It is time to consider changes in the field of comparative-historical sociology, as the discipline seeks to accommodate old and new trends as well as the transforming spatial scales in which political power and social theory are increasingly embedded. This title showcases articles that pursue similar themes.

Includes a selection of papers exploring Obama and the Politics of Race & Religion. This title examines the complex dynamics of race relations and racial meaning in America under the Obama administration. It assesses the meanings of race and religion in America under the Obama administration.

Helps in advancing our interdisciplinary, critical understanding of the linkages between social relations, political power, and historical development. This title contains a section on the politics of the 'new middle class' in the global south and post-socialist societies.

Drawing upon philosophy and social theory, Social Theory of International Politics develops a theory of the international system as a social construction. Alexander Wendt clarifies the central claims of the constructivist approach, presenting a structural and idealist worldview which contrasts with the individualism and materialism which underpins much mainstream international relations theory. He builds a cultural theory of international politics, which takes whether states view each other as enemies, rivals or friends as a fundamental determinant. Wendt characterises these roles as 'cultures of anarchy', described as Hobbesian, Lockean and Kantian respectively. These cultures are shared ideas which help shape state interests and capabilities, and generate tendencies in the international system. The book describes four factors which can drive structural change from one culture to another - interdependence, common fate, homogenization, and self-restraint - and examines the effects of capitalism and democracy in the emergence of a Kantian culture in the West.

This volume draws together scholars rethinking social scientific and theoretical approaches to a wide range of forms of social difference and inequality. These include race, nationalism, sexuality, professional classes, domestic employment, digital communication, and uneven economic development