Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters

Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters
Author: Gill Kernick
Publisher: Do Sustainability
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2021-05-27
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1913019306

The Grenfell Tower tragedy was the worst residential fire in London since World War II. It killed seventy-two people in the richest borough of one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Like other catastrophic events before it and since, it has the power to bring about lasting change. But will it? The historical evidence is weighed against ‘lessons being learned’ in a meaningful or enduring way. In an attempt to understand why, despite enormous efforts, we persistently fail to learn from catastrophic events, this book uses the details of the Grenfell fire as a case study to consider why we don’t learn and what it would take to enable real systemic change. The book explores the myths, the key challenges and the conditions that inhibit learning, and it identifies opportunities to positively disrupt the status quo. It offers an accessible model for systemic change, not as a definitive solution but rather as a framework to evoke reflection, enquiry and proper debate. Catastrophe and Systemic Change is a must-read book for a wide range of readers including those interested in change management, leadership, policy-making, law, housing, construction and public safety.

Collective Conviction

Collective Conviction
Author: Anne Eyre
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2020-11-10
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1781387559

The story of Disaster Action, a charity founded by survivors and bereaved people from major disasters.

The UK's Changing Democracy

The UK's Changing Democracy
Author: Patrick Dunleavy
Publisher: LSE Press
Total Pages: 521
Release: 2018-11-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1909890464

The UK’s Changing Democracy presents a uniquely democratic perspective on all aspects of UK politics, at the centre in Westminster and Whitehall, and in all the devolved nations. The 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU marked a turning point in the UK’s political system. In the previous two decades, the country had undergone a series of democratic reforms, during which it seemed to evolve into a more typical European liberal democracy. The establishment of a Supreme Court, adoption of the Human Rights Act, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolution, proportional electoral systems, executive mayors and the growth in multi-party competition all marked profound changes to the British political tradition. Brexit may now bring some of these developments to a juddering halt. The UK’s previous ‘exceptionalism’ from European patterns looks certain to continue indefinitely. ‘Taking back control’ of regulations, trade, immigration and much more is the biggest change in UK governance for half a century. It has already produced enduring crises for the party system, Parliament and the core executive, with uniquely contested governance over critical issues, and a rapidly changing political landscape. Other recent trends are no less fast-moving, such as the revival of two-party dominance in England, the re-creation of some mass membership parties and the disruptive challenges of social media. In this context, an in-depth assessment of the quality of the UK’s democracy is essential. Each of the 2018 Democratic Audit’s 37 short chapters starts with clear criteria for what democracy requires in that part of the nation’s political life and outlines key recent developments before a SWOT analysis (of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) crystallises the current situation. A small number of core issues are then explored in more depth. Set against the global rise of debased semi-democracies, the book’s approach returns our focus firmly to the big issues around the quality and sustainability of the UK’s liberal democracy.

Why Governments Get It Wrong

Why Governments Get It Wrong
Author: Dennis C. Grube
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2022-09-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1529083362

'This humane, accessible and lucid work will enlighten any voter, and remind any would-be – or currently serving – politician of the pitfalls to avoid' – TLS As the list of U-turns grows ever longer, the cost of living crisis intensifies and mortgage rates rise, we really need those in charge to get it right. In Why Governments Get It Wrong, Cambridge's Professor Dennis C. Grube gives a timely and incisive examination of the pitfalls, failures and successes of those in power around the world. We live in an era when we really need governments to be effective – the economy, our health and the future of the planet are at stake – but so often they can seem clueless, and their decisions leave us confused. With insight and wit, Grube explains how governments can improve their decision-making and, by examining fascinating case studies, he highlights the key factors that make for effective government. With the stakes higher than ever before, this original and important book is an essential read for any concerned citizen who wants to understand why governments make the wrong decisions and, crucially, what can be done about it. 'Convincing' – David Lammy MP 'A must-read' – Sebastian Payne, author of The Fall of Boris Johnson ‘Highly original and very entertaining' – Gavin Esler, author of How Britain Ends 'There is a real gap for this book' – Isabel Hardman, author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians

Encyclopaedia of Marxism and Education

Encyclopaedia of Marxism and Education
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 704
Release: 2022-02-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 900450561X

This Encyclopaedia of Marxism and Education showcases the explanatory power of Marxist educational theory and practice.

Making Sense of Construction Improvement

Making Sense of Construction Improvement
Author: Stuart Green
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 489
Release: 2023-12-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1003812295

Making Sense of Construction Improvement provides a critical evaluation of the construction improvement debate from the end of the Second World War through to the modern era. The book offers unique insights into the way the UK construction sector is continuously shaped and re-shaped in accordance with changes in the prevailing political economy. This second edition brings the book up to date by including coverage of key trends from 2010–2023. The book has been substantially revised and reworked to include new material relating to the ‘age of austerity’ and the subsequent period of political uncertainty initiated by the Brexit referendum. Changes in the political economy are positioned alongside the rise of the sustainability agenda and the advent of ‘zero carbon’. Particular attention is paid to the ongoing skills crisis and the over-hyped advocacy of modern methods of construction (MMC) as the latest supposed panacea of industry improvement. Coverage includes the Farmer (2016) report Modernise or Die and the Construction Playbook (HM Government, 2020). However, perhaps the most important addition is a focus on the Grenfell Disaster (2017) and the subsequent revelations from the public enquiry. Further intermediate milestones include Building a Safer Future (Hackitt, 2018) and the Construction Sector Deal (HM Government, 2018). The emerging consensus points towards a systemic failure involving not only the construction sector but also the entire system of regulation and compliance. Tracing the failings back over time and scrutinising the role played by previous generations of policymakers, Stuart Green ultimately argues that Grenfell was a disaster entirely foretold. The insightful and critical analysis of the industry contained within these pages is essential and timely reading for anyone who wants to understand how the construction sector arrived at where it is today, and with that knowledge, give further thought to where it might go next.

When This Is Over

When This Is Over
Author: Amy Cortvriend
Publisher: Policy Press
Total Pages: 362
Release: 2023-03-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1447368088

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound and persistent impact – a tragic loss of life, changes to established patterns of life and social inequalities laid bare. It brought out the good in many and the worst in others, and raised questions around what is truly important in our lives. In this book, academics, activists and artists come together to remember, and to reflect on, the pandemic. What lessons should we learn? How can things be different when this is over? Sensitive to inequalities of gender, race and class, the book highlights the experience of marginalised and minority groups, and the unjust and uneven spread of violence, deprivation and death. It combines academic analysis with personal testimonies, poetry and images from contributors including Sue Black, Led By Donkeys, Lara-Rose Iredale, Michael Rosen and Gary Younge. This truly inclusive commemorative overview honours the experience of a global disaster lived up close, and suggests the steps needed to ensure we do better next time.

World Report 2020

World Report 2020
Author: Human Rights Watch
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Total Pages: 813
Release: 2020-01-28
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1644210061

The best country-by-country assessment of human rights. The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories are put into perspective in Human Rights Watch's signature yearly report. Reflecting extensive investigative work undertaken by Human Rights Watch staff, in close partnership with domestic human rights activists, the annual World Report is an invaluable resource for journalists, diplomats, and citizens, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the fight to protect human rights in every corner of the globe.

Homeworking Women

Homeworking Women
Author: Annie Delaney
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2018-11-13
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0429772025

Homework; work that is categorised as informal employment, performed in the home, mainly for subcontractors and mostly undertaken by women. The inequities and injustices inherent in homework conditions maintain women’s weak bargaining position, preventing them from making any improvements to their lives via their work. The best way to tackle these issues is not to abolish, but to bring equality and justice to homework. This book contributes a gender justice framework to analyse and confront the issues and problems of homework. The authors propose four justice dimensions – recognition, representation, rights and redistribution – to examine and analyse homework. This framework also takes into account the structures and processes of capitalism and the patriarchy, and the relations of domination that are widely held to be the major factors that determine homework injustice. The authors discuss strategies and approaches that have worked for homeworkers, highlighting why they worked and the features that were beneficial for them. Homeworking Women will be of interest to individuals and organisations working with or for the collective benefit of homeworkers, academics and students interested in feminism, labour regulation, informal work, supply chains and social and political justice.