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This chapter explores to what extent the Quantified Self, and in general the self-tracking culture, could be considered as a ‘technology of the self’: hermeneutical apparatuses generating new processes of subjectivation. Quantified Self, described by Wolf as a ‘self-consciousness through numbers’ (Wolf, 2010), refers both to the cultural phenomenon of self-tracking with devices and to a community of creators and users of self-tracking technologies. In this context, the author considers mainly the first aspect of this phenomenon and examines how its uses are diffused throughout the social mainstream. The author begins with the author’s own personal experience using self-tracking devices, then the author considers the phenomenon of self-tracking in relation to its historical context described by Floridi as the era of the ‘4^th Revolution’ (Floridi, 2014). The second part of the chapter deals with the theoretical framework. The author discusses the Quantified Self from the perspective of the Material Engagement Theory (Malafouris, 2013) in order to outline the genealogical and anthropological perspectives of the relationship between man and technology. The author concludes that man and technology have always had a biunivocal relation; man shapes technologies that shape man, both materially and cognitively. In the final part of the essay and through the lens of Foucault’s and Agamben’s theories, the author discusses the Quantified Self as a ‘technology of self’ to underline the ambiguous nature of the phenomenon and its social and biopolitical implication in the age of transparency (Han, 2015) and surveillance capitalism (Zuboff, 2019).

An extensive research base supports the positive effects of self-monitoring interventions on a number of student outcomes, both academic and behavioral. While the vast majority of this research base relied on traditional paper-and-pencil forms of self-monitoring, advances in technology have created significant opportunities to develop technology-based self-monitoring (TBSM) systems that may offer a number of benefits in terms of efficiency and data management, storing, and graphing. Technology-based self-management applications have evolved and been studied extensively in health-related fields, but research and development for such applications is only beginning in the field of education. In this chapter we (1) provide a brief overview of the literature on traditional forms of self-monitoring, (2) examine how educators and educational researchers may apply lessons learned about TBSM from the medical field, (3) summarize emerging literature on TBSM for students with or at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders in particular, and (4) offer suggestions for future research and development in TBSM.

As maternal mortality increases in the United States, birth providers and policymakers are seeking new solutions to address what scholars have called the “C-section epidemic.” Hospital cesarean rates vary tremendously, from 7 to 70 percent of all births. Based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 47 obstetricians and family physicians in the United States, I explore one reason for this variation: differences in how physicians perceive and manage risk in American obstetrics. While the dominant model of risk management encourages high levels of intervention and monitoring, I argue that a significant portion of physicians are concerned about high intervention rates in childbirth and are working to reduce cesarean rates and/or the use of monitoring technologies like continuous fetal heart rate monitors. Unlike prior theories of biomedicalization, which suggest that health risks are managed through increased monitoring and intervention, I find that many physicians are resisting this model of risk management by ordering fewer interventions and collecting less information about their patients. These providers acknowledge that interventions designed to mitigate risks may only provide an illusion of control, rather than an actual mastery of risks. By limiting interventions, providers may lose this illusion of control but also mitigate the iatrogenic effects of intervention and continuous monitoring. This alternative approach to risk management is growing in many medical fields and deserves more attention from medical sociologists.

The purpose of this chapter was to explore how the values of higher education institutions, and ultimately society, are conveyed through the curriculum of an institution. The arguments for focusing on a liberal education grounded in critical thinking are highlighted and then compared to the growing trend of occupational education being the central focus of a college education. The need to understand populist thinking in particular is aligned with the social responsibility that educational institutions carry in their charters. This means that the students and parents who pay tuition for their education want something to show for their investment, namely a level of compensation and employment that is perceived to be correlated with the expense of the degree. The competing views of education and training are then considered in a global context, noting the interconnectedness of the intellectual and business community around the globe. This chapter concludes by highlighting the importance of education and its impact on cultural understanding and engagement as a value, especially calling upon public policymakers to keep higher education leaders in check as they develop plans and expectations for their institutions.

As the mission of this text calls us to engage in articulating a vision that speaks to the power and potential of the next chapter in the historically Black college and university (HBCU) narrative, we propose that we take a moment to critically reflect in order to contextualize and establish a vision of the road ahead that is clear and informed. The past decade ushered in many significant shifts in policy and practice with varying outcomes that have uniquely and forever shaped the future of our beloved institutions and we must be careful not to forget these pivotal moments. Utilizing a robust critical discourse analysis, the authors of this chapter will explore topics ranging from resource development and institutional leadership at HBCUs to the critical role of research as a mechanism for owning and sharing our individual and collective HBCU narratives in 2020 and beyond. The authors will provide a timeline of events and discuss their impact on HBCU stakeholders and institutional operations, while also taking the time to provide recommendations for preparing for and possibly circumventing comparable issues in the future. Although HBCUs find themselves navigating a constantly evolving sociopolitical landscape, we are certain that being mindful of our immediate past and committed to our historical purpose provides the best route for us to be intentional about our future.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are facing changes in the twenty-first century driven in part by a change in the societal demands on the educational system. Organizational adaptation to changing environment is discussed in the business and management literature, which now includes organizational adaptation in higher education (Brown, 2012; Cameron, 1984; Drew, 2010; Rogers, 2013; Sporn, 1999). The focus of this research is organizational adaptation in four HBCUs. Although HBCUs have long histories and just over 100 of them currently exist, the researchers have focused on four of these institutions and the factors that have enabled them to adapt to change. These changes are forcing colleges and universities to reexamine their organizational strategy to adapt to changes in the educational environment.

The purpose of this research was to examine enabling factors of four HBCUs to adapt to the changing environment. Drawing from historical and archival material, the researcher examined four HBCUs – Bluefield State College, Bowie State University, Hampton University, and Spelman College, and how each adapted to the changing environment. A multiple case study designed was selected to understand the adaptation phenomenon within and across institutions. A review of the literature on organizational adaptation and change, along with a case study analysis of four HBCUs identified the factors that enhanced their adaptive strategies and ability to adapt successfully to the changing environment. The four factors were leadership, culture, structure, and business strategy that influenced each university's ability to adapt successfully to change. Chaffee's (1984, 1985) adaptive and interpretative strategy models and Miles and Snow's (1978) adaptive cycle provided the lens to examine adaptation in these institutions. In this study, leadership, culture, structure, and business strategy were observed as factors that enhanced each school's adaptation to the changing environment.

Chaffee's (1984, 1985) adaptation models and Miles and Snow's (1978) theoretical framework were employed to evaluate adaptation in these organizations. Each of these institutions faced organizational challenges that required an adaptive response. The quality of the adaptive response enabled each organization to adapt to its changing environment, and these changes involved long-range planning for these organizations and not merely short-term gains. The adaptive responses were hinged on the presence of four factors: leadership, culture, structure, and business strategy. Leadership and culture were the most prominent factors that supported organizational change.