The question of 'postmodernity' that has swept Western academic and intellectual circles raises critical comparative questions. Do societies that have not experienced the same historical development as the West pass inevitably through modernity into postmodernity, or can they skip such stages altogether? Japan, the only non-Western society to develop independently a fully-fledged capitalist-industrialist economy, poses such fundamental questions to social theory. Is Japan in fact 'unique' and as such is it a society which escapes the net of conventional sociological abstractions? The book questions how special Japanese society really is, the limitations of Western social theory in grasping the fullness of this dynamic and a complex Asian society, and inquires as to how Japan in turn may speak to social theory and deepen and broaden the principles on which social theory attempts to explore and categorize the social and cultural worlds.

This volume: * Brings together scholarly insights from Europe, Asia, and Africa * Inter-disciplinary in scope

Philosophical concepts are influential in the theories and methods to study the world religions. Even though the disciplines of anthropology and religious studies now encompass communities and cultures across the world, the theories and methods used to study world religions and cultures continue to be rooted in Western philosophies. For instance, one of the most widely used textbooks used in introductory courses on religious studies, introduces major theoreticians such as Edward Burnett Tylor, James Frazer, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Mircea Eliade, William James, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and Clifford Geertz. Their theories are based on Western philosophy. In contrast, in Indic philosophical systems, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, one of the common views on reality is that the world both within one self and outside is a flow with nothing permanent, both the observer and the observed undergoing constant transformation. This volume is based on such innovative ideas coming from different Indic philosophies and how they can enrich the theory and methods in religious studies.

This book conducts a comparative analysis of social and economic changes in the welfare state transformations in China and India, at national and sub-national levels. Discussions are made based on impacts from the social and economic changes in the last century and the fourth industrial revolution on welfare state transformations in China and India, the world's two largest countries in terms of population and density. First-hand empirical work is conducted by a group of scholars from India and China, which draws on inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural academic traditions to deepen social, cultural and legal understanding between the two countries. This book would appeal to undergraduate and graduate students in comparative sociology, political science, law and comparative welfare studies as well as researchers in these fields, as well as researchers in policy think-tanks and research institutes and officials in government and non-governmental organizations.

Through a unique range of theoretical and practical case studies, this collection considers the relationship between the arts (understood as the visual arts, crafts, theatre, dance, and literature) and development, creating both a bridge between them that is rarely explored and filling in concrete ways the content of the "culture" part of the equation "culture and development". It includes manifestations of culture and the ways in which they relate to development, and in turn contribute to such pressing issues as poverty alleviation, concern for the environment, health, empowerment, and identity formation. It shows how the arts are an essential part of the concrete understanding of culture, and as such a significant part of development thinking - including the development of culture, and not only of culture as an instrumental means to promote other development goals.

This title is an innovative and original collection of essays exploring the relationships between philosophy and anthropology - historically and presently - and the theoretical and practical issues concerning their dialogue.

First Published in 1995. The question of 'postmodernity' that has swept Western academic and intellectual circles raises critical comparative questions. Do societies that have not experienced the same historical development as the West pass inevitably through modernity into postmodernity, or can they skip such stages altogether? Japan, the only non-Western society to develop independently a fully-fledged capitalist-industrialist economy, poses such fundamental questions to social theory. Is Japan in fact 'unique' and as such is it a society which escapes the net of conventional sociological abstractions? The book questions how special Japanese society really is, the limitations of Western social theory in grasping the fullness of this dynamic and a complex Asian society, and inquires as to how Japan in turn may speak to social theory and deepen and broaden the principles on which social theory attempts to explore and categorize the social and cultural worlds.

This innovative book places culture, specifically in the form of the arts, back at the centre of debates in development studies by introducing new ways of conceptualizing art in relation to development. It shows that culture is not simply an explanation of last resort, but is itself a rich, multifaceted and contested concept and set of practices that needs to be expanded, appreciated and applied in fresh ways if it is to be both valued in itself and to be of use in practical development.

The book shows how the arts and development are related in very practical ways as means to achieve development goals through visual, dramatic, filmic and craft-inspired ways. It advocates not so much culture "and "development, but rather for the development "of" culture. Without a cultural content to economic and social transformation the problems found in much development up-rooting of cultures, loss of art forms, languages and modes of expression and performance may only accelerate. Paying attention to the development of the arts as the content of development helps to amend this culturally destructive process. Finally, the book argues for the value of the arts in attaining sustainable cultures, promoting poverty alleviation, encouraging self-empowerment, stimulating creativity and the social imagination, which in turn flow back into wider processes of social transformation.

This book recovers a holistic vision of development that links the more technical, and predominantly economic, aspects of development with humanistic and ecological goals. It is an inspiring read for postgraduate students and researchers in the fields of development studies, cultural studies and sociology of development. "

Contending that culture lies at the root of our current planetary and civilizational crisis, this book uniquely explores the nature of the specifically cultural dimensions of that crisis and how culture relates to the areas of politics, policy, economics, ecology and the whole discourse of sustainability. It debates how profoundly our world is shaped by capitalist culture, emphasizing the import of political culture and policy, social justice, leadership and community in the shaping of a new cultural sustainability. It also reintroduces questions of religion, art, citizenship and comparative culture into the sustainability debate and suggests ways in which the central issue of consumer culture can be rethought and others in which socially satisfactory transitions to a sustainable future might be achieved. Addressing the specific role of culture in our crisis and of how to build cultural resources for transition, this cutting edge text provides the reader with an introduction to the literature on culture and sustainability, and both practical and theoretical tools for creating and advancing a humane and ecologically responsible future.

The sociology of art is now an established sub-discipline of sociology. But little work has been done to explore the implications not of society on art, but of art on the nature and principles of sociology itself. Vision and Society explores the ways in which art (here mainly understood as visual art) structures in fundamental ways the constitution of society, the relations between societies and the ways in which society and culture should be theorized. Building initially on an unfulfilled project by the French sociologist of art Nathalie Heinich to derive a sociology from art, this book pushes this idea in unconventional directions. Rethinking the relationships between the study of art and the study of sociology and anthropology, this book explores how this rethinking might impact sociological theory in general, and certain aspects of it in particular - especially the study of social movements, social change, the urban, the constitution of space and the ways in which human social relationships are mediated and expressed.

The Japanese impact on Southeast Asia has been profound, not only in terms of economic presence, but equally in terms of an increasingly visible cultural presence. Food, fashion, TV, film, religion, sport, popular music, ideas about management and social relationships and even local literatures have been profoundly impacted by the flows of cultural influences from Japan. This volume examines these flows and their consequences in Singapore, a Southeast Asian society in which the Japanese presence is so visible as to make it a regional paradigm for a study of cultural influence in the region.

This book provides an innovative contribution to the emerging field of culture and development through the lens of cultural rights, arguing in favour of a fruitful dialogue between human rights, development studies, critical cultural studies, and concerns about the protection and preservation of cultural diversity. It breaks with established approaches by introducing the themes of aesthetics, embodiment, narrative and peace studies into the field of culture and development, and in doing so, proposes both an expanded conception of cultural rights and a holistic vision of development that not only includes these elements in a central way, but which argues that genuine sustainability must include the cultural dimension, including the notion of cultural justice as recognition, protection and respect extended to the many expressions of human imagination in this world.

First published in 1998, this volume explores Singapore as an ideal case study for the examination of the management of postcoloniality, social diversity and the pursuit of economic growth with ethnic harmony. Singapore has, since independence, evolved a unique mix of state directed capitalism, revamped Confucianism and a social order based on an ideology of multiracialism. The result has been a State with enormous sociological diversity held together by the need to create a unified political order out of a population of immigrants of very diverse origins. This has placed the management of multiethnicity at the heart of political discourse and social policy. This book examines critically the operation of ethnicity in post-independence Singapore, the social policies that have been evolved to manage it, and the implications of the Singapore experiment for other plural societies in Asia and elsewhere.

First published in 1998, this volume explores Singapore as an ideal case study for the examination of the management of postcoloniality, social diversity and the pursuit of economic growth with ethnic harmony. Singapore has, since independence, evolved a unique mix of state directed capitalism, revamped Confucianism and a social order based on an ideology of multiracialism. The result has been a State with enormous sociological diversity held together by the need to create a unified political order out of a population of immigrants of very diverse origins. This has placed the management of multiethnicity at the heart of political discourse and social policy. This book examines critically the operation of ethnicity in post-independence Singapore, the social policies that have been evolved to manage it, and the implications of the Singapore experiment for other plural societies in Asia and elsewhere.

The Japanese impact on Southeast Asia has been profound, not only in terms of economic presence, but equally in terms of an increasingly visible cultural presence. Food, fashion, TV, film, religion, sport, popular music, ideas about management and social relationships and even local literatures have been profoundly impacted by the flows of cultural influences from Japan. This volume examines these flows and their consequences in Singapore, a Southeast Asian society in which the Japanese presence is so visible as to make it a regional paradigm for a study of cultural influence in the region.

First Published in 1995. The question of 'postmodernity' that has swept Western academic and intellectual circles raises critical comparative questions. Do societies that have not experienced the same historical development as the West pass inevitably through modernity into postmodernity, or can they skip such stages altogether? Japan, the only non-Western society to develop independently a fully-fledged capitalist-industrialist economy, poses such fundamental questions to social theory. Is Japan in fact 'unique' and as such is it a society which escapes the net of conventional sociological abstractions? The book questions how special Japanese society really is, the limitations of Western social theory in grasping the fullness of this dynamic and a complex Asian society, and inquires as to how Japan in turn may speak to social theory and deepen and broaden the principles on which social theory attempts to explore and categorize the social and cultural worlds.

The question of 'postmodernity' that has swept Western academic and intellectual circles raises critical comparative questions. Do societies that have not experienced the same historical development as the West pass inevitably through modernity into postmodernity, or can they skip such stages altogether? Japan, the only non-Western society to develop independently a fully-fledged capitalist-industrialist economy, poses such fundamental questions to social theory. Is Japan in fact 'unique' and as such is it a society which escapes the net of conventional sociological abstractions? The book questions how special Japanese society really is, the limitations of Western social theory in grasping the fullness of this dynamic and a complex Asian society, and inquires as to how Japan in turn may speak to social theory and deepen and broaden the principles on which social theory attempts to explore and categorize the social and cultural worlds.

This innovative book places culture, specifically in the form of the arts, back at the centre of debates in development studies by introducing new ways of conceptualizing art in relation to development. It shows that culture is not simply an explanation of last resort, but is itself a rich, multifaceted and contested concept and set of practices that needs to be expanded, appreciated and applied in fresh ways if it is to be both valued in itself and to be of use in practical development.

The book shows how the arts and development are related in very practical ways as means to achieve development goals through visual, dramatic, filmic and craft-inspired ways. It advocates not so much culture "and "development, but rather for the development "of" culture. Without a cultural content to economic and social transformation the problems found in much development up-rooting of cultures, loss of art forms, languages and modes of expression and performance may only accelerate. Paying attention to the development of the arts as the content of development helps to amend this culturally destructive process. Finally, the book argues for the value of the arts in attaining sustainable cultures, promoting poverty alleviation, encouraging self-empowerment, stimulating creativity and the social imagination, which in turn flow back into wider processes of social transformation.

This book recovers a holistic vision of development that links the more technical, and predominantly economic, aspects of development with humanistic and ecological goals. It is an inspiring read for postgraduate students and researchers in the fields of development studies, cultural studies and sociology of development. "

Through a unique range of theoretical and practical case studies, this collection considers the relationship between the arts (understood as the visual arts, crafts, theatre, dance, and literature) and development, creating both a bridge between them that is rarely explored and filling in concrete ways the content of the "culture" part of the equation "culture and development". It includes manifestations of culture and the ways in which they relate to development, and in turn contribute to such pressing issues as poverty alleviation, concern for the environment, health, empowerment, and identity formation. It shows how the arts are an essential part of the concrete understanding of culture, and as such a significant part of development thinking - including the development of culture, and not only of culture as an instrumental means to promote other development goals.

The sociology of art is now an established sub-discipline of sociology. But little work has been done to explore the implications not of society on art, but of art on the nature and principles of sociology itself. Vision and Society explores the ways in which art (here mainly understood as visual art) structures in fundamental ways the constitution of society, the relations between societies and the ways in which society and culture should be theorized. Building initially on an unfulfilled project by the French sociologist of art Nathalie Heinich to derive a sociology from art, this book pushes this idea in unconventional directions. Rethinking the relationships between the study of art and the study of sociology and anthropology, this book explores how this rethinking might impact sociological theory in general, and certain aspects of it in particular - especially the study of social movements, social change, the urban, the constitution of space and the ways in which human social relationships are mediated and expressed.

This book analyses dissent and its manifestations in movements of social and political transformation across communities and cultures. It shows how these movements create ruptures in the structures of power, and social hierarchy; expressed through songs, slogans, poetry and performances. The chapters in the book explore these sites of transgression and the imprint they leave on culture, politics, beliefs and the collective society - via music and poetry as in the Bhakti movement or through feministic theories born in post-World War Europe. It also explores how these dynamic movements generate alternate spaces within which the self, identity and collective purpose take new forms and find new meanings as they travel. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of the humanities, literature, history, sociology, politics and culture studies.

This book analyses dissent and its manifestations in movements of social and political transformation across communities and cultures. It shows how these movements create ruptures in the structures of power, and social hierarchy; expressed through songs, slogans, poetry and performances. The chapters in the book explore these sites of transgression and the imprint they leave on culture, politics, beliefs and the collective society - via music and poetry as in the Bhakti movement or through feministic theories born in post-World War Europe. It also explores how these dynamic movements generate alternate spaces within which the self, identity and collective purpose take new forms and find new meanings as they travel. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of the humanities, literature, history, sociology, politics and culture studies.