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This book offers a unique perspective on the Brazilian communication environment in the middle of its most serious political crisis after a military dictatorship. The 2013 protests were an important turning point in the political life of the country, and are often seen as the trigger of many communicational and political dynamics that have led to recent political events, such as the election of a far right wing president. Understanding the transformation of the communication environment at that moment, as well as its consequences, helps to explain what is happening in the country today. The books argument finds its foundations in the following: a systemic view of the communication environment, a conception of technology as structured and transformed by its use, and an understanding of communicational dynamics as an essential part of democratic systems. Drawing on both interviews with key actors in the protests and on analysis of a corpus of tweets, the book assesses the relationship between the use of social media and the formation of mainstream discourses surrounding the concept of mediactivism. It also investigates alternative paths of information made possible by the use of social media when new mediators emerge, going on to search for an understanding of the consequences of social media visibility dynamics on the construction of the common world. Nina Santos is a Post-doctoral fellow in Digital Democracy at the Brazilian National Institute of Science & Technology, Brazil. She is also an Associate Researcher at the Centre d'Analyse et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires sur les Medias (Universite Paris II), France. .

"In Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne take us into the cockpit of one of the world's largest and most powerful tech companies as it finds itself in the middle of some of the thorniest emerging issues of our time. These are challenges that come with no preexisting playbook, including privacy, cybercrime and cyberwar, social media, the moral conundrums of artificial intelligence, big tech's relationship to inequality, and the challenges for democracy, far and near. While in no way a self-glorifying "Microsoft memoir," the book pulls back the curtain remarkably wide onto some of the company's most crucial recent decision points, as it strives to protect the hopes technology offers against the very real threats it also presents. There are huge ramifications for communities and countries, and Brad Smith provides a thoughtful and urgent contribution to that effort"--

"Research Methodology for Social Sciences provides guidelines for designing and conducting evidence-based research in social sciences and interdisciplinary studies using both qualitative and quantitative data. Blending the particularity of different sub-disciplines and interdisciplinary nature of social sciences, this volume: Provides insights on epistemological issues and deliberates on debates over qualitative research methods; Covers different aspects of qualitative research techniques and evidence-based research techniques including survey design, choice of sample, construction of indices, statistical inferences, and data analysis; Discusses concepts, techniques, and tools at different stages of research beginning with design of field surveys to collect raw data and then to analyze the data using statistical and econometric methods; With illustrations, examples and a reader friendly approach, this volume will serve as a key reference material for compulsory research methodology courses at Doctoral levels across different disciplines like Economics, Sociology, Women's Studies, Education, Anthropology, Political Science, International Relations, Philosophy, History, Business Management and the like. This volume will also be indispensable for post-graduate courses dealing with quantitative techniques and data analysis"--

Although the population of older people in Africa is increasing, and older people are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to urbanisation, breakdown of family structures and rising healthcare costs, most African countries have no social health protection for older people. Two exceptions include Senegal's Plan Sesame, a user fees exemption for older people and Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) where older people are exempt from paying premiums. Evidence on whether older people are aware of and enrolling in these schemes is however lacking. We aim to fill this gap. Besides exploring economic indicators, we also investigate whether social exclusion determines enrolment of older people. This is the first study that tries to explore the social, political, economic and cultural (SPEC) dimensions of social exclusion in the context of social health protection programs for older people. Data were collected by two cross-sectional household surveys conducted in Ghana and Senegal in 2012. We develop SPEC indices and conduct logistic regressions to study the determinants of enrolment. Our results indicate that older people vulnerable to social exclusion in all SPEC dimensions are less likely to enrol in Plan Sesame and those that are vulnerable in the political dimension are less likely to enrol in NHIS. Efforts should be taken to specifically enrol older people in rural areas, ethnic minorities, women and those isolated due to a lack of social support. Consideration should also be paid to modify scheme features such as eliminating the registration fee for older people in NHIS and creating administration offices for ID cards in remote communities in Senegal.

AbstractThe strategic application of reverse supply chain logistics to improve the reclamation of products at the end of their useful life is gaining increased attention. The environmental implications of reclamation, reuse, and recycling to save landfill space, fuel, and costs are becoming more important for organizations. The social and ethical dimensions of sustainability, particularly as they apply to reverse logistics, are emerging topics. The focus of existing reverse logistics research has been on the economic and environmental aspects of sustainability – social sustainability has yet to be comprehensively examined. This paper focuses on addressing this gap in the literature by linking various sustainable indicators with various reverse logistics practices to develop a profile of reverse logistics for social sustainability. By compiling practical, international examples from practice and research, we have used the structure of social sustainability to highlight reverse logistics for social sustainability. The paper concludes with some topics for future research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

There has been a debate about whether the Conservative governments since 1979 have pursued a continuation of previous social policies or have followed a more radical set of policies. In this article aspects of housing, health, social security and personal social services policies are examined and an assessment made of the principles underlying recent changes. The article concludes that there has indeed been a radical change, following 'new right' ideas but that developments have happened at different speeds in the various areas.

The purposes of this essay are (1) to identify Hegel's role in the propagation of certain philosophic principles essential to the development of an interpretive social science, (2) to demonstrate in what ways Hegel himself can be understood as an early sociologist, and (3) to indicate those aspects of Hegel's thought that might be of greatest use to contemporary philosophers of social and political inquiry.The first part of the exposition relies on the Preface to The Phenomenology of Mind in order to outline Hegel's epistemological and methodological recommendations. The second part demonstrates the practical meaning of these recommendations by looking at the analysis of ancient Greece found in the Philosophy of History. It is concluded that this analysis is indeed a social scientific analysis and, moreover, is suggestive of subsequent work by such interpretivists as Weber, Schutz, and G. H. Mead.

In his opening introduction, Moghaddam (this volume) points to the fact of recurring dictatorships, that is, when a dictatorial regime is overthrown only for another dictatorial regime to take its place. In this opening introduction, I would like to point out that democratic governance may not be sufficient to eradicate this issue. I would like to argue that democratic societies afford a similar alternating dominance structure through the formation of coalitions. I would like to suggest that democratic coalitions often take the form of alternating dominance structures, where the will of those who dominate at a certain point in a given society is imposed on society at large for a given constitutionally prescribed tenure, only to be displaced by another dominating coalition at a subsequent point in time. This is particularly the case when a political party wins with an absolute majority and is able to govern without the need for a cross-party coalition. ; N/A

Cover -- Half Title -- Series -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Tables -- Notes on Contributors -- Series Preface -- Volume Introduction -- 1 Visions of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence: Relations with Ethics and Power -- 2 Values, Work and Well-being in Artificial Intelligence Society: Exacerbating Dilemmas in Human Resource Management -- 3 In the Forefront of Code: Ethics in Decentralized Finance -- 4 Audio Beacon Technologies, Surveillance and the Digital Paradox -- Index.

Methodologically and theoretically innovative, this monograph draws from Marxism and deconstruction bringing together the textual and the material in our understanding of international law. Approaching 'civilisation' as an argumentative pattern related to the distribution of rights and duties amongst different communities, Ntina Tzouvala illustrates both its contradictory nature and its pro-capitalist bias. 'Civilisation' is shown to oscillate between two poles. On the one hand, a pervasive 'logic of improvement' anchors legal equality to demands that non-Western polities undertake extensive domestic reforms and embrace capitalist modernity. On the other, an insistent 'logic of biology' constantly postpones such a prospect based on ideas of immutable difference. By detailing the tension and synergies between these two logics, Tzouvala argues that international law incorporates and attempts to mediate the contradictions of capitalism as a global system of production and exchange that both homogenises and stratifies societies, populations and space.

"The world is getting smarter. Things of all shapes and sizes-from the smart comb to the smart city and everything between-are now being digitally upgraded with the latest sensors, software, and connectivity. Even your toothbrush can now collect data about when, how long, and how well you brush. And, since it is Bluetooth enabled, it sends that brushing data to cloud servers so that your dentist can monitor your performance and send you personalized tips for a brighter smile. The promise of smart tech is that-by channeling the power of data, networks, and algorithms-we will enjoy a vast array of new capabilities and conveniences. Indeed, it is common for the most energetic boosters to describe smart upgrades in mystical terms. Using smartphones to control our home appliances, they simultaneously exclaim and lament, is the closest we can get to being wand-wielding wizards. While the wonders of smart tech might feel like magical enchantments that enable us to cast digital spells, this book intends to dispel any notions that we inhabit the charmed castle of Fantasia. If anything, it's more like the witchy world of Sabrina, where every spell comes at a cost and unintended consequences abound. Whether celebrating or criticizing smart tech, our attention tends to be captured by concerns about how we choose to use personal devices. The focus on things like how people should detox from the Internet and practice good cyber hygiene elides a far more important issue: how others use digital systems on us, whether we want them to or not. Across three different domains-the smart self, smart home, and smart city-this book explores essential questions about whose interests are materialized by new technology, what imperatives drive its creation, and how we are all impacted by its use"--