Big P Politics - Theory and Practice

Introduction:

For whatever reasons of upbringing and temperament, I have always been profoundly engaged by the politics of things – the small ‘p’ politics of the fields of endeavour I have written about and been active in; but also the big ‘P’ politics of state formation and governance. For it is in the political realm, historically and actually, that I think that we as a species are most challenged, and most existentially threatened by our weaknesses in governing ourselves.

The pieces posted on this page are of very different order and ages. Some are 40 years old (e.g. ‘Masculine Dominance and the State,’ a historical and theoretical paper that was among the first to analyze how state formation over several epochs should be understood as gendered), but are in still use every day and in many different countries, if my notification service is telling me the truth. Indeed, I am astounded and delighted every time it dings me. Other essays were written for  magazines and journals with general readerships in mid, others pieces are radio documentaries (transcripts are linked) and yet another article is a personal/political memoir about a crucial period in my own politicization.

What they all have in common is the theme of power as manifest in different moments and spheres – governmental institutions, political parties, social movements, environment, health, key sites in popular culture. My notification service is only for academic usage. Nevertheless, it tells me that many people recognize the importance of having a historical, as well as current, understanding of the issues and debates in these fields in order to think better about what is happening in them today, and what that requires of us.

Finally, with respect to a very hot spot in global politics as I write this text and 2024 unfolds, with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, I have begun writing again on subjects related to Israel-Palestine. Two new articles are linked here, and watch this space for more.