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Informationen zum Autor Jeffrey C. Goldfarb is the Michael E. Gellert Professor of Sociology at the New School for Social Research. He is the author of seven books, including On Cultural Freedom, The Cynical Society, and Beyond Glasnost, all published by the University of Chicago Press. Klappentext Political change doesn't always begin with a bang; it often starts with just a whisper. From the discussions around kitchen tables that led to the dismantling of the Soviet bloc to the more recent emergence of Internet initiatives like MoveOn.org and Redeem the Vote that are revolutionizing the American political landscape, consequential political life develops in small spaces where dialogue generates political power. In The Politics of Small Things, Jeffrey C. Goldfarb provides an innovative way to understand the politics of our times. Moving from small to large, he uncovers a dimension of power that is found in human interaction. He analyzes recent turning points, movements, and institutions: dissent around the old Soviet bloc; life on the streets in Warsaw, Prague, and Bucharest in 1989; the network of terror that spawned 9/11; and the religious and Internet mobilizations that transformed the 2004 presidential election. In such pivotal moments, he masterfully shows, political autonomy can be generated, presenting alternatives to the big politics of the global stage and the dominant narratives of terrorism, antiterrorism, and globalization. A stirring chronicle of some of the most dramatic political events in recent history, The Politics of Small Things provides a hopeful and empowering reminder that political mobilization and change often have humble beginnings. Zusammenfassung Provides a way for understanding politics and appreciating the significance of politics at the micro level by comparatively analyzing key turning points and institutions history. This work presents a sociology of human interactions! and shows that political autonomy can be generated. ...
