San Antonio College Library

"In our crowded, noisy world - too many people, too much crime, too many wars, not enough time - it seems almost impossible to locate and preserve the common ground where a civil society might flourish. Where can we be ourselves and live our lives, arbitrate our differences, be something more than mere consumers, take charge of things? Everywhere we look there is conflict, alienation, bureaucracy, unbridled marketeering capitalism, loss of individual...

From the publisher. Exhorting people to volunteer is part of the everyday vocabulary of American politics. Routinely, members of both major parties call for partnerships between government and nonprofit organizations. These entreaties increase dramatically during times of crisis, and the voluntary efforts of ordinary citizens are now seen as a necessary supplement to government intervention. But despite the ubiquity of the idea of volunteerism in...

"The book is packed with intriguing revelations about common trends in the countries studied. The contributors note, for instance, that waning participation in unions, churches, and political parties seems to be virtually universal, a troubling discovery as these forms of social capital are especially important for empowering less educated, less affluent portions of the population. Indeed, in general, the researchers found more social grouping among...

"In Esteemed Colleagues: Civility and Deliberation in the U.S. Senate, leading congressional scholars address the extent to which civility has declined in the Senate and how that decline has affected the national political system. Contributors analyze the relationships between senators, shaped by increased levels of both individualism and partisanship. They also examine how these trends have driven the deliberation of issues before the chamber, including...

In blunt, provocative, and deeply personal terms, Irshad Manji unearths the troubling cornerstones of mainstream Islam today: tribal insularity, deep-seated anti-Semitism, and an uncritical acceptance of the Koran as the final, and therefore superior, manifesto of God. In this open letter to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, Manji asks such questions as: "Who is the real colonizer of Muslims--America or Arabia? Why are we all being held hostage by what's...

Alarmed by the spread of poverty and its closest ally, hunger, Americans eager for solutions have found themselves with few ideas and little hope. Shore provides not only inspiration but also lucid directions for the journey from traditional politics to a more direct and powerful way of connecting to our communities and, through them, to the people in our lives and to ourselves. His is a two-part strategy: First, he calls on the nonprofit sector to...

""Love thy neighbor" is an impossible exhortation. Good neighbors greet us on the street and do small favors, but neighbors also startle us with sounds at night and unleash their demons on us, they monitor and reproach us, and betray us to authorities. The moral principles prescribed for friendship, civil society, and democratic public life apply imperfectly to life around home, where we interact day to day without the formal institutions, rules of...

"Social Change in Iran is an inquiry into the recent changes in Iran, blending scholarly analysis, eyewitness accounts, and the author's personal experiences. It tells the stories of everyday people, be it young men and women challenging the cultural and social mandates of the Islamic Republic, or workers toiling at multiple jobs to overcome harsh economic realities. This passionate homage to the people of Iran as told by a native is a glimpse into...

Offering a clear and concise account of the key debates in globalizing literature, this text deals with the various dimensions of the term - such as political, economic, social and cultural issues - drawing attention to the role of people in processes ofglobalization.