Download or read book Overcoming Intolerance in South Africa written by James L. Gibson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Overcoming Intolerance in South Africa, Gibson and Gouws investigate the degree to which the political culture of South Africa the beliefs, values, and attitudes toward politics held by ordinary people impedes or promotes the consolidation of democratic reform. One set of values is of particular concern for their research political tolerance. The authors contend that political tolerance is a crucial element of democratic political cultures in general, but that in the case of polyglot South Africa, tolerance is perhaps more important than any other democratic value.
Download or read book Overcoming Apartheid written by James L. Gibson and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 2004-04-15 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps no country in history has so directly and thoroughly confronted its past in an effort to shape its future as has South Africa. Working from the belief that understanding the past will help build a more peaceful and democratic future, South Africa has made a concerted, institutionalized effort to come to grips with its history of apartheid through its Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In Overcoming Apartheid, James L. Gibson provides the first systematic assessment of whether South Africa's truth and reconciliation process has been successful. Has the process allowed South Africa to let go of its painful past and move on? Or has it exacerbated racial tensions by revisiting painful human rights violations and granting amnesty to their perpetrators? Overcoming Apartheid reports on the largest and most comprehensive study of post-apartheid attitudes in South Africa to date, involving a representative sample of all major racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups. Grounding his analysis of truth in theories of collective memory, Gibson discovers that the process has been most successful in creating a common understanding of the nature of apartheid. His analysis then demonstrates how this common understanding is helping to foster reconciliation, as defined by the acceptance of basic principles of human rights and political tolerance, rejection of racial prejudice, and acceptance of the institutions of a new political order. Gibson identifies key elements in the process—such as acknowledging shared responsibility for atrocities of the past—that are essential if reconciliation is to move forward. He concludes that without the truth and reconciliation process, the prospects for a reconciled, democratic South Africa would diminish considerably. Gibson also speculates about whether the South African experience provides any lessons for other countries around the globe trying to overcome their repressive pasts. A groundbreaking work of social science research, Overcoming Apartheid is also a primer for utilizing innovative conceptual and methodological tools in analyzing truth processes throughout the world. It is sure to be a valuable resource for political scientists, social scientists, group relations theorists, and students of transitional justice and human rights.
Download or read book Overcoming Historical Injustices written by James L. Gibson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-20 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the judgements South Africans make about the fairness of their country's past, focusing on historical land dispossessions.
Download or read book The New Religious Intolerance written by Martha C. Nussbaum and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-24 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What impulse prompted some newspapers to attribute the murder of 77 Norwegians to Islamic extremists, until it became evident that a right-wing Norwegian terrorist was the perpetrator? Why did Switzerland, a country of four minarets, vote to ban those structures? How did a proposed Muslim cultural center in lower Manhattan ignite a fevered political debate across the United States? In The New Religious Intolerance, Martha C. Nussbaum surveys such developments and identifies the fear behind these reactions. Drawing inspiration from philosophy, history, and literature, she suggests a route past this limiting response and toward a more equitable, imaginative, and free society. Fear, Nussbaum writes, is "more narcissistic than other emotions." Legitimate anxieties become distorted and displaced, driving laws and policies biased against those different from us. Overcoming intolerance requires consistent application of universal principles of respect for conscience. Just as important, it requires greater understanding. Nussbaum challenges us to embrace freedom of religious observance for all, extending to others what we demand for ourselves. She encourages us to expand our capacity for empathetic imagination by cultivating our curiosity, seeking friendship across religious lines, and establishing a consistent ethic of decency and civility. With this greater understanding and respect, Nussbaum argues, we can rise above the politics of fear and toward a more open and inclusive future.
Download or read book Liberal Democracy and Peace in South Africa written by H. Kotzé and published by Springer. This book was released on 2010-12-14 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa's transition to democracy was met by the global audience with at first, disbelief, followed later by applause. After fifteen years of democracy big questions remain: has a more democratic regime also lead to a more liberal society? And has democracy made for a more peaceful society?
Download or read book Political Tolerance in the Global South written by Sten Widmalm and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-05 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes people agree to the extension of political rights to those they clearly dislike? This book moves beyond the extensive research on this question in western contexts to focus on the global south, offering unique empirical studies of political tolerance in plural societies where poverty is prevalent and democratic institutions can often be fragile. Based on extensive data gathered in India, Pakistan and Uganda, this volume offers an account of the factors that shape the foundations of a society and its capacity to be democratic, but where the need for the protection of human rights is great and where the state is either weak or even constitutes a counter-force against the rights of individuals and groups. Combining large scale survey data with in-depth interviews in each national setting, the author exemplifies the great variation of factors which are related to political tolerance, shedding light on the fundamental patterns existing in the organisation of state-society relations and the ways in which they produce certain results owing to the manner in which the forces of modernisation operate. A broad and empirically informed study of what shapes the foundations of a democratic society in modernising nations, Political Tolerance in the Global South will appeal to scholars of sociology and political science with interests in democracy, human rights, diversity and tolerance.
Download or read book Justice and Reconciliation in Post Apartheid South Africa written by François Du Bois (jurist.) and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An assessment of the transitional processes aimed at creating a stable and just society in South Africa.
Download or read book What Holds Us Together written by David Chidester and published by HSRC Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the effects of a range of global forces on local forms of identity, coherence, and cohesion. With contributions from intellectuals from business, organised labour, community organisations, government structures and academics, this book is useful for those interested in the wide-ranging effects of globalisation on South Africa.
Download or read book South African Social Attitudes written by Udesh Pillay and published by HSRC Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A country’s attitudinal profile is as much a part of its social reality as are its demographic make-up, its culture and its distinctive social patterns. It helps to provide a nuanced picture of a country’s circumstances, its continuities and changes, its democratic health, and how it feels to live there. It also helps to measure the country's progress towards the achievement of its economic, social and political goals, based on the measurement of both 'objective' and 'subjective' realities. South African Social Attitudes: Changing Times, Diverse Voices is a new series aimed at providing an analysis of attitudes and values towards a wide range of social and political issues relevant to life in contemporary South African society. As the series develops, we hope that readers will be able to draw meaningful comparisons with the findings of previous years and thus develop a richer picture and deeper appreciation of changing South African social values. This, the first volume in the series, presents the public's responses during extensive nation-wide interviews conducted by the HSRC in late 2003. The findings are analysed in three thematic sections: the first provides an in-depth examination of race, class and politics; the second gives a critical assessment of the public's perceptions of poverty, inequality and service delivery, and the last explores societal values such as partner violence and moral attitudes. South African Social Attitudes is essential reading for anyone seeking a guide to contemporary social or political issues and debates. It should prove an indispensable tool not only for government policy-makers, social scientists and students, but also for general readers wishing to gain a better understanding of their fellow citizens and themselves.
Download or read book The Political Economy of AIDS in Africa written by Nana K. Poku and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-05 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sub-Saharan Africa is a region devastated by HIV/AIDS. The extent of the epidemic is only now becoming clear, as increasing numbers of people with HIV are becoming ill. In the absence of massively expanded prevention, treatment and care efforts, the AIDS death toll on the continent is set to escalate rapidly. Despite progress being achieved in localized settings, the alarming statistics reflect the continuing failure of advanced countries to mount a response that matches the scale and severity of the African HIV/AIDS crisis. Over and above the colossal personal suffering, the dire social and economic consequences for fragile nation-states are already being felt, not only in health but in education, industry, agriculture, transport, human resources and economies in general. Countries already crippled by drought, poverty, debt, forced migration and civil war must now contend with massive deterioration in child survival rates and life expectancy, the erosion of the economic family base, massive and insupportable demands on health and public services, chronic labour shortages and volatile national security. Through a critical and detailed exploration of specific case studies, this invaluable volume brings together an unparalleled array of international contributors to redefine the political and economic contours of this calamitous epidemic. It examines the impact of the shortfalls in the 'Global Fund' allocation, the slow pace of administrative processing of aid and the weaknesses of institutional responses to the crisis from African countries and their partners in the global health community. It is essential reading for all concerned with public health, epidemiology, HIV/AIDS research, globalization, development, Africa and indeed our shared future. Features include: ” Unique assessments of HIV/AIDS and its impact on democracy and governance in African states ” Wide-ranging regional and country studies by the foremost thinkers in their fields ” Multi-disciplinary contributions from areas including: Politics, Sociology, Public Health and Development Studies ” Compelling and convincing evidence, thematic in approach ” Innovative and culturally specific insights for long-term planning, care and support
Download or read book Constitutional Rights in Two Worlds written by Mark S. Kende and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-03-02 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the South African Constitutional Court to determine how it has functioned during the nation's transition.
Download or read book Political Behavior and the Emotional Citizen written by Cengiz Erisen and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-11-23 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book studies the role of emotions, such as anger, anxiety, and enthusiasm, across various domains of political behavior in Turkey. The author considers how emotions affect evaluations of leadership performance, levels of intolerance, likelihood of following and participating in politics, perceived threats from terrorism, and electoral decisions, including vote choice. Using a nationally representative survey and experimental data, this study empirically analyses the causal associations among the primary factors explaining the Turkish electorate’s political attitudes and behaviours. The book will be of particular interest to academics, university students, and policymakers seeking to learn more about contemporary Turkish politics amid the recent political and social turmoil that has affected all parts of this society.
Download or read book Ethnicity and Sociopolitcal Change in Africa and Other Developing Countries written by Santosh C. Saha and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2008 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited book on constructive ethnicity argues that the modernizing state system in developing countries unduly denies a legitimate place to the linguistic and ethnic groups who, despite habitual attachment to ethnic groups, might meaningfully help the slow process of state building. Here ethnicity is characterized as positive, and as such, moral and pragmatic. Despite ethnicity's natural inclination to polarization, a national community can be reconstructed, as is exemplified by recent events in Rwanda, Cyprus, India, Palestine, and China.
Download or read book Burdened by Race written by Mohamed Adhikari and published by Juta and Company Ltd. This book was released on 2009 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the process and culture of self-identification
Download or read book Democratic Consolidation in Turkey written by Cengiz Erisen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-06-10 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While Turkey has made major strides in democratic reforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s, progress has, in many ways, stalled. Turkey remains "democratic" in the sense that attaining political power depends upon winning votes, but in recent years its leadership has taken a majoritarian view of democracy and the country has faced problems on issues such as rule of law, freedom of speech, and increased polarization. This book explores the understanding and practice of democracy in Turkey since the early 2000s, analyzing its evolution in light of the parliamentary elections held in 2015. Adopting a more holistic approach in line with the writing of Wolfgang Merkel, it recognizes that a successful, consolidated democracy has various micro and macro-level foundations. The former includes factors such as political values, tolerance, identity, and civil society, while the latter includes political economy, party competition, and institutional development. This volume rejects purely descriptive assessments and instead employs theoretical perspectives to analyze a dynamic political environment. It brings together a range of noted specialists on Turkish politics and society, who employ different methodological approaches and frameworks to offer a distinct scholarly work on democratization in Turkey. A thorough analysis of the problems of democratic consolidation, alongside an awareness of the theoretical and methodological debates in the discipline, make this book essential reading for students, scholars and policymakers interested in Turkish politics, as well as democratization and democratic transitions more generally.
Download or read book After Apartheid written by Ian Shapiro and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2011-06-21 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Democracy came to South Africa in April 1994, when the African National Congress won a landslide victory in the first free national election in the country’s history. That definitive and peaceful transition from apartheid is often cited as a model for others to follow. The new order has since survived several transitions of ANC leadership, and it averted a potentially destabilizing constitutional crisis in 2008. Yet enormous challenges remain. Poverty and inequality are among the highest in the world. Staggering unemployment has fueled xenophobia, resulting in deadly aggression directed at refugees and migrant workers from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Violent crime rates, particularly murder and rape, remain grotesquely high. The HIV/AIDS pandemic was shockingly mishandled at the highest levels of government, and infection rates continue to be overwhelming. Despite the country’s uplifting success of hosting Africa’s first World Cup in 2010, inefficiency and corruption remain rife, infrastructure and basic services are often semifunctional, and political opposition and a free media are under pressure. In this volume, major scholars chronicle South Africa’s achievements and challenges since the transition. The contributions, all previously unpublished, represent the state of the art in the study of South African politics, economics, law, and social policy.
Download or read book Political Science in South Africa written by Peter Vale and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-01-13 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2013 and in 2014 respectively, the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) and Politikon (the South African Journal of Political Studies) celebrate their 40th anniversary. Also, in April 2014 South Africa celebrates twenty years since the advent of the post-Apartheid democracy, and the birth of the ‘rainbow nation’. This book provides a timely account of the birth and evolution of South African politics over the past four decades, but also of the study of Political Science and International Relations in this country. Fourteen political scientists contribute chapters to this volume, situating the study of politics within its global context and recounting the development of politics as a field of study at South African universities. The fourteen contributions evaluate the state of the discipline(s) and suggest conclusions that are surprising and in many instances unsettling, not only with regards to what and how politics is taught, but also how its study has variously gained and lost pertinence for South Africans’ understanding of their own polity as well as its place in the world. The implications are uncomfortable, and pose interesting challenges for South African scholarship, pedagogy and national self-reflection. This book was published as a special issue of Politikon.
