Contemporary Political Sociology: Globalization, Politics and Power [Paperback]

"The book is structured around several interrelated themes: the implications of globalization on nation–state sovereignty; the role of social movements in advancing a new cultural politics; citizenship reconsidered by taking into account the respective roles of race and ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexual orientation; and competing visions regarding the democratic prospect. Nash′s approach is to offer overviews of the work of particular theorists, raise certain problems, and relate these to other theorists. The result is an excellent survey of the theoretical landscape." P. Kivisto, Augustana College, Illinois.

"this is a most thorough and refreshingly unorthodox outline of ′new political sociology′ and marks a paradigmatic shift away form the traditional focus on authority, nation–state, party, class, and domination. Nash sets a new cultural–political focus on discursive power, identity politics, and democratization." Jan Pakulski, University of Tasmania

"this is a superb book which should become standard reading for students and scholars alike. It is, at once, a clear and accessible introduction to the new political sociology and an important argument in its own right. Above all, Nash demonstrates the significance of contemporary political sociology as a response to , and resource for, political action." David Owen, University of Southampton

"This text offers a perspective on the ′new′ political sociology for the next generation of students and professors. Addressing the key debates of the time, Nash surveys the field with great intelligence ad insight. I couldn′t imagine a better critical introduction to contemporary politics and society." Steven Seidman, State University of new York at Albany

This book thoroughly reviews recent work in political sociology, expanding the field to deal with globalization, social movements, and citizenship in terms of the "postmodern turn." This makes it very useful as a textbook. It is also a contribution to political sociology, effectively redefining the field. It argues that an understanding of cultural politics is necessary to appreciate both how the nation–state has been displaced as the center of political activity and how it is now being reformed as the internationalized state. An understanding of cultural politics enables political sociology to grasp existing potential for the democratization of contemporary social practices.

Political sociology has traditionally taken the relationship between society and the state as its focus. However, theoretical and empirical changes mean that the nation–state has been displaced as the center of political activity. Contemporary Political Sociology provides an overview of developments in the field associated with these changes. There is growing interest in the politicization of social life, including the activities of social movements; challenges to citizenship rights as enacting exclusionary norms; and the elaboration of transnational and international political practices and institutions which have implications for an "internationalizing state."

The book focuses throughout on substantive areas of research. There are separate chapters on definitions of power and politics; economic, cultural, and political globalization; social movements; citizenship and the politics of "difference"; and democracy and democratization. In each chapter, these topics are integrated through the development of a new model of politics informed by post–structuralist and recent sociological theory. It is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in sociology and political theory, as well as making an original contribution to the redefinition of political sociology.

Kate Nash is Lecturer in Sociology at Goldsmiths College, University of Lonon. She is the author of Universal Diference: Feminism and the Liberal Undecidability of Women (1998).