Political Social Work

From the bottom to the top of our economy, capitalism is too blunt an instrument to tackle Britain's epidemic of inequality. Soaring rents, unfair taxation and a growing gig economy have brought about unprecedented economic shame: Amazon warehouse workers living in tents, nurses turning to foodbanks, London firemen commuting hundreds of miles to work. Even those higher up the ladder are losing their grip on the life they were promised.

Public opinion polling is the ultimate democratic process; it gives every person an equal voice in letting elected leaders know what they need and want. But in the eyes of the public, polls today are tarnished. Recent election forecasts have routinely missed the mark and media coverage of polls has focused solely on predicting winners and losers. In Strength in Numbers, data journalist G. Elliott Morris argues that the larger purpose of political polls is to improve democracy, not just predict elections.

Many of us have never really considered how subtly and profoundly our sense of national spirit has colored our view of the world and of ourselves. The Psychology of Nations by GE Partridge shines a light on the philosophy of nationalism and uses this to delve deeply into its shaping of both psychology and sociology.

The current conventional-wisdom view of our soon-to-be future is rose-tinted: Automation will free millions of people from the drudgery of work, then by taxing the robots doing all the work, we can pay everyone universal basic income (UBI), enabling a life of leisure and artistic pursuit for all. The result: a future of universal happiness. But is this accurate? Is this what UBI is actually capable of doing? More importantly, is this what we want? And even more importantly: Will this “future” be our best future? Listen to find out more.

If the election of Barack Obama fills you with dread rather than elation, you're not alone - in fact, pull up a chair next to James Delingpole who has seen this all before and knows exactly where America is heading: into a morass of sprawling government that will slowly start suffocating our economy, our liberties, and our culture.

Today, democracy is the world's only broadly accepted political system, and yet it has become synonymous with disappointment and crisis. How did it come to this? In Can Democracy Work? James Miller, the author of the classic history of 1960s protest Democracy Is in the Streets, offers a lively, surprising, and urgent history of the democratic idea from its first stirrings to the present. As he shows, democracy has always been rife with inner tensions.

マグロ漁船から、大麻栽培、治験バイト、夜逃げ屋、偽造クリエイターまで、世の中のあらゆる「危ない」「裏のある」仕事に密着。大通りからは見えない裏路地の世界を、ちょっと覗いてみませんか? ※本商品は「裏のハローワーク」(彩図社刊 草下シンヤ著ISBN:978-4-88392-433-2 192頁1,260円(税込))をオーディオ化したものです。(C)2004.Shinya Kusaka

We are at a turning point in the history of civilization. Anyone watching the news can understand why. Our generation faces the challenges of global warming, misogyny, racism, systemic poverty, oligarchy, and more. Some believe that this will lead to a kind of fascist, environmentally ruined dystopia. Robertson Work, who has spent decades working in poverty-stricken villages and developing countries, does not believe all hope is lost.

How shall we live? The answer to this question examines our culture's attitudes toward free time, home and food. Are corporate profits really the measure of success? Are increasingly long work hours productive of happiness and satisfaction? Can we lead lives devoid of spirituality?

Drawing on Linda Stout's thirty years of experience training organizers, advocates, activists, and coalition groups, Collective Visioning provides a revolutionary guide to collaboration within and across diverse organizations.

裏社会は生き馬の目を抜く戦場である。一瞬の判断ミスや煮え切らない態度が命取りにつながる。逮捕されるならまだしも、恨みを買い、後ろからブスリとやられることもありえない話ではない。そこで土壇場での機転、前もって危険を回避する知恵、交渉で相手を丸め込む技術などが必要不可欠になってくる。「土壇場で弱いやつは使い物にならない」「交渉力が必要な時代になった」などと声高に叫ばれるようになったが、裏社会の住人にしてみれば、なにを今更というところだろう。 本書では、あまりに実用的な「裏」の交渉テクニックを紹介。※本商品は『裏のハローワーク「交渉・実践編」』(彩図社刊 草下シンヤ著ISBN:978-4-88392-496-3 192頁1,260円(税込))をオーディオ化したものです。(C)2005.Shinya Kusaka

Rousseau was one of the key figures of the Enlightenment, a period in history when all aspects of politics and human rights underwent dramatic reinterpretation. His discourse on inequality is one of his earliest works, an examination of the state of nature of mankind and the way in which current society fell short of both its ideals and its potential. Rousseau was the most influential French writer of his age. His works gave rise to the ideals espoused during the French Revolution, and in no small part contributed to the American Revolution as well.

Who benefits from Universal Basic Income - and who pays for it? Learn everything you need to know about UBI in this short book!