Description
Book SynopsisThis volume presents state-of-the-art creative scholarship in political science and area studies with an emphasis on Russia. The contributors, all well-known in their specialties, share the conviction that advancement in the social sciences can only be achieved through plural methodological approaches and interaction with various disciplines. Their work in this collection provides critical analyses of key issues in Russian and post-Soviet studies. It explores the most fruitful ways of studying Russia with particular emphasis on the federal system, politics in the era of Putin, challenges of Russian foreign policy, and Russian attitudes toward democracy. The vagaries of democracy are also explored in articles on Georgia and Turkey. Additionally, this book examines the philosophy of technology with an emphasis on critical theory, eco-domination, and engineering ethics.
Trade ReviewRussian Studies, Political Science, and the Philosophy of Technology brings together impressive essays that engage with many of the big issues of our time. It is worthy testimony to a great scholar, Frederic Fleron, and reflects his interests in Soviet, Russian, and post-communist studies as well as political leadership, science and technology, comparative politics, and democratization. A thoughtful essay introduces us to the man and the scholar, followed by testimonies that provide a moving personal dimension to the solid scholarship of the contributors to this volume. This outstanding collection will be of interest to a broad audience.
-- Richard Sakwa, University of Kent
The analysis is sharp, the assessments are balanced, and the insights are profound. The contributors, well-known specialists in political science, provide comprehensive and insightful analyses of key topics in Russian and post-Soviet transformations, the logic of political inquiry, and the philosophy of technology. This volume is also a valuable guide to understanding the contributions of Frederic Fleron, a world-renowned scholar in political science and area studies.
-- He Li, Merrimack College
Table of ContentsList of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword by Frederic J. Fleron, Jr.
Acknowledgments
Introduction by Guoli Liu and Joanna Drzewieniecki
I. Russian and Post-Soviet Studies
1. Highlighting Regional Dimensions of Political Systems: The Case of Yekaterinburg in Russia by Blair A. Ruble
2. The Democratic Promise of the Putin Generation? Cultural Legacies, Generational Cohorts, and the Democratic Values in Russia by William Reisinger and Marina Zaloznaya
3. Reflections on Post-Communist Transitions: Thirty Years after the Soviet Collapse by Russell Bova
4. Reflections on Russia a Century (Plus) After the Revolution by Nathaniel I. Richmond
5. Making Sense of Russia’s Interests by Alexander J. Motyl
6. The Polish Underground’s 1944 Warsaw Uprising–A Participant’s View by Jarosław Piekałkiewicz with Joanna Drzewieniecki
7. Matched-Guise Reloaded: Revising a Classic Experiment for Complex Multi-Lingual Settings by Timothy K. Blauvelt, Christofer Berglund, and Jesse Driscoll
8. The Future of Janus-Faced Russia and Its Continuing Structural Legacy by David Foley
II. Philosophy of Technology
9. Critical Theory and Philosophy of Technology by Andrew Feenberg
10. Eco-Dominion by William Leiss
11. Engineering Ethics: A Narrative Reflection by Carl Mitcham
III. Logic of Political Inquiry and Comparative Politics
12. Improving Russian and East European Studies by Building on Pragmatism and the Lost Legacy of the Policy Sciences by William N. Dunn
13. Disciplines of Political Learning: How Political Science Arises Repeatedly by John S. Nelson
14. Political Polarization, Electoral Support for the AKP, and the Challenge of Democratization in Turkey, 2002-2021 by Munroe Eagles and Seymen Atasoy
15. Perfect Deterrence Theory by Frank C. Zagare
16. Uncovering the Causal Mechanism in a Crucial Case Study: The Crimean War by Vesna Danilovic
17. Women Prime Ministers and Presidents: Empowering Women Worldwide by Farida Jalalzai
18. Methodological Pluralism & Analytical Eclecticism in Political Science: The Logic of Political Inquiry by Lisa K. Parshall and Frederic J. Fleron, Jr.
19. The Compleat Academic: Fred Fleron's Academic Troika by Claude E. Welch
Index
About the Contributors
