bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ambedkar, Tarde, and the Social
Authors: Skaria Ajay 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
This chapter explores how Ambedkar’s early essay, ‘Castes in India’ articulates a conception of the social that draws on and modifies the arguments made by Franz Boas and Gabriel Tarde. It argues that the essay criticizes the concept of race while also distancing itself from what was then usually posed as the alternative to race—the Boasian concept of culture. It also explores the specific sense in which Ambedkar talks of a ‘system of caste’. The emphasis on caste as a system had been around since the nineteenth century, But in focusing on the ‘mechanism’ for endogamy, Ambedkar abandons the older functional and Newtonian understanding of systems, and understands mechanism in Tardean terms—as the ‘infection of imitation’. Specifically, he conceives of caste as a machine constituted by the imitation of a founding Brahminical violence—the violence for which he reserves the term ‘surplus woman’. In doing so, he conceives the systematicity and wholeness of caste in a manner quite different from that attempted later by Louis Dumont, for whom caste as a whole unified by the expressive principle of purity and pollution. This article argues that in doing so, Ambedkar also modifies Tarde’s and Durkheim’s concepts of the social in ways that he perhaps does not quite recognize. For example, while Tarde conceives of caste as outside the world of imitation, Ambedkar sees it as a particularly violent form of imitation; where Tarde can conceive only a personal and individual equality, Ambedkar articulates a social equality.
Don Garcie de Navarre
Authors: Lyons John D. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Don Garcie de Navarre, or The Jealous Prince was performed but never printed during Molière’s lifetime. In many ways it is a twin of the subsequent extremely successful Misanthrope, sometimes considered Molière’s greatest comedy. In both plays an eccentric and jealous man courts a woman, who tries to cure the man of his tendency to make jealous and domineering outbursts. The situation of the female protagonist in Don Garcie is unusual in that it is taken for granted that she, a princess, will be able to choose her husband freely. This gives her leverage to attempt to educate the man she loves about the proper way of loving. In the context of Molière’s society the attempt by a woman to refine a man’s manners resembles such efforts as portrayed in the works of women authors such as the novelists Scudéry and Lafayette.
Introduction
Authors: Arnold Jörg 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Starting with a discussion of the feature film Pride, the Introduction reviews the place of the coal miner in the British cultural imagination and historiography. It proceeds to lay out the study’s two major arguments: first, of a cyclical movement of the coal industry in the period 1967 to 1997; second, of a tension between social imaginaries that emphasized the ‘special’ nature of the miners and self-images that aspired to ‘ordinariness’. The Introduction goes on to outline the methodological approach by introducing Raymond Williams’s concept of ‘structures of feeling’ and Reinhart Koselleck’s theorizing on temporality. It concludes by detailing the study’s broad source base and offering a brief chapter outline.
1967
Authors: Arnold Jörg 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
This chapter charts perceptions about miners and the coal industry in the later 1960s. It falls into three sections. The first section looks at the debate surrounding the publication of the Labour government’s White Paper on fuel policy in November 1967. Whereas policymakers regarded the industry as a liability inherited from a dark past, the National Coal Board (NCB) sought to project a contrasting image of a forward-looking, future-oriented industry. The second section focuses on the miners’ official voice, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). It details the union’s position on the future of the industry and demonstrates the impact of generational change on perspectives about the past among mining trade unionists. The third section shifts attention from the industry to the people working in it. Miners were praised as ‘model workers’ across the political spectrum—as hard-working, adaptable, and productive. Social scientists and artists, by contrast, developed a rather different image of coal miners, depicting them as ‘proletarian traditionalists’ who embodied the very antithesis of the modern ‘affluent worker’. Testimony from ordinary miners, meanwhile, suggests that the people working in the industry were keenly aware of the predicament facing it, and were eager to resolve the crisis in a way that would do least harm to themselves and their families.
1977
Authors: Arnold Jörg 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
This chapter charts the perceptions of the miners and their industry around the year 1977, the thirtieth anniversary of the industry’s nationalization. It considers social imaginaries in the political arena alongside miners’ self-images. It links these articulations to competing visions of the past and the future, and, indeed, the miner’s place in society. The chapter proceeds in three stages. The first section focuses on the political arena. It shows that politicians of both major parties shared in the perception that the miners wielded ‘unrivalled firepower’. Although there existed broad consensus that the miners’ power was real, the conclusions that followed from this shared understanding started to diverge. While there remained official cross-party consensus that the future of the coal industry was assured, policy advisers inside the Conservative Party came to identify the miners as an obstacle, rather than a conduit, for the realization of the industry’s potential and the renewal of Britain. The second section focuses on discussions inside the NUM. Here, the period witnessed the escalation of pre-existing tensions between moderates and militants over the question of how to use the miners’ power. Were the miners’ interests best served by constraining or by unleashing it? As the section demonstrates, the issue of power was bound up with divergent understandings of the miners’ identity. Finally, the third section looks at the self-images of ‘ordinary’ miners as recorded by social scientists, autobiographical accounts, and documentaries. It demonstrates just how disparate miners’ ideas about themselves could be.
1981
Authors: Arnold Jörg 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
This chapter focuses on the coal crisis of 1981, which is placed in the broader context of Britain’s accelerating de-industrialization under the first Thatcher government of 1979–83. The chapter proceeds in four stages. First, it situates the February 1981 stand-off between the miners and the government in the context of the political debate about the future of the coal industry. Second, it investigates the nature of the miners’ power as it was understood by contemporaries. What were its foundations? What was its significance? How should it be exercised? It looks, third, at competing understandings of the past that informed different perceptions of the miners’ position in society. Finally, the chapter considers how ordinary miners responded to the broader crisis. It inquires about the futures they charted for themselves in this highly volatile climate.
1984
Authors: Arnold Jörg 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
This chapter focuses on the 1984/5 miners’ strike. It argues that in 1984/5 the miners were neither doomed nor defeated, but defeated themselves. The chapter proceeds in four stages. The first section looks at temporalities. It shows that both the miners and the government looked to past events as a resource to guide their actions in the present. Just as the past mattered, so did the future. All sides operated with horizons of expectation about the future of the industry, as well as about the miners themselves. Yet, as this section argues, it was the present that acquired a special significance: it was the present that would be remembered as a crucial period in which history was made. The second section looks at identities. It was in 1984 that ideas of who the miners ‘really’ were were debated intensely and with sharply differing imaginaries. Competing imaginaries were no mere discourses; they were lived out in everyday practice. As the third section demonstrates, conflicts over temporalities and identities were closely linked to questions of agency and power. The strike laid bare the limits of the miners’ collective agency. The final section looks at how the voices of ‘ordinary’ miners were recorded by social scientists and investigative journalists. The picture they drew of the conflict served to reinforce a perception that ‘1984/5’ marked a watershed in the history of modern Britain.
Conclusion
Authors: Arnold Jörg 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The Conclusion situates the study’s findings within the historiographical landscapes of British and broader European history. It falls into three parts. The first section reviews the most recent interventions in the field of British labour history and recapitulates some of this study’s major arguments. The second section extends the frame geographically by looking at developments in other coal-producing countries. Drawing on a typology developed by the sociologist John Goldthorpe, it makes a case for locating the difference of the British case in the field of cultural politics, in addition to the political economy of coal. The third section offers some final reflections on the relevance of de-industrialization, both as socio-economic process and as analytical framework, for the story of the British miners between the late 1960s and late 1990s.
Chaos and Confusion
Authors: Rouse William B. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Chaos and Confusion sets the stage for the overall book. The frustrations and overall lack of success in addressing societal challenges are outlined. The shortcomings of interventions intended to “fix” the problems are chronicled. The phenomena blocking progress are elaborated. It is argued that success depends on understanding the underlying causes of problems and developing means to remediate these causes. Challenges and uncertainties are addressed in terms of economic growth, health and education, energy and climate, and the roaring infodemic. There are strong interactions among these four ecosystems. The interactions are important, as quick-fix approaches to each challenge will be costly and unproductive. It is argued that a more integrated approach is needed.
Broader Perspectives
Authors: Rouse William B. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Broader Perspectives explores the limitations of typical approaches to problem-solving. The underlying positivistic philosophy is elaborated. This philosophy is overwhelmingly solution rather than problem-driven. The idea is to quickly “fix” deficiencies rather than first deeply explore the reasons for the deficiencies. Behavioral and social phenomena underlie the challenges, both as sources of dysfunctional designs and impediments to creative, sustainable change. Historical and contemporary findings in economics, psychology, social psychology, sociology, and politics are explored. Understanding these phenomena is necessary to inform how we address remediating the challenges. A design-oriented approach is elaborated in terms of wicked problems, complex adaptive systems, and human-centered design, a process of considering and balancing the value, concerns, and perceptions of key stakeholders in any endeavor.
Insights for Addressing Challenges
Authors: Rouse William B. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Insights for Addressing Challenges addresses the phenomena underlying the four societal challenges. A fundamental question concerns where change interventions should be targeted. Several questions should guide these choices: 1) Will the benefits envisioned be embraced by stakeholders? 2) Is any stakeholder organization currently providing these benefits?; 3) Are they successfully providing these benefits? 4) Is the scope of those benefited limited by resources or mandates? 5) What might hinder the broad provision of these benefits? Initiatives in health, education, energy, and information management are elaborated and discussed. This discussion includes consideration of how these initiatives influence each other, both negatively and positively.
Integrating Plans into Solutions
Authors: Rouse William B. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Integrating Plans into Solutions addresses how integrated solutions will create beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders and not undermine others. This chapter is primarily concerned with how all the pieces fit together. There are not four disparate challenges—they all fit and play together. Beyond common objectives and functional needs, they can be enhanced by intelligent systems concepts. Human-centered support is both imaginable and feasible. Stakeholders’ attributes and preferences are addressed at multiple levels. The design of the needed support infrastructure can be enabled by the appropriate use of intelligent systems technology. The functional needs this technology can provide are elaborated. A use-case scenario is introduced involving driverless cars for people with disabilities.
Corruption Hurts: No, It Kills
Authors: Mohan Rajat 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Corruption is perhaps best defined as ‘use of public office for private gain through violation of a rule’. Various studies have confirmed that corruption retards economic growth, reduces incomes, exacerbates inequality, and hampers delivery of public services. Countries with high levels of corruption are seen to also suffer from poor social-development indicators, such as higher infant mortality and lower literacy rates. Corruption is sometimes presented in terms of ‘cultural relativism’, that is, some cultures are more prone to corruption than others. We reject such a hypothesis. Corruption is a curse for all places and all times. However, this is not to minimize the scourge corruption represents for most poor countries: an insidious cancer of their national body politic, invasive and unforgiving as it thwarts their efforts to achieve economic and social progress. Surprisingly, though, the general attitude towards this cancer on society was more accepting, even in academic circles and as recently as the late 1980s. Corruption was often seen as a pricing mechanism (grease money) to correct some of the market failures facing a country because of its inefficient and rigid bureaucracy. Fortunately, attitudes against corruption began to harden, and tolerance of it started diminishing, at least in theory. All the effects we have talked about are what would essentially be instrumental effects. But as a society, the absence of corruption should also be intrinsically valued as being desirable in its own right.
We Think—Therefore, We Are
Authors: Mohan Rajat 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Humans think not only as individuals but also as members of a society. Their actions are influenced as much by their individual thinking as by their circumstances, social networks, and norms. Their collective behaviours for the better (such as creating widespread trust) or worse (such as the existence of widespread corruption) develop and evolve as a function of interaction between individual and social thinking. To survive in society, people need to coordinate their actions to generate social changes for the improved welfare of society, particularly when people are unable to communicate with each other directly. Insightful applications of ‘Schelling’s focal point’ serve as a possible useful social coordinating mechanism to bring society to a state of equilibrium where nobody can profit by deviating unilaterally (Nash equilibrium). Multiple equilibria are possible, some good, some not. Societies would obviously wish to reach a good equilibrium but often face challenges of collective actions (tragedy of the commons, climate change) where social dilemmas arise. The well-known game of Prisoner’s Dilemma illustrates this: what appears to be in the best interest of an individual is not necessarily so for society as a whole and ultimately neither for the individual. However, thankfully, humans are not always ‘rational’. While not angels, they are not always selfish either. They are often altruistic, cooperate, and trust each other. Thus, policies and institutional practices assuming that people are fully rational can be misplaced if cognitive, psychological, and social influences on human behaviour are ignored.
The World of Beliefs, Norms, and Mental Models Around Us
Authors: Mohan Rajat 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
We are all ‘citizens of the republic of beliefs’. Poor governance in most countries is not due to having insufficient laws and regulations but to their ineffective implementation. So, why are laws followed in some societies and not in others? People follow the law if they believe others will follow it too. Otherwise, they just remain as ‘ink on paper’. While beliefs are individualistic, norms are a social construct, society’s collective values and social desires. Norms make social interactions more predictable but can also lead to good or bad outcomes. Social norms influence collective behaviour, for better or for worse. Evidence shows that while humans can be altruistic and kind, they are conditional cooperators. This is a valuable insight which can be used to enhance the relevance of existing social norms and nudge them to lead to better social outcomes. Laws can change not only incentives but also the social meaning of actions. Laws can therefore be an effective tool to change social norms through their sanctioning and expressive powers. Over the course of evolution, humans have learned to use mental models to simultaneously process available information and respond to the situations at hand, often instantaneously. The effects of mental models can be insidious, and even more so than negative social norms. They are internalized values and have long-term staying powers. Beliefs, norms, and mental models all play a critical role in how informal rules of behaviour, and hence how institutions evolve in that society.
Some Other Journeys
Authors: Mohan Rajat 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
From being one of the world’s poorest countries at its independence from Britain in 1966, Botswana was an upper middle-income and a High Human Development country barely four decades later. Its traditional tribal institutions, particularly the kgotla were always remarkably inclusive and it had also been spared the ravages of extractive colonization. Enlightened leadership, particularly that of its first president, Seretse Khama, also played a critical role in Botswana’s journey, including in equitable sharing of its large diamond finds avoiding the feared resource curse. Greater equity and centralization of power led in turn to the evolution of successful inclusive institutions in post-independence Botswana, including an autonomous and competent Weberian bureaucracy. Even though Uruguay had been a democracy for almost two centuries, it also suffered from a long history of political particularism (clientelism). From its independence in 1825 till the mid-1960s, two political parties, Partido Colorado, ‘Red’, (PC) and the Partido Nacional, ‘Blanco’, (PN) had monopolized the country’s political system. Things began to change only when a third political party, a left-oriented Broad Front, the Frente Amplio (FA) emerged by the mid-1960s. Pressures for some fundamental institutional reforms in the country resulted in significant economic reforms, including in the bureaucracy and public-service delivery, and political institutions.
The STATE, the Markets, and the Community
Authors: Mohan Rajat 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Freedom from fear of being dominated by others is a fundamental premise for a fulfilling life in a society. Hobbes argued that this can only be ensured if there is a visible central authority, the Leviathan. This central authority is the State, which would legally monopolize the use of violence, ensure law and order, and assure justice for all. But this Leviathan itself needs to be shackled and the power of the state appropriately tamed to operate within the bounds of the rule of law, lest it itself becomes the feared despot. The State must ensure security and justice for everyone, especially the weak, the disadvantaged, the marginalized, and those with special needs. Thus, perhaps the most important public good is an efficient and fair State, working in the interest of all and not just a select few. Laws must be written and adopted, but equally importantly, enforced and applied equally to all without fear or favour. Much is expected of the State, but what it can do effectively is a function of its capability. The two must be matched. Trying to do too much results in mediocrity, damages State credibility, and erodes trust. The State must therefore prioritize what it can do well and let the markets and society step up and address the remaining needs. The role of the State should be to enable the ecosystem for the markets to operate and societies to thrive in peace and security and assurance of justice.
Oxford and the arts and humanities
Authors: Aston Nigel 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The University’s engagement with the arts increasingly made an impact on the world. This emphasis on accessibility was embodied in Oxford’s growing reputation as one of the nation’s foremost music-making hubs; and also in the production of vernacular literature that both encapsulated national pride and recognised the breadth of the English literary inheritance. Thomas Warton and his generation corrected a misleading reputation, acquired during the Phalaris controversy, that Oxford learning was exclusive, essentially inward-looking, and privileged style over substance. Its scholars were in the vanguard of Anglo-Saxon studies, but the University failed to produce a historian of more recent times, and it only gradually came to acknowledge Locke’s philosophical merits. The increasing demands of empire ensured that the University’s seventeenth-century reputation for Oriental languages developed apace and manifested itself in Arabic studies, as well as in Persian and Sanskrit during the generation of Sir William Jones in the 1770s/80s.
Oxford and contemporary science
Authors: Aston Nigel 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Chapter 5 moves to the evolving disciplinary area of science. Eighteenth-century Oxford was emphatically not a scientific backwater. Newtonianism was strong within the University in the 1700s and 1710s, though it later encountered challenges because of its perceived threat to revealed religion. Meanwhile, Oxford offered gradually improving facilities for experimentation and teaching in the natural sciences. The appetite beyond the University for lectures often given by talented outsiders was acknowledged and they were widely advertised. Astronomers, such as Edmond Halley, James Bradley, and Thomas Hornsby, held University professorships, while the opening of the Radcliffe Hospital in 1772 testified to Oxonian engagement with the ‘Medical Enlightenment’; there were also advances in chemistry. Chemical forces, though, were suggestive of political incandescence, and Thomas Beddoes appeared to embody them. His reputation for Jacobinism underlined Anglican anxieties about science in the 1790s and his expulsion from the University indicated that intellectual advance was never politically unconditional.