Democracy, States, and the Struggle for Social Justice draws on the fields of geography, political theory, and cultural studies to analyze experiments with novel forms of democracy, highlighting the critical issue of the changing nature of the state and citizenship in the contemporary political landscape as they are buffeted by countervailing forces of corporate globalization and participatory politics. Using interesting case studies, the book explores these 3 main themes: the meaning of radical democracy in light of recent developments in democratic theory new spatial arrangements or scales of democracy - from local to global, from streets protests to the development of transnational networks the character and role of states in the development of new forms of democracy The book asks and answers: are participatory models of democracy viable alternatives in their own right or are they best understood as supplemental to traditional representative democracy? What are the conditions that give rise to the development of such models and are they equally effective at every scale; i.e., do they only realize their radical potential in particular, local places? A useful text in a broad range of advanced undergraduate courses including social movements, political sociology or geography, political philosophy.

Using understandable and interesting case studies, Democracy, States, and the Struggle for Social Justice analyzes the impact of neoliberal globalization on governance and explores the new forms of participatory democracy that have emerged from the global justice movement.

How can we confront the problems of diminished democracy, pervasive economic inequality, and persistent global poverty? Is it possible to fulfill the dual aims of deepening democratic participation and achieving economic justice, not only locally but also globally? Carol C. Gould proposes an integrative and interactive approach to the core values of democracy, justice, and human rights, looking beyond traditional politics to the social conditions that would enable us to realize these aims. Her innovative philosophical framework sheds new light on social movements across borders, the prospects for empathy and solidarity with distant others, and the problem of gender inequalities in diverse cultures, and also considers new ways in which democratic deliberation can be enhanced by online networking and extended to the institutions of global governance. Her book will be of great interest to scholars and upper-level students of political philosophy, global justice, social and political science, and gender studies.

Among other accomplishments, British barrister Robertson has appeared as counsel in many landmark human-rights cases, and he conducted missions for Amnesty International to South Africa and Vietnam during the 1980s. Here he identifies a shift from diplomacy to law as the crucial post-Cold War development in the world's efforts on behalf of human rights, and he writes authoritatively about history, the current situation in various parts of the world, and prospects for the future. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, provides an introduction. The book was originally published in the UK (1999, Allen Lane, The Penguin Press). Distributed by W.W. Norton. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In this book, Carol C. Gould proposes an integrative approach to the core values of democracy, justice, and human rights, looking beyond traditional politics to the social conditions that would realize them. It is of interest to scholars and students of political philosophy, global justice, social and political science, and gender studies.

The chapters in this volume deal with timely issues regarding democracy in theory and in practice in today's globalized world. Authored by leading political philosophers of our time, they appear here for the first time. The essays challenge and defend assumptions about the role of democracy as a viable political and legal institution in response to globalization, keeping in focus the role of rights at the normative foundations of democracy in a pluralistic world. Through an examination of key topics of current relevance, with contrasting views of the leading theorists, the chapters address the most relevant theories and forms of globalization, traditional democratic paradigms and their limits, public deliberation and democratic participation, the moral hazards of imperial democracy, and the future of liberal democracy. In addition to suggesting new perspectives on democracy, they use the current debate on justice, human rights, sovereignty, and cultural relativism to shed light on enduring questions about politics, culture, and global development. This timely and provocative collection will be of interest to anyone concerned with democracy, human rights, global justice, economic development, poverty, international law, peace, and various aspects of globalization.