Emerging Globalities and Civilizational Perspectives – serie

This book discusses in an accessible way how emerging globalizing processes are setting the stage for new forms of social and political struggle in Latin America, with increased involvement of multilateral and foreign actors, and impacts of global political populism and populist social media. These are opening up new strategies and opportunities for activists, and offer new arenas of contestation for international organizations. The book analyzes the struggles of select marginalized groups, specifically the urban poor, indigenous groups, women's and LGBTQ groups, and the vulnerable middle classes. Each case is examined in the context of a distinct struggle for citizenship, identity, inclusion, and or the rule of law. The study offers a broad historical analysis of the region through the context of these struggles. It tackles some of the most pressing issues surrounding the current politics of Latin America, including identity politics, cultural appropriation, social mobilization and protest, neoliberal reform, reproductive rights and sexual autonomy, corruption, the influence of religion and patriarchy, crime and social justice, inequality and poverty, the informal economy, and urban exclusion. In doing so, it details not only how these are not new struggles, but also how they have evolved over time. In the contemporary period, the book explores how the actors as well as character of their struggle are changing through a globalized interchange of ideas and processes. The book covers a wide geographical area in Latin America, with a particular focus on countries with Spanish or Portuguese colonial backgrounds, and is for researchers, students and laypersons interested in new globalizing forces affecting Latin American society and polity.

This book discusses in an accessible way how emerging globalizing processes are setting the stage for new forms of social and political struggle in Latin America, with increased involvement of multilateral and foreign actors, and impacts of global political populism and populist social media. These are opening up new strategies and opportunities for activists, and offer new arenas of contestation for international organizations. The book analyzes the struggles of select marginalized groups, specifically the urban poor, indigenous groups, women's and LGBTQ groups, and the vulnerable middle classes. Each case is examined in the context of a distinct struggle for citizenship, identity, inclusion, and or the rule of law. The study offers a broad historical analysis of the region through the context of these struggles. It tackles some of the most pressing issues surrounding the current politics of Latin America, including identity politics, cultural appropriation, social mobilization and protest, neoliberal reform, reproductive rights and sexual autonomy, corruption, the influence of religion and patriarchy, crime and social justice, inequality and poverty, the informal economy, and urban exclusion. In doing so, it details not only how these are not new struggles, but also how they have evolved over time. In the contemporary period, the book explores how the actors as well as character of their struggle are changing through a globalized interchange of ideas and processes. The book covers a wide geographical area in Latin America, with a particular focus on countries with Spanish or Portuguese colonial backgrounds, and is for researchers, students and laypersons interested in new globalizing forces affecting Latin American society and polity.

This book by Jonathan Turner and Anthony Roberts proposes a new theoretical approach for explaining the dynamics of inter-societal systems. The authors argue that inter-societal systems have existed since the beginning of human societies and the dynamics of these systems are a fundamental property of the social universe. However, while world-systems analysis has emphasized this latter point, the authors argue the reluctance to theorize complex abstract models and systems of explanatory propositions on the dynamics driving inter-societal systems hinders scientific explanation of inter-societal dynamics. In this context, the authors critically look at contemporary theorizing and review key theories that have been developed to explain geo-economic, geo-political, and geo-cultural dynamics, from the classic period through present-day world-systems analysis and cliometrics. The book summarizes these theories clearly, emphasizing their strengths and weakness, finally developing a theoreticalsynthesis through new models and propositions on the dynamics of premodern and modern inter-societal systems.Professor Turner’s decades of experience writing theory books for undergraduates have ensured that this book presents abstract ideas clearly and with examples so that students can understand the arguments. This book is a must-read for all social theory researchers, academics, serious undergraduate students, graduate students, and interested laypersons.

This innovative volume provides insight into the vast changes in societies now and in the near future, and highlights the need for a new sociological approach to analyse these changes. It particularly reviews and critiques existing theories of globalization and analyses how global changes affect all subsystems of social membership systems: the scientific, academic, legal and political systems. The authors propose a new theoretical paradigm in sociology to analyse this “next society”. The book studies emergent communication structures between these systems and looks at the concept of membership as a new research area in the study of the next society. In this context, it particularly assesses the problems of further modernization of Chinese society, and the directions of this modernization.This book is of interest to researchers and students of social theory, globalization studies, theory of evolution, and those studying modern Chinese society.

This innovative volume provides insight into the vast changes in societies now and in the near future, and highlights the need for a new sociological approach to analyse these changes. It particularly reviews and critiques existing theories of globalization and analyses how global changes affect all subsystems of social membership systems: the scientific, academic, legal and political systems. The authors propose a new theoretical paradigm in sociology to analyse this “next society”. The book studies emergent communication structures between these systems and looks at the concept of membership as a new research area in the study of the next society. In this context, it particularly assesses the problems of further modernization of Chinese society, and the directions of this modernization.This book is of interest to researchers and students of social theory, globalization studies, theory of evolution, and those studying modern Chinese society.

This book introduces into the current global ethics debate models of humanism developed in classical Chinese traditions, which have not yet been comprehensively presented to Western scholarship or integrated into the framework of global discourses on social ethics and morality. It creates new paradigms for an understanding of humanism that meets the demands of our time. It begins by presenting European descriptions and critical assessments of this discourse, and then moves to an exploration of humanistic ideas shaped through historical developments in Asia, with a focus on the Chinese tradition. In this sense, the book is written from a transcivilizational perspective. The methods used in the research transcend---that is, surpass and overcome---the rigid, isolating, and essentialist concept of civilization. At the same time, the book points to the possibility of transformation through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between different civilizations. Within this framework, the book starts from the assumption that the ontology of civilizations and cultures is not based on immutable substances, but on the relations between different factors that constitute them as categories. The transcivilizational perspective rooted in transcultural dialogues between philosophies that originated in different cultures and civilizations is particularly valuable because of the globalized world in which we live today. This means that the problems that affect people in different parts of the world and the issues that are embedded in different geopolitical and developmental frameworks also affect all of humanity. This book is of particular interest to scholars and students of global ethics, globalization, Asian philosophy and Sinology.

This book introduces into the current global ethics debate models of humanism developed in classical Chinese traditions, which have not yet been comprehensively presented to Western scholarship or integrated into the framework of global discourses on social ethics and morality. It creates new paradigms for an understanding of humanism that meets the demands of our time. It begins by presenting European descriptions and critical assessments of this discourse, and then moves to an exploration of humanistic ideas shaped through historical developments in Asia, with a focus on the Chinese tradition. In this sense, the book is written from a transcivilizational perspective. The methods used in the research transcend---that is, surpass and overcome---the rigid, isolating, and essentialist concept of civilization. At the same time, the book points to the possibility of transformation through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between different civilizations. Within this framework, the book starts from the assumption that the ontology of civilizations and cultures is not based on immutable substances, but on the relations between different factors that constitute them as categories. The transcivilizational perspective rooted in transcultural dialogues between philosophies that originated in different cultures and civilizations is particularly valuable because of the globalized world in which we live today. This means that the problems that affect people in different parts of the world and the issues that are embedded in different geopolitical and developmental frameworks also affect all of humanity. This book is of particular interest to scholars and students of global ethics, globalization, Asian philosophy and Sinology.

“A very timely book that offers a sharp, agile, and clear tour through some of the concepts-horizons in which critical thinking and Latin American social movements converge, emphasizing the tensions, richness, and scope of Buen Vivir.”— Maristella Svampa, National University of La Plata, Argentina. and recipient of the Konex Platinum Award in 2016 “… In his new book, Ronaldo Munck addresses traditional issues in a new light and reflects on how we can tip the scales towards ‘a new dawn.’ Inspiring!”— Ana Cecilia Dinerstein, Professor of Political Sociology and Critical Theory, University of Bath, UK “Ronaldo Munck discusses a cornucopia of ideas for shaping a progressive alternative world after globalization. … An engaging and student friendly text given the clarity of its exposition.”— Cristóbal Kay, Emeritus Professor, International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands“[This book] offers a compelling heterodox political analysis of the complex turns to the left in Latin America over the last two decades. The book captures both the complexity and the possibilities of alternative projects in Latin America. … Ronaldo Munck shows the enduring importance of Latin American thinking in our struggles to ‘(re) imagine a new future, a new dawn’.”— Mo Hume, Professor of Latin American Studies, University of Glasgow, UK “For those of us who thought we knew enough about globalization and Latin America, Ronaldo Munck’s wide-ranging new book will be a real eye-opener and a critical source on radical Latin American scholarship over recent decades.”— Leslie Sklair, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics, UK“ [This book] represents an imaginative and rigorous effort to problematize Buen Vivir as concept, contribution, myth, and emancipatory horizon but, above all, as a path to take us beyond neoliberalism. ... Ronaldo Munck puts forward a radical reading of Buen Vivir, situating it in the long trajectory of critical thinking in Latin America. This is a fundamental book for understanding the theoretical, epistemic, and political possibility of a new Amerindia... ”— Alejandra Santillana Ortiz, Director and Senior Researcher, Institute of Ecuadorian Studies, Quito, EcuadorThis book makes the powerful argument that Latin America needs to be a more central part of the discourse on emerging globalities and in the pursuit of an inter-civilizational focus to avoid West-centric perspectives. It deploys a cultural political economy approach that sees the global political economy as inescapably cultural and allows us to avoid the hyper-rational analysis of economics. It explores various aspects of contemporary Latin America from the revival of dependency theory, the ‘pink tide’ governments since 2000 and, in particular, the potential of the Andean Buen Vivir political philosophy, to offer a distinctive paradigm for sustainable global development.The book provides a de-colonial frame and shows how many recent and new social science perspectives emerging globally are connected with Latin American scholars and Latin American social experiments: namely, dependency, decolonial and post-colonial epistemologies, post-neoliberalism, and the notion of Pluriverse. The book focuses on the cultural, the ethical, the economic and the political, and environmental dimensions of this transformation, which represents a reaction and alternative to the Western cultural, including ethical, economic, political, environmental crises. The readership for this book includes all who are fascinated by the globalization lens on the one hand, and the experience and lessons of Latin America on the other hand.

“A very timely book that offers a sharp, agile, and clear tour through some of the concepts-horizons in which critical thinking and Latin American social movements converge, emphasizing the tensions, richness, and scope of Buen Vivir.”— Maristella Svampa, National University of La Plata, Argentina. and recipient of the Konex Platinum Award in 2016 “… In his new book, Ronaldo Munck addresses traditional issues in a new light and reflects on how we can tip the scales towards ‘a new dawn.’ Inspiring!”— Ana Cecilia Dinerstein, Professor of Political Sociology and Critical Theory, University of Bath, UK “Ronaldo Munck discusses a cornucopia of ideas for shaping a progressive alternative world after globalization. … An engaging and student friendly text given the clarity of its exposition.”— Cristóbal Kay, Emeritus Professor, International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands“[This book] offers a compelling heterodox political analysis of the complex turns to the left in Latin America over the last two decades. The book captures both the complexity and the possibilities of alternative projects in Latin America. … Ronaldo Munck shows the enduring importance of Latin American thinking in our struggles to ‘(re) imagine a new future, a new dawn’.”— Mo Hume, Professor of Latin American Studies, University of Glasgow, UK “For those of us who thought we knew enough about globalization and Latin America, Ronaldo Munck’s wide-ranging new book will be a real eye-opener and a critical source on radical Latin American scholarship over recent decades.”— Leslie Sklair, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics, UK“ [This book] represents an imaginative and rigorous effort to problematize Buen Vivir as concept, contribution, myth, and emancipatory horizon but, above all, as a path to take us beyond neoliberalism. ... Ronaldo Munck puts forward a radical reading of Buen Vivir, situating it in the long trajectory of critical thinking in Latin America. This is a fundamental book for understanding the theoretical, epistemic, and political possibility of a new Amerindia... ”— Alejandra Santillana Ortiz, Director and Senior Researcher, Institute of Ecuadorian Studies, Quito, EcuadorThis book makes the powerful argument that Latin America needs to be a more central part of the discourse on emerging globalities and in the pursuit of an inter-civilizational focus to avoid West-centric perspectives. It deploys a cultural political economy approach that sees the global political economy as inescapably cultural and allows us to avoid the hyper-rational analysis of economics. It explores various aspects of contemporary Latin America from the revival of dependency theory, the ‘pink tide’ governments since 2000 and, in particular, the potential of the Andean Buen Vivir political philosophy, to offer a distinctive paradigm for sustainable global development.The book provides a de-colonial frame and shows how many recent and new social science perspectives emerging globally are connected with Latin American scholars and Latin American social experiments: namely, dependency, decolonial and post-colonial epistemologies, post-neoliberalism, and the notion of Pluriverse. The book focuses on the cultural, the ethical, the economic and the political, and environmental dimensions of this transformation, which represents a reaction and alternative to the Western cultural, including ethical, economic, political, environmental crises. The readership for this book includes all who are fascinated by the globalization lens on the one hand, and the experience and lessons of Latin America on the other hand.

This open access volume offers a unique interdisciplinary analysis of the current structure of global governance on tax, trade, and investment. It explores the interplay between actors, critiques current norm-making procedures, and proposes concrete solutions for improvement. It considers the impact of global governance in local contexts in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and includes perspectives from scholars based in these continents. It takes a comparative approach that goes beyond a siloed perspective to undertaking comparisons between the ways in which similar problems have been addressed in different areas---making the contributions highly relevant to scholars and policymakers worldwide. The volume includes case studies and provides concrete suggestions for improving global governance of tax, trade, and investment. This highly topical open access volume is of interest to a global readership in the fields of international law and taxation, globalization, international relations, and international trade economics.

This open access volume offers a unique interdisciplinary analysis of the current structure of global governance on tax, trade, and investment. It explores the interplay between actors, critiques current norm-making procedures, and proposes concrete solutions for improvement. It considers the impact of global governance in local contexts in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and includes perspectives from scholars based in these continents. It takes a comparative approach that goes beyond a siloed perspective to undertaking comparisons between the ways in which similar problems have been addressed in different areas---making the contributions highly relevant to scholars and policymakers worldwide. The volume includes case studies and provides concrete suggestions for improving global governance of tax, trade, and investment. This highly topical open access volume is of interest to a global readership in the fields of international law and taxation, globalization, international relations, and international trade economics.

This book examines the role of the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) in public and scholarly discussions of the meaning of the Anthropocene proposal. The status of the Anthropocene, both as a geoscientific concept and as a cultural concept becoming increasingly familiar in the public sphere, has been highly controversial. While geoscientists focus on possible geological markers and periodisation, the social sciences, environmental humanities, and creative arts have taken up the Anthropocene as a cultural concept to make sense of the planetary environmental crisis and contemporary society. This book documents intra-, inter-, and transdisciplinary debates, particularly, although not limited to, how different scholarly disciplines have responded to the Anthropocene proposal. The authors analyse how the AWG has become the focal point of a debate that straddles the boundaries between academic disciplines and public perceptions of science. The AWG thus serves as a case of the globalisation of science in terms of the global interconnectedness of scientific disciplines and the cultural significance of the Anthropocene proposal.

This book examines the role of the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) in public and scholarly discussions of the meaning of the Anthropocene proposal. The status of the Anthropocene, both as a geoscientific concept and as a cultural concept becoming increasingly familiar in the public sphere, has been highly controversial. While geoscientists focus on possible geological markers and periodisation, the social sciences, environmental humanities, and creative arts have taken up the Anthropocene as a cultural concept to make sense of the planetary environmental crisis and contemporary society. This book documents intra-, inter-, and transdisciplinary debates, particularly, although not limited to, how different scholarly disciplines have responded to the Anthropocene proposal. The authors analyse how the AWG has become the focal point of a debate that straddles the boundaries between academic disciplines and public perceptions of science. The AWG thus serves as a case of the globalisation of science in terms of the global interconnectedness of scientific disciplines and the cultural significance of the Anthropocene proposal.

This global and comparative history examines the evolution of human societies over many millennia, illuminating patterns within societies today. It shows how the original human groups, bands of hunter-gatherers, grew over time into larger and more complex societies through three major transformations: settlement and domestication, the development of complexity and inequality, and industrial globalization. The book describes how each of these major changes in economy and political structure created new types of societies: villages; chiefdoms and other complex societies; agrarian states and empires; and today’s global social system. It therefore shows how different types of societies came to co-exist and interact on Earth.The book compares societies along seven aspects: their economies, political systems, cultural patterns, inequalities, family structures, demographics, and environmental patterns. It shows that even societies that shared similar basic features still exhibited great variety. The comparative framework presented here helps readers develop a conceptual vocabulary for understanding societies, the larger social systems within which they exist, and the major social changes that led to this continuing expansion.

This volume contributes to Roland Robertson’s (1938-2022) thinking on the impact of civilizational traditions on contemporary global relations. It also includes chapters by Robertsonian scholars on the social implications of intercivilizational encounters. Through theoretical discussions and ethnographic documentation, the volume highlights the importance of human needs and aspirations at the center of civilizational analyses. It offers an original methodology to formulate intercivilizational principles of moral order and a related intercivilizational imaginary. Readers will find in this volume a much-needed strategy to transform contemporary civilizational conflicts and manipulations into intercivilizational undertakings in reciprocal understanding, learning, and cooperation. This volume includes contributions from noted globalization scholars and is a must-read for those interested in macro-perspectives on globalization and global processes.

This timely and important book examines the political and symbolic unraveling of neoliberalism through the unexpected lens of global trade. Long hailed as a driver of growth and integration, trade became, after 2008, a flashpoint for reactionary populism. Donald Trump’s rise to power exemplifies this shift: channelling economic insecurity into nationalism, xenophobia, and authoritarian spectacle. His use of tariffs redefined trade not as policy, but as performance—projecting strength, coercing allies, and bypassing multilateral norms. This book goes beyond surface narratives to explore the deeper transformations in global capitalism. It situates the rise of Trumpism within broader shifts toward authoritarian capitalism, exposing the cracks in neoliberal consensus and the failures of technocratic globalization. Trade politics, once the domain of corporate centrism, became a cultural and geopolitical battlefield.Drawing from Marxist theory, Polanyian insights, and Piketty’s analysis of inequality, the book maps the global arc of economic dislocation, elite realignment, and democratic crisis. At its core, Global Trade Shocks asks: what happens when trade becomes a weapon of authoritarian and imperial reaction? Rich in interdisciplinary perspective, the book speaks to scholars of political economy, international relations, globalization studies, and sociology—while offering essential insights into the contested futures of democracy, global trade, and post-neoliberal possibility.

This book extends Zygmunt Bauman's concept of liquid modernity and introduces the concept of the supersociety to signify an era of unprecedented convergence and interconnection of three dimensions at a global scale. These dimensions are: the techno-economic sphere, the ecosphere, and the noosphere (the realm of culture, information, and knowledge production). The authors state that this shift necessitates a nuanced and complex analytical framework to comprehend the dynamics at play, as the traditional notion of “society” is no longer adequate. In contrast to the process of globalisation, the authors view this supersociety as engendering a non-linear integration and greater verticalisation, while simultaneously increasing inequalities and igniting novel conflicts. This raises the risk of entering a phase of systemic irrationality, as reflected in the contemporary polycrisis. According to the authors, a turning point lies in recognising the relational character of human life, as conceived by science in the past century. This recognition necessitates investing in living intelligence and social generativity as potential avenues for addressing the challenges emerging in supersociety.Written in an engaging style, this book is meant for academic and general readers interested in political and social transformations, social and cultural life, and globalisation.