Understanding series – serie

Russell Prince investigates the concept of policy mobility in this concise and accessible book, demonstrating that policy change is not something that happens within a particular jurisdiction, but is a globally interconnected and ongoing process.Focusing on conceptual foundations, Understanding Policy Mobility offers an extended comparison between policy mobility and policy diffusion and transfer. Chapters investigate the politics and power relations that drive policy change across space, highlighting how policies mutate as they travel. Arguing that policy mobility is a product of the ongoing transformation of policy territories, Prince examines policy as a method for managing and governing place. The book concludes by reflecting on the idea of global policy, and examining why it is important to study policy mobility.This thought-provoking book is a critical read for human geography and critical policy studies scholars looking for a more in-depth understanding of policy mobility. It is also beneficial to students of urban studies, globalisation studies and the sociology of policy.

This dynamic book explores the importance of collaborative consumption. Doing so is relevant at a time when the sharing economy has established itself as part of the mainstream market. Nearly 40 expert scholars across the globe go beyond the existing literature to investigate understudied community efforts and spaces, including innovative topics such as hand-me-downs and coworking.Championing an interdisciplinary approach, Understanding Collaborative Consumption follows a detailed framework to dissect its role within the sharing economy. Setting out a schema for understanding collaborative consumption and its paradoxes, it analyses the role of the consumer and provides an exploration of grassroots and community efforts. Contributors discuss platformed and branded efforts to extend the reciprocity based market, and conclude with an appraisal of negative externalities and emerging trends.Providing an in-depth examination of a sector that has in recent years rapidly grown in scope and breadth, this book will be a crucial read for academics and researchers of business management, marketing and sociology. It will also prove valuable to students and scholars interested in economic entrepreneurship, branding and the sharing economy.

This compelling book provides a comprehensive overview of cultural diplomacy, examining history, theory, practice and real world examples from an array of spheres and institutions. Leading scholars and practitioners discuss the role of culture within international affairs, exploring how it can be used as a channel for addressing foreign policy issues.Organised into three parts, each of which investigate a different area of concern, chapters outline key theoretical approaches and historical developments, identify the mechanisms and practices through which cultural diplomacy is enacted and reflect on critical contemporary challenges. The book showcases case studies on a range of topics, including Australian sports diplomacy in the Pacific, cultural relations at the Venice Biennale and K-pop as a vehicle of Korean museum diplomacy. It further sheds light on crucial concepts such as ‘nation brand’ and ‘soft power’. Featuring expert contributors from across the globe, this definitive volume presents diverse insights into the rapidly evolving field of cultural diplomacy and relations.Scholars and students of international relations, political science and public policy will greatly benefit from this illuminating book. With a broad scope covering education, sport, arts and media, it is also a helpful resource for policymakers and practitioners working in NGOs and government institutions, as well as creative producers, artists and community leaders.

In this thought-provoking book, Aharon Kellerman presents a wide-ranging understanding of personal mobilities; the mobilities which individuals initiate, direct, and operate physically and virtually and which constitute an expression of personal autonomy. He readdresses existing concepts and knowledge as well as assessing novel and emerging technologies for self-driven mobilities. Kellerman begins with a presentation of the critical introductory concepts related to personal mobilities, including discussions of movement and travel, origins, path and destination, and the social value of personal freedom. He examines the nature of virtual space and its relationship with the physical, exploring conceptualizations of cyberspace, hybrid space, spatial media and Internet space. Chapters further highlight existing and new conceptual and theoretical knowledge for the understanding of self-driven mobilities, such as proximity, interaction, and distance; everyday mobilities; personal (im)mobilities; and Covid-19 and post-pandemic impacts on future trends for personal mobilities. Expounding the basic human need for movement, this discerning book will prove an essential resource for students and scholars interested in mobilities across the disciplines of social geography, urban geography, sociology, transportation, and urban planning. Its interpretation of newly emerging practical realities for personal mobilities will also benefit transport and communications practitioners.

Highlighting the importance of travel narratives in understanding tourism imaginaries, Jennifer and Warwick Frost present global examples of the enduring stories that underpin the way we conceptualise and imagine travel.Chapters explore the historical antecedent of travel narratives, discussing the long development of the concept that begins with oral storytelling, myths and legends and extends through to modern day media such as photographs, books, television, films and social media. With a strong focus on female travellers, they draw on a diverse collection of examples to investigate how travel narratives have changed over time and across different cultural backgrounds. The book assesses the influence of travel narratives on motivations to travel, expectations and the travel experience and in turn, considers how destinations may leverage these narratives to promote themselves and establish connections with potential markets.Understanding Travel Narratives is an enlightening read for students and academics across disciplines, including tourism, geography, sociology, media studies, history and literature.

Drawing on the tools of mathematics and formal modeling, this engaging book provides a foundational understanding of mathematical sociology through a case-by-case exploration of sociological questions.John Skvoretz underscores that the application of mathematics to sociology is integral to the ability to formulate theories about social structure and group processes clearly and unambiguously, to make advances in the social sciences. Presenting a gradual introduction to mathematical models that builds to more complex tools and logic of inquiry, Skvoretz develops an accessible resource for advancing sociology research programs. He argues that, while such tools cannot eliminate all contention over semantics, mathematical modeling can help to narrow the areas of disagreement within sociology.Students and academics across the social sciences, particularly social network analysis, group processes, social psychology and sociology, will benefit from this book’s illuminating approach to building theoretical models in their disciplines.

This book considers the potential solutions that the sharing economy offers to tackle the increasing challenges of urbanisation and sustainability facing cities. It emphasises the need for robust policies to ensure that the sharing economy supports urban sustainability and resilience by promoting more efficient and circular use of urban resources through practices like car-sharing, accommodation rentals, and the sharing of physical goods.Understanding the Urban Sharing Economy presents a rich blend of empirical studies and theoretical insights exploring business models and the role of sharing organisations and digital platforms. Leading and emerging scholars explore the environmental implications of urban sharing and sustainability challenges in urban settings. Through interdisciplinary case studies and examples from eleven diverse cities, the book takes a holistic approach to analysing the varied governance approaches and institutionalisation mechanisms within the urban sharing economy.This is an essential resource for students and scholars interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the urban sharing economy from economics, business, sociology, urban studies and environmental studies perspectives. Its practical examples, analytical frameworks and policy recommendations will also make this an insightful read for public administration and governance practitioners.

Interdisciplinary and international in scope, this book explores the ways in which branding intersects with identity, politics and the complex relationship with our past. It focuses on providing a comprehensive understanding of the differences and similarities between place and destination branding and looks into changes paving the way to a more resilient future.Chapters incorporate different methodologies to highlight the importance of conceptual, qualitative and quantitative approaches as well as multiple stakeholder involvement when developing research and strategy in place and destination branding. The book investigates a range of rural, urban and national contexts, moving beyond stereotypes to analyse the role of co-creation and strategic place branding. Ultimately, the book provides clear guidance for future research which will advance the field in the pursuit of sustainability and successfully address challenges in our modern world.Understanding Place and Destination Branding provides scholars and students of both place and destination branding with a wealth of case studies and theoretical approaches to the topic from different disciplinary perspectives including tourism, urban studies, place management and marketing.

Looking beyond traditional nightlife dominated by bars, discos, and organized parties, this timely book explores the shift in the nightlife tourism industry motivated by growing environmental awareness and a move towards more sustainable tourism. Manuel Garcia-Ruiz and Jordi Nofre bring together scholars from the Global North and the Global South into dialogue to build a decolonized body of knowledge in the specific field of night studies.Understanding Nighttime Tourism provides an interdisciplinary perspective on this underexplored topic. Using a series of thought-provoking case studies, the authors cover key topics including edutourism and urban nightlife, the nighttime economy, festivalization, proximity and heritage tourism, touristification of urban spaces, and destination image. Ultimately, the book offers an example of activist science committed to more just, inclusive and sustainable cities.Written in an accessible style, this book provides an incisive study of this increasingly important area of research for students of tourism studies, leisure studies and urban studies. The invigorating case studies also make this an important book for urban planners and policy makers.

In this timely work, Ross Michael Pink and Luthfi Dhofier detail specific case studies across eight countries to provide a crucial overview of the impacts of climate change. They highlight the importance of the human security paradigm, prioritising the rights of citizens rather than those of nations, to accurately assess this existential issue.Understanding Human Security and Climate Change critically analyses the climate challenges faced across North America, Africa and Asia, and their respective efforts to produce workable solutions. The threats to communities, the economy, healthcare, politics and personhood are compared, as well as the major policies and laws that have been introduced to tackle them. Each chapter contains insightful expert interviews, which contribute towards a better understanding of climate change and its consequences for humanity.This informative book is a vital resource for students and scholars of climate change, environmental policy and international relations. It is also of interest to legal practitioners, environmental policymakers and other professionals working in the environmental and human rights fields.

Informative and insightful, this prescient book argues that biosocial criminology is a powerful paradigm for understanding criminal behavior, crucially outlining its nature via nurture perspective, as opposed to nature versus nurture.Examining the core correlations between criminal activity and the identifying characteristics of age, sex, race, intelligence and poverty, Anthony Walsh contends that the biosocial perspective is criminology’s future as it encompasses all relevant factors that influence human behavior, from neurons to neighborhoods. Walsh draws from evolutionary biology, genetics, and neurobiology to emphasize that in order to understand the traits and behaviors of any species, it is necessary to inquire about their function, phylogeny, ontogeny, and causation. Offering a unique perspective, Understanding Biosocial Criminology concludes that the environment is deeply involved in behavior, yet also insists that humans are not simply reactors to externalities.Uniting the biological and social sciences, this book will be an interesting read for academics, students and researchers in criminology, social psychology, and sociology and sociological theory. Its insight into criminal behavior will also be of interest to professionals and practitioners working in the legal field.

This book unpacks what political economy is and does through an investigation of its main questions and approaches. Bob Hancké, Toon Van Overbeke and Dustin Voss offer a historical and thematic review of the evolution of political-economic thought, centred on the relation between capitalism and democracy.Chapters discuss how interests, ideas and institutions are the methodological and conceptual building blocks of political economy. The authors use these concepts to understand how markets work and why they fail, the problems facing the welfare state, the political economy of voting and democracy, and the problems of cooperation in a world of interdependent democracies. Covering the main analytical approaches that political economists have developed to tackle the complexities of this social world, the book expands on some of the most important questions confronting the field.Understanding Political Economy is an invaluable resource for academics and students of political science, economics, and international relations. Its insights on capitalism, democracy and inequality are vital for policymakers in the field.

This book examines the development and persistence of political corruption. Arvind Jain explores how corrupt regimes deploy a range of tools to control and weaken the mechanisms that monitor their actions, allowing them to expropriate a society’s wealth while the international economy helps them safeguard their assets.Jain examines the many forms that corrupt regimes can assume, including individual political corruption, crony capitalism and corrupt authoritarian regimes. He conducts a detailed analysis of how these regimes limit the powers of the media, distort the constitution and manipulate the electoral process to consolidate their control. The book also delves into the critical role of the international economy in facilitating political corruption by allowing the investment of illegitimately acquired wealth in global financial markets. Jain rethinks traditional paradigms by advocating for a greater focus on the role of monitoring institutions in order to combat political corruption.Students and scholars of political science, law and politics, economic crime and corruption will greatly benefit from this illuminating book. It is also a useful resource for anticorruption activists and reformers.

In this timely book, Seth J. Schwartz performs a deep dive into acculturation, the process of adaptation following international migration. Schwartz defines acculturation and explores how interactions between migrants and residents can determine how migrants will adjust to their new environment.Leveraging over 25 years of research into the topic, this book assesses the cultural stressors that many migrants experience in their new homelands. Chapters detail the social and historical background to acculturation and examine how daily processes differ from longer-term progression. Schwartz analyzes the differences between enhancement and crisis migrants, covering the unique challenges that crisis migrants face. He also addresses the impact of acculturation on family relationships, due to the divergence of children adapting more quickly to their surroundings. The book outlines how acculturation can be smooth or stressful, depending on the migrant group and the context, and establishes acculturation as a critical part of migrants’ lives.Understanding Acculturation is an essential resource for scholars and students in migration studies, social and cultural psychology, sociology, and development studies. Practitioners and policymakers in politics and public policy will also benefit from its valuable insights.

Understanding Health Systems and Welfare explores the ways in which we understand health care systems and recommends how individuals, health care providers and society as a whole can best use the resources within the systems for maximum benefit. In this enlightening book, Bent Greve examines health care systems from a multitude of perspectives, considering factors such as demographic changes, the steering of health care systems, the value of preventative measures and the challenges and opportunities presented by technological developments. Greve discusses ways in which societies can ensure equitable access to treatment for all generations, income-bands and levels of education. The book recognises that each welfare state manages a different framework, financial model and structural organisation, and encourages individuals and health care providers to better understand the resources available in order to maximise the system’s potential and ensure an overall improvement in wellbeing. This book is an informative read for students, academics and researchers working in welfare sociology, health sociology, social policy, health policy and sustainable development. Accessible and engaging, it will also be of interest to professionals and policymakers working in the health care and welfare sectors.

This incisive book provides a nuanced and authoritative analysis of referendums. Matt Qvortrup applies diverse theoretical and empirical approaches to show how direct democracy is being undermined from the top, and suggests innovative ways in which the referendum can be adapted to once again serve the interests of the many.Drawing on in-depth case studies, the chapters delve into the history, effects and political theory of direct democracy, and examine proposals for reform. Qvortrup explores these aspects through various lenses, from historical institutionalism to game theory, and considers different types of referendum including plebiscites, citizens’ initiatives, ad hoc and constitutional referendums. Ultimately, the book argues that the referendum, with a few notable exceptions, is predominantly a strategic tool in the hands of the political elite.Understanding Referendums is an invaluable resource for students and researchers in political science, regulation and governance, law and public policy. It is also beneficial to journalists, political consultants and activists interested in referendums and political reform.

This book presents an accessible overview of the key concepts underlying quantitative political methodology. Nathaniel L. Beck draws on existing quantitative analysis relating to political behavior and institutions to outline how and where these approaches are best used.Providing insights into the historical foundations and development of quantitative statistical analysis, Beck traces the evolution of probability, statistics, and political science through the 19th and early 20th centuries. He explores crucial themes and methods, covering measurement, neural nets, multiple regression, and maximum likelihood. Chapters shed light on data complications and other pivotal topics that are currently reshaping the field, including causality, networks, and the analysis of textual and visual data. Addressing real cases from the political science sphere, Beck investigates contemporary critiques of statistical hypothesis testing and proposes innovative ways of differentiating between models.Presenting a unique perspective on quantitative research methods, Understanding Political Methodology is a necessary resource for scholars and students of political science, sociology, public policy, and any social scientist using or teaching quantitative methods.

This interdisciplinary book adopts a multi-level approach to understanding creative cities. David Emanuel Andersson draws on concepts of cultural individualism, generators of diversity and openness to experience to inform policy recommendations.Andersson utilises a micro-meso-macro framework to examine creative cities, providing illustrative case studies from fields including geography, economics, political science and urban planning. At the micro level, he explores personality traits and environmental stimuli; at the meso level, neighbourhood attributes; and at the macro level, cultural values and institutions. Chapters also consider spatial design across each level of the framework and are informed by the contributions of Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl. Ultimately, the author underscores the importance of smaller, intimate spaces and fragmented, decentralized planning in the cultivation of adaptability, creativity and bottom-up entrepreneurship.Understanding Creative Cities will be greatly beneficial to scholars and students of human geography, urban design, urban planning, urban studies and the social sciences, including economics, politics and sociology. It is also a vital resource for city and municipal policymakers and urban planners interested in cultivating creative cities.

This timely book explores investment risk and return as fundamental concepts that underpin financial decision-making and portfolio management. With contributions from scholars and practitioners, it combines conceptual frameworks with real-world applications, providing insights into the consequences of past miscalculations of risk and returns and how advanced techniques help to improve decision-making.Understanding Investment Risk and Return outlines how investors can measure and manage both concepts to achieve their financial goals, such as controlling inflation and maximizing risk-adjusted performance. It integrates theoretical frameworks for portfolio optimization, including the efficient frontier, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), and more advanced factor models that explain asset returns and risk exposures. Chapters explore how these models evolve with the integration of less traditional benefits such as derivatives and digital assets alongside technological advancements including AI and machine learning.With discussion questions at the end of each chapter to provoke further consideration and understanding of the topics, this book is a valuable tool for advanced students of financial economics and educators in the field alike.

Examining the complex processes behind the formation, perception and management of destination images, Raquel Camprubi provides critical insight into how tourism destinations are represented and strategically shaped over time.Combining theoretical, empirical and practical perspectives, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of destination image from formation to management. Chapters explore image dissonances and challenges perception and representation. Camprubi addresses the cognitive, emotional, and sensory dimensions of tourist image, alongside the application of image strategies and market competition, highlighting a new conceptual analysis that advances this field of research.Understanding Destination Image is a valuable resource for scholars and students of tourism. Practitioners in tourism and destination management and marketing will benefit from the insights into the strategy behind destination marketing.

This timely book studies the centrality of norms in global environmental governance. Expert scholars demonstrate why some environmental norms are eroding while others are gaining unexpected force, assessing how their influence changes across cycles of compromise, contestation, backsliding and renewal. Exploring how different scholars conceptualise norms and how these principles have emerged, the book analyses the implementation and impact of norms on global environmental governance. Chapters examine a diverse array of case studies that investigate the rights of nature, anti-fossil fuel, recycling and species protection norms, among others. The book advances norm theory, particularly in the context of international relations, providing fresh insights into how morality shapes humanity’s impact on the planet. Understanding Environmental Norms is a valuable resource for scholars and students of international politics, political science, environmental law, geography, sociology and environmental studies. It is also beneficial to practitioners and policymakers working on environmental governance and seeking a better understanding of the evolving power of norms.

This influential book offers a comprehensive and critical examination of how inclusive education has been conceptualized and implemented across diverse global contexts since the adoption of the Salamanca Statement and Framework of Action for Inclusive Education (Salamanca Statement) in 1994. Authored by leading experts in the field, the book elucidates key international legal and policy frameworks that safeguard the rights of people with disabilities and interrogates their implications for inclusive educational practices.Drawing on a rich array of international case studies, contributors analyze the experiences of groups of students historically marginalized based on disability, gender, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status. The book highlights the varied interpretations of the Salamanca Statement across nations, emphasizing how cultural norms, political priorities, and resource constraints shape localized understandings and implementations of inclusive education. Chapters trace the historical evolution of inclusive education, addressing both high-incidence disabilities and complex special educational needs. The book critically engages with persistent global challenges - such as structural inequities, systemic bias, and infrastructural limitations - while also presenting innovative strategies for transformative systemic change.Understanding Inclusive Education is an essential resource for scholars and students of inclusive education, disability studies, and the sociology of education. It is also a vital reference for policymakers, educators, and practitioners committed to advancing equitable and inclusive access to quality education for all learners.

In this insightful book, Hassan Qudrat-Ullah simplifies the complex process of making informed decisions in challenging situations. The book examines how to handle uncertainty, risk and change in both business and everyday life, providing practical tools and methods for how to gather and evaluate information, plan strategically and make confident choices when faced with an uncertain outcome.Understanding Advanced Decision Making introduces both traditional and advanced frameworks for navigating complicated decisions in a range of sectors such as finance, business strategy, healthcare, environmental policy and project management. Qudrat-Ullah discusses the human factors and ethical considerations involved in the process, presenting detailed outlines for making responsible judgements. The book also explores the growing incorporation of advanced technologies into decision making, focusing on human–AI collaboration and the transparency of AI in models. Ultimately, it illustrates how to balance data, strategy and integrity when making decisions.Scholars and academics working in social psychology, public policy, operations management, and organizational and occupational psychology will greatly benefit from this highly informative book. It is also an invaluable read for practitioners and policy makers in management and strategic planning.

Steve Sussman explores the origins, evolution, and future directions of stigma research and health, providing detailed insights into the impact of stigmatization on quality of life and health behavior outcomes.Stigma is examined through three levels of analysis – individual, microsocial, and structural – to evaluate its effects on the physical and mental health of various populations. These populations include individuals with mental illnesses, substance addictions, incarceration, homelessness, physical diseases, disabilities, or physical differences, and LGBTQ+ populations. Chapters also investigate stigmatization as a function of age, gender, socioeconomic status, occupation, ethnicity, and religion. Sussman traces the development of stigma assessment, examining research methods such as social distance scales, surveys, and qualitative approaches. Furthermore, Sussman identifies key barriers to reducing stigmatization, presenting solutions across multiple levels, including changes among stigmatized individuals, to those who stigmatize them, and broader structural reforms.Understanding Stigma and Health is an invaluable resource for scholars and students across the social sciences, including those in the fields of social psychology, health psychology, health behavior research, sociology, social work, health policy, and public health.

This interdisciplinary book provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and politics. Pascal D. Koenig analyzes what politicizes AI, describes the distinct facets of this relationship, and how they interconnect.Incorporating a wide range of perspectives on AI and politics, Koenig explores technology design, how AI can engineer social relations, as well as its appearance in societal narratives, public opinion, and geopolitics. He reveals its manifold impacts on society, such as through automation and decision support tools in the public and private sector or the growing use of virtual assistants, and how these effects vary in visibility. The book also discusses the extent to which AI has become politicized, encompassing how it has been targeted by governance, data concerns, and the influence of private actors. Ultimately, Koenig concludes that the kinds of politics of AI with the greatest impact on society are often subtle and far removed from day-to-day politics.Understanding the Politics of Artificial Intelligence is a crucial resource for scholars and students of innovation policy, disruptive technologies and AI, international politics, and regulation and governance. It is also a beneficial read for practitioners and policymakers working on technology policy and governance who are interested in the intersection of AI and politics.

This insightful book provides a detailed explanation of the definitions, applications and relevance of parasocial relationships in contemporary society. Gayle Stever outlines the extensive history of parasocial studies and analyses core psychological principles surrounding the subject, including psychological, developmental and attachment theories. Informed by Horton and Wohl’s seminal article in 1956 and the research of Jung, Allport, Erikson and Tajfel, chapters explore parasocial theory in social media, fandoms, diverse populations and various media formats. Stever focuses in particular on the role of the celebrity in parasocial communication and how parasocial theory relates to social media influencers. The book investigates the potential negative sides of parasocial relationships, including anti-fandom, while also assessing the positive and personal applications of parasocial theory to people’s daily lives. Understanding Parasocial Relationships is a valuable resource for students and scholars of media, psychology, communication, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and business. Its evaluation of the psychology of audience reactions will also benefit journalists and researchers interested in media, celebrity and fandom.

Co-authored by eminent scholars in the field, this book surveys the processes and outcomes of child welfare services in the US, drawing global parallels in order to capture the challenges, tensions, and opportunities facing child welfare services.Written in a clear and accessible manner, the book outlines which child welfare system reforms are likely to have the greatest benefit for at-risk and maltreated children and families. Chapters cover crucial debates and initiatives mapping the evolution of child welfare services in the US and presenting comparisons with other approaches to child welfare services across the globe. The authors adopt a chronological approach, from initial contact to case closings, beginning with the prevention of child maltreatment and extending through out-of-home care, with a particular emphasis on services to older youth. The book also considers how to approach issues stemming from the importance of understanding and addressing diversity in race, ethnicity, and culture among child welfare involved families and offers opportunities for the evolution of child welfare services.Understanding Child Welfare is an illuminating read for students and scholars in social work, psychology, public health, and sociology. It is also a useful resource for practitioners, policymakers and other actors involved in child welfare services internationally.

This timely book surveys the economic theory of foreign direct investment (FDI) in relation to geopolitics. Imad A. Moosa sheds light on the emergence of geopolitics as a major determinant of FDI flow, providing an erudite analysis of the interconnections between FDI, globalisation and imperialism.Drawing on conventional, modern and Marxist geopolitical and economic theories, conjectural history and contemporary global affairs, Moosa demonstrates the reciprocal relationship between geopolitical power and FDI flows. The book highlights the impact of contemporary geopolitical events on FDI flows, including COVID-19, the US-China trade war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump’s second presidency. Moosa constructs a composite index of geopolitical power for a number of countries across the globe, emphasising that FDI is not only a tool for exercising this power, but also a means of enhancing it.An imperative reference for students and academics in international relations, political economy, geopolitics, regulation and governance, Understanding the Geopolitics of Foreign Direct Investment is also a beneficial read for policymakers.

Understanding Society and Knowledge proposes that knowledge, rather than nature, violence, or power, provides the basis of and driving force behind human action in modern society. It demonstrates how the legal containment of knowledge enables the transformation of the knowledge society into knowledge capitalism. Providing an overview of the history of knowledge societies, Nico Stehr analyses the concept of knowledge as well as the nature of post-industrial societies. Chapters examine the genealogy of social scientific theories of modern society; the role of knowledge as a capacity to act or as an intersubjective resource; and recent changes in the structure of the material economy. The book concludes by discussing the political challenges of the knowledge society, highlighting the ways in which discoveries in modern knowledge and subsequent political responses continue to generate controversies. This illuminating book will be an essential resource for students and scholars of economics, political science, sociology and sociological theory, as well as science and technology studies.