William Pencak – författare

What does 'the law' look like? While numerous attempts have been made to examine law and legal action in terms of its language, little has yet been written that considers how visual images of the law influence its interpretation and execution in ways not discernible from written texts. This groundbreaking collection focuses on images in law, featuring contributions that show and discuss the perception of the legal universe on a theoretical basis or when dealing with visual semiotics (dress, ceremony, technology, etc.). It also examines 'language in action', analyzing jury instructions, police directives, and how imagery is used in conjunction with contentious social and political issues within a country, such as the image of family in Ireland or the image of racism in France.

Derek Jarman's films explore the possibilities and limitations of same-sex love and self-expression during various historical eras, ranging from ancient Egypt to present times. His work covers a millennium of sexual repression and efforts to escape it. Jarman provides us with a cinematic history of people whose homoerotic passions had a major impact on western civilization in religion, art, politics, philosophy, and war.This book provides background information on each of Jarman's fifteen scripts and films. The chapters are "program notes" to his films from a historical perspective. An interpretation of Jarman's intentions, gleaned from the director's writings and works about him, is also provided. This work reveals Jarman's importance as a keen student of the limits of historical knowledge, and delineates the role of history in inspiring change or preserving inertia in the present struggle against homophobia.

Paul Robeson was born April 9, 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey, the son of an escaped slave. He rose to unparalleled heights as an athlete, actor, singer, and activist, and was arguably the most prominent African American from the 1920s through the 1950s. This work is a compilation of 18 essays written by scholars and activists that were presented at a one-day conference held at Long Island University's Brooklyn campus on February 28, 1998, to honor Robeson's life and legacy. The essays discuss his significance as a singer, his political activism, his efforts to achieve solidarity between African Americans and Jews, the important role played by his wife, Eslanda Goode Robeson, in his struggles, his founding of the Freedom newspaper during the Korean War, his contemporary relevance, and the way conservative Americans turned against him, refused to discuss him in the press, and tried to silence his voice.Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Problem-solving in mathematics is seen by many students as a struggle. Since the capacity to count and understand basic arithmetical concepts (adding, taking away, etc.) is innate and emerges effortlessly in childhood, why does this negative perception and fear of problem-solving exist? This book counteracts this perception by providing a semiotic analysis of problem-solving and, from this analysis, constructing a pedagogical framework for teaching problem-solving that is consistent with the psychology of how humans learn to use signs and symbols. It is based on an experimental math course designed to impart fluency in problem-solving through semiotic training. The positive results of that course inspired the writing of this book.