First published in 1997. This book is addressed to two kinds of readers: to social theorists, on the grounds that the Japanese experience is or should be of particular relevance to their problems, and to scholars working on Japanese history, culture and society, in the hope that the theoretical interpretations outlined below may be of some interest to them.

First published in 1997. This book is addressed to two kinds of readers: to social theorists, on the grounds that the Japanese experience is or should be of particular relevance to their problems, and to scholars working on Japanese history, culture and society, in the hope that the theoretical interpretations outlined below may be of some interest to them.

This book aims to link the Communist experience to the theoretical debates on modernity. The most influential theories of modernity have taken surprisingly little interest in the problematic of Soviet-type societies, and recent events have highlighted the lack of conceptual framework for the interpretation of their history. The author tries to show that a revised concept of totalitarianism can be used to clarify the distinctive characteristics of the Soviet model as a pattern of modernity, rather than to construct an alternative to modernization theory. This line of argument is developed in relation to four main themes: the historical sources of the Soviet model, its institutional core, the differences between its original version and later variants (with particular reference to China and Eastern Europe), and the combination of structural and historical factors which brought about its terminal crisis. The theoretical model used throughout focuses on the changing configurations of economic, political and cultural patterns.

This outstanding book deals with the Soviet model as a distinctive pattern of modernity. Its historical background and its institutional structure are thoroughly examined as are its implications for understanding Modernity. The book challenges many of the simple assumptions and judgements made about the Soviet road. It is essential reading for students of Political Science, Sociology and Soviet History

Offering a vital reflection on the unity and diversity of the modern world, this important new book connects with the current debate on multiple modernities and argues that this notion can only be properly understood in a civilizational context. Johann Arnason presupposes the idea of modernity as a new civilization with its specific social imaginary, centred on strong visions of human autonomy but open to differentiation on institutional and ideological levels, as well as in changing historical contexts. The book begins by connecting this perspective to a distinctive framework of social theory, centred on the differentiation of economic, political and cultural spheres. Arnason goes on to deal with Communism as the most important alternative version of modernity, and with East Asian developments as a particularly complex and instructive case of interacting modernities. The book concludes with reflections on globalization theory and ways of reformulating it in light of the civilizational approach.

To understand the current difficulties and future prospects of European integration, multiple perspectives are required. The essays in this collection explore historical and geopolitical aspects of European integration and their relevance to interpretations of the current climate. They also examine the different regional dynamics of integration and the attitudes that result from those experiences, including those in European peripheries which are so often overshadowed by the dominant centres. In drawing all of these perspectives together, the collection allows the reader to assess the EU's current crisis in context.

Offering a vital reflection on the unity and diversity of the modern world, this important new book connects with the current debate on multiple modernities and argues that this notion can only be properly understood in a civilizational context. Johann Arnason presupposes the idea of modernity as a new civilization with its specific social imaginary, centred on strong visions of human autonomy but open to differentiation on institutional and ideological levels, as well as in changing historical contexts. The book begins by connecting this perspective to a distinctive framework of social theory, centred on the differentiation of economic, political and cultural spheres. Arnason goes on to deal with Communism as the most important alternative version of modernity, and with East Asian developments as a particularly complex and instructive case of interacting modernities. The book concludes with reflections on globalization theory and ways of reformulating it in light of the civilizational approach.

Prompted by the 25th anniversary of the Soviet collapse, this volume reflects on revolutions and transformations around the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, the political transformations after 9/11, the important changes following the global economic crisis, and the revolutionary transformations of India and China. The authors stress that the United States' military actions after the 9/11 terrorist attacks have had a major transformative impact on the global arena. More recently, the economic crisis that began in 2007/8 caused a series of breakdowns and provoked demands for social and political transformation, so far unfulfilled. The repercussions of the Arab Spring and transformations linked to the rise of BRICS are altering the patterns of international and global relations. All these processes have unfolded within the framework of global capitalism, whose reproduction on an expanding scale involved multiple economic, political ecological and civilizational transformations.

Prompted by the 25th anniversary of the Soviet collapse, this volume reflects on revolutions and transformations around the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, the political transformations after 9/11, the important changes following the global economic crisis, and the revolutionary transformations of India and China. The authors stress that the United States' military actions after the 9/11 terrorist attacks have had a major transformative impact on the global arena. More recently, the economic crisis that began in 2007/8 caused a series of breakdowns and provoked demands for social and political transformation, so far unfulfilled. The repercussions of the Arab Spring and transformations linked to the rise of BRICS are altering the patterns of international and global relations. All these processes have unfolded within the framework of global capitalism, whose reproduction on an expanding scale involved multiple economic, political ecological and civilizational transformations.

This volume which also appeared as a special issue of Medieval Encounters deals with transformations of the major Eurasian civilizations in the early second millennium CE, and with the question of contrasts, parallels and connections between the different trajectories that took shape during this period. An introductory section discusses the theoretical problems of comparative analysis, with particular reference to formative phases of cultural crystallization. The first main thematic section focuses on European developments. The emergence of Western Christendom as a distinctive civilization is analyzed in a broader Eurasian context. Other contributions examine the Europeanization of northern and eastern peripheries, as well as the different course of events in the Byzantine world. The last section covers socio-cultural changes in non-European regions - the Islamic world, India, China and Japan - and concludes with a discussion of the Eurasian empire created by the Mongols. With contributions by Thomas Lindkvist; Sverre Bagge; Paul Jakov Smith; Paul Stephenson; Mikael Adolphson; Dr. Michal Biran; Said A. Arjomand; Gabor Klaniczay; R. I. Moore; Sheldon Pollock. Originally published in hardcover