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In today's European arts and sciences most of the time we see not only other, but also our own cultural traditions and the different forms of modernity like a dim image in a mirror. And the future of our own and other cultures seems to be shrouded in mystery, because our gift of knowledge and inspired messages are only partial. The question this book addresses is whether it is possible to get an almost face-to-face intimacy with various forms of cultural tradition and modernity by using our experiences and our powers of imagination, i.e. our expectations, in a more fruitful way.The contributors to this book try to give answers to this weighty question by taking as a guideline Erasmus's famous motto "ad fontes, i.e. always go to the sources. Without, however, nursing the illusion that our partial knowledge will ever be complete. Is there, they ask, a real chasm between the 'modern' West and the 'traditional' East, as so many authors have argued? And if so, how deep is the chasm and how is it to be bridged? How much do people in the West know about their own cultural tradition and the modern times they live in? How much do they know of the traditions and the modernities of the East and how much do they need to know in order to cope with what the future will probably bring? Are our images of cultural tradition and modernity in East and West, in Past and Present so blurred that we look at them as through a glass, darkly? What the contributors to this book argue for is the necessity of looking at developments both in East and West, both in Past and Present from a wider perspective, of taking a global point of departure. They argue for greater understanding and communication betweencultures, for cultural pluralism (as distinct from cultural relativism). They argue for the open, tolerant, non-dogmatic and critical thought that was the most important characteristic of Erasmus's philosophy.The chapters in this book can be useful to a broad audience and a

Kings into Gods: How Prostration Shaped Eurasian Civilizations investigates the reasons why men prostrate themselves before deities or before powerful men.

Political Trust and Disenchantment with Politics contributes fresh empirical findings to research on the relationship between trust and participation. The results indicate that the citizens of European societies and beyond are far from an universal retreat from the political sphere.

This book measures the current institutional and political realities surrounding globalization against philosophical ideals. Though the contributors share no particular orthodoxy, they do share the conviction that human responsibility is possible in circumstances that often appear to deny human agency.

This anthology unites in one volume two studies of the Greater Middle East in global politics - each conceptual and empirical. First, it is a historical-comparative study of politics and societies in selected Greater Middle Eastern countries. Second, it is an empirical case study of states and societies of the Greater Middle East in global politics.

Transnational society is a new field of study, just as brain circulation is a new development strategy for the global South. This book contributes to the growing scholarship on transnational society and brain circulation, thus highlighting the dynamic social practices already underway

Based on the data from the European and World Values Studies, this volume discuss basic theoretical and methodological issues of value research and focus on some the most basic processes of value change: cultural globalization, individualization, secularization and democratization.

This book covers the origins of Eurasianism, dwells on Eurasianism's major philosophical paradigms, and places Eurasianism in the context of the development of Polish and Turkish thought. The final part deals with the modern modification of Eurasianism. The book should be of great interest to those who are interested in Russian/European and Asian history area studies.

The book traverses different historical periods, geographic zones and academic disciplines - all to explore the issues surrounding and the answers to one question: to what extent should Japan be regarded as a model and/or a partner in Africa's effort to develop?

The analysis focuses on the low esteem for politicians, their vulnerability, the concept of associated-rivals, the nexus-judges-journalists and the civil death of politicians under judicial investigations.

This text is about the indigenous Nyoongar people of the south-west of Western Australia and their perspectives on racism, which has had a devastating effect on their lives and culture since colonisation; and the multicultural policies that are effective in Australia.The author, and those Nyoongars interviewed, give valuable insight into Aboriginal lives. Their comments reveal how Nyoongar people survived the colonialism, cultural genocide, the horrendous state government policies under which they were forced to exist, the Stolen Generations of children and the loss of their land, identity, culture, and purpose in their lives. Presently, they are fighting for equality and for recognition as being part of the oldest living culture in the world, that of the Australian Aborigines.

Governance is not a topic that easily lends itself to neat and precise definitions. Although concepts and practices of governance are profoundly under-specified, they are frequently associated with three dimensions: how and why governments are structured, what processes they employ in governing, and what results they are able to accomplish in serving their societies. The articles in this book represent a wide range of scholarly interests that extend from the abstract and conceptual to the specific and applied.

According to Durkheim comparative sociology is sociology itself. Comparative criminology goes back to the days of Durkheim, but today it is possible to conduct group comparisons in many settings and with an incredible array of data. This book represents a variety of approaches making comparisons. The emphasis is on creative methods, challenging theory and unusual subject matter. Topics range from Micro-Macro Criminology to Police Strength and from Women Police to Crime Prevention Policies in the UK and the US.

This book gives a critique of the contemporary global capitalist system and the adverse consequences suffered by the developing countries as a result of their 'integration' into this system. The current neoliberal paradigm of capitalist development as the only or the best alternative for the economic, social and political development of the developing countries is rejected. The authors search for more human and ecologically sustainable alternatives, focusing on Latin America, Asia and women.

Ever since the end of China's civil war in 1949, Taiwan has embarked on its own distinct, divergent path of development. In light of its remarkable achievements and inherent difficulties, therefore, Taiwan should not be considered a renegade province of China, but a society with a democratically-elected government that has taken a route different from the rest of China in developing its own cultural norms and values. This book examines the issues of democratic transition, political imprisonment and the political economy in Taiwan.

Most people, and indeed governments, hold the conviction that reforms, rather than revolutions, are likely to produce more appropriate and acceptable results. This is especially true for developing countries. That is because reforms are gradual in their implementation and respectful to past policy fabrics of a society. On the other hand, the simultaneous spread of communication technology, global liberalization of the market, and peripheral homogenization of cultures, have caused extreme tensions in just these developing countries. In this book, scholars from different countries around the world highlight the reforms and the tensions, in the light of the questions: what has been achieved, what has failed, and what is still needed? Experiences from such diverse locations as Nigeria, Ghana, Guatemala, South Korea, Taiwan, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania are combined with more general observations from other countries.

This study, done within the comprehensive Weberian framework, focuses on religion and social change in Bangladesh through an imaginative use of qualitative as well as quantitative methods of modern social research. It is a notable contribution to sociology of Islamic religion.

The collection of papers in "Ascetic Culture: Renunciation and Worldly Engagement was entirely conceived and developed by K. Ishwaran, who died in June 1998. The original concept was to focus on "Tradition and Innovation in Monastic Life in South Asia," a topic which combined two of Ishwaran's major interests: comparative studies of the monastic systems of south Asia, and criticism of Western anthropological and sociological assumptions of tradition and modernity being antithetical, especially with regard to traditional religions.Ishwaran saw this collection of papers as reinforcing the "demise of universalistic projects, all encompassing grand master narratives and similar globally integrative, theoretical or empirical enterprises in social discourse" flowing from the post-structural and post-modernist revolutions in the social sciences. Later he conceived of broadening this topic to be more liberally comparative, to include major religious traditions around the world. The new title was to be "Tradition and Modernity in Monastic orders in Contemporary Societies." Finally, he broadened the theme to the present title of his collection. Taken together, the articles appearing in this book strongly support Ishwaran's theses. First, is the obvious point that eremitism and asceticism are far more complex than commonly understood in the scholarly world. If ever a general understanding of these interrelated phenomena is developed, careful examination not only how they are found in these cultures and traditions but also study of their particular manifestations in individual movements, places, cultures, social groups etc. must take place. The second thesis is clearly established by therange of these papers: ascetic traditions are not only inimical to modernity, they may be found at the heart of certain contemporary social and cultural developments. K. Ishwaran has rendered the study of religion in particular and the social sciences in general an import

The societies of the present world are experiencing many turbulent changes. New forces of change and modernization are driving people, business and cultures across borders. The world has become a home to a new generation of homo sapiens who are curious about others but, at the same time, cherish to preserve their own cultures. What is the nature of this evolving world society? Is the world driving toward a new global civilization--an "end of history"-- or an inevitable civilizational clash? The present volume has brought together leading scholars in the field to examine the concept of globalization, deliberate on the character of its multifaceted nature and expressions, and delineate its impact on theemerging world economy, politics, culture, and science. A number of substantive issues such as the emergence of new global economic inequality, culture and the role of the trans-nationals, nature of the emerging globalenvironmental regimes, rise of the NICs, and the conflicting role of the nation-states in the face of the advancing forces of globalization are addressed. It is contended that globalization should be perceived neither asan unbounded economic progress nor as an expansion of western domination. Globalization is, rather, defined as a new development strategy--a process of change that can be planned, guided, and controlled. For nationalpolitical and business leaders of the world, the volume provides a blueprint of the emerging areas of policy concerns and guidance. For the world of social science, it presents a road-map of the emerging intellectual issuesand challenges.

This book describes how Dutch immigrants became commercial farmers in the Canadian province of Ontario. It addresses the broader question of why the Dutch have an international reputation as successful farmers, and the critical implications of such positive stereotyping.

This book pays attention to poverty, to the increasing subordination of political, social, cultural and ecological domains within society to the economic domain, and to tasks and powers that should be allotted to governments, non-governmental organisations and international corporations.

This book attempts to analyze the civilizational and historical context of the development of the modern revolutions - of the Great Revolutions and of their relations to modernity, to the civilization of modernity, its dynamics and tribulations.

Why is it that French chefs tend to develop a syndrome of professional nostalgia? Educated to work in the most prestigious restaurants, they soon discover another reality in common foodservices and are viewed as having made an egotistical professional choice. Regardless of the improvement in their working conditions, their identity is distorted. This book describes foodservices as a whole, including international and inter-industry comparisons in the sociological field of gastronomical professionals, in an attempt to analyze their identities in different stages and diversities.

This anthology brings together studies of post-colonial, post-Cold War, Central Eurasia. This part of the world is in transition to independent statehood, nation building and the release of market forces. The objective of the work is to better comprehend the process of state-nation building

Culture explains much of the behavioral and institutional differences around the globe. In social science there are many ways of framing cultural diversities. This book brings together authors with a classic status in the field of comparative cultural studies on one overarching theme: what are the relevant differences and similarities of contemporary cultural dimensions with which countries, organizations, and people can be compared? This book is the first publication available in which the cultural divisions of the world are compared and confronted. In the first part of the book classic authors reflect on each others key work and assess the main overlap and distinction. The book next provides insight in frontline academic work from a wide range of countries and social science disciplines dealing with the classic status cultural dimensions aimed at addressing contemporary key issues.

This book, prepared under the auspices of the IPSA Research Committee on Political Elites, focuses on the interpenetration between various types of elites: politicians, owners of capital, corporate managers, higher state administrators, directors of public enterprises, controllers of media, military officers and the civic-cultural establishment. The contributions to this book reveal contrasting patterns of recruitment and selection in terms of career paths, visibility, influence, and power of different elite circles. This diversity of national elite configurations challenges the C. Wright Mills' theory of an integrated "power elite," which appears from a comparative perspective to be peculiar to the United States during the early post-war period. Key concepts are discussed and empirically tested: ruling class, political class, elite circulation versus elite reproduction, elite interpenetration, elite interlocks, elite cohesion, elite osmosis, functional elite roles, formal and informal networks, elite cousinhood, separation versus overlapping between wealth and power, and between power and social capital.The book covers a great variety of countries: post-industrial democracies (France, Britain, Germany, Canada), new democracies (East-Central Europe, Mexico) and modernizing regimes (Southeast Asia, Tropical Africa), presented by an international selection of distinguished contributors: Andras Bozoki, Roderic Camp, William Case, Jean-Pascal Daloz, Mattei Dogan, Dennis Kavanagh, Michael Ornstein, David Richards, Erwin Scheuch and John Scott.

This book provides a new critical perspective on questions of immigration and society in Israel through a detailed analysis of ethnic formation, identity patterns, political behavior, and cultural orientation among the 1990s immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel.

This book addresses, and at the same time reflects, the impact of Max Weber on both the social sciences and on critical theory's critique of the social sciences. Weber's conception of 'vocation' is a guiding thread unifying concerns about the nature, scope and limits of theoretical thinking among social scientists, whether supportive or critical of Weber.

This resourceful book provides cutting-edge exploration and insightful analysis of educational implications of technology and distance higher education in Africa and Asia, critically examining access, curriculum, pedagogy, externally designed programs, the quest for ownership and strategies for creating a knowledge society.

The Values Surveys reveal the impact of changing values on societal phenomena, demonstrating that a distinctive Islamic culture exists-and it favors democracy. Other analyses examine Gender Equality, Corruption and Democracy; political satisfaction; and Vietnamese, Israeli and South African values.