Alireza Salehi-Nejad

In “Philosophical Investigations”, published in 1958, Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian born Cambridge scholar, expressed his thoughts concerning language. Wittgenstein proposed the idea that philosophy aims to clear up the conceptual confusions that caused by untested use of language. The concept of language-games points at the rule-governed character of language. However, language games do not demand strict and definite systems of rules for every language game, but point to the conventional nature of this type of human activity. Wittgenstein’s hypothesis found its way beyond philosophy. Close observation of the nature of arts and politics resembles that of the nature of games. This book provides a critical analysis of the concept of language game and its prominence in contemporary social science and arts, with privilege of Wittgenstein’s general reflections on philosophy and linguistics.

The term gambling, which originated from the Middle English gamenen (“to play”), refers to taking part in the betting or staking of something of value, whether money or possessions, on the uncertain outcome of a game with the consciousness of risk and the hope of gain, all of which comes down to chance. Gambling stakes are based on a contingency of game results that are determined by chance or accident and sometimes by a combination of strategy and chance; whereas knowledge of the game is beneficial for playing poker, it is of trivial value in lottery, bingo, and slot machines. Whereas generally the connotation of the terms gamble and gambling may run afoul of criminal laws, the term gaming—with the exception of the U.K. Gambling ...

Culture is the symbolic expressive dimension of social life. British culture refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Kingdom and its people. In its broadest sense, the term applies to the shared experience that comes from a dynamic mix of ages, races, regions, genders, income levels and interests. There are many textbooks, journals and articles which analyze and comment on different aspects of British culture. However, without carrying out extensive background research, it is often difficult to acquire the basic knowledge on which the debates are founded. Any text about “British culture” must immediately recognize the problematic nature of a concept containing numerous differences as well as similarities. The most commercially popular works are not necessarily the most critically praised or commented upon and many are excluded on these grounds. At the same time, trends do not change simultaneously and any particular “scene” is always plural and varied, with many earlier styles co-existing with more recent ones. This library research tends to offers authoritative research guides annotated bibliography by providing researchers with resource guides to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects. Hence, this paper provides recommendations on the best commentary work on British culture from 2010 to 2014 and a brief introduction to the most prominent monographs in order to provide a route through that vast jungle of sources.

© 2017 International Spinal Cord Society. Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Objectives: The burden of care among primary caregivers of individuals with spinal cord injury is affected by different factors. We aimed to evaluate the level of burden among caregivers and the association between the caregiver burden and sociodemographic factors of SCI individuals and their caregivers. Setting: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Methods: The Zarit caregiver burden interview was used to evaluate the level of burden in caregivers through structured face-to-face interviews with 163 individuals with SCI, who were referred to receive outpatient rehabilitation, and their caregivers. Results: The mean of caregivers’ burden score was 38.9±15.2 and 11.7% reported no or little burden, 43.6% reported ’mild-to-moderate’ burden, 33.1% reported ’moderate-to-severe’ burden and 11.7% reported ’severe’ burden of care. There was relationship between the level of injury and occupational status in SCI individuals and caregiver burden score. There was also a positive relationship between the caregiver burden score and duration of injury, the caregivers’ age, and length of time that the current caregiver providing care. There was a negative relationship between the burden and caregiver’s educational level. Conclusions: The burden of care among the caregivers of SCI individuals is a multidimensional issue. The sociodemographic characteristics of individuals with SCI and their caregivers can affect the caregiver’s burden. Many of these factors can be modified to reduce the burden of care.

Issues including the immigration flows, increased diversity of the society, and alienation of parts of the population are not necessarily new phenomena for the European Union. As an illustration, Frontex, the EU Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders, was founded in 2004 in the light of the uncontrolled immigration from Africa to control the cooperation between national border guards securing its external borders, or EUROSUR (the European Border Surveillance System) has come to effect since 2013.

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, on a speech given on 23rd Jan 2013, has put himself on a collision course with the rest of Europe by pledging a high-risk gamble “in or out” referendum on Britain’s EU membership by 2017. He is demanding special privileges for his country and putting Britain's partners under pressure. He said he wanted Britain to stay at the heart of the EU, but wants to re-negotiate what he sees as “restrictive EU rules for his country.” Cameron illustrated that “Britain’s national interest is best served in a flexible, adaptable and open European Union and that such a European Union is best with Britain in it.” The Tories triumph in 2015 General Election and the rise of nationalist movements which are anti-Europeanization and against integration; including UKIP which obtained 12.6% of the votes in the election, and pro-Euro Scotland National Party that won 56 out of 59 seats in Scotland; alarms the Whitehall about the loop for the promised referendum. Hence, due to the significance of the Bloomberg speech, an analysis of that speech with the review of Britain and the EU relations is essential. Hence, this paper aims to scrutinize Cameron’s Bloomberg speech through a critical discourse analysis perspective. An integration of Norman Fairclough (2014), Lesley Jeffries (2010), and Michael Halliday (2013) were employed to evaluate the discourse in linguistic, interactions, interaction and social context, and social constructivism patterns.

In this novel work, Paul Chilton expends a considerable amount of effort examining relations between the use of language and political discourse. Many realist linguists in the past century claimed that language should be evaluated as the innate part of a human mind. The scholarly interest in the public use of language is followed by crit-ical theory and the Frankfurt School of social theory and philosophy, which considered language rather as a social phenomenon than a mental phenomenon and intended to validate the crucial relationship between language, politics and culture.

In Russian Foreign Policy: The Return of Great Power Politics, Jeffrey Mankoff examines the course of Russian foreign policy since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. He provides a comprehensive over-view of both the continuity and the changes in Russian foreign policy from the end of the Cold War to the Putin era, and analyses Russia’s interactions with major global powers. Throughout the book, the author makes use of various theoretical approaches, including theories of international relations, classical geopolitical theory and Russian geopolitical tradition.

The Global Media and Information Literacy Week commemorates the progress in achieving “MIL for all” by aggregating various MIL-related local and international events and actions across different disciplines around the world.The MIL Global Week 2018, 24 to 31 October, was marked by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in collaboration with various organizations including the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the Global Alliance for Partnership on MIL, the International Federation of Library Associations, the International Association of School Libraries, and the UNESCO-UNAOC University Cooperation Programme on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue.

Objectives: To explore individuals’ perception of the personal, family and societal educational needs following a spinal cord injury. Methods: Sixty-one patients who sustained a traumatic SCI between March 2015 and June 2016 referred to Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center were included in a cross sectional study and completed an online survey containing open-and closed-ended questions, in Iran. Participants’ responses were analyzed i using a qualitative approach with a thematic analysis. Results: Following a thematic analysis of the patient’s perceived educational needs, 3 themes and 14 subthemes were identified. The 3 themes included personal, family, and societal educational perceived needs. Within personal educational needs, there were 7 subthemes which included personal independence and transportation, financial independence, life skills modification, knowledge about SCI, prevention of SCI complications, relationships and sexual function, and psychological adjustments. Among family educational needs, the 3 subthemes were caregiver skills and communication, first aid and emergency skills, and emotional and psychological support. For societal educational needs, the 4 subthemes described were social integration, interpersonal communication skills, SCI awareness and injury prevention, sympathize while avoiding pity. Conclusion: According to our findings, people with SCI have various needs that need to be addressed. Educational support should be a part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program and geared towards addressing the patients’ personal and family needs, while educating the community about SCI in order to allow for reintegration into society.

Study design This was a qualitative study conducted using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Objectives This study investigated the experience of pregnancy and childbirth in women with spinal cord injury. Setting Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Methods The data were collected using telecommunication and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with eight women with SCI. The study employed the interpretative phenomenological approach suggested by Van Manen in 2016 and thematic analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of the childbearing experience of women with SCI. MAXQDA 10 software was used to manage the collected data. Results Five main themes have emerged from data analysis: “revivification”, “fear and concern of motherhood with SCI”, “flawed health care system”, “maternal experience under a supportive umbrella”, and “strengthening spirituality and religious belief”. Conclusion Childbearing had a positive effect on the family relationship, continuity of marriage, and quality of life following SCI. There are potential benefits in establishing a center that provides consultation on childbearing and childcare for women with SCI. Moreover, training for the medical team, which includes nurses, midwives, and specialists is highly recommended. Further research is needed to expand our understanding of childbearing from the perspectives of healthcare providers.