- Table View
- List View
Myth of the Welfare Queen: A Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist's Portrait of Women on the Line
by David ZucchinoPulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Zucchino spent a year sharing the lives of Odessa Williams and Cheri Honkala -- two "welfare mothers" in Philadelphia -- to gain an intimate look at their day-to-day existence. Odessa, supporting an extended family, exhibits almost superhuman strength and resolve. Cheri, a single mother, is a tireless advocate for the homeless. Zucchino beautifully portrays them as figures of profound courage and quiet perseverance, systematically shattering all misconceptions and stereotypes about these women and so many others like them.
The Social Theory of W.E.B. Du Bois
by Dr Philip ZuckermanW. E. B. Du Bois was a political and literary giant of the 20th century, publishing over twenty books and thousands of essays and articles throughout his life. In The Social Theory of W. E. B. Du Bois, editor Phil Zuckerman assembles Du Bois's work from a wide variety of sources, including articles Du Bois published in newspapers, speeches he delivered, selections from well-known classics such as The Souls of Black Folk and Darkwater, and lesser-known, hard-to-find material written by this revolutionary social theorist. This book offers an excellent introduction to the sociological theory of one of the 20th century's intellectual beacons.
Invitation to the Sociology of Religion
by Phil ZuckermanThis book intends to serve as a conversational, colorful, engaging, and provocative introduction to the sociology of religion for undergraduates. Written in lively prose, this volume aims to introduce students to the major themes, problems and goals of the sociological study of religion while also summoning the sense of wonder and curiosity for the enterprise itself.
Living the Secular Life
by Phil Zuckerman"A humane and sensible guide to and for the many kinds of Americans leading secular lives in what remains one of the most religious nations in the developed world." --The New York Times Book Review Over the last twenty-five years, "no religion" has become the fastest-growing religious preference in the United States. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people have turned away from the traditional faiths of the past and embraced a moral yet nonreligious--or secular--life, generating societies vastly less religious than at any other time in human history. Revealing the inspiring beliefs that empower secular culture--alongside real stories of nonreligious men and women based on extensive in-depth interviews from across the country--Living the Secular Life will be indispensable for millions of secular Americans.Drawing on innovative sociological research, Living the Secular Life illuminates this demographic shift with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals, offering crucial information for the religious and nonreligious alike. Living the Secular Life reveals that, despite opinions to the contrary, nonreligious Americans possess a unique moral code that allows them to effectively navigate the complexities of modern life. Spiritual self-reliance, clear-eyed pragmatism, and an abiding faith in the Golden Rule to adjudicate moral decisions: these common principles are shared across secular society. Living the Secular Life demonstrates these principles in action and points to their usage throughout daily life.Phil Zuckerman is a sociology professor at Pitzer College, where he studied the lives of the nonreligious for years before founding a Department of Secular Studies, the first academic program in the nation dedicated to exclusively studying secular culture and the sociological consequences of America's fastest-growing "faith." Zuckerman discovered that despite the entrenched negative beliefs about nonreligious people, American secular culture is grounded in deep morality and proactive citizenship--indeed, some of the very best that the country has to offer.Living the Secular Life journeys through some of the most essential components of human existence--child rearing and morality, death and ritual, community and beauty--and offers secular readers inspiration for leading their own lives. Zuckerman shares eye-opening research that reveals the enduring moral strength of children raised without religion, as well as the hardships experienced by secular mothers in the rural South, where church attendance defines the public space. Despite the real sorrows of mortality, Zuckerman conveys the deep psychological health of secular individuals in their attitudes toward illness, death, and dying. Tracking the efforts of nonreligious groups to construct their own communities, Zuckerman shows how Americans are building institutions and cultivating relationships without religious influence. Most of all, Living the Secular Life infuses the sociological data and groundbreaking research with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals and demonstrates how readers can integrate these beliefs into their own lives.A manifesto for a booming social movement--and a revelatory survey of this overlooked community--Living the Secular Life offers essential and long-awaited information for anyone building a life based on his or her own principles. an interest in Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, et al., you certainly need to pick this book up and find out where things are headed." Bart Campolo, author Things We Wish We Had Said "Since coming out as a post-Christian minister, I've discovered all kinds of people sincerely pursuing goodness without the nurture, encouragement, and mutual support most church folks take for granted. These folks are hungry for fellowship and pastoral care, but even hungrier for a thoughtful, positive way to communicate their values and commitments to friends and family members instinctively distrustful of anyone who doesn't believe in God. For them--and for me--Phil Zuckerman is a genuine hero, and Li...
Living the Secular Life
by Phil ZuckermanA Best Book of 2014, Publishers Weekly "Zuckerman is a sociologist who in this groundbreaking book writes clearly, offers unobtrusive statistical support, and provides a persuasive and comprehensive look at the growing contemporary phenomenon of people who choose to live without religion, but with ethics and meaning in their lives." Over the last twenty-five years, "no religion" has become the fastest-growing religion in the United States. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people have turned away from the traditional faiths of the past and embraced a moral yet nonreligious--or secular--life, generating societies vastly less religious than at any other time in human history. Revealing the inspiring beliefs that empower secular culture--alongside real stories of nonreligious men and women based on extensive in-depth interviews from across the country--Living the Secular Life will be indispensable for millions of secular Americans. Drawing on innovative sociological research, Living the Secular Life illuminates this demographic shift with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals, offering crucial information for the religious and nonreligious alike. Living the Secular Life reveals that, despite opinions to the contrary, nonreligious Americans possess a unique moral code that allows them to effectively navigate the complexities of modern life. Spiritual self-reliance, clear-eyed pragmatism, and an abiding faith in the Golden Rule to adjudicate moral decisions: these common principlesare shared across secular society. Living the Secular Life demonstrates these principles in action and points to their usage throughout daily life. Phil Zuckerman is a sociology professor at Pitzer College, where he studied the lives of the nonreligious for years before founding a Department of Secular Studies, the first academic program in the nation dedicated to exclusively studying secular culture and the sociological consequences of America's fastest-growing "faith." Zuckerman discovered that despite the entrenched negative beliefs about nonreligious people, American secular culture is grounded in deep morality and proactive citizenship--indeed, some of the very best that the country has to offer. Living the Secular Life journeys through some of the most essential components of human existence--child rearing and morality, death and ritual, community and beauty--and offers secular readers inspiration for leading their own lives. Zuckerman shares eye-opening research that reveals the enduring moral strength of children raised without religion, as well as the hardships experienced by secular mothers in the rural South where church attendance defines the public space. Despite the real sorrows of mortality, Zuckerman conveys the deep psychological health of secular individuals in their attitudes toward illness, death, and dying. Tracking the efforts of nonreligious groups to construct their own communities, Zuckerman shows how Americans are building institutions and cultivating relationships without religious influence. Most of all, Living the Secular Life infuses the sociological data and groundbreaking research with the moral convictions that govern secular individuals, and demonstrates how readers can integrate these beliefs into their own lives. A manifesto for a booming social movement--and a revelatory survey of this overlooked community--Living the Secular Life offers essential and long-awaited information for anyone building a life based on his or her own principles. an interest in Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, et al., you certainly need to pick this book up and find out where things are headed." Bart Campolo, author Things We Wish We Had Said "Since coming out as a post-Christian minister, I've discovered all kinds of people sincerely pursuing goodness without the nurture, encouragement, and mutual support most church folks take for granted. These folks are hungry for fellowship and pastoral care, but even hungrier for a thoughtful, positive way to communicate their values and commitments to friends and family...
Society without God
by Phil Zuckerman"Silver" Winner of the 2008 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award, Religion CategoryBefore he began his recent travels, it seemed to Phil Zuckerman as if humans all over the globe were "getting religion"--praising deities, performing holy rites, and soberly defending the world from sin. But most residents of Denmark and Sweden, he found, don't worship any god at all, don't pray, and don't give much credence to religious dogma of any kind. Instead of being bastions of sin and corruption, however, as the Christian Right has suggested a godless society would be, these countries are filled with residents who score at the very top of the "happiness index" and enjoy their healthy societies, which boast some of the lowest rates of violent crime in the world (along with some of the lowest levels of corruption), excellent educational systems, strong economies, well-supported arts, free health care, egalitarian social policies, outstanding bike paths, and great beer.Zuckerman formally interviewed nearly 150 Danes and Swedes of all ages and educational backgrounds over the course of fourteen months. He was particularly interested in the worldviews of people who live their lives without religious orientation. How do they think about and cope with death? Are they worried about an afterlife? What he found is that nearly all of his interviewees live their lives without much fear of the Grim Reaper or worries about the hereafter. This led him to wonder how and why it is that certain societies are non-religious in a world that seems to be marked by increasing religiosity. Drawing on prominent sociological theories and his own extensive research, Zuckerman ventures some interesting answers.This fascinating approach directly counters the claims of outspoken, conservative American Christians who argue that a society without God would be hell on earth. It is crucial, Zuckerman believes, for Americans to know that "society without God is not only possible, but it can be quite civil and pleasant."
Society without God, Second Edition: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us about Contentment
by Phil ZuckermanAn updated edition showcasing the social health of the least religious nations in the worldReligious conservatives around the world often claim that a society without a strong foundation of faith would necessarily be an immoral one, bereft of ethics, values, and meaning. Indeed, the Christian Right in the United States has argued that a society without God would be hell on earth.In Society without God, Second Edition sociologist Phil Zuckerman challenges these claims. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with more than 150 citizens of Denmark and Sweden, among the least religious countries in the world, he shows that, far from being inhumane, crime-infested, and dysfunctional, highly secular societies are healthier, safer, greener, less violent, and more democratic and egalitarian than highly religious ones.Society without God provides a rich portrait of life in a secular society, exploring how a culture without faith copes with death, grapples with the meaning of life, and remains content through everyday ups and downs. This updated edition incorporates new data from recent studies, updated statistics, and a revised Introduction, as well as framing around the now more highly developed field of secular studies. It addresses the dramatic surge of irreligion in the United States and the rise of the “nones,” and adds data on societal health in specific US states, along with fascinating context regarding which are the most religious and which the most secular.
Urban Mobility in Modern China: The Growth Of The E-bike
by Dennis ZuevThis book is an empirically rich case-study of what is currently the most popular alternative-fuel vehicle in the history of motorization – the electric two-wheeler (e-bike). The book provides sociological insights into e-bike mobility in China and discusses politics, social practices and larger issues of mobility transition in urban China. Taking an accessible approach to the subject, the book identifies the main sociospatial conflicts regarding the use of e-bikes and discusses why electric two-wheeler mobility is important for the future of urban China and urban transportation globally. This book will be an invaluable read for urban geographers and transportation researchers, but also for academics and general readers interested in Chinese Studies, specifically in the area of urban mobility in China.
Visual Sociology: Practices and Politics in Contested Spaces (Routledge Advances In Sociology Ser. #91)
by Dennis Zuev Gary BratchfordThis book provides a user-friendly guide to the expanding scope of visual sociology, through a discussion of a broad range of visual material, and reflections on how such material can be studied sociologically. The chapters draw on specific case-study examples that examine the complexity of the hyper-visual social world we live in, exploring three domains of the ‘relational image’: the urban, social media, and the aerial. Zuev and Bratchford tackle issues such as visual politics and surveillance, practices of visual production and visibility, analysing the changing nature of the visual. They review a range of methods which can be used by researchers in the social sciences, utilising new media and their visual interfaces, while also assessing the changing nature of visuality. This concise overview will be of use to students and researchers aiming to adopt visual methods and theories in their own subject areas such as sociology, visual culture and related courses in photography, new-media and visual studies.
Sociology of the Visual Sphere (Routledge Advances in Sociology #91)
by Dennis Zuev Regev NathansohnThis collection of original articles deals with two intertwined general questions: what is the visual sphere, and what are the means by which we can study it sociologically? These questions serve as the logic for dividing the book into two sections, the first ("Visualizing the Social, Sociologizing the Visual") focuses on the meanings of the visual sphere, and the second ("New Methodologies for Sociological Investigations of the Visual") explores various sociological research methods to getting a better understanding of the visual sphere. We approach the visual sphere sociologically because we regard it as one of the layers of the social world. It is where humans produce, use, and engage with the visual in their creation and interpretation of meanings. Under the two large inquiries into the "what" and the "how" of the sociology of the visual sphere, a subset of more focused questions is being posed: what social processes and hierarchies make up the visual sphere? How various domains of visual politics and visuality are being related (or being presented as such)? What are the relations between sites and sights in the visual research? What techniques help visual researcher to increase sensorial awareness of the research site? How do imaginaries of competing political agents interact in different global contexts and create unique, locally-specific visual spheres? What constitutes competing interpretations of visual signs? The dwelling on these questions brings here eleven scholars from eight countries to share their research experience from variety of contexts and sites, utilizing a range of sociological theories, from semiotics to post-structuralism.
You'll Do: A History of Marrying for Reasons Other Than Love
by Marcia A. ZugAn illuminating and thought-provoking examination of the uniquely American institution of marriage, from the Colonial era through the #MeToo agePerfect for fans of Rebecca Solnit and Rebecca TraisterAmericans hold marriage in such high esteem that we push people toward it, reward them for taking part in it, and fetishize its benefits to the point that we routinely ignore or excuse bad behavior and societal ills in the name of protecting and promoting it. In eras of slavery and segregation, Blacks sometimes gained white legal status through marriage.Laws have been designed to encourage people to marry so that certain societal benefits could be achieved: the population would increase, women would have financial security, children would be cared for, and immigrants would have familial connections. As late as the Great Depression, poor young women were encouraged to marry aged Civil War veterans for lifetime pensions.The widely overlooked problem with this tradition is that individuals and society have relied on marriage to address or dismiss a range of injustices and inequities, from gender- and race-based discrimination, sexual violence, and predation to unequal financial treatment. One of the most persuasive arguments against women's right to vote was that marrying and influencing their husband's choices was just as meaningful, if not better.Through revealing storytelling, Zug builds a compelling case that when marriage is touted as &“the solution&” to such problems, it absolves the government, and society, of the responsibility for directly addressing them.
The Dreams of a Mappila Girl: A Memoir
by B. M. Zuhara Fehmida Zakeer (Translator)‘I grew up at a time when Muslim girls did not even have the freedom to dream.’ As a young Muslim girl growing up in the 1950s in a small South Indian village, B. M. Zuhara had simple dreams—to go to the newly opened ‘talkies’ in town and watch a movie, play with her brothers in the rice fields, learn the ancient martial art of Kalari Payatu with them, stand on the bridge and listen to the songs sung by the farmhands as they worked. But she soon realised that even being the pampered, youngest child of her family would not help her in realising some of her dreams because of her gender. Set at the time when Independent India was embracing its new identity as a free nation, Dreams of a Mappila Girl provides a wide lens for the reader to view life in a semi-rural Kerala village. Zuhara recounts the social mores of the society she lived in and offers glimpses into the secluded lives of Muslim girls and women who, despite obstacles, made the best of their circumstances and contributed positively to their communities.
Nutzergerechte Entwicklung von Mensch-Maschine-Systemen
by Detlef ZühlkeDas Buch gibt Entwicklern einen Leitfaden zur nutzergerechten Gestaltung von Mensch-Maschine-Systemen an die Hand. Dabei werden die besonderen Gestaltungsprobleme von Useware-Systemen für internationale Märkte ebenso behandelt wie die Auswahl von Entwicklungstools, Normen und Richtlinien sowie grundlegende Gestaltungsregeln. Wichtige Neuerungen, etwa die modellbasierte Entwicklung von Benutzungsschnittstellen oder zukünftige Interaktionsformen, werden in der Neuauflage anhand von Gestaltungsbeispielen vorgestellt.
Key Themes in Ancient History: The Ancient City
by Arjan ZuiderhoekGreece and Rome were quintessentially urban societies. Ancient culture, politics and society arose and developed in the context of the polis and the civitas. In modern scholarship, the ancient city has been the subject of intense debates due to the strong association in Western thought between urbanism, capitalism and modernity. In this book, Arjan Zuiderhoek provides a survey of the main issues at stake in these debates, as well as a sketch of the chief characteristics of Greek and Roman cities. He argues that the ancient Greco-Roman city was indeed a highly specific form of urbanism, but that this does not imply that the ancient city was somehow 'superior' or 'inferior' to forms of urbanism in other societies, just (interestingly) different. The book is aimed primarily at students of ancient history and general readers, but also at scholars working on urbanism in other periods and places.
Truth Matters: Knowledge, Politics, Ethics, Religion
by Lambert Zuidervaart Allyson Carr Matthew J. Klaassen Ronnie ShukerWhy should we seek and tell the truth? Does anyone know what truth is? Many are skeptical about the relevance of truth. Truth Matters endeavours to show why truth is important in a world where the very idea of truth is contested. Putting philosophers in conversation with educators, literary scholars, physicists, political theorists, and theologians, Truth Matters ranges across both analytic and continental philosophy and draws on the ideas of thinkers such as Aquinas, Balthasar, Brandom, Davidson, Dooyeweerd, Gadamer, Habermas, Kierkegaard, Plantinga, Ricoeur, and Wolterstorff. Some essays attempt to provide a systematic account of truth, while others wrestle with the question of how truth is told and what it means to live truthfully. Contributors address debates between realists and anti-realists, explore issues surrounding relativism and constructivism in education and the social sciences, examine the politics of truth telling and the ethics of authenticity, and consider various religious perspectives on truth. Most scholars agree that truth is propositional, being expressed in statements that are subject to proof or disproof. This book goes a step farther: yes, propositional truth is important, but truth is more than propositional. To recognize how it is more than propositional is crucial for understanding why truth truly matters. Contributors include Doug Blomberg (ICS), Allyson Carr (ICS), Jeffrey Dudiak (King’s University College), Olaf Ellefson (York University), Gerrit Glas (VU University Amsterdam), Gill K. Goulding (Regis College), Jay Gupta (Mills College), Clarence Joldersma (Calvin College), Matthew J. Klaassen (ICS), John Jung Park (Duke University), Pamela J. Reeve (St. Augustine’s Seminary), Amy Richards (World Affairs Council of Western Michigan), Calvin Seerveld (ICS), Ronnie Shuker (ICS), Adam Smith (Brandeis University), John Van Rys (Redeemer University College), Darren Walhof (Grand Valley State University), Matthew Walhout (Calvin College), and Lambert Zuidervaart (ICS).
Interpersonal Development (The\international Library Of Psychology Ser.)
by Rita ZukauskieneThis volume brings together for the first time the papers which have shaped and defined the field of interpersonal development. It celebrates the maturation of the subject by bringing together the best work by scholars who have been instrumental in furthering the field. The twenty-seven essays describe developmental changes in interactions within specific close relationships, covering parent-child relationships, friendships and peer relationships, romantic and spousal relationships, and sibling relationships. They also detail characteristics of specific relationships and interconnections among these key features, as well as tying close relationships to individual outcomes. The essays are accompanied by an introduction which offers a brief history of the field, a review of relationship definitions and a detailed preview of the articles.
Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture
by Sharon ZukinThis accessible, smart, and expansive book on shopping's impact on American life is in part historical, stretching back to the mid-19th century, yet also has a contemporary focus, with material on recent trends in shopping from the internet to Zagat's guides.Drawing inspiration from both Pierre Bourdieu's work and Walter Benjamin's seminal essay on the shopping arcades of 19th-century Paris, Zukin explores the forces that have made shopping so central to our lives: the rise of consumer culture, the never-ending quest for better value, and shopping's ability to help us improve our social status and attain new social identities.
Escape to Freedom: Brave Young Refugees
by Allan ZulloTen true stories of young people who fled violence and oppression in their homelands to seek a better life in the United States.
The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture: A Practical Guide to the New Normal and Relating to Female Coworkers in the Modern Workplace
by Heather ZumarragaBE PART OF THE SOLUTIONEngage female bosses and colleagues in a way that builds cohesion instead of divisionMovements such as Time&’s Up and #MeToo have done an incredible job of bringing to light the issues women face in the workplace. Now, it&’s time to give men the tools they need to be part of the solution.Studies have shown that 60% of male managers feel uncomfortable working one-on-one with their female colleagues. This means over half of American male managers lack the confidence in their ability to create an inclusive environment for all of their team members. That&’s where The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture comes in.Heather Zumarraga, a business journalist who has spent much of her career in testosterone-filled work environments, wants to make sure that any male leader who wants to be part of the solution knows how to do it the right way. The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture teaches readers:Which behaviors to adopt (and which to avoid) to create and maintain a comfortable work environment for their female co-workers.How to create an environment that is not only welcoming to both women and men but also encourages healthy and respectful collaboration.Strategies to ensure that female employees are being treated fairly by all team members. And much, much more real-world tested advice and approaches to help ensure every employee (and the company as a whole) is best situated for success.There are numerous books that coach women to deal with bias and harassment in a male-dominated workplace. However, The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture is one of the only books that coaches men on how to be a part of the solution so they can engage female bosses, subordinates, and peers in a way that builds cohesion instead of division.The only way for male managers to feel confident in their ability to create an inclusive environment is to give them the tools they need for success. The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture does exactly that.
The 0.5 Generation: Children Moving from the United States to Mexico
by Dr. Víctor Zúñiga Dr. Silvia E. GiorguliAt the beginning of the twenty-first century, a generation of children crossed the border from the United States to begin their lives anew in Mexico. While all were international migrants, their roots spread far and wide. Some were migrant returnees born in Mexico; others had only ever known a life in the United States. Distinguishing returnees from new arrivals seems simple, but defining these youths' affiliations in their new homes in Mexico is much more complex and yields new insights that enrich our contemporary understanding of inclusion and belonging. This book is the product of twenty-five years' worth of fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue and research on these children's trajectories, tracing their journeys and studying integration—or lack thereof—into Mexican society and institutions.
The Evolution of China's Poverty Alleviation and Development Policy (Research Series on the Chinese Dream and China’s Development Path)
by Changsheng ZuoThis book explains in simple language the change of perspective and the transition of the systems for poverty alleviation, based on the fifteen-year development of China’s poverty alleviation policy. Written by scholars from the International Poverty Reduction Center in China, Peking University and the China Agricultural University who have been engaged in the field of poverty alleviation for many years, the contributions combine views on China's poverty reduction policy with the authors’ personal experiences. It is a valuable reference resource for researchers at the forefront of poverty alleviation and also appeals to anyone interested in poverty alleviation and China’s poverty alleviation changes.
Inclusive Development and Poverty Reduction (International Research on Poverty Reduction)
by Changsheng Zuo Chengwei Huang Xiaojun He Xiaolin WangThis book discusses poverty reduction and inclusive development in China. The relevant research reports included here combine unique perspectives and thorough analysis, and include both comparative and empirical analyses. Although China is the first country to have achieved the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, it still faces enormous problems and challenges in terms of narrowing the income gap, reducing poverty and attaining sustainable development. This book not only provides valuable theoretical material to help readers understand inclusive development and poverty reduction in today’s China, but also offers relevant government authorities a solid theoretical and practical basis for informed decision-making.
Self-Construction in a Transcultural Context: Young Chinese Immigrants Constructing Selves in the UK
by Yijia ZuoThis book explores the ways in which individuals construct and integrate self-positions in a transcultural context, by adopting a pluralist theoretical and methodological approach that includes both Western post-modern viewpoints and ancient Chinese philosophical ideas.The book starts with stories of two second-generation Chinese young people and their mothers' life experiences in the UK, which can be seen as an epitome of individuals living in the modern and complex environment of the time. Using social constructionist viewpoints, it then analyzes the overt interaction between the individual and outside environment and interprets the recessive interaction, such as the individual’s psychological response to the outside environment, which might be unknown to him or herself, using the psychodynamic approach based on object relations theory and other psychoanalytic concepts, such as defense mechanisms. The book uses Confucian philosophy to show how Chinese people think about the relation between other people and themselves and also integrates different and even opposing theories and viewpoints from Taoist philosophy.This creative book provides a theoretical and practical approach to explore the conception of “self” and the way in which individuals construct their self-positions in a complex context. Combining cutting-edge Western psycho-social viewpoints and ancient Chinese philosophy, it appeals to readers interested in “self,” psycho-social approaches, psychoanalytic viewpoints and Chinese philosophy.
Disavowal (Theory Redux)
by Alenka ZupančičThis book argues that the psychoanalytic concept of disavowal best renders the structure underlying our contemporary social response to traumatic and disturbing events, from climate change to unsettling tectonic shifts in our social tissue. Unlike denialism and negation, disavowal functions by fully acknowledging what we disavow. Zupančič contends that disavowal, which sustains some belief by means of ardently proclaiming the knowledge of the opposite, is becoming a predominant feature of our social and political life. She also shows how the libidinal economy of disavowal is a key element of capitalist economy. The concept of fetishistic disavowal already exposes the objectified side of the mechanism of the disavowal, which follows the general formula: I know well, but all the same, the object-fetish allows me to disregard this knowledge. Zupančič adds another twist by showing how, in the prevailing structure of disavowal today, the mere act of declaring that we know becomes itself an object-fetish by which we intercept the reality of that very knowledge. This perverse deployment of knowledge deprives it of any reality.This structure of disavowal can be found not only in the more extreme and dramatic cases of conspiracy theories and re-emerging magical thinking, but even more so in the supposedly sober continuation of business as usual, combined with the call to adapt to the new reality. To disrupt this social embedding of disavowal, it is not enough to change the way we think: things need to change, and hence the way they think for us.
The Palgrave Handbook of Left-Wing Extremism, Volume 1
by José Pedro ZúqueteThis handbook provides a broad overview of left-wing extremism and its associated key issues and themes. It breaks new ground by assembling in a single volume a comparative analysis of the phenomenon that is both multidimensional and multidisciplinary. Gathering a wide range of influential scholars who have worked at length in the field of extremism studies from different perspectives, backgrounds, and geographical settings, the Palgrave Handbook of Left-Wing Extremism presents an array of thought-provoking and innovative as well as informative analyses and discussions – both historical and contemporary - about the phenomenon of left-wing extremism and of how researchers conceive of and approach it in their study. The Handbook is designed to be, for the foreseeable future, the reference work for all students, researchers, and general readers interested in achieving a comprehensive understanding of left-wing extremism in all its manifestations, subtleties, and dynamics, and both its current and its potential directions.