Increasingly, the virtual became reality by a hybridization of the world as we knew it: the process that went on in recent years is one of a technically assisted hybridization of both space and self, the »old« world is becoming virtualized and functionalized to a degree never experienced before. For the first time in human history, we have reached a threshold where we have not only to re-assert but to redefine ourselves, as regards our fundamental terms of understanding what world means for us, our base of existence and now an assemblage of mixed realities; and connected, what being human means. With a Preface by Gerd Stern.

The potential of virtual world technologies to improve teaching and learning has been recognized in recent years, creating new possibilities for teaching and learning processes, with virtual environments impacting the achievement of student learning and collaboration. Learning in Metaverses: Co-Existing in Real Virtuality discusses a better way to understand this new learning universe, exploring the possibilities of new social organization through the use of avatars in virtual worlds. Examining platforms such as Web 3D, metaverse, MDV3D, ECODI, hybrid living and sharing spaces, gamification, alternate reality, mingled reality, and augmented reality to evaluate the possibilities for their implementation in education, this reference book will be of use to academics, educators, students, researchers, gamers, and professionals.

An authoritative collection of leading critical and contemporary writings published in the field of technology and organizations. The set spans a 50-year time period taking the reader from the first and most influential papers from the early 1950s through to some recent publications which address contemporary and emerging debates in the field at the dawn of the 21st century. Each of the 4 volumes has a particular focus upon this area of research and scholarship: the early debates; theories, paradigms and concepts; critical empirical studies; and emerging themes and future debates. The editors provide an introduction to, and overview of, the themes, debates, perspectives, theories and paradigms which characterize this area of organization studies, and set out a "route map" to help guide the reader through the four volumes.

The book is a compendium of thinking on virtuality and its relationship to reality from the perspective of a variety of philosophical and applied fields of study. Topics covered include presence, immersion, emotion, ethics, utopias and dystopias, image, sound, literature, AI, law, economics, medical and military applications, religion, and sex.

Today, the reality we know can be recorded and reproduced true to reality using technical processes. Space and time are recreated virtually as a copy in artificial reality. However, the reproduction of virtual reality is not limited to a mere copy of what exists. A visitor to the virtual space does not have to be content with the pixelated image of the old familiar, but can encounter unreal phenomena in the illusory world that never existed in real life or are even physically impossible. This enables an expansion of the recorded reality and allows the perception of surprisingly new perspectives. A perspective denotes the perception of a fact from a certain point of view and corresponds to the way of looking at things. But a perspective is also the observation of a scene from a viewing position. From different perspectives the illusion of reality arises during the reproduction by observation. This vision is not based on imagination or hallucination, but is the basic function of virtual reality. This book describes the concepts, systems, and technologies used to create virtual reality from its ancient beginnings to the present, and provides a glimpse into a possible future. This book is a translation of the original German 1st edition Grundlagen der virtuellen Realität by Armin Grasnick, published by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature in 2020. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors.

The advancement of social theory requires an analytical approach that systematically seeks to explicate the social mechanisms that generate and explain observed associations between events. These essays, written by prominent social scientists, advance criticisms of current trends in social theory and suggest alternative approaches. The mechanism approach calls attention to an intermediary level of analysis in between pure description and story-telling, on the one hand, and grand theorizing and universal social laws, on the other. For social theory to be of use for the working social scientist, it must attain a high level of precision and provide a toolbox from which middle range theories can be constructed.

“a fascinating, thorough and expertly argued discussion of the modes and practices of cultural policy in an increasingly globalized and neoliberal world.” European Journal of Communication Rethinking Cultural Policy addresses issues concerning culture, economy and power in the age of new-liberal globalization. It examines how public cultural policies have been rationalized in the past and how they are being rethought. Arguing that the study of culture and policy should not be confined to prevailing governmental agendas, the book offers a distinctive and independent analysis of cultural policy. The book examines a wide range of issues in cultural policy and blends a close reading of key theories with case studies. Topics covered include: Branding culture and exploitation The state, market and civil society How visitor attractions such as London's Millennium Dome are used for national aggrandizement and corporate business purposes Cultural development, diversity and ecological tourism in poorer parts of the world This is the ideal introduction to contemporary cultural policy for undergraduate students in culture and media studies, sociology of culture, politics, arts administration and cultural management courses, as well as postgraduates and researchers.