Essays in political anthropology: reviewing the essence of capitalism

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction -- References -- Chapter 1 -- Leisure and Society -- Abstract -- Introduction -- The Book -- Some Remarks and Insights -- The Ideological Nature of Leisure -- References -- Chapter 2 -- The Myth of Risk: Dialogues between Agamemnon and the Youth Skywalker -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Mythology -- Conceptual Discussion -- The Sociology of Risk -- From the Fall of Troy Towards Star Wars -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3 -- The Tourism Imaginaries Reconsidered -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Reading the Tourist Imaginaries -- A Preliminary Debate -- The Tourist Imaginaries Revisited -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 4 -- The Anthropology of Disasters: An Alternative Viewpoint -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Exploring the Essence of Humanitarian Disasters -- Constructing the Logic of Disasters -- Towards an Anthropological Definition of Resilience -- Poverty -- Repression, Vulnerability and the Society of Fear -- The Ideological Core of Poverty -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 5 -- The Climate Change and Thana-Capitalism -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Initial Insights -- Anthony Giddens -- Paul Virilio -- Tim Ingold -- Climate Change and Thana Capitalism -- Conclusion -- References -- Conclusion(Terrorism Today: Dilemmas Revolving Around Terrorism and National Security -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Initial Discussion -- Terrorism, Tourism and Leisure Spots -- Conclusion -- References -- About the Author -- Index -- Blank Page

In 1992, Ulrich Beck published his classic Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity, which over the years has been situated as a must-read book in anthropology and sociology. The turn of the century brought many unseen political, economic and of course ecological risks for contemporary society. Though brilliant in essence, Beck's argument does not suffice to explain the times that humans live in now. Risk society has been replaced by a new stage of capitalism, where disasters, human suffering and pain have been commoditized as products to be instantly gazed and consumed by a global spectorship. The term "Thana-Capitalism" is used to describe the rise of a new form of capitalism, centered in the consumption of death and pain. This book captivates the needs of discussing capitalism from a new angle, introducing new theories, insights and debates revolving around political anthropology. In five short chapters, the authors did their best to explore this idea with different but interrelated topics such as leisure, tourism, consumption, terrorism, disasters, climate change, and political violence. The present project is useful for pre-graduate students (in humanities and social sciences) interested in politics, cultural studies and anthropology