Beschreibung:

The end of the Cold War has brought sweeping political and social changes, not only in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, but in ether parts of the world as well. It was clear to me that the available bocks in political sociology were too nar­row or outdated to capture these profound changes. This timely, highly readable and comprehensive bock on political sociology, I believe, will fill this lacuna. It gives stu­dents and teachers of politics and society the opportunity to use the concepts, frame­werks, and empirical findings in this important area to understand and analyze the political and social structures and processes not only of the U.S., hut also of all soci­eties and nations. Using an interdisciplinary approach, I have examined a number of old and new conceptual and empirical issues in view of new developments and changes taking place around the world. Both the sociohistorical and empirical aspects of politics and society are explored and discussed.rnThe bock is organized in four parts. Part I, "The Field of Political Sociology," consists of an introduction to political sociology and a discussion of same of the major issues and models in this field. The subjects' nature, levels of analysis, and important concepts are introduced. The relationship of political sociology to other disciplines and issues of moral relevance are raised. Part II, "Power and Power Struc­tures," includes five chapters-"The Study of Societal Power and Authority," "Nations and States," "Structure and Behavior ofU.S. Elites," "Media Communica­tion and Power," and "Ci vil-Military Relations"-and emphasizes power and power structures manifested in various institutions and structures of society and pol­ity. Part III, "Electoral Politics and Movements," consists of four chapters-"Politi­cal Participation and Voting," "Political Parties," "Political Ideology," and "Social and Political Movements"-and explores partisanship, political ideology, and con­ventional and nonconventional aspects of politics. Finally, Part IV, "Development and World Politics," includes three chapters-"Democratization and Development," "Social Conflict and Ethnic Nationalism," and "Politics and Society in the Post­Cold War Era." This part is more comparative and international in score than the others; it deals primarily with ongoing developments in many parts of the world, fol­lowing the end of the Cold War. The issues of democratization, ethnic nationalism, and the politics of the post-Cold War era are examined and assessed. In the last chap­ter of Part IV, a number of models and scenarios are suggested für the twenty-first century.