Geoffrey Lawrence

This book provides a comprehensive overview of ‘societal deception’ - how and why people are deceived and led to believe fake news. Coherently blending critical political economy and sociology, the author provocatively examines how corporations, political parties, the media, think tanks and assorted 'influencers' seek to manipulate public opinion to achieve their goals. This book spans an array of contemporary topics and issues not normally tackled by a single writer – the media, genetic engineering, fast food, environmental pollution, climate change, economic inequality, political manipulations, sports, and religion. While critical in subject matter, and replete with easily accessible and reliable sources, this book is highly readable and entertaining for the general as well as academic audience interested in current global issues.

This title was first published in 2002. One of the greatest concerns facing the world is how to ensure that sustainable outcomes are generated as globalization proceeds apace. Quite simply, many people are finding their life chances deteriorating - with resistance to globalization being a common response. The question is: is it possible to guarantee sustainable livelihoods for individuals, families and communities as global processes increasingly shape local social relations? This volume is a collection of 16 chapters from leading rural sociologists and human geographers based in Europe, Australasia, and the Americas. The book, in three parts, deals with globalization and food; the restructuring of local agriculture; and communities and resistance in a globalizing world. The introduction to the book compares and contrasts the various experiences of communities in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Finland, Norway, South Africa and the United States as they "struggle" to cope with globalization and its effects. Each chapter discusses options to ameliorate the local consequences of global change.

This title was first published in 2002. One of the greatest concerns facing the world is how to ensure that sustainable outcomes are generated as globalization proceeds apace. Quite simply, many people are finding their life chances deteriorating - with resistance to globalization being a common response. The question is: is it possible to guarantee sustainable livelihoods for individuals, families and communities as global processes increasingly shape local social relations? This volume is a collection of 16 chapters from leading rural sociologists and human geographers based in Europe, Australasia, and the Americas. The book, in three parts, deals with globalization and food; the restructuring of local agriculture; and communities and resistance in a globalizing world. The introduction to the book compares and contrasts the various experiences of communities in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Finland, Norway, South Africa and the United States as they "struggle" to cope with globalization and its effects. Each chapter discusses options to ameliorate the local consequences of global change.

This book sets out to examine what really is going on in the organic sector socially and politically. In the process, it debunks a number of apparently common-sense beliefs: that organic consumers are wealthy environmental and health extremists; that growth in the industry will inevitably undermine its environmental values; that mainstream media is antagonistic to organics; and that the industry is driven by consumer demand. This book seeks to make a practical contribution to the development of more sustainable food systems by articulating what it takes to get people involved in organics at each stage of the food chain.

This 2001 book interprets the predicament faced by Australia's regional people from their own perspective and proposes a means by which they can act together to find a secure future under globalisation. It argues that neoliberalism in combination with its 'real world' effects in economic policy are driving regional Australia further into social, environmental and economic decay. Gray and Lawrence advocate a new kind of regionalism with broad objectives for people to pursue. This takes discussion about rural and regional policies out of the contexts of trade and industry policies and into the realm of the social and political. Ideas developed throughout the book are drawn from rural sociology, community studies, rural geography, political economy and regional studies.

This 2001 book interprets the predicament faced by Australia's regional people from their own perspective and proposes a means by which they can act together to find a secure future under globalisation. It argues that neoliberalism in combination with its 'real world' effects in economic policy are driving regional Australia further into social, environmental and economic decay. Gray and Lawrence advocate a new kind of regionalism with broad objectives for people to pursue. This takes discussion about rural and regional policies out of the contexts of trade and industry policies and into the realm of the social and political. Ideas developed throughout the book are drawn from rural sociology, community studies, rural geography, political economy and regional studies.