Martin Davies

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the social-psychological literature on social interaction in small groups. Part I covers the influence of the physical situation, personalities, and social characteristics of the group members on the dynamics of the group. Part II covers the effect of the presence of others on pressures to conform experienced by group members. Part III includes chapters on roles, relationships, and leadership. Part IV reviews verbal and nonverbal communication, group decision making, and choice shift. Part V deals with cooperation, competition, and conflict resolution. Part VI discusses two types of external influence on the small group: the influence exerted by a larger group of which the smaller group is part, and the influence exerted by other groups with which the small group cooperates or competes.

This new volume covers studies and reviews published in the period 1975 to 1988. Its focus is not on the evaluation of current research, but rather it calls attention to available works that might be relevant for those wishing to do further research in a specified area. For this reason the editors refer to other reviews of parts of this literature that may provide a somewhat different perspective or that include citations selected on different criteria. When a study deals with more than one major variable or effect, it may be cited in several chapters.

This new volume covers studies and reviews published in the period 1975 to 1988. Its focus is not on the evaluation of current research, but rather it calls attention to available works that might be relevant for those wishing to do further research in a specified area. For this reason the editors refer to other reviews of parts of this literature that may provide a somewhat different perspective or that include citations selected on different criteria. When a study deals with more than one major variable or effect, it may be cited in several chapters.

From Critical Thinking to Criticality sets out a bold case for critical thinking across the university. It inquires into the need for, and the nature of, critical thinking; and it expounds new theories and arguments that are applicable not only across disciplines but, even more, across the university as the complex institution that it is. Against the horizon of the contemporary world, this book notes how critical thinking is in jeopardy and considers the inadequacy of the technical debates in the academic literature. It picks up and radically develops the idea of criticality into a new idea of the university in a troubled world. Hidden potential lies within the university – independently of its study programmes – to advance students’ criticality. With arguments situated in the contexts of ecological crises, the rise of artificial intelligence, the tense relationship of states and their universities, political populism and the emergence of a post-truth age, this book urges that criticality be re-instated and anew in the university. It is essential reading for students, academics, and senior leaders in universities, as well as anyone concerned to re-examine the significance of critical thinking for the world.

From Critical Thinking to Criticality sets out a bold case for critical thinking across the university. It inquires into the need for, and the nature of, critical thinking; and it expounds new theories and arguments that are applicable not only across disciplines but, even more, across the university as the complex institution that it is. Against the horizon of the contemporary world, this book notes how critical thinking is in jeopardy and considers the inadequacy of the technical debates in the academic literature. It picks up and radically develops the idea of criticality into a new idea of the university in a troubled world. Hidden potential lies within the university – independently of its study programmes – to advance students’ criticality. With arguments situated in the contexts of ecological crises, the rise of artificial intelligence, the tense relationship of states and their universities, political populism and the emergence of a post-truth age, this book urges that criticality be re-instated and anew in the university. It is essential reading for students, academics, and senior leaders in universities, as well as anyone concerned to re-examine the significance of critical thinking for the world.

Old lies, new threats. The chickens have come home to roost. December in London, and Maximilian Cortado, the world famous violinist, has disappeared, the only clue being the unexpected delivery to his townhouse of a basket containing a live hen. When it emerges that a number of other notable members of society have been receiving similarly unexplained fowl, the deliveries begin to appear more sinister. Sherlock Holmes, however, seems more intrigued by a trivial incident in Sussex, where someone has been damaging Christmas trees intended for a local stately home. So when he is asked by the wife of a famous artist to investigate a robbery carried out twenty-three years before, Mrs Hudson sees an opportunity to assist. At the centre of that mystery is the Christmas Canary, a solid gold decoration of mesmerising beauty, hand-crafted for the fifth Lord Empingham. For years it had graced the top of the Christmas tree at Frawling Hall - until its mystifying disappearance broke the seventh Lord's heart. Fowl deeds are afoot, but can Mrs Hudson restore the canary to its perch before it's too late?

A bloodstained room, a missing woman, a passionate affair gone wrong. September in London, and the city basks in a glorious Indian summer. Sherlock Holmes has more work than he can handle, and when the Home Office asks him to sniff out a plot by Russian assassins on radical politician George Dashing, Holmes and Watson find themselves distracted by more pressing cases. Meanwhile, there is scandal at the home of Dashing's great political rival, Sir Henry Catanache. When Sir Henry's housemaid goes missing, leaving only a pool of blood behind, his son is the prime suspect. Can Sherlock discover the truth? Or will the Catanache family be rescued by Laurence Martin, a detective newly arrived in London who is dazzling society with some remarkable triumphs?

Summer. A dark, brooding season of oppressive heat and thunderstorms, and Flotsam yearns for fresh air and a sea breeze. But business is brisk in Baker Street and becomes even brisker when a lady who purports to be a spiritualist brings Sherlock Holmes a mysterious message from the dead. The legendary detective has no time for mediums, yet the message proves remarkably prescient when, later the same day, he is consulted about the Last Will and Testament of the deceased armaments tycoon, Erasmus Belladonna. Belladonna's only child, a son, had been stolen from his cot twenty years previously and has never been seen since; shortly after the infant's disappearance, Belladonna had blown himself up in an experiment gone wrong, leaving his entire fortune to his son, to pass to him on his 21st birthday. Now, with that date looming, not one but seven young men have come forward. But which, if any, is really the missing child?

It's summer in London, and things are quiet. But while Holmes and Watson chafe at their inactivity, a train, carrying a vital encoded communication, is entering a tunnel in an obscure region of the Balkans - never to be seen again. The case of the disappearing train is only the beginning of the nation's difficulties. The missing message must be found and decoded, and a diplomat's wife must be rescued from the clutches of a pernicious blackmailer. The nation is in danger, and if a diplomatic scandal of disastrous proportions is to be avoided, Sherlock Holmes' brilliance may not be enough.

A dark mystery for Sherlock Holmes. and of course Mrs Hudson!A man is accidentally knocked down outside 221B Baker Street by a carriage. His dying words are he has seen a man rise from the grave. At the same time a visitor arrives with a mystery of unparalleled international importance. The Viscount Wrexham is missing, presumed dead, in strange circumstances. In the North, rumours stir of a dead man haunting the moors. Broomheath Hall is, apparently, beset by ghostly lights and spectres. What does it all mean? Can arcane knowledge bring people back from the dead? And what is the connection with the Cumberland town of Alston? The redoubtable Mrs Hudson - Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper and the Great Detective's best kept secret - and her assistant Flotsam are once again thrown into dark adventure full of gripping twists and murderous intrigue. Together with Holmes and Dr. Watson they must race against the forces of darkness to uncover the truth behind the mysterious document known as the Lazarus Testament. As mystery after mystery is slowly uncovered, everyone's future hangs in the balance. The puzzle must be solved. But not before a slice of Dundee cake...

The famed Malabar Rose, a priceless ruby destined for Queen Victoria, is placed under the protection of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Yet, in the most baffling of circumstances, the jewel vanishes without trace. Could the theft be linked to illusionist extraordinaire the Great Salmanazar? While Holmes and Watson wrestle with the mystery, it is Mrs Hudson - sharp-witted as ever - and her resourceful maid Flotsam who uncover the grand deception at work. For devotees of Sherlock Holmes, this series offers both a faithful echo of the original mysteries and an inventive reimagining of life below stairs at Baker Street.

A shadow falls over fog-bound London, reaching from the distant jungles of Sumatra to the cobbled streets of Limehouse, where merchants lie dead and whispers of a curse abound. Sherlock Holmes seems the obvious man to dispel superstition with logic - yet it is his housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, and orphaned maid Flotsam who uncover the truth behind the menace. From venomous snakes to silver daggers, peril surrounds them, and the game is once again afoot. Intricate and witty, the Holmes & Hudson series pays homage to Conan Doyle's classics while offering a fresh glimpse into Baker Street's unsung lives.

Prison is seen by most people as an inevitable part of the penal system, but there is a growing awareness that its effects on offenders are rarely beneficial and may be positively harmful. In Prisoners of Society, originally published in 1974, Martin Davies argued that there was still the need in society for a commitment, not to reform its deviant members, but to provide a compassionate service in those situations where it was most needed. He looks at the increasingly important role of the probation service in prisons and borstals, and discusses the likelihood of radical changes occurring within the system at the time.Dr Davies focuses on the concepts of welfare, training, rehabilitation and after-care, and places them in the context of sentencing policy. He asks whether society is deluding itself in expecting imprisonment to be at the same time punishment and the springboard for personal reform. Using case examples, material from prisoners’ autobiographies, official documents and a wide range of research papers, he presents a rounded view of a crucial aspect of the contemporary penal system, and compels the reader to face up to the question: What does society expect of its prisons and its prisoners?

It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the year. It will be an international spectacle in which the young and popular Count Rudolph Absberg, a political exile from his native land, will take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess Sophia Kubinova. A lot depends on the marriage, for it is hoped that the union will ensure the security and independence of their homeland. When the princess subsequently disappears in dramatic circumstances, members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr Sherlock Holmes. He, in turn, needs the gifts of long-standing housekeeper Mrs Hudson and her able assistant, housemaid Flotsam, to solve this puzzling case on which rests the fate of nations. The continuation of the intricately crafted Holmes & Hudson series is a treat for fans of the great detective's original cases while they offer an inspired take on the rest of the famous Baker Street household.

In the late 1970s the idea of volunteer ‘helping’ in social work had recently been brought to the forefront of public attention again as society had come to depend more and more on volunteer commitment to supplement, support or even replace the professional social worker. Originally published in 1977, the three self-contained essays presented in this book are all concerned with the concept of ‘helping’, and are linked by the author’s experience of an experiment in voluntary service carried out in Manchester’s special schools. Through his personal involvement in the project, Martin Davies is able to give a detailed account of its aims, and to discuss it critically.The first essay monitors the project, and the second uses material gained during interviews with the families and volunteers to analyse their attitudes towards the helping relationship. The conclusions the author reaches had major significance for the practice and organization of the personal social services in Britain. The final essay presents a lucid account of systems theory and its applicability to social work, and raises fundamental questions about the nature of support systems in an urban society.

It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the year. It will be an international spectacle in which the young and popular Count Rudolph Absberg, a political exile from his native land, will take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess Sophia Kubinova. A lot depends on the marriage, for it is hoped that the union will ensure the security and independence of their homeland. When the princess subsequently disappears in dramatic circumstances, members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr Sherlock Holmes. He, in turn, needs the gifts of long-standing housekeeper Mrs Hudson and her able assistant, housemaid Flotsam, to solve this puzzling case on which rests the fate of nations. The continuation of the intricately crafted Holmes & Hudson series is a treat for fans of the great detective's original cases while they offer an inspired take on the rest of the famous Baker Street household.

Prison is seen by most people as an inevitable part of the penal system, but there is a growing awareness that its effects on offenders are rarely beneficial and may be positively harmful. In Prisoners of Society, originally published in 1974, Martin Davies argued that there was still the need in society for a commitment, not to reform its deviant members, but to provide a compassionate service in those situations where it was most needed. He looks at the increasingly important role of the probation service in prisons and borstals, and discusses the likelihood of radical changes occurring within the system at the time.Dr Davies focuses on the concepts of welfare, training, rehabilitation and after-care, and places them in the context of sentencing policy. He asks whether society is deluding itself in expecting imprisonment to be at the same time punishment and the springboard for personal reform. Using case examples, material from prisoners’ autobiographies, official documents and a wide range of research papers, he presents a rounded view of a crucial aspect of the contemporary penal system, and compels the reader to face up to the question: What does society expect of its prisons and its prisoners?

In the late 1970s the idea of volunteer ‘helping’ in social work had recently been brought to the forefront of public attention again as society had come to depend more and more on volunteer commitment to supplement, support or even replace the professional social worker. Originally published in 1977, the three self-contained essays presented in this book are all concerned with the concept of ‘helping’, and are linked by the author’s experience of an experiment in voluntary service carried out in Manchester’s special schools. Through his personal involvement in the project, Martin Davies is able to give a detailed account of its aims, and to discuss it critically.The first essay monitors the project, and the second uses material gained during interviews with the families and volunteers to analyse their attitudes towards the helping relationship. The conclusions the author reaches had major significance for the practice and organization of the personal social services in Britain. The final essay presents a lucid account of systems theory and its applicability to social work, and raises fundamental questions about the nature of support systems in an urban society.