Maurits Berger – författare

Legal pluralism denotes both the multiple social fields which produce partilly interacting norms and the state's recognition of the many sources of law which constitute its legislation. It advocates a break from traditional legal theory in favour of describing the law from a more sociological and anthropological perspective. The theory of legal pluralism proves a useful tool, offering a challenging avenue for the examination of socio-legal activities. Too often, however, the literature on legal pluralism has failed to place sufficient emphasis on its fundamental theoretical questions.The result of a seminar held in Cairo in December 1996 with contributions by sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, legal theoreticians, and practising lawyers, Legal Pluralism in the Arab World represents the first comprehensive examination of this phenomenon. This collection of essays attempts to define the notion of legal pluralism from a sociological, anthropological, and theoretical perspective and highlights its connection with particular Arab societies and countries. The work's unique features include* a preface by John Griffiths, one of the most significant voices in the formulation of the theory of legal pluralism;* a broad range of case studies, demonstrating the diversity in formulations of the theory; and* a wide variety of approaches to the subject matter.Legal Pluralism in the Arab World is the only work in existence which addresses the concept of legal pluralism in this particular part of the world in such a systematic manner. These essays significantly enrich the current canon on legal pluralism and offer the reader a unique example of its richness and usefulness.

A Brief History of Islam in Europe presents an overall presentation and discussion of developments ever since Islam appeared on the European stage thirteen centuries ago. The events and stories presented increase the understanding of present debates on, and notions of, Islam and Muslims in Europe. The leading questions in discussing the role of the Islam in Europe are: how and in what ways did Europeans and Muslims interact, and what is the role of religion therein? And for those Europeans who had never met a Muslim: what was their image of Islam, and how did they study the Muslim? This book shows that in the course of thirteen centuries the Muslim as well as Islam have undergone many metamorphoses. The Muslim has entered the European stage as a conqueror, antichrist, scholar, benign ruler, corsair, tradesman and fellow citizen. The image of Islam has meandered accordingly, as a religion that was feared as an enemy or embraced as a partner against heretical Christians, despised as an abomination or admired as a civilization, and studied for missionary, academic, colonial or security purpose.

International Studies aims to understand the global complexities of the world in which we live today. Central in these complexities is the position of the human individual, who is both an actor and reactor in global events. This textbook introduces three I's – interests, identities, ideas – that provide a framework to understand human behaviour in today's world. The role of people is further elaborated in the three spatial dimensions of the local, regional, and global level. This gives International Studies the character of a 3-D chessboard with human players. Unique in this textbook is the framework of global scopes used for analysis of the global complexities: global structures (such as economics, belief systems, states, intergovernmental organizations), global trends (such as nationalism, power changes, secularization, identity), and global challenges (such as sustainable development, climate change, pandemics, unwanted migration). This textbook approaches International Studies as a field of study that enables students to navigate the framework of the three I's, the three spatial dimensions and the three global scopes. The International Studies student will acquire a broad overview of the various fields and disciplines and, as a consequence, the ability to move across traditional academic boundaries.