Key Themes is a critical introduction to key theories of media for undergraduate students.

"This is a welcome critical corrective to complacent mainstream accounts of the media's cultural impact". Prof. Slavoj Zizek, International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London "A powerful and highly engaging re-assessment of past critical thinkers (including those not normally thought of as critical) in the light of today's mediascape". Jorge Reina Schement, Distinguished Professor of Communications, Penn State University With the exception of occasional moral panics about the coarsening of public discourse, and the impact of advertising and television violence upon children, mass media tend to be viewed as a largely neutral or benign part of contemporary life. Even when criticisms are voiced, the media chooses how and when to discuss its own inadequacies. More radical external critiques are often excluded and media theorists are frequently more optimistic than realistic about the negative aspects of mass culture. This book reassesses this situation in the light of both early and contemporary critical scholarship and explores the intimate relationship between the mass media and the dis-empowering nature of commodity culture. The authors cast a fresh perspective on contemporary mass culture by comparing past and present critiques. They: Outline the key criticisms of mass culture from past critical thinkers Reassess past critical thought in the changed circumstances of today Evaluate the significance of new critical thinkers for today's mass culture The book begins by introducing the critical insights from major theorists from the past - Walter Benjamin, Siegfried Kracauer, Theodor Adorno, Marshall McLuhan and Guy Debord. Paul Taylor and Jan Harris then apply these insights to recent provocative writers such as Jean Baudrillard and Slavoj Žižek, and discuss the links between such otherwise apparently unrelated contemporary events as the Iraqi Abu Ghraib controversy and the rise of reality television. Critical Theories of Mass Media is a key text for students of cultural studies, communications and media studies, and sociology.

How might social theory, public understanding of science and science policy best inform one another? What have been the key features of science-society relations in the modern world? How are we to re-think science-society relations in the context of globalization, hybridity and changing patterns of governance? This topical and unique book draws together the three key perspectives on science-society relations: public understanding of science, scientific and public governance, and social theory. The book presents a series of case studies (including the debates on genetically modified foods and the AIDS movement in the USA) to discuss critically the ways in which social theorists, social scientists, and science policy makers deal with science-society relations. ‘Science' and 'society' combine in many complex ways. Concepts such as citizenship, expertise, governance, democracy and the public need to be re-thought in the context of contemporary concerns with globalization and hybridity. A radical new approach is developed and the notion of ethno-epistemic assemblage is used to articulate a new series of questions for the theorization, empirical study and politics of science-society relations.

“This book provides a very good introduction to the key concepts and theories that inform and frame the current psychotherapeutic and counselling landscape. Each author has written on a selection of basic concepts as they are approached in their preferred therapeutic modality, resulting in an exciting and inclusive overview of both old and contemporary psychotherapeutic thought. In addition, each author is mindful of the importance of a critical appraisal of the various concepts and theories. Thus, this book will be extremely useful both for trainees and practitioners.” Dr Anastasios Gaitanidis, Senior Lecturer, University of Roehampton, London, UK “As well as being an invaluable source of knowledge about all aspects of counselling and psychotherapy, this book is a real pleasure to read. The authors have been able to capture the essence of ideas, traditions and key figures in a way that is accessible and a consistent source of delight and illumination. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to expand their psychotherapeutic horizons.” John McLeod, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of Abertay Dundee, UK “This book does what it says on the tin, it highlights the key concepts and theories in the field of counselling and psychotherapy. It is a systematic and encyclopaedic voyage of all the central constructs in the field. It is very well written, snappy and thorough, but more important, it serves a vital need of putting in one place all the theories and concepts needed by anyone interested in counselling and psychotherapy.” Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, Lancaster University, UK and President of BACP “This is an invaluable guide for anyone wanting easily accessible information about counselling theory and practice. It will be as useful to trainees sitting as counsellors, as to experienced practitioners wanting to update their knowledge on the latest thinking.” Tim Bond, University of Bristol, UK This helpful book offers a concise overview of core concepts within the four dominant approaches to counselling and psychotherapy: psychodynamic, humanistic-existential, cognitive behavioural and integrative. The book aims to assist you in developing your critical thinking and essay writing skills and includes: Over 140 entries, each between 500 and 1200 words Critical and engaging discussions of core concepts Biographical sketches of leading theorists, including: Freud, Jung and Rogers Using the popular alphabetical format, Key Concepts in Counselling and Psychotherapy is an ideal first source for students with an essay on counselling theory to write, a case study to analyse, a belief or assumption to challenge, or a question to explore. It will also appeal to practitioners or academics wanting to refresh their knowledge of theory and research.

Social psychology is one of the most intriguing and captivating areas of psychology, as it has a profound influence on our everyday lives; from our shopping habits to our interactions at a party. Social psychology seeks to answer questions that we think and talk about with each other every day; questions such as: Why do some people behave differently when on their own, to when they’re with a group? What leads individuals sometimes to hurt and sometimes to help one another? Why are we attracted to certain types of people? How do some persuade others to do what they want? The new edition of Social Psychology has been revised to introduce a more flexible structure for the teaching and studying of social psychology and includes up-to-date, international research in the area. There is an emphasis throughout on the critical evaluation of published research, in order to encourage critical thinking about the various topics. Applied examples across the chapters help to highlight the relevance, and hence the impact, that the theories and methods of this fascinating subject have upon the social world. Key Features Include: Research Close-Up: Following a brand new style, this feature matches the layout used in real research papers, providing an accessible introduction to journal articles and the research methods used by social psychologists. Focus On: Fully revised from the previous edition, these boxes now look at opposing viewpoints, controversial research or alternative approaches to topics within social psychology, offering a more critical outlook on topics and prompting the questioning of the validity of published research. Recommended Readings: New to this edition, recommended further readings of both classic and contemporary literature have been added to each chapter, providing a springboard for further consideration of the topic. Connect Psychology is McGraw-Hill’s digital learning and teaching environment. Students – You get easy online access to homework, tests and quizzes designed by your instructor. You get immediate feedback on how you’re doing, making it the perfect platform to test your knowledge. Lecturers – It gives you the power to create auto-graded assignments, tests and quizzes online. The detailed visual reporting allows you to easily monitor your students’ progress. In addition, you can still access key support materials for your teaching, including a testbank, seminar materials and lecture support. Visit: http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com for more details.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Social Sciences, ICONESS 2023, held in Purwokerto, Indonesia, in 22-23 July 2023. The 88 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 198 submissions. The papers reflect the conference sessions as follows: Education (Curriculum and Instruction, Education and Development, Educational Psychology, Social Science Education, and Elementary Education); Religion (Islamic Education, Islamic Civilization, and Shariah Economic), and Literation (Teaching English as a Second Language/TESL, Language and Communication, Literacy).

From an established author with a growing international profile in media studies, Media/Theory is an accessible yet challenging guide to ways of thinking about media and communications in modern life. Shaun Moores draws on ideas from a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, and expertly connects the analysis of media and communications with key themes in contemporary social theory. Examining core issues of time and space, Moores also examines matters of interactions, signification and identity, and argues that media studies is bound up in the wider processes of the modern world and not just about studying the media. This book makes a distinctive contribution towards rethinking the shape and direction of media studies today, and for students at advanced undergraduate or postgraduate level.