Robert Mitchell

On a noisy summer day, Sunny and his friends are looking for something to do, and Sunny comes up with the idea of making music from the sounds around them.

This practical book offers a guide to finding, choosing, and applying theoretical frameworks to social sciences research, and provides researchers with the scaffolding needed to reflect on their philosophical orientations and better situate their work in the existing landscape of empirical and theoretical knowledge. Using a multifaceted approach, the book provides clear definitions, primary tenets, historical context, highlights of the challenges and contemporary discussion and, perhaps more importantly, concrete and successful examples of studies that have drawn on and incorporated each theoretical framework. The authors define and explain the connections among such concepts as ontology, epistemology, paradigm, theory, theoretical frameworks, conceptual frameworks, and research methodology; describe the process of finding and effectively using theoretical and conceptual frameworks in research; and offer brief overviews of particular theories within the following disciplines: sociology, psychology, education, leadership, public policy, political science, economics, organizational studies, and business. The book also has a dedicated chapter on critical theories, and for each theory, provides a definition, explores how the theory is useful for researchers, discusses the background and foundations, outlines key terms and concepts, presents examples of theoretical applications, and gives an overview of strengths and limitations. This book offers a useful starting point for any researcher interested in better situating their work in existing conceptual and theoretical knowledge, but it will be especially useful for graduate students and early career researchers who are looking for clear definitions of complex terms and concepts, and for an introduction to useful theories across disciplines.

This practical book offers a guide to finding, choosing, and applying theoretical frameworks to social sciences research, and provides researchers with the scaffolding needed to reflect on their philosophical orientations and better situate their work in the existing landscape of empirical and theoretical knowledge. Using a multifaceted approach, the book provides clear definitions, primary tenets, historical context, highlights of the challenges and contemporary discussion and, perhaps more importantly, concrete and successful examples of studies that have drawn on and incorporated each theoretical framework. The authors define and explain the connections among such concepts as ontology, epistemology, paradigm, theory, theoretical frameworks, conceptual frameworks, and research methodology; describe the process of finding and effectively using theoretical and conceptual frameworks in research; and offer brief overviews of particular theories within the following disciplines: sociology, psychology, education, leadership, public policy, political science, economics, organizational studies, and business. The book also has a dedicated chapter on critical theories, and for each theory, provides a definition, explores how the theory is useful for researchers, discusses the background and foundations, outlines key terms and concepts, presents examples of theoretical applications, and gives an overview of strengths and limitations. This book offers a useful starting point for any researcher interested in better situating their work in existing conceptual and theoretical knowledge, but it will be especially useful for graduate students and early career researchers who are looking for clear definitions of complex terms and concepts, and for an introduction to useful theories across disciplines.

The Capture of Attu, first published in 1944, recounts first the history of the westernmost Aleutian Island - Attu - then provides many firsthand stories of the infantrymen fighting in this incredibly harsh and rugged island, against an enemy determined to fight to the last man. In June 1942 Attu and the nearby island of Kiska were invaded by the Japanese. On May 11, 1943, the American effort to retake Attu began in what quickly became an infantry battle: the ever-present fog, rain, and high winds limited airplane use, and the rocky terrain and sodden tundra prevented the use of most mechanized equipment. Fighting was finished by July 4, 1943, and as recounted in the emotional final paragraph of the book: "The battalion was assembled. Major Charles G. Fredericks read the Roll Call of the men who had fallen. Lieutenant Colonel Glen A. Nelson spoke. A sergeant sang My Buddy. And Padre Habetz repeated a prayer. After the volley, the last note of Taps echoed over the mountains. Then it was over. Captain Robert C. Foulston said, "Forward..." but the "march" stuck in his throat. With chins clamped hard and wet eyes blinking, the silent fighting men marched off the field. It had been paid for. Attu was ours." Included are 6 pages of maps and 23 pages of photographs.

Starting from the unmistakable contrast of two socially developed »movement systems«, the aesthetic performing art of classical ballet vis-à-vis the internal martial art of taijiquan (aka tai chi), Robert Mitchell plunges into the depths of what it means to practise these two ways of moving, identifying commonalities and differences. This sociological study focuses especially on what these practices entail for the settings in which they are taught. Drawing on the author's experience as a professional ballet dancer, the study has been over thirty years in the making, utilising (auto-)ethnographic methods to approach its subject matter from diverse angles.

Over the last half century, "smartness"--the drive for ubiquitous computing--has become a mandate: a new mode of managing and governing politics, economics, and the environment. Smart phones. Smart cars. Smart homes. Smart cities. The imperative to make our world ever smarter in the face of increasingly complex challenges raises several questions: What is this "smartness mandate"? How has it emerged, and what does it say about our evolving way of understanding--and managing--reality? How have we come to see the planet and its denizens first and foremost as data-collecting instruments? In The Smartness Mandate, Orit Halpern and Robert Mitchell radically suggest that "smartness" is not primarily a technology, but rather an epistemology. Through this lens, they offer a critical exploration of the practices, technologies, and subjects that such an understanding relies upon--above all, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The authors approach these not simply as techniques for solving problems of calculations, but rather as modes of managing life (human and other) in terms of neo-Darwinian evolution, distributed intelligences, and "resilience," all of which have serious implications for society, politics, and the environment. The smartness mandate constitutes a new form of planetary governance, and Halpern and Mitchell aim to map the logic of this seemingly inexorable and now naturalized demand to compute, to illuminate the genealogy of how we arrived here and to point to alternative imaginaries of the possibilities and potentials of smart technologies and infrastructures.

Infectious Liberty traces the origins of our contemporary concerns about public health, world population, climate change, global trade, and government regulation to a series of Romantic-era debates and their literary consequences. Through a series of careful readings, Robert Mitchell shows how a range of elements of modern literature, from character-systems to free indirect discourse, are closely intertwined with Romantic-era liberalism and biopolitics. Eighteenth- and early-nineteenth century theorists of liberalism such as Adam Smith and Thomas Malthus drew upon the new sciences of population to develop a liberal biopolitics that aimed to coordinate differences among individuals by means of the culling powers of the market. Infectious Liberty focuses on such authors as Mary Shelley and William Wordsworth, who drew upon the sciences of population to develop a biopolitics beyond liberalism. These authors attempted what Roberto Esposito describes as an "affirmative" biopolitics, which rejects the principle of establishing security by distinguishing between valued and unvalued lives, seeks to support even the most abject members of a population, and proposes new ways of living in common. Infectious Liberty expands our understandings of liberalism and biopolitics—and the relationship between them—while also helping us to understand better the ways creative literature facilitates the project of reimagining what the politics of life might consist of. Infectious Liberty is available from the publisher on an open-access basis.

Infectious Liberty traces the origins of our contemporary concerns about public health, world population, climate change, global trade, and government regulation to a series of Romantic-era debates and their literary consequences. Through a series of careful readings, Robert Mitchell shows how a range of elements of modern literature, from character-systems to free indirect discourse, are closely intertwined with Romantic-era liberalism and biopolitics. Eighteenth- and early-nineteenth century theorists of liberalism such as Adam Smith and Thomas Malthus drew upon the new sciences of population to develop a liberal biopolitics that aimed to coordinate differences among individuals by means of the culling powers of the market. Infectious Liberty focuses on such authors as Mary Shelley and William Wordsworth, who drew upon the sciences of population to develop a biopolitics beyond liberalism. These authors attempted what Roberto Esposito describes as an "affirmative" biopolitics, which rejects the principle of establishing security by distinguishing between valued and unvalued lives, seeks to support even the most abject members of a population, and proposes new ways of living in common. Infectious Liberty expands our understandings of liberalism and biopolitics—and the relationship between them—while also helping us to understand better the ways creative literature facilitates the project of reimagining what the politics of life might consist of. Infectious Liberty is available from the publisher on an open-access basis.

Do you want to see more, do more, and have more fun outdoors? Do you want to be more prepared for potential danger when you're out camping or hiking? Whether you're a seasoned woodsman or an inexperienced greenhorn, this straightforward, step-by-step workbook's 40+ exercises will deepen your relationship with nature and get your heart and mind engaged like never before. As lean as a coyote and straight as an arrow, this little book is packed with action and meaning. Includes: * Essential gear * ABCs of first aid * Woodland self-defense * When to stay put and when to self-rescue * The survival formula * Arts & crafts * Tracking exercises * Wild plant identification exercises * And much more!

Do you ever feel that, just as soon as you get comfortable in your life, everything changes? Why do bad things happen to good people? Have you ever wished you didn't have to go through hard times? Transitions are a constant in life and this book will help you successfully navigate those inevitable changes and look forward to the rest of your life with confidence. Those who are enduring the pressure brought on by transition, who know someone who is feeling overwhelmed, or who want to be equipped for what's coming next in their life will find hope and direction. Every transition has the potential to stop you from living out your dreams, causing you to arrive at the end of your life with tremendous regrets. Our natural tendency is to accept things as they are, with the belief that there's no way to relieve the anxiety associated with those transitions. In the midst of transitions, everyone wants to know, "How do I successfully get from here, where it's no longer comfortable, to there, a better place?" Where can I get help to walk through this inescapable experience in my life? Transition: Life's Unavoidable Reality uses practical life experiences to show how it's possible to not only survive transitions but to thrive in the midst of them, by exploring: -How to know when a transition is approaching-What fly fishers and entomologists have to do with transition-The three dimensions that are present in every life transition-The adventures that await those who take that uncomfortable step into the unknown-The transitions that accompany life's different stages: from birth to growing up, to relationships, and dealing with aging parents and growing children-How to thrive through vocational transitions-Life's final transitionFollow the steps in this book and get help in walking through the future transitions in your life. You are not alone on this journey What's stopping you from jumping right into your next transition with a workable plan for success, so you'll be positioned correctly when the next season of change comes?