

In its transition from a security receiver to a security provider, Albania has undertaken important reforms in its security, defence and foreign policy sectors. The country joined NATO in 2009. It fully aligns with the EU’s common defence and security policy, contributes to international crisis management and peacekeeping missions, and continues to play a constructive and moderating role for stability in the region. Nevertheless, key challenges remain in its domestic vulnerabilities and incapacities. This chapter looks at the Albanian security context, the threats it faces and their complexity, and the major relevant discourses, reforms and practices. It also discusses the future shifts that will be necessary to prioritize and practice security in Albania.

"This grammar provides the first comprehensive grammatical description of Moloko, a Chadic language spoken by about 10,000 speakers in northern Cameroon. The grammar was developed from hours and years that the authors spent at friends’ houses hearing and recording stories, hours spent listening to the tapes and transcribing the stories, then translating them and studying the language through them. Time was spent together and with others speaking the language and talking about it, translating resources and talking to Moloko people about them. Grammar and phonology discoveries were made in the office, in the fields while working, and at gatherings. In the process, the four authors have become more and more passionate about the Moloko language and are eager to share their knowledge about it with others. Intriguing phonological aspects of Moloko include the fact that words have a consonantal skeleton and only one underlying vowel (but with ten phonetic variants). The simplicity of the vowel system contrasts with the complexity of the verb word, which can include information (in addition to the verbal idea) about subject, direct object (semantic Theme), indirect object (recipient or beneficiary), direction, location, aspect (Imperfective and Perfective), mood (indicative, irrealis, iterative), and Perfect aspect. Some of the fascinating aspects about the grammar of Moloko include transitivity issues, question formation, presupposition, and the absence of simple adjectives as a grammatical class. Most verbs are not inherently transitive or intransitive, but rather the semantics is tied to the number and type of core grammatical relations in a clause. Morphologically, two types of verb pronominals indicate two kinds of direct object; both are found in ditransitive clauses. Noun incorporation of special ‘body-part’ nouns in some verbs adds another grammatical argument and changes the lexical characteristics of the verb. Clauses of zero transitivity can occur in main clauses due to the use of dependent verb forms and ideophones. Question formation is interesting in that the interrogative pronoun is clause-final for most constructions. The clause will sometimes be reconfigured so that the interrogative pronoun can be clause-final. Expectation is a foundational pillar for Moloko grammar. Three types of irrealis mood relate to speaker’s expectation concerning the accomplishment of an event. Clauses are organised around the concept of presupposition, through the use of the na-construction. Known or expected elements are marked with the na particle. There are no simple adjectives in Moloko; all adjectives are derived from nouns. The authors invite others to further explore the intricacies of the phonology and grammar of this intriguing language."

The authors have developed the ethical imagination inviting a sense of “otherness” towards the vulnerable self, rebounding care for the other as a way to understand our everyday neurotic (normal) tendency of small vices as the propensity and possibility for responsibility towards the other. The authors, inviting the reader into troublesome feelings such as laziness and anger, bring a Levinasian horizon into focus, so that even in the midst of laziness, there remains the small goodness to set the self free to care for the other, meeting the demands, challenges, hesitation, shuddering, tension and shocks of such alterity, of living “otherwise”.