SpringerBriefs in Political Science

This open access book develops a conceptual framework for glocal governance as a multi-stakeholder local governance approach based on global human rights norms and democratic principles. It discusses glocal governance as part of an ongoing global transformation process that began in the 1990s, when democracy and individualizing responsibilities for governance became the dominant political system worldwide, and continues through today’s dawn of a New Cold War between those countries which have democratized and those which haven’t.

This book will intrigue practitioners and scholars alike who are interested in the concepts of glocality and glocalism, local-global connectivity, and the implementation and dissemination of global norms and concepts such as human rights and democracy, at the local and community level as well as among civil society and private enterprises. The author argues that global norms have now become universal benchmarks which private, political,and civil actors use to assess day-to-day situations and market developments, and to make their decisions accordingly. This book will appeal to students, practitioners, and scholars of the social sciences and humanities who are interested in governance, human rights, public diplomacy and international relations; and in conceptualizing mechanisms for governing and enforcing political decisions locally, on the basis of global universal principles, international norms, and laws.

This book compares anti-immigrant attitudes across 8 countries on 5 continents. It develops a general framework that explores grievances, personal interactions, and entrenched beliefs that explain anti-immigrant attitudes. Using original survey research with 1,000 respondents per country, the authors test the salience of their theoretical expectations across eight very diverse cases: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Africa, the USA, and Turkey. The empirical study allows to decipher the degree to which the drivers of anti-immigrant attitudes are universal or context-specific. One the one hand, they find that positive interactions between natives reduce critical attitudes toward immigrants in all 8 countries. On the other hand, there are some country specific differences in the influence of various grievances and the three proxy variables measuring entrenched beliefs populist attitudes, nationalism and social conservativism. This book appeals to scholars and students of political sociology, comparative politics, public opinion research and related fields.

This open access book explores some of the struggles and challenges that researchers and practitioners face when conducting research in the Central Asian research setting. Written for scholars still in the planning stages of their research, it addresses key questions, including: How shall we problematize and reconceptualize the concept of positionality through lenses of local voices from the region? How does practitioners’ and scholars’ positionality contribute to their experiences of inclusion, exclusion, and access to the field? How do scholars navigate issues of personal safety and mental well-being in the more closely monitored societies of Central Asia?

The book includes contributors from both Central Asia and Western countries, paying particular attention to the ways researchers’ subjectivity shape how they are received in the region, which, in turn, influences how they write about and disseminate their research. In featuring an even greater variety of voices, this book fills an important gap in the literature on field research and knowledge production in and on Central Asia.

This open access book describes the world’s increasingly multicultural societies face the problem that more and more diverse lifestyles (LGBTQIA+ communities) are not universally accepted, and that today, in addition to xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism, there is substantial homonegativity. This book explores this issue, reviews the empirical literature on the subject and provides new empirically based evidence on a global and European scale. Based on an analysis of The World Values Survey using the statistical software SPSS, it provides a scientifically sound answer to the question of which social groups in Europe and around the globe are more homophobic and which are less, together with insights into the multivariate relationships between homonegativity and religiously motivated political extremism. The extensive and representative statistical samples allow cautious conclusions to be drawn for smaller religious groups in the European Union and other countries around the world.

This Brief discusses science–policy interfaces (SPIs) in global environmental governance. Broadly speaking, SPIs can be understood as institutional arrangements that aim to bridge science and policy within a specific issue-area with a view to facilitating the solution of relevant societal problems. Although the scholarly literature on SPIs has grown substantially over the last two decades, there are still several myths and misconceptions about such bodies: these are often reflected in the practice of science–policy bridging within international organizations such as the United Nations. Offering an accessible discussion of the promises and pitfalls of SPIs, the book deliberately targets a hybrid audience, reaching out to both academics and practitioners. By reconstructing relevant theoretical debates across different scholarly fields, such as International Relations and Science and Technology Studies, and by taking stock of key hands-on experiences, this Brief connects the theory and practice of global SPIs, reflecting on the role of critical social science research as far as the interplay between science and policy in international environmental governance is concerned. On the basis of a balanced analysis of the strengths and shortcomings of global SPIs, this volume intends to provide readers with a faithful picture of the current international science–policy landscape as well as with an informed opportunity to evaluate these institutional arrangements’ potential for helping to address the global environmental challenges that the world is facing today.

This Brief discusses political ideologies and their role in shaping Kosovo's post-conflict political landscape. Drawing on extensive research and analysis, this book offers a comprehensive examination of party competition, state-building, and the influence of the European Union (EU) in Kosovo's political future. The book raises important questions about the role of political ideologies in post-conflict states, the dynamics of party competition, and the influence of external actors like the EU. It prompts readers to critically analyze the relationship between ideologies, governance realities, and the broader context of Balkan politics. By providing in-depth analysis, case studies, and theoretical frameworks, the book offers answers and solutions to these questions, enabling readers to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of Kosovo's political landscape. As such, this Brief will be appropriate for researchers and students interested in comparative politics, conflict studies, democratization, post-conflict governance, party systems, and EU integration.

This open access volume addresses major challenges in research policy and provides advice on how to approach them. With chapters designed as accessible policy briefs, the book serves as an essential resource for new actors in research policy. It offers evidence-based recommendations on approaching research governance, funding, and evaluation challenges by covering these topics:

• Identifying and facilitating high quality research
• Evaluating transdisciplinary research quality
• Evaluating societal impact
• The dilemmas of grant peer review
• How citations relate to research quality
• Reforming research assessment
• The use of metrics in academic recruitment
• Quality criteria and concentration of research funding
• Balancing basic and external research funding
• Designing performance-based research funding systems
• Strategic steering of research at universities
• The consequences of paying to publish

Each chapter combines research with practical advice and provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in research on the specific topic, as well as references for further reading.

Contemporary brain research is challenging Western societal norms by questioning basic cornerstones such as individuality, freedom, rationality, solidarity, and the concept of the human being in general. It is giving way to profound changes in Western concepts of culture and civilization. This volume provides a broad overview of the cultural changes incurred by neuroscience and neurotechnology, and explores the evolving fields of neuroeconomics, neuroreligion, neuropolitics, and neuroethics. It takes a multi-disciplinary approach in explaining how neuroscience and neurotechnology will affect society, and illustrates how these tools and methods are being used in research and ever-expanding practices in varying fields.

Praise for Neuroscience, Neuroculture, and Neuroethics: A Broad Overview

“Giordano, Benedikter and Shook provide an accessible, timely, and engaging introduction to the main challenges of neuroscience and neurotechnology for individuals and society. It is impressively wide-ranging, insightfully examining philosophical, cultural, political, and economic dimensions of brain science. An especially fascinating aspect of the book is discussion of the implications of bioenhancement for transhumanism and how it could influence how we define who we are.”

--Walter Glannon, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Calgary, Canada

“This book provides an excellent survey about the challenging ‘Neuro-World’. It reflects the different perspectives which are relevant for modern societies. It is full of information to gather additional knowledge on an international and interdisciplinary level.”

--Prof. Dr. Ernst Pöppel, Professor of Medical Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, Germany

“This engaging and highly accessible book offers an excellent short introduction to the powerful impact of neuroscience and neurotechnology upon modern societies. Covering a broad range of issues and perspectives from neuroscience, social science, philosophy, and ethics, it is eminently suitable for teaching and provides a thought-provoking basis for further discussions.”

--Kathinka Evers, Professor of Philosophy, Senior Researcher in Philosophy at the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB) at Uppsala University, Sweden; and Professor Ad Honorem at the Universidad Central de Chile

This book describes the transition from basic automation to pervasive computing, ubiquitous computing, ambient intelligence, and the Internet of Things, and its effects on democratic decision-making and governance in Europe. It diagnoses a lack of political agency and technical capabilities in the West that has accelerated the end of the model of entrepreneurial government in favor of a new paradigm: Cyber-physical Systems. Offering an analysis of the digital transformation process in various industries and institutions, the book highlights the severe repercussions and impacts on democratic decision-making and the legitimacy of the Westphalian model of the nation-state. Readers will learn how the convergence of cloud systems, data platforms, and connected objects is facilitating this transformation process, one characterized by a virtual representation of every person, object, and machine – a digital twin.

The book argues for balancing centralization and decentralization in a cybernetic framework with human-centric values at its core. Further, it proposes a political framework that aims to develop a next-generation internet for the five hundred million citizens of Europe, one capable of enforcing and promoting digital hegemony while safeguarding the rights and proactive capabilities of said citizens. In closing, the book makes the case for a (6G) phone/hardware wallet built on European chip requirements and platforms and running on its own OS to promote technical European integration on infrastructure, applications, and services. Given its scope, the book will appeal to policymakers and practitioners interested in European digital governance and autonomy, as well as scholars of public administration, public policy, and political science.

The open access book analyzes cross-border cooperation (CBC) in Central Asia from a comparative perspective. It provides new insights into four main areas: (1) It highlights international experiences in CBC to identify best practices for  Central Asian states; (2) it discusses various policies of Central Asian states towards CBC, specifically those policies that impact Central Asian CBC either positively or negatively; (3) it identifies best practices and actors for successful CBC in Central Asia, including the role of non-governmental entities; (4) it provides recommendations for enhancing Central Asian CBC, drawing upon both international experiences and a thorough analysis of Central Asian contexts.

The authors proceed from the assumption that effective cross-border cooperation is one of the essential conditions for successful regional integration, as it acts as a connective seam between participating states. Unfortunately, at present, no Central Asian country excels in CBC; in every case, CBC is impeded by highly centralized political systems, and lack of funding. To enhance CBC in Central Asia, it is crucial to examine the relevant experiences of other countries and regions, incorporating lessons from both successful and unsuccessful endeavors.

This Brief provides researchers with an introduction to interpretive approaches for analyzing public policies. It introduces several real-world policy situations where the lack of an interpretive focus limits the analysis and precludes better policy responses. It takes an integrative point of view, with an openness to combining the insights from interpretive and positivist approaches in policy analysis, noting the ability of the interpretive approach to make sense of data while uncovering the otherwise hidden ideological and normative bases of other types of analyses. While not a 'how-to" methods book, this Brief provides sufficient discussion of different ways to find meaning in texts, such as narrative and discourse analysis, or cultural/ethnographic readings of the social and material artifacts found in a place, as well as uncovering meaning from direct engagement with subjects through interviews, action research, and other strategies. The main intent of the book is to convince policy scholars of the usefulness of interpretive thinking, which entails answering the questions: "what does it mean to interpret?" and "what do we gain from interpreting?"  As such, this Brief will be of interest to scholars in public policy, public administration, and political science as well as researchers in applied fields (e.g., environmental studies, race and gender studies, urban planning, sociology) engaged in policy analysis.

This Open Access book provides an in-depth analysis of the role held by media and journalists in a fragmented and polarized communication ecosystem that faces the uncertainty of major challenges, such as the impact of the disintermediation process, the pressure of simultaneous over- and disinformation forces, and labor precariousness. It discusses these challenges in the context of business model crises and the loss of journalistic quality. Following an interdisciplinary approach, the book further explores the interaction between communication and political and social change processes, their implications, and their consequences in a hybrid media context.

The book examines the loss of credibility of traditional media and democratic institutions and discusses how trust can be restored. While doing so, it appeals to the innate link between journalism and democracy, based on the public’s trust in the capacity of the media to provide quality content that allows citizens to make informed decisions. As the rise of disinformation presents an incredible challenge for conventional media, due to their position of extreme vulnerability, the book finally analyzes how media and professional journalists, who have traditionally held the responsibility of providing quality information, have to address these issues, while facing the disintegration of former business models and social credibility.

This book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers of political communication, journalism, political science, and related fields, as well as policy-makers and professionals interested in a better understanding of the role of media and journalists in contemporary political and social change processes.

This book explores the underrepresentation of youth in political institutions and its impact on young people’s connection to democracy. The underrepresentation of youth in politics fuels a vicious cycle of political alienation. Due to the low presence of youth in political institutions, their specific interests are not adequately represented and therefore policies important to youth are not implemented, which leaves youth with feelings of apathy and disconnect to the formal political systems.

Through an original dataset spanning 52 democratic countries and over two decades, this book examines whether increasing youth representation in parliaments and government can disrupt this cycle of alienation and encourage higher electoral participation and greater satisfaction with democracy among young people.

The findings suggest that while the effects may be moderate, increased youth representation can positively influence young people's political engagement and increase democratic satisfaction. This book offers insights for policymakers and advocates seeking to bridge the generational divide in political participation and is also an important contribution to the literature on youth political representation.

This Brief provides an integrated study of housing and climate policy at the local level. Drawing from an empirical research project across six cities in Finland and Germany, the book explores the degree of integration between housing and climate policy in local government, specifically focusing on the level of awareness of local politicians of the interdependency of the two policy areas. Using document analysis as well as extensive interviews with local politicians, the Brief explains which views local councillors hold about the responsibilities of their municipality in housing and climate policy, how the two fields influence each other and what councillors see as obstacles for joint decision making in both fields. The book looks at housing from a broader perspective, linking housing not only to the number of dwellings, zoning, or construction, but also to the environment, communities and transport. Offering policy advice on how to integrate these sectors and pursue sustainable housing from a holistic perspective, this Brief will be of use to researchers and policymakers interested in housing policy, climate policy, local politics, urban politics, and sustainability. 

This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access.