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This original account of the role of philosophy and methodology in political sciences gets back to the basics of studying politics. Cutting through long-standing controversies across different theoretical camps within the discipline, Dowding provides an innovative and pluralistic argument for the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches. He offers an analysis of, and a counterbalance to, debates over causal explanation, defending a scientific realist perspective that is open to entirely different methods.

This original account of the role of philosophy and methodology in political sciences gets back to the basics of studying politics. Cutting through long-standing controversies across different theoretical camps within the discipline, Dowding provides an innovative and pluralistic argument for the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches. He offers an analysis of, and a counterbalance to, debates over causal explanation, defending a scientific realist perspective that is open to entirely different methods.

"Marta Faustino and Gianfranco Ferraro present a collection of essays by esteemed academics on the ethical and political questions present in Michel Foucault's late work. As one of the most important and controversial thinkers of the twentieth century, the philosopher's last works are at the centre of much current academic research and debate. Comprising 15 essays written by specialists on Foucault's thought from 10 different countries, the perspectives offered by the contributors and the thinker himself can help us to unravel modernity and give us the tools to understand and ethically and politically transform our present"--

Argues that microanalytic & macroanalytic migration theories both tend to ignore the political dimension of international migrations. A political perspective approach to migration issues is offered that incorporates some of the most useful aspects of micro- & macro- theories by emphasizing the transfer of jurisdiction as the constitutive element of international migrations. International migration is viewed as a "deviance from the prevailing norm of social organization at the world level." It is suggested that international migration can best be understood as a social phenomenon that includes tension between the preferences of individuals & the interests of societies. Any thorough evaluation of the costs & benefits of migration requires an examination of both individual & collective accounts. The analytical ramifications of the political perspective are pointed out, noting that it is also an effective framework for analyzing the behavior of societies. The implications of the conflict between the freedom to leave deprived regions of the world & the freedom of more fortunate countries to preserve their favorable endowment by restricting entry are discussed. J. Lindroth

This article identifies a number of challenges the social sciences will have to face in order to play a broader role in formulating international migration policies. This new role is subject to two major processes: globalisation and the universal acceptance of human rights. Both processes affect policy options, albeit from different perspectives. Recent research findings have confirmed that there is no direct link between poverty and South‐North migration, despite the fact that many policy recommendations are based on this premise. The article suggests that the contradiction between policy recommendations and research findings is due to the weight of economic theory in migration policy. Yet economics does not take into account the complex nature of social, political and cultural factors that also influence migrants' motivations and migration processes. Recent efforts to formulate multi‐disciplinary theories should, it is suggested, help devise more effective policies. Channels of communication will need to be improved between knowledge‐producers and policy‐makers. The article also recommends distinguishing between a conceptual and an instrumental use of knowledge.