Democracy's Paradox: Populism and its Contemporary Crisis

Published by Berghahn Books 2019

Democracy's Paradox

Populism and its Contemporary Crisis

Edited by: Bruce Kapferer and Dimitrios Theodossopoulos

Volume 18 in the series Critical Interventions: A Forum for Social Analysis

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781789201567

Overview
Contents

About this book

Does populism indicate a radical crisis in Western democratic political systems? Is it a revolt by those who feel they have too little voice in the affairs of state or are otherwise marginalized or oppressed? Or are populist movements part of the democratic process?

Bringing together different anthropological experiences of current populist movements, this volume makes a timely contribution to these questions. Contrary to more conventional interpretations of populism as crisis, the authors instead recognize populism as integral to Western democratic systems. In doing so, the volume provides an important critique that exposes the exclusionary essentialisms spread by populist rhetoric while also directing attention to local views of political accountability and historical consciousness that are key to understanding this paradox of democracy.

Author / Editor information

Bruce Kapferer is Honorary Professor University College London and Professor Emeritus, University of Bergen, where he is Director of the Egalitarianism Project supported by an ERC Advanced Grant. Has published widely on South Asia, Africa and Australia where he has done extensive anthropological fieldwork.

Dimitrios Theodossopoulos is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Kent. He is the author of two ethnographic monographs: Troubles with Turtles (2003), and Exoticisation Undressed (2016); and the editor of multiple collections.

Bruce Kapferer is Honorary Professor University College London and Professor Emeritus, University of Bergen, where he is Director of the Egalitarianism Project supported by an ERC Advanced Grant. Has published widely on South Asia, Africa and Australia where he has done extensive anthropological fieldwork.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Introduction Populism and its Paradox Bruce Kapferer and Dimitrios Theodossopoulos Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
From ‘the People’ to ‘the Citizens’: The Possibilities and Limitations of Populist Discourse in Argentina Victoria Goddard Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	35
The Brazilian Crisis and the Ghosts of Populism John Gledhill Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	55
Lurching Between Consensus and Chaos: Shades of Populism in Australian Indigenous Affairs Melinda Hinkson and Jon Altman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	74
Populism’s Claims: The Struggle Between Privilege and Equality Susana Narotzky Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	97
How Populism Works Michael Herzfeld Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	122

Language: English
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 100
Keywords: critique of current populist movements; different anthropological experiences; integral to western democratic systems; exclusionary essentialisms; paradox of democracy; political accountability and historical consciousness; populist movements; populist rhetoric; populism

eBook

Published: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 9781789201567