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Legitimating Identities: The Self-Presentations of Rulers and Subjects
 
 
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Legitimating Identities: The Self-Presentations of Rulers and Subjects [Kindle Edition]

Rodney Barker (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews) |
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Review

'Rodney Barker's Legitimating Identities: The Self-Presentations of Rulers and Subjects is a stylish and topical reminder of politicians' yearning for identities to bolster their authority. Like Narcissus staryng into the pool, they see (or hope to see) a reflection of themselves they can fall in love with.' Professor Ben Pimlott '... stimulating and provocative book.' David Runciman, Contemporary Political Theory 'In emphasizing self-legitimation, Barker has led us to new and insightful areas of study. This new volume is a major contribution to the study of political processes.' Ronald M. Glassman, American Journal of Sociology '... highly recommended reading ...'. Political Studies Review 'There are certainly suggestive ideas and important insights in this short essay ...'. History of Political Thought

Review

'Rodney Barker's Legitimating Identities: The Self-Presentations of Rulers and Subjects is a stylish and topical reminder of politicians' yearning for identities to bolster their authority. Like Narcissus staryng into the pool, they see (or hope to see) a reflection of themselves they can fall in love with.' Professor Ben Pimlott

'… stimulating and provocative book.' David Runciman, Contemporary Political Theory

'In emphasizing self-legitimation, Barker has led us to new and insightful areas of study. This new volume is a major contribution to the study of political processes.' Ronald M. Glassman, American Journal of Sociology

'… highly recommended reading …'. Political Studies Review

'There are certainly suggestive ideas and important insights in this short essay …'. History of Political Thought
See all Product Description

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 1867 KB
  • Print Length: 170 pages
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press (29 Oct 2001)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B001FB64KS
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Rodney Barker
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In the best traditions of Foucault or Lukes, this is a short punchy essay in political realism, that acts as a refreshing antidote, or at least alternative, to normative accounts of legitimacy. Such realism might not be to everyone's taste but in an age of spin, Barker's focus on the self-justifications that those in power (and those who obey as well as those who rebel) seem to spend so much time and effort on is thought-provoking and bang up to date (even if his determinedly historical context sometimes makes the reader wish he would spend more time elucidating modern media-dominated theatre politics.) Although a realist account of individual actors and how their competing (or cohering) narratives constitute the political domain, his dual focus on political-social identity gives it an extra philosophical edge (I act as I am or I act therefore I am?)and stops him short of the charge of cynicism.

Witty and subversive in tone, never shy of its own erudition, it is a useful addition to the "standard" works on legitimacy for anybody studying Politics or Political Philosophy

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0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
barker makes a fairly mundane point in his introduction and suceeds only in sort-of spinning it out via a plethora of examples and minute distinctions. my lingering impression is that the bulk of this book was purely redundant. there was no happy medium between the self-evident and the purely erroneous. in particular, his rather monolithic characterization of islamic leadership and a bizarre extrapolation of it to describe the phenomenon of minority leadership more generally left a very bad taste in my mouth. it was anything but enlightening, to say the least.
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