Polity press aug 2004 (11 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Post-Democracy is a polemical work that goes beyond current complaints about the failings of our democracy and explores the deeper social and economic forces that account for the current malaise.Colin Crouch argues that the decline of those social classes which had made possible an active and critical mass politics has combined with the rise of global capitalism to produce a self-referential political class more concerned with forging links with wealthy business interests than with pursuing political programmes which meet the concerns of ordinary people. He shows how, in some respects, politics at the dawn of the twenty-first century returns us to a world familiar well before the start of the twentieth, when politics was a game played among elites. However, Crouch maintains that the experience of the twentieth century remains salient and it reminds us of possibilities for the revival of politics.This engaging book will prove challenging to all those who claim that advanced societies have reached a virtual best of all possible democratic worlds, and will be compelling reading for anyone interested in the shape of twenty-first-century politics.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - George W. Bush came into office only after a bitterly contested election result, but has since proceeded to establish himself as one of the most powerful, and one of the most arrogant, of all American presidents. He has involved the USA in the invasion of two Islamic countries, seems determined to impose global American hegemony, and has launched a war on terror which risks perpetuating an unremitting state of crisis. And yet the sources of this enormous power are still shrouded in mystery. He relies on fanatical ideologues, fundamentalist Christians, shady businessmen and right-wing extremists to a degree that will surprise even the most hardened observer.This up-to-the-minute expose, by the celebrated French reporter Eric Laurent - a specialist in world affairs and the author of the best-selling Bush s War - provides a scrupulously researched and at times deeply alarming account of a President who risks definitively alienating America from the rest of the world.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The dreadful events of 11 September have brought Islam to the forefront of world politics. This authoritative new book provides the analysis for a far-reaching introduction to Islamic politics for those coming to the subject for the first time. This account provides a deep insight into dimensions of Muslim political life; from democracy to despots, women to world affairs and history to heresy.Milton-Edwards offers an account of key contemporary concepts and debates that focus on the relationship between Islam and topical issues including politics, protest and opposition, violence, the West, democracy, the state and women. Giving an broad global overview the author includes a range of first-hand interviews with major Islamic figures and leaders of movements. Milton-Edwards charts the development of a political trend in Islam throughout the twentieth century and explores its myriad dimensions. The author also explores the prospects for political Islam in the new millennium.With further reading suggestions, and a glossary, Islam and Politics in the Contemporary World is an indispensable introduction to the subject and will prove invaluable as a textbook for students of politics and religion.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Culture, Raymond Williams once wrote, is one of the most difficult words in language. Since then the concept has become part of our everyday vocabulary; it is used in a variety of different contexts: to describe the behaviour of corporations or criminals; to provide personal and national identity; it even gives its name to a Department of State.In this engaging new textbook, Fred Inglis charts the history of the concept from its origins in the German Enlightenment to contemporary attempts to come to terms with the cultural impact of globalization. Drawing on the work of leading philosophers and theorists, the author adopts a broadly chronological approach to explore the changing definitions and contestations of culture over time. He concludes by highlighting the potential shortcomings of postmodernism, and argues for the continuing need to apply ancient values of truthfulness, goodness and beauty to all discussions of culture.This lively introduction will be of interest to undergraduate students and scholars in sociology, politics, anthropology, cultural and media studies.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the study of development and the developing world. Written in a clear and accessible way, it introduces students to the key theoretical perspectives and conceptual frameworks in development studies, and provides a guide to contemporary issues and current debates. The early part of the book focuses on definitions and theories of development, providing a historical account of the evolution of development theory and practice in the last few decades - through the impasse in development studies in the 1980s to the consolidation of the neo-liberal consensus across the world. Subsequent chapters analyse key development strategies - the role of the state and of international trade - in the context of a number of contemporary problems, including the spread of HIV in Africa, the use of GM technology in agriculture and the role of education, population growth and urbanization. In doing so, Kambhampati highlights the interdependence between the causes and consequences of development, emphasizing why the development problem has been hard both to identify and to solve. Development and the Developing World will be an essential text for undergraduate and graduate students coming to the subject for the first time and taking courses in development studies, globalization and international relations.…

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Society and Nature is a lively and highly accessible introduction to the sociology of the environment. The book provides a comprehensive guide to contemporary issues and current debates - including society, nature and the enlightenment, industry and environmental transformation, commodification, consumption, the network society and human identity, human biology, citizenship and new social movements.Combining insights from contemporary sociology, politics, developmental biology and psychology, Peter Dickens suggests that environmental degradation is largely due to humanity s narcissistic demand that the environment be made into a commodity to be consumed. Meanwhile, human biology is also being modified: people s bodies are being rebuilt in ways that reflect their class positions. People and their surroundings have always adapted according to the demands of society. But modern capitalist society is changing the environment and its people in profound, potentially catastrophic, ways, shaping both human and non-human nature in its own image.The book contains a number of student features to interest and guide the reader as well as an attractive and clear layout. It will be particularly useful for students and teachers of sociology, human ecology, environmental studies and social theory.Dickens insight won his work the American Sociological Association s Outstanding Publication Award 2006, in the Environment and Technology section.…

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This topical new book by Zygmunt Bauman explores the notion of identity in the modern world. As we grapple with the insecurity and uncertainty of liquid modernity, Bauman argues that our socio-political, cultural, professional, religious and sexual identities are undergoing a process of continual transformation. Identities the world over have become more precarious than ever: we live in an era of constant change and disposability - whether it's last season's outfit, or car, or even partner - and our identities as a result have become transient and deeply elusive. In a world of rapid global change where national borders are increasingly eroded, our identities are in a state of continuous flux. Identity - a notion that by its very nature is elusive and ambivalent - has become a key concept for understanding the changing nature of social life and personal experience in our contemporary, liquid modern age. In this brief book, Zygmunt Bauman explains compellingly why this is so.…

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - George W. Bush came into office only after a bitterly contested election result, but has since proceeded to establish himself as one of the most powerful, and one of the most arrogant, of all American presidents. He has involved the USA in the invasion of two Islamic countries, seems determined to impose global American hegemony, and has launched a 'war on terror' which risks perpetuating an unremitting state of crisis. And yet the sources of this enormous power are still shrouded in mystery. He relies on fanatical ideologues, fundamentalist Christians, shady businessmen and right-wing extremists to a degree that will surprise even the most hardened observer. This up-to-the-minute exposé, by the celebrated French reporter Eric Laurent - a specialist in world affairs and the author of the best-selling Bush's War - provides a scrupulously researched and at times deeply alarming account of a President who risks definitively alienating America from the rest of the world.…

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Post-Democracy is a polemical work that goes beyond current complaints about the failings of our democracy and explores the deeper social and economic forces that account for the current malaise. Colin Crouch argues that the decline of those social classes which had made possible an active and critical mass politics has combined with the rise of global capitalism to produce a self-referential political class more concerned with forging links with wealthy business interests than with pursuing political programmes which meet the concerns of ordinary people. He shows how, in some respects, politics at the dawn of the twenty-first century returns us to a world familiar well before the start of the twentieth, when politics was a game played among elites. However, Crouch maintains that the experience of the twentieth century remains salient and it reminds us of possibilities for the revival of politics. This engaging book will prove challenging to all those who claim that advanced societies have reached a virtual best of all possible democratic worlds, and will be compelling reading for anyone interested in the shape of twenty-first-century politics.…

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Governance is an easy-to read introduction to an increasingly important concept in political science. It provides a clear overview of how the concept has been used in the sub-fields of public administration and public policy, international relations, European studies and comparative politics. There is no universally accepted and agreed definition of 'governance'. It remains an elusive theory, defined and conceptualized in various ways. In this book, Anne Mette Kjaer guides the reader through the key theoretical debates which have given rise to distinct interpretations of governance. Drawing on a wide range of empirical examples to illustrate her arguments, the author explores how governance has been used in different ways to describe political changes in the modern world. She goes on to weigh up the pros and cons of governance as an analytical term, and concludes with a discussion of the World Bank's role as an international organization which aims to promote 'good governance' in poor countries across the globe. This is the first textbook to offer a systematic assessment of current debates around the concept of governance. It will be a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of politics, international relations and public policy.…

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - John McDowell has set the philosophical world alight with a revolutionary approach to the subject, illuminating old problems with dazzling particularity. In this welcome introduction to his work, Maximilian de Gaynesford puts writing within comfortable reach of non-specialists. The guiding argument of the book is that the variety of McDowell's interests disguises a core concern with a single basic goal: 'giving philosophy peace'. Since the dawn of the subject, philosophy has struggled with the question: can our experience of the world give rational support to what we think and say; and if so, how McDowell claims that philosophy has itself to blame if these questions seem problematic, and this book's animating purpose is to see what sense can be made of this notorious claim. In McDowell's view, the illusion that our fundamental relations with the world are truly problematic is traceable to false views about nature. We should give proper weight to a natural fact about the world: that human beings are of a kind that is naturally placed within the natural order. De Gaynesford analyses McDowell's densely argued and meticulous work in a lucid, balanced and engaging way, that will prove invaluable for all students and scholars of McDowell and philosophy.…