This interdisciplinary book includes contributions from scholars from different parts of the world from the fields of political science, economy, sociology, social work, philosophy, and education. The major topics deal with contemporary challenges in social analysis, social theories, social policy, social work. Its special focus is aiming at questions of social development in the context of citizen's participation and involvement in social welfare and social policy. Therefore the overall perspective is connected to questions of democracy in theory and practice, the question of the...

Given the catastrophic history of the 'short 20th century' (Hobsbawm), the crucial question facing the new millennium - all over the world - is that of the future social as well as political development. At the centre of our engagement with this question should lie reflections on participatory forms of democratisation in as many societies around the globe as possible, so as to make globalisation more than simply an economic theme. Such reflections - as the contributions in this book show - from this perspective would also examine the possible ways in which relations might be constituted...