Why do nations go to war? Is war an institutionalized outlet for our aggressive instincts? Or is it a cultural invention rather than a biological necessity?Originally published in 1990, Eric Carlton, looking across a number of societies investigates why men and women go to war, and how they are able to commit atrocities against their enemy. He believes that central to these issues is the perception of the enemy and the ways in which this is ‘converted’ – consciously or unconsciousl...

Social scientists are concerned with élites of many kinds - bureaucracies, military oligarchies, political leaders and the like. The study of élites is frequently characterised by a certain suspicion, and the tone of the enquirer’s description and discussion of such groups is often sceptical if not actually hostile. While not simply an attempt to redress the balance, this book is intended to provide the reader with a fair idea of the nature and variety of élites and to offer some explanant...

This title was first published in 2000: A manifestation of mass hysteria, a compensation for physical or emotional deprivation, or an alternative to religion? What is the function of the paranormal in society? This question and its many possible answers are the subject of this scholarly study of our enduring fascination with experiences for which science provides no ready explanations. From the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt to the present day, Eric Carlton surveys the developme...

The principle purpose of Religious Education has traditionally been to instruct and inform, with discussion and questioning occupying a secondary position. This traditional approach gives overwhelming emphasis to the historical aspects of religion, and not only fails to put into perspective the issues raised by religion today, but also takes no account of the growing movement in schools towards learning by enquiry and questioning rather than by the accumulation of stated facts. This title,...

First published in 1998, this volume is a historical and comparative study of treason, whose aim is to clarify and categorize the diverse and often mixed – even confused – motives which underlie treason, both at its conspiracy and implemental stages. Its approach is to use case studies ranging from classical society to modern cases of treachery to examine this complex issue. Some of the case studies will have a familiar ring, but others will not be so well known, as the book is not merely ...

Truly interdisciplinary work between Sociology and History is are, because one discipline usually exploits the concerns or data of the other. Eric Carlton, however, has succeeded in bringing together the distinctive orientations of sociology and ancient history into a clearly written discussion of concerns crucial to both disciplines. Based on a comparative analysis or two pre-industrial civilisations, those of Ancient Egypt and Classical Athens, the study is primarily concerned with three...

The principle purpose of Religious Education has traditionally been to instruct and inform, with discussion and questioning occupying a secondary position. This traditional approach gives overwhelming emphasis to the historical aspects of religion, and not only fails to put into perspective the issues raised by religion today, but also takes no account of the growing movement in schools towards learning by enquiry and questioning rather than by the accumulation of stated facts. This title,...

This title was first published in 2001. Militarism connotes more than unadulterated aggression. It encapsulates a way of life and involves the inculcation of military values as an end in itself. This text examines the factors which have been held to account for the rise of militarism in particular social contexts, using case studies and comparative analysis of this perennial phenomenon.

How is crime to be defined? Can crime be medicalized? Can crime be explained or even excused in terms of biological or environmental conditions? Can punishment ever fit the crime? And should punishment be primarily reformative or retributive? This book is not an attempt at a kind of literary CSI and it is not directly concerned with the popular interest in forensic science. Nor is it a handbook for crime investigators. It is rather a laypersons introduction to the ways in which many crimin...

In this exploration of the nature of occupation, Eric Carlton concentrates on the complex relationship between military authority and civilian population and explores the methods used by dominant powers ot maintain their authority. Drawing from a wide range of case studies, including examinations of British colonial interests in India and the Nazi

What are the origins of nationalism and why is it capable of arousing such intense emotions? In this major study, Azar Gat counters the prevailing fashionable theories according to which nations and nationalism are modern and contrived or 'invented'. He sweeps across history and around the globe to reveal that ethnicity has always been highly political and that nations and national states have existed since the beginning of statehood millennia ago. He traces the deep roots of ethnicity and...

In this provocative but balanced essay, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He prompts us to consider why political systems evolve, how politics offers both power and order in our society, whether democracy is always a good thing, and what future politics may have in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subjec...