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New eBook Arrivals May 2021
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Power and Influence of Economists by Jens Maesse (Editor); Stephan Pühringer (Editor); Thierry Rossier (Editor); Pierre Benz (Editor) Economists occupy leading positions in many different sectors including central and private banks, multinational corporations, the state and the media, as well as serving as policy consultants on everything from health to the environment and security. Power and Influence of Economists explores the interconnected relationship between power, knowledge and influence which has led economics to be both a source and beneficiary of widespread power and influence.
The contributors to this book explore the complex and diverse methods and channels that economists have used to exert and expand their influence from different disciplinary and national perspectives. Four different analytical views on the role of power and economics are taken: first, the role of economic expert discourses as power devices for the formation of influential expertise; second, the logics and modalities of governmentality that produce power/knowledge apparatuses between science and society; third, economists as involved in networks between academia, politics and the media; and forth, economics considered as a social field, including questions of legitimacy and unequal relations between economists based on the detention of various capitals. The volume includes case studies on a variety of national configurations of economics, such as the US, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Mexico and Brazil, as well as international spaces and organisations such as the IMF.
This book provides innovative research perspectives for students and scholars of heterodox economics, cultural political economy, sociology of professions, network studies, and the social studies of power, discourse and knowledge.ISBN: 9780367817084
Publication Date: 2021-05-24
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Negotiating Gender Expertise in Environment and Development by Bernadette P. Resurrección (Editor); Rebecca Elmhirst (Editor) This book casts a light on the daily struggles and achievements of ‘gender experts’ working in environment and development organisations, where they are charged with advancing gender equality and social equity and aligning this with visions of sustainable development.
Developed through a series of conversations convened by the book’s editors with leading practitioners from research, advocacy and donor organisations, this text explores the ways gender professionals – specialists and experts, researchers, organizational focal points – deal with personal, power-laden realities associated with navigating gender in everyday practice. In turn, wider questions of epistemology and hierarchies of situated knowledges are examined, where gender analysis is brought into fields defined as largely techno-scientific, positivist and managerialist. Drawing on insights from feminist political ecology and feminist science, technology and society studies, the authors and their collaborators reveal and reflect upon strategies that serve to mute epistemological boundaries and enable small changes to be carved out that on occasions open up promising and alternative pathways for an equitable future.
This book will be of great relevance to scholars and practitioners with an interest in environment and development, science and technology, and gender and women’s studies more broadly.ISBN: 9781351175180
Publication Date: 2020-11-26
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Public procurement in the European Union: how contracting authorities can improve their procurement performance in tenders by Alexander Rhode Alexander Rhode investigates performance-oriented measures of Contracting Authorities in public tenders conducted within the EU. He finds that Contracting Authorities can improve their performance and attract more suppliers by publishing (as precise as possible) starting prices in the beginning of a tender. First, he reports that compared with private-sector negotiations, starting prices do not create entry barriers in public procurement. Second, he finds that increased numerical precision of starting prices is linearly correlated with better performance and a higher number of bids. In public procurement, suppliers tend to attribute increased credibility to precise starting prices which reduces their (perceived) entry risks.ISBN: 9783658280734
Publication Date: 2019
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Understanding Brexit by Graham Taylor On 23rd June 2016 the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. The results of the EU referendum showed 52% in favour of leaving against 48% who voted to remain. This short book examines why this happened, examining the historical, economic, political, social and cultural reasons that led to the Brexit vote. Putting Brexit in the context of the growth of globalization, neo-liberal capitalism, changes in migration trends and the emergence of populist politics, this book goes beyond the narrow and shallow accounts offered by the media and media-inspired books to provide a rigorous and critical analysis of the most dramatic event to confront contemporary British society since the 2nd World War.ISBN: 9781787146785
Publication Date: 2017-11-29
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Living Wages Around the World by Richard Anker; Martha Anker This manual describes a new methodology to measure a decent but basic standard of living in different countries and how much workers need to earn to afford this, making it possible for researchers to estimate comparable living wages around the world and determine gaps between living wages and prevailing wages, even in countries with limited secondary data.ISBN: 9781786431462
Publication Date: 2017-01-27
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Towards convergence in Europe: institutions, labour and industrial relations by Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead The main original aim of the European Union was to promote convergence towards higher economic growth and social standards. However, EU countries have sometimes experienced different trajectories, due in part to their different starting points and the fact that their convergence on particular socio-economic indicators has varied. At the same time, little evidence has so far been presented on cross-country convergence within the EU. This book aims to answer a number of important questions. To what extent have European countries converged or diverged with EU-wide economic and social indicators over the past 20 years? What have been the drivers of convergence? Why do some countries lag behind, while others experience continuous upward convergence? Why are these trajectories not always linear? Particular attention is paid to the role of institutions, actors and industrial relations – focusing on the resources and strategies of governments, employers and trade unions – in nudging EU countries onto an upward convergence path. This book provides a unique analysis of socio-economic indicators to identify convergence trends in the EU. It defines a number of clusters that help to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of national socio-economic models and the European Social Model. Cross-country case studies help to identify the possible impact of global movements (migration, foreign investment) and policies (social protection, social dialogue, employment) on cross-country convergence. This book offers a timely assessment of convergence within the EU, identifying its drivers in the world of work and in institutions and industrial relations. It presents examples of where institutions and industrial relations can change convergence outcomes and proposes a range of useful policy options. Scholars and researchers will find it an invaluable reference for studies of European affairs and social policies.ISBN: 9781788978071
Publication Date: 2019
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Governing finance in Europe: a centralisation of rulemaking? by Adrienne Heritier and Magnus G. Schoeler (editors) How do regulatory structures evolve in EU financial governance? Incorporating insights from a variety of disciplines, Governing Finance in Europe provides a comprehensive framework to investigate the dynamics leading to centralisation, decentralisation and fragmentation in EU financial regulation. Offering a comprehensive and generalizable theoretical account of regulatory centralisation, this book combines theoretical approaches from political science, law, sociology and economics to trace centralisation in EU financial governance. Contributors build on a rich political science and legal literature and offer empirical analyses of major EU legislative packages in financial regulation, including the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) and Capital Markets Union (CMU). This book systematically identifies and examines the forces and counter-forces on regulatory centralisation. It also offers conjectures as to who benefits from the regulation and how decision-makers are held politically and legally accountable. Featuring contributions from internationally renowned scholars, this book is key reading for academics working in finance and financial policies, particularly those investigating European politics, regulation and regional integration. It will also be of interest to practitioners and policymakers, as chapters provide unique insights into the real-world implications of financial regulation.ISBN: 9781839101120
Publication Date: 2020
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Whistleblowing, Communication and Consequences by Peer Jacob Svenkerud (Editor); Jan-Oddvar Sørnes (Editor); Larry Browning (Editor) Whistleblowing, Communication and Consequences offers the first in-depth analysis of the most publicized, and morally complex, case of whistleblowing in recent European history: the Norwegian national lottery, Norsk Tipping.
With contributions from the whistleblower himself, as well as from key voices in the field, this book offers unique perspectives and insights into not only this fascinating case, but into whistleblowing and wrongdoing in organizations more broadly. An international team of scholars use fourteen different theoretical lenses to show the complex and multi-faceted nature of whistleblowing. The book begins with an ethnographic account by the whistleblower story and proceeds into an analysis of the literature and conceptual topics related to that whistleblowing incident to present the lessons that can be learnt from this extreme example of institutional failure.
This fascinating, complex, and multi-theoretical book will be of great interest to scholars, students and industry leaders in the areas of public relations, corporate communication, leadership, corporate social responsibility, whistleblowing and organizational resistance.ISBN: 9781000210538
Publication Date: 2021-03-25
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The politics of policy analysis by Paul Cairney This book focuses on two key ways to improve the literature surrounding policy analysis. Firstly, it explores the implications of new developments in policy process research, on the role of psychology in communication and the multi-centric nature of policymaking. This is particularly important since policy analysts engage with policymakers who operate in an environment over which they have limited understanding and even less control. Secondly, it incorporates insights from studies of power, co-production, feminism, and decolonisation, to redraw the boundaries of policy-relevant knowledge. These insights help raise new questions and change expectations about the role and impact of policy analysis.ISBN: 9783030661229
Publication Date: 2021
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Making policies work: first and second-order mechanisms in policy design by Gilberto Capano (editor) Policy design efforts are often hampered by an inadequate understanding of how policy tools and actions promote effective policies. This book addresses this gap by proposing a causal theory of the linkages between policy actions and policy effects. Adopting a mechanistic perspective, it identifies the causal processes that activate policy effects and help achieve policy goals. Bringing together established and emerging scholars in the field, Making Policies Work introduces new concepts of first- and second- order policy mechanisms developed from epistemological and theoretical perspectives, and considers how they can be activated through design. Theoretical concepts are explored through empirical cases from different policy arenas and contemporary policy issues such as partnerships in healthcare, food waste prevention, retirement savings, EU regulations and public sector reform. Graduate students in public policy, public administration and political science will find the powerful analytical tools offered in this book useful in exploring the theoretical elements of effective policy design. Policymakers and practitioners in governmental and non-governmental organisations interested in the practical applications will also benefit from reading this timely book.ISBN: 9781788118194
Publication Date: 2019
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Working for the State by S. Corby (Editor); G. Symon (Editor) This book examines the impact of public sector reforms and reorganisations on the experiences of the UK public sector's six million workers and those employed in the private sector but providing public services. Chapters bring long-standing topics up-to-date, such as worker representation and reward.ISBN: 9780230347984
Publication Date: 2011-10-03
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Collaboration in public service delivery: promise and pitfalls by Anka Kekez, Michael Howlett and M. Ramesh (editors) The growing intensity and complexity of public service has spurred policy reform efforts across the globe, many featuring attempts to promote more collaborative government. Collaboration in Public Service Delivery sheds light on these efforts, analysing and reconceptualising the major types of collaboration in public service delivery through a governance lens. Featuring careful analysis with a global scope, this book unpacks the concept of collaborative service delivery and its practice, drawing from the fields of public policy, public administration, and management. Chapters by leading authors in these areas address service delivery arrangements including co-production, co-management, consultations, contracting-out, commissioning and certification. With a keen focus on conditions that are critical for the success of such collaborative arrangements, as well as their different pathways and pitfalls, the authors suggest ways to improve the analytical, managerial and political capacities needed for successful collaboration in public service delivery. This timely and comprehensive book is useful for students at all levels interested in public policy, governance, administration and management, as well as researchers investigating the governance of collaborative service delivery. Policymakers and practitioners working to re-evaluate and improve public service provision, especially, will also benefit from its insightful discussions of the conditions and mechanisms under which collaborative arrangements operate and fail or succeed.ISBN: 9781788978583
Publication Date: 2019
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Standing up for a sustainable world: voices of change by Claude Henry, Johan Rockstrom and Nicholas Stern (editors) The world has witnessed extraordinary economic growth, poverty reduction and increased life expectancy and population since the end of WWII, but it has occurred at the expense of undermining life support systems on Earth and subjecting future generations to the real risk of destabilising the planet. This timely book exposes and explores this colossal environmental cost and the dangerous position the world is now in. Standing up for a Sustainable World is written by and about key individuals who have not only understood the threats to our planet, but also become witness to them and confronted them. Combining the voices of leading academics as well as climate change and environmental activists, entrepreneurs and investors, the book highlights the urgent action that needs to be taken to foster sustainable, resilient and inclusive development in the face of powerful systemic forces. Chapters look ahead to a better path for human wellbeing, security and dignity, offering insight to ways this can be created. The book as a whole shares the visions and hopes of those fighting in a myriad of ways to make a sustainable world, attempting to tip the balance away from the crushing loss of biodiversity, rising sea levels and increasing global mean temperature, whilst increasing living standards across all dimensions, particularly for the poorest people. An imperative read for those concerned about the future of our planet, this book showcases not only why urgent action is now imperative, but also what changes are necessary for a sustainable, resilient and equitable world. It offers crucial insights for those interested in the dynamics of political action, in how change occurs, and in effective communication. Environmental economics, as well as environmental studies and human geography students and scholars more broadly will find this an invigorating read.ISBN: 9781800371781
Publication Date: 2020
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Digital Contact Tracing for Pandemic Response by Jeffrey Kahn (Editor); Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins Project on Ethics and Governance of Digital Contact Tracing Technologies (Editor) As public health professionals around the world work tirelessly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that traditional methods of contact tracing need to be augmented in order to help address a public health crisis of unprecedented scope. Innovators worldwide are racing to develop and implement novel public-facing technology solutions, including digital contact tracing technology. These technological products may aid public health surveillance and containment strategies for this pandemic and become part of the larger toolbox for future infectious outbreak prevention and control.
As technology evolves in an effort to meet our current moment, Johns Hopkins Project on Ethics and Governance of Digital Contact Tracing Technologies—a rapid research and expert consensus group effort led by Dr. Jeffrey P. Kahn of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics in collaboration with the university's Center for Health Security—carried out an in-depth analysis of the technology and the issues it raises. Drawing on this analysis, they produced a report that includes detailed recommendations for technology companies, policymakers, institutions, employers, and the public. The project brings together perspectives from bioethics, health security, public health, technology development, engineering, public policy, and law to wrestle with the complex interactions of the many facets of the technology and its applications.
This team of experts from Johns Hopkins University and other world-renowned institutions has crafted clear and detailed guidelines to help manage the creation, implementation, and application of digital contact tracing. Digital Contact Tracing for Pandemic Response is the essential resource for this fast-moving crisis.ISBN: 9781421440620
Publication Date: 2020-05-29
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Dismantling Rape Culture by Tracey Nicholls This book analyses rape culture through the lens of the ‘me too’ era. Drawing feminist theory into conversation with peace studies and improvisation theory, it advocates for peace- building opportunities to transform culture and for the improvisatory resources of ‘culture- jamming’ as a mechanism to dismantle rape culture.
The book’s key argument is that cultural attitudes and behaviours can be shifted through the introduction of disrupting narratives, so each chapter ends with a ‘culture- jammed’ re- telling of a traditional fairy tale. Chapter 1 traces an overlap of feminist theory and peace studies, arguing that rape culture is most fruitfully understood through the concept of ‘structural violence.’ Chapter 2 investigates the gender scripts that rape culture produces, considering a female counterpart to the concept of ‘toxic masculinity’: ‘complicit femininity.’ Chapter 3 offers analysis of non- consensual sex and a history of consent education, culminating in an argument that we need to move beyond consent to conceptualise a robust ‘respectful mutuality.’ Chapter 4 ’s history of sexual harassment in the workplace and the rise of #metoo argues that its global manifestations are a powerful peace- building initiative. Chapter 5 situates ‘me too’ within a culture- jamming history, using improvisation theory to show how this movement’s potential can shape cultural reconstruction.
This is a provocative and interventionist addition to feminist theory scholarship and is suitable for researchers and students in women’s and gender studies, feminist theory, sociology and peace studies.ISBN: 9781003124290
Publication Date: 2020-11-15
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A commentary on the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings by Julia Plantitzer and Helmut Sax (editors) This comprehensive Commentary provides the first fully up-to-date analysis and interpretation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. It offers a concise yet thorough article-by-article guide to the Convention’s anti-trafficking standards and corresponding human rights obligations. This Commentary includes an analysis of each article’s drafting history, alongside a contextualisation of its provisions with other anti-trafficking standards and a discussion of the core issues of interpretation. The Commentary also presents the first full exploration of the findings of the Convention’s monitoring body, the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), providing a better understanding of the practical implications and challenges in relation to the Convention’s standards. Practitioners in the field of anti-trafficking, including lawyers, law enforcement agencies and providers of victim support services will find the Commentary’s concise analysis invaluable. It will also prove useful to researchers and students of human rights law, as well as to policymakers looking for guidance concerning obligations stemming from the Convention.ISBN: 9781788111560
Publication Date: 2020
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The upswing: how we came together a century ago and how we can do it again by Robert D. Putnam The Upswing is Robert D. Putnam's brilliant analysis of economic, social, cultural and political trends from the Gilded Age to the present, showing how America went from an individualistic ‘I’ society to a more communitarian ‘We’ society and then back again, and how we can all learn from that experience.
In the late nineteenth century, America was highly individualistic, starkly unequal, fiercely polarised and deeply fragmented, just as it is today. However, as the twentieth century dawned, America became - slowly, unevenly, but steadily - more egalitarian, more cooperative, more generous; a society 'on the upswing,' more focused on responsibilities to each other and less focused on narrow self-interest. Over the course of the 1960s, however, these trends reversed once again, leading to today's disarray.
In a sweeping overview of more than a century of history, Putnam and Romney Garrett draw on inspiring lessons for our time from an earlier era, when a dedicated group of reformers righted the ship, creating once again a society based on community. Engaging, revelatory and timely, this is Putnam's most ambitious work yet, with a relevance right across the anglophone world. It is an unmissable contribution to the debate about where we want society to go.ISBN: 9781800750036
Publication Date: 2020
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Social services disrupted: changes, challenges and policy implications for Europe in times of austerity by Flavia Martinelli, Anneli Anttonen and Margitta Matzke (editors) Public social services are a key component of the welfare state in most of Europe, although their development trajectories, coverage and legal status still vary considerably among countries. How such services are provided, and for whom, impacts significantly on social and territorial cohesion, gender balance and, ultimately, on the development of any society. However, while much is discussed and written about social policy and welfare systems, social services remain somewhat neglected. Although they have gained a stronger foothold in national legislations and social policy agendas, their status remains weaker compared to education or health. Moreover, because of the austerity measures following the 2008 financial crisis, they have been subject to cuts and reorganisation, which have brought about significant disruption. This book revives the discussion on public social services and their redesign, with a focus on services relating to care and the social inclusion of vulnerable groups. Conveying the main findings of the EU-funded COST Action IS1102 Social Services, Welfare States and Places, the book provides rich information on the changes that occurred in the organisation and supply of public social services over the last thirty years in different European places and service fields. Despite the persisting variety in social service models, three shared trends emerge: public sector disengagement, ‘vertical re-scaling’ of authority and ‘horizontal re-mix’ in the supply system. The consequences of such changes are evaluated from different perspectives – governance, social and territorial cohesion, labour market, gender – and are eventually deemed ‘disruptive’ in both economic and social terms. The policy implications of the restructuring are also explored. The book will appeal to a broad audience: researchers and students, policy-makers, civil servants, service providers, social workers and users’ organisations.ISBN: 9781786432117
Publication Date: 2017
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Power and Influence of Economists by Economists occupy leading positions in many different sectors including central and private banks, multinational corporations, the state and the media, as well as serving as policy consultants on everything from health to the environment and security. Power and Influence of Economists explores the interconnected relationship between power, knowledge and influence which has led economics to be both a source and beneficiary of widespread power and influence.
Negotiating Gender Expertise in Environment and Development by This book casts a light on the daily struggles and achievements of ‘gender experts’ working in environment and development organisations, where they are charged with advancing gender equality and social equity and aligning this with visions of sustainable development.
Public procurement in the European Union: how contracting authorities can improve their procurement performance in tenders by Alexander Rhode investigates performance-oriented measures of Contracting Authorities in public tenders conducted within the EU. He finds that Contracting Authorities can improve their performance and attract more suppliers by publishing (as precise as possible) starting prices in the beginning of a tender. First, he reports that compared with private-sector negotiations, starting prices do not create entry barriers in public procurement. Second, he finds that increased numerical precision of starting prices is linearly correlated with better performance and a higher number of bids. In public procurement, suppliers tend to attribute increased credibility to precise starting prices which reduces their (perceived) entry risks.
Understanding Brexit by On 23rd June 2016 the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. The results of the EU referendum showed 52% in favour of leaving against 48% who voted to remain. This short book examines why this happened, examining the historical, economic, political, social and cultural reasons that led to the Brexit vote. Putting Brexit in the context of the growth of globalization, neo-liberal capitalism, changes in migration trends and the emergence of populist politics, this book goes beyond the narrow and shallow accounts offered by the media and media-inspired books to provide a rigorous and critical analysis of the most dramatic event to confront contemporary British society since the 2nd World War.
Whistleblowing, Communication and Consequences by Whistleblowing, Communication and Consequences offers the first in-depth analysis of the most publicized, and morally complex, case of whistleblowing in recent European history: the Norwegian national lottery, Norsk Tipping.
The politics of policy analysis by This book focuses on two key ways to improve the literature surrounding policy analysis. Firstly, it explores the implications of new developments in policy process research, on the role of psychology in communication and the multi-centric nature of policymaking. This is particularly important since policy analysts engage with policymakers who operate in an environment over which they have limited understanding and even less control. Secondly, it incorporates insights from studies of power, co-production, feminism, and decolonisation, to redraw the boundaries of policy-relevant knowledge. These insights help raise new questions and change expectations about the role and impact of policy analysis.
Working for the State by This book examines the impact of public sector reforms and reorganisations on the experiences of the UK public sector's six million workers and those employed in the private sector but providing public services. Chapters bring long-standing topics up-to-date, such as worker representation and reward.
Digital Contact Tracing for Pandemic Response by As public health professionals around the world work tirelessly to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that traditional methods of contact tracing need to be augmented in order to help address a public health crisis of unprecedented scope. Innovators worldwide are racing to develop and implement novel public-facing technology solutions, including digital contact tracing technology. These technological products may aid public health surveillance and containment strategies for this pandemic and become part of the larger toolbox for future infectious outbreak prevention and control. 
Dismantling Rape Culture by This book analyses rape culture through the lens of the ‘me too’ era. Drawing feminist theory into conversation with peace studies and improvisation theory, it advocates for peace- building opportunities to transform culture and for the improvisatory resources of ‘culture- jamming’ as a mechanism to dismantle rape culture.
The upswing: how we came together a century ago and how we can do it again by The Upswing is Robert D. Putnam's brilliant analysis of economic, social, cultural and political trends from the Gilded Age to the present, showing how America went from an individualistic ‘I’ society to a more communitarian ‘We’ society and then back again, and how we can all learn from that experience. 
