Understanding Politics and Society

This textbook presents political sociology as a connective social science that studies political phenomena by creating fruitful connections with other perspectives. The relationship between politics and society is more complex than ever due to the emergence of new power structures, forms of conflict organization and management, and social practices of political participation. Several scholars describe this historical phase as the 'de-politicization of representative politics'. The book addresses classical themes of and approaches to political sociology, but also dedicates several chapters to contemporary developments within political sociology, including, for instance, the role of the internet and bottom-up political communication in social movements. In addition, the volume acts as a professional tool for those scholars and researchers that are beginning to study political processes from a sociological perspective.

Exhaustively addresses all key topics within political sociology Constructed around thematic units which may be either studied entirely or selectively Examines contemporary social changes in a trans-disciplinary perspective

Autorentext

Fabio de Nardis is Associate Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Salento, Italy, where he is also Research Affiliate of the Centre for Conflict and Participation Studies (CCPS) and Chairman of the BA and MA programme in sociology. He is Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed open access journal Partecipazione e conflitto (Participation and Conflict), published in English. His research focuses on social and political theory, democratisation, contentious politics, social movements, political participation, and populism.

Inhalt
Chapter 1 Politics and society.- Chapter 2 Chasing political sociology.- Chapter 3 Understanding political sociology.- Chapter 4 Dimensions and distribution of power.- Chapter 5 Features and developments of the modern state.- Chapter 6 International system and globalisation.- Chapter 7 The paths of political violence.- Chapter 8 Democracy and political participation.- Chapter 9 The parabola of political parties.- Chapter 10 Social movements and political change.- Chapter 11 Ideologies, political cultures and the populist wave.- Chapter 12 Communication and political process.