Global Shaping and Its Alternatives


Book Description

Global Shaping and its Alternatives offers a unique series of reflections on the connections between market capitalism, the politics of alternatives, and the cultural elaboration of social change. It argues that there is a need for an alternative explanatory framework on globalization - one that rejects fatalism and highlights the dynamic roles of states, NGOs, local fractions of capital, democrative movements and gendered social relations. Without understanding how global shaping is taking place and how it affects human life across the globe, there can be no transformational possibility for humanizing our conditions of existence.




The Politics of Shopping


Book Description

This revised version of Kaela Jubas’ award winning dissertation focuses on contemporary shopping practices, analyzing the ways concerned shoppers think about globalization, consumption, and their personal effect on the status quo. By using numerous examples from modern advertising, interviews with self-described “radical” shoppers, and selected quotes from scholars and experts, Jubas delves into questions of social justice, environmental awareness, and consumer identity -- all demonstrated by individual choices made at the checkout counter. Employing a variety of qualitative research techniques and complex and counterintiuitive cultural theory, Jubas’s study will interest those in adult education, cultural studies, consumer research, and qualitative inquiry.




Governing the Poor


Book Description

Every day, we are barraged by statistics, images, and emotional messages that present poverty as a problem to be quantified, managed, and solved. Global generations present the poor as a heterogeneous group and stress globalized solutions to the problem of poverty. Governing the Poor exposes the ways in which such generalized descriptions and quantifications marginalize the poor and their experiences.




Hegemonic Transitions, the State and Crisis in Neoliberal Capitalism


Book Description

More than 15 years have passed since the end of the Cold War, but uncertainty persists in the political-economic shaping of the world economy and state system. Although many countries have institutionalized neoliberal policies since the mid-1970s, these policies have not taken hold to the same degree, nor have their effects been uniform across all countries. Nevertheless there has been widespread deepening of inequalities, and, therefore, scepticism towards the neoliberal project. Uncertainty prevails not only in the relations between states, but also in the relations between forces of capital, citizens, and political power within states. Moreover, there is conceptual confusion in our understanding of the events and processes of neoliberal global transformation. This collection of essays provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical examination of neoliberal restructuring as a complex political process. In an effort to penetrate and clarify this complexity, the book explores the connections between the economy, state, society, and citizens, while also offering current examples of resistance to neoliberalism. The book provides a forum for rethinking politics that represents a turn to societal forces as essential not only to the uncovering of this complexity but also to the formulation of democratic possibilities beyond global hegemonic projects. The book does not seek to produce a new model for social change, nor does it dwell on the spatial aspects of modernity's new form or the emergence of a new state hegemony (China) or new forms of rule (empire) in managing the world capitalist economy. Instead, the book argues that an understanding of hegemonic transformations requires the problematization of global power as embedded in historically specific social relations.




Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds


Book Description

Global megatrends for the next 20 years and how they will affect the United States. This is the fifth installment in the National Intelligence Council’s series aimed at providing a framework for thinking about possible futures and their implications. The report is intended to stimulate strategic thinking about the rapid and vast geopolitical changes characterizing the world today and possible global trajectories during the next 15-20 years by identifying critical trends and potential discontinuities. The authors distinguish between megatrends, those factors that will likely occur under any scenario, and game-changers, critical variables whose trajectories are far less certain. NIC 2012-001. Appropriate for anyone, from business to banks, government to start-ups, technology to teachers and more, this publication hellps anticipate where the world will be socially, politically, technically and culturally over the next few decades. Several innovations are included in Global Trends 2030, including: a review of the four previous Global Trends reports, input from academic and other experts around the world, coverage of disruptive technologies, and a chapter on the potential trajectories for the US role in the international system and the possible the impact on future international relations.




Information for a Better World: Shaping the Global Future


Book Description

This two-volume set LNCS 13192 – 13193 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Information for a Better World: Shaping the Global Future, held in February 2022. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the conference was held virtually. The 32 full papers and the 29 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 167 submissions. They cover topics such as: Library and Information Science; Information Governance and Ethics; Data Science; Human-Computer Interaction and Technology ̧ Information Behaviour and Retrieval ̧ Communities and Media ̧ Health Informatics.




African Contributions in Shaping the Worldwide Intellectual Property System


Book Description

Africa is playing an increasingly more significant role in the domain of international intellectual property law, and this book underlines the contributions made by African countries as a group to the development of the current international IP system. It examines in detail their breakthrough proposals and initiatives at the WTO, WIPO and WHO with regard to IP and public health; IP and traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and genetic resources; IP and biodiversity; and exceptions and limitations to copyright. Using Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia as examples, it examines the systems under which these IP subject matters are protected. From a regional perspective, the book also analyses some initiatives taken by ARIPO, OAPI and the African Union to protect traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, especially in relation to protection of the rights of local farming communities and breeders, regulation of access to biological resources, genetically modified organisms and the proposed establishment of the new Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization (PAIPO). Demonstrating how Africa is now an active player on the international IP scene, this book will be invaluable to those interested in intellectual property law, business and commercial law, and African and international law.




Turkey, Islamists and Democracy


Book Description

Trailblazing study that radically re-examines political Islam Political Islam in Turkey has been headline news following the Istanbul bombings Much needed study of the economic dimensions of political Islam Turkey, Islamists and Democracy is the story of Islam's engagement with the reorganization of the global economy. Yildiz Atasoy examines the development of political Islam in Turkey within the context of the changing balance of domestic and international forces in the world economy and shows how it has taken on a highly sophisticated, cosmopolitan edge. By examining the incorporation of Islam into the existing relations of the Turkish state from the late Ottoman Empire to the present day, the author demonstrates how political Islam interacts with the global restructuring of classes, states and political actors. Atasoy challenges the view of Islamist politics as an anti-Modern, anti-Western force that is fundamentally opposed to the global economy and instead argues that political Islam is cosmopolitan and embedded in processes which incorporate Western modernity into local cultural practices.




PUTIN: The History of the Reign & The Shape-Shifting Strategy


Book Description

In 'PUTIN: The History of the Reign & The Shape-Shifting Strategy,' readers are ushered into an intricate examination of the geopolitical maneuverings and the complex strategical landscape shaped by one of the most enigmatic leaders of our times. This anthology stands out for its rich tapestry of insights, weaving together a diverse range of perspectives, from analytical essays to firsthand accounts, all underscored by a shared objective to decode the multifaceted nature of Putin's leadership and the underpinnings of Russia's global interactions. The collection distinguishes itself not only by the diversity of its literary styles but also through its scholarly approach to dissecting the political, social, and historical nuances of Putin's Russia, offering readers standout pieces that span theoretical analysis and keen empirical observations. The contributing authors, comprising experts from the United States Department of Defense, U.S. Navy, and seasoned political analyst Christopher T. Gans, bring to the table a wealth of knowledge and varied experiences. Their diverse backgrounds enrich the anthology, allowing it to resonate with the emblematic and often controversial aspects of Putin's tenure. Aligning with both historical understanding and contemporary analysis, the collection navigates through the labyrinth of Russia's strategic maneuvers on the global stage, delving into the tactical shifts that have characterized Putin's reign. This anthology is recommended for those who seek to unravel the complexities of international politics through the lens of one of its most pivotal figures. The editors and contributors invite readers to a comprehensive exploration that is both intellectually stimulating and crucial for understanding the current geopolitical climate. Engaging with this collection offers a unique educational journey, broadening one's perspective on global affairs through a multitude of viewpoints and thematic depth.