Sociology

Dying, death and grief have to be regarded as fundamental aspects of cultural coexistence because humans cannot avoid dealing with them when they live with others. A diminishing circle of friends and family, the pain of loss, the transformation of a living being into a dead body, the symbols and rituals of saying farewell to the deceased, plus the contribution of medical, religious and other forms of expertise along with many other aspects reveal, on the one hand, the potential of the utter devastation a person’s death can trigger. On the other, these forms of expression and modes of behaviour also underline that dying and death are not purely natural occurrences. They transpire amid societal mechanisms which reflect a large and, at times, contradictory variety of reflective processes in addressing the finite nature of life. Death is a human’s greatest certainty in life. In this respect, the series of publications Thanatological Studies provides a forum for both theoretical and empirical works which address the social, normative, aesthetic, spiritual, bodily, psychological and other facets of death and dying, and by extension grief and remembrance, from the perspectives of different academic disciplines.

Many smaller polities are well known both for their special achievements as well as for particular problems of democratic governance. The political and scientific relevance of these experiences reaches well beyond the borders of the countries immediately concerned. For this reason, the study of smaller countries has long become a constituent part of international democracy and governance research. This series creates a forum specifically dedicated to the analysis of politics and democratic governance in the smaller European countries including their international aspects. The series encompasses case studies as well as comparative contributions whose focus is not necessarily strictly confined to the family of smaller democracies in Europe. The international team of accomplished editors ensures that volumes published in this series will meet the highest standards of international research.

This series presents new findings of research on Japan and its place, connections, and interactions within East Asia. Politically, people often perceive Japan as part of the “West”, whereas culturally the nation appears to many still as “the (essential) Other”. Instead of localizing Japan in such a simplistic way – be it as part of “the West” or as part of the “East” – it is assumed here that a historical configuration exists in East Asia which distinguishes interactions in the region. The present situation of East Asia should be understood against the background of Japan’s role in modern and contemporary history. In addition, Japan will be analyzed also as a pioneer when it comes to integrating East Asian countries into international institutions and scholarly exchange. Methodologically, the contributions to the series are not limited to one single approach. However, it will be mandatory to use primary sources in Japanese and other East Asian languages and to refer to research results of Japanese scholars in order to fulfil a truly international standard of research. An internationally composed advisory board guarantees the scholarly quality of each volume. Contributions to this series are of interest for scholars and students in History, Political Science, Intellectual History, Sociology and, of course, in area studies of East Asia.

The series ”Religion – Wirtschaft – Politik“ (Religion–Economy–Politics) provides a platform for academic publications by the Centre for Religion, Economy and Politics (www.zrwp.ch ), a joint venture by the Universities of Basel, Fribourg, Lausanne, Lucerne, Zurich, and the Collegium Helveticum. The ZRWP aims to analyse the interactions between religion, economy, and politics in an inter- and transdisciplinary way by encouraging innovative research on religion. By publishing monographs and edited volumes focused on content and methods, the series contributes to a better understanding and explanation of religion in society at a local, regional, national, and transnational level in a globalizing world.

As soon as assessments or classifications are developed, tested and introduced with binding effect, or evaluations of care services are carried out, statistical methods come into play. This presupposes that their application is methodologically reflected on and that individual procedures can be varied according to the issue at hand. This series allows us the scope to do this and publishes monographs and anthologies on this subject area.