Humanities & Social Sciences

This open access book bridges the divide between political science and public health, whilst simultaneously embracing the complexities and differences of both. Although public health is inherently political, the tools and insights of political science are often ignored in public health scholarship. Bringing together academics and researchers working at the intersection of both, the book demonstrates how integrating these fields can help reconcile the roles of politics and scientific evidence in policymaking. It also highlights the key conceptual, methodological and substantive implications for bridging this divide, and charts a path forward for a movement towards political science with public health. It will be of interest to academics, researchers and students interested in public health, political science, public policy, and the role of scientific evidence in policymaking.

This book offers a comprehensive examination of the factors affecting corporate capital structures across 12 European Union countries, focusing on the influence of country-specific, industry-specific and firm-size-related determinants. It provides a comprehensive review of various interpretations of the capital structure concept and offers a detailed characterisation of commonly employed metrics. Furthermore, it offers an overview of capital structure theories and attempts to classify the factors that shape the financial leverage of enterprises within the framework of these theories. Additionally, it draws readers’ attention to contemporary factors potentially affecting corporate financing decisions, such as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations or technological advances and innovations in finance. It combines theoretical insights with empirical research to explore the direct and indirect impacts of these factors on companies’ financing patterns. Targeting a broad readership including students, Ph.D. candidates, researchers, academics and financial practitioners, the book offers a rich understanding of capital structure optimisation and its significance for enhancing company value. Through its coverage of various capital structure theories, determinants and the role of external and internal factors in capital structure decisions, the book is an essential resource for those interested in the complex nature of these influences within the European landscape.

"These volumes represent the highest level of scholarship on what is arguably the most important tradition of Biblical Hebrew. Written by the leading scholar of the Tiberian Masoretic tradition, they offer a wealth of new data and revised analysis, and constitute a considerable advance on existing published scholarship. It should stand alongside Israel Yeivin’s ‘The Tiberian Masorah’ as an essential handbook for scholars of Biblical Hebrew, and will remain an indispensable reference work for decades to come. —Dr. Benjamin Outhwaite, Director of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit, Cambridge University Library The form of Biblical Hebrew that is presented in printed editions, with vocalization and accent signs, has its origin in medieval manuscripts of the Bible. The vocalization and accent signs are notation systems that were created in Tiberias in the early Islamic period by scholars known as the Tiberian Masoretes, but the oral tradition they represent has roots in antiquity. The grammatical textbooks and reference grammars of Biblical Hebrew in use today are heirs to centuries of tradition of grammatical works on Biblical Hebrew in Europe. The paradox is that this European tradition of Biblical Hebrew grammar did not have direct access to the way the Tiberian Masoretes were pronouncing Biblical Hebrew. In the last few decades, research of manuscript sources from the medieval Middle East has made it possible to reconstruct with considerable accuracy the pronunciation of the Tiberian Masoretes, which has come to be known as the ‘Tiberian pronunciation tradition’. This book presents the current state of knowledge of the Tiberian pronunciation tradition of Biblical Hebrew and a full edition of one of the key medieval sources, Hidāyat al-Qāriʾ ‘The Guide for the Reader’, by ʾAbū al-Faraj Hārūn. It is hoped that the book will help to break the mould of current grammatical descriptions of Biblical Hebrew and form a bridge between modern traditions of grammar and the school of the Masoretes of Tiberias. Links and QR codes in the book allow readers to listen to an oral performance of samples of the reconstructed Tiberian pronunciation by Alex Foreman. This is the first time Biblical Hebrew has been recited with the Tiberian pronunciation for a millennium. "

The volume, dedicated to the 44th International Conference of the Italian Union for Drawing, investigates the theme of ‘Transitions’, which particularly effectively represents our time and the current condition of the discipline of Drawing. The term, beyond its generic meaning of an intermediate stage in a process in which a condition changes from one state to another, has always been used in various fields, from music to geophysics. In fact, the disciplines of drawing have always been confronted with themes and issues relating to transitions from one condition to another. The history of representation tells us of transformations, even epochal ones, relating to ‘drawing’, with all that such transitions entail: suffice it to think of the evolution of forms of representation, of instrumental apparatuses, of the mutability of supports, of the analogical-digital transition underway, of the new modes of communication on platforms, of the hypertrophic offer of images also on the net that confirms Guy Debord’s intuitions relating to the new spectacularisation of society. Similarly, representation triggers transitions in the prefiguration and communication of design, the anticipation and foreshadowing of future events.The challenges posed by the digital pose open questions whose scope can only be glimpsed, such as the relationship between drawing and the act of modelling, and the construction of new paradigms of visual language and communication. ‘Transitions’, almost implicitly, points to possible futures, the evolution of technique and the search for new modes of expression; at the same time, however, it can suggest silences and reflections in a process of connection between history, theory, criticism and construction.

This Thematic Network aims at developing the European dimension of Higher Engineering Education by enhancing the compatibility of the many diverse routes to the profession of engineer, by facilitating greater mobility and integration of skilled personnel throughout Europe, by favouring a mutual exchange of skills and competences and providing a platform for communication between academics and professionals. Five main activities have been organised under the overall umbrella of the Thematic Network.The work contains 6 volumes.

This monograph deals with Polish foreign policy shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. In tracing the diplomatic activity of foreign minister Józef Beck, it discusses six general problems: (1) the Polish political situation under the pressure of appeasement; (2) the project of Intermarium and efforts to implement it; (3) the action against Czechoslovakia and the conflict with the Soviet Union; (4) the Polish attitude towards the German concept of Gesamtlosung in Germany’s relations with Poland; (5) the genesis of the Polish alliance with Great Britain; (6) the Allies’ military inaction after Nazi Germany’s aggression. In these conditions, Poland made four key decisions: it stood against Czechoslovakia, it rejected German demands, it allied itself with the United Kingdom, and it rejected the Soviet Union’s claim for the Red Army to march across Polish lands.

"Hierdie is die eerste boeklengte poging om 'n Afrikaanse filosofiese tradisie te beskryf binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis, en om die geskiedenis van die filosofie internasionaal te interpreteer. In die proses word van die belangrikste Afrikaanse filosowe self aan die woord gestel. Dit is werklik 'n waardevolle kultuurhistoriese dokument en 'n enorme bydrae tot die intellektuele geskiedenis in Suid-Afrika." - Prof Desmond Painter.

Available open access digitally under a CC-BY-NC-ND license. How can feminist scholarship advance the field of foreign policy analysis to better understand contemporary foreign policy actions and challenges? This groundbreaking book provides the state-of-the-art in the study of gender, feminisms and foreign policy. Bringing together contributors from around the world, chapters offer new analyses of foreign policy topics, including diplomacy, trade, defence, environment, peacebuilding, disinformation and development assistance. The book advances new theories, concepts and empirical knowledge for the emerging field of feminist foreign policy analysis. The book stands as a vital resource for scholars, students and practitioners seeking to understand and respond to the multifaceted gendered dynamics of global politics.

Academia is standing at a junction in time. Behind lies the community of the curious, ahead the mass and the market. This book joins in a growing stream of works that explore the vicissitudes of present-day European universities in what Bauman coined as liquid times. Here, a number of concerned (engaged) European scholars attempt to defend and brush up academic core values and practices, starting from their own life worlds and positions in higher education. They share the view that there is no point in turning back, nor in mechanically marching straight on. Above all, they uphold that there is no alternative to treasuring academia as a space for thinking together. Hopefully the fruit of this sine qua non invites to think with, and envision academic activism.

Industrial / commercial art & design

"This scholarly monograph is based on a doctoral dissertation, On Holding Part of a Child’s Life in One’s Hands. Conversations between Professionals and Children with Mentally Ill or Substance Addicted Parents: An Ethical and Narrative Perspective, the subject of which is children’s participation in group therapy discussions for children whose parents are mentally ill or substance users. The book builds on experiences from participant observation in seven different groups and follow-up conversations with the participating children and the professionals who lead the groups. The objective was to investigate the possibilities children have in such groups for being independent subjects in search of and making sense. The issue is: How are a child’s experiences handled in discussion groups for children of mentally ill or substance addicted parents? The book’s scientific anchor is in expository hermeneutics, which underpins the emphasis on the significance of balance and reciprocity in interactions between the children and the professionals who lead the groups. In this connection, exploring in concrete situations how the group leader created space for the individual child’s perspective by putting his/her own perspectives into play (or by not doing so) is central. Expository hermeneutics also makes possible identifying some of what is not put into words, barely mentioned or implied, in interactions between the professional and the child, but which nonetheless may have considerable bearing on the understanding that is formed. The experiences and observations from the discussion groups are conveyed via nine stories detailing specific conversations and activities in which the children conveyed their experiences, thoughts and feelings, without them becoming further topics in the group work. Through interpretation of these stories a perception emerges of group conversation for children with mentally ill or addicted parents as being a practice in which the child’s own experience of their parent’s illness or dependency is only to a limited degree made an issue. Through a theoretical discussion in which what has transpired in the group interactions is elevated to a more generally insightful level, a deeper understanding of this phenomenon is sought."

Wer von »Ökologie«, »Nachhaltigkeit« oder »Schöpfung« spricht, denkt die Tierethik immer schon mit – so eine gängige These. Tatsächlich zeigen die Diskurse der vergangenen Jahre aber deutlich, dass das Anliegen einer Tierethik, die Tiere als individuelle Subjekte moralisch berücksichtigt, nicht automatisch mit den abstrakten, entindividualisierten Kalkülen der Ökologie in Einklang zu bringen ist: »Ökologische Ethiken« fordern zwar Rechte für Flüsse, Berge, Pflanzen und ganze Planeten, lassen die Ansprüche von Tieren aber meist außen vor. Simone Horstmann zeigt, wie ökologische Argumente in den Theologien zum neuen Einwand gegen die moralischen Ansprüche von Tieren wurden – und wie dadurch das Risiko steigt, Gewalt an Tieren zu legitimieren.

The world population is increasingly ageing; the ‘demographic protagonism’ of older adults raises a fundamental issue of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to be an active part of society, equipped with the necessary skills for active citizenship – among which linguistic, intercultural, and social competencies are central. Therefore, educational models and training proposals are needed to provide older citizens with plurilingual skills and knowledge, useful for personal fulfilment, successful ageing, and societal development. Starting from the neurological, cognitive, and psychological characteristics of older adults, we have identified a geragogical approach to language teaching, which we have termed glottogeragogy. Within this framework, it is possible to tailor language teaching specifically for a senior audience. After outlining the concept of glottogeragogy, we will focus on a particularly effective methodology for older students – Project-Based Learning (PBL) – to describe a teaching experience currently being carried out in an English class at a University of the Third Age.

This study investigates the distribution of linguistic and specifically structural diversity in Northeast Asia (NEA), defined as the region north of the Yellow River and east of the Yenisei. In particular, it analyzes what is called the grammar of questions (GQ), i.e., those aspects of any given language that are specialized for asking questions or regularly combine with these. The bulk of the study is a bottom-up description and comparison of GQs in the languages of NEA. The addition of the phrase and beyond to the title of this study serves two purposes. First, languages such as Turkish and Chuvash are included, despite the fact that they are spoken outside of NEA, since they have ties to (or even originated in) the region. Second, despite its focus on one area, the typology is intended to be applicable to other languages as well. Therefore, it makes extensive use of data from languages outside of NEA. The restriction to one category is necessary for reasons of space and clarity, and the process of zooming in on one region allows a higher resolution and historical accuracy than is usually the case in linguistic typology. The discussion mentions over 450 languages and dialects from NEA and beyond and gives about 900 glossed examples. The aim is to achieve both a cross-linguistically plausible typology and a maximal resolution of the linguistic diversity of Northeast Asia.

Die Studie unternimmt aus systematisch-theologischer Perspektive eine Hermeneutik von „LAbandon à la Providence divine“, einem in der ersten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts in Frankreich entstandenen schmalformatigen Werk, das bis in die Gegenwart hinein bedeutende Denker inspiriert. Vor dem Hintergrund der Kriteriologie eines geistlichen Klassikers wird im ersten Kapitel zunächst eingeholt, dass es gut begründet ist, „LAbandon à la Providence divine“ als einen Klassiker der Spiritualitätsgeschichte anzusehen. Zugleich legt dieses Kapitel insofern den Grund für den weiteren Gang, als es methodisch zu klären versucht, welche Richtung eine Hermeneutik eines geistlichen Klassikers auf der Höhe der Zeit einzuschlagen hat. Weil dazu zentral die Beachtung des Zeitindexes jeder Spiritualität gehört, erkundet das zweite Kapitel den ursprünglichen Sitz im Leben in der Epoche, für die der Traité responsiv einen kairologischen Stil des Christseins entwickelt. Damit ist der Boden be-reitet, im dritten Kapitel in einer aufmerksamen Lektüre des Textes die theologieimprägnierten Schlüsselthemen zu heben: vor allem Vorsehung, Hingabe , Sakrament des gegenwärtigen Augenblicks und damit verbunden jene Gedanken, die sich sekundierend um diese Schlüsselbegriffe herum gruppieren. Zugleich will das Kapitel dabei dem Mangel abhelfen, dass es bis in die Gegenwart hinein wenige kritische Studien zur Theologie des Traité gibt. Indem das zweite und dritte Kapitel sich auf die innere Gestalt und den inneren Klang und damit die Atmosphäre des Buches einlassen, ist der Weg geöffnet für eine hermeneutische Übersetzung ins Heute, der sich die beiden finalen Kapitel widmen. Kapitel vier befragt, die Schlüsselthemen betreffend, zeitdiagnostisch den Gegenwartshorizont und überbrückt zugleich den „garstigen Graben“, der vom Ursprungshorizont trennt, indem er Entwicklungslinien nachzeichnet. Das fünfte Kapitel schließlich unternimmt den Versuch, mit dem Traité weiterdenkend und seine Atmosphäre nachbildend kairologisch eine Alltagsmystik und damit einen Stil des Christseins für die Gegenwart theologisch zu begründen und zu entwickeln.