Product Description: This volume provides a cross-national analysis of the changing identities of various national and ethnic groups, their new political influence in the emergent democracies and their efforts to revive suppressed cultures. It begins with a theoretical analysis of the concepts of national identity and ethnicity...read more

Product Description: Bringing together leading scholars from Russia and outside experts on Russia, this book looks at the difference between the image Russia has of itself and the way it is viewed in the West. It discusses the historical, cultural and political foundations that these images are built upon, and goes on to analyse how contested these images are, and their impact on Russian identity...read more

Product Description: Is Europe indeed uniting or instead falling apart as a result of anti-immigrant prejudices, a massive Islamic influx, and ancient intra-European hatreds? This innovative and engaging book explores this key question by examining the national and religious phobias and prejudices, antipathies and sympathies, stereotypes and heterotypes of Europe west and east...read more

Taras, Ray and Ganguly, Rajat, Understanding Ethnic Conflict: The International Dimension*\ The completely updated new edition of this groundbreaking book provides readers with a clear analytical framework for understanding ethnic conflicts and how they affect international relations. This book surveys theories of nationalism and ethnic conflict and tests their applicability to a number of contemporary cases. Looks at the sources of nationalist conflict in a country, each case study then ask how the international system reacted. Taken as a whole, the book examines how successful the international system has been in managing the many ethnic conflicts that erupted after the Cold War. For those interested in international relations.

Product Description: How people construct their idea of home influences the types of nationalisms that emerge in various parts of the world. These nationalisms can be inclusive or exclusionary, tolerant or intolerant, peaceful or violent. In this important new book, Ray Taras provides a comprehensive analysis of the history and study of nationalism...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

A comprehensive analysis of contemporary Polish politics, exploring the problems and achievements of this young European democracy, with its disjuncture between mass and elite political cleavages, un-institutionalized party system, and changing political arenas.. As Polish democratic politics evolves it is taking unexpected forms and producing unexpected results. Through a comprehensive analysis of politics in this young European democracy Marjorie Castle and Ray Taras explain the complexity and uncertainty of political processes and outcomes in Poland. The focus here is on contemporary politics: what the fundamental political cleavages are, whether parties adequately represent popular interests, who the political elites are and what games they play, what influence the Catholic Church still holds in an aspiring Western-style secular republic, and what policy challenges face Poland in the future. Inimitable political leaders, changing political arenas, and complex policy-making processes come to life through a fascinating narrative characterized by an insider's insight. }Ever-changing election rules, a highly fluid party system, a constitution considered illegitimate by more than one major political actor, polarized political elites, and a system of corruption that has grown up together with the young democracy itself -- these characterize contemporary Polish politics. At the same time Poland is frequently identified as the most successful example of a transition from communism to capitalism, having led this series of world-changing transitions. It has distanced itself from a turbulent history as pawn in Eastern Europe's international politics to become a leading candidate for membership in the exclusive European Union club. As Polish democratic politics evolves it is taking unexpected forms and producing equally unexpected results. Through a comprehensive analysis of politics in this young European democracy, Marjorie Castle and Ray Taras explain the complexity and uncertainty of political processes and outcomes in Poland. Poland'spast -- the flawed Second Republic established after World War I, as well as the imperfect independence in the Soviet shadow following World War II's devastation -- dramatizes the unique historic opportunity it was given in 1989 to determine its own political future and perhaps eventually become a major European power. Choices made in 1989 and thereafter would not only construct a new democracy but shape and limit its possibilities. The primary focus here is on contemporary politics: what the fundamental political cleavages are, whether parties adequately represent popular interests, who the political elites are and what games they play, whatinfluence the Catholic Church still holds in an aspiring Western-style secular republic, and what policy challenges face Poland in the future. Inimitable political leaders, changing political arenas, and complexpolicy-making processes come to life through a fascinating narrative characterized by an insider's insight. }

Product Description: This volume provides a cross-national analysis of the changing identities of various national and ethnic groups, their new political influence in the emergent democracies and their efforts to revive suppressed cultures. It begins with a theoretical analysis of the concepts of national identity and ethnicity...read more

Product Description: The best-known political leaders of former communist states are their presidents. To many people, Yeltsin, Havel and Walesa are the symbols of the birth of democracy in their countries, yet their historical legacy remains unclear...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Since its publication in 1993, Nations and Politics in the Soviet Successor-States edited by Ian Bremmer and Ray Taras has established itself internationally as the genuinely comprehensive, systematic and rigorous analysis of the nation- and state-building processes of the fifteen states that grew out of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: A comprehensive analysis of politics in a young European democracy, this book describes the principal features of Poland’s democratic system—the political institutions, parties, elections, and leaders that have shaped the transition from communism...read more

Product Description: 0-8133-1463-1 Consolidating Democracy in Poland 0-8133-1464-X Consolidating Democracy in Poland

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