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With chapters on social media, videogames and human-machine communication, Dialogue across Media provides a comprehensive overview of the role of dialogue in contemporary media. Drawing on the expertise of scholars and practitioners from multiple fields and disciplines, including screenwriters, literary critics, linguists and new media theorists, each chapter provides an in-depth analysis of dialogue in action. Together, these chapters demonstrate the unique energy and versatility that dialogic forms can offer artists and readers alike, and the special role that dialogue plays in helping us to understand the complexities and contradictions of human interaction. Dialogue across Media provides an essential resource for students and specialists in many fields concerned with dialogue, including language and literature, media and cultural studies, narratology and rhetoric.

This book investigates the role of incomplete knowledge, social trust and risk perceptions in influencing acceptance of the perceived risks related to insurers using genetic test results. In addition, the author identifies and explains the factors and co.

This thesis investigates theoretical and empirical developments in thesociology of medical knowledge in the period between 1951 and 1990.The problems addressed are twofold. First, how have medical sociologistsproblematised medical knowledge and secondly, what makes medicalknowledge impervious to sociological scrutiny? The theoretical perspectiveadopted in this study is a critical sociology of knowledge that draws insightsfrom feminist critical theory and from the ideas of Michel Foucault. The studydevelops an analytical framework based on a heuristic distinction betweensociological studies of medical practice, medical education and medicalresearch. The method of investigation comprises analysis of relevanttheoretical studies followed by in-depth analysis of five empirical case studiesof medical practice, education and research.The first conclusion reached is that sociological studies of medical practicetend to investigate the application of medical knowledge; that studies ofmedical education focus on examining the transmission of medical knowledge;and that studies of medical research examine the production of medicalknowledge. The study revealed that the content of medical scientificknowledge was excluded from sociological scrutiny in the studies of medicalpractice and education considered here, due to the positivist assumption thatmedical scientific knowledge of biophysical reality is universal and objectivein nature, and hence not suitable as a topic for sociological enquiry. Incontrast, sociological studies of medical research examine the limits andvalidity of medical scientific knowledge.The second conclusion reached is that there is a considerable degree ofinternal differentiation within the sociological studies of medical practice,education and research. Sociologists are interested in studying aspects ofmedical knowledge which are subject to medical disagreement. Also,sociologists are inclined to study aspects of medical knowledge in which thereis an apparent distance or disjuncture between the cultures of patients anddoctors. Government interest in scrutinising or regulating a medical problemalso focuses sociologists attention on some medical problems rather thanothers. Conversely, medical knowledge tends to remain impervious tosociological scrutiny if it is not subject to either medical disagreement, culturaldisjuncture or government scrutiny.

This volume examines the nature of the EU and its external role in relation to social issues raised by globalization. It explores how the EU influences, both directly and indirectly, the rest of the world in relation to the social component of globalization.

1. Theorizing and research disputes over GMOs -- 2. A silenced revolution (1996-2002) -- 3. Increasing noise (2003-2013) -- 4. The unexpectedly contentious Brazilians (1996-2002) -- 5. The politics of fait accomplis (2003-2013) -- 6. Many tales of GMOs : a comparison -- 7. Conclusions.

The introduction to the 2022 Special Issue presents the 20 articles that discuss the demographic aspects and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. It synthesises the main findings from the contributions, emphasising the demographic, social and economic characteristics that influenced the spread of infections and determined the number of deaths. We highlight the specific focus on measurement issues, often with a comparative framework across several countries, and at the regional level as well, both within and beyond Europe. We also summarise the impact of the measures imposed to contain the spread of the virus, such as lockdowns. Moreover, we explore the impact of the pandemic on the quality of relationships, the intention and the motivation to have children, and realised fertility. In addition, we present the authors' broader reflections on the risks faced by different communities of individuals, and the potential consequences for their life trajectories, including in relation to other current risks that overlap with the pandemic (recent armed conflicts), and for the achievability of the Sustainable Development Goals themselves.

A review of the specialist literature and analysis of own study results reveal that a scale of the phenomena of undeclared work is both globally and locally significant and differentiated. Comparative research for the entire geographical area is difficult, as these are countries with very diverse economies. This was due to historical conditions, dynamic of socio-political changes and ties with other political alliances, membership in organizations and economic partnerships. The aim of the empirical research was to identify the financial aspects of undertaking work in the grey zone from the workers point of view. The study target group were chosen from unemployed registered at the Municipal Employment Office in Płock, Mazovia Region. Results show that the unemployed turn to undeclared work for financial reasons, such as higher reimbursement, unsatisfactory income or excessively high social insurance contributions. Respondents assessed their financial situation most often as bad, and indicated difficulties in finding work through registered employment. People who undertake work in a grey zone are predominantly those from low income groups, socially excluded, migrants, long time unemployed.

Drawing on case studies mostly from Asia and Africa, this book reconsiders the increasing interconnectedness between world regions from a perspective of 'translocality'. It suggests a more comprehensive reading of processes often simplified as 'global', very recent, unidirectional, and 'Western'-dominated.

•  Summary: Recent rampage shootings at schools have provoked intense academic discussion. While there have been two recent school shootings in Finland, there is not much empirical research focusing on these incidents. What is particularly lacking is research on community reaction to this type of mass violence. In this article, we take a look at the negative aspects of solidarity after a shooting incident in a small Finnish community of Jokela. We explore community experience on shootings through two types of empirical measures. The research material consists of a mail survey of the local residents and focused interviews of professional experts. •  Findings: Our results suggest that there was a rise in social solidarity after the shooting tragedy. However, the increased level of solidarity was also followed by a variety of negative phenomena such as strengthened group divisions between youth and adults, social stigmatization, and feelings of collective guilt. These experiences are familiar in the cultural trauma processes. •  Applications: In general, the article points out that mass violence has long-term impact on people's social engagement and interaction patterns. Similar processes can be argued to be particularly significant when studying relatively small communities.

"A typical presidential election campaign in Latin America sees between one-third and one-half of all voters changing their vote intentions across party lines in the months before election day-numbers unheard of and rarely seen in older democracies. This book proposes a new theory of Latin American voting behavior, examining how votes are truly up for grabs in democracies where political parties and mass partisanship are not deeply entrenched. The book argues that political discussion among peers causes volatility, and ulimately explains final vote choices. Describing and examining social networks of political discussion, the authors propose that everyday social communication is the hidden architecture that structures political outcomes in Latin America's less institutionalized democracies. Voters, embedded in networks of family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances, are heavily persuaded by the debating and arguing, and agreeing and affirming, that happens in their social networks. Social Communication and Elections in Latin America reveals the hidden undercurrent of political discussion among voters in Latin America, advancing a new theory of voting behavior that accounts for the extended influence of election campaigns, the geographic clustering of political preferences, and the strategic maneuvers of political machines"--

Frailty represents an important challenge for aging populations. As a concept it is full of 'known unknowns' such as which mechanisms lead to frailty and how it is best managed. In order to examine these circumstances, the new science of understanding and managing frailty requires an appropriate framing of the problem. This publication investigates the biology and management of frailty and its social aspects. It considers these and related questions: How can we recognize frailty? How does an understanding of frailty increase our comprehension of the aging process? What are its implications for health care systems, including primary care, hospitals and rehabilitation? How will a growing number of frail older adults affect society more generally? The book focuses on frailty as a state of vulnerability, which is related to aging, but which can occur across the life course, and aims to improve the life of frail people and those around them. The book is highly recommended to researchers in aging, health science researchers, health care professionals and anyone interested in the understanding of the aging process

Social Policy Review 16 is an excellent source of information and opinion about core aspects of contemporary social policy for students and academics alike. It will also appeal to all those with an interest in 'welfare' in the widest sense of the term