Books published by Springer International Publishing

This book examines the lives of children and young adults living in residential care systems in Zimbabwe and their unique conceptualization of family. While the importance of family for the development and wellbeing of children can't be overemphasized, the questions of what and who counts as family to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) are under-researched. Gwenzi brings a social constructionist approach to study OVCs in institutional care as well as living with their families in Zimbabwe, finding that they do not have a single definition of family and that they use diverse characteristics to describe what family means to them. With the data suggesting a need for belonging, continuity of relationships, protection, and trust, this study makes recommendations for policy and practice with youth in alternative care in sub-Saharan Africa.

This book presents rich information on Romanian mythology and folklore, previously under-explored in Western scholarship, placing the source material within its historical context and drawing comparisons with European and Indo-European culture and mythological tradition. The author presents a detailed comparative study and argues that Romanian mythical motifs have roots in Indo-European heritage, by analyzing and comparing mythical motifs from the archaic cultures, Greek, Latin, Celtic, Sanskrit, and Persian, with written material and folkloric data that reflects the Indo-European culture. The book begins by outlining the history of the Getae-Dacians, beginning with Herodotus' description of their customs and beliefs in the supreme god Zamolxis, then moves to the Roman wars and the Romanization process, before turning to recent debates in linguistics and genetics regarding the provenance of a shared language, religion, and culture in Europe. The author then analyzes mythcreation, its relation to rites, and its functions in society, before examining specific examples of motifs and themes from Romanian folk tales and songs. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of folklore studies, comparative mythology, linguistic anthropology, and European culture.

This edited volume provides an anthropological study of family businesses and business families. In previous research on family firms and business families, the comparative cross-cultural approach of anthropology has so far received little attention. As a result, family firms and business families are too often analyzed without considering cultural and kinship differences adequately. Similarly, although the topics of kinship and the economy are central to anthropological analysis, research on family firms and business families has been a marginal topic only that lacks in-depth discussions within anthropology. This volume breaks the mold by offering new empirical and theoretical insights into discussion about business families and family firms from a comparative cross-cultural perspective. It first addresses how the business family can be defined in different cultures and how kinship becomes understandable as a process and through ¿doing family¿. In this, the book provides a systematic comparison of the connections between family, kinship and economic activity in different cultures, whereas many of the previous studies have concentrated on only one or a few regions or cultures. It also shows the complexities and challenges when grounding the analysis of economic activity and entrepreneurship in cultural context.

This book addresses the need for a comprehensive reappraisal of what it means to be a ¿civic university¿. For two decades the ¿civic¿ agenda has been driven by a concern with economic impact and regional economic development. While recognising the importance of these aspects of universities¿ civic influence, there is a need to more comprehensively outline how universities can and should make a difference across a wide spectrum of place-based activity, against a background of intensifying global social and environmental challenges. Rooted in collaborative work by the Civic University Network and community-based partners, the book provides a clear logical framework that universities and their partners can use to examine the extent of their civic activities, but also challenges them to use that framework as a starting point for deeper reflection and engagement. It celebrates the actions universities have taken to respond to communities¿ needs, and encourages them to think more rigorously about what they can do in the future, and how they can become more accountable to the communities they serve. The book is an essential read for university leaders, academics involved in public engagement, and civic leaders and representatives who wish to develop closer engagement with their local universities.

The purpose of this book is to cover essential aspects of vehicle suspension systems and provide an easy approach for their analysis and design. It is intended specifically for undergraduate students and anyone with an interest in design and analysis of suspension systems. In order to simplify the understanding of more difficult concepts, the book uses a step-by-step approach along with pictures, graphs and examples.The book begins with the introduction of the role of suspensions in cars and a description of their main components. The types of suspensions are discussed and their differences reviewed. The mechanisms or geometries of different suspension systems are introduced and the tools for their analysis are discussed. In addition, vehicle vibration is reviewed in detail and models are developed to study vehicle ride comfort.

This book provides a thorough interdisciplinary analysis of the ways in which artists have engaged with political and feminist grassroots movements to characterise a new direction in the production of feminist art. The authors conceptualise feminist art in Turkey through the lens of feminist philosophy by offering a historical analysis of how feminism and art interacts, analysing emerging feminist artwork and exploring the ways in which feminist art as a form opens alternative political spaces of social collectivities and dissent, to address epistemic injustices. The book also explores how the global art and feminist movements (particularly in Europe) have manifested themselves in the art scenery of Turkey and argues that feminist art has transformed into a form of political and protest art which challenges the hegemonic masculinity dominating the aesthetic debates and political sphere. It is an invaluable reading for students and scholars of sociology of art, gender studies and political sociology.

This second edition guides readers through experimental and computational techniques on the study of tissue morphogenesis, with a specific focus on techniques to image, manipulate, model and analyze tissue morphogenesis. Chapters focus on imagining analysis of tissue morphogenesis, culture models of tissue morphogenesis, manipulating cells and tissues in vivo, novel model systems to investigate issue morphogenesis and computational models. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.Authoritative and practical, Tissue Morphogenesis: Methods and Protocols serves as a primary resource for both fundamental and practical understanding of the techniques used to uncover the basis of tissue morphogenesis.

This detailed volume explores the dynamic landscape of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) generation and applications. After a few chapters examining the evolution of PDXs, tracing their roots and contextualizing their significance in the broader narrative of cancer research, the book continues with methodologies for generating PDXs from diverse clinical tissue samples as well as for utilizing PDXs in various specific cancer types. From the development of humanized PDX models to the exploration of protein expression through advanced techniques including multiplex immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation, the chapters offer a comprehensive toolkit for researchers and clinicians alike. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Patient-Derived Xenografts: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal interdisciplinary guide for understanding the intricate processes that underscore translational cancer research.