This book provides current information about the many recent contributions of social systems theory. While some sociologists feel that the systems age ended with functionalism, in reality a number of recent developments have occurred within the field. The author makes these developments accessible to sociologists and other non-systems scholars, and begins a synthesis of the burgeoning systems field and mainstream sociological theory. The analysis shows not only that important points of rapprochement exist between systems theory and sociological theory, but also that systems theory has in some cases anticipated developments needed in mainstream theory.

As American society becomes increasingly diverse, social workers must use a variety of human behavior frameworks to understand their clients' culturally complex concerns. This text applies specific human behavior theories to diversity practice. They show how human behavior theory can be employed in interventions in the life problems of diverse client populations at the individual, group, social network, and societal levels. Several groups are examined. They include: minority groups; ethnic groups; women; older adults; members of certain social classes affected by economic and educational (dis)advantage, especially those living in poverty; people with developmental disabilities, people of varying sexual and gender orientations, and religious groups. Case studies that illustrate social work practice in the area are highlighted. The case studies include Social Work Practice within a Diversity Framework; The Social Work Interview; Symbolic Interactionism: Social Work Assessment, Meaning, and Language; Erikson's Eight Stages of Development; Role Theory and Social Work Practice; A Constructionist Approach; Risk, Resilience and Resettlement; Addressing Diverse Family Forms; Small Group Theory; Natural Social Networks; Power Factors in Social Work Practice. This volume will be a fundament resource for practitioners and an essential tool for training.

Written by award-winning scholar Jonathan Turner, Theoretical Sociology: 1830 to the Present covers new and emerging aspects of sociological theory and examines the significant contributions of both modern and founding theorists. Nine sections present detailed analyses of key theories and paradigms, including functionalism, evolutionary theory, conflict theory, critical theory, exchange theory, interactionist theory, and structuralism. Despite the in-depth discussions of theorists and their contributions to the field, the text is concise and focused, a perfect resource for readers seeking to develop a deeper understanding of contemporary and classical sociological theory.

Organizational Communication: A Critical Perspective introduces students to the field of organizational communication--historically, conceptually, and pragmatically--from a perspective grounded in critical theory and research. Author Dennis K. Mumby explores how the history of organizational communication theory and research is one that embodies and attempts to resolve the fundamental tensions and contradictions between the individual and the organization. By taking a critical perspective to the history, theories, and research of organizational communication, this text seeks to address the following: how do we provide ourselves with the analytic and practical tools that will enable us to be more informed and critical consumers of, and participants in, organizational processes? Put more broadly, how do we learn to be better informed citizens who can participate effectively in, and be advocates of, organizational democracy? This textbook squarely addresses this problem. In keeping with this theme, this text goes at great pains to explore the link between theory and practice. Mumby shows how management theory and research is of vital importance to our understanding of daily struggles for control over work and organizing processes. The critical perspective throughout helps students understand how, over the course of the last 100 years, corporations have sought more and more sophisticated methods of constructing our identities in ways that are commensurate with organizational world-views and goals. Features unique to this text include the combination of the following issues: · A thematic critical perspective on organizational communication, with analysis of traditional and contemporary approaches to organizational communication. · Integrated discussion of ethics and technology. · A full chapter on gender and organizational communication. · A full chapter devoted to issues of organizational democracy.

The articles in this volume appeared first in the leading jounial World Politics. The essayists' common concern with the autonomy of the political " in the politics of developing countries contributes to the analytical unity of the volume. Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This edition of this handbook updates and expands its review of the research, theory, issues and methodology that constitute the field of educational communications and technology. Organized into seven sectors, it profiles and integrates the following elements of this rapidly changing field.

This book gives managers an integrative approach to project, program, and change management. It describes the differences between change in projects versus programs with case studies in both areas and the different life cycles. While the project and change comprise much of the book, it is up to date with its emphasis on agile, scrum, and benefits. The book also describes methods to both initiate and manage a change and what must be done for success and business value.

Are you living a fulfilled life? Are you being the best person you can be? Are you living up to your full potential? Are you happy where you’re going in life? Do you know your purpose in life? These are important questions that we should all be able to answer affirmatively. Unfortunately, most of us are unsure about ourselves and many areas of our lives to answer these questions confidently. Before you make another major decision in your life, discover what it means to become the best you to unleash your God-given potential. In Become the Best You…Bruce Francois, an engineer turned social entrepreneur, takes readers on an ontological journey of what it means to become one’s best self, uniquely integrating wisdom, thoughtful science, and deep spirituality along the way. Francois shares with readers how he discovered his purpose in life by dissecting and distilling life through an engineering lens. Learn how to: — Fully process your life struggles — Become aware of your understanding of yourself and your surroundings — Strengthen your beliefs — Discover your purpose and passion — Deploy yourself for your unique mission — Make a meaningful mark on the world You will be inspired by the sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that comes with discovering and operating in your purpose—to experience the freedom of what it means to authentically live, joyfully serve, and experience a deep sense of meaning in life.

The book offers a fresh look on man, cultures, and societies built on the current advances in the fields of quantum mechanics, quantum philosophy, and quantum consciousness. The authors have developed an inspiring theoretical framework transcending the boundaries of particular disciplines in social sciences and the humanities. Quantum anthropology is a perspective, studying man, culture, and humanity while taking into account the quantum nature of our reality. This framework redefines current anthropological theory in a new light, and provides an interdisciplinary overlap reaching to psychology, sociology, and consciousness studies.

In this era of globalization, people organize into fluid, adaptive networks to solve complex problems and provide resources that nation-states cannot. Examples include the Grameen Bank, mHealth, and the Ushahidi open source software project. Why do these networks succeed where nation-states fail? Only recently have social scientists developed tools to understand exactly how these complex networks self-organize, emerge, adapt, and solve collective problems. Three of these tools—agent-based modeling, social network analysis, and evolutionary computing—are converging in a field known as computational social science. In this provocative book, David C. Earnest discusses how computational social science helps us understand "massively parallel globalization." Using "explorations" of global systems ranging from fisheries to banking, Earnest illustrates the promise of computer models for explaining the surprises, cascades, and complexity that characterize global politics today. These examples of massively parallel globalization contrast sharply with the hierarchical and inflexible governmental bureaucracies that are poorly suited to solve many of today's transnational and global challenges.