John M. Kirk - Böcker

Central America provocatively challenges the myths of Central American democracy, development, and change--concepts traditionally maligned and oversimplified, but here presented analytically through a unique series of first-hand accounts. Incorporating essays by a variety of well-known academics and Central American specialists, this work considers each of the three concern areas separately. Part I includes five essays on democracy in the context of such nations as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Part II explores the idea of development, the development of democratic education, U.S. aid, and the Social Democratic Project of 1948. Part III discusses the concept of change--seven essays cover liberation theology, the Sanctuary Movement, and the Reagan administration's attempts to thwart change.

This is the second of two volumes to bear witness to the Cuban experience. Together with its predecessor, Cuba: Twenty-Five Years of Revolution, it offers a positive account. Yet, it is sensitive to the dilemmas and flawed strategies in Cuba's thirty-year process of transformation. It warns that no preconceived notion of state or of development will help grasp the multifaceted nature of this nation, which reflects aspects of both developed and underdeveloped nations. Seventeen chapters, five of which are from Cuban contributors, thoroughly investigate recent political, economic, and social changes as well as the successes and failures of long-term development policies. Heavy attention is paid to the rectification process launched by Castro in 1986.This volume portrays a Cuba facing the 1990s with a burst of increased vigor in its efforts to secure continued far-reaching transformation. Seventeen chapters describe major changes in the economic realm caught up in the rectification campaign; a slow process of liberalization in the political sphere; and a Cuba that, in social terms, is far better off than any other Latin American country.

This is the second of two volumes to bear witness to the Cuban experience. Together with its predecessor, Cuba: Twenty-Five Years of Revolution, it offers a positive account. Yet, it is sensitive to the dilemmas and flawed strategies in Cuba's thirty-year process of transformation. It warns that no preconceived notion of state or of development will help grasp the multifaceted nature of this nation, which reflects aspects of both developed and underdeveloped nations. Seventeen chapters, five of which are from Cuban contributors, thoroughly investigate recent political, economic, and social changes as well as the successes and failures of long-term development policies. Heavy attention is paid to the rectification process launched by Castro in 1986.This volume portrays a Cuba facing the 1990s with a burst of increased vigor in its efforts to secure continued far-reaching transformation. Seventeen chapters describe major changes in the economic realm caught up in the rectification campaign; a slow process of liberalization in the political sphere; and a Cuba that, in social terms, is far better off than any other Latin American country.

The publication in the past ten years of linguistic atlases of England and Scotland has not only advanced our knowledge of the lexical and morphological variety inherent in the English language, but has made it possible to establish a number of methodological principles for the study of language both in its contemporary distribution and in its historical evolution.The essays in this volume, by contributors to the linguistic atlases and other dialectologists, describe some of the problems that bedevil the study of dialect and the methodological solutions employed to minimise them. They also survey the contributions that linguistic cartography can make to the study of English and of language in general. The considerations it embodies are of major importance for the student of language and, in addition, the book is an invaluable companion to the Atlases.

Cuba has more medical personnel serving abroad - over 50,000 in 66 countries - than all of the G-7 countries combined and more than the World Health Organization. For the last five decades, they have been a leading force in the developing world, providing humanitarian aid (or “cooperation,” as Cuba’s communist government prefers) and initiating programs for preventative care and medical training.In Healthcare without Borders, John Kirk examines the role of Cuban medical teams in disaster relief, biotechnology joint ventures, and in the Latin American School - the largest medical faculty in the world. He looks at their responses to various crises worldwide, including the 1960 earthquake in Chile, the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine, the earthquake that wracked Haiti in 2010 and the subsequent cholera outbreak, and the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.Kirk issues an informative and enlightening corrective for what he describes as the tendency of the industrialized world’s media to ignore or underreport this phenomenon as one of the positive aspects of the ongoing Cuban revolution. In the process, he explores the philosophical underpinnings of human rights and access to medical care at the core of Cuba’s medical internationalism programs and partnerships.

The publication in the past ten years of linguistic atlases of England and Scotland has not only advanced our knowledge of the lexical and morphological variety inherent in the English language, but has made it possible to establish a number of methodological principles for the study of language both in its contemporary distribution and in its historical evolution.The essays in this volume, by contributors to the linguistic atlases and other dialectologists, describe some of the problems that bedevil the study of dialect and the methodological solutions employed to minimise them. They also survey the contributions that linguistic cartography can make to the study of English and of language in general. The considerations it embodies are of major importance for the student of language and, in addition, the book is an invaluable companion to the Atlases.

This book examines the evolution of Cuba's foreign relations since the demise of the USSR. It is divided into three sections: the first examines the nature of economic and political change that has taken place in Cuba in the last three years;

This volume illustrates the sweeping changes in Cuban foreign policy under Raúl Castro. Leading scholars from around the world show how the significant shift in foreign policy direction that started in 1990 after the implosion of the Soviet Union has continued, in many ways taking totally unexpected paths—as is shown by the move toward the normalization of relations with Washington. Providing a systematic overview of Cuba’s relations with the United States, Latin America, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, this book will be invaluable for courses on contemporary Cuba.

This volume illustrates the sweeping changes in Cuban foreign policy under Raúl Castro. Leading scholars from around the world show how the significant shift in foreign policy direction that started in 1990 after the implosion of the Soviet Union has continued, in many ways taking totally unexpected paths—as is shown by the move toward the normalization of relations with Washington. Providing a systematic overview of Cuba’s relations with the United States, Latin America, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, this book will be invaluable for courses on contemporary Cuba.

Cuba has undergone dramatic changes since the collapse of European communism. The loss of economic aid and preferential trade with the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries forced the Cuban government to search out new ways of organizing the domestic economy and new commercial relations in an international system dominated by market economies. The resulting economic reforms have reverberated through Cuban society and politics, recreating social inequalities unknown since the 1950s and confronting the political system with unprecedented new challenges. The resulting ferment is increasingly evident in Cuban cultural expression, and the responses to adversity and scarcity have reshaped Cuban social relations. Cuba today faces new challenges with the transition to a new president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and renewed hostility from the Trump administration. This timely book provides a balanced and deeply knowledgeable introduction to Cuba today. This concise overview focuses on Cuba since Raúl Castro stepped down as president, bringing together leading scholars to analyze politics, economics, foreign policy, and society in present-day Cuba. Ideally suited for students and all those seeking to understand this still contentious and controversial island, the book includes a substantive introduction setting the historical context, as well as a chronology and primary source documents.

Cuba has undergone dramatic changes since the collapse of European communism. The loss of economic aid and preferential trade with the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries forced the Cuban government to search out new ways of organizing the domestic economy and new commercial relations in an international system dominated by market economies. The resulting economic reforms have reverberated through Cuban society and politics, recreating social inequalities unknown since the 1950s and confronting the political system with unprecedented new challenges. The resulting ferment is increasingly evident in Cuban cultural expression, and the responses to adversity and scarcity have reshaped Cuban social relations. Cuba today faces new challenges with the transition to a new president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and renewed hostility from the Trump administration. This timely book provides a balanced and deeply knowledgeable introduction to Cuba today. This concise overview focuses on Cuba since Raúl Castro stepped down as president, bringing together leading scholars to analyze politics, economics, foreign policy, and society in present-day Cuba. Ideally suited for students and all those seeking to understand this still contentious and controversial island, the book includes a substantive introduction setting the historical context, as well as a chronology and primary source documents.

This completely revised and updated edition of Contemporary Cuba focuses on Cuba since Raúl Castro stepped down as president in 2018. The book offers a comprehensive description and analysis of contemporary Cuban politics, economy, international relations, and society. All but two of the twenty-seven articles were written expressly for this volume, in a style accessible for a broad audience. Ideally suited for students and general readers seeking to understand this small yet still influential country, the book includes a substantive introduction setting the historical context, as well as introductions to each topical section and a chronology of events since 2014.Contributions by: Fulton T. Armstrong, Mervyn J. Bain, Michael J. Bustamante, Susan Eckstein, H. Michael Erisman, Julio Antonio Fernández Estrada, Julio César Guanche, Katrin Hansing, Vilma Hidalgo López-Chávez, Bert Hoffmann, Arturo Lopez-Levy, Armando Nova González, Leonardo Padura Fuentes, Louis A. Pérez, Jr., Kirenia Pérez Criado, C. Maelia Esther Pérez Silveira, Jorge R. Piñón, Magela Romero Almodovar, Antonio F. Romero Gómez, Ricardo Torres Pérez, Ailynn Torres Santana, C. Juan Triana Cordoví, Dachelys Valdés Moreno, Helen Yaffe, María del Carmen Zabala Arguelles

This completely revised and updated edition of Contemporary Cuba focuses on Cuba since Raúl Castro stepped down as president in 2018. The book offers a comprehensive description and analysis of contemporary Cuban politics, economy, international relations, and society. All but two of the twenty-seven articles were written expressly for this volume, in a style accessible for a broad audience. Ideally suited for students and general readers seeking to understand this small yet still influential country, the book includes a substantive introduction setting the historical context, as well as introductions to each topical section and a chronology of events since 2014.Contributions by: Fulton T. Armstrong, Mervyn J. Bain, Michael J. Bustamante, Susan Eckstein, H. Michael Erisman, Julio Antonio Fernández Estrada, Julio César Guanche, Katrin Hansing, Vilma Hidalgo López-Chávez, Bert Hoffmann, Arturo Lopez-Levy, Armando Nova González, Leonardo Padura Fuentes, Louis A. Pérez, Jr., Kirenia Pérez Criado, C. Maelia Esther Pérez Silveira, Jorge R. Piñón, Magela Romero Almodovar, Antonio F. Romero Gómez, Ricardo Torres Pérez, Ailynn Torres Santana, C. Juan Triana Cordoví, Dachelys Valdés Moreno, Helen Yaffe, María del Carmen Zabala Arguelles