This open access book examines the role of religion in the emerging academic and policy discourses on the polycrisis-also termed the metacrisis or permacrisis. Drawing on philosophy, economics, and the comparative study of religion, the book develops a conceptual map and shared vocabulary for engaging the interlocking challenges of our age, which threaten multiple simultaneous regional instabilities across the world system. As current political, economic, social, and ecological frameworks are stretched to their limits, Akhtar explores how the world's religious traditions can be accessed as sources of spiritual inspiration and moral imagination to chart new pathways beyond our collective paralysis. Advancing a covenantal pluralistic response, the volume offers scholars, students, and policymakers a generative framework for navigating overlapping crises through interreligious wisdom. Essential reading for those working at the intersection of religion, ethics, public policy, and the global polycrisis.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

This book reveals how communities protect themselves when external support is absent.

Drawing on participatory research from Cameroon's conflict zones, the authors document the remarkable agency and creativity of conflict-affected civilians employing non-violent methods to protect one another from violence. With international and national NGOs under strict government controls in the Anglophone regions, local communities have developed their own innovative self-protection strategies that offer sustainable pathways through conflict.

This important study shifts unarmed civilian protection discourse away from externally-led interventions towards genuinely civilian-centred approaches, offering crucial insights for practitioners, policy makers and scholars working in conflict-affected contexts worldwide.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

What does it mean to become a father at a young age today?

This volume brings together research about the lived experiences of fathers aged 25 and under. Drawing on diverse contexts across the Global North and South, it explores how young fathers form identities and relationships within diverse social, welfare and policy environments.

Moving beyond deficit-based perspectives, the book highlights their social engagement, responsibilities and commitments to family life.

By combining insights from leading scholars within a shared conceptual framework, it provides a comprehensive international comparison of young fatherhood and offers valuable implications for policy, practice and future research.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

How do we position ourselves in relation to our digital cultural heritage when every software update threatens its very survival?

This book confronts the fragility of computer- and network-based art in an age of relentless technological obsolescence. Focusing on a seminal work by the pioneering artist duo JODI, this interdisciplinary study explores graphical user interfaces, executable files, hard-coded structures and the creative use of randomness. Through a model-assisted storytelling approach, it rethinks how programmed artworks can be remembered, analysed and reactivated once they cease to function.

A bold experiment in science communication, this volume is a must- read for scholars, practitioners and all who care about safeguarding our digital memory.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Technologies are not created hostile, but they can become so. Through neglect, austerity or repurposing, the systems that shape our lives can cause profound harm to people, animals, and physical and social environments in ways their creators neither anticipated nor acknowledged.

Drawing on examples spanning border control, welfare systems, urban design and AI, this provocative collection introduces the concept of technological innocence: the obliviousness that allows bias and hostility to flourish unchallenged.

Moving beyond naive design ethics, it offers scholars, designers and policy makers a powerful new vocabulary for confronting the darker consequences of technological choice.

Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence

Across many jurisdictions in the Global North, lack of credibility is the primary basis for rejecting sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) asylum applications. This edited collection examines how disbelief poses one of the most complex challenges for queer asylum seekers worldwide.

The contributions in this book highlight how assessments in various asylum systems in the Global North are based on stereotypical, feeling-centric and western-centric models, that fail to reflect the complexities of sexual and gender diversity, often perpetuating unlawful bias and leading to unjust decisions. Bringing together theory and practice, the collection explores these issues across diverse geographical contexts, employing a multidisciplinary approach.

Crucially, the collection offers a variety of critical and empirical interventions, advocating for a fairer and more inclusive asylum system and adherence to human rights and refugee law.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Academic freedom is widely recognized as a cornerstone of higher education, yet its counterpart, academic responsibility, has received remarkably little attention.

This timely book addresses that gap by presenting academic responsibility as a voluntary commitment to apply academic expertise to society's most pressing challenges. Tracing the evolution of higher education's mission through ideas such as engagement, impact, social responsibility and decolonization, Brink develops a compelling conceptual framework that places academic responsibility alongside academic freedom.

Essential reading for academics, university leaders and policymakers, this book offers a fresh perspective on what universities owe society and why that question matters more than ever.

A unified integrative model for counselling children and young people

Practitioners working with children and young people often draw from multiple therapeutic modalities without a coherent framework for integration. Ecosystemic Counselling with Children and Young People presents a single model that synthesises systemic, person-centred, cognitive-behavioural, and psychodynamic theories into one unified approach. Each chapter applies ecosystemic theory to practice through case vignettes and practical examples.

The book addresses specific presenting issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, suicidality, anger, and behaviour difficulties. It examines how family dynamics, school environments, and social identity shape mental health outcomes, offering strategies for working with these factors. Coverage extends to neurodiversity, collaboration with partner agencies, and counsellor self-awareness within the ecosystemic framework.

Readers will also find:

• A unified theory of change that combines humanistic, cognitive, phenomenological, and psychodynamic principles into one integrative clinical framework
• Practical strategies for working with the interconnectedness of a child's psychological health and their wider social and environmental context
• Guidance on adapting ecosystemic interventions for neurodiverse clients, accounting for individual developmental profiles and cognitive processing differences
• Approaches for multi-agency collaboration that support holistic wellbeing across therapeutic, educational, and community settings for young clients
• Content grounded in three master's-level modules in children and young people's counselling, connecting academic rigour directly to clinical application

Designed for qualified therapists, mental health professionals, and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists, this book provides a structured integrative model applicable directly in clinical settings. By unifying established counselling modalities into a single ecosystemic framework, it equips practitioners to deliver holistic, theoretically grounded support to children and young people.

Contemporary clinical approaches for AAPI youth mental health across diverse populations

For the Next Generation: Mental Health in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Youth addresses the urgent need for updated clinical resources focused on the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the United States. Nancy H. Liu, PhD, a Fulbright Scholar and former WHO consultant specializing in cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatment, contextualizes current research within contemporary societal discourse while providing practical solutions for clinicians working with AANHPI adolescents and emerging adults.

This resource examines contemporary issues previously unaddressed in clinical literature, including anti-Asian hate, intersectionality within AANHPI communities, religion and spirituality, bullying, and neurodiversity. Each chapter concludes with case studies, practical illustrations, and take-home points designed for immediate clinical application. The text reviews advances in acculturation, racial and ethnic identity development, and mental health stigma.

Readers will also find:

• Clinical frameworks for addressing mental health stigma specific to diverse AANHPI subpopulations and their unique cultural contexts
• Practical strategies for working with minoritized groups within AAPI communities
• Evidence-based approaches adapted for cultural relevance with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations
• Case conceptualizations demonstrating application of contemporary research to clinical practice with AANHPI youth
• Assessment and intervention considerations reflecting the changing demographics of the broader U.S. society

For the Next Generation serves mental health professionals, clinical trainees across bachelor's through doctoral programs, educators, community leaders, and peer support providers seeking culturally informed approaches for AANHPI adolescents and emerging adults. Its interdisciplinary scope makes it relevant for courses in public health, education, anthropology, and ethnic studies.

Violence against women is conventionally framed as interpersonal violence perpetrated by men. While intimate partner violence and sexual assault are significant social problems, such a narrow framing obscures the diversity of women's experiences, fails to illuminate the role social structures play, and excludes discussions of workplace, state, institutional, and symbolic violence. By drawing on a range of theoretical traditions emerging from feminism, criminology, and sociology, Women and Gendered Violence in Canada significantly broadens the conversation on violence against women.

Social scientists Chris Bruckert and Tuulia Law begin by developing the conceptual and contextual framework underpinning gendered violence followed by an examination of its various manifestations: interpersonal, workplace, and structural. Each chapter puts historical context in conversation with current social issues, attends to the diversity of women's experiences, and critically considers normative social and carceral "solutions," while highlighting women's resistance. First person narratives are integrated throughout to personalize the material and issues being examined, and each chapter ends with a suggested activity to facilitate further engagement.

This thoroughly updated second edition of Women and Gendered Violence in Canada considers recent shifts and changes in Canadian society, discourses, and laws.

Sexual consent is often framed as the boundary between sex and sexual violence, frequently upheld as the key to transforming unethical sexual cultures. But what of the factors shaping people's positive experiences of negotiating sex, beyond the minimal threshold of avoiding sexual violence?

This book centres the experiences of bi+ individuals, introducing a new framework for understanding how gender, sexuality and bodily norms shape people's negotiation of positive sexual experiences. By demonstrating how queer bodies can challenge restrictive norms, the book shifts the focus away from risk reduction and highlights the need for a strengths-based approach that celebrates queer gender and sexuality. It provides fresh insights for scholars, educators and policy makers seeking more inclusive, effective strategies for sexuality education and sexual violence prevention.

This book examines the ways in which European queens engaged with De institutione foeminae Christianae (1524), the most popular instructional manual for women in sixteenth-century Europe. Vives (c. 1493-1540) dedicated the volume to Catherine of Aragon, queen of England as the wife of Henry VIII. Richard Hyrde did the same with his English translation. Juan Justiniano dedicated his Spanish translation to Germaine de Foix, dowager queen of Aragon as the wife of Ferdinand II. Catherine's support for De institutione and the association of its translations with a royal household, printer, or event became an important feature of its production and longevity. This book restores women to the history of De institutione and recovers a cultural understanding of its vernacular editions in England and Spain, especially with regard to queenship and public authority.

Comprehensive scholarship on fatherhood from evolutionary, physiological, and psychological perspectives

Now in its Sixth Edition, The Role of the Father in Child Development remains the authoritative reference on paternal influences across cultures and contexts. Edited by Michael E. Lamb, whose research has shaped family law and policy internationally, this volume synthesizes recent scholarship from evolutionary biology, physiology, psychology, and sociology to provide a rounded understanding of contemporary fatherhood worldwide.

This edition presents up-to-date summaries of fatherhood research, including a chapter from leading psychologist James Rilling, whose specialized work on evolutionary and neurological bases of paternal behavior reaches a broader audience here. The volume examines father-child relationships across diverse family structures, including post-divorce arrangements, foster care, adoption, and LGBTQ+ parenting contexts.

The book also covers:

• Cross-cultural perspectives on father involvement and paternal roles across diverse societies and family structures around the world
• Evolutionary and physiological foundations of fathering behavior drawn from current biological anthropology and neuroscience research findings
• Research-based guidance for legal practitioners working on custody evaluations, divorce proceedings, and family court matters
• Evidence informing policy decisions on fostering, adoption, and diverse family arrangements including same-sex and LGBTQ+ parenting
• Multidisciplinary frameworks integrating psychology, sociology, and family social science perspectives on contemporary paternal engagement

Essential for scholars, researchers, and advanced students in developmental psychology and family studies, The Role of the Father in Child Development also serves practitioners in psychology, social work, and criminology. Legal professionals handling family and custody matters, custody evaluators, and policy makers will find authoritative evidence to inform their work with fathers and families.

Navigates religious hybridity with a systematic typology and critical framework

As exposure to multiple religious traditions increases, scholars and practitioners face complex questions about religious belonging and identity. In Between Religions: On Religious Hybridity and Belonging surveys arguments for and against multiple religious belonging while offering a systematic typology of religious hybridity. Catherine Cornille, Professor of Comparative Theology at Boston College, examines this phenomenon from both individual and institutional perspectives.

This volume analyzes the constituent components of religious belonging and develops degrees and kinds of religious hybridity into a coherent framework. It maintains a critical realist view of discrete religions while acknowledging fluid boundaries. The final chapter explores how religious traditions themselves can engage constructively with hybridity, offering resources for theological and phenomenological reflection on interreligious engagement.

Readers will find:

• A comprehensive survey of scholarly arguments developed around multiple religious belonging and religious hybridity across diverse traditions and contexts
• Systematic analysis of what religious belonging entails, examining its dimensions and constituent components from phenomenological and theological perspectives
• A strong typology distinguishing various kinds and degrees of religious hybridity for clearer scholarly and practical discussion
• Critical examination of religious hybridity from the self-understanding of religious traditions themselves rather than solely from individual perspectives
• Constructive approaches for how religious traditions can engage with and learn from the phenomenon of religious hybridity

Designed for upper undergraduate and graduate courses in lived religion, interreligious dialogue, multiple religious belonging, religious pluralism, and comparative religion, In Between Religions provides scholars and students with analytical tools for understanding one of contemporary religion's most significant phenomena.

The overlooked story of non-combatant women who risked and bizarrely relished dangerous seas during the Second World War

In wartime, women and children are supposed to be kept out of danger zones. But during the Second World War, thousands of civilians voyaged in one of the most significant waterborne mobilisations in history. Military personnel and merchant seafarers were sailing to defeat the enemy and transport essential supplies; by contrast, women took to the seas, impelled by love, professional ambition, and adventurousness. They braved bombs and torpedoes with prams and swimsuits.

Jo Stanley reveals the other side of war at sea by unearthing the voyage stories of entertainers, refugees, escorts, military dependents, and missionaries. Sallying forth to new lands, or fleeing to safe havens, some were pregnant, faking courage, or having fun ashore when they could. Against the wishes of admirals and ship's captains, unwelcome women negotiated realms of masculine bellicosity, as well as hyper-protective chivalry. Thousands created domestic niches on war vessels and explored a culture that had previously excluded civilian femininity.

Jo Stanley retells the story of wartime women at sea, and shows how they shaped the maritime world.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

This book provides a critical reflection on the relationship between education, conflict, war and peace and the global actors and practitioners that have devised strategies to engage and support education systems in conflict-affected contexts.

Exploring a wide range of issues from development assistance to education, peacebuilding, de-radicalisation programmes and global governance, it evidences the challenges and the promises of education's complex relationship to war and peace. The book highlights the field's entanglements with geopolitics and imperial interventions, which have shaped its actions and undermined and limited its potential to support social transformation towards peace with social justice.