After his earlier book Discourse and Context, also published by Cambridge University Press, Teun A. van Dijk in this study presents the second part of his new multidisciplinary theory of context. The ...main thesis of this theory is that the influence of society on discourse is not direct, as is postulated for instance in sociolinguistics, but cognitively mediated by subjective mental models of the communicative situation: context models. These dynamic models control discourse production and comprehension and define the pragmatic appropriateness of text and talk. Whereas in Discourse and Context the psychological and linguistic aspects of context were analyzed, this book focuses on the social psychological, sociological, anthropological and political aspects of context. Tony Blair's 2003 speech defending his motion to go to war against Saddam Hussein and the following debate in parliament is used as an example illustrating the new theory.
In War & Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11
Generation , Travis L. Martin explores how a new generation of
veterans is redefining what it means to come home. More than 2.7
million ...veterans served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their homecomings
didn't include parades or national celebrations. Instead, when the
last US troops left Afghanistan, American veterans raised millions
of dollars for the evacuation of Afghan refugees, especially those
who'd served alongside them. This brand of selflessness is one
reason civilians regard veterans with reverence and pride.
The phrase "thank you for your service" is ubiquitous. Yet, one
in ten post-9/11 veterans struggles with substance abuse. Fifteen
to twenty veterans die by suicide every day. Veterans aged eighteen
to thirty-four die at the highest rates, leading advocates to focus
on concepts like moral injury and collective belonging when
addressing psychic wounds. Martin argues that many veterans
struggle due to decades of stereotyping and a lack of healthy
models of veteran identity. In the American unconscious, veterans
are treated as either the superficially praised "hero" or the
victimized "wounded warrior," forever defined by past
accomplishments. They are often appropriated as symbols in
competing narratives of national identity. War &
Homecoming critically examines representations of veterans in
patriotic rhetoric, popular media, literature, and the lives of
those who served. From this analysis, a new veteran identity
emerges-veterans as storytellers who reject stereotypes, claim
their symbolic authority, and define themselves through literature,
art, and service. Their dynamic approach to life after military
service allows for continued growth, agency, individuality, and
inspiring examples of resilience for others.
The great nineteenth century French military thinker, Ardant du Picq, argued that selfless courage is rooted in a higher moral purpose, and is found among "Elite Souls." This is a book about ...five such "Elite Souls," all highly decorated young West Point graduates and recipients of the USMA's Ninninger Medal. Elite Souls outlines the importance of building and developing moral character in military leaders, while arguing that a rigorous academic education is also essential in creating young officers capable of the kind of creative and critical thinking necessary in the complicated wars of the twenty-first century. Dr. Raymond suggests that West Point's servant-leader model is critical in fostering the kind of intense selflessness ideally seen between junior officers, their NCOs, and soldiers. Finally, Elite Souls makes the case that inspirational commanding officers are also key. In this book, Dr. Ray Raymond argues that each of the recipients of the Ninninger Award entered West Point primarily for moral reasons and that the Academy's rigorous academic, military, and developmental methods strengthened those values. West Point produced young military leaders who were exceptionally well-educated and trained to deal with the complex challenges of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early twenty first century.
Despite all that has been written on it, the Iraq war - its causes, agency and execution - has been shrouded in an ideological mist. Now, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad dispels the myths surrounding the war, ...taking a sociological approach to establish the war's causes, identify its agents and describe how it was sold. Ahmad presents a social history of the war's leading agents - the neoconservatives - and shows how this ideologically coherent group of determined political agents used the contingency of 9/11 to overwhelm a sceptical foreign policy establishment, military brass and intelligence apparatus, propelling the US into a war that a significant portion of the public opposed. The book includes an historical exploration of American militarism and of the increased post-WWII US role in the Middle East, as well as a reconsideration of the debates that John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt sparked after the publication of The Israel lobby and US Foreign Policy.
A rising share of employees now regularly engage in working from home (WFH), but there are concerns this can lead to ‘‘shirking from home.’’ We report the results of a WFH experiment at Ctrip, a ...16,000-employee, NASDAQ-listed Chinese travel agency. Call center employees who volunteered to WFH were randomly assigned either to work from home or in the office for nine months. Home working led to a 13% performance increase, of which 9% was from working more minutes per shift (fewer breaks and sick days) and 4% from more calls per minute (attributed to a quieter and more convenient working environment). Home workers also reported improved work satisfaction, and their attrition rate halved, but their promotion rate conditional on performance fell. Due to the success of the experiment, Ctrip rolled out the option to WFH to the whole firm and allowed the experimental employees to reselect between the home and office. Interestingly, over half of them switched, which led to the gains from WFH almost doubling to 22%. This highlights the benefits of learning and selection effects when adopting modern management practices like WFH.
The great nineteenth century French military thinker,?Ardant?du?Picq, argued that selfless courage is rooted in a higher moral?purpose,?and is found among?"Elite Souls."?This is a book about ...five?such?"Elite Souls,"?all?highly decorated young West Point?graduates?and?recipients of?the?USMA's?Ninninger?Medal.?? Elite Souls?outlines?the?importance?of?building?and developing?moral?character?in?military leaders, while arguing that?a rigorous academic education?is also essential?in creating young officers capable of the kind of creative?and?critical?thinking necessary in the complicated?wars of the twenty-first century.? Dr. Raymond suggests that?West Point's servant-leader model?is critical?in fostering the kind of intense?selflessness ideally seen?between junior officers, their?NCOs,?and soldiers. Finally,?Elite Souls?makes?the case?that?inspirational commanding officers?are?also key.??? In this book, Dr. Ray Raymond argues that each of the recipients of the?Ninninger?Award entered West Point primarily for moral reasons and that the Academy's rigorous academic, military, and developmental methods strengthened those values.?West Point produced young military leaders who were exceptionally well-educated and?trained?to?deal with the complex challenges of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early twenty first century.
Involved for over thirty years in the politics of Iraq, Ali A. Allawi was a long-time opposition leader against the Baathist regime. In the post-Saddam years he has held important government ...positions and participated in crucial national decisions and events. In this book, the former Minister of Defense and Finance draws on his unique personal experience, extensive relationships with members of the main political groups and parties in Iraq, and deep understanding of the history and society of his country to answer the baffling questions that persist about its current crises. What really led the United States to invade Iraq, and why have events failed to unfold as planned?
The Occupation of Iraqexamines what the United States did and didn't know at the time of the invasion, the reasons for the confused and contradictory policies that were enacted, and the emergence of the Iraqi political class during the difficult transition process. The book tracks the growth of the insurgency and illuminates the complex relationships among Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds. Bringing the discussion forward to the reconfiguration of political forces in 2006, Allawi provides in these pages the clearest view to date of the modern history of Iraq and the invasion that changed its course in unpredicted ways.
Nimo, Maha, Safah, Shatha, Emma, Danielle, Kim, Charlene. In a book that once again blends her distinctive flair for capturing the texture of everyday life with shrewd political insights, Cynthia ...Enloe looks closely at the lives of eight ordinary women, four Iraqis and four Americans, during the Iraq War. Among others, Enloe profiles a Baghdad beauty parlor owner, a teenage girl who survived a massacre, an elected member of Parliament, the young wife of an Army sergeant, and an African American woman soldier. Each chapter begins with a close-up look at one woman’s experiences and widens into a dazzling examination of the larger canvas of war’s gendered dimensions. Bringing to light hidden and unexpected theaters of operation—prostitution, sexual assault, marriage, ethnic politics, sexist economies—these stories are a brilliant entryway into an eye-opening exploration of the actual causes, costs, and long-range consequences of war. This unique comparison of American and Iraqi women’s diverse and complex experiences sheds a powerful light on the different realities that together we call, perhaps too easily, “the Iraq war.”
Paying the human costs of war Gelpi,Christopher; Feaver, Peter D; Reifler, Jason
2009., 20090209, 2009, 2009-02-09, 20090101
eBook
From the Korean War to the current conflict in Iraq, Paying the Human Costs of War examines the ways in which the American public decides whether to support the use of military force. Contrary to the ...conventional view, the authors demonstrate that the public does not respond reflexively and solely to the number of casualties in a conflict. Instead, the book argues that the public makes reasoned and reasonable cost-benefit calculations for their continued support of a war based on the justifications for it and the likelihood it will succeed, along with the costs that have been suffered in casualties. Of these factors, the book finds that the most important consideration for the public is the expectation of success. If the public believes that a mission will succeed, the public will support it even if the costs are high. When the public does not expect the mission to succeed, even small costs will cause the withdrawal of support. Providing a wealth of new evidence about American attitudes toward military conflict, Paying the Human Costs of War offers insights into a controversial, timely, and ongoing national discussion.
The Iraqi city of Fallujah has become an epicenter of geopolitical conflict, where foreign powers and non-state actors have repeatedly waged war in residential neighborhoods with staggering ...humanitarian consequences. The Sacking of Fallujah is the first comprehensive study of the three recent sieges of this city, including those by the United States in 2004 and the Iraqi-led operation to defeat ISIS in 2016.
Unlike dominant military accounts that focus on American soldiers and U.S. leaders and perpetuate the myth that the United States "liberated" the city, this book argues that Fallujah was destroyed by coalition forces, leaving public health crises, political destabilization, and mass civilian casualties in their wake. This meticulously researched account cuts through the propaganda to uncover the lived experiences of Fallujans under siege and occupation, and contextualizes these events within a broader history of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Relying on testimony from Iraqi civilians, the work of independent journalists, and documentation from human rights organizations, Ross Caputi, Richard Hil, and Donna Mulhearn place the experiences of Fallujah's residents at the center of this city's recent history.
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