Cycles of Contingency

Cycles of Contingency
Author: Susan Oyama
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2003-01-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780262650632

The nature/nurture debate is not dead. Dichotomous views of development still underlie many fundamental debates in the biological and social sciences. Developmental systems theory (DST) offers a new conceptual framework with which to resolve such debates. DST views ontogeny as contingent cycles of interaction among a varied set of developmental resources, no one of which controls the process. These factors include DNA, cellular and organismic structure, and social and ecological interactions. DST has excited interest from a wide range of researchers, from molecular biologists to anthropologists, because of its ability to integrate evolutionary theory and other disciplines without falling into traditional oppositions.The book provides historical background to DST, recent theoretical findings on the mechanisms of heredity, applications of the DST framework to behavioral development, implications of DST for the philosophy of biology, and critical reactions to DST.

International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work

International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work
Author: John Burgess
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2004
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780415316941

The number of workers employed on a temporary basis has grown hugely over the past few decades. This new book provides the first serious analysis of temporary work and its effect on the economy as well as its ramifications for workers. Both editors from University of Newcastle, NSW.

Striving for the Whole

Striving for the Whole
Author: Rainer Diriwachter
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2011-12-31
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1412813581

This unusual collection explores the development of ideas in psychology's past, and shapes them into a valuable resource for ideas in the discipline's future, with particular emphasis on holistic traditions in psychology. Diriwõchter and Valsiner focus on developmental holistic psychology as advocated by the second school of Leipzig in Germany. Although largely neglected, this school of thought has provided some of the fundamental ideas necessary for a truly holistic approach in psychology. This volume includes Leibniz's dynamic holism and Ehrenfels' discussion about Gestalt qualities, which has generally been acknowledged as a major milestone in the formation of Gestalt psychology. Each chapter looks at the possible future of holistic psychology. Striving for the Whole contains several well-though out discussions on possible elaborations of holistic psychology by contrasting it with Ernst Boesch's cultural psychology, Pierre Janet's theory on emotions, and Jan Smuts holistic approach to personality theory. Discussions of holistic approaches in biology and evolutionary psychology, as well as a renewed look at Lloyd Morgan's comparative methodology, complete the volume. Striving for the Whole has been written by an international group of authors and will be of interest to students of the social sciences and intellectual history, and anyone who wants to dive deeper into holistic approaches that maintain their ties with empirical methodology. It is ideal for graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses in psychology.

Disclosure Dilemmas

Disclosure Dilemmas
Author: Hansjakob Müller
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2017-03-02
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1351943812

There exists today a fast growing availability of personal genetic information. Its prognostic impact and value for an individual or family member's health is sometimes unclear, whilst at other times it is clear-cut. The issue of whether to disclose genetic information does however have wide ranging implications. Avoiding the rhetoric of 'genetic exceptionalism', and drawing on an expanded field of bioethical, sociological and anthropological research, this book sets a new agenda for discussing the ethics surrounding the disclosure of prognostic genetic information. A hermeneutical approach reconsiders the ethics of disclosure in a variety of contexts in which genetic information is generated, requested, interpreted or communicated - from the provider perspective, but also from the moral perspectives of clients and their families. It is in situations of disclosure, in these different contexts, that genetic information meets morality. Providers and recipients can become vulnerable to the revelation or concealment of information, and the forms in which it may be provided. Disclosure Dilemmas invites readers to explore these contexts from an ethical viewpoint and will be a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in biomedical ethics.

Principles of Behavior

Principles of Behavior
Author: Richard W. Malott
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 477
Release: 2015-10-02
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1317345118

This book serves as a general, liberal-arts introduction to behavior analysis, as well as a first step in becoming a professional behavior analyst at the BA, MA, or the PhD/EdD level. It presents various case studies and examples that help readers to apply principles of behavior to real life.

Deleuze and Evolutionary Theory

Deleuze and Evolutionary Theory
Author: Michael James Bennett
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2019-01-30
Genre:
ISBN: 1474430511

'Deleuze and Evolutionary Theory' gathers together contributions by many of the central theorists in Deleuze studies who have led the way in breaking down the boundaries between philosophical and biological research. They focus on the significance of Deleuze and Guattari's engagements with evolutionary theory across the full range of their work, from the interpretation of Darwin in 'Difference and Repetition', to the symbiotic alliances of wasp and orchid in 'A Thousand Plateaus'. In this way, they explore the anthropological, social and biopolitical significance of the convergences and divergences between philosophy and evolutionary science.

The Natural City

The Natural City
Author: Ingrid Leman Stefanovic
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2011-12-10
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1442661178

Urban and natural environments are often viewed as entirely separate entities — human settlements as the domain of architects and planners, and natural areas as untouched wilderness. This dichotomy continues to drive decision-making in subtle ways, but with the mounting pressures of global climate change and declining biodiversity, it is no longer viable. New technologies are promising to provide renewable energy sources and greener designs, but real change will require a deeper shift in values, attitudes, and perceptions. A timely and important collection, The Natural City explores how to integrate the natural environment into healthy urban centres from philosophical, religious, socio-political, and planning perspectives. Recognizing the need to better link the humanities with public policy, The Natural City offers unique insights for the development of an alternative vision of urban life.

The Contingency Theory of Organizations

The Contingency Theory of Organizations
Author: Lex Donaldson
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2001-02-20
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780761915744

This volume presents a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the theories, evidence and methodological issues of contingency theory - one of the major theoretical lenses used to view organizations.

Traditions of Systems Theory

Traditions of Systems Theory
Author: Darrell Arnold
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 403
Release: 2013-12-17
Genre: Computers
ISBN: 1135013683

The term ‘systems theory’ is used to characterize a set of disparate yet related approaches to fields as varied as information theory, cybernetics, biology, sociology, history, literature, and philosophy. What unites each of these traditions of systems theory is a shared focus on general features of systems and their fundamental importance for diverse areas of life. Yet there are considerable differences among these traditions, and each tradition has developed its own methodologies, journals, and forms of anaylsis. This book explores this terrain and provides an overview of and guide to the traditions of systems theory in their considerable variety. The book draws attention to the traditions of systems theory in their historical development, especially as related to the humanities and social sciences, and shows how from these traditions various contemporary developments have ensued. It provides a guide for strains of thought that are key to understanding 20th century intellectual life in many areas.