A Convergence of Civilizations

A Convergence of Civilizations

Author: Youssef Courbage

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2014-10-07

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13: 0231150032

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We are told that Western/Christian and Muslim/Arab civilizations are heading towards inevitable conflict. The demographics of the West remain sluggish, while the population of the Muslim world explodes, widening the cultural gap and all but guaranteeing the outbreak of war. Leaving aside the media's sound and fury on this issue, measured analysis shows another reality taking shape: rapprochement between these two civilizations, benefiting from a universal movement with roots in the Enlightenment. The historical and geographical sweep of this book discredits the notion of a specific Islamic demography. The range of fertility among Muslim women, for example, is as varied as religious behavior among Muslims in general. Whether agnostics, fundamentalist Salafis, or al-Qaeda activists, Muslims are a diverse group that prove the variety and individuality of Islam. Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd consider different degrees of literacy, patriarchy, and defensive reactions among minority Muslim populations, underscoring the spread of massive secularization throughout the Arab and Muslim world. In this regard, they argue, there is very little to distinguish the evolution of Islam from the history of Christianity, especially with Muslims now entering a global modernity. Sensitive to demographic variables and their reflection of personal and social truths, Courbage and Todd upend a dangerous meme: that we live in a fractured world close to crisis, struggling with an epidemic of closed cultures and minds made different by religion.


Book Synopsis A Convergence of Civilizations by : Youssef Courbage

Download or read book A Convergence of Civilizations written by Youssef Courbage and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are told that Western/Christian and Muslim/Arab civilizations are heading towards inevitable conflict. The demographics of the West remain sluggish, while the population of the Muslim world explodes, widening the cultural gap and all but guaranteeing the outbreak of war. Leaving aside the media's sound and fury on this issue, measured analysis shows another reality taking shape: rapprochement between these two civilizations, benefiting from a universal movement with roots in the Enlightenment. The historical and geographical sweep of this book discredits the notion of a specific Islamic demography. The range of fertility among Muslim women, for example, is as varied as religious behavior among Muslims in general. Whether agnostics, fundamentalist Salafis, or al-Qaeda activists, Muslims are a diverse group that prove the variety and individuality of Islam. Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd consider different degrees of literacy, patriarchy, and defensive reactions among minority Muslim populations, underscoring the spread of massive secularization throughout the Arab and Muslim world. In this regard, they argue, there is very little to distinguish the evolution of Islam from the history of Christianity, especially with Muslims now entering a global modernity. Sensitive to demographic variables and their reflection of personal and social truths, Courbage and Todd upend a dangerous meme: that we live in a fractured world close to crisis, struggling with an epidemic of closed cultures and minds made different by religion.


The Convergence of Civilizations

The Convergence of Civilizations

Author: Emanuel Adler

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2006-12-15

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 1442657308

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Recent efforts by the United States and its allies to promote democracy, security, and stability in the Middle East owe much to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) – also known as the Barcelona Process – an important region-building plan in the Mediterranean region since 1995. The Convergence of Civilizations represents the output of an innovative and much needed collaborative project focused on the EMP. Editors Emanuel Adler, Beverly Crawford, Federica Bicchi, and Rafaella A. Del Sarto have set out to show that regional security and stability may be achieved through a cultural approach based on the concept of regional identity construction, and aim to take stock of the EMP in relation to this goal. The contributors to this collection focus on the obstacles Mediterranean region construction faces due to post 9/11 regional and global events, the difficulties of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, tensions between the EU and the US over Iraq, and the expected consequences of EU enlargement. They also seek to bring the EMP and region-making practices to the attention of American scholars in order to promote a more fertile academic exchange. Ultimately, the contributors demonstrate that the EMP and related region-making practices, while failing so far to promote the development of a Mediterranean regional identity and to achieve regional stability, suggest nonetheless a viable model for regional partnership and cooperation, and thus, for preventing a 'clash of civilizations' in the long haul. The Convergence of Civilizations will be an important tool for meeting the current global challenges being faced by nation-states as well as those in the future.


Book Synopsis The Convergence of Civilizations by : Emanuel Adler

Download or read book The Convergence of Civilizations written by Emanuel Adler and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2006-12-15 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent efforts by the United States and its allies to promote democracy, security, and stability in the Middle East owe much to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) – also known as the Barcelona Process – an important region-building plan in the Mediterranean region since 1995. The Convergence of Civilizations represents the output of an innovative and much needed collaborative project focused on the EMP. Editors Emanuel Adler, Beverly Crawford, Federica Bicchi, and Rafaella A. Del Sarto have set out to show that regional security and stability may be achieved through a cultural approach based on the concept of regional identity construction, and aim to take stock of the EMP in relation to this goal. The contributors to this collection focus on the obstacles Mediterranean region construction faces due to post 9/11 regional and global events, the difficulties of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, tensions between the EU and the US over Iraq, and the expected consequences of EU enlargement. They also seek to bring the EMP and region-making practices to the attention of American scholars in order to promote a more fertile academic exchange. Ultimately, the contributors demonstrate that the EMP and related region-making practices, while failing so far to promote the development of a Mediterranean regional identity and to achieve regional stability, suggest nonetheless a viable model for regional partnership and cooperation, and thus, for preventing a 'clash of civilizations' in the long haul. The Convergence of Civilizations will be an important tool for meeting the current global challenges being faced by nation-states as well as those in the future.


Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region

Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region

Author: Moha Ennaji

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2020-05-01

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1527549976

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This book highlights the various cultures and religions of Mediterranean countries, and discusses issues related to managing diversity and minority rights, and the role of intercultural and interreligious dialogue. It centers on the interconnectedness between culture, politics, religion, gender, race, migration, and language. To promote a fruitful exchange, the volume considers approaches that integrate social, economic, cultural, religious and political dimensions, and surveys the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of multiculturalism. The contributions gathered here also debate issues relating to history, modernity, cultural specificities of the region, and their role in the consolidation of peace, democracy, social justice, and development. The book uses an analytic framework coupled with a synthetic method, while providing a roadmap to achieve a better management of pluralism in the Mediterranean area, which will help different populations to live together in harmony and to continue their battle for broadmindedness, acceptance, and coexistence.


Book Synopsis Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region by : Moha Ennaji

Download or read book Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region written by Moha Ennaji and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-01 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights the various cultures and religions of Mediterranean countries, and discusses issues related to managing diversity and minority rights, and the role of intercultural and interreligious dialogue. It centers on the interconnectedness between culture, politics, religion, gender, race, migration, and language. To promote a fruitful exchange, the volume considers approaches that integrate social, economic, cultural, religious and political dimensions, and surveys the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of multiculturalism. The contributions gathered here also debate issues relating to history, modernity, cultural specificities of the region, and their role in the consolidation of peace, democracy, social justice, and development. The book uses an analytic framework coupled with a synthetic method, while providing a roadmap to achieve a better management of pluralism in the Mediterranean area, which will help different populations to live together in harmony and to continue their battle for broadmindedness, acceptance, and coexistence.


Civilization

Civilization

Author: Giovanni Borgognone

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2022-09-29

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1793645833

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Civilizations, or rather narratives about civilizations, matter, not only as research subjects in textbooks, literary and scientific essays, but also in politics. This seems to be the case in "civilizational states" such as China, Russia, Turkey and Syria. Also in Western countries, in recent decades, the notion of civilization has often been used in public discourse: political parties and leaders have referred in particular to the need to protect Western civilization, calling in this regard for policies to restrict immigration from Muslim countries. In 2022 the narrative on civilization was used to legitimize the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The studies in this collected volume reconstruct how civilizational paradigms and narratives have been used to explain political relations, to define the global order, to justify attempts to gain hegemony over particular geopolitical areas, and to make predictions on global developments in specific times of crisis. In particular, this book analyzes the concepts of civilization as they have been used in the intellectual and political discourse in periods particularly critical for global relations and for the consolidation or contestation of the West’s dominant role in international, national politics and academic discourse.


Book Synopsis Civilization by : Giovanni Borgognone

Download or read book Civilization written by Giovanni Borgognone and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-09-29 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Civilizations, or rather narratives about civilizations, matter, not only as research subjects in textbooks, literary and scientific essays, but also in politics. This seems to be the case in "civilizational states" such as China, Russia, Turkey and Syria. Also in Western countries, in recent decades, the notion of civilization has often been used in public discourse: political parties and leaders have referred in particular to the need to protect Western civilization, calling in this regard for policies to restrict immigration from Muslim countries. In 2022 the narrative on civilization was used to legitimize the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The studies in this collected volume reconstruct how civilizational paradigms and narratives have been used to explain political relations, to define the global order, to justify attempts to gain hegemony over particular geopolitical areas, and to make predictions on global developments in specific times of crisis. In particular, this book analyzes the concepts of civilization as they have been used in the intellectual and political discourse in periods particularly critical for global relations and for the consolidation or contestation of the West’s dominant role in international, national politics and academic discourse.


The Future of Latin America

The Future of Latin America

Author: Agustín A. Gordillo

Publisher: Agustín Gordillo

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 1904673007

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Assumes that corruption is the root of Latin America's economic, social and political problems. Proposes the creation of a supranational Inter-American State comprising those Latin American countries willing or in need to participate, with the added minority and participation of representatives of both the European Union and the United States, in order to obtain mutual and external aid in good public governance.


Book Synopsis The Future of Latin America by : Agustín A. Gordillo

Download or read book The Future of Latin America written by Agustín A. Gordillo and published by Agustín Gordillo. This book was released on 2003 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assumes that corruption is the root of Latin America's economic, social and political problems. Proposes the creation of a supranational Inter-American State comprising those Latin American countries willing or in need to participate, with the added minority and participation of representatives of both the European Union and the United States, in order to obtain mutual and external aid in good public governance.


Global Networking, Communication and Culture: Conflict or Convergence?

Global Networking, Communication and Culture: Conflict or Convergence?

Author: Halit Ünver

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-03-19

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 3319764489

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Pursuing an interdisciplinary approach, this book offers detailed insights into the empirical relationships between overall social key figures of states and cultures in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT) (digital divide/inequality), the economy, education and religion. Its goal is to bridge the ‘cultural gap’ between computer scientists, engineers, economists, social and political scientists by providing a mutual understanding of the essential challenges posed and opportunities offered by a global information and knowledge society. In a sense, the historically unprecedented technical advances in the field of ICT are shaping humanity at different levels and forming a hybrid (intelligent) human-technology system, a so-called global superorganism. The main innovation is the combined study of digitization and globalization in the context of growing social inequalities, collapse, and sustainable development, and how a convergence towards a kind of global culture could take place. Accordingly, the book discusses the spread of ICT, Internet Governance, the balance between the central concentration of power and the extent of decentralized power distribution, the inclusion or exclusion of people and states in global communication processes, and the capacity for global empathy or culture.


Book Synopsis Global Networking, Communication and Culture: Conflict or Convergence? by : Halit Ünver

Download or read book Global Networking, Communication and Culture: Conflict or Convergence? written by Halit Ünver and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-19 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pursuing an interdisciplinary approach, this book offers detailed insights into the empirical relationships between overall social key figures of states and cultures in the fields of information and communication technology (ICT) (digital divide/inequality), the economy, education and religion. Its goal is to bridge the ‘cultural gap’ between computer scientists, engineers, economists, social and political scientists by providing a mutual understanding of the essential challenges posed and opportunities offered by a global information and knowledge society. In a sense, the historically unprecedented technical advances in the field of ICT are shaping humanity at different levels and forming a hybrid (intelligent) human-technology system, a so-called global superorganism. The main innovation is the combined study of digitization and globalization in the context of growing social inequalities, collapse, and sustainable development, and how a convergence towards a kind of global culture could take place. Accordingly, the book discusses the spread of ICT, Internet Governance, the balance between the central concentration of power and the extent of decentralized power distribution, the inclusion or exclusion of people and states in global communication processes, and the capacity for global empathy or culture.


Resurgent Islam and the Politics of Identity

Resurgent Islam and the Politics of Identity

Author: Ali A. Mazrui

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2014-10-16

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 1443869783

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One of the most important functions of religion is to serve as a basis of identity. This collection of essays by Ali A. Mazrui, a distinguished scholar of Islam, discusses how Islam differentiates Muslims from non-Muslims and affects how Muslims view each other. In the light of the upheaval currently occurring in the Muslim world, this collection provides readers with valuable context for the challenges of modernity and multiculturalism faced by Muslims. In these essays, Mazrui deploys his formidable knowledge of theology, history, and Muslim societies to analyze the theological, historical, and political influences on Muslim identity. In his usual style of comparative analysis, Mazrui draws most frequently in these essays from examples in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Muslim communities in the West. These essays delve into the complexities of Muslim identity and stratification, and provide contributions to key debates on modern Islamic political ideology. These essays will be of interest to readers engaged with Islam, religion, culture, comparative politics and international relations.


Book Synopsis Resurgent Islam and the Politics of Identity by : Ali A. Mazrui

Download or read book Resurgent Islam and the Politics of Identity written by Ali A. Mazrui and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2014-10-16 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most important functions of religion is to serve as a basis of identity. This collection of essays by Ali A. Mazrui, a distinguished scholar of Islam, discusses how Islam differentiates Muslims from non-Muslims and affects how Muslims view each other. In the light of the upheaval currently occurring in the Muslim world, this collection provides readers with valuable context for the challenges of modernity and multiculturalism faced by Muslims. In these essays, Mazrui deploys his formidable knowledge of theology, history, and Muslim societies to analyze the theological, historical, and political influences on Muslim identity. In his usual style of comparative analysis, Mazrui draws most frequently in these essays from examples in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Muslim communities in the West. These essays delve into the complexities of Muslim identity and stratification, and provide contributions to key debates on modern Islamic political ideology. These essays will be of interest to readers engaged with Islam, religion, culture, comparative politics and international relations.


The Collapse of Complex Societies

The Collapse of Complex Societies

Author: Joseph Tainter

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1988

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780521386739

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Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory.


Book Synopsis The Collapse of Complex Societies by : Joseph Tainter

Download or read book The Collapse of Complex Societies written by Joseph Tainter and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1988 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory.


Script Effects as the Hidden Drive of the Mind, Cognition, and Culture

Script Effects as the Hidden Drive of the Mind, Cognition, and Culture

Author: Hye K. Pae

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-10-14

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 3030551520

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This open access volume reveals the hidden power of the script we read in and how it shapes and drives our minds, ways of thinking, and cultures. Expanding on the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis (i.e., the idea that language affects the way we think), this volume proposes the “Script Relativity Hypothesis” (i.e., the idea that the script in which we read affects the way we think) by offering a unique perspective on the effect of script (alphabets, morphosyllabaries, or multi-scripts) on our attention, perception, and problem-solving. Once we become literate, fundamental changes occur in our brain circuitry to accommodate the new demand for resources. The powerful effects of literacy have been demonstrated by research on literate versus illiterate individuals, as well as cross-scriptal transfer, indicating that literate brain networks function differently, depending on the script being read. This book identifies the locus of differences between the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans, and between the East and the West, as the neural underpinnings of literacy. To support the “Script Relativity Hypothesis”, it reviews a vast corpus of empirical studies, including anthropological accounts of human civilization, social psychology, cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, applied linguistics, second language studies, and cross-cultural communication. It also discusses the impact of reading from screens in the digital age, as well as the impact of bi-script or multi-script use, which is a growing trend around the globe. As a result, our minds, ways of thinking, and cultures are now growing closer together, not farther apart.


Book Synopsis Script Effects as the Hidden Drive of the Mind, Cognition, and Culture by : Hye K. Pae

Download or read book Script Effects as the Hidden Drive of the Mind, Cognition, and Culture written by Hye K. Pae and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-10-14 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access volume reveals the hidden power of the script we read in and how it shapes and drives our minds, ways of thinking, and cultures. Expanding on the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis (i.e., the idea that language affects the way we think), this volume proposes the “Script Relativity Hypothesis” (i.e., the idea that the script in which we read affects the way we think) by offering a unique perspective on the effect of script (alphabets, morphosyllabaries, or multi-scripts) on our attention, perception, and problem-solving. Once we become literate, fundamental changes occur in our brain circuitry to accommodate the new demand for resources. The powerful effects of literacy have been demonstrated by research on literate versus illiterate individuals, as well as cross-scriptal transfer, indicating that literate brain networks function differently, depending on the script being read. This book identifies the locus of differences between the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans, and between the East and the West, as the neural underpinnings of literacy. To support the “Script Relativity Hypothesis”, it reviews a vast corpus of empirical studies, including anthropological accounts of human civilization, social psychology, cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, applied linguistics, second language studies, and cross-cultural communication. It also discusses the impact of reading from screens in the digital age, as well as the impact of bi-script or multi-script use, which is a growing trend around the globe. As a result, our minds, ways of thinking, and cultures are now growing closer together, not farther apart.


Communication Across Cultures

Communication Across Cultures

Author: Chibueze C. Udeani

Publisher: CRVP

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 1565182405

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Book Synopsis Communication Across Cultures by : Chibueze C. Udeani

Download or read book Communication Across Cultures written by Chibueze C. Udeani and published by CRVP. This book was released on 2008 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: