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Globalisation and rapid social and environmental change in recent decades have brought into sharper focus not only the benefits but also the costs of economic development. The once assumed link between economic development and societal well-being is being increasingly questioned in the face of growing social and environmental problems and unfulfilled expectations concerning political and commercial decision-makers. The orthodox development dogma is being tested in particular in resource-based economies such as Western Australia, where globalisation pressures and the concomitant rise in the demand for natural resources highlight the difficulties of effectively balancing broader societal interests with those of industry and the state. This book provides a critical review of the socio-political, environmental and cultural state of play in Western Australia, offering an analysis of how resource-based developments are shaping the state and its people.

World population is forecast to grow from 7 to 9 billion by 2050, 1 in 6 is already hungry and food production must increase by 70-100% if it is to feed this growing population. No single solution will solve this problem but recent developments in the genetic technologies of plant breeding can help to increase agricultural efficiencies and save people from hunger in a sustainable manner, particularly in African nations where the need is greatest. These advances can rapidly incorporate new traits and tailor existing crops to meet new requirements and also greatly reduce the time and costs taken to improve local crop varieties. This book provides a collected, reliable, succinct review which deals expressly with the successful implementation of the new plant genetic sciences in emerging economies in the context of the interrelated key regulatory, social, ethical, political and trade matters

Social work and poverty: A critical approach provides a timely review of the key issues facing social workers and service users in working together to combat poverty.First, it situates social work and poverty within a historical context, then analyses definitions and theories of poverty along with their importance in enabling anti-oppressive practice with service users. It goes on to evaluate the Welfare Reform Act 2012 in relation to the negative impact on service users and social workers alike. Key areas of social work and social care are covered with regard to the effects of poverty including, uniquely, access to food, obesity and problematic drug use. Finally the impacts of globalisation on social work and issues of poverty are explored. The book will be of interest to students, researchers and academics in social work and policy makers working in related areas

Taking a data-driven approach, A Course on Statistics for Finance presents statistical methods for financial investment analysis. The author introduces regression analysis, time series analysis, and multivariate analysis step by step using models and methods from finance. The book begins with a review of basic statistics, including descriptive statistics, kinds of variables, and types of data sets. It then discusses regression analysis in general terms and in terms of financial investment models, such as the capital asset pricing model and the Fama/French model. It also describes mean-variance portfolio analysis and concludes with a focus on time series analysis. Providing the connection between elementary statistics courses and quantitative finance courses, this text helps both existing and future quants improve their data analysis skills and better understand the modeling process.

Laboratory experiments, survey experiments and field experiments occupy a central and growing place in the discipline of political science. The Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science is the first text to provide a comprehensive overview of how experimental research is transforming the field. Some chapters explain and define core concepts in experimental design and analysis. Other chapters provide an intellectual history of the experimental movement. Throughout the book, leading scholars review groundbreaking research and explain, in personal terms, the growing influence of experimental political science. The Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science provides a collection of insights that can be found nowhere else. Its topics are of interest not just to researchers who are conducting experiments today, but also to researchers who think that experiments can help them make new and important discoveries in political science and beyond.

"This book contains a global comparative study of implementation and monitoring mechanisms for national disability strategies. It comprises a comparative study that was conducted at international, regional, and comparative country levels and that highlights critical success factors in implementing disability strategies or action plans worldwide. It explores emerging synergies between what is required to implement principles of international law contained in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and what it is possible to achieve through national policy and systems development. A number of critical success factors for implementing and monitoring strategies are identified, including leadership from government and civil society, participation of disabled people in implementation and monitoring, transparency and accountability in reporting on progress, independent monitoring and external review, and the ability to measure progress with indicators of disability equality"--Provided by publisher

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- About the editor -- List of contributors -- How to use this book -- Editor's note -- Acknowledgements -- 1 Introduction: Foundations, tradition and new directions - the future of clinical audit in a new decade -- 2 Stage 1: Preparation, planning and organisation of clinical audit -- 3 Stage 2: Measuring performance -- 4 Stage 3: Implementing change -- 5 Stage 4: Sustaining improvement -- Apendix 1 Ethics and clinical audit -- Appendix 2 Clinical audit, impact and quality improvement: a discursive review -- Appendix 3 Four principles of change management -- Appendix 4 Criteria and indicators for best practice in clinical audit -- Appendix 5 Clinical audit: a guide for NHS boards and partners -- Appendix 6 Patient and public engagement (PPE) in clinical audit -- Appendix 7 Further sources of help and information -- Appendix 8 List of abbreviations -- Index.

Some police forces believe that 20 years from now they will operate much as they do today, but advances in technology and operating concepts are driving significant changes in day-to-day police operations. This book explores potential visions of the future of policing, based on the drivers of jurisdiction, technology, and threat, and includes concrete steps for implementation. This analysis is based on a review of policing methods and theories from the 19th century to the present day. Recommendations include educating personnel and leaders to build internal support for change, transitioning to shared technical platforms, and leveraging winning technologies. Because criminals will also use new technology that becomes available, the key to the future of policing will not be the technology itself; it will be the ways in which police forces adapt the technology to their needs

De Lange suggests a new contextually linked building block model to develop theories of the firm in the field of strategy and organizations. Using this approach, she proposes two models: one that is a realistic American version and another that is a futuristic sustainable model. Both are new networked models that integrate current theories; a review of international corporate governance supports the sustainable firm that solves problems of the current one. Through a revised theoretical lens, the book answers a provocative question surrounding modern corporate America: Who wields the power? In this investigative look at the institutional mechanisms behind who is truly running the show, Cliques and Capitalism seeks to not only explain why the current corporate system fails to function well, but also offers solutions for improved corporate governance through a new sustainable model.

Latin American cities have always been characterized by a strong tension between what is vaguely described as their formal and informal dimensions. However, the terms formal and informal refer not only to the physical aspect of cities but also to their entire socio-political fabric. Informal cities and settlements exceed the structures of order, control and homogeneity that one expects to find in a formal city; therefore the contributors to this volume - from such disciplines as architecture, urban planning, anthropology, urban design, cultural and urban studies and sociology - focus on alternative methods of analysis in order to study the phenomenon of urban informality. This book provides a thorough review of the work that is currently being carried out by scholars, practitioners and governmental institutions, in and outside Latin America, on the question of informal cities

Diverse musical cultures of migrant and minority communities have existed in Europe for centuries and shaped its countries significantly. As part of an EU-funded project this volume deals with the musical activities of minorities and their impact on musical traditions in Europe. It also raises questions such as: How are musical traditions of minorities integrated in education and the public music life? Can music facilitate transcultural dialogue? And to what extent do musical practice and performance reassert the own cultural tradition in a foreign environment? Answers to those and similar questions as well as a review on what can be observed in the 21st century Europe are gathered in various thematic approaches. The book also provides model projects with a practical insight into the life and work with music of migrant and minority cultures across Europe.

Diverse musical cultures of migrant and minority communities have existed in Europe for centuries and shaped its countries significantly. As part of an EU-funded project this volume deals with the musical activities of minorities and their impact on musical traditions in Europe. It also raises questions such as: How are musical traditions of minorities integrated in education and the public music life? Can music facilitate transcultural dialogue? And to what extent do musical practice and performance reassert the own cultural tradition in a foreign environment? Answers to those and similar questions as well as a review on what can be observed in the 21st century Europe are gathered in various thematic approaches. The book also provides model projects with a practical insight into the life and work with music of migrant and minority cultures across Europe.

"There are student-friendly introductions to Descartes' Meditations, but I know of none that match the student-friendliness of Richard Francks' Reader's Guide. It will make the masterpiece of the father of modern philosophy available to the widest audience yet." - Professor Tom Sorrel, University of Birmingham, UK In Descartes' Meditations: A Reader's Guide, Richard Francks offers a clear and thorough account of this key philosophical work. The book offers a detailed review of the key themes and a lucid commentary that will enable readers to rapidly navigate the text. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of the text as a whole, the guide explores the complex and important ideas inherent in the text and provides a cogent survey of the reception and influence of Descartes' seminal work.

Since the days of Montesquieu and Jefferson, political decentralization has been seen as a force for better government and economic performance. It is thought to bring government 'closer to the people', nurture civic virtue, protect liberty, exploit local information, stimulate policy innovation, and alleviate ethnic tensions. Inspired by such arguments, and generously funded by the major development agencies, countries across the globe have been racing to devolve power to local governments. This book re-examines the arguments that underlie the modern faith in decentralization. Using logical analysis and formal modeling, and appealing to numerous examples, it shows that most are based on vague intuitions or partial views that do not withstand scrutiny. A review of empirical studies of decentralization finds these as inconclusive and mutually contradictory as the theories they set out to test

Ronald Dworkin occupies a distinctive place in both public life and philosophy. In public life, he is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and other widely read journals. In philosophy, he has written important and influential works on many of the most prominent issues in legal and political philosophy. In both cases, his interventions have in part shaped the debates he joined. His opposition to Robert Bork's nomination for the United States Supreme Court gave new centrality to debates about the public role of judges and the role of original intent in constitutional interpretation. His writings in legal philosophy have reoriented the modern debate about legal positivism and natural law. In political philosophy, he has shaped the ways in which people debate the nature of equality and has reframed debates about the sanctity of life