Open Access Books

This report, the final in a series of four on state arts agencies, looks at these agencies' efforts to rethink their roles and missions, reflecting on what the changes may mean for state arts policy and the structure of state arts funding. The author offers a view of what the future may hold for state arts agencies and for state arts policy if current trends and strategies continue.

Kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliches Wissen hat über die letzten 50 Jahre eine beständige Verbreitung erfahren und wurde zu einem festen Bestandteil gegenwärtiger Gesellschaften. Dies bezieht sich allerdings nicht nur auf die Ergebnisse der Disziplinen, sondern trifft im besonderen Maße auf deren grundlegende theoretische Konzepte zu. In verschiedensten gesellschaftlichen Bereichen repräsentiert dieses Wissen eine Ressource für die Akteur*innen, um Produktionsprozesse anzuleiten. Die Theorien liefern daher nicht nur Beschreibungen des Sozialen, sondern sie wirken „performativ“. Diese Open-Access-Publikation fokussiert auf den Bereich der Kulturproduktion und zeigt auf, welche Bedingungen zur Verwendung der theoretischen Konzepte außerhalb der Wissenschaft geführt haben, wie die Theorien in Prozessen zur Anwendung kommen und welche Veränderungen daraus folgen. Hierzu wird zuerst ein konzeptioneller sowie methodologischer Rahmen präsentiert, bevor die empirische Studie einer Kulturwelt detaillierte Einblicke in die Wirkungsweisen ermöglicht. Anhand der so verdeutlichten Aspekte der Performativität von kultur- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Theorien lässt sich schlussendlich aufzeigen, wie Kulturproduktion in gegenwärtigen Gesellschaften eine zentrale Stellung einnehmen konnte. ; Kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliches Wissen hat über die letzten 50 Jahre eine beständige Verbreitung erfahren und wurde zu einem festen Bestandteil gegenwärtiger Gesellschaften. Dies bezieht sich allerdings nicht nur auf die Ergebnisse der Disziplinen, sondern trifft im besonderen Maße auf deren grundlegende theoretische Konzepte zu. In verschiedensten gesellschaftlichen Bereichen repräsentiert dieses Wissen eine Ressource für die Akteur*innen, um Produktionsprozesse anzuleiten. Die Theorien liefern daher nicht nur Beschreibungen des Sozialen, sondern sie wirken „performativ“. Diese Open-Access-Publikation fokussiert auf den Bereich der Kulturproduktion und zeigt auf, welche Bedingungen zur Verwendung der theoretischen Konzepte außerhalb der Wissenschaft geführt haben, wie die Theorien in Prozessen zur Anwendung kommen und welche Veränderungen daraus folgen. Hierzu wird zuerst ein konzeptioneller sowie methodologischer Rahmen präsentiert, bevor die empirische Studie einer Kulturwelt detaillierte Einblicke in die Wirkungsweisen ermöglicht. Anhand der so verdeutlichten Aspekte der Performativität von kultur- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Theorien lässt sich schlussendlich aufzeigen, wie Kulturproduktion in gegenwärtigen Gesellschaften eine zentrale Stellung einnehmen konnte.

This book is about the organization of explanation sequences in classes of French as a second language. It provides a description of how these sequences are organized, an inventory of resources mobilized by students to ask and give explanations, as well as a reflection on learning opportunities for students.

How are communities worldwide experiencing changes to their seasons? Through 35 real-world accounts of seasonal change by researchers and practitioners, this anthology gives pause to critically rethink what seasons mean. The chapters invite us to see seasons not as stable facts of nature, but as cultural ways of living in the world, evolving with populations and places. Revisiting seasons is one way in which communities adapt in turbulent times.

1932. La musique arabe est à un tournant crucial de son histoire. Au Maghreb, le répertoire classique n’offre plus qu’un souffle indigent. L’Égypte, tournant le dos à un « classicisme » de fraîche date, explore des voix nouvelles. Seul l’Irak, faiblement pénétré des influences extérieures, préserve une authenticité. Le Congrès historique est un appel au secours (tourné en partie vers l’Occident). S’il ne parviendra pas à inverser le cours naturel de l’histoire, il nous laisse un ensemble documentaire de toute première importance. C’est ce legs que le colloque réuni au Caire du 25 au 28 mai 1989 s’est fixé pour but d’étudier : ses qualités, ses faiblesses, l’impact des techniques et des idéologiques. La première partie de ce livre rassemble les textes issus de cette réflexion pluridisciplinaire. En seconde partie, une analyse de la presse égyptienne d’époque jette un regard neuf sur les tensions sous-jacentes aux débats et complète la documentation jusqu’ici disponible. Sans oublier l’effort accompli dans le domaine de l’organologie ni ceux et celles qui, en Égypte, ont prêté leurs voix aux enregistrements.

This Reprint provides an overview of recent advances in polymeric membranes, focusing on their preparation, functionalization, and applications in water treatment, environmental remediation, energy conversion and storage, and biomedical technologies. Contributions cover membrane design and modification strategies, sustainable fabrication methods, enhanced selectivity and stability, and the integration of functional or bioactive materials. The Reprint highlights the versatility of polymeric membranes and their potential impact for industrial, medical, and environmental applications.

Physical therapy involves non-pharmacological interventions in the management of various clinical conditions. It is important to highlight the physical therapy procedures that are suitable, effective and, in general, do not have side effects or complications when properly performed. Physical therapy can be valuable in different situations along of the various steps of human development and in various clinical disorders. Indeed, topics on different approaches have been included in this book, which makes this book useful for readers to improve their professional performance.

Institutional crises have been continuously embeded in weak accountability. In Latin America, human rights’ violations catalyze the outcomes of such crises. In the aim of understanding the housing crisis, this research evidenced a vicious cycle in Brazil and Chile: despite the creation of massive social housing programs, the lack of adequate housing particularly affects the most-poor due to weak accountability. The comparison of legal accountability relations in the urban social housing ownership models Minha Casa, Minha Vida, from Brazil, and D.S. 49, D.S. 1, and D.S. 19, from Chile, revealed several of those inconsistencies, but also advised on concrete solutions to their accountability relations inspired by the rights-based approach. Policies fall short on the organization of responsibilities to duty-bearers, whose weak obligations to inform, justify or respond neutralize concrete chances of enforcing redress or grievance. In such a scenario, this research showed that the most-vulnerable remain hindered from accessing the minimum existencial and, particularly, adequate housing. The solution is obvious: the respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights must be used as means and goals of those or any other policies and institutional structures.

The monograph, appreciated by specialists in the fields of social policy and labour law, introduces a new area of knowledge in the field of labour law and allows for an empirical assessment of the types of policies applied by enterprises in the area of parental benefits. The approach proposed by the authors allows us to assess the expected path of changes in the regulation of this sphere of employment relations. The combination of various research perspectives with the relevance of this research and its social significance can constitute a contribution to the development of legal and other social sciences and help in the practice of business management.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) an unprecedented global pandemic. Nearly every country across the globe is struggling to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to limit its health, societal and economic consequences. As a response to that, with almost immediate effect, students, teachers and workers in general and across the globe were thrown into a new scenario of online work and education. In the midst of this emotional climate laden with fear, uncertainty, sadness and anxiety, millions of students all over the world were confined to their homes and the entire educational community had to adapt to a distance education model. The same occured with workers of different disciplines; they have to balance work and life in the same place. Therefore, homes suddenly became schools, universities and workplaces all at the same time. Against this backdrop, this Special Issue focuses on the study, evaluation and analysis of the opportunities the pandemic offers in three related aspects: first, for building an education for sustainable development. Second, for creating decent working conditions. Finally, to enhance health and well-being both at the workplace and at home. Authors from a range of disciplines, such as education, psychology, management, social sciences and other areas related to sustainable development, have contributed with differrent manuscripts. They address the challenges of studying, working and living in times of uncertainty in order to build sustainable development in those areas from theoretical and applied research.

This book, Organic Polymers, covers aspects that are of immediate concern to a new entrant to the field of polymers. Taken as a whole, these eight chapters aim to help the readers easily assimilate other specialized and exhaustive treatises on the subject. Topics dealing with the chemistry and technology of polymers are presented in a careful and logical manner so as to provide an easy and enjoyable read. Several examples and analogies are included so to make the main concepts easy to follow and tables and figures are included so that the book can serve, to a limited extent, as a hand book dealing with polysaccharides with different parameters. This book is meant for students studying polysaccharides and those working on graft copolymers and other allied polymer industries but without a formal educational background in organic polymers.

Policy-makers are increasingly concerned about the impact of climate variability and change on the health of vulnerable populations. Variations and trends in climatic factors and extreme weather events impact many health outcomes, including malaria, heat stress and undernutrition. Climate Information for Public Health Action is based on the premise thatclimate knowledge and information can help protect the public from climate-sensitive health risks. With a focus on infectious disease, hydro-meteorological disasters and nutrition, the book explores why, when and how data on the historical, current and future (from days to decades) climate can be incorporated into health decision-making. Created as a collaborative effort between climate and health experts, this book targets a broad technical public health community, alongside development practitioners and policy-makers engaged in climate change adaptation. It may also guide climate experts in the development of climate services tailored to health needs. Written in an accessible, informative style, while maintaining the highest technical and scientific standards, it will also be a valuable resource for students and academics studying and working in the emerging field of environment and health. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.tandfebooks.com/doi/view/10.4324/9781315115603, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license."

L’ensemble des contributions réunies dans cet ouvrage part de l’hypothèse selon laquelle, au xxe et au xxie siècles, la littérature française présente quatre moments décisifs dans une évolution articulant une critique de l’écriture comme miroir de la réalité et du réel à un questionnement du langage et à un dépassement tendanciel des genres et de leur cloisonnement, avec pour perspective l’émergence de livres qui subsument l’opposition du vécu et de la fiction, de la prose et de la poésie, et redéfinissent « en actes » les catégories de récit, de roman et d’autofiction. Ces scansions correspondent au surréalisme, au Nouveau Roman, à Tel Quel et, dans la dernière période, à l’essor de la littérature à caractère autobiographique au sein de laquelle émerge en particulier une « hétérographie » ou un « roman du Je », selon la terminologie suggérée par Philippe Forest. Récuser le réalisme du xixe siècle n’a pas en effet pour corollaire de se détourner du réel et de la réalité dont on peut essayer de s’approcher en mariant l’appris avec le vécu, les potentialités de notre appareil psychique avec les ressources de la virtualité. Si le langage a été « donné » aux humains pour qu’ils en fassent un usage surréaliste (André Breton), les mots et les phrases font alors l’amour, et « s’enfilent » les uns les autres et les uns aux autres. Néanmoins le spectacle auxquels ils nous convient est d’autant plus renversant s’il demeure étranger à celui que l’on goûte derrière une glace sans tain, nous invitant au contraire à nous départir du cliché et de « l’universel reportage » (Stéphane Mallarmé). Revivifier la langue et une narration exténuées par le positivisme et le naturalisme d’une communication « marchandisée » suppose de mettre en relation les phénomènes par le truchement de l’association et de mobiliser ce que l’on sait du monde, en envisageant ses représentations sous le prisme de la physique et de la technologie, lesquelles remodèlent notre champ sensible et les modalités de notre intellection. Écrire impose donc de (nous) rendre visibles les tangentes (ou les sutures) réunissant les pièces constitutives du réel et de la réalité.

The book examines the connection between higher education and society as a strategic axis for professional training and university social responsibility. From the perspective of the university’s “Third Mission,” it explores how higher education institutions integrate teaching, research, and community actions to promote social transformation, values education, and the ethical and civic development of students. The work addresses the Ecuadorian context, highlighting the need to plan systematic engagement projects oriented toward the real needs of the community, promoting equity, inclusion, and social justice. It emphasizes the roles of the university, the school, the family, and the community as interconnected actors in the comprehensive education of students and in strengthening local social capital. Drawing from the experience of the Education program at Universidad Metropolitana, the book presents the components of the engagement process, including the integration of values, the use of educational technologies, professional relevance, and teacher preparation for interacting with the community. Concrete projects implemented in schools in Guayaquil are analyzed, showing the results and impacts on the training of future professionals and the improvement of community life. The book concludes that social engagement is essential for higher education, as it enhances educational quality, fosters social responsibility, and generates a comprehensive educational model that integrates values, professional competencies, and community participation, contributing to sustainable development and the construction of a more equitable and inclusive society.

This book is a revised version of a Ph. D. Thesis submitted to the University of Utrecht. It is the first doctoral dissertation about Kannada literature submitted at a university in the Western world. The book is an attempt at learning about the culture of Karnataka as reflected in contemporary Kannada fiction. It surveys Kannada fiction of the post-Independence era, in the light of certain “culturally specific themes”. Through a literary analysis of 35 works, the author of the book has focused on such themes as Indian womanhood, aspects of Hinduism, its confrontation with other faiths, the implications of the caste system and so on. The book contains elaborate summaries of the literary works discussed.