Thresholds of Illiteracy reevaluates Latin American theories and narratives of cultural resistance by advancing the concept of “illiteracy” as a new critical approach to understanding scenes or moments of social antagonism. “Illiteracy,” Acosta claims, can offer us a way of talking about what cannot be subsumed within prevailing modes of reading, such as the opposition between writing and orality, that have frequently been deployed to distinguish between modern and archaic peoples and societies. This book is organized as a series of literary and cultural analyses of internationally recognized postcolonial narratives. It tackles a series of the most important political/aesthetic issues in Latin America that have arisen over the past thirty years or so, including indigenism, testimonio, the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, and migration to the United States via the U.S.–Mexican border. Through a critical examination of the “illiterate” effects and contradictions at work in these resistant narratives, the book goes beyond current theories of culture and politics to reveal radically unpredictable forms of antagonism that advance the possibility for an ever more democratic model of cultural analysis.

Acosta reevaluates Latin American theories and narratives of cultural resistance by advancing the concept of 'illiteracy' as a new critical approach to understanding scenes or moments of social antagonism. 'Illiteracy', he claims, can offer us a way of talking about what cannot be subsumed within prevailing modes of reading, such as the opposition between writing and orality, that have frequently been deployed to distinguish between modern and archaic peoples and societies. The book is organized as a series of literary and cultural analyses of internationally recognized postcolonial narratives.

As societies grow more complex and people are increasingly bombarded with health information and misinformation, health literacy becomes essential. People with strong health literacy skills enjoy better health and well-being, while those with weaker skills tend to engage in riskier behavior and have poorer health. With evidence from the recent European Health Literacy Survey, this report identifies practical and effective ways public health and other sector authorities and advocates can strengthen health literacy in a variety of settings, including educational settings, workplaces, marketplaces, health systems, new and traditional media and political arenas. The report can be used as a tool for spreading awareness, stimulating debate and research and, above all, for informing policy development and action.

By the end of the 1960s, most of Latin America was under repressive military rule. Conversely, the 1980s have seen the emergence of formal, constitutional democracies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Authoritarians and Democrats describes these changes and the future prospects for constitutional government in Latin America.

The sixth revised edition of Industrial Relations and Labour Laws captures the significant developments that have taken place in the realm of labour laws and industrial relations in the recent past. The most notable development in the legislative sphere is the amendment in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 in 2010. In the judicial sphere, there has been a marked shift in the approach of the Indian judiciary in the area of discipline and disciplinary procedure. Moreover, new norms/principles have been evolved to determine the classification of a person as a workman, provide relief in case of illegal/wrongful termination of service of workmen, determine notice period for strike/lock-out in public utility services and for regularization of services of daily, temporary, casual or contract workers. Extensively revised and updated in line with the changes in the law, this edition also gives a new and more holistic dimension to the subject of labour--management relations. • Part I provides the contextual and constitutional framework of labour law and an overview of industrial relations. • Part II deals with the trade union movement, employers’ organizations and laws relating to trade unions, collective bargaining, unfair labour practices and victimization. • Part III deals with regulation of industrial disputes, persuasive, coercive and voluntary processes for settlement of industrial disputes, grievance procedure, government’s power of reference, laws relating to instruments of economic coercion, management of discipline, laws relating to change in conditions of service and lay-off, retrenchment, transfer and closure. • Part IV examines laws relating to standing orders. • Part V is on workers’ participation in management. This edition will serve as a comprehensive textbook for students of LLB, LLM, MBA, MSW, MPA, CS, and masters and diploma programmes in personnel management, industrial relations and labour law. It is indispensable for personnel managers, law officers, lawyers, trade union officials/ members, officials of labour department and members of the labour judiciary.

A compelling collection by one of the pioneers of revisionist approaches to the history of literacy in North America and Europe, The Labyrinths of Literacy offers original and controversial views on the relation of literacy to society, leading the way for scholars and citizens who are willing to question the importance and function of literacy in the development of society today.

Democratization emerged at a time of epochal change in global politics: the twin impacts of the end of the Soviet Union and the speeding up and deepening of globalisation in the early 1990s meant a whole new ball game in terms of global political developments. The journal’s first issue appeared in early 1994. Over time, the editorial position has been consistently to focus on ‘the third wave of democracy’ and its aftermath. The third wave is the most recent exemplar of a long-term, historical trend towards more democratically viable regimes and away from authoritarian systems and leaders. In short, the journal wants to promote a better understanding of democratization – defined as the way democratic norms, institutions and practices evolve and are disseminated both within and across national and cultural boundaries. Over the years, the many excellent articles that we have featured in the journal have shared our focus on democratization, viewed as a process. The journal has sought – and continues to seek – to build on the enduring scholarly and of course popular interest in democracy, how and why it emerges, develops and becomes consolidated. Our emphasis over the last 20 years has been contemporary and the approach comparative, with a strong desire to be both topical and authoritative. We include special reference to democratization in the developing world and in post-communist societies. In sum, just as 20 years ago, the journal today aims to encourage debate on the many aspects of democratization that are of interest to policy-makers, administrators and journalists, aid and development personnel, those involved in education, and, perhaps above all, the tens of millions of ordinary people around the world who do not (yet) enjoy the benefits of living under democratic rule. The two dozen articles collected in this ‘virtual’ special issue are emphatic proof of the power of the written word to induce debate, uncertainty, and ultimately progress towards better forms of politics, focused on the achievement of the democratic aspirations of men and women everywhere.