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Nationalism
Nationalism is one of the most pressing of global problems, exacerbating ethnic conflicts and encouraging war. It is also influential in defining the rights of democratic citizenship, and a source of inspiration and social solidarity. A way of conceiving identities that is fundamental to the modern world, nationalism is distinct from both kinship and ethnicity. It is an international discourse that shapes domestic politics as well as relations between states. Drawing on examples from Eritrea, Yugoslavia and China to France and Germany this book clarifies the way in which national boundaries and identities became central to the modern era, how they relate to development of state power, and how a host of different social movements and government policies try to make use of them. At the same time, the author also challenges attempts to "debunk" nationalism that fail to grasp why it maintains its power and centrality in modern life.
Understanding September 11
Some of the nation's most respected thinkers share their insights into the attacks of September 11, including Robert O. Keohane, David Heid, Saskia Sassen, Olivier Roy, and many others. Original.
Neither Gods nor Emperors
"We want neither gods nor emperors", went the words from the Chinese version of The Internationale. Students sang the old socialist song as they gathered in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in the Spring of 1989. Craig Calhoun, a sociologist who witnessed the monumental event, offers a vivid, carefully crafted analysis of the student movement, its complex leadership, its eventual suppression, and its continuing legacy. "We want neither gods nor emperors", went the words from the Chinese version of The Internationale. Students sang the old socialist song as they gathered in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in the Spring of 1989. Craig Calhoun, a sociologist who witnessed the m
The Politics of Biography in Africa
Bringing together historians, political scientists, and literary analysts, this volume shows how biographical narratives can shed light on alternative, little known or under-researched aspects of state power in African politics. Part 1 shows how biographical narratives breathe new life into subjects who, upon decolonization, had been reduced to silence - women, workers, and radical politicians. The contributors analyze the complex relationship between biographical narratives and power, questioning either the power of biographical codes peculiar to western, colonial origins, or the power to shape public memory. Part 2 reflects on the act of (auto-)biography writing as an exercise of power, on...
The Meaning of Religious Freedom in the Public Square
This book offers a new perspective on religious freedom. Its central theme is to elucidate the meaning of religion and freedom in discussions related to religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square. One often hears that either religion must be tamed by restricting its access to public power, or that in the name of neutrality and equality no religious reasoning may be used in the political sphere, as it may be coercive to other worldviews. There is also the idea that “religion” is a feature of human life essentially distinct from “secular” features such as politics and economics, and which has a peculiarly dangerous inclination to promote violence. Thus, the meaning of religious freedom in the twenty-first century seems uncertain. For that reason, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of religious freedom, especially in relation to the public sphere, in order to offer an answer that will guide us in discerning issues of religious freedom.
Above the Fray
From Lake Chad to Iraq, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) provide relief around the globe, and their scope is growing every year. Policy makers and activists often assume that humanitarian aid is best provided by these organizations, which are generally seen as impartial and neutral. In Above the Fray, Shai M. Dromi investigates why the international community overwhelmingly trusts humanitarian NGOs by looking at the historical development of their culture. With a particular focus on the Red Cross, Dromi reveals that NGOs arose because of the efforts of orthodox Calvinists, demonstrating for the first time the origins of the unusual moral culture that has supported NGOs for the past 150 y...
The Shi'ites of Lebanon
The complex history of Lebanese Shi‘ites has traditionally been portrayed as rooted in religious and sectarian forces. The Abisaabs uncover a more nuanced account in which colonialism, the modern state, social class, and provincial politics profoundly shaped Shi‘i society. The authors trace the sociopolitical, economic, and intellectual transformation of the Shi‘ites of Lebanon from 1920 during the French colonial period until the late twentieth century. They shed light on the relationship of contemporary Islamic militancy with traditions of religious modernism and leftism in both Lebanon and Iraq. Analyzing the interaction between sacred and secular features of modern Shi‘ite society, the authors clearly follow the group’s turn toward religious revolution and away from secular activism. This book transforms our understanding of twentieth-century Lebanese history and demonstrates how the rise of Hizbullah was conditioned by Shi‘ites’ consistent marginalization and neglect by the Lebanese state.
Secular Assemblages
In this book, Marek Sullivan challenges a widespread consensus linking secularization to rationalization, and argues for a more sensual genealogy of secularity connected to affect, race and power. While existing works of secular intellectual history, especially Charles Taylor's A Secular Age (2007), tend to rely on rationalistic conceptions of Enlightenment thought, Sullivan offers an alternative perspective on key thinkers such as Descartes, Montesquieu and Diderot, asserting that these figures sought to reinstate emotion against the rationalistic tendencies of the past. From Descartes's last work Les Passions de l'Âme (1649) to Baron d'Holbach's System of Nature (1770), the French Enlight...
Transnational Humans and Transnationalisms in the Humanities
This unique anthology from scholars across the humanities and allied fields presents a vivid picture of the state of scholarship on transnationalism today. Are we living in a transnational world? The 900 percent rise in the use of “transnationalism” in publications since 1995 testifies to a defining phenomenon. International migration has increased two-thirds since 1980, and the global circulation of capital, media, and culture has intensified, provoking nationalist political backlash worldwide. This collection of studies on exile, social science, indigeneity, gender activism, music and dance, gangs, sex work, narcofiction, and cinema examines how transnational forces influence racial di...
Social Work for Sociologists
Social Work for Sociologists introduces important frameworks, concepts, models, and skills from social work that will help sociologists as they plan their human service careers and will prepare them to tackle social problems with practical solutions.
