Search results

"Civil society and civic engagement have increasingly become topics of discussion at the national and international level. The editors of this volume ask, does the concept of 'civil society' include gender equality and gender justice? Or, to frame the question differently, is civil society a feminist concept? Conversely, does feminism need the concept of civil society? This important volume offers both a revised gendered history of civil society and a program for making it more egalitarian in the future. An interdisciplinary group of internationally known authors investigates the relationship between public and private in the discourses and practices of civil societies; the significance of the family for the project of civil society; the relation between civil society, the state, and different forms of citizenship; and the complex connection between civil society, gendered forms of protest and nongovernmental movements. While often critical of historical instantiations of civil society, all the authors nonetheless take seriously the potential inherent in civil society, particularly as it comes to influence global politics. They demand, however, an expansion of both the concept and project of civil society in order to make its political opportunities available to all."--Back cover

Despite often being dismissed as bizarre, apocalyptic thought has persistent appeal in political life. This book explains apocalyptic thought's political appeal by examining it through the eyes of secular thinkers and makes original contributions to both the history of political thought and contemporary political philosophy

Derzeit vollzieht sich unbemerkt ein Paradigmenwechsel. Die Gesellschaft der Negativität weicht einer Gesellschaft, die von einem Übermaß an Positivität beherrscht ist. Ausgehend von diesem Paradigmenwechsel zeichnet Han die pathologische Landschaft der heutigen Gesellschaft, zu der neuronale Erkrankungen wie Depression, Aufmerksamkeitsdefizitsyndrom, Borderline oder Burnout gehören. Sie sind keine Infektionen, sondern Infarkte, die nicht durch die Negativität des immunologisch Anderen, sondern durch ein Übermaß an Positivität bedingt sind. So entziehen sie sich jeder immunologischen Technik der Prophylaxe und Abwehr. Hans Analyse mündet am Ende in die Vision einer Gesellschaft, die er in beabsichtigter Ambivalenz Müdigkeitsgesellschaft nennt.

Wissenschaftliche Kritik verschont sich zunehmend selbst. Sie produziert gerne vorschnelle Generalisierungen und wohlfeile Bewertungen. Reflexionsverweigerung fördert dabei Konformismus und Halbbildung. Diese Schonstellungen ersparen der Kritik die mühselige Arbeit der Selbstkritik - Zwischentöne, Ambivalenzen und Widersprüche werden ausgeblendet. Benedikt Korf analysiert differenziert die sich daraus entwickelnden Schwierigkeiten. Am Beispiel der kritischen Geographie verdeutlicht er die oftmals hegemoniale Stellung des Begriffs »kritisch« in den Sozial- und Geisteswissenschaften

This book explores how cities are shaped by the lived experiences of inhabitants and examines the ways they develop strategies to cope with daily and unexpected challenges. It argues that migration, livelihood, and public health challenges result from inadequacies in the hard city—urban assets, such as land, infrastructure, and housing, and asserts that these challenges and escalating vulnerabilities are best negotiated using the soft city—social capital and community networks. In so doing, the authors criticise a singular knowledge system and argue for a granular, nuanced understanding of cities—of the interrelations between people in places, everyday urbanisms, social relationships, cultural practices, and histories. The volume presents perspectives from the Global South and the Global North and engages with city-specific cases from Africa, India, and Europe for a deeper understanding of resilience. Part of the Urban Futures series, it will be of great interest to students and researchers of urban studies, urban planning, urban management, architecture, urban sociology, urban design, ecology, conservation, and urban sustainability. It will also be useful for urbanists, architects, urban sociologists, city and town planners, policy makers, and those interested in a deeper understanding of the contemporary and future city

Harm reduction entails policies, programs and practices aimed at reducing the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people who are unwilling or unable to stop. The focus is on the prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself. Harm reduction has been a principle of Australias approach to drug use for several decades. However, recent overdose deaths and hospitalisations at music festivals have highlighted the clear harms of illicit drug use and prompted a debate over the introduction of pill testing, with political leaders being reluctant to implement the measure. This book explores the ethical, legal and medical pros and cons in the debate, with a topical focus on pill testing. Does pill testing give young people a false sense of security and promote further risky drug use, when there is really no safe level at which these substances can be taken? Or are harm reduction approaches such as pill testing and needle and syringe programs simply about saving lives and giving people a safety net? In a perfect world, no one would risk their lives by taking party drugs but in reality, is harm reduction too bitter a pill to swallow?--