Participation is everywhere today. It has been formalized, measured, standardized, scaled up, network-enabled, and sent around the world. Platforms, algorithms, and software offer to make participation easier, but new technologies have had the opposite effect. We find ourselves suspicious of how participation extracts our data or monetizes our emotions, and the more procedural participation becomes, the more it seems to recede from our grasp. In this book, Christopher M. Kelty traces four stories of participation across the twentieth century, showing how they are part of a much longer-term problem in relation to the individual and collective experience of representative democracy. Kelty argues that in the last century or so, the power of participation has dwindled; over time, it has been formatted in ways that cramp and dwarf it, even as the drive to participate has spread to nearly every kind of human endeavor, all around the world. The Participant is a historical ethnography of the concept of participation, investigating how the concept has evolved into the form it takes today. It is a book that asks, "Why do we participate?" And sometimes, "Why do we refuse?"

While it documents a remarkable career, Participant Observer is also a personal chronicle in which William Foote Whyte reflects on his childhood, his education, his courageous struggles with polio and with the crises of family and academic life. Beginning with the study of gangs in Boston's North End recorded in Street Corner Society, Whyte listened to what working people had to say, becoming a powerful voice for worker participation and workplace democracy. His career is a model for the social sciences, and his story should be read by any serious student of them.

An essential relocation guide refreshed and updated for today’s movers. More than 34 million Americans move each year, and studies show it can be one of the heaviest strains on a marriage. For women especially, relocating can be a traumatic event. With true stories, ingenious insights, and helpful hints, this great book makes transitioning smoother so women can get on with their lives. Those who are moving will find this valuable book as important as packing tape. Divided into three sections, After the Boxes are Unpacked helps recent movers focus on letting go of their past, starting over, and moving ahead. Topics include the following: How to manage the emotional stress of leaving family and friends How to support your spouse through a relocation How to build new relationships in a new city How to help children adjust to new surroundings and make friends How to find a new church home How to navigate financial challenges related to moving How to discover God’s will for you and your family in a new city This evergreen book has been a staple for movers for 20 years and has been extensively refreshed with additional content for today’s movers. “Susan is doing a tremendous job of helping women deal with the trauma of transition. This resource will help anyone who wants to move ahead in a healthy way after they’ve experienced a move. I highly recommend this book.” —John Trent, PhD, President of StrongFamilies.com

Spradley should be read by anyone who wants to gain a true understanding of the process of participant observation. This text is a follow-up to his ethnographic research handbook, The Ethnographic Interview, and guides readers through the technique of participant observation to research ethnography and culture. Spradley shows how to analyze collected data and to write an ethnography. The appendices include research questions and writing tasks.

Confronting the Controversies is a 7-session group study of "tough issues" based on Adam Hamilton's sermons on these topics. The study is designed as a "fishing expedition," with tools and helps that will enable congregations to make the study a church and community wide outreach event, including sermon starters and promotion aids. The seven sessions are: The Separation of Church and State Creation and Evolution in the Public Schools The Death Penalty Euthanasia Prayer in Public Schools Abortion Homosexuality The Leader's Guide gives tips on setting up and facilitating a group, getting the most out of each session, and coordinating with church-wide activities. Includes reproducible worksheets, brief summaries of session content, discussion questions, and activities.

This resource provides an introduction to the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation for those new to the Bible as well as for more seasoned Bible study participants. The 16-session overview provides a basic understanding of the key people, places, and events of the Bible in a story format. Participants are invited to explore how the greatest story connects with their stories.

Participation is everywhere today. It has been formalized, measured, standardized, scaled up, network-enabled, and sent around the world. Platforms, algorithms, and software offer to make participation easier, but new technologies have had the opposite effect. We find ourselves suspicious of how participation extracts our data or monetizes our emotions, and the more procedural participation becomes, the more it seems to recede from our grasp. In this book, Christopher M. Kelty traces four stories of participation across the twentieth century, showing how they are part of a much longer-term problem in relation to the individual and collective experience of representative democracy. Kelty argues that in the last century or so, the power of participation has dwindled; over time, it has been formatted in ways that cramp and dwarf it, even as the drive to participate has spread to nearly every kind of human endeavor, all around the world. The Participant is a historical ethnography of the concept of participation, investigating how the concept has evolved into the form it takes today. It is a book that asks, “Why do we participate?” And sometimes, “Why do we refuse?”