A provocative and useful introduction to all the different kinds of sociological research and writing that falls under the category of "cultural."

How do we educate our students about cultural diversity and cultural differences, and eliminate cultural ignorance, stereotyping, and prejudice? What are the conceptual issues involved in reaching this goal? How can we integrate these perspectives in disciplinary and diversity courses, and the curriculum?This book is a resource for answering these questions. Within the framework of current scholarship and discussion of essential concepts, it offers practical techniques, and empirically proven “best practices” for teaching about diversity. The book opens with a conceptual framework, covering such issues as distinguishing teaching to a diverse audience from teaching about diversity and contrasting the incorporation of culture across the curriculum with tokenistic approaches. Subsequent chapters identify classroom practices that can optimize students’ learning, especially those from culturally diverse backgrounds; describe feminist principles of education that that promote learning for all students; and address principles of effective on-line instruction for diverse populations.The book is intended for faculty integrating diversity into existing courses, and for anyone creating courses on diversity. The ideas and suggestions in the text can be incorporated into any class that includes a discussion of diversity issues or has a diverse student enrollment. The contributors offer pragmatic and tested ways of overcoming student misconceptions and resistance, and for managing emotional responses that can be aroused by the discussion of diversity. The editors aim to stimulate readers’ thinking and inspire fresh ideas. The book further provides teachers of diversity with a range of effective exercises, and attends to such issues as teacher stress and burnout.This book can also serve to inform and guide department chairs and other administrators in the design and implementation of diversity initiatives.

How corporate culture affects a company's long-term success Today, more and more managers are learning that an organization's culture matters, and are, therefore, putting greater emphasis improving their company culture. The Economist's Organization Culture: Getting It Right can help. In Organization Culture, Naomi Stanford provides a road map for managers who want to: understand the power corporate culture has on a company's success; understand, define, position, and measure their organization's culture; avoid the common and costly mistakes of "culture change" programmes; and, keep their culture dynamic, responsive and resourceful. The book Provides case studies on the business culture of companies like Google, IKEA, eBay, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and Lehman Brothers Describes cultural patterns within organizations, and offers useful exercises on shaping a positive corporate culture Other titles by Stanford: Guide to Organization Design: Creating High-Performing and Adaptable Enterprises Organization Culture addresses all facets of company culture, offering managers commonsense, practical, realistic and pragmatic approaches that will help them improve all aspects of how they do business, regardless of the type of business they're in.

Understand and market to the newest wave of millennials Whether you're a business professional trying to decode the $43 billion youth market, a marketer looking for a message that connects, or an entrepreneur trying to develop youth-oriented products, Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right gives you an unparalleled field guide to the newest wave of millennials and their mindsets. Inside this unique book, you'll meet four major tribes?the Wired Techie, The Conformist But Somewhat Paradoxical Preppy, The Always-Mellow Alternative, and The Cutting-Edge Independent?and understand their key traits, likes and dislikes, and what kind of adult they will likely become. Includes many examples of companies, brands, and organizations who chased the youth demographic and got it right, or who failed to nail their audience Understand such concepts as Warholism, Tweenabees, Hand-me-ups, Massclusivity, The Facebook Effect, and Instantity Author has won many honors and much media recognition as a young entrepreneur and youth marketer to watch Want to understand the next generation? Get Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right and discover how to reach this fascinating and elusive demographic.

An international business expert helps you understand and navigate cultural differences in this insightful and practical guide, perfect for both your work and personal life. Americans precede anything negative with three nice comments; French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans get straight to the point; Latin Americans and Asians are steeped in hierarchy; Scandinavians think the best boss is just one of the crowd. It's no surprise that when they try and talk to each other, chaos breaks out. In The Culture Map, INSEAD professor Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain in which people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. She provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business, and combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice.

Imagine you could develop a customer-focused culture so powerful that your employees always seem to do the right thing. They encourage each other, proactively solve problems, and constantly look for ways to go the extra mile. In short, imagine a workplace culture where employees were absolutely obsessed with customer service. The Service Culture Handbook is a step-by-step guide to help you develop a customer-focused culture in your company, department, or location. Whether you're just beginning your journey, or have been working on culture for years, this handbook will prepare you to take the next step. You'll receive actionable advice, straightforward exercises, and proven tools you can utilize immediately. Learn the one thing that forms the foundation of every great culture. Discover what customer-focused companies do differently to engage their employees. And explore ways to strategically align every facet of your organization with outstanding service. Creating and sustaining a customer-focused culture is a never-ending journey that takes hard work, dedication, and commitment. The Service Culture Handbook is an indispensable resource to help you and your employees stay headed in the right direction. Praise for The Service Culture Handbook: "The Service Culture Handbook provides the poignant inspiration and practical instruction for the difficult work of transforming a service culture into one that is distinctive, successful, and permanent." -Chip R. Bell, author of Kaleidoscope: Delivering Innovative Service That Sparkles "Though research continues to uncover the astonishing impact of customer-focused cultures on customer loyalty and business results, few organizations know how to get there. Jeff Toister unlocks that mystery through this practical (and fun to read!) guide to developing a culture that really works." -Brad Cleveland, founding partner and former CEO, International Customer Management Institute

From Charles Atlas to Jane Fonda, the fitness movement has been a driving force in American culture for more than half a century. What started as a means of Cold War preparedness now sees 45 million Americans spend more than $20 billion a year on gym memberships, running shoes, and other fitness-related products. In this first book on the modern history of exercise in America, Shelly McKenzie chronicles the governmental, scientific, commercial, and cultural forces that united-sometimes unintentionally--to make exercise an all-American habit. She tracks the development of a new industry that gentrified exercise and made the pursuit of fitness the hallmark of a middle-class lifestyle. Along the way she scrutinizes a number of widely held beliefs about Americans and their exercise routines, such as the link between diet and exercise and the importance of workplace fitness programs. While Americans have always been keen on cultivating health and fitness, before the 1950s people who were preoccupied with their health or physique were often suspected of being homosexual or simply odd. As McKenzie reveals, it took a national panic about children's health to galvanize the populace and launch President Eisenhower's Council on Youth Fitness. She traces this newborn era through TV trailblazer Jack La Lanne's popularization of fitness in the '60s, the jogging craze of the '70s, and the transformation of the fitness movement in the '80s, when the emphasis shifted from the individual act of running to the shared health-club experience. She also considers the new popularity of yoga and Pilates, reflecting today's emphasis on leanness and flexibility in body image. In providing the first real cultural history of the fitness movement, McKenzie goes beyond simply recounting exercise trends to reveal what these choices say about the people who embrace them. Her examination also encompasses battles over food politics, nutrition problems like our current obesity epidemic, and people left behind by the fitness movement because they are too poor to afford gym memberships or basic equipment. In a country where most of us claim to be regular exercisers, McKenzie's study challenges us to look at why we exercise-or at least why we think we should-and shows how fitness has become a vitally important part of our American identity.