Now in its twenty-fifth anniversary edition; Maroon Societies is a systematic study of the communities formed by escaped slaves in the Caribbean; Latin America; and the United States. These societies ranged from small bands that survived less than a year to powerful states encompassing thousands of members and surviving for generations and even centuries. The volume includes eyewitness accounts written by escaped slaves and their pursuers; as well as modern historical and anthropological studies of the maroon experience. From the recipient of the J. I. Staley Prize in Anthropology
#683872 in Books Philip G Roeder 2005-10-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.22 x .93 x 6.68l; 1.27 #File Name: 0801489741392 pagesSustainable Peace Power and Democracy after Civil Wars
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. power sharing not working?By W BoudvilleThe book starts off on a very topical and current note [circa 2006]; by discussing the situation in Iraq; where a Shiite majority is trying to establish a majority rule in a newly [perhaps] democratic nation. Where here; perhaps refers to both the democratic and the nation. Certainly; the discussion on Iraq is meant to grab the reader's attention. Due to the still rapid unfolding of events in Iraq; you should be aware that the book tends to discuss other; more settled conflicts; like the Balkans.The authors of the papers/chapters in this book argue that the traditional power sharing approach used in the aftermath of several civil conflicts offers little long term solace. At least in terms of building a lasting democracy. The conflicts analysed here often involved minority ethnic or regional groups that feared; perhaps rightly; a tyranny by the majority if a democracy was imposed or installed. A reflection of this is in the cynical phrase "one man; one vote; once"; which was attributed to describe the newly independent African countries since the 1950s.The book suggest that the power sharing might tend to freeze in the divisions already present in a country. Instead; alternative ways of divvying up the power are suggested; that might in the long run lead to a more sustainable and peaceful nation. Some readers might not necessarily agree with the conclusions presented; as being perhaps rather idealistic.
