China's rapid (re)ascendance as a global power, fuelled by its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has arguably become the most significant challenge to the United States' dominance, reshaping international relations and sparking debates over the future of the global order.

This book examines how the US has received and strategically constructed narratives around China's BRI to counter its influence. Offering a thorough analysis of US narratives and policies, it explores economic, security, technological, and political dimensions. By integrating critical constructivist and poststructuralist theories with thematic and narrative analysis, the author traces the evolution of these narratives, revealing how the US foreign policy elites selectively (re)constructs BRI narratives to delegitimise the initiative, justify countermeasures, undermine China's global influence, and sustain its waning supremacy in the global order. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including official documents, key speeches, and think tank publications, the author uncovers how US strategic narratives of the BRI are collaboratively shaped through a network of inter-narratives involving policy elites, allies, middle powers, and critics, rather than being solely driven by the US government.

This volume will be of great interest to scholars and students of international relations, public diplomacy, US foreign policy, China studies, as well as practitioners and observers involved in BRI projects around the world.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of inappropriately obtained evidence in international investment arbitration, an increasingly pressing issue given technological advances and evolving notions of impropriety.

Despite the broad procedural discretion of investment tribunals, clear guidance on approaching inappropriately obtained evidence remains lacking, risking inconsistency and unfairness. To address this gap, the book proposes a structured evidentiary test, drawing on doctrinal, empirical and comparative analyses. It examines relevant case law from investment arbitration, international courts and domestic tribunals, alongside key legal principles such as evidentiary discretion and tribunal duties. Beyond theory, the book provides tribunals with a practical framework for approaching inappropriately obtained evidence, including the balancing of probative value with the degree of impropriety in evidence procurement. By situating its analysis within broader trends in investment arbitration, including state conduct and systemic reforms, this work serves as an essential resource for navigating one of the most challenging evidentiary issues.

The book will be of interest to practitioners and researchers in the field of international investment arbitration and beyond.

This essential book brings together leading criminology researchers from across the globe to explore the critical role of the 'evidence base' in crime and criminal justice. It began with a simple question: if experts were asked to write about the evidence base in their area of expertise, what would they say? Casting the net widely to ensure a diverse range of topics, contributors were given a straightforward brief: 5000 words on any aspect of the evidence base within their field. The result is a lively and accessible collection of papers offering critical assessments and insightful commentary on the state of research evidence.

This book is designed for students, academics, policymakers, and practitioners in criminology, criminal justice, and related fields. It addresses the challenges of turning empirical evidence into effective policy and practice, while highlighting methodological, political, and practical issues faced by researchers. The chapters provide research-driven insights into the evidence base across various areas, making this an invaluable resource for understanding the intersection of research and public policy in criminal justice.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Evidence Base.

This title examines the multifaceted role of traditional leadership in South African education, addressing governance, development, safety, and community partnerships in rural schools. The research analyzes land administration, school-community boundaries, learner discipline, and the intersection of traditional authority with formal education systems and also includes:

• Analysis of land administration and its intersection with educational development in traditional communities
• Critical evaluation of legal and policy frameworks governing traditional leadership involvement in schools
• Assessment of traditional leaders' contributions to school safety, security, and learner discipline
• Examination of school-community partnerships and boundary navigation in rural educational contexts

This title has been co-published with UKZN Press. T&F does not sell or distribute the print versions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This book offers a governance-centred analysis of unexplained wealth regulation in post-colonial states. Moving beyond conventional doctrinal approaches, the book argues that unexplained wealth regimes are not merely technical legal innovations, but diagnostic instruments that expose the institutional and political conditions under which accountability is pursued. Drawing on comparative socio-legal analysis of Nigeria and Kenya, alongside high-capacity jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland, it demonstrates that the effectiveness of asset recovery mechanisms depends less on statutory design than on judicial credibility, institutional coordination, political insulation, and the integrity of evidentiary processes.

Challenging culturalist explanations of corruption, the book situates illicit enrichment within historically produced political economies shaped by colonial administration, elite bargaining, and transnational financial networks. It advances the concept of the 'informational pipeline' to explain why enforcement often fails even where legal frameworks appear robust. By integrating comparative law, political economy, and post-colonial analysis, this study reconceptualises unexplained wealth as a governance problem rather than a purely legal one, making a sustained and original contribution to global debates on anti-corruption law, legal transplants, and state power.

The book will be a valuable guide for students, academics, policymakers, international banking law practitioners, and those interested in economic and financial crime from a developing and emerging economies perspective.

Leading experts explore key concepts, theories, empirical methods and groundbreaking studies and shed new light on central figures who have paved the development of the field. They demonstrate how economic sociology has become a powerful lens for scholarship throughout the social sciences and documents how the core programme has been supplemented, expanded and challenged by other approaches and contemporary methodologies.

The Elgar Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology is an essential resource for scholars and students of sociology, social policy, economics, finance and political science. Economists and policymakers will also benefit from its comprehensive coverage of the field.

Key Features:

• Easily navigable alphabetised entries written in an accessible style
• Features over 80 entries from a diverse array of international scholars
• Outlines central theoretical concepts, crucial methods and empirical studies
• Cross-referencing and index encourage new perspectives and critical though
• Presents a complete overview of classic themes as well as cutting-edge lines of thinking

Simon Susen's trilogy offers a systematic account of Juergen Habermas's Also a History of Philosophy. It provides a comprehensive overview of the central issues at stake in this magnum opus and, crucially, assesses its most significant limitations and shortcomings.

Susen shows how Habermas's approach to the history of philosophy seeks to reconstruct the genealogy of postmetaphysical thinking by tracing the tension-laden relationship between faith and knowledge back to the major developments brought about during the Axial Age. The trilogy examines how Habermas's latest project invites us to reconsider not only classical antinomies - such as faith vs. knowledge, the sacred vs. the profane, religion vs. science - but also the role of philosophy in the twenty-first century, particularly with regard to its capacity to overcome the tension between 'ideologization' [Verweltanschaulichung] and 'scientization' [Verwissenschaftlichung]. This endeavour, Susen argues, sheds light on the extent to which the emancipatory potential of rational freedom, far from being reducible to a mere product of the Enlightenment, has been present throughout human history - most notably in the processes of 'the linguistification of the sacred' in advanced civilizations during the first millennium BCE. Informed by a meticulous analysis of the Epilogue to the original German-language edition - which contains valuable insights into Habermas's retrospective reflections on his main arguments and engages with the reception of his ambitious theoretical enterprise - this definitive trilogy serves as an essential guide to one of Habermas's seminal works.

The first volume, The Foundations of Postmetaphysical Thinking, comprises a detailed outline of the core assumptions underlying Habermas's Auch eine Geschichte der Philosophie.

This trilogy is for all those in the social sciences and humanities studying and researching classical and contemporary social theory, the sociology of knowledge, the sociology of religion, political sociology, cultural sociology, social and political philosophy, epistemology, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of history, the philosophy of language, and the history of social and political thought.

Anatomy of Illegal Power explores how illicit markets shape politics, society, and everyday life across Latin America.

Drawing on more than a decade of fieldwork and hundreds of interviews, Lucia Dammert blends vivid human stories with sharp analysis to reveal how "illegal power" is built, sustained, and resisted. Moving beyond crime statistics, she reframes crime as a form of power, exposing the hidden structures that link organized crime to fragile institutions, entrenched corruption, and political disaffection. With a regional lens enriched by case studies from Brazil, El Salvador, Central America, and Chile, she demonstrates how illicit economies, from drugs and mining to logging and extortion, regulate territory, shape politics, and erode democracy.

Written by one of Latin America's leading authorities on security and organized crime, the book offers clear, policy-relevant insights without relying on militarized "iron-fist" solutions. Instead, it points to practical alternatives: strengthening institutions, investing in education, and fostering international cooperation. Accessible yet rigorous, it is essential reading for students and scholars in politics, sociology, criminology, and Latin American studies, as well as professionals in policy, journalism, and international organizations.

This book is a multi-stage learning resource that takes readers from basic data handling and software orientation to statistical analysis and financial applications using MS Excel and R. Through a gradual, step-by-step approach, it equips readers with the essential skills needed to understand, analyse, and interpret data in today's data-driven world.

Using clear illustrations, the book enables readers to organise and manage data, perform analytical computations, create meaningful visualisations, and draw conclusions. It introduces core concepts in research, data analysis, and economic and financial decision-making, demonstrating their relevance in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. This book enables readers to:

• Work confidently with MS Excel and R for efficient data handling and analysis
• Present and visualise data using charts, tables, and Pivot Tables
• Apply statistical techniques such as descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and hypothesis testing
• Perform financial analysis using concepts such as time value of money, compounding, NPV, IRR, and EMI calculations

By combining concepts with practical implementation, the book provides a strong foundation in computational techniques essential for modern data analysis.

This revised third edition introduces two new chapters on R for data analysis, complementing the book's Excel-based approach, making it an invaluable resource for beginners and students of economics, commerce, management, and the social sciences. This book will be useful for courses in econometrics, financial technology, and applied economics, as it equips readers with the analytical and computational skills required for academic excellence and professional success.

This book provides students, teachers, and researchers with a deeper examination of educational assessment fundamentals and examines assessment beyond (best) practices. The authors go beyond simply updating what is best practice assessment by understanding "best practices" in a way that will hold true for the future, especially in the wake of the drastic disruptions in these past few years.

Covering key topics of inclusive assessment, psychosocial impacts and wellbeing of students, and assessment in the age of technological proliferation and artificial intelligence, this book is divided into four sections: (1) "Assessment fit for the future in schools, for society", (2) "Assessment literacy and leadership", (3) "Theories and technicalities of assessment", and (4) "Assessment for all learners in schools and society". By the end of the book, readers will have nuanced understandings of the complexities of assessment issues that can enable a re-examination of what is fundamental to assessment and learning in schools, and how that prepares our learners for uncertain futures in society.

This book is a must-read for teachers, school leaders, policy makers, and researchers looking to reflect critically on their assessment practices and consider new ways of formulating assessment that is fit for all learners in schools, and beyond.

This book brings together global experts and thought leaders in coaching in higher education to share best practice on how coaching can be used to empower students, educators and administrators to improve the experience of university life.

Universities face a multitude of challenges, and this book demonstrates tried-and-tested practices that have a significant impact on some of the most important questions, such as:

• How can we support students from a broad range of backgrounds to flourish in the university setting?
• How can we develop the resilience of students and academics to adapt to a rapidly changing higher education landscape?
• How can university students cope with the mental health challenges of going to university, and what can be done to increase their employability and career prospects?

The book provides examples of using coaching to educator flourishing, provide coaching to staff and faculty, empower students to achieve success and wellbeing, equip university students with skills to provide peer coaching and to enhance the leadership skills of university administrators.

Embracing Trauma in the Classroom articulates a framework for understanding trauma not as a merely biological or individual reality, but as a social production that is inseparable from systems of power and oppression. Drawing from social theorists, educators, and on-the-ground activists, this book considers how a politically conscious understanding of trauma rooted in the lived experiences of oppressed and dehumanized people can trouble and reform social justice education.

Moving between theory, practice, and experience, Embracing Trauma in the Classroom queries how social justice educators can move forward at a time when the world feels confused and classrooms are under attack. Trauma doesn't get left at the door when class starts; it's always all around us, and it unavoidably affects teaching and learning. This text offers concrete skills and understanding for educators to apply in a wide range of classrooms and educational settings, both on campuses and in the community.

Simon Susen's trilogy offers a systematic account of Juergen Habermas's Also a History of Philosophy. It provides a comprehensive overview of the central issues at stake in this magnum opus and, crucially, assesses its most significant limitations and shortcomings.

Susen shows how Habermas's approach to the history of philosophy seeks to reconstruct the genealogy of postmetaphysical thinking by tracing the tension-laden relationship between faith and knowledge back to the major developments brought about during the Axial Age. The trilogy examines how Habermas's latest project invites us to reconsider not only classical antinomies - such as faith vs. knowledge, the sacred vs. the profane, religion vs. science - but also the role of philosophy in the twenty-first century, particularly with regard to its capacity to overcome the tension between 'ideologization' [Verweltanschaulichung] and 'scientization' [Verwissenschaftlichung]. This endeavour, Susen argues, sheds light on the extent to which the emancipatory potential of rational freedom, far from being reducible to a mere product of the Enlightenment, has been present throughout human history - most notably in the processes of 'the linguistification of the sacred' in advanced civilizations during the first millennium BCE. Informed by a meticulous analysis of the Epilogue to the original German-language edition - which contains valuable insights into Habermas's retrospective reflections on his main arguments and engages with the reception of his ambitious theoretical enterprise - this definitive trilogy serves as an essential guide to one of Habermas's seminal works.

The third volume, The Critique of Postmetaphysical Thinking, presents a set of critical reflections on Auch eine Geschichte der Philosophie and provides a rigorous assessment of Habermas's endeavour.

This trilogy is for all those in the social sciences and humanities studying and researching classical and contemporary social theory, the sociology of knowledge, the sociology of religion, political sociology, cultural sociology, social and political philosophy, epistemology, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of history, the philosophy of language, and the history of social and political thought.

Childbirth has long been a subject that defies easy historical investigation - elusive, painful, enveloped in modesty and mystery, and resistant to disclosure. This book outlines how childbirth was described and represented in the West from the Middle Ages through the early modern period to the seventeenth century, before the medicalisation of obstetrical practice and the emergence of clinics.

Drawing on a wide and varied body of sources - including medical, legal, religious, and literary texts - the author reconstructs the practices associated with women in labour. As the focal point of collective attention, the parturient was surrounded by other women - midwives, relatives, and neighbours - reflecting the strong female solidarity fostered by childbirth, while also being attended by men such as her husband, a priest, and, in later periods, a surgeon. Adopting a broad diachronic perspective, the book highlights both elements of long-term continuity and the most significant changes in the early modern period.

The book is intended for a wide readership, while also serving the interests of scholars and students. Beyond those concerned with the history of childbirth, midwifery and women, it will be relevant to readers engaged in the history of medicine, cultural anthropology and cultural history.

This new handbook explores, organizes, and analyzes current research on political violence in a changing global context.

Drawing from diverse disciplines-political science, sociology, anthropology, and history, as well as cultural and legal studies-this volume comprehensively surveys current research, providing an interdisciplinary overview that transcends traditional boundaries. At the heart of this volume lies the concept of "transformations." This handbook delves into three pivotal questions: (1) how have forms of political violence evolved over time? (2) What role do institutions play in shaping these changes? (3) How do different stakeholders interpret and ascribe meaning to varying manifestations of political violence? Offering a systematic approach, this volume provides statistical insights and pivotal case studies, bridging epistemological and methodological boundaries. Mapping the contemporary terrain of political violence, this book provides readers with a versatile toolbox, enabling them to engage with both the dynamics of violence and the underlying political context. This work's process-oriented paradigm facilitates dialogues between disciplines, shedding light on recent trends and providing a nuanced understanding of political violence in our complex world.

This book will be of much interest to students of political violence, terrorism studies, sociology, politics, and International Relations in general.

Disabled Entrepreneurs: Stories, Spaces, and Ecosystems explores the lived experiences of entrepreneurs with physical and sensory disabilities. Drawing on original qualitative research, this interdisciplinary book combines insights from management studies, sociology, and geography to examine how structural barriers, spatial dynamics, and personal agency shape entrepreneurial journeys. Through rich narratives and empirical analysis, it challenges normative assumptions about both entrepreneurship and disability, providing a nuanced understanding of the intersection between professional practice and social inclusion. This book is characterized by three core features: its interdisciplinary framework, which integrates structural, spatial, and relational perspectives; its human-centered approach, which amplifies the voices of disabled entrepreneurs and highlights their challenges, strategies, and motivations; and its strong societal commitment to promoting equity and inclusion.

Readers will gain valuable insights into entrepreneurial ecosystems, accessibility, and the role of place and mobility in shaping business development. This book also offers insights for policymakers, practitioners, and organizations seeking to foster inclusive entrepreneurship. Ideal for academics, researchers, and graduate students in management, entrepreneurship, disability studies, and human geography, this book also appeals to policymakers, nonprofit leaders, and disability advocates. Its global relevance ensures broad appeal across diverse contexts, making it a vital resource for advancing inclusive innovation and economic development.

The conference was convened under the theme: Empowering Emerging Economies through Innovation, Resilience, and Sustainability, highlighting the critical role of innovative and sustainable business practices in addressing the complex economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by emerging economies. The volume brings together rigorously peer-reviewed research papers that offer rich theoretical insights, robust empirical evidence, and practical perspectives across diverse domains of business and management.

It is structured around six interrelated themes that reflect contemporary challenges and opportunities in emerging economies. Social Entrepreneurship emphasizes innovative enterprise models, impact-driven financing, and technology-enabled solutions to address social and developmental issues. Decent Work and Productivity focus on inclusive employment, leadership, policy frameworks, and the role of digital technologies in enhancing workforce well-being and performance. Service Science explores service innovation, digitalization, and the application of AI to improve efficiency, personalization, and customer experience. Business Transformation for Sustainability highlights strategies for embedding sustainability into core business practices through digital and organizational change. Sustainability through the Circular Economy examines circular business models, resource efficiency, and waste reduction for long-term value creation. Finally, Resilient Supply Chains address agility, risk management, ethical sourcing, and technology adoption to ensure continuity and sustainability in uncertain environments.

Organized for academicians, researchers, scholars, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and policymakers worldwide, it offers a platform to share research, practical insights, and policy perspectives on innovation, sustainability, and resilience in emerging economies, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange for inclusive and sustainable business development.

In the era of ubiquitous computing and the Internet of things, is it still possible to go, or be, offline? Can we still find a more embedded, autonomous, and attentive way of being, away from the constant distraction of our phones and screens? Or is it time to reconcile ourselves to a future, where every thought and action is mediated by an algorithm?You Can Never Go Offline Again is an autoethnographic search for an elsewhere to the Internet. It chronicles the author's weekend digital detoxes, travels to Internet blackout zones, efforts at mindful consumption, and daily struggles to reign in his online activities, concluding that today there is no longer a meaningful distinction between online and off. The two have merged into one intermediated reality. Integrating literary memoir with anthropology, media studies, and philosophy, it takes stock of our digitally-saturated moment and attempts to chart a path forward. Written in accessible prose and illustrated with evocative photography, You Can Never Go Offline Again is essential reading for students and researchers of digital culture and anyone struggling to carve out a space for the in-person and face-to-face at a time when online has already become the default mode of being.

This book traces 300 years of sumo's economic and social history, examining how it survived and evolved through major historical upheavals including the Great Fire of Edo, the Meiji Restoration, and World War II. It explores how sumo developed as immigrants flowed into Edo, and how the tradition has transformed into Japan's most globalized labor market today. The book also analyzes how dismissed Yokozuna (sumo champions) became innovators who reshaped the sumo world.

Supply or substitute educators play a crucial role in keeping classrooms running and student learning on track. However, stepping into an unfamiliar classroom, with students you've never met and minimal guidance, is far more challenging than it may seem. Drawing on over 20 years of classroom and leadership experience, this practical guide explores how temporary teachers can navigate the complex world of unfamiliar schools, build meaningful connections with students, and develop a strong professional identity.

Each chapter is designed to support you in managing the unique demands of being a temporary teacher. You'll learn how to maintain high expectations, manage behaviour, build credibility, and create meaningful learning opportunities, even under pressure. Throughout there are real-life stories and examples from temporary teachers around the world, and expert insights from current teachers and school leaders to illustrate how the ideas in the book can be applied in different contexts.

More than a handbook for cover work, this book is a toolkit for professional growth, confidence, and belonging. Whether you're aiming for permanent roles or excelling in temporary positions, it will empower you to see yourself as a skilled professional, make a lasting impact on students, and rediscover your sense of purpose in the classroom.

This book centres on neurodivergent social workers and how managers and supervisors can ensure they offer neuroinclusive support and guidance in social work teams and organisations.

Explaining key theory, information, and practice regarding neurodiversity to develop understanding, it will also enable practitioners to connect with how neurodivergent social workers may experience social work practice and the impact on their practice and well-being. Using a strengths-based and neuro-affirming perspective, it shows how managers and supervisors can understand, value, and utilise the knowledge skills and values of neurodivergent social workers within teams and services. Offering frameworks, ideas, and advice on specific social work contexts such as supervision, organising, and planning work, enabling a sensory-affirming workplace, as well as developing trusted and empathic working relationships, it will help social work professionals to practice inclusively and anti-oppressively with their neurodivergent colleagues.

This book will be a useful resource for social work managers and supervisors, as well as practice educators and the wider organisation. Neurodivergent social workers will also find the information useful in terms of their own working strategies and approaches.

In seventeenth-century England goldsmiths became what we would now recognise as bankers. Goldsmiths' shops sold not only gold and silver plate but also instruments of credit, such as bonds and bills of exchange, and offered 'safe' places to lodge capital at interest. As well as offering financial services to private individuals, goldsmith bankers also became trusted financial agents to the Crown.

Whilst some goldsmith banks still survive today, and the likes of Coutts are still associated with the Crown, the link between goldsmiths and banking is largely forgotten in modern Britain. This book explores the history of goldsmith banking from its early seventeenth-century origins, through its maturity in the Restoration, the collapse of significant goldsmith banks following the 1672 Stop on the Exchequer, and the continuation of goldsmith banking through the 'financial revolution', formation of the Bank of England, and beyond. It combines a general narrative with examples of specific goldsmith banks throughout the period to examine goldsmith bankers' practices, the instruments they dealt in and popularised, and the innovations in finance they instituted.

This concise introduction to goldsmith banking is ideal for students, academics, and those with a general interest in financial history or early modern London.