Wiley-VCH - Politikwissenschaft

Philosophy and Resistance in the Crisis

Douzinas, Costas — 20 May 2013 08:18:11 +0200

This book is about the global crisis and the right to resistance, about neoliberal biopolitics and direct democracy, about the responsibility of intellectuals and the poetry of the multitude. Using Greece as an example, Douzinas argues that the persistent sequence of protests, uprisings and revolutions has radically changed the political landscape. This new politics is the latest example of the drive to resist, a persevering characteristic of the human spirit. The EU and the IMF used Greece as a guinea pig to test the conditions of social reconstruction in times of crisis. But the manifold resistances turned the object of experimentation into a political subject and overturned the plans of elites. The idea and limits of democracy are redefined in the place of their birth. [220 Seiten, Softcover]

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Philosophy and Resistance in the Crisis

Douzinas, Costas — 20 May 2013 08:18:10 +0200

America's Right

Horwitz, Robert B. — 20 May 2013 08:18:08 +0200

Conservatism has been the most important political doctrine in the United States for nearly four decades. It has dominated the intellectual debate and largely set the policy agenda, even during years of Democratic electoral control. But 21st century conservatism has moved far beyond even the Reagan Revolution of small government, lower taxes and a respect for tradition. The alliance of libertarians, neoconservatives, and the Christian right has launched anxious and angry attacks on the purported homosexual agenda, the hoax of climate change, the rule by experts and elites, and the banishment of religion from the public realm. In the foreign policy arena it has tried to remake the world through the cleansing fire of violence. Contemporary American conservatism practices a politics that is disciplined, uncompromising, utopian, and enraged, seeking to take back our country. This is anti-establishment conservatism, whose origin can be traced back to the right wing that battled both the reigning post-World War II liberal consensus and the moderate, establishment Republican Party. This book examines the nature of anti-establishment conservatism, traces its development from the 1950s to the Tea Party, and explains its political ascendance. [280 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Handbook of Global Companies

Mikler, John (ed.) — 13 May 2013 08:17:30 +0200

The Handbook of Global Companies compiles a series of original essays by established experts and emerging scholars to address the latest theoretical findings and empirical evidence relating to the role of global companies in national, regional and international governance. Questions surrounding the ways global companies share authority to effect new forms of governance with states and international organizations are covered, as are their relations with civil society. Particular industries are considered, such as the role of the finance industry and national regulators, the role of mining companies in developing countries, and the role of consulting firms as agents of change. Central themes facing the world and the role of global companies are considered, including development, inequality, the environment, and social responsibility. New forms of global companies and the role they play in emerging markets, such as China, are also covered. [544 Seiten, Hardcover]

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What Makes Life Worth Living

Stiegler, Bernard — 6 May 2013 08:17:58 +0200

In the aftermath of the First World War, the poet Paul Valéry wrote of a 'crisis of spirit', brought about by the instrumentalization of knowledge and the destructive subordination of culture to profit. Recent events demonstrate all too clearly that that the stock of mind, or spirit, continues to fall. The economy is toxically organized around the pursuit of short-term gain, supported by an infantilizing, dumbed-down media. Advertising technologies make relentless demands on our attention, reducing us to idiotic beasts, no longer capable of living. Spiralling rates of mental illness show that the fragile life of the mind is at breaking point. Underlying these multiple symptoms is consumer capitalism, which systematically immiserates those whom it purports to liberate. Returning to Marx's theory, Stiegler argues that consumerism marks a new stage in the history of proletarianization. It is no longer just labour that is exploited, pushed below the limits of subsistence, but the desire that is characteristic of human spirit. The cure to this malaise is to be found in what Stiegler calls a 'pharmacology of the spirit'. Here, pharmacology has nothing to do with the chemical supplements developed by the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmakon, defined as both cure and poison, refers to the technical objects through which we open ourselves to new futures, and thereby create the spirit that makes us human. By reference to a range of figures, from Socrates, Simondon and Derrida to the child psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, Stiegler shows that technics are both the cause of our suffering and also what makes life worth living. [200 Seiten, Softcover]

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What Makes Life Worth Living

Stiegler, Bernard — 6 May 2013 08:17:57 +0200

Can Democracy Be Saved?

Della Porta, Donatella — 29 Apr 2013 08:18:09 +0200

Financial crisis, economic globalization and the strengthening of neoliberal policies present stark challenges to traditional conceptions of representative democracy. Yet, at the same time, new opportunities are emerging that propose alternative visions for the future of democracy. In this highly articulate book, Donatella della Porta analyses diverse conceptions and practices of participatory and deliberative democracy, building upon recent reflections in normative theory as well as original empirical research. As well as drawing on key historical examples, the book pays close attention to the current revitalization of social movements: the Arab Spring uprisings in processes of democratic transition; the potential of new technologies to develop so-called e-democracy in the Indignados and Occupy Wall Street protests; and proposals for cosmopolitan democracy found in recent campaigns for democratization of the European Union and United Nations. Alongside such social movements, the book also assesses institutional reactions, from the policing of protest to efforts at reform. This contribution to a critical contemporary debate, by a leading political sociologist and scholar of social movements, will be of great value to students and scholars of political sociology, political science and social movement studies, as well as anyone interested in the shape and development of democracy. [256 Seiten, Softcover]

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Can Democracy Be Saved?

Della Porta, Donatella — 29 Apr 2013 08:18:08 +0200

Gender and International Relations

Steans, Jill — 29 Apr 2013 08:18:07 +0200

The third edition of Jill Steans' popular and highly respected text offers a comprehensive and up to date introduction to gender in international relations today. Its nine chapters have been fully revised and expanded to cover key issues, developments and debates in the field including: * the state and citizenship * gender, sexuality and human rights * conflict, peace and security * narratives and representational practices in international politics * global political economy * development and gender in global governance Guiding students competently through complex theoretical and conceptual issues, the book is careful to ground its discussions in contemporary concerns, such as the War on Terror and its legacy, the 'securitisation' of human rights, the Arab Spring, the global financial crisis, contemporary challenges to global institutions, and ethical dilemmas that arise in negotiating gender issues and politics in a culturally diverse world. Each chapter features questions for reflection, seminar activities, further reading and web links to highlight key points and provide contemporary illustrations. A glossary of key terms is also included for easy reference. Gender and International Relations will be essential reading for students and scholars of gender, international relations, global politics and related courses. [288 Seiten, Softcover]

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Statebuilding

Sisk, Timothy — 29 Apr 2013 08:18:03 +0200

After civil wars end, what can sustain peace in the long-term? In particular, how can outsiders facilitate durable conflict-managing institutions through statebuilding - a process that historically has been the outcome of bloody struggles to establish the state's authority over warlords, traditional authorities, and lawless territories?? In this book, Timothy Sisk explores international efforts to help the world's most fragile post-civil war countries today build viable states that can provide for security and deliver the basic services essential for development. Tracing the historical roots of statebuilding to the present day, he demonstrates how the United Nations, leading powers, and well-meaning donors have engaged in statebuilding as a strategic approach to peacebuilding after war. Their efforts are informed by three key objectives: to enhance security by preventing war recurrence and fostering community and human security; to promote development through state provision of essential services such as water, sanitation, and education; to enhance human rights and democracy, reflecting the liberal international order that reaffirms the principles of democracy and human rights, . Improving governance, alongside the state's ability to integrate social differences and manage conflicts over resources, identity, and national priorities, is essential for long-term peace. Whether the global statebuilding enterprise can succeed in creating a world of peaceful, well-governed, development-focused states is unclear. But the book concludes with a road map toward a better global regime to enable peacebuilding and development-oriented statebuilding into the 21st century. [200 Seiten, Softcover]

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Statebuilding

Sisk, Timothy — 29 Apr 2013 08:18:02 +0200

After civil wars end, what can sustain peace in the long-term? In particular, how can outsiders facilitate durable conflict-managing institutions through statebuilding - a process that historically has been the outcome of bloody struggles to establish the state's authority over warlords, traditional authorities, and lawless territories? In this book, Timothy Sisk explores international efforts to help the world's most fragile post-civil war countries today build viable states that can provide for security and deliver the basic services essential for development. Tracing the historical roots of statebuilding to the present day, he demonstrates how the United Nations, leading powers, and well-meaning donors have engaged in statebuilding as a strategic approach to peacebuilding after war. Their efforts are informed by three key objectives: to enhance security by preventing war recurrence and fostering community and human security; to promote development through state provision of essential services such as water, sanitation, and education; to enhance human rights and democracy, reflecting the liberal international order that reaffirms the principles of democracy and human rights, . Improving governance, alongside the state's ability to integrate social differences and manage conflicts over resources, identity, and national priorities, is essential for long-term peace. Whether the global statebuilding enterprise can succeed in creating a world of peaceful, well-governed, development-focused states is unclear. But the book concludes with a road map toward a better global regime to enable peacebuilding and development-oriented statebuilding into the 21st century. [200 Seiten, Hardcover]

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International Security

Dannreuther, Roland — 29 Apr 2013 08:18:01 +0200

International Security is a cutting-edge analysis of the key security challenges and developments in the post-Cold War world. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary examples, from the Iraq war to the rise of China, it is an essential guide for students and policy makers seeking to understand the theoretical and empirical debates over the fast-changing nature of international security today. The book is organized into four main parts. Part 1 provides an analytical framework for the book, identifying the most significant post-Cold War shifts in international security and recent theoretical developments in security studies. Part 2 analyses the root causes for contemporary warfare, the dilemmas and debates over military intervention, and the role played by the UN, NATO and other organizations in maintaining international peace and security. Part 3 assesses the challenges of environmental security, including the threat of resource-based conflict, most notably over oil and water, and the perceived security challenges of international migration. Part 4 discusses the new security challenges posed by international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and cyber warfare. It explores the strategies and policies adopted by the United States, particularly in the aftermath of 9/11 and assesses the implications of the rise of China and other emerging powers. This book will be essential reading for students and analysts of international relations, international security and strategic studies. [340 Seiten, Softcover]

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What's Wrong with Climate Politics and How to Fix It

Harris, Paul G. — 29 Apr 2013 08:17:58 +0200

Governments have failed to stem global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases causing climate change. Indeed, climate-changing pollution is increasing globally, and will do so for decades to come without far more aggressive action. What explains this failure to effectively tackle one of the world's most serious problems? And what can we do about it? To answer these questions, Paul G. Harris looks at climate politics as a doctor might look at a very sick patient. He performs urgent diagnoses and prescribes vital treatments to revive our ailing planet before it's too late. The book begins by diagnosing what's most wrong with climate politics, including the anachronistic international system, which encourages nations to fight for their narrowly perceived interests and makes major cuts in greenhouse pollution extraordinarily difficult; the deadlock between the United States and China, which together produce over one-third of global greenhouse gas pollution but do little more than demand that the other act first; and affluent lifestyles and overconsumption, which are spreading rapidly from industrialized nations to the developing world. The book then prescribes several remedies for the failed politics of climate change, including a new kind of climate diplomacy with people at its center, national policies that put the common but differentiated responsibilities of individuals alongside those of nations, and a campaign for simultaneously enhancing human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. While these treatments are aspirational, they are not intended to be utopian. As Harris shows, they are genuine, workable solutions to what ails the politics of climate change today. [256 Seiten, Softcover]

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What's Wrong with Climate Politics and How to Fix It

Harris, Paul G. — 29 Apr 2013 08:17:57 +0200

British Foreign Policy

Gaskarth, Jamie — 29 Apr 2013 08:17:56 +0200

Britain has been a significant voice in global politics in the last two decades and its impact on world events far outweighs its material resources. But how does a small island on the edge of Europe continue to exercise this level of power on an international scale? What kind of actor is Britain internationally? And what future challenges will confront British foreign policymakers in a multi-polar world of emerging powers? In this comprehensive introduction to British foreign policy today Jamie Gaskarth addresses these and other key questions. Against a rich historical backdrop, he examines the main actors and processes involved in British foreign policy-making as well as the role played by identity in shaping such choices. Later chapters focus on the relationship between economics and foreign policy, what it means to be ethical in this policy sphere, and the justification for and benefits of the UK's continued use of force to achieve its foreign policy goals. Combining interview research, theoretical insight and analysis of contemporary and historical trends, this book charts how British foreign policy has come to be understood and practised in the 21st Century. It will be an invaluable guide for students of British politics, foreign policy, international relations and related courses. [288 Seiten, Softcover]

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British Foreign Policy

Gaskarth, Jamie — 29 Apr 2013 08:17:55 +0200

The Fanaticism of the Apocalypse

Bruckner, Pascal — 22 Apr 2013 08:17:38 +0200

The planet is sick. Human beings are guilty of damaging it. We have to pay. Today, that is the orthodoxy throughout the Western world. Concern about the environment is legitimate, but catastrophism transforms us into cowering children. Distrust of progress and science, calls for individual and collective self-sacrifice to 'save the planet' and cultivation of fear: behind the carbon commissars, a dangerous and counterproductive ecological catastrophism is gaining ground. Bruckner locates the predecessors of today's ecological catastrophism in Catholicism's admonishment to give up joy in the present for the sake of eternal life and in Marxism's demand that individuals forsake personal needs for the sake of a brighter future. Modern society's susceptibility to this kind of catastrophism derives from what Bruckner calls the 'seductions of disaster', as exemplified by the popular appeal of disaster movies. But ecological catastrophism is harmful in that it draws attention away from other, more solvable problems and injustices in the world in order to focus on something that is portrayed as an Apocalypse. Rather than preaching catastrophe and pessimism, we need to develop a democratic and generous ecology that addresses specific problems in a practical way. This sharp and contrarian essay on one of the great issues of our time will be widely read and discussed. [224 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Handbook of Global Energy Policy

Goldthau, Andreas (ed.) — 22 Apr 2013 08:17:23 +0200

The first volume of its kind to focus on global policy perspectives on energy, this comprehensive Handbook analyzes the key dimensions of markets, development, sustainability, and security. It successfully maps the emerging field of global energy policy for both scholars and practitioners, broadening the discussion beyond the prevalent debates about oil supply. The volume offers a broad comparison of energy policy challenges faced across the globe by exploring future policy requirements at local, national and international levels. Case studies offer regional perspectives from the viewpoint of major energy producers, emerging energy consumers, and newly-challenged players. The volume brings together the latest research from an international team of scholars and energy policy practitioners, resulting in an invaluable reference source for this fast-growing field. [564 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Gender and International Relations

Steans, Jill — 17 Apr 2013 08:17:46 +0200

International Security

Dannreuther, Roland — 15 Apr 2013 08:17:53 +0200

Congo

Turner, Thomas — 15 Apr 2013 08:17:52 +0200

The Democratic Republic of Congo has become one of the world's bloodiest hot spots. 2003 saw the end of a five-year war in which millions lost their lives - one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II. Despite recent peace agreements and democratic elections, the country is still plagued by army and militia violence. Congo remains deeply troubled, since the deep-rooted causes of conflict have not been adequately addressed. The conflict in the DRC has divided opinion; some call it a civil war, or a war of aggression by the country's neighbours; others a continuation of Rwanda's Hutu-Tutsi conflict on Congolose soil, and a war of partition and pillage. The prevalence of rape and sexual violence has led some analysts to mark it out as a hidden 'war against women'. Tom Turner's insightful book reveals how each of these descriptions accurately captures the separate elements of this complex and multidimensional political conflict. In exploring each of these contributory factors, he shows how current attempts to rebuild the shattered state and society of DRC are doomed to fail. So long as the full complexity of the Congo crisis is not taken into account and a clear consensus as to its precise dimensions reached, the future looks bleak. The DRC, he argues, will likely remain a global hot spot for some time to come. [240 Seiten, Softcover]

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Congo

Turner, Thomas — 15 Apr 2013 08:17:51 +0200

The Handbook of Global Climate and Environment Policy

Falkner, Robert — 15 Apr 2013 08:17:29 +0200

The Handbook of Global Climate and Environment Policy presents an authoritative and comprehensive overview of international policy on climate and the environment. It brings together a global team of experts from the fields of environmental politics, international relations, economics, and law, who explore current debates and the latest thinking in the search for global environmental solutions. The volume reviews the key environmental challenges, concepts, and approaches; explores the role of global actors, institutions and processes; and considers the links between global climate and environment policy, and that of the global economy. [546 Seiten, Hardcover]

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The Politics of Volunteering

Eliasoph, Nina — 1 Apr 2013 08:17:32 +0200

Many of us may have participated in grassroots groups, changing the world in small and big ways, from building playgrounds and feeding the homeless, to protesting wars and ending legal segregation. Beyond the obvious fruits of these activities, what are the broader consequences of volunteering for the participants, recipients of aid, and society as a whole? In this engaging new book, Nina Eliasoph encourages readers to reflect on their own experiences in civic associations as an entry point into bigger sociological, political, and philosophical issues, such as class inequality, how organizations work, differences in political systems around the globe, and the sources of moral selfhood. Claims about volunteering tend to be astronomical: it will create democracy, make you a better person, eliminate poverty, protect local cultures, and even prevent illness. Eliasoph cuts through these assertions by drawing on empirical studies, key data, real-life case studies, and a range of theoretical analyses. In doing so, the book provides students of sociology, political science, and communications studies with a framework for evaluating the role of civic associations in social and political life, as well as in their own lives as active citizens. [200 Seiten, Softcover]

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The Politics of Volunteering

Eliasoph, Nina — 1 Apr 2013 08:17:31 +0200

Institutional Practice and Memory - Parliamentary People, Records and Histories

Jones, Clyve — 25 Mar 2013 08:17:38 +0100

Honouring the contribution made to British parliamentary history by one of its most celebrated administrators, this festschrift for Sir John Sainty, who served as clerk of the parliaments from 1983-1990, features an unrivalled selection of specialist essays on the administrative procedures of Britain's legislature. * Includes detailed and highly specialized research on the British parliament's administrative procedures * Features revealing essays on renowned parliamentary functionaries including Inigo Jones * Collects a wealth of new learning culled from the archives of parliament * Covers the detail of key proposals for parliamentary reform in the 'post-revolution administration' [302 Seiten, Softcover]

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American Politics and Society

McKay, David — 18 Mar 2013 08:17:22 +0100

Now in its eighth edition, this popular introduction tackles the most recent trends in American politics and society through explanation, analyses, and interpretations of government processes - adding valuable international context for students by considering these procedures and developments from a non-U.S. perspective. This new edition features two full chapters devoted to the recent course of the Obama presidency and a new chapter on environmental politics. The book is written in a student-friendly style and is supplemented with numerous illustrations and helpful pedagogical features. It offers thought-provoking insights into the social background to contemporary politics in America, while fully embracing the latest developments in its most turbulent political arena in decades. [520 Seiten, Softcover]

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German Europe

Beck, Ulrich — 11 Mar 2013 08:17:52 +0100

The euro crisis is tearing Europe apart. But the heart of the matter is that, as the crisis unfolds, the basic rules of European democracy are being subverted or turned into their opposite, bypassing parliaments, governments and EU institutions. Multilateralism is turning into unilateralism, equality into hegemony, sovereignty into the dependency and recognition into disrespect for the dignity of other nations. Even France, which long dominated European integration, must submit to Berlin's strictures now that it must fear for its international credit rating. How did this happen? The anticipation of the European catastrophe has already fundamentally changed the European landscape of power. It is giving birth to a political monster: a German Europe. Germany did not seek this leadership position - rather, it is a perfect illustration of the law of unintended consequences. The invention and implementation of the euro was the price demanded by France in order to pin Germany down to a European Monetary Union in the context of German unification. It was a quid pro quo for binding a united Germany into a more integrated Europe in which France would continue to play the leading role. But the precise opposite has happened. Economically the euro turned out to be very good for Germany, and with the euro crisis Chancellor Angela Merkel became the informal Queen of Europe. The new grammar of power reflects the difference between creditor and debtor countries; it is not a military but an economic logic. Its ideological foundation is 'German euro nationalism' - that is, an extended European version of the Deutschmark nationalism that underpinned German identity after the Second World War. In this way the German model of stability is being surreptitiously elevated into the guiding idea for Europe. The Europe we have now will not be able to survive in the risk-laden storms of the globalized world. The EU has to be more than a grim marriage sustained by the fear of the chaos that would be caused by its breakdown. It has to be built on something more positive: a vision of rebuilding Europe bottom-up, creating a Europe of the citizen. There is no better way to reinvigorate Europe than through the coming together of ordinary Europeans acting on their own behalf. [120 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Dispossession

Butler, Judith / Athanasiou, Athena — 25 Feb 2013 08:18:08 +0100

Dispossession describes the condition of those who have lost land, citizenship, property, and a broader belonging to the world. This thought-provoking book seeks to elaborate our understanding of dispossession outside of the conventional logic of possession, a hallmark of capitalism, liberalism, and humanism. Can dispossession simultaneously characterize political responses and opposition to the disenfranchisement associated with unjust dispossession of land, economic and political power, and basic conditions for living? In the context of neoliberal expropriation of labor and livelihood, dispossession opens up a performative condition of being both affected by injustice and prompted to act. From the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa to the anti-neoliberal gatherings at Puerta del Sol, Syntagma and Zucchotti Park, an alternative political and affective economy of bodies in public is being formed. Bodies on the street are precarious - exposed to police force, they are also standing for, and opposing, their dispossession. These bodies insist upon their collective standing, organize themselves without and against hierarchy, and refuse to become disposable: they demand regard. This book interrogates the agonistic and open-ended corporeality and conviviality of the crowd as it assembles in cities to protest political and economic dispossession through a performative dispossession of the sovereign subject and its propriety. [240 Seiten, Softcover]

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Dispossession

Butler, Judith / Athanasiou, Athena — 25 Feb 2013 08:18:07 +0100

An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century

McCloud, Aminah Beverly / Hibbard, Scott W. / Saud, Laith (eds.) — 25 Feb 2013 08:17:49 +0100

This engaging introduction to Islam examines its lived reality, its worldwide presence, and the variety of beliefs and practices encompassed by the religion. The global perspective uniquely captures the diversity of Islam expressed throughout different countries in the present day. * A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, and global introduction to Islam, covering its history as well as current issues, experiences, and challenges * Incorporates key new research on Muslims from a variety of countries across Europe, Latin America, Indonesia, and Malaysia Central Asia * Directly addresses controversial issues, including political violence and 'terrorism', anti-western sentiments, and Islamophobia * Explores different responses from various Islamic communities to globalizing trends * Highlights key patterns within Islamic history that shed light upon the origins and evolution of current movements and thought [346 Seiten, Hardcover]

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An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century

McCloud, Aminah Beverly / Hibbard, Scott W. / Saud, Laith (eds.) — 25 Feb 2013 08:17:48 +0100

An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century provides an engaging depiction of Islam as a living religion. Exploring Islam's historical context and core elements of the tradition, the authors provide a global perspective that captures the diversity of Islam in different regions and countries. Other topics include the phenomenon of militancy, Islamophobia, and how Islam is taught in the West. By examining trends in different regions the book demonstrates that unlike its image, particularly in the West, of a static and monolithic tradition, Islam is a fluid and dynamic religion with tremendous diversity. [346 Seiten, Softcover]

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Liberty and Security

Gearty, Conor — 18 Feb 2013 08:17:47 +0100

All aspire to liberty and security in their lives but few people truly enjoy them. This book explains why this is so. In what Conor Gearty calls our 'neo-democratic' world, the proclamation of universal liberty and security is mocked by facts on the ground: the vast inequalities in supposedly free societies, the authoritarian regimes with regular elections, and the terrible socio-economic deprivation camouflaged by cynically proclaimed commitments to human rights. Gearty's book offers an explanation of how this has come about, providing also a criticism of the present age which tolerates it. He then goes on to set out a manifesto for a better future, a place where liberty and security can be rich platforms for everyone's life. The book identifies neo-democracies as those places which play at democracy so as to disguise the injustice at their core. But it is not just the new 'democracies' that have turned 'neo', the so-called established democracies are also hurtling in the same direction, as is the United Nations. A new vision of universal freedom is urgently required. Drawing on scholarship in law, human rights and political science this book argues for just such a vision, one in which the great achievements of our democratic past are not jettisoned as easily as were the socialist ideals of the original democracy-makers. [160 Seiten, Softcover]

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Liberty and Security

Gearty, Conor — 18 Feb 2013 08:17:46 +0100

From Ideologies to Public Philosophies + The Political Theory Reader Set

Schumaker, Paul — 18 Feb 2013 08:17:39 +0100

[880 Seiten, Softcover]

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Liberal Terror

Evans, Brad — 4 Feb 2013 08:17:53 +0100

Security is meant to make the world safer. Yet despite living in the most secure of times, we see endangerment everywhere. Whether it is the threat of another devastating terrorist attacks, a natural disaster or unexpected catastrophe, anxieties and fears define the global political age. While liberal governments and security agencies have responded by advocating a new catastrophic topography of interconnected planetary endangerment, our desire to securitize everything has rendered all things potentially terrifying. This is the fateful paradox of contemporary liberal rule. The more we seek to secure, the more our imaginaries of threat proliferate. Nothing can therefore be left to chance. For everything has the potential to be truly catastrophic. Such is the emerging state of terror normality we find ourselves in today. This illuminating book by Brad Evans provides a critical evaluation of the wide ranging terrors which are deemed threatening to advanced liberal societies. Moving beyond the assumption that liberalism is integral to the realisation of perpetual peace, human progress, and political emancipation on a planetary scale, it exposes how liberal security regimes are shaped by a complex life-centric rationality which directly undermines any claims to universal justice and co-habitation. Through an incisive and philosophically enriched critique of the contemporary liberal practices of making life more secure, Evans forces us to confront the question of what it means to live politically as we navigate through the dangerous uncertainty of the 21st Century. [224 Seiten, Softcover]

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Liberal Terror

Evans, Brad — 4 Feb 2013 08:17:52 +0100

Sustainabiltiy

Thiele, Leslie Paul — 28 Jan 2013 08:17:49 +0100

The pursuit of sustainability has generated lifestyle changes for individuals across the globe, widespread initiatives within civil society and business, historic policies for municipal, regional, and national governments, and crucial protocols and agreements by international organizations. Increasingly, sustainability provides a common language and goal for diverse peoples and nations. Yet the meaning of sustainability remains unsettled, and the term frequently serves as a PR strategy--a green veneer for business as usual--rather than a driver of fundamental change. Leslie Paul Thiele's accessible yet thorough book provides a broad-ranging introduction to the concept and practice of sustainability today. It addresses the history, scope, and contested meanings of sustainability as an ethical ideal, an ascendant ideology, and a common sense approach to living in an ever more crowded world of increasingly scarce resources. Key topics covered include environmental health and ecological resilience, the promise and unintended consequences of technology, political and legal challenges, economic limits and opportunities, and cultural change. Unlike most other approaches to this crucial topic, Thiele argues that sustainability requires innovation and adaptation as much as the conservation of resources. His book will be a valuable resource for students in a broad range of courses, including environmental studies and related areas, as well as general readers keen to grapple with one of the most pressing issues of our times. [242 Seiten, Softcover]

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Sustainability

Thiele, Leslie Paul — 28 Jan 2013 08:17:47 +0100

Humanitarian Business

Weiss, Thomas G. — 21 Jan 2013 08:17:56 +0100

With some 50 billion people living under duress and threatened by wars and disasters in 2012, the demand for relief worldwide has reached unprecedented levels. Humanitarianism is now a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and aid agencies are obliged to respond to a range of economic forces in order to 'stay in business'. In his customary hard-hitting analysis, Thomas G. Weiss offers penetrating insights into the complexities and challenges of the contemporary humanitarian marketplace. In addition to changing political and military conditions that generate demand for aid, private suppliers have changed too. Today's political economy places aid agencies side-by-side with for-profit businesses, including private military and security companies, in a marketplace that also is linked to global trade networks in illicit arms, natural resources, and drugs. This witch's brew is simmering in the cauldron of wars that are often protracted and always costly to civilians who are the very targets of violence. While belligerents put a price-tag on access to victims, aid agencies pursue branding in a competition for scarce resources relative to the staggering needs. As marketization encroaches on traditional humanitarianism, it seems everything may have a price - from access and principles, to moral authority and lives. [200 Seiten, Softcover]

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Humanitarian Business

Weiss, Thomas G. — 21 Jan 2013 08:17:55 +0100

With some 50 billion people living under duress and threatened by wars and disasters in 2012, the demand for relief worldwide has reached unprecedented levels. Humanitarianism is now a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and aid agencies are obliged to respond to a range of economic forces in order to 'stay in business'. In his customarily hard-hitting analysis, Thomas G. Weiss offers penetrating insights into the complexities and challenges of the contemporary humanitarian marketplace. In addition to changing political and military conditions that generate demand for aid, private suppliers have changed too. Today's political economy places aid agencies side-by-side with for-profit businesses, including private military and security companies, in a marketplace that also is linked to global trade networks in illicit arms, natural resources, and drugs. This witch's brew is simmering in the cauldron of wars that are often protracted and always costly to civilians who are the very targets of violence. While belligerents put a price-tag on access to victims, aid agencies pursue branding in a competition for 'scarce' resources relative to the staggering needs. As marketization encroaches on traditional humanitarianism, it seems everything may have a priceÑfrom access and principles, to moral authority and lives. [200 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Mexican Mosaic

Buchenau, Jürgen — 9 Jan 2013 08:19:55 +0100

Our new brief text highlights Mexico's stunning geographical, ethnic, and social diversity. In the sixteenth century, diseases brought by the Spanish conquerors wiped out almost 90 per cent of the indigenous population. Since then, Mexico - first as a colony of Spain and, after 1821, as an independent nation - has exported thousands of tons of silver, affecting currencies and prices as far away as China and India. In the century following independence, Mexico was invaded six times by three different European nations (Britain, France, and Spain) as well as the United States, the latter conflict resulting in the loss of half of Mexico's territory. More recently, Mexico has played an ever more important part in the world economy. Focused primarily on the period since independence in 1821, this brief text effectively summarizes Mexico's rich history, delineating some of the major processes at the national level and hinting at regional and local counter-currents. [164 Seiten, Softcover]

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Locke

Pyle, A. J. — 17 Dec 2012 08:18:20 +0100

John Locke (1632-1704) has a good claim to the title of the greatest ever English philosopher, and was a founding father of both the empiricist tradition in philosophy and the liberal tradition in politics. This new book provides an accessible introduction to Locke's thought. Although its primary focus is on the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, it also discusses the Two Treatises on Government, the Essay on Toleration, and the Reasonableness of Christianity, and draws on materials from Locke's correspondence and notebooks to shed light on the contexts of these major works. Locke's arguments for his central claims are subjected to close scrutiny, and his replies to his main critics evaluated. A.J. Pyle takes as his guiding theme Locke's own maxim, that God has given humans enough knowledge for our needs. The philosopher who emerges from these pages is a strikingly modern figure, anti-metaphysical in his attitude both to science and to theology, anti-authoritarian in his politics, and cautiously optimistic about human progress. Locke is indeed one of the founding figures of the Enlightenment, but for Pyle the Lockean Enlightenment is a modest affair of slow and hesitant groping towards the light. As well as serving as an introduction to Locke for students, the book also helps to correct a number of significant errors and misunderstandings that have marred our understanding of Locke and will spark discussion and debate amongst scholars of his work. [224 Seiten, Softcover]

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Locke

Pyle, A. J. — 17 Dec 2012 08:18:19 +0100

US Foreign Policy in Action

Lantis, Jeffrey S. — 17 Dec 2012 08:18:05 +0100

This engaging teaching text on United States foreign policy interprets the foreign policy decision-making process through the lens of political debate and exchange. It introduces historical developments and theories of U.S. foreign policy and features critical analysis of contemporary trends in U.S. foreign policy, including debates in the Obama administration. It contains new and innovative participatory learning exercises exploring a range of themes including executive/ legislature conflict and extensive teaching and learning applications, including discussion questions, document templates, worksheets, suggested readings, and links to web resources. [356 Seiten, Softcover]

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US Foreign Policy in Action

Lantis, Jeffrey S. — 17 Dec 2012 08:18:04 +0100

This innovative teaching text on United States foreign policy interprets the foreign policy decision-making process through the lens of political debate and exchange. It introduces historical developments and theories of U.S. foreign policy and engages students in the politics of the foreign policy process through innovative learning exercises. * Features critical analysis of contemporary trends in U.S. foreign policy, including debates in the Obama administration, foreign policy and the 2012 presidential election, and reaction to the Arab Spring * Written by an award-winning teacher-scholar in international relations, with extensive experience in both policy making and pedagogy * Views foreign policy decision making through the lends of political debate * Offers fresh perspectives on historical developments as well as surveying prominent foreign policy theories * Includes new and innovative participatory learning exercises exploring a range of themes including executive/ legislature conflict * Contains extensive teaching and learning applications, including discussion questions, document templates, worksheets, suggested readings, and links to web resources throughout [356 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Was Hitler Ill?

Eberle, Henrik / Neumann, Hans-Joachim — 10 Dec 2012 08:21:06 +0100

Four months after the end of the war, Hitler's personal physician Theo Morell stated to his fellow prisoner Karl Brandt: In fact, Hitler was never sick. Brandt, who had been responsible for the euthanasia killings and was thus deeply implicated in the crimes of the Nazi regime, disagreed. He claimed that Morell had pumped the Führer full of drugs and was now merely attempting to justify his actions. In his opinion, Morell had turned Hitler into a physical wreck. The image of a decrepit and drug-dependent psychopath in the Reich Chancellery bunker is one of the most enduring myths about Hitler. It provides a simple explanation for his actions: who but a sick man could have ordered the killing of millions of people? Hans-Joachim Neumann and Henrik Eberle study this question and seek answers in the detailed notes and diaries left by Morell, in medical reports, pharmacological analyses and interviews with eye witnesses. Their conclusions are clear and definitive. [300 Seiten, Hardcover]

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A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought

Balot, Ryan K. (ed.) — 10 Dec 2012 08:19:49 +0100

This Companion illuminates Greek and Roman political thought in all its range, diversity, and depth. Thirty-four essays from leading scholars in history, classics, philosophy, and political science provide stimulating discussions of classical political thought, ranging from the Archaic Greek epics to the final days of the Roman Empire and beyond. An authoritative guide to the ancient Greek and Roman political questions that continue to shape and challenge the modern world, these essays strike a judicious, yet thought-provoking, balance between theoretical and historical perspectives. [688 Seiten, Softcover]

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Intelligence in an Insecure World

Gill, Peter / Phythian, Mark — 21 Nov 2012 08:17:47 +0100

Over a decade on from the terrorist attacks of 9/11, intelligence continues to be of central importance to the contemporary world. Today there is a growing awareness of the importance of intelligence, and an increasing investment in it, as individuals, groups, organizations and states all seek timely and actionable information in order to increase their sense of security. But what exactly is intelligence? Who seeks to develop it and how? What happens to intelligence once it is produced, and what dilemmas does this generate? How can liberal democracies seek to mitigate problems of intelligence, and what do we mean by intelligence failure?' In a fully revised and expanded new edition of their classic guide to the field, Peter Gill and Mark Phythian explore these and other questions. Together they set out a comprehensive framework for the study of intelligence, discussing how 'intelligence' can best be understood, how it is collected, analysed, disseminated and acted upon, how it raises ethical problems, and how and why it fails. Drawing on a range of contemporary examples, Intelligence in an Insecure World is an authoritative and accessible guide to a rapidly expanding area of enquiry - one which everyone has an interest in understanding. [272 Seiten, Hardcover]

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Philosophical Political Profiles

Habermas, Jurgen — 14 Nov 2012 08:17:32 +0100

At the hands of a minor talent, profiles are often flat, two-dimensional outlines of a thinker's intellectual physiognomy. At the hands of a master like Jürgen Habermas, they can become something far more substantial and profound. With astonishing economy, Habermas sketches his impressions of the giants of recent German thought, several of whom were his personal mentors. For those of his readers accustomed to the demandingly abstract level of his theoretical work, the results will prove a welcome surprise. Without sacrificing any of the rigor and brilliance of those longer studies, he displays a remarkable ability to combine depth with brevity. Philosophical-Political Profiles not only adds a new dimension to our understanding of the intellectual odyssey of Germany's leading contemporary thinker but also provides a series of stunning insights into the thought of the generation that preceded him. Martin Jay, University of California, Berkley With enormous sensitivity, judiciousness, and critical insight, Habermas engages in dialogue with many of the leading German-trained intellectuals of our time-including Heidegger, Jaspers, Löwith, Bloch, Adorno, Benjamin, Marcuse, Arendt, Gadamer, Scholem, and others. These essays range over the most central and vital issues of contemporary life. Whether dealing with Jewish mysticism or critiques of modernity, Habermas is always illuminating and incisive. These essays can serve as an excellent introduction to his thinking. They also help to situate his theoretical work by revealing his deepest concerns. Richard Bernstein, The New School for Social Research [216 Seiten, Softcover]

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