Overview
- Responds to ongoing debates on the fragmentation of the political science discipline, its relevance, and disconnect with the larger public
- Explores the implications and consequences that political science ought to become more topic-driven, more relevant for "lay" citizens, and more comprehensible to such audiences
- Argues that political science should evolve into a topic-driven discipline focusing on causes,
- patterns, and the participatory implementation of political, economic, and cultural change
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
About this book
This book is the first comprehensive study to respond to the ongoing debates on political sciences’ fragmentation, doubtful relevance, and disconnect with the larger public. It explores the implications of the argument that political science ought to become more topic-driven, more relevant and more comprehensible for "lay" audiences. Consequences would include evolving a culture of public engagement, challenging tendencies toward liars’ rule, and emphasizing the role of “large” themes in academic education and research, the latter being identified as those areas where severe democratic erosion is occurring – such as escalating income and wealth disparities pushing democracy towards plutocracy, ubiquitous change triggering insecurity and aggression, racist prejudice polarizing societies, and counter-terrorism strategies subverting civil liberties.
Political science needs to address these pressing problems ahead of other issues by in-depth research andbroadly accessible public narratives, including solution-orientated normative notions. This need provides the final justification for evolving a discipline where problems would take priority over methods and public relevance over sophisticated specialization.
Political science needs to address these pressing problems ahead of other issues by in-depth research andbroadly accessible public narratives, including solution-orientated normative notions. This need provides the final justification for evolving a discipline where problems would take priority over methods and public relevance over sophisticated specialization.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (12 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Partisanship
-
Front Matter
-
-
Back Matter
Reviews
“Eisfeld’s analysis of political science and its limits offers a bold framework for reforming the discipline in this century. Eisfeld asks us to look at foundational issues of democracy in the broadest possible terms.” (Dianne Pinderhughes, former APSA President, University of Notre Dam)
“Of major significance for the debate over 21st century political science, impressive in its intellectual scope.” (Marian Sawer, former AAPSA President, Australian National University)
“An intellectual commitment to ‘thinking big’, and a bold vision of the social sciences’ ‘promise’ - freeing citizens from feeling trapped through public engagement.” (Matthew Flinders, former PSA President, University of Sheffield)
“A remarkable project, pulled off with a grace and balance that belie the complexity and controversy of the issues Eisfeld addresses.” (Leslie A. Pal, former CPSA Board Member, Carleton University, Ottawa)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Rainer Eisfeld, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Osnabrück University, Germany, taught at UCLA as a Visiting Professor. He has represented IPSA’s research committees on the IPSA Executive Committee, and has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Buchenwald/Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Empowering Citizens, Engaging the Public
Book Subtitle: Political Science for the 21st Century
Authors: Rainer Eisfeld
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5928-6
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore
eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2019
Softcover ISBN: 978-981-13-5927-9Published: 21 February 2019
eBook ISBN: 978-981-13-5928-6Published: 12 February 2019
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXVI, 199
Topics: Democracy, Sociology of Citizenship, Social Philosophy