Staging Politics Power and Performance in Asia and Africa

You must be logged in to access this title.

Sign up now

Already a member? Log in

Synopsis

This fresh and original study analyses how power presents itself in dramatic performance in these two increasingly economically and politically important continents. Emotion and politics play a hugely important role in the politics of Asia and Africa but, as this book sets out, too much of western political research into the subject concentrates on apparent deficiencies - on the weakness of institutions, defects in the bureaucracy or markets, poor management of elections, absent judicial autonomy. Viewing political performance through Western eyes in this way - where politics is primarily about the naked pursuit of power and interests - can lead to a misunderstanding of how politics actually works in Africa and Asia, where process plays a far more important role. Thus performance, drama and emotion are far more integral to political outcome there than in the West. By concentrating on this new perspective the authors, each a recognised specialist in one or more states in Asia and Africa, avoid this trap and offer a coherent picture of the impact political performance has on the culture and politics of these societies and how they function.

Book details

Author:
Julia C. Strauss, Donal B.Cruise O'Brien
ISBN:
9780857717023
Related ISBNs:
9781845113674
Publisher:
Bloomsbury Publishing
Pages:
288
Reading age:
Not specified
Includes images:
No
Date of addition:
2021-11-20
Usage restrictions:
Copyright
Copyright date:
2007
Copyright by:
N/A 
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Categories:
Nonfiction, Politics and Government