From the Roman forum to digital currencies, how has the market developed over the course of history and what might it look like in the future? This anthology takes a deep dive into market development and takes a closer look at the decisive role of markets in shaping the present but also addresses the burning question of how we should navigate towards a sustainable future.In thought-provoking essays written by international researchers, politicians and experts, market dynamics are explored in three critical phases: yesterday, today and tomorrow. Drawing on the squares of ancient Greece and the markets of medieval Europe, the authors examine how technological advances, consumer behavior, and geopolitical strategy, such as the policies of the Reagan era, have shaped contemporary markets. Finally, the book addresses the challenges to market stability posed by, for example, authoritarian states and AI.

The experience of democratic self-government of migration practiced in the village of Riace, Calabria, is an important case study for the potential development of migration in relation to three aspects of last Italian government's policies, all of which have both European and international relevance: the failure to sign the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration; the securitarian management of the migration crisis; and distorted media narratives around migration. This book derives from the collective efforts of a group of young social scientists in the fields of politics, law, economic geography, and media analysis, all of whom have past and present practical experience in the field. The book focuses on the high-impact local policies implemented in the small Calabrian village which turned out to possess one of the best vantage points for examining human migration on a global level. The volume represents an attempt to speak to a broad public in order to challenge 'common sense' and easy narratives on the complex issue of migration.

Increased migration is a global phenomenon associated with regional instabilities and insecurities, including long-term push factors and other elements related to processes of globalization that influence economics (the gap between the global South and the global North), politics (expectations of human rights and democratic practices), demographics (declining population in the North, rising population in the South) and technology (innovation in transport and communication). Local push factors are also extremely important, however, and need to be properly assessed in order to understand on-going migration processes and their variations. In many parts of the world, the closure of nearly all legal channels for entry risks increasing irregular migration, with the collateral effect of encouraging people smuggling and human trafficking. Furthermore, unsafe methods of entry increasingly involve women and children. But despite the urgency of the question, we are still very far from the development of any rational, holistic approach to migration issues, even while they have become a highly divisive, conflictual site of confrontation between countries, and between regional, national and international bodies. The current volume demonstrates some of the limits and inadequacies of current migration initiatives, while also identifying - as in the case of the Global Compact (signed in Morocco in December 2018) - inclusive strategies that respect human rights and international law, and safeguard global security. As the Global Compact emphasizes, migration should be considered as “a cooperative structure” that examines human movement in all its dimensions. This collection brings together essays that propose new ideas, themes and approaches that speak to different aspects of migration studies, including socio-economics, politics, legal studies and philosophy, fields that can open up new ways of looking at migration that go beyond the logic of emergency, improving international cooperation.

Cultural studies do not represent a historicist approach focused on the origins and development of particular social and cultural expressions, but - especially in its most recent form - instead analyses and engages with specific socio-cultural contexts and their formation, as well as bringing critical sensitivity to the conjunctural and contextual – especially in terms of tensions, contradictions and crises. Within this new framework, migration studies – with its interest in forms of regulation and management, control and practices of resistance – has become an essential platform not only for updating conceptual categories but also for highlighting the “contested terrain” of contemporary cultural studies itself. The current volume aims to explore the connection between these two fields of study, proposing new ideas, themes and approaches that speak to the varied field of migration studies, starting from the approach of cultural studies and post-colonial studies, both of which open up horizons and trajectories that often remain invisible in other discourses and narratives. The collection includes articles that address: the issue of migration starting from critical race theory, feminism, and transnationalism (underlining the role played by race and sex in the formation of processes of subjectivation within migratory processes); migration practices and (contested) migration politics; the representation and spectacularization of migration; and mapping, counter-mapping, media and communication.

The book delivers a rich ethnographic account of present-day Indian communities in northern Italy, considering their journeys of diaspora as well as dynamics of integration, focusing on the shift from first to second migrant generation with an important accent on gender. Based on three-years of multisite fieldwork between Lombardy and the Punjab in selected households, this study contributes to the emergent debate on South Asian minorities in the national context. Far from being a passive labor force, people of Punjabi descent in Italy confront and resist multiple forms of exclusion: from patriarchy to casteism, from racialization to civic stratification. As a guest inside these homes, the author registers and and amplifies otherwise unheard struggles: life stories that intersect with collective claims which go beyond the ethnic community in order to interrogate the global politics of mobility as well as local policies for social cohesion.

The 20th century witnessed the collapse of the traditional separation between the realm of 'official' culture and that of 'popular' entertainment. This event produced dramatic consequences at all levels of social life in the West, especially in the English-speaking context. Yet, due to its gigantic breadth and scope, the turn towards entertainment still begs for a detailed exploration. This book aims to deepen the analysis of this momentous transformation, engaging in particular with questions such as: what effects have been produced by performative and recreational practices (theatre, music, radio, serious and popular literature, comic strips) in the systemic evolution of cinema and television? What role has technology played in the development of recreational forms in the 20th century? Can entertainment and its exploitation still be operative in the era of new media and the internet? By focusing on the English-speaking context, this volume offers new historical perspectives on the forms of entertainment and amusement that have become hegemonic worldwide over the past century.

Created as a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Italian Civil Code, the current volume presents a theoretical model for a dialogue between Italy and Latin America. With a view to emphasising the specificity of the contexts where the Italian code initially impacted, even where it did not remain a leading cultural presence, the volume also highlights particular aspect of different legal cultures in Latin America. The book focuses on the civil legal culture that each country has developed over the decades, while underlining individual characteristics, thus providing a sense of autonomy and independence instead of any residual idea of 'cultural imperialism', even indirectly.

In the context of Russia's war against Ukraine, the authors present crucial strategies for improving security in five NATO eastern flank states: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. They also offer recommendations for NATO countries overall with regard to defending against future Russian aggression.

"An essential guide to counterintelligence, blending theory with case studies to fill a crucial gap in the intelligence literature. Both insightful and accessible, this book offers a rare, practitioner-driven perspective for anyone keen to explore the intricacies of CI." —Giangiuseppe Pili, James Madison UniversityWhat is the core purpose of counterintelligence? What does it involve? To answer these questions, Kevin Riehle explains in detail how counterintelligence analysis supports the mission of thwarting adversaries—how a foreign entity's intelligence cycle can be exploited, disrupted, or manipulated—in order to gain decision advantage.Case studies of operations involving the Soviet Union and Russia also illustrate how counterintelligence-derived information can support broader US national security decisionmaking.

The etymological roots of alchemy are found in both the Arabic and Greek languages, and refer to the process of transmutation that leads to a complete reunion with the original divine form. However, the esoteric practice of alchemy stretches all the way to India and China and has been practiced since at least the fourth century.During the Middle Ages, alchemy attracted many of the most prominent scholars of the time. Strongly influenced by the classical theory of the elements, the alchemists based their hypotheses on Aristotle's idea that everything can be created through different proportions of the four elements. From the 19th century onwards, alchemy has been wrongly reduced to a primitive pseudoscience with the sole aim of transmuting base metals into gold. However, this narrow interpretation ignores the true complexity of alchemy and ignores its deep philosophical and religious aspects, as well as its crucial contribution to the development of chemistry.This richly illustrated anthology presents a diversity of perspectives on how reciprocity, metaphysical connections, and the relationship between macrocosm and microcosm form the core of the philosophy of alchemy. Some of the world's most prominent researchers and academics gather to analyze the alchemical worldview and explore how esoteric currents of thought have shaped culture, society and science.

The People’s Army of Vietnam’s decision to utilize armor as part of its warfighting strategy was a product of various geopolitical factors that surrounded Hanoi during various parts of the Vietnam War. During the First Indochina War, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) emerged as the foremost communist benefactor of North Vietnam. The Soviet Union however, largely stood by. While worried by the PRC’s and Soviet Union’s actions during the Geneva Conference of 1954, Hanoi still felt the need to maintain good relations with both countries. This was reinforced when the Sino-Soviet split occurred in 1956 and Hanoi was forced to walk a tight rope between Beijing and Moscow. As the United States escalated its war in Vietnam, Moscow (now under new leadership) sought to increase its material support for Hanoi.As the war progressed, Hanoi sought to fight larger battles against the Americans and their South Vietnamese allies. In order to fight larger battles, the PAVN needed more modern military equipment that only the Soviet Union could provide. This, paired with the chaos of the ongoing Cultural Revolution in China, led Hanoi to lean more towards Moscow in the latter years of the Vietnam War.As part of this newly blossomed relationship, Moscow began to furnish the PAVN with more modern weapons including Soviet armor. Initially, the PAVN’s use of armor at Lang Vei (1968) and Laos (1971) was met with some success. However, in 1972, Hanoi panicked as the United States began to reach “détente” with Beijing and Moscow. This led to fears of another Geneva and thus lead Hanoi to pursue a rushed “Easter Offensive” in March 1972 which saw ill-trained PAVN tank crews fall prey to poor planning and bad strategy. This changed in 1975 when following the Paris Peace Accords and subsequent combined arms training in the Soviet Union, the PAVN victoriously drove its Soviet armor into Saigon.

This richly illustrated and superbly designed book explores its author’s life and work against the backdrop of 40 years of transformation and conflict across the Arabian Gulf and Islamic world. A doctor-turned-artist, Ahmed Mater has continually confronted his traditional context. Here he explores Arab and Islamic society in an era of globalization and social upheaval to uncover the unofficial histories that have shaped the present. Mapping his life and work on a historical timeline, the book offers an unprecedented insight into changes forged by and in the Kingdom, and its significance in world religion, culture, and geopolitics. Celebrating 20 years of Mater’s art-making, organizing, and activism, this book is not only a mid-career survey of an essential artist, it is an urgent prognosis of a society in dramatic transition.

A biography of Abū al-Faḍl al-ʿAbbās, the half brother, diplomat, and negotiator of al-Ḥusayn. The author was named Distinguished Scholar of Shia Studies in the Islamic Republic of Iran's 28th World Book Awards in 2020. He is at present a resident faculty member of PISAI, lecturing in Shīʿī Islamic studies, Qurʾān and Islamic Ethics, and a visiting lecturer at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome.

"Mandel rightfully challenges the conventional wisdom that AI is limited to efficiency enhancements or low-level cognitive tasks and offers a commendable focus on the political and bureaucratic challenges in early warning systems." —Michael Frank, Seldon StrategiesFrom the September 11 attacks to the coronavirus pandemic, recent deficiencies in early warning systems have been jolting, reflecting startling failures of intelligence and security decisionmaking. Can technological innovation remedy the flaws in threat detection? If so, how? Robert Mandel argues that the answer lies in a hybrid system—"human-in-the-loop" artificial intelligence—and demonstrates through diverse case studies when and how such a system can facilitate the right security-maximizing choices to meet both intelligence and defense needs.

"A rich and compelling comparative analysis of the UAE and Qatar's divergent but similar trajectories."—Marc Lynch, George Washington UniversityIn the years following the turmoil of the Arab Spring, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates jockeyed for power, becoming significant forces—and rivals—in regional politics. Emma Soubrier unpacks the nuts and bolts of these two small states' rise to prominence, exploring how their diverging foreign and security policies have enabled both of them to become power players in the Middle East and beyond.

Ranging from the impact of high corporate concentration to the role of digitalization and buyer power, leading scholars and practitioners delve into the development of competition regimes in Africa. They offer in-depth country assessments, thematic analyses, and an overview of the challenges and dynamics of African markets.