Politics in deeply divided societies / Adrian Guelke.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Guelke, Adrian.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Minorities--Political activity.

Minorities.

Political stability.

Polarization (Social sciences).

Nationalism.

Comparative government.

Physical Description:

vii, 178 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity Press, 2012.

Summary:

The establishment of durable democratic institutions constitutes one of the major challenges of our age. As countless contemporary examples have shown, this requires far more than simply the holding of free elections. The consolidation of a legitimate constitutional order is difficult to achieve in any society, but it is especially problematic in societies with deep social cleavages.

This book provides an authoritative and systematic analysis of the politics of so-called 'deeply divided societies' in the post-Cold War era. From Bosnia to South Africa, from Northern Ireland to Iraq, it explains why such places are so prone to political violence; and it demonstrates why, even in times of peace, the fear of violence continues to shape attitudes, entrenching divisions in societies that already lack consensus on their political institutions.

Combining intellectual rigour with accessibility, this book examines the challenge of establishing order and justice in such unstable environments and assesses critically a range of available political options, from partition to power-sharing and various Initiatives designed to promote integration. Politics in Deeply Divided Societies is an ideal resource for students of comparative politics and related disciplines, as well as for anyone with an interest in the dynamics of ethnic conflict and nationalism. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

2 The Characteristics of Deeply Divided Societies 13

3 Violence, Order and Justice 33

4 The Challenge of Policing 55

5 Limits to Integration 77

6 Partition and Population Transfer 95

7 Power-Sharing and Political Accommodation 113

8 External Mediation 133

9 Conclusion 154.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [161]-167) and index.

ISBN:

0745648509

9780745648507

OCLC:

783736944