Humanities & Social Sciences

The God of classical theism can be characterized by four features: uncausedness, atemporality, pure actuality, and the identity of divine essence and existence. A certain long-standing program in natural theology provides good grounds for accepting the existence of such a being. In this chapter, I focus on three arguments from St. Thomas Aquinas: the First and Second Ways (from the Summa Theologiae Part I), and his analysis of essence and existence in De Ente. These arguments provide support for the existence of a First Cause with all four of the characteristics of classical theism. I also argue that we can go on to infer God's personality, intelligence, infinity, and perfection. Finally, there is little doubt that, if the God of classical theism exists, that unique Being must be identified with the God of the Bible.

This article describes the police intelligence division-of-labour. It is argued that police organisation gains overall coherence in relation to the ‘police métier’; a rationale that allows protagonists in the police world to make sense of an irrational workplace structure where personal loyalty, trust and honour (not formal organisational logic) form the basis of action and compliance. The concept of the police métier is defined in terms of the police professional concern with the mastery of surveillance and coercion in the reproduction of order, the making of crime and the governance of insecurity, and it is the polestar of the police mindset. The article describes the police intelligence division-of-labour paying specific attention to four different aspects of intelligence activity: the acquisition of intelligence or information; the analysis of information in the production of intelligence; tasking and co-ordination on the basis of intelligence ‘product’; or being tasked on that same basis. The descriptive analysis presented here is useful in several respects. Firstly it provides a basis for the comparative study of police intelligence work and its configuration within broader processes of security governance. Secondly, it provides a prototypical organisational map useful understanding the orientation of particular units – the organisational elements of policework (e.g. of drug squads, primary response, public order and homicide investigation units) – within the broader police division-of-labour. Lastly, it provides a complex view of issues concerning democratic governance of ‘the police’ as they are configured as nodes within broader networks of security governance.

Der Almanach ist als Fortführung des seit 1881 herausgegebenen Jahresberichts ein Nachschlagewerk in allen Belangen der Universität Mozarteum Salzburg und bietet eine Leistungsschau des jeweils vergangenen Studienjahrs. Der Sammelband dokumentiert die vielfältigen Aktivitäten der Kunstuniversität. Er beinhaltet neben Daten und Fakten Beiträge zu Entwicklung und Organisation der Universität, einen umfangreichen Veranstaltungs- und Publikationsrückblick, Berichte über Aktivitäten einzelner Bereiche sowie Interviews und eine beeindruckende Aufstellung aller Errungenschaften rund um die Universität Mozarteum.

This open access book focuses on the issue of sustainability standards from the perspective of both global governance frameworks and emerging economies. It stems from the recognition that the accelerated pace of economic globalization has generated production and consumption patterns that are generating sustainability concerns. Sustainability standards (and regulations) are increasingly being used in a bid to make global consumption and production more sustainable. Given the dense inter-connectedness of economic affairs globally, the use of sustainability standards has become a concern of global governance, who face the challenge of achieving a balance between the use of standards for genuine sustainability objectives, and not allowing them to turn into instruments of protectionism or coercion. The emerging economies, given their increasing engagement with the global economy, are most impacted by the use of sustainability standards. The emphasis of ‘emerging economies’ in this book is retained both by using case studies from these economies and by collating perceptions and assessments of those located in these economies. The case studies included span sectors such as palm oil, forestry, food quality, vehicular emissions and water standards, and address the problems unique to the emerging economies, including capacity building for compliance with standards, adapting international standards in domestic contexts and addressing the exclusion of small and medium enterprises etc. Complex interfaces and dynamics of a global nature are not limited to the thematic of this book but also extend to the process through which it was written. This book brings together insights from developed as well as emerging economies (Germany, India, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico and China). It also brings together scholars and practitioners to jointly ponder upon the conceptual aspects of the global frameworks for sustainability standards. This book is a very useful resource for researchers and practitioners alike, and provides valuable insights for policy makers as well.

Mazierska presents a cultural history of popular Viennese electronic music from 1990 to 2015, from the perspectives of production, scene and national and international reception. To illustrate this history in depth, a number of case studies of the most successful and distinguished musicians are explored, such as Kruder and Dorfmeister, Patrick Pulsinger, Tosca, Electric Indigo and Sofa Surfers. The author draws on research about electronic music, the relationship between music and the urban environment, the history of Austria and Vienna, music scenes and fandom, the digital shift , stardom in popular music (especially electronic music), as well as theories of postmodernism.

The Dynamics of Global Financial Markets: Risks, Regulation, and Innovation provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the modern financial system amid rising uncertainty and rapid change. It explores how global markets are influenced by systemic risks, regulatory developments, geopolitical tensions, climate-related pressures, and technological advancements. The book explores the institutional foundations of financial markets, the roles of central banks and international organisations, the transmission of geopolitical and climate-related shocks, and the transformative influence of digital assets, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and fintech. By incorporating historical perspectives, analytical discourse, and policy relevance, it shows how financial markets serve as sources of opportunity, vulnerability, and strategic adaptation. This book will be essential reading for academics, advanced students, policymakers, regulators, and practitioners in finance, economics, and public policy. It provides readers with a structured and globally informed understanding of the major trends shaping modern finance, while offering insights into the regulatory, institutional, and strategic challenges that will influence its future.

This open access book, now in its second edition, offers a powerful analysis of adult and community education at a time of rising inequality and diminishing state support. Grounded in both Irish and international contexts, this edition again challenges the impact of neoliberal agendas on grassroots community education and makes a convincing case for reclaiming community education’s radical, consciousness-raising agenda. The book is theoretically rooted in critical feminist pedagogy and draws on real-world examples to present key aspects of this approach to adult learning in a clear, accessible, and practical way. Community Education and Neoliberalism exposes the extent to which market-driven forces and managerialist agendas are eroding the transformative nature of adult and community education. The author examines the impact of neoliberal government lifelong learning policies, the potential drawbacks of professionalising community education and the perils of accreditation systems when marketisation becomes the principal focus. But this book does not simply offer a critique — it also presents practical pathways to revitalise community education, ensuring it continues to be a part of the struggle for a better world which, the author argues, can only be achieved through collective action. The book is essential reading and a call to action for students, educators, activists and policymakers alike, or indeed or anyone who is passionate about equality and social justice.

Die Corona-Pandemie hat auch im kulturellen Bereich tiefe Wunden hinterlassen und einen enormen Wandel angestoßen. Was braucht die Kunst nach der Krise? Welche Konzepte der Kulturförderung waren und sind hilfreich? Das interdisziplinäre Team von Wissenschaftler*innen um Wolfgang Schneider analysiert in zwölf thematischen Teilstudien Wirkmechanismen und Potenziale kulturpolitischer Instrumentarien. Dabei fokussieren sie auf die Aspekte der künstlerischen Produktion, des Produktions- und Spielbetriebs, der Radiuserweiterung sowie der Kultur- und Förderpolitik. Ausgehend von dieser umfassenden Bestandsaufnahme formulieren sie Handlungsempfehlungen für eine zukunftsgerichtete Theaterlandschaft.

The exhibition Astronomia e Fisica a Firenze (“Astronomy and Physics in Florence”) illustrates the evolution of the two disciplines from the eighteenth century until the early decades of the twentieth century. The place in the city which witnessed and welcomed this process and the development of all sciences was the Imperial and Royal Museum of Physics and Natural History, where the exhibition is held. During the period of time examined, all aspects of the investigation of nature were equally pertinent to a single scholar, but towards the beginning of the twentieth century some guidelines underwent a profound transformation and the prevailing taxonomic and phenomenological approach took over, especially for disciplines like Astronomy and Physics. This specialised investigation ended up differentiating the various fields of research. Major protagonist of this phase was the development of spectroscopic analysis. The exhibition, open from December 2016 to March 2017, is organised by the University of Florence (National History Museum; Department of Physics and Astronomy) and the Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, in collaboration with the Florence Section of the INFN, the Museo Galileo, the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Florence, the National Institute of Optics of CNR and the University Science Library.

This final chapter focuses on the design of political institutions and systems. Not only is design thinking a key element of an engaged political analysis (Stoker, 2013), but it is also particularly relevant at the present time, as countries struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic which has engulfed the world during 2020.

This study originates in the observation that improv comedy or improvised theater has such a vast majority of white people practicing it, while other improvisational or comedic art forms (jazz, freestyle rap, stand up) are historically grounded in and marked as Black cultural production. What it is about improv that makes it such a white space? Can an absence be an object of study? If so, what is there to study? Where should one look?

There are many political measures for equality in the profession, but why do they still lack the resounding success? What dynamics are at work in the implementation and enforcement of these measures, and how can equality policies be better designed and coordinated in the future? In order to find answers to these questions, the authors compare the structures and measures of corporate equality policies of public employers using the example of federal administrations in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

Consacré à l'histoire sociale de la famille et de la sexualité illégitimes, ce livre s’intéresse aux relations sexuelles hors mariage et à l'intégration familiale des enfants naturels à Genève entre 1670 et 1794. En s’appuyant sur l’histoire du genre et de la régulation sociale, il étudie la gestion urbaine des autorités civiles, religieuses et hospitalières de la « paillardise », ce qui désigne les rapports hors mariage dont résulte une grossesse. Il s’intéresse non seulement au contrôle des relations illicites et de leurs conséquences, mais aussi à la « narration » qu’en font les hommes et les femmes impliqués. Il en ressort le caractère quotidien de ces relations charnelles qui s’inscrivent dans des modes traditionnels de sociabilité hétérosociale pouvant conduire un couple au mariage. Ce livre analyse enfin le processus d’adaptation de ces familles précaires pour illustrer l’expérience sociale des enfants illégitimes. Fondée sur un corpus de sources judiciaires et hospitalières important, cette recherche offre un éclairage original sur les processus de formation de la famille sous l'Ancien Rögime. Elle contribue par ailleurs à illustrer l'expérience sociale des individus illégitimes et l'émergence de sentiments affectifs entre parents et enfants naturels

Due to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities, the Federal States of Germany have to implement inclusive education. However, there is no shared understanding how to define inclusive education in Germany. Therefore, different understandings on how to implement inclusive education within the schools exist. Comparing different Federal States of Germany, Anne Piezunka examines how school inspectorates define inclusive education. School inspectorates are part of the educational administration. They evaluate the quality of schools and are a key means of accountability. Evaluating the quality of schools, they analyze documents, conduct interviews and observe classes. Thereby, they apply several metrics. For example: “The class starts on time”. Every federal state has developed its own metrics. Piezunka analyzes which metrics school inspectorates apply to evaluate the implementation of inclusive education on the school level. Interviewing the developers of metrics, she also studies the development of these metrics and seeks to explain differences between the federal states. The study brings together sensemaking theory, sociology of evaluation and research on inclusive education. (DIPF/Orig.)

The emergence of "male-centered serials" such as The Shield, Rescue Me, and Sons Of Anarchy and the challenges these characters face in negotiating modern masculinities. From the meth-dealing but devoted family man Walter White of AMC’s Breaking Bad, to the part-time basketball coach, part-time gigolo Ray Drecker of HBO’s Hung, depictions of male characters perplexed by societal expectations of men and anxious about changing American masculinity have become standard across the television landscape. Engaging with a wide variety of shows, including The League, Dexter, and Nip/Tuck, among many others, Amanda D. Lotz identifies the gradual incorporation of second-wave feminism into prevailing gender norms as the catalyst for the contested masculinities on display in contemporary cable dramas. Examining the emergence of “male-centered serials” such as The Shield, Rescue Me, and Sons of Anarchy and the challenges these characters face in negotiating modern masculinities, Lotz analyzes how these shows combine feminist approaches to fatherhood and marriage with more traditional constructions of masculine identity that emphasize men’s role as providers. She explores the dynamics of close male friendships both in groups, as in Entourage and Men of a Certain Age, wherein characters test the boundaries between the homosocial and homosexual in their relationships with each other, and in the dyadic intimacy depicted in Boston Legal and Scrubs. Cable Guys provides a much needed look into the under-considered subject of how constructions of masculinity continue to evolve on television.