POLT06007 2022 Politics Today

This module will introduce students to the concept of ideology, its importance in understanding past and contemporary debates and its relationship with power and discourse.  The module will introduce students to a range of different ideological traditions including socialism, nationalism, anarchism, conservatism and neo-liberalism. The module will adopt an applied approach with a view to conveying a critical awareness of the relationship between current and past events and political, social, economic and cultural processes. To this end, lectures will examine a range of different historical and contemporary case studies and explore the place of ideology within these case studies and its potential to shape political, economic and social institutions and understandings of key constructs such as power, equality, social justice and social cohesion. The case studies explored within the module will reflect topical and contemporaneous issues globally and nationally. 

How should the left respond to electoral defeat and a global crisis? British politics is an extraordinary place. Grace Blakeley introduces an indispensable collection of analysis and comment. In Futures of Socialism, Sam Gindin and James Meadway reassess socialist strategy after the coronavirus; Dalia Gebrial and Sin Errington debate austerity and precarity; Joshua Virasami and Simukai Chigudu explore anti-racism and the legacy of Empire; and Leo Panitch and Momentum co-founder James Schneider probe the limits of parliamentary socialism. Chris Saltmarsh assesses the prospects for an eco-socialist Green New Deal and Cat Hobbs argues for the ongoing centrality of public ownership to socialist policy. Futures of Socialism takes an in-depth look at the reasons for Labour's 2019 election defeat, with Unite's Andrew Murray on Labour's Brexit position, Tom Mills on the British media, Gargi Bhattacharyya and Jeremy Gilbert on better ways to build a political project, and Keir Milburn on generation left. The anthology also compares the fortunes of the British left with socialist movements overseas, in despatches from Europe and America. Blakeley draws on the talents of all sections of the post-Corbyn left to survey the prospects of "a movement that has dominated the horizons of our lives."

In this hugely controversial book, the most recent winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics argues that though globalization should be a powerful force for good, it has been badly mishandled by the West (especially its lead institutions, the World Bank and the IMF), and that the anti-globalizing protestors have much to say that we should listen to. Coming from a figure of Stiglitz's background and authority, this is an explosive message which will change the way we regard modern global politics.

First published in 1980. This book analyses Gramsci's political theory and the consequences of his ideas for the theory of the state and of the political party. Using the new tools of analysis which have been developed in Italy the book presents Gramsci's political theory as part of the attempt to develop further a Marxist theory of politics. The book also serves as a basis for considering the theoretical foundations of political developments such as Eurocommunism and the author argues that Gramsci's political thought provides useful instruments for both a critique of Stalinism and of social democracy and offers a grounding for conceptualising democratic forms of socialism which did not simply reinforce the State. This title will be of interest to students of politics, philosophy, and history.

The defining, best-selling book on the history, origins and development of nationalism What are the imagined communities that compel men to kill or to die for an idea of a nation? This notion of nationhood had its origins in the founding of the Americas, but was then adopted and transformed by populist movements in nineteenth-century Europe. It became the rallying cry for anti-Imperialism as well as the abiding explanation for colonialism. In this scintillating, groundbreaking work of intellectual history Anderson explores how ideas are formed and reformulated at every level, from high politics to popular culture, and the way that they can make people do extraordinary things. In the twenty-first century, these debates on the nature of the nation state are even more urgent. As new nations rise, vying for influence, and old empires decline, we must understand who we are as a community in the face of history, and change.

Published in 1945, Nationalism and After was a best-selling classic in its own time which sparked intense debate when it first appeared and has continued to do so ever since. Authored in a moment of hope, E.H. Carrs uncompromising critique of nationalism and plea for a more rational international order remains as relevant today as it did when it was first written. As the world is once again confronted by a rising tide of nationalism, Nationalism and After remains a beacon of hope in an era where reasoned critical analysis has never been more urgently required. It is here reissued in full with a new, definitive introduction by leading Carr scholar, Michael Cox.

This book examines for the first time the exclusionary nature of prevailing political ideologies. Bringing together theory, practice and the relationship between participation, political ideology and social welfare, it offers a detailed critique of how the crucial move to more participatory approaches may be achieved.

Offering an unparalleled, sweeping survey of the political ideologies that have shaped our world, the seventh edition of Andrew Heywoods seminal undergraduate textbook continues to lead the way in guiding students through the political creeds and doctrines that have dominated politics past and present. Covering an impressive array of topics, the first half of the book focusses on traditional ideologies such as Conservatism, Socialism, Liberalism, Anarchism and Fascism, while more contemporary movements such as Populism, Feminism, Green Ideology, Multiculturalism and Religious Fundamentalism form the latter part of the text. Taking into account the remarkable events that have shaken the political sphere in recent years, the text has been revised and updated throughout in order to show how the study of political ideologies can elucidate the significance of such striking phenomena as the decline of liberal democracy and the rise of populist movements and authoritarianism around the world. The most accessible, concise and yet comprehensive introduction to the topic, this is an indispensable textbook for students studying for courses on Political Ideologies, Political Theory and introductory Politics. It should be essential reading for anyone seeking to gain an understanding of political ideologies for the first time.

Political Ideologies provides a broad-ranging introduction to both the classical and contemporary political ideologies. Adopting a global outlook, it introduces readers to ideologies' increasingly global reach and the different national versions of these ideologies. Importantly, ideologies arepresented as frameworks of interpretation and political commitment, encouraging readers to evaluate how ideologies work in practice, the problematic links between ideas and political action, and the impact of ideologies. Regular learning features encourage readers to think critically about ideologies, and view them as competing and contestable ways of interpreting the world. A unique "stop and think" feature calls for readers to reflect on their own ideological beliefs.Online Resources:Political Ideologies is accompanied by comprehensive online resources, to support political ideology courses.For students: * Further reading and resources for each chapter to help students to undertake further research and deepen their understanding and critical thinking;* Regular updates help students to keep up to date with ideologies as frameworks of understanding and political action in the real world.For lecturers:* Indicative answers to questions in the book provide a framework for approaching these;* Powerpoint slides to support each chapter, providing an overview and key points to help with planning;* Further discussion and debate ideas, for use in seminars, encourage big picture thinking about the relationships between ideologies.

Power and Authority in Internet Governance investigates the hotly contested role of the state in today's digital society. The book asks: Is the state "back" in internet regulation? If so, what forms are state involvement taking, and with what consequences for the future? The volume includes case studies from across the world and addresses a wide range of issues regarding internet infrastructure, data and content. The book pushes the debate beyond a simplistic dichotomy between liberalism and authoritarianism in order to consider also greater state involvement based on values of democracy and human rights. Seeing internet governance as a complex arena where power is contested among diverse non-state and state actors across local, national, regional and global scales, the book offers a critical and nuanced discussion of how the internet is governed - and how it should be governed. Power and Authority in Internet Governance provides an important resource for researchers across international relations, global governance, science and technology studies and law as well as policymakers and analysts concerned with regulating the global internet.

''At least in The Handmaid''s Tale they value babies, mostly. Not so in the true stories here.'' Margaret Atwood Until alarmingly recently, the Catholic Church, acting in concert with the Irish state, operated a network of institutions for the concealment, punishment and exploitation of ''fallen women''. In the Magdalene laundries, girls and women were incarcerated and condemned to servitude. And in the mother-and-baby homes, women who had become pregnant out of wedlock were hidden from view, and in most cases their babies were adopted - sometimes illegally. Mortality rates in these institutions were shockingly high, and the discovery of a mass infant grave at the mother-and-baby home in Tuam made news all over the world. The Irish state has commissioned investigations. But the workings of the institutions and of the culture that underpinned it - a shame-industrial complex - have long been cloaked in secrecy and silence. For countless people, a search for answers continues. Caelainn Hogan - a brilliant young journalist, born in an Ireland that was only just starting to free itself from the worst excesses of Catholic morality - has been talking to the survivors of the institutions, to members of the religious orders that ran them, and to priests and bishops. She has visited the sites of the institutions, and studied Church and state documents that have much to reveal about how they operated. Reporting and writing with great curiosity, tenacity and insight, she has produced a startling and often moving account of how an entire society colluded in this repressive system, and of the damage done to survivors and their families. In the great tradition of Anna Funder''s Stasiland and Barbara Demick''s Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea - both winners of the Samuel Johnson Prize - Republic of Shame is an astounding portrait of a deeply bizarre culture of control. ''[A] furious, necessary book'' Sinad Gleeson ''Achingly powerful ... There will be many people who don''t want to read Republic of Shame, for fear it will be too much, too dark, too heavy. Please don''t be afraid. Read it. Look it in the eye'' Irish Times ''A must read for everyone'' Lynn Ruane ''Republic of Shame is a careful, sensitive and extremely well-written book - but it is harrowing. It would break your heart in two'' Ailbhe Smyth ''Hogan''s captivatingly written stories of people who were consigned to what she calls the "shame-industrial complex" puts faces - many old now, and lined with pain - to the clinical data. ... Brilliant'' Sunday Times ''Utterly brilliant. Please read it'' Marian Keyes ''Riveting, immensely insightful and horrifically recognisable'' Emma Dabiri ''Compelling ... devastatingly human, [Republic of Shame] will make you shake with sadness and anger'' RT Guide ''[A] sensitive, can''t-look-away book ... Through moving stories, Hogan shows how the past is still present'' NPR ''A beautifully written and impeccably researched book ... We need more books like this'' Caitriona Palmer ''A vital and damning portrait of Ireland''s mother and baby homes'' GCN.ie ''I''ve laughed, cried & RAGED reading this book'' Taryn De Vere ''Caelainn''s book brings real people to the fore'' Hot Press ''A gripping, eye-opening and challenging read ... Hogan sheds light on the darkest corners of our recent history in Ireland, but also holds up a mirror to today'' Dublin Inquirer ''Caelainn Hogan''s harrowing account of the "shame industrial complex" shows how the legacy of Ireland''s treatment of "fallen women" remains part of the scenery of modern life'' Totally Dublin ''For anyone interested in understanding modern Ireland. A compelling and beautifully written investigation into institutions for "fallen women" and the culture which facilitated them'' Siobhn Fenton

"'Return of the Strong Gods,'...is a thoughtful contribution to American political debate. It is incisively written and full of modern observations. Mr. Reno explains, better than any book I can remember, the present-day progressive's paranoid fear of fascism and neurotic determination to ferret out racism where none exists." The Wall Street Journal After the staggering slaughter of back-to-back world wars, the West embraced the ideal of the open society. The promise: By liberating ourselves from the old attachments to nation, clan, and religion that had fueled centuries of violence, we could build a prosperous world without borders, freed from dogmas and managed by experts. But the populism and nationalism that are upending politics in America and Europe are a sign that after three generations, the postwar consensus is breaking down. With compelling insight, R. R. Reno argues that we are witnessing the return of the strong godsthe powerful loyalties that bind men to their homeland and to one another. Reacting to the calamitous first half of the twentieth century, our political, cultural, and financial elites promoted open borders, open markets, and open minds. But this never-ending project of openness has hardened into a set of anti-dogmatic dogmas which destroy the social solidarity rooted in family, faith, and nation. While they worry about the return of fascism, our societies are dissolving. But man will not tolerate social dissolution indefinitely. He longs to be part of a wethe fruit of shared loveswhich gives his life meaning. The strong gods will return, Reno warns, in one form or another. Our task is to attend to those that, appealing to our reason as well as our hearts, inspire the best of our traditions. Otherwise, we shall invite the darker gods whose return our open society was intended to forestall.

May 2014, the Irish public woke to the horrific discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of almost 800 babies in the 'Angels' Plot' of Tuam's Mother and Baby Home. What followed would rock the last vestiges of Catholic Ireland, enrage an increasingly secularised nation, and lead to a Commission of Inquiry. In The Adoption Machine, Paul Jude Redmond, Chairperson of the Coalition of Mother and Baby Homes Survivors, who himself was born in the Castlepollard Home, candidly reveals the shocking history of one of the worst abuses of Church power since the foundation of the Irish State. From Bessboro, Castlepollard, and Sean Ross Abbey to St. Patrick's and Tuam, a dark shadow was cast by the collusion between Church and State in the systematic repression of women and the wilful neglect of illegitimate babies, resulting in the deaths of thousands. It was Paul's exhaustive research that widened the global media's attention to all the homes and revealed Tuam as just the tip of the iceberg of the horrors that lay beneath. He further reveals the vast profits generated by selling babies to wealthy adoptive parents, and details how infants were volunteered to a pharmaceutical company for drug trials without the consent of their natural mothers. Interwoven throughout is Paul's poignant and deeply personal journey of discovery as he attempts to find his own natural mother. The Adoption Machine exposes this dark history of Ireland's shameful and secret past, and the efforts to bring it into the light. It is a history from which there is no turning away. [Subject: Current Affairs, Politics, Irish Studies, History, Religious Studies]

The social impact of inequality is now increasingly understood - higher crime, health problems and mental illness, lower educational achievements and life expectancy. But what are the causes of inequality, why is it growing so rapidly and what are its economic and political impacts? In this exceptional book Joseph Stiglitz gives the answers. He shows how, left to their own devices, markets are neither efficient nor stable and tend to accumulate money in the hands of the few rather than engender competition, producing slower growth and lower GDP. He also demonstrates how political institutions, far from countering these trends, often enhance them. Arguing that 'another world is possible', The Price of Inequality provides a powerful, vital critique of free-market ideas. 'Superb and original . . . Stiglitz is a rare combination of virtuoso economist, witty polemicist and public intellectual' Robert Kuttner, New Statesman 'Important and smart . . . a searing read' Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times 'The often inchoate anger seen in Occupy Wall Street is given shape, fluency, substance and authority by Stiglitz . . . he methodically and lyrically (almost joyously) exposes the myths that provide justification for 'deficit fetishism''' Yvonne Roberts, Observer 'Trenchant, engaging . . . Stiglitz writes clearly and provocatively' Dante Chinni, Washington Post 'A towering genius of economics' Independent

The Irish experience of Christianity has never been simple or uncomplicated. Here, Crawford Gribben describes the ancient emergence, long dominance, sudden division, and recent decline of Ireland's most important religion, as a way of telling the history of the island and its peoples, from earliest times to the present day.

These are dangerous times for democracy. We live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds are stacked in favour of the already fortunate. Stalled social mobility and entrenched inequality give the lie to the promise that "you can make it if you try". And the consequence is a brew of anger and frustration that has fuelled populist protest, with the triumph of Brexit and election of Donald Trump. Michael J. Sandel argues that to overcome the polarized politics of our time, we must rethink the attitudes toward success and failure that have accompanied globalisation and rising inequality. Sandel highlights the hubris a meritocracy generates among the winners and the harsh judgement it imposes on those left behind. He offers an alternative way of thinking about success - more attentive to the role of luck in human affairs, more conducive to an ethic of humility, and more hospitable to a politics of the common good.

A celebrated political scientist shows how we can remedy the current economic, social and political ills - by doing what we did a century ago and becoming once more a 'we' rather than 'I' society

What causes climate change, social breakdown, rampant inequality and the creeping spread of ubiquitous surveillance? Capitalism. What is the only alternative to capitalism? Socialism. Socialism cannot, however, remain static if it is going to save civilisation from these catastrophes. In this urgent manifesto for a 21st century left, Jeremy Gilbert shows that we need a revitalised socialist politics that learns from the past to adapt to contemporary challenges. He argues that socialism must overcome its industrial origins and give priority to an environmental agenda. In an age of global networks, digital technology and instant communication, central government diktat and restrictions on free speech and movement must be jettisoned. We need to control the economy rather than let it control us - but we must do this by empowering workers, citizens and communities to run their world their way. Its time to take back the wealth, the services and the platforms that our own energy has built. In the digital age, its time for a new socialism.

A gem of a book, with clear and insightful explanations of ideological positions with informed and thought-provoking case studies. Goodwin cleverly interweaves real-world examples and the influence of key thinkers in a discursive dialogue with the reader to ensure conceptual ideas are retained without losing any of the academic rigour. The format of this book is particularly useful for tutorial discussions on political theory or politics in practice. Jonathan Kirkup, Politics Lecturer, Cardiff University Comprehensive, and covers the main ideologies in an interesting way . . . takes a critical and engaging perspective . . . framed in the context of debates around the meaning and purpose of theoretical enquiry . . . a more rewarding read than its competitors. Madeleine Davis, Department of Politics, Queen Mary, University of London This book is pitched at a good level for bright and interested undergraduates . . . the combination of ideologies and concepts in one book is a major selling point. Paul Taggart, Professor of Politics, University of Sussex It's great to see another edition of this excellent text book which gets to the heart of matters in a direct and student-friendly way. Mark Donovan, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Cardiff University Using Political Ideas is a unique blend of political philosophy, political theory and history of political thought. It combines a critique of the major ideologies of recent and contemporary society with an analysis of the ideas that form the very stuff of political debate. By exposing the interplay between ideas and ideologies, it shows why political opponents often speak at cross-purposes and why rational agreement is so hard to achieve in politics. The sixth edition of this well-respected and widely known text will be welcomed by those interested in questions such as: Is equality more important than personal freedom? Does the majority have the right to dictate to the minority in multicultural society? Is nationalism a progressive force in the world? Politics does not stand still, there are always new controversies and ideological conflicts and the climate of discussion changes. The sixth edition of this best-selling book is fully updated and includes a new chapter on authoritarian ideologies to reflect the growing extreme right-wing politics in parts of Europe. This edition also provides a variety of new learning features, a comprehensive glossary, detailed lists of further reading and a list of questions for discussion.

This collection of interdisciplinary essays focuses on the articulation and interplay of 'Irish' and ??British' identities during the Victorian period in Ireland, Great Britain and beyond. To some commentators inherently antagonistic, to others potentially complementary, ??Irishness' and ??Britishness' were described and contested with increasing intensity throughout the long period of Victoria's reign. These essays utilize a range of themes to throw light on the complexities of that relationship, including the Victorian monarchy's attitude towards Ireland and Irish reactions to it, debates about Irish difference and integration, and varied constructions of Ireland's place in the imperial world order. It gives particular attention to the Famine as a rupturing force in Victorian Irish-British relations and to attempts made to contain this cleavage in literature, economic theory and policy.

Journal of Political Ideologies

The Ideology and Politics Journal

The Journal of Political Philosophy 

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d4b3d-final-report-of-the-commission-of-investigation-into-mother-and-baby-homes/