Thomas Gregory - Böcker

Weaponizing Civilian Protection exposes how coalition efforts to minimize and mitigate civilian casualties during the recent conflict in Afghanistan also worked to rationalize the harm inflicted upon Afghan civilians. Drawing on declassified documents and interviews with coalition officials, it traces how civilian protection was reimagined as a martial tactic rather than a humanitarian imperative, with coalition officials reframing civilian casualties as strategic setbacks that could imperil the entire mission. This book examines the restrictions that coalition officials imposed on combat operations to minimize unnecessary harm to civilians, whilst showing how these restrictions served to constitute civilian casualties as necessary in certain situations, rendering their lives losable and their deaths ungrievable. At the same time, it examines the post-incident mitigation measures coalition officials used to prevent civilian casualties becoming strategic setbacks, including the condolence payments that were offered when civilians were harmed. Rather than seeking to make amends for the harm inflicted upon them, it claims that these post-incident mitigation measures are best characterized as a necropolitical device concerned with managing mortality more effectively. Crucially, Weaponizing Civilian Protection shows that co-opting civilian protection into a martial logic that is more concerned with winning wars than protecting the civilian population works to devalue and dehumanize civilians, leaving them more vulnerable to death and destruction in future conflicts.

A growing number of scholars have sought to re-centre emotions in our study of international politics, however an overarching book on how emotions matter to the study of politics and war is yet to be published. This volume is aimed at filling that gap, proceeding from the assumption that a nuanced understanding of emotions can only enhance our engagement with contemporary conflict and war. Providing a range of perspectives from a diversity of methodological approaches on the conditions, maintenance and interpretation of emotions, the contributors interrogate the multiple ways in which emotions function and matter to the study of global politics. Accordingly, the innovative contribution of this volume is its specific engagement with the role of emotions and constitution of emotional subjects in a range of different contexts of politics and war, including the gendered nature of war and security; war traumas; post-conflict reconstruction; and counterinsurgency operations. Looking at how we analyse emotions in war, why it matters, and what emotions do in global politics, this volume will be of interest to students and scholars of critical security studies and international relations alike.

Global Politics: A New Introduction engages directly with questions that those coming to the study of world politics bring with them. From that innovative starting point, it explores key issues through a critical and inquiring perspective, presenting theoretical ideas and concepts in conjunction with a global range of historical and contemporary case studies.Revised and updated throughout, the fourth edition offers examples engaging with the latest developments in global politics: the climate crisis and anthropocentrism, Indigenous experiences and thinking, racism and the rise of xenophobia, artificial intelligence, citizen journalism, global health and pandemic response and drone warfare.Global Politics:• examines most significant issues in global politics – poverty, development, colonialism, human rights, gender, inequality, race, war, peacebuilding, security, violence, nationalism, authority and what we can do to change the world;• offers chapters written to a common structure ideal for teaching and learning and features a key question, an illustrative example, general responses and broader issues;• integrates theory and practice throughout the text, drawing on international relations, political theory, postcolonial studies, sociology, geography, peace studies and development.This exciting, up-to-date and ground-breaking textbook is essential reading for all those concerned about global politics.

Global Politics: A New Introduction engages directly with questions that those coming to the study of world politics bring with them. From that innovative starting point, it explores key issues through a critical and inquiring perspective, presenting theoretical ideas and concepts in conjunction with a global range of historical and contemporary case studies.Revised and updated throughout, the fourth edition offers examples engaging with the latest developments in global politics: the climate crisis and anthropocentrism, Indigenous experiences and thinking, racism and the rise of xenophobia, artificial intelligence, citizen journalism, global health and pandemic response and drone warfare.Global Politics:• examines most significant issues in global politics – poverty, development, colonialism, human rights, gender, inequality, race, war, peacebuilding, security, violence, nationalism, authority and what we can do to change the world;• offers chapters written to a common structure ideal for teaching and learning and features a key question, an illustrative example, general responses and broader issues;• integrates theory and practice throughout the text, drawing on international relations, political theory, postcolonial studies, sociology, geography, peace studies and development.This exciting, up-to-date and ground-breaking textbook is essential reading for all those concerned about global politics.

A growing number of scholars have sought to re-centre emotions in our study of international politics, however an overarching book on how emotions matter to the study of politics and war is yet to be published. This volume is aimed at filling that gap, proceeding from the assumption that a nuanced understanding of emotions can only enhance our engagement with contemporary conflict and war. Providing a range of perspectives from a diversity of methodological approaches on the conditions, maintenance and interpretation of emotions, the contributors interrogate the multiple ways in which emotions function and matter to the study of global politics. Accordingly, the innovative contribution of this volume is its specific engagement with the role of emotions and constitution of emotional subjects in a range of different contexts of politics and war, including the gendered nature of war and security; war traumas; post-conflict reconstruction; and counterinsurgency operations. Looking at how we analyse emotions in war, why it matters, and what emotions do in global politics, this volume will be of interest to students and scholars of critical security studies and international relations alike.