Books in the MatchPoints series in order

Globaliseringen er en udfordring, der skaber både vindere og tabere. Indtil 2008 var de små nordeuropæiske lande blandt vinderne, da de traditionelt er gode til at tilpasse sig ændringer i den internationale politiske økonomi. Men hvad er faktorerne i deres succes, hvad er betydningen af staten i en globaliseret økonomi, hvordan forklarer vi den differentierede virkning - og hvad skete der efter den seneste økonomiske tilbagegang?"The Nation-State in Transformation" søger at besvare spørsgmål som disse og hævder, at globaliseringen forvandler nationalstaten. De små stater tjener som eksempler og referencer for en mere generel diskussion om aktuelle tendenser.

Telling stories is an essential part of being human: We tell stories about ourselves to show other people who we are and where we belong. Nations have stories to tell too - "stories of peoplehood" - that build and maintain a sense of national belonging and identity. The concept has been used to analyse identities, memories, and histories of individuals, communities and nations. But does it make sense to talk about peoplehood today? Can plural societies tell national stories without marginalizing their minorities? And is it even fair to assume that our individual self-narratives are coupled with shared cultural ones?In "Narrating Peoplehood amidst Diversity", 16 internationally renowned scholars reflect on the nature and history of peoplehood and discuss how it forms part of national identities, public culture, and academic historiography. Based on theoretical analysis and empirical studies drawn from Latinos in the United States and African immigrants in France, and from multicultural stands in Canada to grand narratives in Danish history, the book is a timely contribution to the ongoing debate on belonging and identification in multicultural societies.

If biotechnology can be used to "upgrade" humans physically and mentally, should it be used at all? And, if so, to what extent? How will biotechnology affect societal cohesion? Can the development be controlled, or is this a Pandora's box that should remain closed?These are but a few of the perplex questions facing scientists as a result of the increasing ability of technology to change biology and, in turn, profoundly change human living conditions. This development has created a new posthuman horizon that will influence contemporary life and politics in a number of ways.The Posthuman Condition addresses the challenges of:•Imagining a society where the properties of humans have shifted radically•Assessing the scope of deploying technologies that are already underway•Basing decisions on an ethical foundation that does not entail a concept of human nature•Ascertaining the types of political action that can and should be taken in the face of this situationThe anthology brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines: biotechnology, medicine, ethics, politics, and aesthetics, and among contributors are Francis Fukuyama, Julian Savulescu, Maxwell Mehlman, John Harris and Chris Hables Gray.

Pokaler og pomfritter i sportshallen, sammenhold og snobrød i skoven, integration og ildhu i kulturhuse landet over: I Danmark har vi en lang tradition for folkelig oplysning gennem deltagelse i frivillige foreninger, og højskolebevægelsen, andelsbevægelsen, fagforeningerne, idrætsforeningerne og spejderkorpsene har været grundpiller i samfundet siden midten af 1800-tallet. Historisk har de været med til at skabe aktive medborgere og gensidig forståelse, solidaritet og tillid på tværs af sociale skel. Men er vi i dag måske mere til coffee to go, fitness og Facebook end til folkekøkkener, fodboldstævner og fællesskab?Det diskuterer 21 forskere og foreningsrepræsentanter i Folkestyrets rugekasser. Frivillige foreninger og folkestyre. Forfatterne bevæger sig tilbage gennem foreningslivets historie, undersøger betydningen af frivillighed i dag og peger på, hvordan frivillige foreninger på nye præmisser og i andre former fortsat kan gavne det danske samfund.

Economists used to claim that material self-interest and the rational choices of the individual were universal factors that transcended cultural values and differences. This position has been challenged by critics, who have pointed out the methodological and philosophical weaknesses of this approach. They dispute the idea that social order can be explained as the product of the choices of individual agents, and that social agents operate independently of their social and cultural values and norms. Today, there is virtual agreement, not only among students of culture, but also among social scientists that "culture counts" in both politics and society as well as in international relations. In this book, a number of international political scientists, economists, philosophers, and humanist scholars address the role of culture, ethnicity, and religion in contemporary states and societies.