Books in the Key Concepts series

Key Concepts in Business Practice is one of a range of comprehensive glossaries with entries arranged alphabetically for easy reference.

This collection, written by an international team of contributors, covers the social, political, artistic and philosophical contexts that shaped Bataille's thought. It also engages with the key themes of his work, including: art, eroticism, evil, inner experience, heterology, religion, sacrifice, and sovereignty. The final chapter addresses Bataille¿s literary writings.

Concepts have a particular importance for students of politics and international relations. Political argument often boils down to a struggle over the legitimate meaning of terms and enemies may argue, fight and even go to war, each claiming to be 'defending freedom', 'upholding democracy' or 'supporting justice'. The problem is that words such as 'freedom', 'democracy' and 'justice' have different meanings to different people, so that the concepts themselves come to seem problematic.This book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide to the major concepts encountered in political analysis. Each term is defined clearly and fully, and its significance for political argument and practice is explored. The text has been updated and expanded to take account of the increasing influence of globalization on politics and now features 70 additional concepts. Renowned for its lively, engaging style and user-friendly approach, the second edition is an invaluable companion to the study of politics and international relations.

* A concise and sophisticated introduction to the contested concept of Mental Illness . * Brings together a range of insights and interpretations from various disciplines including sociology, psychology, psychiatry and the neurosciences.

Now with a substantial new postscript on the financial crisis This book provides a basic introduction to the 'nuts and bolts' of capitalism. It starts by examining the classic accounts of capitalism found in the works of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Joseph Schumpeter, and John Maynard Keynes.

Key Concepts in International Business is one of a range of comprehensive glossaries with entries arranged alphabetically for easy reference.

The concept of intersectionality has become a hot topic in academic and activist circles alike.

Alain Badiou is the world's most influential living philosopher. Few contemporary thinkers display his breadth of argument and reference, or his ability to intervene in debates critical to both analytic and continental philosophy. This book presents an overview of and introduction to the full range of Badiou's thinking.

Presenting both an examination of the key concepts central to his thinking and a broader study of how that thinking shifted over a lifetime, this book offers the reader a clear, systematic and fresh examination of the astounding breadth of Derrida's philosophy.

Ageing populations represent a key global challenge for the twenty-first century. Few areas of life will remain untouched by the accompanying changes to cultural, economic and social life.

What do we mean by a city, beyond a built-up area with a sizeable population? This book examines the social meanings of cities - as places of work, leisure, night-life, danger, creativity, etc. - to contribute to understand how our lives are changing as more than half of the world s population now lives in cities.

* Provides a concise overview of how work is understood and defined, both as a concrete aspect of economic life, but also its social and political meanings. * Draws on theoretical and empirical contributions from a broad range of disciplines, from sociology to history, from economics to organizational studies.

Sets out to dispel the myths surrounding the concept of trust in contemporary society and politics. The author examines the growing literature on trust to analyze public concerns about declining levels of trust, both in our fellow citizens and in our governments and their officials.

This groundbreaking study sets out to clarify one of the most influential but least studied of all political concepts. Despite continual talk of popular sovereignty, the idea of the people has been neglected by political theorists who have been deterred by its vagueness.

Just about everyone is 'for' development as an assumed 'good', yet few seem to have a concrete idea of what the term actually entails. Development offers a comprehensive and wide-ranging analysis of the various ways in which this important concept has been used in social and political analysis over the past 200 years.

The second edition of Mildred Blaxter's successful and highly respected book offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the key debates surrounding the concept of health today.

Immanuel Kant is among the most pivotal thinkers in the history of philosophy. His revolutionary ideas are systematically interconnected and he presents them using a forbidding technical vocabulary. This book provides an introduction to Kant by explaining each of the key concepts of his philosophy.

Wittgenstein's complex work challenges much that is taken for granted in philosophical thinking as well as in the theorizing of art, theology, science and culture. This title includes essays that explore a key concept involved in Wittgenstein's thinking, relating it to his understanding of philosophy, and outlining the arguments.

Justice is a concise and accessible introduction to the central theories of justice in contemporary political theory. The book aims to provide readers with a clear understanding of the theories and the main objections to them, as well as showing how these theories engage with one another.

What is civil disobedience? Although Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King helped to bring the idea to prominence, even today it remains unclear how we should best understand civil disobedience.

For over three decades neoliberalism has remained the dominant economic ideology.

Crime is a source of endless fascination and fear. Yet behind the apparent consensus that crime must be fought, there is considerable conflict about what should or should not be treated as criminal, and even the most shocking crimes can inspire divisive debate.

'Pierre Bourdieu: Key Concepts' highlights his most important concepts and examines them in detail. This new edition of the leading text is entirely revised and updated and includes new essays on Methodology, Politics and Social Space.

Legal terminology need not be intimidating or obscure. This is the ideal introduction to the meaning of the core vocabulary which confronts anyone approaching the study of Law for the first time. It includes clear explanations of Latin words and phrases. The 2nd edition has been thoroughly updated and revised throughout.

What is time? How has our relationship to time changed through history and how does time structure our social lives? In this lively introduction, Barbara Adam explores the changing ways in which time has been understood and how this knowledge is embedded in cultural practices.

Smart guide to a wide range of theories of the social self.

Gilles Deleuze is now regarded as one of the most radical philosophers of the twentieth century. His work is hugely influential across a range of subjects, from philosophy to literature, to art, architecture and cultural studies. This guide to Deleuzian thought includes chapters on the event and philosophy.