Politics in Plural Societies

Politics in Plural Societies
Author: Alvin Rabushka
Publisher: Merrill Publishing Company
Total Pages: 256
Release: 1972
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

This landmark study in the field of comparative politics is being celebrated for its return to print as the newest addition to the "Longman Classics in Political Science" series. "Politics in Plural Societies" presents a model of political competition in multi-ethnic societies and explains why plural societies, and the struggle for power within them, often erupt with inter-ethnic hostility. Distinguished scholars Alvin Rabushka and Kenneth Shepsle collaborate again in this reissuing of their classic work to demonstrate - in a new epilogue - the persistence of the arguments and evidence first offered in the book. They apply this thesis to the multi-ethnic politics of countries that are of great interest today: Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Yugoslavia, and more.

Democracy in Plural Societies

Democracy in Plural Societies
Author: Arend Lijphart
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 268
Release: 1977-01-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0300024940

While it may be difficult to achieve and maintain stable democratic governments in countries with deep religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, or ethnic cleavages, Lijphart argues that it is not at all impossible. Through the analysis of political systems in six continents, he demonstrates that what he calls consociational democracy can be successful in severely divided or plural societies. "Here, once again, Arend Lijphart is directing our attention to matters which will surely engage much of the attention of students of comparative politics in the next decade." G. Bingham Powell, Jr., American Political Science Review "A study which can speak to such a wide audience in political science deserves a warm welcome from the profession." Government and Opposition "A copybook example of the comparative method of political analysis, as well as indispensable reading for all who have an interest in the nature and prospects of representative democracy, whether in Europe or beyond."--The Times Higher Education Supplement "This well-written work, containing a wealth of information on politics of many diverse nations, is highly recommended."--Library Journal

Political Order and the Plural Structure of Society

Political Order and the Plural Structure of Society
Author: James W. Skillen
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 448
Release: 1991
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780802848512

This excellent volume explores three forms of pluralist theory -- those based on historical doctrines of custom and tradition, Catholic doctrines of natural law and subsidiarity, and Calvinist doctrines of sphere sovereignty and creation -- and compares and evaluates each of these forms of pluralism within the context of American thought.

Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana

Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana
Author: Ann Marie Bissessar
Publisher: Lexington Books
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2013-04-25
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0739174711

In this book an attempt is made to probe more carefully the processes by which social and ethnic problems, as these pertain to Caribbean countries, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, are conveyed to the political arena and the mechanisms by which they determine critical outcomes. The authors of this book have accordingly distinguished between predisposing factors and what are described as triggering mechanisms. The factors that trigger dramatic changes will differ between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. In short, while in some respects these societies are similar, in others, there are dramatic differences in their respective histories and political developments. This study begins with a survey of the literature on race relations and their connections with politics; it then proceeds to examine the context for the insertion of the two major groups into these societies, the emergence of ethnic groups, and their relationships with political organizations. The nature and politics of the leaders are then analyzed along with the political structures with a view to identifying what factors were responsible for the differing political experiences of both countries.

Pluralism and the Politics of Difference

Pluralism and the Politics of Difference
Author: R. D. Grillo
Publisher: Clarendon Press
Total Pages: 285
Release: 1998-07-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0191522236

Is a plural, polyethnic, democratic society possible? Starting with Ernest Gellner's observation that `culturally plural societies worked well in the past', but `genuine cultural pluralism ceases to be viable under current conditions', this study explores pluralism in three settings; early states, modern industrial societies, and the contemporary `postmodern' world. Through a nuanced discussion ranging from pre-colonial Africa and Mesoamerica, to European and American experiences in the twentieth century, Grillo explores the ways in which different social and political forms cope with ethnic and cultural diversity. The study uncovers a range of different kinds of pluralism, from out-and-out separatism, through varieties of multiculturalism, to looser forms of `hybridity'. Rather than advocating one configuration over another, this important new book outlines the range of choices facing our societies as, moving into the twenty-first century, we try to reconcile the competing demands of universalism and difference.

The Difficult Flowering of Surinam

The Difficult Flowering of Surinam
Author: Edward Dew
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2013-03-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9401732787

In the months immediately preceding Surinam's independence, November 25, 1975, warning signals went up on both sides of the Atlantic. This small, ethnically plural society was torn by severe political conflict. Elections in November 1973 had brought an end to political collaboration between Creoles and Hindustanis, the country's two largest ethnic groups; and the Creoles, now in control of the government, were resolutely pushing (over Hindustani opposition) to sever their colonial ties with the Netherlands. But defections from the Creole benches during the summer of 1975 had produced a virtual stalemate in the legislature, heightening fears that the government would act unilaterally. The failure of Creole and Hindustani leaders to resolve their differences led many observers in both the Netherlands and Surinam to predict a collapse of democracy and/or violent conflict once independence was proclaimed. Ironically, the dramatic, last-minute resolution of the struggle precipitated not only general jubilation and relief, but also self-congratulation, as the leaders of Surinam's multiethnic society, long priding themselves on achieve ments in harmonious understanding, pulled out all stops in their indepen dence day oratory. No-one could forget the nightmare of the preceding few years. But neither could anyone familiar with Surinam's historical develop ment flatly reject the rhetoric as being without some foundation. In fact, Surinam, while severely tested by the most complex multi-ethnic population in the Caribbean, does have a record of which she can be proud and which deserves to be more widely known.

Civilizations in World Politics

Civilizations in World Politics
Author: Peter J. Katzenstein
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 357
Release: 2009-09-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1135278059

A highly original and readily accessible examination of the cultural dimension of international politics, this book provides a sophisticated and nuanced account of the relevance of cultural categories for the analysis of world politics. The book’s analytical focus is on plural and pluralist civilizations. Civilizations exist in the plural within one civilization of modernity; and they are internally pluralist rather than unitary. The existence of plural and pluralist civilizations is reflected in transcivilizational engagements, intercivilizational encounters and, only occasionally, in civilizational clashes. Drawing on the work of Eisenstadt, Collins and Elias, Katzenstein’s introduction provides a cogent and detailed alternative to Huntington’s. This perspective is then developed and explored through six outstanding case studies written by leading experts in their fields. Combining contemporary and historical perspectives while addressing the civilizational politics of America, Europe, China, Japan, India and Islam, the book draws these discussions together in Patrick Jackson’s theoretically informed, thematic conclusion. Featuring an exceptional line-up and representing a diversity of theoretical views within one integrative perspective, this work will be of interest to all scholars and students of international relations, sociology and political science.

The Politics of Multiculturalism

The Politics of Multiculturalism
Author: Robert W. Hefner
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2001-08-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0824864964

Few challenges to the modern dream of democratic citizenship appear greater than the presence of severe ethnic, religious, and linguistic divisions in society. With their diverse religions and ethnic communities, the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia have grappled with this problem since achieving independence after World War II. Each country has on occasion been torn by violence over the proper terms for accommodating pluralism. Until the Asian economic crisis of 1997, however, these nations also enjoyed one of the most sustained economic expansions the non-Western world has ever seen. This timely volume brings together fifteen leading specialists of the region to consider the impact of two generations of nation-building and market-making on pluralism and citizenship in these deeply divided Asian societies. Examining the new face of pluralism from the perspective of markets, politics, gender, and religion, the studies show that each country has developed a strikingly different response to the challenges of citizenship and diversity. The contributors, most of whom come Southeast Asia, pay particular attention to the tension between state and societal approaches to citizenship. They suggest that the achievement of an effectively participatory public sphere in these countries will depend not only on the presence of an independent "civil society," but on a synergy of state and society that nurtures a public culture capable of mediating ethnic, religious, and gender divides. The Politics of Multiculturalism will be of special interest to students of Southeast Asian history and society, anthropologists grappling with questions of citizenship and culture, political scientists studying democracy across cultures, and all readers concerned with the prospects for civility and tolerance in a multicultural world.

Human Rights and Diversity: New Challenges for Plural Societies

Human Rights and Diversity: New Challenges for Plural Societies
Author: Eduardo J. Ruiz Vieytez
Publisher: Universidad de Deusto
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2007-01-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 8498307929

The democratic management of cultural diversity is the greatest political challenge for present-day European societies. The plural character of our societies forces us to rethink the basic political concepts, starting off from a new idea of inclusive and plural d¬emocracy. The application of human rights must be reconsidered in the light of presentday reality so that democratic states are able to guarantee the benefi t of these rights to all persons through their identity and not in spite of it, thus creating political spaces that are open to a multi-identity coexistence.

Personal Autonomy in Plural Societies

Personal Autonomy in Plural Societies
Author: Marie-Claire Foblets
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2017-11-22
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1315413590

This volume addresses the exercise of personal autonomy in contemporary situations of normative pluralism. In the Western liberal tradition, from a strictly legal and theoretical perspective the social individual has the right to exercise the autonomy of his or her will. In a context of legal plurality, however, personal autonomy becomes more complicated. Can and should personal autonomy be recognized as a legal foundation for protecting a person’s freedom to renounce what others view as his or her fundamental ‘human rights’? This collection develops an interdisciplinary conceptual framework to address these questions and presents empirical studies examining the gap between the principle of personal autonomy and its implementation. In a context of cultural diversity, this gap manifests itself in two particular ways. First, not every culture gives the same pre-eminence to personal autonomy when examining the legal effects of an individual’s acts. Second, in a society characterized by ‘weak pluralism’, the legal assessment of personal autonomy often favours the views of the dominant majority. In highlighting these diverse perspectives and problematizing the so-called ‘guardian function’ of human rights, i.e., purporting to protect weaker parties by limiting their personal autonomy in the name of gender equality, fair trial, etc., this book offers a nuanced approach to the principle of autonomy and addresses the questions of whether it can effectively be deployed in situations of internormativity and what conditions must be met in order to ensure that it is not rendered devoid of all meaning.