This open access book examines the role of religion in the emerging academic and policy discourses on the polycrisis-also termed the metacrisis or permacrisis. Drawing on philosophy, economics, and the comparative study of religion, the book develops a conceptual map and shared vocabulary for engaging the interlocking challenges of our age, which threaten multiple simultaneous regional instabilities across the world system. As current political, economic, social, and ecological frameworks are stretched to their limits, Akhtar explores how the world's religious traditions can be accessed as sources of spiritual inspiration and moral imagination to chart new pathways beyond our collective paralysis. Advancing a covenantal pluralistic response, the volume offers scholars, students, and policymakers a generative framework for navigating overlapping crises through interreligious wisdom. Essential reading for those working at the intersection of religion, ethics, public policy, and the global polycrisis.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

This book reveals how communities protect themselves when external support is absent.

Drawing on participatory research from Cameroon's conflict zones, the authors document the remarkable agency and creativity of conflict-affected civilians employing non-violent methods to protect one another from violence. With international and national NGOs under strict government controls in the Anglophone regions, local communities have developed their own innovative self-protection strategies that offer sustainable pathways through conflict.

This important study shifts unarmed civilian protection discourse away from externally-led interventions towards genuinely civilian-centred approaches, offering crucial insights for practitioners, policy makers and scholars working in conflict-affected contexts worldwide.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

What does it mean to become a father at a young age today?

This volume brings together research about the lived experiences of fathers aged 25 and under. Drawing on diverse contexts across the Global North and South, it explores how young fathers form identities and relationships within diverse social, welfare and policy environments.

Moving beyond deficit-based perspectives, the book highlights their social engagement, responsibilities and commitments to family life.

By combining insights from leading scholars within a shared conceptual framework, it provides a comprehensive international comparison of young fatherhood and offers valuable implications for policy, practice and future research.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

How do we position ourselves in relation to our digital cultural heritage when every software update threatens its very survival?

This book confronts the fragility of computer- and network-based art in an age of relentless technological obsolescence. Focusing on a seminal work by the pioneering artist duo JODI, this interdisciplinary study explores graphical user interfaces, executable files, hard-coded structures and the creative use of randomness. Through a model-assisted storytelling approach, it rethinks how programmed artworks can be remembered, analysed and reactivated once they cease to function.

A bold experiment in science communication, this volume is a must- read for scholars, practitioners and all who care about safeguarding our digital memory.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Technologies are not created hostile, but they can become so. Through neglect, austerity or repurposing, the systems that shape our lives can cause profound harm to people, animals, and physical and social environments in ways their creators neither anticipated nor acknowledged.

Drawing on examples spanning border control, welfare systems, urban design and AI, this provocative collection introduces the concept of technological innocence: the obliviousness that allows bias and hostility to flourish unchallenged.

Moving beyond naive design ethics, it offers scholars, designers and policy makers a powerful new vocabulary for confronting the darker consequences of technological choice.

Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence

Across many jurisdictions in the Global North, lack of credibility is the primary basis for rejecting sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) asylum applications. This edited collection examines how disbelief poses one of the most complex challenges for queer asylum seekers worldwide.

The contributions in this book highlight how assessments in various asylum systems in the Global North are based on stereotypical, feeling-centric and western-centric models, that fail to reflect the complexities of sexual and gender diversity, often perpetuating unlawful bias and leading to unjust decisions. Bringing together theory and practice, the collection explores these issues across diverse geographical contexts, employing a multidisciplinary approach.

Crucially, the collection offers a variety of critical and empirical interventions, advocating for a fairer and more inclusive asylum system and adherence to human rights and refugee law.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Academic freedom is widely recognized as a cornerstone of higher education, yet its counterpart, academic responsibility, has received remarkably little attention.

This timely book addresses that gap by presenting academic responsibility as a voluntary commitment to apply academic expertise to society's most pressing challenges. Tracing the evolution of higher education's mission through ideas such as engagement, impact, social responsibility and decolonization, Brink develops a compelling conceptual framework that places academic responsibility alongside academic freedom.

Essential reading for academics, university leaders and policymakers, this book offers a fresh perspective on what universities owe society and why that question matters more than ever.

A unified integrative model for counselling children and young people

Practitioners working with children and young people often draw from multiple therapeutic modalities without a coherent framework for integration. Ecosystemic Counselling with Children and Young People presents a single model that synthesises systemic, person-centred, cognitive-behavioural, and psychodynamic theories into one unified approach. Each chapter applies ecosystemic theory to practice through case vignettes and practical examples.

The book addresses specific presenting issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, suicidality, anger, and behaviour difficulties. It examines how family dynamics, school environments, and social identity shape mental health outcomes, offering strategies for working with these factors. Coverage extends to neurodiversity, collaboration with partner agencies, and counsellor self-awareness within the ecosystemic framework.

Readers will also find:

• A unified theory of change that combines humanistic, cognitive, phenomenological, and psychodynamic principles into one integrative clinical framework
• Practical strategies for working with the interconnectedness of a child's psychological health and their wider social and environmental context
• Guidance on adapting ecosystemic interventions for neurodiverse clients, accounting for individual developmental profiles and cognitive processing differences
• Approaches for multi-agency collaboration that support holistic wellbeing across therapeutic, educational, and community settings for young clients
• Content grounded in three master's-level modules in children and young people's counselling, connecting academic rigour directly to clinical application

Designed for qualified therapists, mental health professionals, and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists, this book provides a structured integrative model applicable directly in clinical settings. By unifying established counselling modalities into a single ecosystemic framework, it equips practitioners to deliver holistic, theoretically grounded support to children and young people.

Contemporary clinical approaches for AAPI youth mental health across diverse populations

For the Next Generation: Mental Health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Youth addresses the urgent need for updated clinical resources focused on the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the United States. Nancy H. Liu, PhD, a Fulbright Scholar and former WHO consultant specializing in cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatment, contextualizes current research within contemporary societal discourse while providing practical solutions for clinicians working with AANHPI adolescents and emerging adults.

This resource examines contemporary issues previously unaddressed in clinical literature, including anti-Asian hate, intersectionality within AANHPI communities, religion and spirituality, bullying, and neurodiversity. Each chapter concludes with case studies, practical illustrations, and take-home points designed for immediate clinical application. The text reviews advances in acculturation, racial and ethnic identity development, and mental health stigma.

Readers will also find:

• Clinical frameworks for addressing mental health stigma specific to diverse AANHPI subpopulations and their unique cultural contexts
• Practical strategies for working with minoritized groups within AAPI communities
• Evidence-based approaches adapted for cultural relevance with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations
• Case conceptualizations demonstrating application of contemporary research to clinical practice with AANHPI youth
• Assessment and intervention considerations reflecting the changing demographics of the broader U.S. society

For the Next Generation serves mental health professionals, clinical trainees across bachelor's through doctoral programs, educators, community leaders, and peer support providers seeking culturally informed approaches for AANHPI adolescents and emerging adults. Its interdisciplinary scope makes it relevant for courses in public health, education, anthropology, and ethnic studies.

This open access volume provides a comprehensive account of the role of legal interpretation in shaping the development of law, legal reasoning, and institutional and constitutional practice. Drawing on contributions from constitutional law, criminal law, civil liability, consumer protection, EU law and digital regulation, it highlights interpretation as a key mechanism through which coherence, adaptability and fairness are maintained within legal systems.
Legal interpretation mediates the translation of abstract principles into concrete outcomes, supports the protection of rights and freedoms, and enables the integration of new social and technological realities into existing legal frameworks. The contributions address a range of topics, including religious freedom, government liability, undue influence in liberalities and the evolving concept of family, illustrating how interpretative approaches can influence the scope and effectiveness of fundamental rights.
Several chapters examine the constitutional dimension, focusing on the Romanian Constitutional Court's use of the rule of law principle, the liability of government members and the impact of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on domestic legal systems. Other contributions engage with criminal law, including analogy in malam partem, teleological reasoning and the relationship between legal logic, aporia and structured openness. Civil and commercial law developments are also considered through analyses of consumer contracts, tort law and SME regulation.
The volume further addresses contemporary challenges, including the impact of legal tech on litigation practices, the role of expert evidence and interpretative issues related to online advertising. Throughout, it shows how interpretation operates as a bridge between relatively stable legal texts and evolving social contexts.
Overall, the book demonstrates that legal interpretation is not merely a technical tool, but a central element of legal reasoning, institutional practice and democratic legitimacy. It will be of interest to scholars, practitioners and advanced students engaged with contemporary developments in law and its interaction with society and technology.

Territory and constitutional order lie at the heart of some of the most pressing challenges facing Europe today. Shaped by historical legacies, diverse identities and the ongoing process of European integration, territorial governance continues to test the resilience of constitutional systems.
This volume explores these dynamics through a comparative constitutional perspective, combining theoretical insights with a rich set of case studies. It originates from the Sapienza University Research Project "Territory, Borders and Institutions: Between Secession and Centrifugal Dynamics", initiated by Professor Beniamino Caravita, whose vision has inspired the research underlying this work.
At its core, the book examines the tension between territorial asymmetries and secession. Mechanisms such as regionalism, differentiated autonomy and federalism can accommodate diversity within a single constitutional framework, as seen in countries like Spain, Italy and Belgium. Yet these same arrangements may also generate political tensions and perceptions of inequality. Secessionist movements represent a more radical challenge, raising fundamental questions about the balance between self-determination and territorial integrity, as illustrated by developments in Scotland, Catalonia and Flanders.
Bringing together theoretical analysis and comparative case studies from across Europe, the volume highlights how territorial claims shape constitutional change at both national and supranational levels.
A timely and insightful contribution, this book offers essential perspectives for understanding the evolving landscape of territorial governance in Europe. This is an open access book.

This book brings together contributions from female authors on feminicide and violence against women. Steilneset Memorial in Finnmark, Norway was built by Norwegian Scenic Routes to commemorate the victims of the Finnmark witchcraft trials in the seventeenth century. The memorial was opened in 2011, and is based on three components: art, architecture, and history. The artist is Louise Bourgeois, who created an art installation. The architect is Peter Zumthor, who designed the memorial's two buildings. The historian is Liv Helene Willumsen, who wrote one commemoratory text for each of the victims. The majority were women: of the 91 persons who were executed, 77 were women and only 14 were men. This book therefore uses Steilneset Memorial as a starting point to explore contemporary feminicide and violence against women, as the misogyny which was fundamental to the persecution of alleged witches in the 1600s is still seen today throughout the world.

The richest insights in qualitative projects often emerge not from established or formulaic analytic approaches but from everyday, improvised ways of working with data. Everyday Qualitative Analysis reveals these often-unseen creative practices, showing how researchers think, feel and make meaning in the analytic process.

This practical book introduces a distinctive approach that opens up pathways through data, the shapes data can take and the affective textures of analysis. It rejects rigid, pre-determined approaches and instead supports readers in developing styles of analysis that feel purposeful, personal and genuinely responsive to their data.

The book features:

* Case studies from a range of fields, including gerontology, science and technology studies, cultural studies, LGBTQ+ research, fashion and material culture;

* Practical prompts, suggestions and questions that help with data analysis; and

* Strategies for navigating complex or unruly datasets.

Offering real-world examples and helpful prompts, this vital book frees researchers from rule-bound expectations, encouraging them to experiment, trust their instincts and discover new routes through their data.

This book articulates a new creative philosophy of education for the Anthropocene through international collaboration. The (disputed) boundary between the Holocene and the Anthropocene is 1952, wherein evidence suggests that human impacts on the functioning of planetary systems is sufficient to warrant a new geological epoch - the Anthropocene. Hence, the central problem for education, defined as practices of knowledge, learning, and skills from preschool to lifelong learners, is that the ideology, intent, outcomes and mechanisms of education still come from the Holocene, wherein nature was perceived as infinite, and students were to be equipped with tools to succeed given this infinitude. This volume articulates the fact that we cannot trust our political and business leaders to make the necessary switch in time. Rather, purposeful, imaginative, new educational practices that teach creativity and that are creative in that they articulate new mores and belief systems for the Anthropocene, are our best hopes for continuation on the planet Earth.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

This book provides a critical reflection on the relationship between education, conflict, war and peace and the global actors and practitioners that have devised strategies to engage and support education systems in conflict-affected contexts.

Exploring a wide range of issues from development assistance to education, peacebuilding, de-radicalisation programmes and global governance, it evidences the challenges and the promises of education's complex relationship to war and peace. The book highlights the field's entanglements with geopolitics and imperial interventions, which have shaped its actions and undermined and limited its potential to support social transformation towards peace with social justice.