Religion and urban policy for South Asia: where next?

Religion and Urbanism contributes to an expanded understanding of 'sustainable cities' in South Asia by demonstrating the multiple, and often conflicting ways in which religion enables or challenges socially equitable and ecologically sustainable urbanisation in the region. In particular, this collection focuses on two aspects that must inform the sustainable cities discourse in South Asia: the intersections of religion and urban heritage, and religion and various aspects of informality.

This book makes a much-needed contribution to the nexus between religion and urban planning for researchers, postgraduate students and policy makers in Sustainable Development, Development Studies, Urban Studies, Religious Studies, Asian Studies, Heritage Studies and Urban and Religious Geography.

Mol, science, religion and narrative identity

Significantly influencing the sociological study of religion, Hans Mol developed ideas of identity which remain thought-provoking for analyses of how religion operates within contemporary societies. Sacred Selves, Sacred Settings brings current social-religious topics into sharp focus: international scholars analyse, challenge, and apply Mol’s theoretical assertions. This book introduces the unique story of Hans Mol, who survived Nazi imprisonment and proceeded to brush shoulders with formidable intellectuals of the twentieth century, such as Robert Merton, Talcott Parsons, and Reinhold Niebuhr. Offering a fresh perspective on popular subjects such as secularization, pluralism, and the place of religion in the public sphere, this book sets case studies within an intellectual biography which describes Mol’s key influences and reveals the continuing import of Hans Mol’s work applied to recent data and within a contemporary context.

People and state in socialist Cuba : ideas and practices of revolution

This book is a political and anthropological analysis of the concept of Revolution as it is understood and experienced by Cubans in their daily lives. Urban agricultural movements, alternative medicine, self-employment, and migration reveal complex interactions and disrupt assumptions that the Cuban sate is a static, anachronistic regime.

The role of religion and spirituality in coping with kidney disease and haemodialysis in Thailand

BACKGROUND: People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face various problems including psychological, socioeconomic and physical effects associated with CKD and its treatment. They need to develop strategies to help them cope with CKD and life challenges. Religion and spirituality are important coping strategies, but their role in helping people cope with CKD and haemodialysis (HD) in Thailand is relatively unknown.

AIMS: To investigate the role of religion and spirituality in coping with CKD and its treatment in Thailand.

DESIGN: An exploratory, qualitative approach was undertaken using semistructured individual interviews.
METHOD: Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Face-to-face, in-depth individual interviews using open questions were conducted during January and February 2012. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using the framework method of qualitative data analysis.

FINDINGS: Twenty people receiving HD participated: age range 23-77 years, mean 53.7 (±16.38 SD). Ten were women. Participants reported use of religious and spiritual practices to cope with CKD and its treatment, including religious and spiritual explanations for developing CKD, karmic disease, making merit, reading Dharma books, praying and chanting to save life and making a vow to Pran-Boon.

CONCLUSION: Religion and spirituality provide powerful coping strategies that can help Thai people with CKD overcome the associated distress and difficulties. Religion and spirituality cannot be separated in Thai culture because Thai people are both religious and spiritual.

A NOVEL MODELING AND STATE OF CHARGE ESTIMATION SCHEME FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries have got attention in recent decades because of their undisputable advantages over other types of batteries. They are used in so many our devices which we need in our daily life such as cell phones, lap top computers, cameras, and so many electronic devices. They also are being used in smart grids technology, stand-alone wind and solar systems, Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), and Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). Despite the rapid increase in the use of Lit-ion batteries, the existence of limited battery models also inadequate and very complex models developed by chemists is the lack of useful models a significant matter. A battery management system (BMS) aims to optimize the use of the battery, making the whole system more reliable, durable and cost effective. Perhaps the most important function of the BMS is to provide an estimate of the State of Charge (SOC). SOC is the ratio of available ampere-hour (Ah) in the battery to the total Ah of a fully charged battery. The Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) of a fully relaxed battery has an approximate one-to-one relationship with the SOC. Therefore, if this voltage is known, the SOC can be found. However, the relaxed OCV can only be measured when the battery is relaxed and the internal battery chemistry has reached equilibrium. This thesis focuses on Li-ion battery cell modelling and SOC estimation. In particular, the thesis, introduces a simple but comprehensive model for the battery and a novel on-line, accurate and fast SOC estimation algorithm for the primary purpose of use in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, and microgrid systems. The thesis aims to (i) form a baseline characterization for dynamic modeling; (ii) provide a tool for use in state-of-charge estimation. The proposed modelling and SOC estimation schemes are validated through comprehensive simulation and experimental results.

Where are the animals in sustainable development? Religion and the case for ethical stewardship in animal husbandry

The rights of livestock that are designated as food/farm animals have been a blindspot across development discourse and policies in spite of compelling moral (and socio-ecological) factors. They are regarded as 'resources' to sustain growth, leading to food production systems that support factory farming and invasive animal husbandry practices. The paper argues that religion and sustainable development are unlikely partners in the commodification of animals in these policies. Capitalist-driven interpretations of religion support the objectification of animals. Sustainable development, an efficiency-driven growth paradigm, is concerned with the preservation of finite natural resources. Sentient factory farmed animals are seen as infinite resources.Using Christianity and Hinduism as examples, the paper argues that religion can also shape alternative animal husbandry/food production practices, and expand the social justice element of sustainable development to encompass what I term 'sociozoological justice' in economic systems that heavily involve animals.

Religion and contemporary society

What is religion and what is spirituality? Can you be religious and spiritual at the same time? Is religion's influence on society declining? What role does religion play in social change? Do religions foster cultures of violence or social harmony?Sociologists of religion have long grappled with these questions. While there is no agreed definition of either religion or spirituality, scholars have provided useful explanations to help us understand these terms and the changing place of religion in contemporary societies. We will examine some of these questions and frameworks in this chapter. We will also investigate how religions can contribute towards or undermine the creation of peaceful societies. These aspects of religion are of most interest to governments, non-governmental organisations and the media, particularly after the tragic events of 11 September 2001. More recently, religions have become the subject of significant public scrutiny and debate: This has occurred in parallel with a dramatic growth in the number of people declaring themselves as having 'no religion' in Western societies.

Politics, religion and morals: the symbolism of public schooling for the urban middle-class identity

Research points to sections of the middle-class repopulating the ‘ordinary’ urban public school and whilst there are key differences in how they are navigating public school choices, from ‘seeking a critical mass’ (Posey-Maddox, Kimelberg, and Cucchiara 2014) to resisting traditional methods of choice and going ‘against-the-grain’ (Reay, Crozier, and James 2013), or collectively campaigning for a brand new public school, the urban middle-class are developing contemporary methods to challenge the existing ways of thinking about middle-class choice. Drawing on this literature, this paper explores the symbolism of public schooling for relatively affluent choosers in the city of Melbourne, Australia. The positioning of public schooling as essentially secular and liberal indicates how the public school is valorised within the contemporary market place. Within a market that tends to under-sell the public school, the perceived lack of organized religion and progressivism may be the unique selling point for the cosmopolitan, globalized consumer.

What’s the difference between a religion and a cult?

It's a sometimes blurry line that distinguishes a religion from a cult. Sociologist Andrew Singleton outlines the hallmarks of cults – beyond weird white tunics and multiple wives.

Religion and development in the Asia-Pacific : sacred places as development spaces

The book considers theories of ‘place’ as a component of successful development interventions and expands this analysis to consider the specific role that sacred places – buildings and social networks – have in planning, implementing and promoting sustainable development. A series of case studies examine various sacred places as sites for development activities. These case studies include Christian churches and disaster relief in Vanuatu; Muslim shrines and welfare provision in Pakistan; a women’s Buddhist monastery in Thailand advancing gender equity; a Jewish aid organisation providing language training to Muslim Women in Australia; and Hawaiian sacred sites located within a holistic retreat centre committed to ecological sustainability.Religion and Development in the Asia-Pacific demonstrates the important role that sacred spaces can play in development interventions, covering diverse major world religions, interfaith and spiritual contexts, and as such will be of considerable interest for postgraduate students and researchers in development studies, religious studies, sociology of religion and geography.

Do monopólio à livre concorrência: a liberdade religiosa no pensamento de Tavares Bastos (1839-1875)

Pós-graduação em História - FCLAS

Crer, aprender e sentir: o tripé estratégico para transmissão de visão de mundo do casal Kalley, na inserção do protestantismo no Brasil no século XIX

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Les lois religieuses des empereurs romains de Constantin à Théodose II (312-438).

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Defence of the third article of the Massachusetts Declaration of rights / as delivered by Chief Justice Parsons, as the opinion of the Supreme Judicial Court, in the case of Barnes vs. Falmouth ...

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