Michael Herb proposes a new paradigm for understanding politics in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. He critiques the theory of the rentier state and argues that we must put political institutions—and specifically monarchism—at the center of any explanation of Gulf politics. All in the Family provides a compelling and fresh analysis of the importance of monarchism in the region, and points out the crucial role of the ruling families in creating monarchal regimes. It addresses the issue of democratization in the Middle Eastern monarchies, arguing that the prospects for the gradual emergence of constitutional monarchy are better than is often thought.

The theory of justice is one of the most intensely debated areas of contemporary philosophy. Most theories of justice, however, have only attained their high level of justification at great cost. By focusing on purely normative, abstract principles, they become detached from the sphere that constitutes their “field of application” - namely, social reality. Axel Honneth proposes a different approach. He seeks to derive the currently definitive criteria of social justice directly from the normative claims that have developed within Western liberal democratic societies. These criteria and these claims together make up what he terms “democratic ethical life”: a system of morally legitimate norms that are not only legally anchored, but also institutionally established. Honneth justifies this far-reaching endeavour by demonstrating that all essential spheres of action in Western societies share a single feature, as they all claim to realize a specific aspect of individual freedom. In the spirit of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and guided by the theory of recognition, Honneth shows how principles of individual freedom are generated which constitute the standard of justice in various concrete social spheres: personal relationships, economic activity in the market, and the political public sphere. Honneth seeks thereby to realize a very ambitious aim: to renew the theory of justice as an analysis of society.

This volume traces the modern critical and performance history of this play, one of Shakespeare's most-loved and most-performed comedies. The essay focus on such modern concerns as feminism, deconstruction, textual theory, and queer theory.

Social and emotional skills children need.

After an academic career of 35 years, most of which as ordinary professor, Prof. Dr. Wilfried Dumon became professor emeritus at the end of September 1998. Together with a few others, he was present at the cradle of Leuven sociology in the middle of the 1960s. He participated in the construction of the necessary administrative, logistic, and academic structures as well as in the establishment of the research and educational domains in which Leuven sociology would specialize. Very soon there developed a unique sociological prespective that is known as the Leuven triangle: the integration of sociological theory, methodology, and social policy. Within this framework, the name of Wilfried Dumon is inextricably bound up with the sociology of the family, or more broadly, with the family sciences.Without doubt, he was the standard bearer of Flemish family sociology. Hundreds of students profited from his unusual - others would use much more colorful adjectives - form of teaching, in both form and content. He was directly or indirectly responsible for virtually all the courses in Leuven family sociology, also outside of his own Faculty. And those whose licentiate or doctoral thesis dealt with a theme that was in any way related to subjects like marriage, the family, or sexuality, were invariably confronted with his critical analysis and unique vocabulary. Wilfried Dumon also took on many policy positions such as editorial secretary or editor-in-chief of journals, director or manager of all sorts of institutions, and member, director or chairman of several commissions and associations. And all of this both nationally and internationally. Indeed, Wilfried Dumon had and has an extensive and tightly knit network of warm academic contacts the world over.On the occasion of his retirement, a liber amicorum has been compiled. With this initiative, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Department of Sociology, and the Section for the Sociology of the Family, the Population and Health Care wish to express deep appreciation and gratitude for an inspirer and standard bearer. More than 20 scholars wish to give an international salute to a highly valued colleague.