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This book addresses the current crisis of democratic politics and its phase of interregnum' - in which the past finds it hard to die and the future finds it difficult to be born - by proposing a radical redefinition of the concept of the Political. Drawing on the thoughts of Antonio Gramsci and Walter Benjamin among others, it explores the meaning of the lemma auctoritas - the opposition between authority and power - and offers a comparison of the Frankfurt School's radical critique of power with Georges Bataille's critique of political economy and consumerist productivism, demonstrating how the two ultimately converge. Based on an ontology of the present that is critical of identity obsession' and advances instead a universalism of difference, the author proposes a new understanding of politics founded not on vertical' domination but on a horizontal' recomposition of subjectivities, allowing interaction and acting-in-common between different forms of life. This book will therefore appeal to scholars of social and political theory.

This edited book is devoted to an analysis of how the multiple modernities approach might help strengthen the strategic autonomy of the European Union and foster cooperative EU-China relations at a time when some observers believe that a new global cold war may be on the horizon. An international, interdisciplinary team of eminent scholars analyzes both the forces causing dangerous tensions to escalate and those that might stabilize the situation. Whether from China or Europe, the authors largely converge in their diagnoses. To serve its own vital interests, the EU can and must play the role of a politically independent actor, a mediator committed to the preservation of a fair and peaceful rules-based order. To do that, it must first pinpoint the economic and political concerns that it shares with both China and the USA, using them as guidelines in developing its own global strategies. The chapters collected in this volume try to shed light on that endeavor. Additionally, several aim to clarify China's true intentions in international politics, beyond the rhetoric of conflict in which all parties presently engage. What role does Asia's leading power actually aspire to play in world politics? The book will be of interest to students of history, international relations, international political economy, European and Chinese studies, and military and security affairs. Furthermore, its timely subject should stimulate debate among a wider audience of journalists, policy professionals, and politically engaged readers the world over.

"Through a wide range of international and interdisciplinary case studies, this book develops the notion of legacy, and in particular, 'living legacy'- that is, it explores power relations in the context of time as a means to considering and challenging social injustice. Legacies of social injustice are very frequently erased, denied or declared redundant. Framed by the concept of 'legacy', this book does not conceive legacy as simply referring to relics of the past, or to cultural heritage practices and artifacts. Instead, the book focuses upon 'living legacies', understood as ongoing, actively engaged in the re-constitution of power relations, and influential in the development of alternative political imaginaries. Through a variety of studies from many different contexts-including Indigenous trauma in Australia, displacement in Beirut, women travellers in Scotland, and heteronormativity in Hollywood-the book draws not only upon historiographic, sociological, legal, political, cultural and other disciplinary approaches, but also specifically makes use of feminist and postcolonial perspectives. Foregrounding the legacies of inequality and marginalisation, it contributes to a re-thinking of power and social change in ways that together suggest potential means for unsettling and reimagining such legacies. This book will appeal to an interdisciplinary range of readers with interests and concerns in the broad area of social justice, but especially to those working in sociolegal studies, sociology, gender studies, indigenous studies and politics"--

"This book offers a new edition of Henry Maydman's work Naval Speculations with a detailed commentary by two leading experts on its importance to the naval issues of the 21st century. Written at a revolutionary and troubling time, Maydman's 1691 book offers an analysis of the state of the Royal Navy at the time, together with a set of recommendations for its improvement. It not only tells us a good deal about the Royal Navy of the time but also provides a general theory of why navies decline and what can be done to rejuvenate them. Recovering Naval Power shows that the issues he identifies have applied to every navy in every period. We are now seeing the dramatic rejuvenation of the Chinese Navy and the reactions to it of the US and other navies, together with a new rise in naval tensions in the Euro-Atlantic. Despite the obvious political, economic and technological differences between Maydman's day and ours, this work shows that his recommendations could hardly be more relevant in today's circumstances. Alongside the modified text of Naval Speculations, this book includes a preface and two chapters addressing, first, the Royal Navy of Maydman's time and his role in it and, second, the relevance of what Maydman said for the navies of the 21st century. The book concludes with some overall comments about Maydman and the recovery of naval power and recommendations for further reading. This book will be of much interest to students of naval history, maritime power, strategic studies, and International Relations in general"--

"This book focuses on the economic challenges India has been facing since its independence in 1947. It traces the country's journey of economic transition and critically analyses themes such as the political economy of development, agriculture, macroeconomy, industry and labour, money and finance, trade liberalization, gender, welfare, energy, and the environment. The volume also addresses the issues of increasing income inequality, mass unemployment and environmental degradation, and suggests policies for efficient and desirable outcomes in socio-economic development. An important and timely contribution, it will be of interest to scholars and researchers of economics, development studies, political economy, management studies, public policy and political studies. It will also be useful to policymakers"--

"This book focuses on Rabindranath Tagore as a social and political thinker. Revolving around Tagore's ideas on the seeds of civil society, nation, identities, and communities in the Indic tradition, the author deconstructs Tagore's concepts against the appropriate resurgent and triumphalist Western concepts in the updated Western social thought and theories. The book examines Tagore's understanding of the nature of the civil social sphere in India and analyses the relevance of his civil social concepts against the backdrop of colonialism in India. It also discusses his views on nation and nationalism in India and his insights into the problems and prospects of inter-community, particularly Hindu-Muslim relations in India. Applying current social science and Western literature in an unprecedented manner to interpret Tagore, this book will be of great interest to scholars, teachers, and students of politics, nationalism, postcolonialism, history, comparative literature, sociology, religious studies, and South Asian studies"--

"This volume helps us understand the transformations of terrorist organisations, and the conflicts they are involved in, by broadening the perspective on what is considered terrorist learning. Using a variety of methodological approaches and empirical data, the volume offers a look at the clandestine inner lives of groups from different continents and ideological backgrounds in order to explore from whom they learn and how, and what the outcomes are. Their internal and external interactions are examined within their socio-political contexts to illuminate how they adapt to challenges or fail to do so. Unpacking the question of 'how do terrorists learn' helps us to grasp not only changes of violent means of action but also of operational and strategic approaches and, ultimately, even transformations of the ends pursued. The chapters demonstrate that terrorist learning is not principally different from that of other human organisations. The contributors draw on conceptual frameworks of organizational learning, but also broaden the scope beyond the organizational framework to acknowledge the variety of forms of informal and decentralized learning characteristic of much contemporary terrorism. This book will be of much interest to students of terrorism studies, violent extremism, organisational studies and International Relations"--

"This book provides a comprehensive overview of the political impact of the COVID-19 emergency in central and eastern Europe and Eurasia. Offering a theoretical framework linking the authoritarian, post-Soviet institutional legacy with patterns of political behavior, support, and governments' policies, the expert contributors argue that domestic political regimes mediate and shape citizens' perceptions of public health crises, and the very regimes' political survival. The authors explore how the pandemic affected regime change, government stability, business groups and civil societies in more than 15 countries of the region from the discovery of the virus to the vaccination rollout. The studies rely on a broad range of empirical evidence from the region - survey, state statistics, ethnography and interviews. Formulating, explaining and empirically testing the causal mechanisms that drive political accountability and support through a cross-country comparison and in-depth case studies of popular and electoral support attempting to highlight any patterns specific to the region, the book contributes to studies of governance and political accountability in low-trust countries with authoritarian legacies and proclivities. Drawing on an inter-disciplinary approach that brings together area studies, history, sociology, and political science it will also be of value to those interested in systematic effect of political regimes on handling public health crises"--

"This book investigates the ways in which the lethality of terrorist violence depends on how rebel organizations finance their rebellion. The leaders of rebel groups make calculated decisions on the intensity of terrorism killings, considering the benefits and costs of targeting non-combatants against the financing needs of their organization. The study specifically focuses on analysing the effects of different external financing options available to rebel groups and takes into account the role of local populations in making financing available. This comparative approach to external financing reveals new hypotheses that are empirically verified and differ from the expectations and findings of prior research. The book's findings are relevant to policy discussions on counter-insurgency strategies that prioritize protecting populations from human rights abuses. Existing doctrines tend to overlook the potential impact of targeted efforts to isolate insurgents from specific financing sources on the capacity to secure local populations. This book will be of interest to students of civil wars, terrorism studies, political violence and security studies"--

"This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the intricate security situation prevailing in Balochistan. It explores and establishes correlations between the internal structural vulnerabilities and fault lines of the Pakistani state with the external influences exerted on the region. Employing a rigorous examination of both primary and secondary data, the volume critically examines the multifaceted nature of organised violence in Balochistan. In addition to separatist movements, the presence of religious militancy and cross-border terrorism is thoroughly examined. The book delves into the external involvement of regional and global powers in the intricate tapestry of violence within Balochistan, thereby shedding light on the emerging geopolitical landscape and the corresponding power dynamics in the region. It also analyses how the implementation of large-scale developmental initiatives, particularly facilitated by China under the auspices of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has elevated the geostrategic significance of Balochistan while simultaneously entangling it in the vortex of regional power politics. This volume will be of interest scholars and researchers specializing in geopolitics, International Relations, and South Asian studies"--

"The accruement of crises over the last two decades, with their particular manifestations in the European context, has evoked the feeling of living in exceptional times, as captured in the recurrent claim that we live in the "age of anxiety." The main aim of this collection is to analyse, from a multidisciplinary perspective, the causes and consequences of the current dominance of the discourse of fear, anxiety, and crisis through the experience of distinct and often interdependent moral panics in twenty-first-century Europe. With its multidisciplinary approach, this volume sheds light on the need to view the interrelationship between different crises and their associated affects as crucial in attaining a more nuanced understanding of the aetiology and effects of the current "age of anxiety." This multidisciplinary scrutiny of the interrelationship of twenty-first-century fears, anxiety and crises signals an original engagement with these complex phenomena in order to make their emergence and profound effects on contemporary society more comprehensible. The timeliness of the thematic focus and the rigorous in-depth analyses make this collection relevant to students and academics within the fields of sociology, literary and cultural studies, political science and anthropology, as well as to those in European studies and global studies"--

This book analyzes the different ways in which forced migration comes together with organized violence in the Americas, focusing specifically on the migration corridor from Central America, through Mexico and on to the United States. No matter their starting point, most South and Central American migrants to the United States must eventually traverse Mexico, and often many other borders beforehand, to reach their destination. As border controls tighten, for many migrants turning back is not a possibility, or something they desire. And so, when faced with hardening policies, migrants are often forced into situations of increased violence and precarity, without a shift in their ultimate objective. This book analyzes the complex social situations of everyday violence, and increasingly aggressive border controls, which face migrants in Mexico, as well as their exposure to a different kind of violence during their migration trajectory through the criminal actors such as gangs, cartels, and corrupt law enforcements that seek to make a profit from them. The book takes a critical approach on migration policies and on the externalization of borders by analyzing their effects on the trajectories and experiences of migrants themselves. It shows that the more migrants' opportunities and rights during transit are hindered, the more they are at risk of exposure to these actors. Foregrounding the voices of migrants, this book offers fresh insights into debates surrounding migration, politics, international relations, and anthropology in the Americas.

"The Routledge Handbook of Language Policy and Planning is a comprehensive and authoritative survey, including original contributions from leading senior scholars and rising stars to provide a basis for future research in language policy and planning in international, national, regional and local contexts"--

"This book examines the European Union's everyday statebuilding practices, using the case of Kosovo as an example of how it uses informal practices to influence local actors. The objective of the book is to explain how the EU operates as a statebuilding actor in the everyday context, outside its zone of comfort. It illustrates the EU's dynamics of dealing with the local actors through everyday practices, which are understood as informal means or practices of interaction with the local actors in the framework of three key issues of relevance for statebuilding process for the EU: rule of law, reforming public administration and resolving bilateral disputes. The book shows how the EU utilizes everyday practices to influence decision-making process on the part of the government in order to ensure a particular outcome, be that diffusing a norm or promoting its own interests - in doing so, it gives an important insight into what these interests actually are in practice. Providing an insight into how the EU works as a statebuilding actor in practice, in the everyday context, also unmasks factors that facilitate the EU's influence on other countries that it considers to be 'ailing', such as Kosovo, in order to secure desired behaviours, decisions and actions on the part of the local government. It unmasks the EU's commitment to being an ethical actor as it unearthes practices that undermine local agency and unmasks the practical intentions of the EU's statebuilding intervention approaches, and the reality that hides behind the façade of public statements on the part of the EU and the local government. In doing so, the book provides a new way to look at the EU as a statebuilding actor. This book will be of interest to students of statebuilding, EU policy, Balkan politics and International Relations"--

"This is the first scholarly volume to offer an insight into the less known stories of women, children, and international volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. Special attention is given to volunteers of different historical experiences, especially Jews, and voices from less researched countries in the context of the Spanish war, such as Palestine and Turkey. Of an interdisciplinary nature, this volume brings together historians and literary scholars from different countries. Their research is based on newly found primary sources in both national and private archives, as well as on post-essentialist methodological insights for women's history, Jewish history, and studies on belonging. By bringing together a group of emerging and senior scholars from different countries, we highlight the polyphony of voices of diverse individuals drawn into the Spanish Civil War. Contributors to this volume have explored new or little researched primary sources found in archives and documentary centers, including papers held by relatives of the people we study. The volume is aimed at both scholarly and non-scholarly public, including any readers interested in the Spanish Civil War, twentieth-century European history, Jewish studies, women's history, or anti-Fascism. The volume can be used in both undergraduate college courses and in postgraduate university seminars"--