This book takes a critical macro-level political sociological perspective to understanding South African politics and society. Applying systemic racism theory to South Africa, the author argues that South African society through its exclusionary social mechanisms has assumed a systemically racist form that deeply compromises questions of truth and justice. Constitutive of, and embedded in, the structure of South African society, racismhas a reach and a durability that runs deep through the...

Consociational Power-Sharing in Northern Ireland, from leading scholars in the field, explores the evolution and challenges of consociational power-sharing in Northern Ireland for politics and societal relations.Contributors to this book highlight that scholarship on consociational democracy anticipates political stability and continuous integration in post-conflict societies. However, over 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement concerns remain about the adequacy of co...

Consociational power sharing is increasingly gaining ground, right around the world, as a means for resolving political conflict in divided societies. In this volume, edited by Rupert Taylor, nineteen internationally-respected scholars engage in a lively debate about the merits of the theory underlying this approach.The volume focuses specifically on one of the leading cases under the global spotlight, the Northern Ireland conflict, and brings together the most prominent proponents...

To mark the 20th Anniversary of Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations the editor has compiled a comprehensive overview of contemporary debates in third sector scholarship, comprised of all original research by leaders in the field. The volume will offer a critical review of the central and innovative themes that have come to form the core of third sector debate and research with an international focus.The first global compendium of third ...

Where did the Right go wrong? With the departure of George W. Bush and John Howard, conservative parties in the US and Australia entered a period of turmoil. Foreign affairs, economics, the environment – all were issues to be avoided. Most profoundly, conservatives no longer seemed to have a compelling vision of the future – and arguably still don’t. How did the Right end up in this state? How might conservatism renew itself?In this illuminating essay, Waleed Aly begins by unravell...

In an increasingly interconnected environment, shocks, crises, cascading failures, and surprising breakthroughs are features of our age. The ability to anticipate, intervene, innovate, and adapt is now seen as essential for governments. Public officials serve in an expanded public space that is being reshaped by the rise of social networking and modern information and communication technologies. The desired results on many public issues exceed the reach and resources of government....

In a manner that reflects his long-time academic and practitioner’s association with conservative politics and ideas in Canada, Hugh Segal traces the deep historical roots of Canadian conservatism and the themes that unite its pre- and post-confederation reality with today’s challenges and issues. The Right Balance connects the historical roots and exclusive intellectual principles of Canadian conservatism to the fundamental idea of Canada with a ...

The word 'governance' is ubiquitous. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund make loans conditional on 'good governance'. Climate change and avian flu appear as issues of 'global governance'. The European Union issues a White Paper on 'Governance'. The U.S. Forest Service calls for 'collaborative governance'. What accounts for the pervasive use of the term 'governance' and to what does it refer? It has a bewildering set of answers. The word 'governance' is used in a variety of c...

Offering an unflinching and informed defense of cultural diversity, this book boldly stakes a claim for the overwhelming success of multiculturalism in Australia. Arguing against European governments that declare multiculturalism a failure, it asserts that multicultural Australia has been a national success story. Creating a solid case for why multiculturalism works, it argues against those who believe a multicultural approach to integration and diversity is detrimental to society. This is...

How public affairs are run depends upon the degree of authority and control central government decides to relinquish to regional and local governments, and the extent to which it favors citizen involvement in the governing process. Public administrators do not operate in a vacuum. The context within which decision-making takes place greatly influences public administrators approach to public issues. Consequently, what government decides to do and how it decides to carry it out affects the ...

The best jobs in Britain today are overwhelmingly done by the children of the wealthy. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult for bright but poor kids to transcend their circumstances. This state of affairs should not only worry the less well-off. It hurts the middle classes too, who are increasingly locked out of the top professions by those from affluent backgrounds.Hitherto, Labour and Conservative politicians alike have sought to deal with the problem by promoting the idea of ...

Canadian universities are being slowly but inexorably corporatized. Casualizing academic labour, remaking students into consumers of education, implementing corporate management models and commercializing academic research all point to the ascendance of business interests and values in Canada’s higher education system.Academia, Inc. examines the tensions that result from the merging of two fundamentally incompatible institutions — the university and the corporation. Brownl...