Suchergebnisse

A review essay on books by (1) Elizabeth Pond, The Rebirth of Europe (Washington, DC: Brookings, 1999); (2) Ilya Prizel, National Identity and Foreign Policy: Nationalism and Leadership in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine (New York: Cambridge U Press, 1998); & (3) Angela E. Stent, Russia and Germany Reborn: Unification, the Soviet Collapse, and the New Europe (Princeton: Princeton U Press, 1999). These books examine the factors that lead to former Soviet bloc nations' acceptance or rejection of Western democratic & market systems. Pond's study of the historical rationale that guided the EU's emergence is welcomed for demonstrating the complexities behind Germany's acceptance of democracy & incorporation into the EU; in addition, Pond's text is praised for illustrating the EU's problems in adopting the Euro & the inability of certain national governments to adequately address impending economic problems. Stent's book is congratulated for closely analyzing the former USSR's influence on the separation of West & East Germany & Germany's eventual reunification. Prizel's assertion that the emergence of national identities in Russia, Ukraine, & Poland in modern history were responses to other national identities is discussed; specific attention is directed toward Ukraine's failure to develop a national identity & Poland's creation of one after the USSR's dissolution. The implications of incorporating Russia & Ukraine into the EU are briefly considered. J. W. Parker

For the author, the avocation of futures studies has been a personal journey, which he describes in this article. He then posits a conundrum: the possibility of humanity's role in its own destruction, on one hand, or human transcendence, on the other hand (planet eaters or star makers). The roles of driving forces and theories of social change are emphasized, especially the role of technology innovation in social change. Other "tsunamis of change" are discussed, including economic and environmental change and the status of women. The author's focus on alternative futures methodologies is covered in some detail, in particular, popular societal images of the future. His preference for either a "sane, humane, and ecological" future or a high-tech future is described. The author concludes with a discussion of the changing nature of higher education students and the challenges facing both education and the human species.