What is critical theory, hermeneutics, deconstruction, positivism, and phenomenology? Is it true that "anything goes"  in the social sciences? This book provides answers to these questions. Each conception of social inquiry is framed within the context of an ongoing debate on its merits and limits. Conceptions of Social Inquiry is an indispensable compass for students, researchers    More >

A Global Observatory Must-Read Book in Peace and Security! Offering a systematic approach that links practical conflict-assessment exercises to the design, planning, monitoring, and evaluation of peacebuilding efforts, Conflict Assessment and Peacebuilding Planning has been carefully—and realistically—designed to enhance the effectiveness of peacebuilding practice. Lisa Schirch    More >

How did Macedonia attain its status as the only Yugoslav republic to achieve a nonviolent transition to independence in the early 1990s? And why did the initial peace fail to endure? Sasho Ripiloski traces Macedonia's peaceful extrication from the Yugoslav morass and then examines the new country's subsequent state-building efforts and offers an explanation for its later collapse into    More >

Despite intensive international efforts in the area of conflict prevention, there is still little agreement about how civil wars might best be averted. And, as the news regularly reminds us, the many attempts at preventive action have not been strikingly successful. The authors of Conflict Prevention offer a new perspective, arguing that such efforts could be much more effective if they    More >

The authors of this groundbreaking book explore the gap between policy and practice in international responses to conflict-related sexual violence. Drawing on their research in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and Latin America, they offer fresh perspectives on, and practical approaches to, achieving justice for women who have survived wartime sexual assault.    More >

How to cope with climate change? Observing that efforts to mitigate rising temperatures are falling disastrously short, John Barkdull argues that policy must shift toward adaptation and considers what this entails. As he assesses climate policies and politics since the landmark 1992 Rio conference, Barkdull explores approaches to transformational adaptation that will allow us to survive in a much    More >

Is the current model for economic globalization good for the poor or the environment? Are there alternatives? Amid rising worldwide protests that corporate elites wield too much influence over global economic governance, this book on Mexico's experience under the North American Free Trade Agreement offers insights into both questions.    More >

Choice Outstanding Academic Book! Whose fault is homelessness? Thirty years ago the problem exploded as a national crisis, drawing the attention of activists, the media, and policymakers at all levels—yet the homeless population endures to this day, and arguably has grown. David Wagner offers a major reconsideration of homelessness in the US, casting a critical eye on how we as a society    More >

Despite the popularity of microfinance as a tool for economic development, there has been little analysis of its foundations or its real effectiveness in fighting poverty. Attempting to fill that gap, the authors of Confronting Microfinance first provide global perspectives that challenge the conventional wisdom and then focus on southeastern Europe—a key arena for microfinance and    More >

A grassroots citizens' group in Peru stops a multinational firm from digging a mine in the middle of  town. The research director of a think tank in Ghana helps convince the government to establish a national AIDS commission. An international NGO plays a key role in getting funding for climate-change adaptation included in a bill passed by the US Congress. All three are cases of the    More >