Following a dialogic and interdisciplinary approach, this book highlights changes in the concept and action of disobedience, presenting a theoretical framework and applied case studies.

Disobedience has traditionally been played out through collective actions and protests which configure and propose alternative social scenarios to the status quo. Today, in a changing socio-historical context, disobedience represents a mode of political participation and a form of an active citizenship attempt to correct authoritarian drifts. Furthermore, it often highlights social problems and...

This book sheds light on the achievements of the Old European civilization, also known as the Danube civilization, which flourished between 6000 and 3000 BCE. Contrary to popular belief, many elements attributed to Greek origins stem from this pre-Greek culture. Modern research reveals that ancient civilizations developed along two distinct paths: communitarian administration without social hierarchy, as seen in the Danube and Indus civilizations, and state models with hierarchical structures, exemplified by Sumerian and Egyptian cultures.

This book highlights how the values and...

This book discusses the living conditions and resulting political attitudes and participation patterns of young people, especially in the countries of the “Global East”—regions of the world that have so far received little public attention—and which subjects growing up in these countries to an in-depth analysis. Today’s youth is coming of age in a climate of social disparity and heterogeneous living circumstances. Amid the economic and political uncertainty in many of the world’s crisis countries, adolescents are faced with a multiplicity of challenges which may manifest in...

This book examines the nexus of collective intelligence (CI), a feature of online projects in which various types of communities solve problems intelligently, and open policymaking, as a trend of large groups of people shaping public policies.

While doing so, it presents the current state of theoretical knowledge for these concepts, many practical examples of successful and unsuccessful projects, as well as additional research and laboratory experiments. The book develops an analytical framework based on qualitative research, which is applied to the analysis of different projects...

This pioneering volume examines Europeanism in the new international society that emerged after the First World War through the League of Nations, with a focus on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the Baltic countries, and the Balkans. The book analyzes how Europeanism was consolidated as an argument for the future, especially after the Second World War, when the three strong ideas of Europeanism came to fruition: peace among Europeans, good democratic government, and the socioeconomic welfare of peoples. By doing so, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the...

Conditionality has become a popular instrument for achieving policy change in the European Union (EU). EU conditionality in the Euro crisis epitomises the responsiveness-responsibility dilemma that comes with increasing supranational influence on national policymaking: governments find it increasingly difficult to responsively address the needs of their citizens and simultaneously fulfil their obligations vis-à-vis supranational institutions. Blame avoidance strategies are a way to mitigate this problem, as they help governments shape public perceptions about who is to be held accountable...

This book explores Karl Polanyi's concept of labor, land, and money as "fictional commodities" created by the market. Capitalism transformed these elements, shifting labor from artisanal crafts to factory wage work, land from communal ownership to private property, and money from a medium of exchange to capital for profit.

The book extends Polanyi's vision to modern transformations, analyzing the impact of automation, Artificial Intelligence, and technological advancements on society. It examines the great changes in gender, sexuality, race, and religion, highlighting the ongoing...

This volume examines the environments that enable radicalization and extremism today, drawing from extensive European research, based on the Horizon 2020 project PARTICIPATION. Examining theoretical and practical studies, the book analyzes how the erosion of institutional integration, social participation, and political stability among marginalized groups can lead to feelings of deprivation, alienation, and...

This book seeks to develop an understanding of the changes in contemporary forms of government and explores the nature and structure of the various corrupt, undemocratic, oppressive, and abusive governments that continue to emerge around the globe. While proceeding from Hannah Arendt’s well-known thesis of the “break in (political) tradition” that occurred with the totalitarianisms of the 20th century, it addresses some main conceptual frameworks and a number of key trends in existing forms of government and their relations to historical forms.

The primary intended audience...