This Advanced Introduction to Capital Punishment provides a succinct overview of the modern American death penalty, tracing its historical roots in colonialism to contemporary applications within the juridical system. The authors analyse the mechanics of sentencing, the decisive role of jury selection, and the enduring influence of race despite formal safeguards.

Key Features:

• Discusses foundational cases such as the Supreme Court's decisions in Furman v. Georgia and Gregg v. Georgia
• Engages with current issues and controversies related to the administration of the death penalty and the execution process
• Explains how American capital punishment was dismantled and reconstructed in the "modern era" using Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment legal doctrines
• Explores the crucial role of defense counsel and the complex system of appellate review
• Includes insights from three primary experts in the field, with both academic and capital litigation experience

This Advanced Introduction provides an accessible overview of the complex field of capital punishment law, making it a valuable resource for academics, researchers and students of criminal law and justice, and law and society.

Key Features:

• Provides key information for courts and related parties in facilitating informed choices and reducing litigation risks
• Adopts a practitioner-oriented structure, enabling quick identification of choice-of-court and choice-of-law options
• Presents structured chapters from across 26 European jurisdictions to provide a comparative overview of EU and national PIL
• Systematically integrates EU and national PIL, including Brussels IIter, Rome III, Maintenance Regulation and property regimes
• Addresses pressing issues including divorce, separation, maintenance, property and pension rights for married couples, registered partnerships, same-sex marriages and informal relationships

This Comparative Guide is an essential resource for practitioners of European family law, private international law and cross-border dispute resolution. Policymakers in EU institutions as well as legal scholars will benefit from its comprehensive analysis and actionable approaches.

Written as an engaging narrative, and presenting a wide range of historical and geographical accounts, the book traces IP from the Biblical era to the Industrial Revolution and from Edinburgh to Baghdad. Each chapter explores a self-contained historical period, highlighting the diversity of people, locations, periods, and circumstances prior to the modern harmonisation of legal IP. The narrative illuminates the motivations for protecting creation and invention, underscoring notable attitudinal differences between then and now. Rather than seeking to uncover historical antecedents to the modern IP system, the book addresses intellectual historical creations and inventions on their own terms and within their own milieu.

IP before IP is an essential resource for scholars and students of intellectual property law, and legal, cultural and literary history. Intellectual property lawyers seeking to broaden their understanding of historical IP will also benefit from its diverse, expansive scope.

Beginning with a historical perspective, the book provides an analytical overview of patent law as a dynamic system shaped by digital transformation, and traces how the foundational doctrines of patent law have evolved and adapted to the realities of Industry 4.0, digital transformation, and AI innovation. In addition to delivering doctrinal analysis of the fundamentals of patent law, such as eligibility, novelty, inventive step, infringement, claim scope, remedies and defenses, the book also presents research questions inviting readers to examine how platform ecosystems, servitization, and AI tools challenge how these fundamentals are approached. It situates novel developments within the structure of traditional patent principles and concludes with forward-thinking research questions designed to stimulate future inquiries.

The Law and Theory of Patents is a crucial resource for scholars and students of patent law, innovation policy, and intellectual property (IP) law. Patent practitioners, judges, and regulators will also benefit from its comparative guidance and actionable insights into the complex future of patent law.

Xiong charts the evolution of PPPs from financing-driven arrangements (PPP 1.0), through efficiency-focused models (PPP 2.0), to sustainability-oriented partnerships (PPP 3.0). He integrates economic efficiency, political incentives and public values to provide a coherent framework for understanding why some partnerships succeed and others fail. Drawing on comparative evidence and real-world cases, the book demonstrates how governments and private actors can better create, manage and adapt PPPs over time. It also argues that the future of PPPs lies in broad, multi-actor collaborations designed to address the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Origins and Evolution of Public-Private Partnerships is a vital resource for scholars and students of political economics, public administration and public policy. Policymakers and sustainable development professionals will also benefit from its comparative cases and practical lessons.

Fully revised and integrating fresh data, this new edition provides an excellent description of French institutions through the discussion of historical developments, political forces, public policy, and the evolution of important aspects of French society.

Key updates for the fourth edition include:

• extensive and integrated discussion of the Macron presidency
• comprehensive history of the Fifth Republic and its ongoing crisis
• systematically elucidates the paradoxes and dilemmas faced by France in ways that suggest underlying resilience, including thematic analysis on the weakened state of political parties and a new chapter on political trust and democratic malaise
• digestible and streamlined presentations on local government, new analysis on gender and reproductive rights and the inclusion of more illustrations to help the reader recognise specific relationships, movements and complex issues of the public administration.

French Politics and Society is essential reading for all undergraduates studying French politics, French studies, European studies or comparative politics.

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the intertwined cultural, historical, and geopolitical landscape of Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB)-two regions separated by the Line of Control (LoC) yet bound by deep-rooted connections. Moving beyond conventional security and strategic discourse, this volume focuses on humanitarian concerns and the lived experiences of local populations who continue to bear the impact of political instability, militarization, and border tensions.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, the book critically examines key issues including border dynamics, divided families, socio-economic marginalization, climate vulnerability, and environmental security. It sheds light on emerging protests in Ladakh post-abrogation, political aspirations in GB, and the militarization of everyday life along contested borders. Grounded in ethnographic fieldwork, legal analysis, and normative frameworks, the chapters amplify voices from within these communities, offering rare insights into the aspirations, anxieties, and resilience of borderland populations. Rich in case studies and real-life narratives, the book bridges academic scholarship with grassroots perspectives, making it both rigorous and accessible.

This book is useful to the departments of Border Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Anthropology, Sociology, and Security Studies. It would be an indispensable resource for policymakers, journalists, and readers interested in South Asia and border conflicts.

In a rapidly evolving landscape of educational research, explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) and interpretable machine learning (IML) are emerging as pivotal tools that enhance transparency, efficiency, and innovation. This book serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and leveraging these technologies to transform teaching, learning, and research practices. It aims to bridge the gap between complex technological advancements and practical educational applications. It delves into how XAI and IML can be harnessed to analyze vast educational datasets, assess student performance, and design adaptive learning environments, all while ensuring the interpretability and ethical deployment of AI systems. Through a blend of theoretical insights and real-world examples, the book explores topics such as the foundations of XAI, the development of IML algorithms for education, and the ethical implications of data-driven decision-making. A unique feature of this volume is its interdisciplinary approach, combining perspectives from educators, researchers, and data scientists. It emphasizes collaboration and encourages contributors to address emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in the application of XAI and IML. Case studies from diverse educational contexts provide practical insights and inspire innovative solutions to pressing educational issues. The book serves as a comprehensive and definitive guide for practitioners and researchers dedicated to enhancing educational processes.

'The Anthropocene' is one of the most important scientific concepts of our time. It is also one of the most contested. This book offers the most advanced yet accessible introduction to the complex and often heated debates about the meaning, nature, and implications of the Anthropocene.

Drawing on the work of physical and human geographers, alongside geographically-informed contributions from natural and physical scientists, sociologists, historians, anthropologists, philosophers, and others, this book maps and critically evaluates the implications of the Anthropocene for the discipline of Geography and for geographical thinking across other fields. It asks: Does the Anthropocene mark the start of the greatest environmental crisis in history? Which humans are most responsible? What impacts is it having on human well-being and the natural world? What needs to be done to mitigate its threats, and who will bear the costs? How does 'the Anthropocene' challenge the conduct of research, policy, and activism around issues like environmental justice, resilience, nature conservation, or decolonisation? Is 'the Anthropocene' even the best name for this new age?

Essential reading for university students and researchers in Geography and beyond, this book also appeals to general readers interested in understanding how human actions are reshaping the Earth and what this means for the future of people and planet.

The first quarter of the 21st century has witnessed numerous reform efforts related to schooling and education. At the same time, across the world, many education systems are facing unprecedented challenges related to teachers, from rising teacher attrition and burnout to recruitment difficulties-symptoms of a world that is changing and evolving: a world in transition.

This book asks: How have teachers' experiences and environments evolved alongside educational reform? How have expectations of teachers changed? and what are the consequences of such change? Through studies spanning ten countries across multiple continents, it examines how societal and political transitions are transforming teachers' daily lives and professional identities. By centering teachers' lived experiences within their national contexts, it reveals striking parallels in global educational transformation despite unique contexts of change. These perspectives, individually and collectively, allow us to understand recent transformations and educational reform efforts, meet teachers impacted by these changes, and see how transitions impact teachers' experience of the profession internationally.

Combining original empirical research and comparative analysis, this book offers timely insights for researchers and students interested in international and comparative education, foundations of education, teacher education, education policy, and educational leadership.

With almost six hundred languages and dialects and around three and a half billion speakers, the Indo-European language family is the largest language family in the world, encompassing most languages in Europe (nowadays also widely spoken in many former European colonies), the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent.

Written by an international team of experts, The Indo-European Languages offers in-depth discussions of the historical development and linguistic features of all major branches of the Indo-European languages in a comprehensive, single-volume tome. This third edition has been thoroughly updated and revised to reflect the latest research, ensuring accuracy and relevance throughout.

This unique resource remains the ideal reference for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of Indo-European linguistics and languages, as well as for experienced researchers seeking an up-to-date survey of separate Indo-European branches and Proto-Indo-European reconstruction. It will appeal both to scholars and enthusiasts of historical linguistics, language variation, language typology and classical Indo-European languages.

This volume provides comprehensive analysis of bird naming systems in southern Africa, examining scientific nomenclature, English and Afrikaans vernacular names, and indigenous African language names, including:

• Comprehensive analysis of bird naming systems across scientific, vernacular, and indigenous languages in southern Africa
• Historical examination of English bird names from Anglo-Saxon origins through contemporary standardization efforts
• Detailed study of Afrikaans bird names tracing development from Cape Dutch to modern usage
• Extensive documentation of African language bird names including semantic categories, cultural integration, and environmental contexts
• Analysis of scientific nomenclature examining etymological origins, semantic patterns, and interface with vernacular naming systems

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 explores how the alt-right has appropriated human rights rhetoric - once rooted in progressive ideals - to resist public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phrases like "My body, my choice" have been retooled to challenge vaccination and state intervention. The author interrogates the historical and ideological malleability of human rights, revealing how their universalist claims are often compromised by exclusionary and reactionary forces. Central to this analysis is the pandemic's role in exposing science as an emerging political cleavage. Through the lens of political mistrust, pseudoscience, conspiracy thinking, and neoliberal crisis, the book examines the conditions that gave rise to right-wing human rights discourse - and asks whether the concept of rights can still hold emancipatory promise in an era of ecological breakdown and rising technopolitical conflicts.

This book offers a vivid account of women's religiosity in Italy between 1400 and 1550, a crucial period of spiritual ferment and ecclesiastical change. Rather than focusing solely on institutions, this book brings to light the many ways in which women sought religious authority, pursued holiness, and contributed to broader hopes for renewal within the Church.

It examines the relationship between prophetic and political power in Italian Renaissance courts. Starting from an examination of the "living saints," charismatic figures venerated by the people for their abstinence and by princes for their prophetic virtues, it considers figures including Elena Duglioli, Margherita da Russi, and Gentile da Ravenna who were perceived as "divine mothers." It emphasizes women's active role in spiritual and cultural circles focused on scriptural study and Church reform, often guided by charismatic figures considered saints. The case of the "divine mother" Paola Antonia Negri is not discussed here, since it has already been examined by others, but the intense anger she faced from ecclesiastical and civil authorities exemplifies the change that took place in Italian religious life in the mid-16th century. "Living saints" and "divine mothers" became suspect, and the Council of Trent promoted a new model of holiness and initiated a process of disciplining cults. The volume also paves the way for a European comparative approach, building on the work of Spanish scholars and an initial transalpine perspective proposed by Alessandra Bartolomei Romagnoli.

Clear, engaging, and richly documented, this volume will appeal to scholars and students of early modern history, religious studies, women's and gender studies, and Italian cultural history, as well as to readers interested in the long history of women's religious agency.

Universities shape more than what students know. They shape who students can be and become. This book, therefore, examines how educational systems simultaneously shape knowledge production and ways of being.

Drawing from philosophy of education, decolonial thought, social epistemology, and Japanese aesthetics, the book develops the concept of onto-epistemic educational injustice through theoretical analysis of how injustice in educational contexts, particularly higher education, operates at both epistemological and ontological levels. Unlike existing approaches that focus primarily on knowledge-related harms, the book demonstrates that educational experiences fundamentally shape both what students know and who they become. Through examination of language practices, academic conventions, and philosophical traditions such as the Japanese concept of ma (?), chapters consider how approaches to understanding educational injustice might engage more comprehensively with the intersection between knowing and being. Written across multiple registers-argument, narrative, and poetry-the author practises the intellectual plurality it advocates and experiments with what academic writing itself can become.

The book will be of interest to scholars, students, and educators in the fields of philosophy, philosophy of education, critical theory, higher education, and sociology of education. Those working in student support services and academic advisors will also benefit from it.