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This book provides a first-of-its-kind analysis of the emerging global hydrogen economy from the vantage point of one of the world's biggest energy providers: Saudi Arabia. In 2021, and within the context of the Circular Carbon Economy framework, Saudi Arabia announced its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 and produce a substantial amount of clean hydrogen annually by 2030. The Kingdom is optimally situated geographically between the major demand markets in Europe and North Asia, from where it can leverage clean hydrogen exports as a potential tool to become a player of strategic importance and successfully diversify its economy under its Vision 2030 program. More broadly, the book charts a course for fossil fuel-exporting countries such as Saudi Arabia to carve a competitive position for themselves over the forthcoming decades using clean hydrogen as a catalyst for the energy transition.

With contributions from global energy experts, the chapters in this book provide a multifaceted analysis of the "who," "what," "where," and "why" related to clean hydrogen development within and beyond Saudi Arabia. Collectively, the contributions analyze the countries and regions relevant to Saudi Arabia in terms of dedicated hydrogen policies, projects, and approaches that aim to incentivize production and demand in an increasingly carbon-constrained world. The book is a timely, unique and an indispensable resource for practitioners and students of energy, geopolitics, and climate policy working on hydrogen in academia, applied research, national government bodies, and international organizations.

Racism has historically been a taboo topic in Mexico. This is largely due to the nationalist project of mestizaje which contends that because all Mexicans are racially mixed, race is not a salient political issue. In recent years, however, race and racism have become important topics of debate in the country's public sphere and academia. This book introduces readers to a sample of these diverse and sometimes conflicting views that also intersect with discussions of class. The activists and scholars included in the volume come from fields such as anthropology, linguistics, history, sociology, and political science. Through these diverse epistemological frameworks, the authors show how people in contemporary Mexico interpret the world in racial terms and denounce racism.

This Open Access book presents an in-depth portrait of the use and impact of digital technologies by learners ages 5-18 years in their everyday lives. The portrait is framed by the ecological-systems theory and situated across four domains: home, leisure time, education, and civic participation. Various methodological approaches are used in innovative ways to analyze data collected in a large-scale EU Horizon 2020 project. The purpose of this edited collection is to shed light on both beneficial and harmful effects of digital technology from a perspective that children are active agents who are empowered to accentuate the positives of digital technology use and over common challenges that inhibit digital competence with support from education stakeholders. This is an open access book.

This open access textbook introduces and defines digital humanism from a diverse range of disciplines. Following the 2019 Vienna Manifesto, the book calls for a digital humanism that describes, analyzes, and, most importantly, influences the complex interplay of technology and humankind, for a better society and life, fully respecting universal human rights. The book is organized in three parts: Part I "Background" provides the multidisciplinary background needed to understand digital humanism in its philosophical, cultural, technological, historical, social, and economic dimensions. The goal is to present the necessary knowledge upon which an effective interdisciplinary discourse on digital humanism can be founded. Part II "Digital Humanism – a System's View" focuses on an in-depth presentation and discussion of the main digital humanism concerns arising in current digital systems. The goal of this part is to make readers aware and sensitive to these issues, including e.g. the control and autonomy of AI systems, privacy and security, and the role of governance. Part III "Critical and Societal Issues of Digital Systems" delves into critical societal issues raised by advances of digital technologies. While the public debate in the past has often focused on them separately, especially when they became visible through sensational events the aim here is to shed light on the entire landscape and show their interconnected relationships. This includes issues such as AI and ethics, fairness and bias, privacy and surveillance, platform power and democracy. This textbook is intended for students, teachers, and policy makers interested in digital humanism. It is designed for stand-alone and for complementary courses in computer science, or curricula in science, engineering, humanities and social sciences. Each chapter includes questions for students and an annotated reading list to dive deeper into the associated chapter material. The book aims to provide readers with as wide an exposure as possible to digital advances and their consequences for humanity. It includes constructive ideas and approaches that seek to ensure that our collective digital future is determined through human agency.

Wer sich aufmacht, der Rede vom Plausiblen nachzuspüren, kommt zu einem eigenartigen Befund: In Alltag und Wissenschaft sind Aussagen, dass etwas »plausibel« ist, nahezu allgegenwärtig. Auf der anderen Seite zeigt sich, dass wissenschaftliche Konzeptualisierungen der im Begriff anklingenden Bedeutungen selten sind. Der Band bietet daher eine interdisziplinäre kulturwissenschaftliche Erkundung des Konzepts der Plausibilität und der Praxis des Plausibilisierens. Dabei beleuchten die Beiträger*innen soziokulturelle Erscheinungsformen, Modalitäten, Funktionsweisen, Dynamiken und Strategien des Plausibilisierens - jeweils in unterschiedlichen historischen und regionalen Kontexten.

Jakob Graf wirft in diesem Open-Access-Buch die Frage auf, wie sozialökologische Konflikte am Rande der Weltwirtschaft soziologisch verstanden werden können. Dabei zeigt er, dass gerade in durch Rohstoffausbeutung gekennzeichneten Ländern des Globalen Südens große Teile der Erwerbstätigen nicht mittels Lohnarbeit in den globalen Kapitalismus integriert werden. Aus Sicht der kapitalistischen Weltwirtschaft sind große Teile der weltweiten Armen vielmehr "überflüssig". Der Autor zeigt, dass diese Menschen allerdings nicht einfach "arbeitslos", sondern vielfach wirtschaftlich aktiv sind; sie tragen in entscheidendem Maße zum Überleben der Menschen in ärmeren Ländern bei. Wie aus dem Widerspruch zwischen diesen lokalen "bedarfsökonomischen" Aktivitäten und der kapitalistischen Wirtschaft sozialökologische Konflikte entstehen, verdeutlicht Graf am Beispiel der indigenen Mapuche im Süden Chiles. Diese setzen sich gegen die Expansion der industriellen Forstwirtschaft zur Wehr, die für die Weltmärkte in riesigen Forstplantagen Zellstoff produziert. Als historisch "Enteignete" kämpfen die Mapuche für die Wiederaneignung ihres Landes und ihrer Ressourcen. Graf analysiert die Funktionsweise derartiger Konflikte, er fragt, wie sich die soziale Gruppe der "Überflüssigen" soziologisch verstehen lässt.

This open access book explores the various dimensions of women's empowerment in public policy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with a particular focus on Qatar, comparing the country to the other Gulf states. Through its rich compilation of empirical qualitative research, the text unpacks the various ways in which women's empowerment materializes in the GCC context, providing insights into public policy perspectives in high-income rentier states more broadly. The Arab world has long been part of the global dialogue on women's economic and political empowerment and the GCC has, over the past decade, situated women's empowerment amongst their respective national priorities and long-term strategies. In turn, the Gulf has seen gradual implementation of policies aimed at women, specifically, in looking to attract and retain them in the labour market, and in the public sector more broadly. The collection surveys and evaluates the progress made in recent decades, paying close attention to the cultural and policy constraints still limiting women's empowerment in the Gulf. With a key linkage to SDG5, this book is a timely text addressing the context and drivers behind policies centering on women in the Arab region, in its analysis of the interplay of international women's empowerment discourse and regional public policy decisions. It is relevant to researchers and policy makers focused on women and gender issues in relation to social, cultural, economic, and political empowerment in the Gulf specifically, but also in the Arab world and beyond. ; This open access book explores the various dimensions of women's empowerment in public policy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with a particular focus on Qatar, comparing the country to the other Gulf states. Through its rich compilation of empirical qualitative research, the text unpacks the various ways in which women's empowerment materializes in the GCC context, providing insights into public policy perspectives in high-income rentier states more broadly. The Arab world has long been part of the global dialogue on women's economic and political empowerment and the GCC has, over the past decade, situated women's empowerment amongst their respective national priorities and long-term strategies. In turn, the Gulf has seen gradual implementation of policies aimed at women, specifically, in looking to attract and retain them in the labour market, and in the public sector more broadly. The collection surveys and evaluates the progress made in recent decades, paying close attention to the cultural and policy constraints still limiting women's empowerment in the Gulf. With a key linkage to SDG5, this book is a timely text addressing the context and drivers behind policies centering on women in the Arab region, in its analysis of the interplay of international women's empowerment discourse and regional public policy decisions. It is relevant to researchers and policy makers focused on women and gender issues in relation to social, cultural, economic, and political empowerment in the Gulf specifically, but also in the Arab world and beyond.

Science communication aims at the successful sharing and explanation of sciencerelated topics to a wider audience. In order to enhance communication between science and society, a better understanding of citizens' habits and perceptions is needed. Therefore, it is vital to understand how citizens acquire knowledge about science- related issues, how this knowledge affects their beliefs, opinions and perceptions, and what sources of information they choose to learn about science – and how they assess their reliability. This book addresses these questions, based on the analyses of public consultations data from Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain, concerned with the science communication of issues including climate change, vaccines, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Sharing experiences of how to engage citizens in public consultation, it provides insights into the mobilisation of interest in science and offers recommendations on how to improve science communication.

This volume investigates mediated lives and media narratives during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Asia as a focus point. It shows how the pandemic has created an unprecedented situation in this globalized world marked by many disruptions in the social, economic, political, and cultural lives of individuals and communities— creating a 'new normal'. It explores the different media vocabularies of fear, panic, social distancing, and contagion from across Asian nations. It focuses on the role media played as most nations faced lockdowns and unique challenges during the crisis. From healthcare workers to sex workers, from racism to nationalism, from the plight of migrant workers in news reporting to state propaganda, this book brings critical questions confronting media professionals into focus.
The volume is of critical interest to scholars and researchers of media and communication studies, politics, especially political communication, social and public policy, and Asian studies.

This open access book includes a selection of innovative contributions presented at the 4th international conference "Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2022", held in Bolzano, Italy in July 2022. Featuring 10 papers by academics and consultants, strongly rooted in practical experiences and international projects, it discusses current ground-breaking research in innovative and sustainable planning for cities, with a focus on the environmental, economic, and social challenges associated with the global sustainability transition and energy systems integration. The contributions are illustrative of the richness of the issues discussed and the breadth of the emerging themes, including innovative business models for building and infrastructure at district level, integrated sustainability assessment schemes for Positive Energy Districts, a material flow accounting model for regional metabolism, energy communities as a lever to promote historical and landscape values, optimized and electrified last-mile logistics, multi-criteria decision analysis tools to redefine center/periphery relationships, a framework for socio-spatial analysis related to social practices, design principles and communication technologies improving both indoor and outdoor public spaces, augmented nature-based solution coupling the green elements with the latest technologies to deliver healthier and more appealing cities.

The Malian market at the railway terminus in Dakar was bulldozed in 2009 and, following privatisation of the railway, passenger services in Senegal soon ceased altogether. The consequences were felt especially by women traders who had travelled the line since its inauguration, making the terminus in Dakar the centre of a thriving network of traders and migrants. To examine the fates of those whose livelihoods were destroyed or disrupted, Gunvor Jónsson spent a year with the women evicted from the terminus.

Urban Displacement and Trade in a Senegalese Market explores what happens at 'the end' of urban displacement, when it is all over, so to speak – when the dust has settled and people find themselves scattered in sometimes unfamiliar surroundings, trying to pick up the pieces and create something meaningful.

This book argues that rupture and ensuing displacement do not produce a clean slate where identities, networks and histories must be produced from scratch. Traders and their markets do not simply vanish into thin air when they are evicted. The book examines not only what is lost but what emerges when a dense node, such as the terminus, is dissolved and fragmented. The ethnography of the traders reveals that the aftermath of eviction in cities may lead to diasporic forms of consciousness and identity formations. Displacement, whether on a local or global scale, demands difficult adjustments and people's capacities to adapt to new circumstances and environments vary. This book uncovers some of these different capacities and variations in traders' reactions to displacement.

Praise for Urban Displacement and Trade in a Senegalese Market

Jónsson's book is a masterful study of the aftermath of displacement in a major African city. Through deep ethnographic engagement, the book shows how displacement is about more than leaving a place; it is also about how people rebuild livelihoods, and how the space left behind continues to haunt their imagination of a meaningful life. -Hélène Neveu Kringelbach, Associate Professor of African Anthropology, University College London

This book is an inspiring tribute to the Malian women traders of Senegal. 'Emptied out' from their old market stalls by a vainglorious development scheme, they bravely regrouped to recover their livelihoods and protect their families. Gunvor Jónsson challenges the idea that displacement only involves refugees. Instead, she creatively marries studies of migration and urbanization, providing fresh insights to both fields. --Robin Cohen, Professor Emeritus, University of Oxford

Affordable housing shortage and social exclusion have become severe societal problems across the globe. Increasing numbers of people are suffering from social eviction and displacement due to urban densification, modernization, rising rents, and intense housing commodification. Vulnerable resident groups – such as old-aged or households with children – who often live in old housing stocks planned to be densified, renovated, or upgraded with higher rents, are forced to leave the urban core centers because they can no longer afford to live in central locations, or because they experience unstable or insecure housing conditions. A scenario that is highly unsustainable. So far, studies on densification have mainly considered the process as technological, architectural, or design-based problem (e.g., Kyttä et al., 2013; Broitman & Koomen, 2015; Bibby et al., 2018). However, systematic knowledge on how to implement densification objectives sustainably – regarding economic, environmental, and social aspects – is still lacking. This book tackles this gap by analyzing densification from a governance perspective. Its point of departure is that densification per se does not necessarily lead to sustainable outcomes in terms of social inclusion, cohesion, or community stability. Rather, it politicizes densification by neglecting how the process is planned, implemented, and governed by the actors involved. The book applies an actors-centered neoinstitutionalist political ecology approach to reveal the specific objectives and strategies of actors involved, as well as the socio-political structures (i.e. rules. laws, and policies) that govern densification. Four Swiss in-depth empirical qualitative case studies (Zürich, Basel, Köniz, and Kloten) illustrate the political and legal conditions for success or failure for (un)sustainable implementations of densification. Ultimately, this book advises stakeholders, governments, urban practitioners, and academics on more effective, community-oriented, collective, and decommodified forms of governance to respond to the needs of the public at large rather than simply catering to private individuals and firms. Such governance initiatives entail active municipal land policy approaches outside a purely market-based investment logic that not only limit, but also work with property rights. This is an open access book.

This open access edited volume focuses on the scope and benefits of strengthening local industrial-health linkages. The Covid-19 pandemic collapsed international supply chains for health. That experience brought home to African policy makers the critical nature of local manufacturing capabilities for sustaining and strengthening health care, and highlighted the pandemic benefits of India's much stronger industrial base. At that time, a network of researchers in East Africa, India and the UK were investigating how to address the crisis of cancer care in low-resource health systems. Their project, uniquely, focused on the scope and benefits of strengthening local industrial-health linkages. The project researchers were also drawn into the pressing demands of Covid19 response. The result is this very timely book. The authors link their research on cancer to pandemic experience, and they draw sharp lessons for how countries can enhance their populations' health security. The authors argue that improving cancer care is crucial for human wellbeing and more inclusive health care. They challenge policy makers to bring together health needs, health innovations and improved industrial capabilities to embed better cancer care and broader health system improvement in local industrial innovation and development.

African legislatures remain understudied, yet democratisation, development and peacebuilding all depend on these key political institutions. This book provides an in-depth analysis of Ethiopia's parliament, a country of key political and strategic importance to the whole region.

In 1931, Ethiopia's monarchical government introduced a system of parliamentary democracy with seemingly contradictory objectives; it wanted to legitimize its rule in a changing world, and also needed to provide a respectable retirement vocation (as senators and deputies) to sections of the aristocracy it ousted from power. This paradox of recognizing the parliament as essential to modern governance yet deliberately seeking weak institutions that are unable or unwilling to challenge those in power continues to haunt the parliament to this day. Ethiopia continues to struggle to maintain political stability, and the separation of power between government and parliament and a system of checks and balances are yet to substantially flourish. Drawing on extensive original data gathered from interviews and surveys, this book investigates the legal and practical status of federal representative institutions in Ethiopia from 1931 up to and including 2021. It delves into the rules and routines of parliament, its contextually and historically grounded culture of representation, and the techniques of manoeuvring executive bureaucracies. The book also aims to understand the extent of civil dis/engagement and the perceptions and role of citizens in shaping parliament, and how the mandates and functions of individual MPs are also determined by cultural and socio-economic factors such as gender, population, inequality and conflict.

This book's in-depth and original analysis will be of interest to researchers across African studies, politics, development, and governance.

«This timely and important book provides a critical look at borders and belonging. It illuminates the tensions and contradictions that often exist within the logic of legal and political mechanisms that define regional and national boundaries and the reality of the lives lived within these constructions. The resulting essays are instructive, thought-provoking and sometimes very moving explorations of the making and meaning of historical and contemporary borderlands.» (Roisín Higgins, Professor of History, National University of Ireland Maynooth) «This volume is a masterful combination of analyses of feelings of belonging and identities following from changing state and cultural borders in the past and present and their challenges for living together. Its chapters analyse the intersections of people, territory, institutions and law from theoretical perspectives as well as through reflexive individual experience of social identity formation from below, often with a focus on their contestation in (re-)territorialized sub-state regions.» (Josef Marko, Professor of Comparative Public Law and Political Sciences, University of Graz) Both the Brexit process and the Covid pandemic have challenged the idealistic concept that borders in Europe and elsewhere were becoming ever more permeable. The idea that the world was becoming a global village has been seriously eroded. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine has once again highlighted how power politics draws borders and shapes belongings. This has necessitated analyses of the nature of human-made borders and boundaries and the consequences for individuals and collectives who experience inclusion or exclusion on their feelings of belonging and their identities. Similarly, governmental policies within states have created majorities and minorities and have caused grave implications for those groups at the receiving end of legislation and state actions. This multidisciplinary volume comprises essays from researchers and academics, located in Europe and beyond, who investigate the effects of border creation, social and legal inclusivity and exclusion on individuals and collective identities in the past and today. Combining «from above» and «from below» perspectives, the volume explores macro-political processes affecting borders and senses of belonging as well as their intersections at the microlevel, including private views and individual responses to such types of processes.