Tom Hall – författare

The creation of the National Assembly for Wales and Scottish Parliament has altered the democratic landscape of the UK. In assuming many policy and adminstraitve responsiblities previously held by the central government, the Welsh assembly promises innovation in governance and there are high expectations that devolution will bring about significant changes in Welsh life. "New Governance - New Democracy?" questions whether these expectations are likely to be fulfiled. Drawing on interviews with many of the people who have influenced the devolution experiment, from poltitions to ordinary citizens, this book offers interdisciplinary discussion and analysis of issues ranging from electorial turnout, participation and legitimacy to the involvement of marginalized groups in the process of government. It also examines the developing relationship between the new Welsh legislature and the voluntary sector, the governance of economic development and the regulation and political control of public agencies in Wales.

If the supposedly disaffected young provide the subtext to so many of our social anxieties, then the young homeless loom larger here than most: our most vivid reminder of social exclusion, and exemplars too of what the tabloid press like to describe as the feckless, wilful poor.This book explores what life is really like for Britain's young homeless: estranged from their families, out of work and making do on the fringes of social security. The result is a vivid portrait of a pressing social problem.Based on extended fieldwork study - the author spent twelve months in the company of young people moving between hostel accommodation, rented bed-sit tenancies and episodes of street-sleeping - Better Times Than This is Britain's first full ethnographic study of youth homelessness.

Footwork is an original street-corner ethnography drawing on the themes of urban regeneration, lost space and the 24-hour city. From the rough sleeping homeless to street drinkers and sex workers, it shows how urban modernisation, development and austerity politics impact the hidden lives of people living and working on the streets. To create this anthropology of the modern British city, Footwork follows the work of a team of outreach workers in Cardiff, tasked to look out for the homeless and others similarly vulnerable, harried and exposed. Tom Hall’s fieldwork study encompasses aspects of urban geography, care work and street-level poverty, violence and isolation, this book reveals the stories of the vulnerable and isolated - people living in the city we often choose to ignore.

"I remember when I first got to Nashville," says Tom T. Hall. "I would have like to have had a book like this. It would have saved me a lot of time finding answers to questions."To help other songwriters, Tom T. Hall has put the answers in this book. "Songwriting is as much a craft as it is a talent," he says. "In order to write songs, you have to be able to recognize what a song is. You have to recognize the importance of something that is entertaining, and you have to say what you  want to say very briefly."In this down-to-earth handbook, the Storyteller teaches the secrets of becoming a successful songwriter. Among the important topics treated are:What is a song and how will I know when I have one?How can I find edeas for songs?How do I combine words with music?What is the Nashville music industry really like?Definitions of terms and expressions used in the music businessThe Songwriter's Handbook also includes stories of how he wrote some of his own hits, such as "I Flew Over Our House Last Night," "Ravishing Ruby," "I See," and "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine." He analyzes the songs, showing how he uses his own rules for successful songwriting. Included in the book are words and music to many of Tom T. Hall's most successful songs along with personal photos. An earlier version of The Songwriter's Handbook was published as How I Write Songs; Why You Can

The social sciences have consistently sought ways of engaging with young people; as a field of study ′youth studies′ has always been multidisciplinary - drawing on theoretical perspectives, empirical concerns and methodological frameworks from sociology, social policy, education, psychology, anthropology, cultural studies, gender studies, childhood studies, social work, criminology and health studies. This had resulted in a wide-ranging but often disparate body of work, and to a research field that has, by its very nature, drawn on a wide variety of research tools and techniques. This diversity and richness means important theoretical, substantive and methodological contributions to the study of young people are found in mainstream journals across the disciplines.This collection brings together key contributions to the social scientific study of young people′s lives and experiences. It addresses the methodological and empirical challenges of undertaking research with and about young people; and provides opportunities to compare the data, analyses and theoretical contribution of different methodological approaches. The overarching theme of the collection is methodological - exemplifying the different ways of engaging with young people as a field of study.