- Table View
- List View
Political Epistemics: The Secret Police, the Opposition, and the End of East German Socialism (Chicago Studies in Practices of Meaning)
by Andreas GlaeserWhat does the durability of political institutions have to do with how actors form knowledge about them? Andreas Glaeser investigates this question in the context of a fascinating historical case: socialist East Germany’s unexpected self-dissolution in 1989. His analysis builds on extensive in-depth interviews with former secret police officers and the dissidents they tried to control as well as research into the documents both groups produced. In particular, Glaeser analyzes how these two opposing factions’ understanding of the socialist project came to change in response to countless everyday experiences. These investigations culminate in answers to two questions: why did the officers not defend socialism by force? And how was the formation of dissident understandings possible in a state that monopolized mass communication and group formation? He also explores why the Stasi, although always well informed about dissident activities, never developed a realistic understanding of the phenomenon of dissidence. Out of this ambitious study, Glaeser extracts two distinct lines of thought. On the one hand he offers an epistemic account of socialism’s failure that differs markedly from existing explanations. On the other hand he develops a theory—a sociology of understanding—that shows us how knowledge can appear validated while it is at the same time completely misleading.
Political Ethnography: What Immersion Contributes to the Study of Power
by Edward SchatzScholars of politics have sought in recent years to make the discipline more hospitable to qualitative methods of research. Lauding the results of this effort and highlighting its potential for the future,Political Ethnography makes a compelling case for one such method in particular. Ethnography, the contributors amply demonstrate in a wide range of original essays, is uniquely suited for illuminating the study of politics. Situating these pieces within the context of developments in political science, Edward Schatz provides an overarching introduction and substantive prefaces to each of the volume's four sections. The first of these parts addresses the central ontological and epistemological issues raised by ethnographic work, while the second grapples with the reality that all research is conducted from a first-person perspective. The third section goes on to explore how ethnographic research can provide fresh perspectives on such perennial topics as opinion, causality, and power. Concluding that political ethnography can and should play a central role in the field as a whole, the final chapters illuminate the many ways in which ethnographic approaches can enhance, improve, and, in some areas, transform the study of politics.
Political Extremism in Democracies
by William M. DownsWhen political 'extremists' - organized into parties that compete openly and successfully in democratic elections - enter the conventional institutional arena, how do mainstream actors react? This book deals with understanding how democracies respond to party-based extremism and with what consequences.
Political Faultlines in the Middle East
by Kingshuk ChatterjeeThe region of the Middle East is beset with a structural crisis of which particular crises confronting the component countries happen to be merely subsets. The real questions revolve round the issue of how long can the present dispensations of power and social structures in the region forged in the twentieth century (first half or second) can last in the twenty-first, when they no longer reflect the realities on the ground. This volume aims to look at some of the issues to see how the faultlines in the region appear in 2020 to both those in the region, and those outside it. The volume limits itself to only Levant and the Gulf and looks at the tensions within and policies (both foreign and domestic) of some of the key regional players which have regional repercussions. It also looks at the policies of some of the global players operating in the region that have bearing on the regional faultlines. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)
Political Financing in Developing Countries: A Case from Ghana (Routledge Explorations in Development Studies)
by Joseph LunaThis book argues that to fully grasp the decision-making of politicians and political actors in developing countries, we must first understand how politicians finance their campaigns for office—and to whom they are indebted and expected to repay. Political Financing in Developing Countries focuses on Ghana in depth, a country often held up as an example of a successful, two-party democracy with regular party changes in government. However, it is unlikely that candidates and political parties are wealthy enough to finance the increasing costs of campaigns and constituent demands, and successful democratic outcomes could be masking a system that actually hinders development progress. Drawing on nearly 200 interviews and extensive fieldwork, this book posits that political funds are extracted by an iron square of politicians, bureaucrats, construction contractors, and political-party chairs which rigs the procurement of local-development projects to generate kickbacks. The iron square remains robust across party changes in government due to reciprocity obligations that minimize contractors’ income risks. Ultimately, this web of kickbacks diminishes the quality of development by reducing the funds available for projects and distorting incentives to monitor projects. To break this iron square, the book recommends replacing sealed-bid procurement—a "best practice" that ignores on-the-ground realities—with a system that accounts for income stabilization and social obligations. Overall, the book argues that scholars of development should advance research on political finance to identify and then alleviate the games that decision makers must play to survive in the political sphere. Political Financing in Developing Countries will be an important and timely resource for scholars across development studies, politics, economics, and African Studies.
Political Frontiers and Boundaries (Routledge Library Editions: Political Geography)
by J. R. PrescottThis classic work is a comprehensive treatment of the world’s political frontiers and boundaries, and includes sections on boundaries in the air as well as chapters treating the subject in a regional manner, covering the continents in terms of the evolution of boundaries.
Political Frontiers, Ethnic Boundaries and Human Geographies in Chinese History
by Nicola Di Cosmo Don J. WyattBoundaries - demanding physical space, enclosing political entities, and distinguishing social or ethnic groups - constitute an essential aspect of historical investigation. It is especially with regard to disciplinary pluralism and historical breadth that this book most clearly departs and distinguishes itself from other works on Chinese boundaries and ethnicity. In addition to history, the disciplines represented in this book include anthropology (particularly ethnography), religion, art history, and literary studies. Each of the authors focuses on a distinct period, beginning with the Zhou dynasty (c. 1100 BCE) and ending with the early centuries after the Manchu conquest (c. CE 1800) - resulting in a chronological sweep of nearly three millennia.
Political Geography (Routledge Contemporary Human Geography Series)
by Mark BlacksellIn 1904 Sir Halford Mackinder published his seminal paper The Geographical Pivot of History demonstrating the central position of political geography in the study of geography as a whole; a century later and political geography is still at the heart of human geography. Yet over time political geography has experienced many significant ups and downs, eventually recovering to a position of renewed pre-eminence as the last century drew to a close. This fascinating journey, charted by this equally fascinating book, forms a key part of the history of the evolution of spatial science. Beyond a narrative, the book provides an introduction to all the complex elements that constitute political geography today. Organized in three distinct sections, it covers: process and patterns ideology and geopolitical visions beyond the state. Tackling key contemporary issues (such as politics and the local state), as well as more traditional topics (such as state formation and international relations), this thought-provoking book covers the range of theoretical approaches. Including many original maps and diagrams which skilfully illustrate key themes, this book is a concise, student-friendly, pedagogically rich introduction for students of geography, political science and world affairs.
Political Geography in Practice: Theories, Approaches, Methodologies
by Kimberley Peters Caroline Nagel Kevin Grove Filippo MengaThis innovative textbook on the theories, approaches and methodologies that inform political geography is brought together by past and present editors of the journal of the same name. The book fills the current gap in the literature through a reflection on the ‘doing’ of political geography: its very practice. The book includes chapters authored by leading and emerging voices in the field and covers themes to guide students across various degree levels, as well as university staff and faculty, in a logical and practical manner. The textbook allows students to develop critical thinking and reflect on important aspects of the practice of the sub-discipline. It presents how theories, approaches and methodologies are adopted by researchers in practice, equipping political geographers at all stages to develop their own individual research projects. Download the SN More Media app for free, scan a link with play button and access audio directly on your smartphone or tablet.
Political Geography of Cities and Regions: Changing Legitimacy and Identity (Routledge Advances in Regional Economics, Science and Policy)
by Kees TerlouwThis monograph presents a novel typology of relational and territorial perspectives on legitimacy and identity. This typology is then applied to two different political and historical contexts, namely the trajectories of the Amsterdam metropolitan region in the Netherlands and the Ruhr metropolitan region in Germany. The historical discussion spans 500 years, providing valuable depth to the study. Taken as a whole, the book provides a new perspective within the territorial-relational dichotomy and the geographies of discontent debate. Its key insights are that identity and political legitimacy is embedded in history, and that both relational and territorial perspectives on these issues are time and place dependent. This book will be stimulating reading for advanced students, researchers and policymakers working in political geography, human geography, regional studies, and broader social and political sciences.
Political Geography: A Critical Introduction (Critical Introductions to Geography)
by Sara SmithBrings political geography to life—explores key concepts, critical debates, and contemporary research in the field. Political geography is the study of how power struggles both shape and are shaped by the places in which they occur—the spatial nature of political power. Political Geography: A Critical Introduction helps students understand how power is related to space, place, and territory, illustrating how everyday life and the world of global conflict and nation-states are inextricably intertwined. This timely, engaging textbook weaves critical, postcolonial, and feminist narratives throughout its exploration of key concepts in the discipline. Accessible to students new to the field, this text offers critical approaches to political geography—including questions of gender, sexuality, race, and difference—and explains central political concepts such as citizenship, security, and territory in a geographic context. Case studies incorporate methodologies that illustrate how political geographers perform research, enabling students to develop a well-rounded critical approach rather than merely focusing on results. Chapters cover topics including the role of nationalism in shaping allegiances, the spatial aspects of social movements and urban politics, the relationship between international relations and security, the effects of non-human actors in politics, and more. Global in scope, this book: Highlights a diverse range of globally-oriented issues, such as global inequality, that demonstrate the need for critical political geography Demonstrates how critiques of political geography intersect with decolonial, feminist, and queer movements Covers the Eurocentric origins of many of the discipline’s key concepts Integrates advances in political geography theory and firsthand accounts of innovative research from rising scholars in the field Explores both intimate stories from everyday life and abstract concepts central to contemporary political geography Political Geography: A Critical Introduction is an ideal resource for students in political and feminist geography, as well as graduate students and researchers seeking an overview of the discipline.
Political Geography: Approaches, Concepts, Futures
by Rachael Squire Anna JackmanThis innovative and thought-provoking text will teach you about the diverse and increasingly expansive sub-discipline of geopolitics. Divided into three sections, Political Geography draws on case studies from a diverse range of scales, contexts, and demographics, to introduce you to the key approaches, concepts, and futures of geopolitics. You will cover an extensive range of key topics in Political Geography, from feminist geopolitics to non-human worlds, and nationalism to peace and resistance. Throughout this first edition you will apply various theoretical lenses, utilise a wide range of examples both past and present, and draw on cutting edge scholarship to reinvigorate your understanding of important themes such as the state, borders, and territory. Based on the award-winning course at RHUL, Politcal Geography includes a variety of sites, spaces, materials, and images alongside ‘In the field’ tips, ideas for practical dissertation research, and tasks to facilitate active follow-on learning. Case studies, key terms, key questions and learning exercises, and annotated readings are included throughout every chapter to aid understanding and help you to engage and reflect on the content. Designed as a core text for undergraduates and an introductory text for postgraduates with an interest in Political Geography. Rachael Squire is lecturer in Human Geography at Royal Holloway University of London Anna Jackman is lecturer in Human Geography at University of Reading
Political Geography: Approaches, Concepts, Futures
by Rachael Squire Anna JackmanThis innovative and thought-provoking text will teach you about the diverse and increasingly expansive sub-discipline of geopolitics. Divided into three sections, Political Geography draws on case studies from a diverse range of scales, contexts, and demographics, to introduce you to the key approaches, concepts, and futures of geopolitics. You will cover an extensive range of key topics in Political Geography, from feminist geopolitics to non-human worlds, and nationalism to peace and resistance. Throughout this first edition you will apply various theoretical lenses, utilise a wide range of examples both past and present, and draw on cutting edge scholarship to reinvigorate your understanding of important themes such as the state, borders, and territory. Based on the award-winning course at RHUL, Politcal Geography includes a variety of sites, spaces, materials, and images alongside ‘In the field’ tips, ideas for practical dissertation research, and tasks to facilitate active follow-on learning. Case studies, key terms, key questions and learning exercises, and annotated readings are included throughout every chapter to aid understanding and help you to engage and reflect on the content. Designed as a core text for undergraduates and an introductory text for postgraduates with an interest in Political Geography. Rachael Squire is lecturer in Human Geography at Royal Holloway University of London Anna Jackman is lecturer in Human Geography at University of Reading
Political Geography: World-Economy, Nation-State and Locality (Routledge Library Editions: Political Geography Ser.)
by Peter J. Taylor Colin FlintThe new and updated seventh edition of Political Geography once again shows itself fit to tackle a frequently and rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. It retains the intellectual clarity, rigour and vision of previous editions based upon its world-systems approach, and is complemented by the perspective of feminist geography. The book successfully integrates the complexity of individuals with the complexity of the world-economy by merging the compatible, but different, research agendas of the co-authors. This edition explores the importance of states in corporate globalization, challenges to this globalization, and the increasingly influential role of China. It also discusses the dynamics of the capitalist world-economy and the constant tension between the global scale of economic processes and the territorialization of politics in the current context of geopolitical change. The chapters have been updated with new examples – new sections on art and war, intimate geopolitics and geopolitical constructs reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the academic study of the subject. Sections have been updated and added to the material of the previous edition to reflect the role of the so-called Islamic State in global geopolitics. The book offers a framework to help students make their own judgements of how we got where we are today, and what may or should be done about it. Political Geography remains a core text for students of political geography, geopolitics, international relations and political science, as well as more broadly across human geography and the social sciences.
Political Geography: World-Economy, Nation-State, and Locality
by Colin Flint Peter J. TaylorThe new and updated eighth edition of Political Geography once again shows itself fit to tackle a frequently and rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. It retains the intellectual clarity, rigour, and vision of previous editions based upon its world-systems approach and is complemented by the perspective of feminist geography. The book successfully integrates the complexity of individuals with the complexity of the world-economy by merging the compatible, but different, research agendas of the co-authors.This edition explores political geography within the context of US–China competition, Russia’s war with Ukraine, global climate change, new technologies, and challenges to democracy. It advances the discussion from the previous editions on the dynamics of the capitalist world-economy and the constant tension between the global scale of economic processes and the territorialization of politics in the current context of geopolitical change. The chapters have been updated with new examples – new sections on global climate change, populism, and the growing threat of global war. The book offers a framework to help students make their own judgements of how we got where we are today, and what may or should be done about it.Political Geography remains a core text for students of political geography, geopolitics, international relations, and political science, as well as more broadly across human geography and the social sciences.
Political Geography: World-economy, Nation-state and Locality (Routledge Library Editions: Political Geography Ser.)
by Peter J. Taylor Colin FlintWe live in a rapidly changing world in which politics is becoming both more and less predictable at the same time: this makes political geography a particularly exciting topic to study. To make sense of the continuities and disruptions within this political world requires a strongly focused yet flexible text. This new (sixth) edition of Peter Taylor's Political Geography proves itself fit for the task of coping with a frequently and rapidly changing geo-political landscape. Co-authored again with Colin Flint, it retains the intellectual clarity, rigour and vision of previous editions, based upon its world-systems approach. Reflecting the backdrop of the current global climate, this is the Empire, globalization and climate change edition in which global political change is being driven by three related processes: the role of cities in economic and political networks; the problems facing territorially based notions of democratic politics and citizenship, and the ongoing spectre of war.This sixth edition remains a core text for students of political geography, geopolitics, international relations and political science, as well as more broadly across human geography and the social sciences.
Political Geology: Active Stratigraphies And The Making Of Life
by Adam Bobbette Amy DonovanThis book explores the emerging field of political geology, an area of study dedicated to understanding the cross-sections between geology and politics. It considers how geological forces such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and unstable ground are political forces and how political forces have an impact on the earth. Together the authors seek to understand how the geos has been known, spoken for, captured, controlled and represented while creating the active underlying strata for producing worlds. This comprehensive collection covers a variety of interdisciplinary topics including the history of the geological sciences, non-Western theories of geology, the origin of the earth, and the relationship between humans and nature. It includes chapters that re-think the earth’s ‘geostory’ as well as case studies on the politics of earthquakes in Mexico city, shamans on an Indonesian volcano, geologists at Oxford, and eroding islands in Japan. In each case political geology is attentive to the encounters between political projects and the generative geological materials that are enlisted and often slip, liquefy or erode away. This book will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners across the political and geographical sciences, as well as to philosophers of science, anthropologists and sociologists more broadly.
Political Governance and Minority Rights: The South and South-East Asian Scenario
by Lipi GhoshThis volume brings together a collection of essays analysing the current scenario in South and Southeast Asia with respect to the position of minority groups. Based on an in-depth investigation of some of the lasting minority–majority conflicts of the post-colonial period in countries that often escape comparison, the articles are a rich and critical exposition of the social, economic, cultural and political dimensions of these struggles. The central question being addressed is that of community rights in the modern nation-state and how these are being understood by the two concerned parties and, where and when, thereof, a situation of conflict arose.
Political Governance and the African Peer Review Mechanism: A Comparative Analysis (Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development)
by Omololu Fagbadebo Isioma U. IleThis book presents a comparative analysis of political governance and includes case studies from various African countries. It further sheds light on the paradox of poverty despite Africa's plentiful resources and traces its roots in historical legacies of colonialism and leadership failures. The book examines the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) initiated by the African Union (AU) in 2003 and explores the APRM's role in promoting sustainable development, political stability, and integration. Against this background, the book dissects the four thematic areas of the APRM, with a focal point on democratic and political governance, illuminating challenges and proposing solutions. In case studies on selected African countries, contributors present governance structures, highlighting the struggle for accountability, representation, and public participation. The book highlights alarming indicators of weak governance, including corruption and declining public engagement, and reflects Africa's journey toward effective governance. By doing so, the book scrutinizes African governing systems' responses to crises and offers valuable insights into the continent's quest for progress and transformation.
Political Governance in Post-Genocide Rwanda
by Filip ReyntjensFilip Reyntjens's new book analyzes political governance in post-genocide Rwanda and focuses on the rise of the authoritarian Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the RPF has employed various means - rigged elections, elimination of opposition parties and civil society, legislation outlawing dissenting opinions, and terrorism - to consolidate power and perpetuate its position as the nation's ruling party. Although many international observers have hailed Rwanda as a 'success story' for its technocratic governance, societal reforms, and economic development, Reyntjens complicates this picture by casting light on the regime's human rights abuses, social engineering projects, information management schemes, and retributive justice system.
Political History of Japan During the Meiji Era, 1867-1912: 1867 1912 (classic Reprint)
by Walter Wallace McLarenFirst Published in 1966. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Political Identity in Discourse: The Voices of New Zealand Voters
by Jay M. WoodhamsThis book takes an innovative view of language and politics, charting the terrain of political identities and discourses in New Zealand through detailed linguistic analysis of interactions with its voters. The author first sets out the geographical and sociopolitical context, examining how the constraints of a small and isolated country interact with widespread social values such as egalitarianism. He then delves into the multiple nature of identities and explores how Kiwis form their political selves through informal talk with others and in engagement with their physical and discursive surroundings. In doing so, the author provides an in-depth exploration of New Zealand political culture, identity and discourse, and sheds light on how we use language to become political people. This book will be of interest to linguists, political scientists and sociologists working with discourse analysis.
Political Ideology and Social Work
by Mitchell RosenwaldSocial workers encounter politically fraught issues in many aspects of their professional lives. They must make decisions that touch on topics such as abortion, family planning, end-of-life care, immigration rights, economic assistance, and racial inequality, among many others. How do personal political beliefs influence social workers’ education and training, practice with clients and communities, and efforts to achieve social change?Mitchell Rosenwald provides a comprehensive examination of the role of politics in the social work profession. He discusses how political ideology relates to social work education and practice at all levels, identifying and analyzing the strands of thought that have shaped the profession’s history up to the present day. This book examines how social workers strive to balance their personal views with the professional obligation to provide therapy, case management, and information and referral to their clients. It explores how the social work profession struggles to encourage and support political diversity among its members and what happens when an individual’s political beliefs challenge commonly held attitudes. Considering both clinical and policy work, Political Ideology and Social Work also offers recommendations for encouraging political reconciliation in order to strengthen the profession.
Political Inequality in an Age of Democracy: Cross-national Perspectives (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by Joshua Kjerulf DubrowThe world has witnessed the creation of new democracies and the maturing of old ones. Yet, everywhere there is democracy, there is also political inequality. Voices of everyday folk struggle to be heard; often, they keep silent. Governments respond mostly to the influential and the already privileged. Our age of democracy, then, is the old age of inequality. This book builds on U.S. scholarship on the topic of political inequality to understand its forms, causes and consequences around the world. Comprised of nine theoretical, methodological and empirical chapters, this path-creating edited collection contains original works by both established and young, up-and-coming social scientists, including those from Latin America, Eastern Europe, Greece and the U.S. Political Inequality in an Age of Democracy addresses the present and future of the concept of political inequality from multi-disciplinary and cross-national perspectives.
Political Institutions and Lesbian and Gay Rights in the United States and Canada (Routledge Studies in North American Politics)
by Miriam SmithLesbian and gay citizens today enjoy a much broader array of rights and obligations and a greater ability to live their lives openly in both the U.S. and Canada. However, while human rights protections have been exponentially expanded in Canada over the last twenty years, even basic protections in areas such as employment discrimination are still unavailable to many in the United States. This book examines why these similar societies have produced such divergent policy outcomes, focusing on how differences between the political institutions of the U.S. and Canada have shaped the terrain of social movement and counter-movement mobilization. It analyzes cross-national variance in public policies toward lesbians and gay men, especially in the areas of the decriminalization of sodomy, the passage of anti-discrimination laws, and the enactment of measures to recognize same-sex relationships. For political science, sociology, and queer studies alike, this book will prove vital as movements for lesbian and gay rights continue to recast the social landscape in North America and beyond.