New quality management for the nonprofit sector

Guido Cuyvers, Thomas More University College, Belgium

December 2023 / ISBN: 978-1-64889-806-8
Availability: In stock
280pp. ¦ $76 £60 €71

For a long time, quality has been the center of attention in the nonprofit sector, influenced by all kinds of developments in society. Due to, among other things, the interference of the government and the increasing competition, all divisions in the nonprofit sector are obliged to work systematically with their quality. Quality has become necessary. However, as more people gain experience with quality assessments, visitations, and accreditations, so does the criticism. This has to do with how quality is assessed and with the criteria that are used. We will examine this critically in this book. Many questions remain unanswered, and contradictions have not been resolved. Moreover, it is no easy task to have all noses pointing in the same direction. In short, there is still work to be done. This book broadens the traditional vision of quality and quality assurance to a vision and approach that is compatible with the support of the organization’s missions in the nonprofit sector. Incidentally, we will speak of quality development rather than quality assurance. The use of the term ‘quality development’ hopes to inspire people to look differently at quality and how their organization deals with it. Furthermore, this book provides nonprofit organizations with methodologies and tools that can help in the process of permanent quality development. The pursuit of quality for nonprofit organizations is approached from a development perspective and a broader social context. This distinguishes it from the traditional quality management manuals. It offers a constructive and appreciative approach that is compatible with the specific mission of various nonprofit organizations (such as education, health care, social work, and government). The approach is also integral because everyone in the organization, as well as the external partners, is involved.

Practical and Theoretical Reason in Modern Philosophy

Edited by Paniel Reyes Cárdenas, Oblate School of Theology; The University of Sheffield et al.

January 2024 / ISBN: 978-1-64889-736-8
Availability: In stock
210pp. ¦ $103 £82 €96

The present collection aims to examine this fertile period in the history of philosophy concerning its significance for understanding the relation between theoretical and practical reason, or, relatedly, facts and values. Our contributors have explored different important ways in which both the shortcomings and insights of the theoretical/practical distinction have shaped Western philosophy.

Remaking a Global Cantonese Community with Television and Social Media

Simin Li, University of Victoria

December 2023 / ISBN: 978-1-64889-049-9
Availability: In stock
128pp. ¦ $50 £40 €47

Cantonese (Jyut Jyu) is a language prevailing in the Guangdong province of China, Hong Kong, Macau, and ethnic Chinese groups in Southeast Asia and North America. It evolves with the engagements of the authoritarian government and globalization over time. Cantonese in China is special because it remains strong under the constant suppression from the administration and the continual interactions between the natives and migrants. However, the concern about Cantonese dying among the natives has been increasing in recent years. The speaking population, the imposed language policy, and the economy at least determine Cantonese’s life. In particular, the economy is also a window to examine the central-local relations in China due to the leading roles of the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong, and Macau in China’s economic growth. Therefore, the struggles of local language between the younger generation and the Communist Party via the Internet are exposed. The book intends to explore the rising of a potential language community around the globe that speaks Cantonese by analyzing the usage and images of Cantonese of a popular TV show on YouTube, discussion groups on Baidu Tieba and Facebook, and talk shows on Bilibili with content analysis, interviews, and cases studies. Through this research, the relations between language and collective identity will be presented in an innovative way. "Remaking a Global Cantonese Community with Television and Social Media" has something to offer everyone, regardless of age or background. For those residing in mainland China, it’s a journey back in time. Older Cantonese speakers will reminisce about their childhood, with memories of delicious Cantonese food, playful children’s songs, and cherished customs. Even those who aren’t native Cantonese speakers will recall the Cantonese TV shows, movies, and music that colored their youth. Younger readers will find familiar elements in the short videos they currently enjoy. For language preservation advocates, this book sheds light on Cantonese speakers’ efforts to protect their native language and the challenges they face. For readers outside of mainland China, it offers insights into the country’s internal changing landscape, especially grassroots practices and identities. By blending the disciplines of linguistics, political science, and communication, this book provides a broad perspective on how language is intertwined with our sense of belonging.

CHOICES: Never-Ending Dilemmas in Everyday Life

Arthur Asa Berger, San Francisco State University

November 2023 / ISBN: 978-1-64889-796-2
Availability: In stock
166pp. ¦ $55 £44 €52

This book is about the never-ending need we have to make choices. If you think about it, we have to decide what time to wake up every morning, what to wear (unless we need to wear a uniform), what to have for breakfast (if we eat breakfast), lunch and dinner (and if we eat in restaurants, what to order), and our need to make all kinds of other choices all day long. Some of our choices are mundane, like what to have for breakfast (if we eat breakfast): to have coffee or tea (and if so, plain or with milk), cereal, toast or a bagel (and if so, what kind: plain, with poppy seeds, with everything) or a sweet roll, eggs (if so, fried, soft boiled, scrambled), and so on. Most of the choices we make are not important, and we often develop habits to relieve us of having to think about our choices. For example, I have the same thing for breakfast every day: a bowl of oatmeal with chia seeds and flax seeds, hot milk, a cup of espresso coffee with hot milk, and half a bagel with butter. Occasionally, I have a soft-boiled egg, as well. But other choices we have to make are life-changing, such as how to live (single, living with a partner, or getting married), what kind of education to get, what kind of job or profession to choose, where to live and what kind of house to buy (if you can afford a house), whom to vote for, and so on. After reading this book, you will better understand the role that the choices we make play in society and culture and in our everyday lives.

Italy in the Second Half of the 19th Century: Bridging New Cultures

Edited by Francesca Cadel, University of Calgary and Paola Nastri

November 2023 / ISBN: 978-1-64889-746-7
Availability: In stock
266pp. ¦ $107 £86 €100

A period of turmoil, uncertainty, and fears, the second half of the nineteenth century in Italy is also characterized by resilience, creativity, courageous discussions on the emancipation of women, and a variety of cultural products that are instrumental for the birth of a new and modern culture that will lead to the achievements of the twentieth century. Contributing to and expanding on recent scholarships on Italian literature of the nineteenth century, the book presents a series of literary, interdisciplinary and intercultural case studies. These case studies explore the social and cultural dimensions of the period, investigating the historical, literary, artistic, cultural, and social events of the time while probing their significance and relevance in bridging new Italian cultures.