Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents -- Foreword -- General Introduction -- 1. Analyzing our time: a sociological promblématique, Eliezer Ben-Rafael and Yitzhak Sternberg -- SECTION ONE: MULTIPLE MODERNITIES -- Introduction -- 2. The vision of modern and contemporary society, Shmuel N. Eisenstadt -- 3. Rethinking Modernity, Björn Wittrock -- 4. Modernity, civilization and globalization, Yitzhak Sternberg -- 5. Islam and Modernity, Dale F. Eickelman -- 6.'Confucian' East Asia and Modernity, Tu Weiming -- 7. Latin American Modernity, Renato Ortiz -- 8. The Multiplication of Modernity, Johann P. Arnason -- SECTION TWO: GLOBALIZATION -- Introduction -- 9. Convergence in societal systems, Alex Inkeles -- 10. Spatializing Turkey, Aysegul Baykan and Roland Robertson -- 11. Democracy and democratization in Africa, Benyamin Neuberger -- 12. A Political sociology of the world language system, Abram de Swaan -- 13. Language and modernity in Algeria, Mohamed Benrabah -- 14. Globalization and privatization in higher education, Jerzy J. Smolicz -- 15. The new capitalist society, Alain Touraine -- 16. Americanization versus globalization, Johan Galtung -- SECTION THREE: MULTICULTURALISM AND TRANSNATIONAL DISSPORAS -- Introduction -- 17. The discourse on modernity in the United States, Jürgen Heideking -- 18. Media technologies, social organization and democratic polities, Elihu Katz -- 19. Language policy, practice and ideology, Bernhard Spolsky -- 20. Vignettes of present day diaspora, Stanley J. Tambiah -- 21. The transformation of diaspora: the linguistic dimension, Eliezer Ben-Rafael -- 22. Ethnicity cosmopolitanized? The new German Jewry, Y. Michael Bodemann -- SECTION FOUR: THE DECLINING ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE STATE -- Introduction -- 23. Becoming State Jews: from visibility to discretion, Pierre Birnbaum -- 24. The gift-relationship in an era of 'loose' solidarities, Ilana F. Silber -- 25. The elite connection in Israel, Eva Etzioni-Halevy -- 26. Voicing 'resistance': race&amp -- nation in the global space, Denise Ferreira Da Silva -- SECTION FIVE: POSTMODERNITY -- Introduction -- 27. Nationalism, modernism, and their multiplicities, Craig Calhoun -- 28. Identity in the globalizing world, Zygmunt Bauman -- 29. Postnational flows, identity formation and cultural space, Mike Featherstone -- 30. Postmodernity, cosmopolitanism and identity, Bryan S. Turner -- 31, Modernity and postmodernity in Japanese attitudes, Masamichi Sasaki -- IN CONCLUSION:TOWARD A NEW AGENDA -- Introduction -- 32. Some coming duties of sociology, Michael Wieviorka -- 33. Sociology as the heir of the social science, Erwin K. Scheuch -- 34. Transitions in post-social knowledge societies, Karin Knorr Cetina -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- List of Contributors -- Index of Names -- Index of Matters.

This book is about contemporary sociological analysis: its discussions, contradictions and controversies. Authors from various backgrounds discuss developments on all continents. The 34 contributions are centered on six themes. The first is multiple modernities, showing us that there is no single road to the modernization of societies. The second theme is globalization, with new concepts like spatialization, world languages and new social movements. In part three, multiculturalism and diaspora movements are viewed as the pivotal factors for change in many societies. The fourth theme is the decline of the accountability of the state, concentrating on the shortcomings of traditional states and the emergence of new resources. In part five, the concept of postmodernity is discussed from the angles of identity, social reality, detachment and legacy. Finally, the sixth part, 'Toward a New Agenda' looks into the future and lets sociology (or rather social knowledge) play a major part in today's society. This volume is a rich collection of practical examples and solid arguments by some of the best sociologists in the world. Also available in paperback (ISBN 9789004128736) .

Description based on print version record.