African Politics A Very Short Introduction

Author : Ian Taylor
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2018-09-20
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780192529244

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African Politics: A Very Short Introduction by Ian Taylor Pdf

Africa is a continent of 54 countries and over a billion people. However, despite the rich diversity of the African experience, it is striking that continuations and themes seem to be reflected across the continent, particularly south of the Sahara. Questions of underdevelopment, outside exploitation, and misrule are characteristic of many - if not most-states in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Taylor explores how politics is practiced on the African continent, considering the nature of the state in Sub-Saharan Africa and why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. Exploring the historical and contemporary factors which account for Africa's underdevelopment, he also analyses why some African countries suffer from high levels of political violence while others are spared. Unveilling the ways in which African state and society actually function beyond the formal institutional façade, Taylor discusses how external factors - both inherited and contemporary - act upon the continent. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : John Parker,Richard (Honorary Professor of History Rathbone, University of Aberystwyth),Richard Rathbone
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 185 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2007-03-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9780192802484

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African History: A Very Short Introduction by John Parker,Richard (Honorary Professor of History Rathbone, University of Aberystwyth),Richard Rathbone Pdf

Intended for those interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history, this work looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented. It illustrates key themes in modern thinking about Africa's history with a range of historical examples.

Author : Jacob K. Olupona
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 177 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : History
ISBN : 9780199790586

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African Religions by Jacob K. Olupona Pdf

This book connects traditional religions to the thriving religious activity in Africa today.

Author : Kenneth Minogue
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2000-02-24
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780191610783

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Politics: A Very Short Introduction by Kenneth Minogue Pdf

In this provocative but balanced essay, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He prompts us to consider why political systems evolve, how politics offers both power and order in our society, whether democracy is always a good thing, and what future politics may have in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Elleke Boehmer
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2023-09-12
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780192645555

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Nelson Mandela: A Very Short Introduction by Elleke Boehmer Pdf

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring A pathbreaking analysis of the relationship between Mandela the myth, and Mandela the historical figure, looking at the way images, stories, and politics have been combined to create the iconic image of Mandela that we know today. Boehmer explores the long trajectory of Mandela's life, explaining first the historical and political context of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and then the post-apartheid period of difficult reconciliation, including the shifts and changes in Mandela's reputation since the millennium. This innovative postcolonial reflection takes on board the more critical revisionist literature on Mandela that has emerged since 2015, looking at responses to his death in 2013, and the 2018 commemorations of the 100th anniversary of his birth. The first edition set a trend in scholarship on Mandela by reading his character and achievements through the lens of his influences, interests, and leading ideas. The second edition extends this focus with a far-reaching critical look at meanings of reconciliation and Mandela's ethic of reciprocity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Manfred B. Steger
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 185 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2020-05-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780192589323

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Globalization: A Very Short Introduction by Manfred B. Steger Pdf

We live today in an interconnected world in which ordinary people can became instant online celebrities to fans thousands of miles away, in which religious leaders can influence millions globally, in which humans are altering the climate and environment, and in which complex social forces intersect across continents. This is globalization. In the fifth edition of his bestselling Very Short Introduction Manfred B. Steger considers the major dimensions of globalization: economic, political, cultural, ideological, and ecological. He looks at its causes and effects, and engages with the hotly contested question of whether globalization is, ultimately, a good or a bad thing. From climate change to the Ebola virus, Donald Trump to Twitter, trade wars to China's growing global profile, Steger explores today's unprecedented levels of planetary integration as well as the recent challenges posed by resurgent national populism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Alexander John Peter Thomson
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 277 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2003
Category : Electronic
ISBN : OCLC:501320672

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An Introduction to African Politics by Alexander John Peter Thomson Pdf

Author : Harvey C. Mansfield
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 136 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2010-07-13
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0199746311

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Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction by Harvey C. Mansfield Pdf

No one has ever described American democracy with more accurate insight or more profoundly than Alexis de Tocqueville. After meeting with Americans on extensive travels in the United States, and intense study of documents and authorities, he authored the landmark Democracy in America, publishing its two volumes in 1835 and 1840. Ever since, this book has been the best source for every serious attempt to understand America and democracy itself. Yet Tocqueville himself remains a mystery behind the elegance of his style. Now one of our leading authorities on Tocqueville explains him in this splendid new entry in Oxford's acclaimed Very Short Introduction series. Harvey Mansfield addresses his subject as a thinker, clearly and incisively exploring Tocqueville's writings--not only his masterpiece, but also his secret Recollections, intended for posterity alone, and his unfinished work on his native France, The Old Regime and the Revolution. Tocqueville was a liberal, Mansfield writes, but not of the usual sort. The many elements of his life found expression in his thought: his aristocratic ancestry, his ventures in politics, his voyages abroad, his hopes and fears for America, and his disappointment with France. All his writings show a passion for political liberty and insistence on human greatness. Perhaps most important, he saw liberty not in theories, but in the practice of self-government in America. Ever an opponent of abstraction, he offered an analysis that forces us to consider what we actually do in our politics--suggesting that theory itself may be an enemy of freedom. And that, Mansfield writes, makes him a vitally important thinker for today. Translator of an authoritative edition of Democracy in America, Harvey Mansfield here offers the fruit of decades of research and reflection in a clear, insightful, and marvelously compact introduction.

Author : Elleke Boehmer
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2008-07-17
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780192803016

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Nelson Mandela: A Very Short Introduction by Elleke Boehmer Pdf

As well as being a remarkable statesman, Nelson Mandela has become a universal symbol of justice, a secular saint. Elleke Boehmer examines not only the great anti-apartheid leader's life, but also the ways in which images and representations have been used to create the Mandela we know today - an internationally recognized icon of freedom.

Author : John Arnold,John H. (Professor of History Arnold, School of History Classics and Archaeology Professor of History School of History Classics and Archaeology Birkbeck University of London),Professor John H Arnold
Publisher : Oxford Paperbacks
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2000-02-24
Category : History
ISBN : 9780192853523

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History: A Very Short Introduction by John Arnold,John H. (Professor of History Arnold, School of History Classics and Archaeology Professor of History School of History Classics and Archaeology Birkbeck University of London),Professor John H Arnold Pdf

Starting with an examination of how historians work, this "Very Short Introduction" aims to explore history in a general, pithy, and accessible manner, rather than to delve into specific periods.

Author : John Parker,Richard Rathbone
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 184 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2007-03-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9780191516597

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African History: A Very Short Introduction by John Parker,Richard Rathbone Pdf

Essential reading for anyone interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history, this Very Short Introduction looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented. Key themes in current thinking about Africa's history are illustrated with a range of fascinating historical examples, drawn from over 5 millennia across this vast continent. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Kevin C. Dunn,Pierre Englebert
Publisher : Lynne Rienner Publishers
Page : 450 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2019
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
ISBN : 162637807X

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Inside African Politics by Kevin C. Dunn,Pierre Englebert Pdf

The second edition of Inside African Politics, updated throughout to reflect political developments across the continent, not only provides thorough coverage of the full range of core topics, but also furthers an awareness and understanding of key theoretical issues and current debates.Drawing on their extensive teaching and fieldwork experience, Pierre Englebert and Kevin Dunn offer:a straightforward, accessible style, making even complex ideas easy to understand; a balanced approach, exposing multiple perspectives on contested issues; a focus on both states and citizens, politics from above and below; discussions of existing policies, as well as policy implications of different approaches; and an abundance of rich data and illustrative examples.The result is both an essential text and a long-term resource for students and scholars alike.

Author : Kevin Kenny
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2013-06-17
Category : History
ISBN : 9780199858606

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Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction by Kevin Kenny Pdf

What does diaspora mean? Until quite recently, the word had a specific and restricted meaning, referring principally to the dispersal and exile of the Jews. But since the 1960s, the term diaspora has proliferated to a remarkable extent, to the point where it is now applied to migrants of almost every kind. This Very Short Introduction explains where the concept of diaspora came from, how its meaning changed over time, why its usage has expanded so dramatically in recent years, and how it can both clarify and distort the nature of migration. Kevin Kenny highlights the strength of diaspora as a mode of explanation, focusing on three key elements--movement, connectivity, and return--and illustrating his argument with examples drawn from Jewish, Armenian, African, Irish, and Asian diasporas. He shows that diaspora is not simply a synonym for the movement of people. Its explanatory power is greatest when people believe that their departure was forced rather than voluntary. Thus diaspora would not really explain most of the Irish migration to America, but it does shed light on the migration compelled by the Great Famine. Kenny also describes how migrants and their descendants develop diasporic cultures abroad--regardless of the form their migration takes--based on their connections with a homeland, real or imagined, and with people of common origin in other parts of the world. Finally, most conceptions of diaspora feature the dream of a return to a homeland, even when this yearning does not involve an actual physical relocation. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.

Author : Nigel Warburton
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2009-02-26
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780191622786

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Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction by Nigel Warburton Pdf

'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' This slogan, attributed to Voltaire, is frequently quoted by defenders of free speech. Yet it is rare to find anyone prepared to defend all expression in every circumstance, especially if the views expressed incite violence. So where do the limits lie? What is the real value of free speech? Here, Nigel Warburton offers a concise guide to important questions facing modern society about the value and limits of free speech: Where should a civilized society draw the line? Should we be free to offend other people's religion? Are there good grounds for censoring pornography? Has the Internet changed everything? This Very Short Introduction is a thought-provoking, accessible, and up-to-date examination of the liberal assumption that free speech is worth preserving at any cost. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Author : Bernard Crick
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2002-10-10
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780191577659

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Democracy: A Very Short Introduction by Bernard Crick Pdf

No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all 'democracies' allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world. It argues that democracy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good government, and that ideas of the rule of law, and of human rights, should in some situations limit democratic claims. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.