Patricia Lina Leavy

When a shy girl and her dragon-like companion discover their country’s idyllic weather comes at a steep—and secret—cost, they recruit fellow students to defy authority and attempt to spread the truth. Storm beasts and their guardians create perfect weather every day, and Mina longs for a storm beast of her own. But when the gentle girl bonds with a lightning beast—a creature of fire and chaos—everyone’s certain it’s a mistake. Everyone but Mina and the beast himself, Pixit. Quickly enrolled in lightning school, Mina struggles to master a guardian’s skills, and she discovers that her country's weather comes at a devastating cost—a cost powerful people wish to hide. Mina’s never been the type to speak out, but someone has to tell the truth, and, with Pixit’s help, she resolves to find a way to be heard.

A curse laid on the inhabitants of Hoot Owl Holler follows each succeeding generation for a century, in a tale of love, murder, obsession, and betrayal set in Appalachia.

This is a novel about appearance versus reality - how our lives and relationships appear to others versus how they are experienced, and the complex ways that social class shapes identity, relationships, and the codes of friendship. American Circumstance also provides a window into the replication of wealth, power, and privilege. The novel can be used as supplemental reading in courses across the disciplines that deal with gender, social class, inequality, power, family systems, relational communication, intimate relationships, identity, American culture, narrative or creative writing. It can also be read in book clubs or entirely for pleasure. "American Circumstance is wonderful! The characters and story invite you into a world that is both familiar and unfamiliar. Highly recommended!!" - Carl Leggo, Ph.D., University of British Columbia "American Circumstance kept me up! I wanted to see how the characters' lives untangled. I loved how Leavy challenged my cultural assumptions. Students will have a lot to talk about as they discover the 'sociology of everyday life' embedded in the fiction." - Laurel Richardson, Ph.D., The Ohio State University "The characters were so compelling that I couldn't stop reading ... a great beach read, or class text." - U. Melissa Anyiwo, Ph.D., Curry College "Leavy writes in an engaging way that helps you ask important questions about class issues in America. This story keeps you interested and wondering why women make the choices they do." - Margaret A. Robbins, The Journal of Language & Literacy Education "American Circumstance is one of my favorite texts to assign to my sociology students." - Cheryl Llewellyn, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Lowell Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is an award-winning independent sociologist and best-selling author.

"The handbook is heavy on methods chapters in different genres. There are chapters on actual methods that include methodological instruction and examples. There is also ample attention given to practical issues including evaluation, writing, ethics and publishing. With respect to writing style, contributors have made their chapters reader-friendly by limiting their use of jargon, providing methodological instruction when appropriate, and offering robust research examples from their own work and/or others"--

xv, 188 pages ; 24 cm

Summary:When Hollywood movie star Finn Forrester and philosopher Ella Sinclair meet on an exotic film set in Sweden, their connection is palpable. Living on location, making a film that explores the big questions of life, they fall madly in love. Will they be able to trust it and ask themselves the biggest question of all?-OCLC

Summary:Exploring the breadth of contemporary feminist research practices, this engaging text immerses the reader in cutting-edge theories, methods, and practical strategies. Chapters review theoretical work and describe approaches to conducting quantitative, qualitative, and community-based research with participants; doing content or media analysis; and evaluating programs or interventions. Ethical issues are addressed and innovative uses of digital media highlighted. The focus is studying gender inequities as they are experienced by individuals and groups from diverse cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and with diverse gender identities. Delving into the process of writing and publishing feminist research, the text covers timely topics such as public scholarship, activism, and arts-based practices. The companion website features interviews with prominent feminist researchers. Pedagogical Features " ase examples of feminist research." unning glossary of key terms." oxes highlighting hot topics and key points for practice." nd-of-chapter discussion questions and activities." nd-of-chapter annotated suggested reading (books, articles, and online resources)." ample letters to research participants." ppendix of feminist scholars organized by discipline. -OCLC

Qualitative research encompasses a growing set of methods that eschew strictly empirical, quantitative data in favor of information gathered through ethnography, in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and visual research. While it is an important tool in the arsenal of the researcher, there is often a large gap between the theory behind qualitative research and the actual practice of its methods. Approaches to Qualitative Research couples theoretical articles with practical research examples to help students develop a holistic understanding of the process of qualitative research. Covering a wide range of traditional and emergent research methods, as well as techniques of analysis and writing, the book clearly explains the critical link between theory and method through carefully selected articles and in-depth introductory essays. The essays illustrate key concepts that are crucial to the understanding of qualitative methods, connecting theoretical discussions with "how-to" examples of the research process. Selected for their accessibility, the articles not only reveal the basics of qualitative research but also touch on some current practices including Internet research, computer-driven data analysis, and using still and moving data. Approaches to Qualitative Research is an exemplary text for undergraduate and graduate courses on research methods and qualitative research methods. It is also an ideal companion volume to Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber and Michelle Yaiser's Feminist Perspectives on Social Research (OUP, 2004).

"The turn to fiction as a social research practice is a natural extension of what many researchers and writers have long been doing. Patricia Leavy, a widely published qualitative researcher and a novelist, explores the overlaps and intersections between these two ways of understanding and describing human experience. She demonstrates the validity of literary experimentation to the qualitative researcher and how to incorporate these practices into research projects. Five short stories and excerpts from novellas and novels show these methods in action. This book is an essential methodological introduction for those interested in studying or practicing arts-based research." -- Publisher's description

Gender & Pop Culture provides a foundation for the study of gender, pop culture and media. This comprehensive, interdisciplinary text provides text-book style introductory and concluding chapters written by the editors, seven original contributor chapters on key topics and written in a variety of writing styles, discussion questions, additional resources and more. Coverage includes: - Foundations for studying gender & pop culture (history, theory, methods, key concepts) - Contributor chapters on media and children, advertising, music, television, film, sports, and technology - Ideas for activism and putting this book to use beyond the classroom - Pedagogical Features - Suggestions for further readings on topics covered and international studies of gender and pop culture Gender & Pop Culture was designed with students in mind, to promote reflection and lively discussion. With features found in both textbooks and anthologies, this sleek book can serve as primary or supplemental reading in undergraduate courses across the disciplines that deal with gender, pop culture or media studies.

"The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research presents a comprehensive and student-friendly overview of the field of qualitative research and is intended for students of all levels, faculty, and researchers across the social sciences. It provides strong focus on methods instruction with coverage of theoretical approaches, analysis, writing, evaluation, and the politics of research"--