springer netherlands jul 2013 (209 risultati)

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Religion is back again in Europe after never having been gone. It is manifest in the revival of religious institutions and traditions in former communist countries, in political controversies about the relationship between the church(es) and the state and about the freedom of religion and the freedom to criticize religion, and in public unease about religious minorities. This book is about religion and civil society in Europe. It moves from general theoretical and normative approaches of this relationship, via the examination of national patterns of religion-state relations, to in-depth analyses of the impact of religion and secularization on the values, pro-social attitudes and civic engagement of individuals. It covers Europe from the Lutheran North to the Catholic South, and from the secularized West to the Orthodox East and Islamic South-East with comparative analyses and country studies, concluding with an overall Europe-USA comparison.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 324 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The book focusses on questions of individual and collective action, the emergence and dynamics of social norms and the feedback between individual behaviour and social phenomena. It discusses traditional modelling approaches to social norms and shows the usefulness of agent-based modelling for the study of these micro-macro interactions. Existing agent-based models of social norms are discussed and it is shown that so far too much priority has been given to parsimonious models and questions of the emergence of norms, with many aspects of social norms, such as norm-change, not being modelled. Juvenile delinquency, group radicalisation and moral decision making are used as case studies for agent-based models of collective action extending existing models by providing an embedding into social networks, social influence via argumentation and a causal action theory of moral decision making. The major contribution of the book is to highlight the multifaceted nature of the dynamics of social norms, consisting not only of emergence, and the importance of embedding of agent-based models into existing theory.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This volume brings together studies from various disciplines of the social sciences and humanities ( anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, history and literary theory) that shed light on the equestrian world as a historically gendered and highly dynamic field of contemporary sport and culture. From high level international dressage and jumping, polo and the turf, to the rodeo world of the Americas and popular forms of equestrian sport and culture, we are introduced to a range of issues that are played out at local and global, national and international levels. Students and scholars of gender, culture and sport will find much of interest in this original look at contemporary issues such as ¿engendered¿ (women¿s and men¿s) identities/subjectivities as equestrians, representations of girls, horses and the world of adventure in juvenile fiction; the current ¿feminization¿ of particular equestrian activities (and where boys and men stand in relation to this); how broad forms of social inequality and stratification play themselves out within gendered equestrian contexts; men and women and their relation to horses within the framework of current discussions on the relation of animals to humans (which may include not only love and care, but also exploitation and violence), among others. Singular contributions show how equestrian activities contribute to historical and current constructions of embodied ¿femininities¿ and ¿masculinities¿, reflecting a world that has been moving ¿beyond the binaries¿ while continuing to be enmeshed in their persistent and contradictory legacy. ¿Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of recent developments in sustainability science and engineering. The book focuses on principles and practices and presents 18 interwoven chapters on four major themes: design for sustainability; sustainability metrics and analysis; sustainable energy; and sustainable supply/value. Significant, state-of-the-art work, methodologies, practices and plans are presented by researchers, technology developers and industry leaders. Topics discussed include: life cycle assessment; product end-of-life options; practical approaches to sustainability; environmental footprint assessment; biofuels; and sustainable supply chain management.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 352 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book brings together a representative set of Earth System Science (ESS) applications of the neural network (NN) technique. It examines a progression of atmospheric and oceanic problems, which, from the mathematical point of view, can be formulated as complex, multidimensional, and nonlinear mappings. It is shown that these problems can be solved utilizing a particular type of NN ¿ the multilayer perceptron (MLP). This type of NN applications covers the majority of NN applications developed in ESSs such as meteorology, oceanography, atmospheric and oceanic satellite remote sensing, numerical weather prediction, and climate studies. The major properties of the mappings and MLP NNs are formulated and discussed. Also, the book presents basic background for each introduced application and provides an extensive set of references.¿This is an excellent book to learn how to apply artificial neural network methods to earth system sciences. The author, Dr. Vladimir Krasnopolsky, is a universally recognized master in this field. With his vast knowledge and experience, he carefully guides the reader through a broad variety of problems found in the earth system sciences where neural network methods can be applied fruitfully. (.) The broad range of topics covered in this book ensures that researchers/graduate students from many fields (.) will find it an invaluable guide to neural network methods.¿ (Prof. William W. Hsieh, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada)¿Vladimir Krasnopolsky has been the ¿founding father¿ of applying computation intelligence methods to environmental science; (.) Dr. Krasnopolsky has created a masterful exposition of a young, yet maturing field that promises to advance a deeper understanding ofbest modeling practices in environmental science.¿ (Dr. Sue Ellen Haupt, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA)¿Vladimir Krasnopolsky has written an important and wonderful book on applications of neural networks to replace complex and expensive computational algorithms within Earth System Science models. He is uniquely qualified to write this book, since he has been a true pioneer with regard to many of these applications. (.) Many other examples of creative emulations will inspire not just readers interested in the Earth Sciences, but any other modeling practitioner (.) to address both theoretical and practical complex problems that may (or will!) arise in a complex system.' ¿ (Prof. Eugenia Kalnay, University of Maryland, USA)Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 212 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -City planning is the key-stone to tackle the question of climate-change and to involve adequate action.In Part I of this book, the theory of space-economy is presented. Opening up a new conceptual and operational toolbox for policy makers, practitioners and scholars, the theory of space-economy is based on a rigorously structured thinking and acting in the field of sustainable urban planning and architecture.Europe has the greatest experience in sustainable city planning worldwide. In Part II, four of the most remarkable experiences (Vauban in Freiburg i.B., Kronsberg in Hannover, Western Harbour in Malmö, Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm) are presented, dissected conceptually and operationally a radically new way. The interest of the approach is not limited to European countries.In Part III is developed a project in Asia, in Ho Chi Minh City, faced with dramatic threats due to climate change and rapidly growing tidal and sea-level rise. Based on the experiences presented in Part II, the approach is integrated in this completely different context, thus becoming fully effective at a much bigger scale.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 196 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This volume discusses a broad range of vital issues encompassing the production and consumption of food in the current period of climate change. All of these add up to looming, momentous challenges to food security, especially for people in regions where malnutrition and famine have been the norm during numerous decades. Furthermore, threats to food security do not stop at the borders of more affluent countries ¿ governance of food systems and changes in eating patterns will have worldwide consequences. The book is arranged in four broad sections. Part I, Combating Food Insecurity: A Global Responsibility opens with a chapter describing the urgent necessity for new paradigm and policy set to meet the food security challenges of climate change. Also in this section are chapters on meat and the dimensions of animal welfare, climate change and sustainability; on dietary options for mitigating climate change; and the linkage of forest and food production in the context of the REDD+ approach to valuation of forests. Part II, Managing Linkages Between Climate Change and Food Security offers a South Asian perspective on Gender, Climate Change and Household Food Security; a chapter on food crisis in sub-Saharan Africa; and separate chapters on critical issues of food supply and production in Nigeria, far-Western Nepal and the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon. Part III examines Food Security and patterns of production and consumption, with chapters focused on Morocco, Thailand, Bahrain, Kenya and elsewhere. The final section discusses successful, innovative practices, with chapters on Food Security in Knowledge-Based Economy; Biosaline Agriculture in the Gulf States; Rice production in a cotton zone of Benin; palm oil in the production of biofuel; and experiments in raised-bed wheat production. The editors argue that technical prescriptions are insufficient to manage the food security challenge. They propose and explain a holistic approach for adapting food systemsto global environmental change, which demands the engagement of many disciplines ¿ a new, sustainable food security paradigm.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 380 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -As urbanization continues, and even accelerates, scientists estimate that by 2015 the world will have up to 60 ¿megacities¿ ¿ urban areas with more than five million inhabitants. With the irresistible economic attractions of urban centers, particularly in developing countries, making the influx of citizens unstoppable, many of humankind¿s coming social, economic and political dramas will be played out in megacities. This book shows how geographers and Earth scientists are contributing to a better understanding of megacities.The contributors analyze the impact of socio-economic and political activities on environmental change and vice versa, and identify solutions to the worst problems. They propose ways of improving the management of megacities and achieving a greater degree of sustainability in their development. The goals, of wise use of human and natural resources, risk reduction (both social and environmental) and quality of life enhancement, are agreed upon. But, as thistext proves, the means of achieving these ends are varied. Hence, chapters cover an array of topics, from health management in Indian megacities, to planning in New York, to transport solutions for the chronically traffic-choked Bangkok. Authors cover the impact of climate change on megacities, as well as less tangible issues such as socio-political fragmentation in the urban areas of Rio de Janeiro.This exploration of some of the most crucial issues that we face as a species sets out research that is of the utmost importance, with the potential to contribute substantially to global justice and peace ¿ and thereby prosperity.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 240 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book tests the critical potential of happiness research to evaluate contemporary high-performance societies. These societies, defined as affluent capitalist societies, emphasize competition and success both institutionally and culturally. Growing affluence improves life in many ways, for a large number of people. We lead longer, safer, and more comfortable lives than previous generations. But we also live faster, and are competition-toughened, like top athletes. As a result, we suspect limits and detect downsides of our high-speed lives. The ubiquitous maximization principle opens up a systematic gateway to the pleasures and pains of contemporary life. Using happiness as a reference point, this book explores the philosophical and empirical limits of the maximization rule. It considers the answer to questions such as: Precisely, why did the idea of (economic) maximization gain so much ground in our Western way of thinking When, and in which life domains, does maximization work, when does it fail When do qualities and when do quantities matter Does maximization yield a different (un)happiness dividend in different species, cultures, and societies ¿Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This edited volume critically examines the link between area based policies, neighbourhood based problems, and neighbourhood effects: the idea that living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods has a negative effect on residents¿ life chances over and above the effect of their individual characteristics. Over the last few decades, Western governments have persistently pursued area based policies to fight such effects, despite a lack of evidence that they exist, or that these policies make a difference. The first part of this book presents case studies of perceived neighbourhood based problems in the domains of crime; health; educational outcomes; and employment. The second part of the book presents an international overview of the policies that different governments have implemented in response to these neighbourhood based problems, and discusses the theoretical and conceptual processes behind place based policy making. Case studies are drawn from a diverse range of countries including the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and the USA.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 308 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The book proposes a set of original contributions in research areas shared by planning theory, architectural research, design and ethical inquiry. The contributors gathered in 2010 at the Ethics of the Built Environment seminar organized by the editors at Delft University of Technology. Both prominent and emerging scholars presented their researches in the areas of aesthetics, technological risks, planning theory and architecture. The scope of the seminar was highlighting shared lines of ethical inquiry among the themes discussed, in order to identify perspectives of innovative interdisciplinary research. After the seminar all seminar participants have elaborated their proposed contributions. Some of the most prominent international authors in the field were subsequently invited to join in with this inquiry.Claudia Basta teaches 'Network Infrastructures and Mobility' at Wageningen University. Between 2009 and 2011 she worked as Coordinator of the 3TU Centre of Excellence forEthics and Technology of Delft University, where she completed her post-doc research on the shared areas of investigation between risk theories, planning theories and ethical inquiry. Her main research interests concern the matter of assessing and governing technological risks in relation to sustainable land use planning. She wrote a number of journal articles and contributions to collective books on these themes.Stefano Moroni teaches ¿Land use ethics and the law¿ at Milan Politecnico. His main research interests concern planning theory and ethics. He is the author of a number of books and journal articles. Recent publications (as co-author): Contractual Communities in the Self-Organizing City (Springer 2012).Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 240 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book analyses the deep interaction between the world¿s environmental crises, energy production, conversion and use, and global regulation policies.Bringing together experts from a wide range of scientific fields, it offers the reader a broad scope of knowledge on such topics as: climate change and exhaustion of resourcesthe relationship between basic science and the development of sustainable energy technologiesthe relationship between global and local environmental policiesthe possible competition between foodstuff production and that of agro-fuelsurban adaptationnegotiations at the international levelfinancial rulesThis book invites the reader to consider the multidisciplinary aspects of these urgent energy/environmental issues.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 320 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Polycrystalline SiGe has emerged as a promising MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) structural material since it provides the desired mechanical properties at lower temperatures compared to poly-Si, allowing the direct post-processing on top of CMOS. This CMOS-MEMS monolithic integration can lead to more compact MEMS with improved performance. The potential of poly-SiGe for MEMS above-aluminum-backend CMOS integration has already been demonstrated. However, aggressive interconnect scaling has led to the replacement of the traditional aluminum metallization by copper (Cu) metallization, due to its lower resistivity and improved reliability.Poly-SiGe for MEMS-above-CMOS sensors demonstrates the compatibility of poly-SiGe with post-processing above the advanced CMOS technology nodes through the successful fabrication of an integrated poly-SiGe piezoresistive pressure sensor, directly fabricated above 0.13 ¿m Cu-backend CMOS. Furthermore, this book presents the first detailed investigation on the influence of deposition conditions, germanium content and doping concentration on the electrical and piezoresistive properties of boron-doped poly-SiGe. The development of a CMOS-compatible process flow, with special attention to the sealing method, is also described. Piezoresistive pressure sensors with different areas and piezoresistor designs were fabricated and tested. Together with the piezoresistive pressure sensors, also functional capacitive pressure sensors were successfully fabricated on the same wafer, proving the versatility of poly-SiGe for MEMS sensor applications. Finally, a detailed analysis of the MEMS processing impact on the underlying CMOS circuit is also presented.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 216 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Shaping Rural Areas in Europe. Perceptions and Outcomes on the Present and the Future sets out to investigate the effect of urban perceptions about the rural and consequent demands on rurality on the present and future configurations of rural territories in Europe in the early twenty-first century. This volume presents and discusses a broad range of case studies and theoretical and methodological approaches from different academic fields, mainly Anthropology, Sociology and Geography.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 280 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book presents a collection of chapters describing the state of the art on computational modelling and fabrication in tissue engineering.Tissue Engineering is a multidisciplinary field involving scientists from different fields. The development of mathematical methods is quite relevant to understand cell biology and human tissues as well to model, design and fabricate optimized and smart scaffolds.The chapter authors are the distinguished keynote speakers at the first Eccomas thematic conference on Tissue Engineering where the emphasis was on mathematical and computational modeling for scaffold design and fabrication. This particular area of tissue engineering, whose goal is to obtain substitutes for hard tissues such as bone and cartilage, is growing in importance.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 184 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book provides a fresh analysis of the demography, health and well-being of a major African city. It brings a range of disciplinary approaches to bear on the pressing topics of urban poverty, urban health inequalities and urban growth. The approach is primarily spatial and includes the integration of environmental information from satellites and other geospatial sources with social science and health survey data. The authors Ghanaians and outsiders, have worked to understand the urban dynamics in this burgeoning West African metropolis, with an emphasis on urban disparities in health and living standards. Few cities in the global South have been examined from so many different perspectives. Our analysis employs a wide range of GIScience methods, including analysis of remotely sensed imagery and spatial statistical analysis, applied to a wide range of data, including census, survey and health clinic data, all of which are supplemented by field work, including systematic socialobservation, focus groups, and key informant interviews. This book aims to explain and highlight the mix of methods, and the important findings that have been emerging from this research, with the goal of providing guidance and inspiration for others doing similar work in cities of other developing nations.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 232 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The recent earthquake disasters in Japan and a series of other disasters in the world have highlighted again the need for more reliable geotechnical prediction and better methods for geotechnical design and in particular dealing with geohazards. This book provides a timely review and summaries of the recent advances in theories, analyses and methods for geotechnical predictions and the most up-to-date practices in geotechnical engineering and particularly in dealing with geohazards. A special section on the geotechnical aspects of the recent Tohoku earthquake disaster in Japan is also presented in this book.Key Features: This book is written by a group of internationally renowned researchers and practioners to honour and mark the 40 years¿ contribution of one of the greatest educators, researchers and engineers in the world, Professor Hideki Ohta, to geotechnical engineering. Professor Ohta is presentlyprofessorat Chou University after his retirement from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. The book provides some first-hand information on the 2011 Tohuko earthquake disasters in Japan, the most recent update on the theories and methods for geotechnical analyses and predictions, and the latest methods and practices in geotechnical engineering, in particular, dealing with geotechnical hazard. It is a rare occasion for some 30 plus international authorities to write on their best topic that they have been working on for years. The book is a must-have collection for any libraries and professionals in geotechnical engineering.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 420 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Despite their apparent simplicity, the behaviour of pendulums can be remarkably complicated. Historically, pendulums for specific purposes have been developed using a combination of simplified theory and trial and error. There do not appear to be any introductory books on pendulums, written at an intermediate level, and covering a wide range of topics. This book aims to fill the gap. It is written for readers with some background in elementary geometry, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. Historical information, where available and useful for the understanding of various types of pendulum and their applications, is included.Perhaps the best known use of pendulums is as the basis of clocks in which a pendulum controls the rate at which the clock runs. Interest in theoretical and practical aspects of pendulums, as applied to clocks, goes back more than four centuries. The concept of simple pendulums, which are idealised versions of real pendulums is introduced. The application of pendulums to clocks is described, with detailed discussion of the effect of inevitable differences between real pendulums and simple pendulums. In a clock, the objective is to ensure that the pendulum controls the timekeeping. However, pendulums are sometimes driven, and how this affects their behaviour is described. Pendulums are sometimes used for occult purposes. It is possible to explain some apparently occult results by using modern pendulum theory. For example, why a ring suspended inside a wine glass, by a thread from a finger, eventually strikes the glass. Pendulums have a wide range of uses in scientific instruments, engineering, and entertainment. Some examples are given as case studies.Indexed in the Book Citation Index¿ Science (BKCI-S)Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 152 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Written by experts in the field, this volume presents a comprehensive investigation into the relationship between argumentation theory and the philosophy of mathematical practice. Argumentation theory studies reasoning and argument, and especially those aspects not addressed, or not addressed well, by formal deduction. The philosophy of mathematical practice diverges from mainstream philosophy of mathematics in the emphasis it places on what the majority of working mathematicians actually do, rather than on mathematical foundations.The book begins by first challenging the assumption that there is no role for informal logic in mathematics. Next, it details the usefulness of argumentation theory in the understanding of mathematical practice, offering an impressively diverse set of examples, covering the history of mathematics, mathematics education and, perhaps surprisingly, formal proof verification. From there, the book demonstrates that mathematics also offers a valuable testbed for argumentation theory. Coverage concludes by defending attention to mathematical argumentation as the basis for new perspectives on the philosophy of mathematics. ¿Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 404 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -At the same time that the pace of science and technology has greatly accelerated in recent decades, our legal and ethical oversight mechanisms have become bogged down and slower. This book addresses the growing gap between the pace of science and technology and the lagging responsiveness of legal and ethical oversight society relies on to govern emerging technologies. Whether it be biotechnology, genetic testing, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, computer privacy, autonomous robotics, or any of the other many emerging technologies, new approaches are needed to ensure appropriate and timely regulatory responses. This book documents the problem and offers a toolbox of potential regulatory and governance approaches that might be used to ensure more responsive oversight.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 244 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book offers a challenge to traditional approaches to classroom teaching and pedagogy. The SPRinG (Social Pedagogic Research into Groupwork) project, part of a larger research programme on teaching and learning funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), was developed to enhance the learning potential of pupils working in classroom groups by actively involving teachers in a programme designed to raise levels of group work during typical classroom learning activities. Internationally, the SPRinG project is the largest evaluation of effective group working methods in comparison to traditional teaching, with findings that show raised levels of pupil achievement and a doubling of sustained, active engagement in learning.The opening chapters present arguments regarding the relationship of social interaction and children¿s cognitive development and examine theories that explain why social interactional processes should be integrated into primary school pedagogic practices.Next, the book describes the conceptual and methodological basis for the SPRinG studies, especially its focus on the relational approach, the type of involvement of teachers and classroom planning. Further chapters present key results and describe the background and methods used to establish SPRinG-based effects on pupil progress in mathematics, literacy and science, including both macro and micro assessments; how the SPRinG approach affected pupil-pupil interactions and teacher-pupil interactions, as measured by systematic on-the-spot observations and analyses of videotapes of groups working on specially designed tasks work; and effects on pupil self-completed measures of motivation and attitudes to group work.The book also analyses reflections of teachers who have worked with SPRinG: moving from theory to practice as well as adding insights associated with implementing SPRinG principles in schools. Drawing upon developmental psychological, socialpsychological and classroom research, it develops a new and ambitious social pedagogic approach to classroom learning, with a stress on group work, which will be of interest to researchers, teachers and policy-makers.This bookincludes contributions fromAndrew Tolmie andEd Baines, who were also involved inthe ScotSPRinG and SPRinG projects.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 232 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Recent genetic data showing that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans have made it clear that deeper insight into the behavioral differences between these populations will be critical to understanding the rapid spread of modern humans and the demise of the Neanderthals. This volume, which brings together scholars who have worked with faunal assemblages from Europe, the Near East, and Africa, makes an important contribution to our broader understanding of Neanderthal extinction and modern human origins through its focus on variability in human hunting behavior between 70-25,000 years agöa critical period in the later evolution of our species.¿Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 288 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -A new generation of Confucian scholars is coming of age. China is reawakening to the power and importance of its own culture. This volume provides a unique view of the emerging Confucian vision for China and the world in the 21st century. Unlike the Neo-Confucians sojourning in North America who recast Confucianism in terms of modern Western values, this new generation of Chinese scholars takes the authentic roots of Confucian thought seriously. This collection of essays offers the first critical exploration in English of the emerging Confucian, non-liberal, non-social-democratic, moral and political vision for Chinäs future. Inspired by the life and scholarship of Jiang Qing who has emerged as China's exemplar contemporary Confucian, this volume allows the English reader access to a moral and cultural vision that seeks to direct Chinäs political power, social governance, and moral life. For those working in Chinese studies, this collection provides the first access in English to major debates in China concerning a Confucian reconceptualization of governance, a critical Confucian assessment of feminism, Confucianism functioning again as a religion, and the possibility of a moral vision that can fill the cultural vacuum created by the collapse of Marxism.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 276 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book addresses the questionof what it means to be moral and which capacities one needs to be moral.It questions whether empathy is a cognitive or an affective capacity, or perhaps both. As most moral beings behave immorally from time to time, the authors askwhich factors cause or motivatepeople to translate their moral beliefs into action Specially addressedis the question ofwhat is the role of internal factors such as willpower, commitment, character,and what is the role of external, situational and structural factors Thequestions are considered from various (disciplinary) perspectives.¿Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 360 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Reflecting the very latest theory on diversity issues in science education, including new dialogic approaches, this volume explores the subject from a range of perspectives and draws on studies from around the world. The work discusses fundamental topics such as how we conceptualize diversity as well as examining the ways in which heterogeneous cultural constructs influence the teaching and learning of science in a range of contexts.Including numerous strategies ready for adoption by interested teachers, the book addresses the varied cultural factors that influence engagement with science education. It seeks answers to the question of why increasing numbers of students fail to connect with science education in schools and looks at the more subtle impact that students¿ individually constructed identities have on the teaching and learning of science. Recognizing the diversity of its audience, the book covers differing levels and science subjects, and examines material from a range of viewpoints that include pedagogy, curricula, teacher education, learning, gender, religion, and ICT, as well as those of in-service and trainee teachers at all levels.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 400 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Concepts like Health and Well-being are not exclusive products of the Western culture. Research has widely demonstrated that the representation of the body and of its pathologies, as well as treatment and healing practices vary across cultures in relation to social norms and beliefs.The culture of India is a melting pot of nine main Darshanas, or philosophical systems, that share the common core of a realization of the self in society. Indiäs traditional health system, Ayurveda, is a result of the practical application of the Darshanas to the observation of human nature and behavior. Ayurveda conceptualizes health, disease and well-being as multidimensional aspects of life, and it seeks to preserve a balance in individuals among their biological features, their psychological features and their environmental demands. The Ayurveda approach to health is remarkably similar to the eudaimonic conceptualization of well-being proposed by positive psychology, and the basic tenets of Ayurveda are deeply consistent with the latest developments of modern physics, which stresses the substantial interconnectedness among natural phenomena and their substrates. This text shows how the approach to health developed in Ayurveda can be fruitfully integrated in a general view of health and well-being that encompasses cultural and ideological boundaries. Specifically, it details the conceptualization of health as an optimal and mindful interaction between individuals and their environment.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book discusses how teaching and research have been weighted differently in academia in 18 countries and one region, Hong Kong SAR, based on an international comparative study entitled the Changing Academic Profession (CAP). It addresses these issues using empirical evidence, the CAP data. Specifically, the focus is on how teaching and research are defined in each higher education system, how teaching and research are preferred and conducted by academics, and how academics are rewarded by their institution. Since the establishment of Berlin University in 1810, there has been controversy on teaching and research as the primary functions of universities and academics. The controversy increased when Johns Hopkins University was established in 1876 with only graduate programs, and more recently with the release of the Carnegie Foundation report Scholarship Reconsidered by Ernest L. Boyer in 1990. Since the publication of Scholarship Reconsidered in 1990, higher education scholars and policymakers began to pay attention to the details of teaching and research activities, a kind of ¿black box¿ because only individual academics know how they conduct teaching and research in their own contexts.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 432 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Science teacher educators prepare and provide professional development for teachers at all grade levels. They seek to improve conditions in classroom teaching and learning, professional development, and teacher recruitment and retention.Science Teacher Educators as K-12 Teachers: Practicing What We Teach tells the story of sixteen teacher educators who stepped away from their traditional role and entered the classroom to teach children and adolescents in public schools and informal settings. It details the practical and theoretical insights that these members of the Association of Science Teacher Educators (ASTE) earned from experiences ranging from periodic guest teaching to full-time engagement in the teaching role.Science Teacher Educators as K-12 Teachers shows science teacher educators as professionals engaged in reflective analysis of their beliefs about and experiences with teaching children or adolescents science. With their ideas about instruction andlearning challenged, these educators became more aware of the circumstances today's teachers face. Their honest accounts reveal that through teaching children and adolescents, teacher educators can also renew themselves and expand their identities as well as their understanding of themselves in the profession and in relation to others.Science Teacher Educators as K-12 Teachers will appeal to all those with an interest in science education, from teacher educators to science teachers, as well as teacher educators in other disciplines. Its narratives and insights may even inspire more teacher educators to envision new opportunities to serve teachers, K-12 learners and the local community through a variety of teaching arrangements in public schools and informal education settings.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 336 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Today¿s youth will face global environmental changes, as well as complex personal and social challenges. To address these issues this collection of essays provides vital insights on how science education can be designed to better engage students and help them solve important problems in the world around them.Assessing Schools for Generation R (Responsibility) includes theories, research, and practices for envisioning how science and environmental education can promote personal, social, and civic responsibility. It brings together inspiring stories, creative practices, and theoretical work to make the case that science education can be reformed so that students learn to meaningfully apply the concepts they learn in science classes across America and grow into civically engaged citizens. The book calls for a curriculum that equips students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to confront the complex and often ill-defined socioscientific issues of daily life.The authors are all experienced educators and top experts in the fields of science and environmental education, ecology, experiential education, educational philosophy, policy and history. They examine what has to happen in the domains of teacher preparation and public education to effect a transition of the youth of America.This exciting, informative, sophisticated and sometimes provocative book will stimulate much debate about the future direction of science education in America, and the rest of the world. It is ideal reading for all school superintendents, deans, faculty, and policymakers looking for a way to implement a curriculum that helps builds students into responsible and engaged citizens.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 472 pp. Englisch.