Communication plays a central part in the increasing global interconnectedness of contemporary societies, nations and economies. Whether in entertainment and cultural exchange, or in business traffic and transborder data flows, communication on a world scale affects the fate of nation states and of individual lives. In "The Politics of World Communication", Cees J. Hamelink examines the political processes and decisions that determine the global communication environment. Because it is central to the arena of world politics, governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations seek to influence the basis of communicative exchange. Mass communication, telecommunication, data traffic, intellectual property and communication technology have all been regulated by agreements within the intemational community. Examining negotiation processes and their outcomes, the author offers a comprehensive analysis of the global politics of communication and its implications for specific nations, areas and communities. Underlying the analysis is a fundamental concern with communication as an issue of human rights. Do the standards agreed on world communication address the interests of ordinary people in their everyday lives? With its unique insight into world communication politics, combined with a broad humanitarian perspective, this book will be invaluable to scholars and students of international communication, world politics, international law and human rights.
The assessment and improvement of eyewitness testimony of children is the topic of this volume. The first section examines factors that contribute to the reliability and accuracy of testimony, including the effects of extended delays, repeated questioning and exposure to leading questions. The second part describes techniques that have been developed to improve the quality of children's testimony, including interview techniques and the use of anatomically correct dolls, and explores their empirical and theoretical underpinnings. The final chapters focus on policy issues, including psychological research designed to guide legal reforms for accommodating child witnesses into the legal system.
In this guide to cultural criticism, Arthur Asa Berger presents complex concepts in jargon-free language, making the book an ideal introductory text. It covers the key theorists, concepts and subject areas, from literary, sociological and psychoanalytical theories of semiotics and Marxism. Berger brings cultural criticism to life by making these theories relevant to students' lives. Illustrating his explanations with excerpts from classic works, Berger gives readers a sense of the style of important thinkers and helps place them in context. There is an extensive bibliography which will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to explore the topics in greater depth.
This major contribution to the understanding of Hispanics in the United States explores such topics as: adaptation to a new culture; role of the family in acculturation; ethnic identification; health and mental health service; research needs; and changing gender roles. The articles were previously published in the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences.
Why do people forget some skills faster than others? What kind of training is most effective at getting people to retain new skills over a longer period of time? Cognitive psychologists address these questions in this volume by analyzing the results of experiments which used a wide variety of perceptual, cognitive and motoric training tasks. Studies reported on include: the Stroop effect; mental calculation; vocabulary retention; contextual interference effects; autobiographical memory; target detection; and specificity and transfer in choice reaction time tasks. Each chapter explores the extent to which reinstatement of training procedures during retention and transfer tests accounts for both durability and specificity of training.
Why do people forget some skills faster than others? What kind of training is most effective at getting people to retain new skills over a longer period of time? Cognitive psychologists address these questions in this volume by analyzing the results of experiments which used a wide variety of perceptual, cognitive and motoric training tasks. Studies reported on include: the Stroop effect; mental calculation; vocabulary retention; contextual interference effects; autobiographical memory; target detection; and specificity and transfer in choice reaction time tasks. Each chapter explores the extent to which reinstatement of training procedures during retention and transfer tests accounts for both durability and specificity of training.
Cities and regions are the foci for many environmental problems such as resource depletion, air and water pollution, and the production of waste, but they also have a central role to play in finding solutions to global environmental problems. It is in cities that people can develop solutions - alternatives to resource-intensive modes of transport, ......
In present-day societies, knowledge is not only the key to the world, but the making of the world. In this broad-ranging analysis of the central role that knowledge plays in our life Nico Stehr critically examines the premises of existing social theory and explores the knowledge relations in advanced societies. The result is a significant new synthesis of social theory. The issues addressed in "Knowledge Societies" include: the process of scientization - the penetration of scientific knowledge not only into production but into most spheres of social action; the transformation of the political system by increasingly knowledgeable citizens; the rise of specific areas of expertise and changes in corresponding institutions based on the deployment of specialised knowledge; a shift in the nature of societal conflict from struggles about the allocation of income and property to claims and conflict about generalized human needs; the emergence of fragility as a basic attribute of modern social organizations. The author does not argue that the transformations of contemporary societies around knowledge lead to any unilinear pattern of change, or to universal shifts to the advantage of specific social groups. But his argument amply demonstrates that all social theories now need to take account of the changing nature of social relations around knowledge, and defines the parameters within which this analysis should take place. This book will be essential reading for all those interested in social theory, sociology of knowledge and science, and the whole issue of knowledge in the late twentieth century,
The critical needs of neglected and abused children are explored in this volume. The author discusses the challenges faced by practitioners who must provide the resources and support to help such vulnerable children anticipate the future with hope and confidence. Topics covered include: professional responsibility; physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children; family support; adoption; and mental health issues. Weisz also examines the complex legal and professional issues surrounding the decision to remove children from parents who abuse or neglect them. The book includes case studies to illustrate the efforts required to coordinate multidisciplinary services whose aim is to achieve long-term positive impact on the children.
