Book reviews
Book Review: Devolution and Localism in England by David M. Smith and Enid Wistrich
Tracing the development of decentralisation policies through regional policies up to and including the 2010 General Election and the radical shift away from regionalism to localism by the new Coalition Government thereafter, the authors consider some of the key policies of the incumbent Coalition Government such as City Regions and Localism. This book is a much-needed contribution […]
Book Review: The Price of Public Intellectuals by Raphael Sassower
Who are our public intellectuals? Are they needed in a democracy? These and other questions are answered in Raphael Sassower’s historically-informed survey of the role of public intellectuals in western democracies. Claire Forbes finds that this is a thought provoking read and will appeal to anyone interested in philosophy, intellectualism and public engagement. Similar PostsTurning the tide on […]
Book Review: Digital Media and Society: Transforming Economics, Politics and Social Practices by Andrew White
Andrew White considers the way in which digital media challenges normative conceptions of the public sphere and discusses this in relation to the creation of new forms of knowledge through the digitization of scholarly resources and the impact of digital media on traditional conceptions of identity. This book is an engaging contribution to the growing literature […]
Book Review: Public Engagement and Social Science edited by Stella Maile and David Griffiths
Public Engagement and Social Science provides us with a timely and rich contribution to discussions of public engagement and the impact of the social sciences. Through the presentation of diverse case studies, the collection provides social scientists with myriad examples of the potential practical implications of their research, writes Karen Lumsden. Similar PostsBook reviews | A […]
20 things we learned about democracy in October 2014
What happened in October 2014 that democrats will find interesting? Lots, it turns out, including revelations about the position of names on ballot papers, drones, and of course UKIP. Sean Kippin rounds up 20 interesting pieces of information that made themselves known this month. Similar Posts20 things we learned about democracy in January 2015How democratic […]
Book Review: Sexual Diversity and the Sochi 2014 Olympics: No More Rainbows by Helen Jefferson Lenskyj
Helen Jefferson Lenskyj backtracked on her decision to stop writing about the Olympics after hearing Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva condemn a Swedish athlete’s pro-LGBT rights rainbow painted fingernails. Against which historical and legal backdrop, Lenskyj wondered, did Isinbayeva claim that ‘Russia…has no gays and lesbians’? A breathtaking example of academic responsiveness to world events, No […]
Book Review: Gender Inequality in the Labour Market in the UK edited by Giovanni Razzu
Despite the changed and changing position of women in society there remain substantial gender differences in the labour market. This collection covers the gender pay gap, occupational segregation, and gender differences in school subject choice. Marion Koob is impressed but would like to have seen more policy recommendations from the book’s contributors. Similar PostsOnline abuse is driving […]
Book Review: Feminist Activism, Women’s Rights, and Legal Reform edited by Mulki-Al Sharmani
Aiming to redefine the core issues at the heart of feminist activism in a development context, Feminist Activism, Women’s Rights, and Legal Reform brings together cases from across the developing world in an effort to analyse the successes, and failures, of the evolution and implementation of new laws designed to protect women and girls. Katherine Williams summarises three fascinating chapters. […]
20 things we learned about democracy in September 2014
September 2014 was a big month for democracy, with party conferences and of course the Scottish independence referendum. Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin rounds up 20 things that we learned about democracy this month, and talks about the referendum and conferences, but also elections in the House of Lords, human rights, and KFC chicken. Similar PostsThe […]
Book Review: Advancing Electoral Integrity edited by Pippa Norris, Richard W Frank and Ferran Martínez i Coma
Are elections free and fair? How can we measure whether they are? And what is the popular reaction to different types of electoral regime? Ron Johnston reviews a recent edited volume exploring electoral integrity, an outcome of a major international project focusing on these relatively under-studied questions. Similar PostsBook Review: British General Elections since 1964: Diversity, Dealignment […]
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