Politics in Deeply Divided Societies

Beschreibung

The establishment of durable, democratic institutions constitutesone of the major challenges of our age. As countless contemporaryexamples have shown, it requires far more than simply the holdingof free elections. The consolidation of a legitimate constitutionalorder is difficult to achieve in any society, but it is especiallyproblematic in societies with deep social cleavages. This book provides an authoritative and systematic analysis ofthe politics of so- called 'deeply divided societies' in thepost Cold War era. From Bosnia to South Africa, Northern Ireland toIraq, it explains why such places are so prone to politicalviolence, and demonstrates why - even in times of peace - the fearof violence continues to shape attitudes, entrenching divisions insocieties that already lack consensus on their politicalinstitutions. Combining intellectual rigour and accessibility, it examines thechallenge of establishing order and justice in such unstableenvironments, and critically assesses a range of political optionsavailable, from partition to power-sharing and various initiativesto promote integration. The Politics of Deeply DividedSocieties is an ideal resource for students of comparativepolitics and related disciplines, as well as anyone with aninterest in the dynamics of ethnic conflict and nationalism.

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Adrian Guelke

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Political Issues & Behavior Political Science Politik Politikwissenschaft Politische Fragen u. politisches Verhalten

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"A very good introductory text for anyone interested in thesources of divisions in pluralistic societies, as well as thesuccesses and failures of the management of intercommunaldifferences - highly recommended." Global Policy "An authoritative guide. It will likely remain a touchstone textfor those working in conflict management or peace studies for manyyears to come." Central European Journal of International and SecurityStudies "A native of Northern Ireland, Guelke's close encounters with hishome country's violent political past shines throughout thisvolume. He provides a rich study of Northern Ireland, as wells aswide range of contemporary examples including post-apartheid eraSouth Africa, the break-up of Yugoslavia, communal violence inIndia, the 2011 referendum creating South Sudan, amongothers." LSE Review of Books "A comprehensive analysis of the poitics of moderately and deeplydivided societies." Economic & Political Weekly "A distinguished expert in deeply divided societies, Guelkeskilfully unpacks the challenges facing societies divided byethnicity, religion, and race and tackles the critical dilemmasencountered by those seeking to design durable conflict-mitigatinginstitutions. The Politics in Deeply Divided Societies willstimulate current scholarship and nurture the next generation ofstudents." Neophytos G. Loizides, University of Kent "This volume offers a highly readable and sophisticated analysisof deeply divided societies - countries that are at the root ofboth domestic strife and international conflict. Guelke's treatmentis a concise but impressive tour de force of an essential area ofethnic politics. This is a must-read for anyone interested in themanagement of inter-ethnic conflict and in the promotion ofsustainable democracy in some of the world's least stablepolities." Ilan Peleg, Middle East Institute, Washington, DC "Politics in Deeply Divided Societies provides a comprehensive,lucid and deeply insightful analysis of societies struggling withethnic, religious, class and other divisions that often produceviolence and failed political systems. Drawing on a wide range ofimportant cases, this excellent book also assesses lucidly thevarying consequences of these struggles, for instance partition,and offers a balanced presentation of techniques for overcomingthem." David E. Schmitt, Northeastern University
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