references throughout; part of the Goals, processes and indicators of development project

Polygamy is a very complex phenomenon with a long tradition in Africa, but also in Europe. The anthology will contribute to the objectification of the discussion by portraying the variety of polygamous lifestyles showing the interconnections of family structure, social and economic conditions, cultural representations (especially in fictive writing and oral tradition), spiritual meaning and religious legitimation of this way of life between traditional belief, Christianity and Islam. Case studies from different countries in Africa south of the Sahara will be added by historic examples since antiquity in Europe up to the discussion in present times.

This book offers a unique transdisciplinary collection of essays written by highly renowned international scholars.

This volume addresses the relationship between childbearing, paid work and work-life balance policies across Europe in the 21st century, illuminating the uncertainty and risk related to insecure labour force attachment, the incoherence of women's and men's access to education and employment and the unequal share of domestic responsibilities.

This book examines the ethics of end of life care, focusing on the kinds of decisions that are commonly made in clinical practice. Specific attention is paid to the intensification of treatment for terminal symptoms, particularly pain relief, and the withdrawal and withholding of care, particularly life-saving or life-prolonging medical care. The book is structured into three sections. The first section contains essays examining end of life care from the perspective of moral theory and theology. The second sets out various conceptual terms and distinctions relevant to decision-making at the end of life. The third section contains chapters that focus on substantive ethical issues. This format not only provides for a comprehensive analysis of the ethical issues that arise in the context of end of life care but allows readers to effectively trace the philosophical, theological and conceptual underpinnings that inform their specific interests. This work will be of interest to scholars working in the area as well as clinicians, specialists and healthcare professionals who encounter these issues in the course of their practice.

The importance of the daily experience of new information and communication technologies is highlighted by this timely volume. The book is based on work carried out in the European Media Technology and Everyday Life Network and is structured round a series of seven empirical case studies drawn from research within Europe. The application of this perspective draws attention not just to the significance of information and communication technologies for a mature understanding of the conduct of everyday life in contemporary Europe, but also for the significance of that understanding for the development of communication and information policy. The research makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of a core dimension of European society as well as informing on-going and important debates on the nature of the relationship between the social and the technological in the information and communication arena.

Backstage Economies: Labour and Masculinities in Contemporary European Dance investigates gender politics and labour practices in contemporary European dance. By focusing on masculinities and job careers in professional dance, this study looks at the cultural, historical, and material conditions that shape the dancers' experience of 'the everyday' as they travel to work; struggle to secure funding; nurse injuries; and negotiate their gender and work identities. The emphasis on the dancers' everyday experience is designed to critically explore and to challenge the established methodological boundaries of dance studies: the focus shifts away from the scholarly attentions that are more regularly paid to the phenomenology and perception of performance, towards the material conditions of dance production. In general, this book revisits the debates in dance education related to gender politics and the well-being of dancers; and it also traces and discusses some significant shortcomings of the current European dance policies and employment practices. Show More Show Less