Understanding Politics and Society

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

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2. Politics and Society

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 1-38

3. Chasing Political Sociology

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 39-70

4. Understanding Political Sociology

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 71-101

5. Dimensions and Distribution of Power

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 103-140

6. Features and Developments of the Modern State

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 141-177

7. International System and Globalisation

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 179-212

8. The Paths of Political Violence

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 213-251

9. Democracy and Political Participation

   • Fabio de Nardis

   Pages 253-313

10. The Parabola of Political Parties

    • Fabio de Nardis

    Pages 315-341

11. Social Movements and Political Change

    • Fabio de Nardis

    Pages 343-388

12. Ideologies, Political Cultures and the Populist Wave

    • Fabio de Nardis

    Pages 389-427

13. Communication and Political Process

    • Fabio de Nardis

    Pages 429-454

14. Back Matter

    Pages 455-462

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This textbook presents political sociology as a connective social science that studies political phenomena by creating fruitful connections with other perspectives. The relationship between politics and society is more complex than ever due to the emergence of new power structures, forms of conflict organization and management, and social practices of political participation. Several scholars describe this historical phase as the 'de-politicization of representative politics'. The book addresses classical themes of and approaches to political sociology, but also dedicates several chapters to contemporary developments within political sociology, including, for instance, the role of the internet and bottom-up political communication in social movements. In addition, the volume acts as a professional tool for those scholars and researchers that are beginning to study political processes from a sociological perspective.

• modern politics
• political sociology
• sociological analysis of politics
• civil society
• historical materialism
• political development
• political power
• modern state
• public policies
• de-politicisation
• international relations
• globalisation
• environmental sustainability
• political violence
• political participation
• political parties
• social movements
• political ideologies
• political communication

"This book joins a growing trend in both sociology and political science: After a phase in which the former turned to economics for its models, and the latter became increasingly presentist and non-comparative, both political scientists and sociologists have returned to their traditional juncture. This book links the two fields, with a deep historical and comparative approach and an encyclopedic bibliography. Ranging from Marx and Weber to the impacts of globalisation and social movements, it will be of great interest to specialists and students alike in both disciplines." (Sidney Tarrow, Cornell University, USA)

"Such a book is urgently needed. Fabio de Nardis’ contribution is remarkable in his effort to bridge political sciences and sociology. This is a book that lays the foundations for a new 'connective social science'. The account of the co-evolution between politics and society is not only encompassing, by reflecting the encyclopedic knowledge of the author, but it is also thrilling in the way it draws on comparative insights from different disciplines and country contexts. Ultimately, the author is clear in his intent that the new reality of globalisation and the urgent political challenges it poses also call for a global re-orientation of a discipline: a political sociology for the emerging global society and politics." (Hans-Jörg Trenz, University of Copenhagen, Denmark)


"This timely and erudite book masterfully demonstrates that, in order to understand current developments in politics, we must (re)turn to political sociology. Fabio de Nardis forcefully argues how we can build on its vast and diverse theoretical traditions, commitment to comparative empirical research and capacity to dialogue with other social sciences. The book will be extremely valuable to scholars to learn how the discipline has tackled key issues in state-society relations but also grasp contemporary tensions in a globalised era from populismand territorial cleavages to the IT revolution." (Virginie Guiraudon, Sciences Po, Paris, France)


"The field of political sociology interconnects politics and society in several arenas, which growing but often unrelated bodies of literature have studied. This book is unique in identifying these multiple and complex interconnections, describing and examining the key research traditions and presenting them in a clear and systematic manner. It shows how politics is increasingly taking place in multiple societal domains and therefore how an interdisciplinary approach is needed to capture its multiple manifestations. Fabio de Nardis integrates many of the best insights from the fields of politics and sociology. First-rate awareness of these related subjects and the ability to interconnect them in such different domains as political communication, political parties and civil society organisations is the hallmark of this book, which makes it appealing to a broad audience." (Carlo Ruzza, University of Trento, Italy)

• Department of History, Society, and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy

  Fabio de Nardis

Fabio de Nardis is Associate Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Salento, Italy, where he is also Research Affiliate of the Centre for Conflict and Participation Studies (CCPS) and Chairman of the BA and MA programme in sociology. He is Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed open access journal Partecipazione e conflitto (Participation and Conflict), published in English. His research focuses on social and political theory, democratisation, contentious politics, social movements, political participation, and populism.

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