Synopses & Reviews
As a collection of alternative views on societies, methodologies, policies, and assessment of the current elements of the society, Alternative Perspectives of a Good Society brings together different authors to answer different questions all within the context of visions of a good society. From the visions of institutionalist views of what constitutes a good economy in the twenty-first century to a feminist perspective on the meaning and characteristics of a good society, this discussion will provide a framework for examining the current economic crisis among other pressing topics of the times. Marxist ideas about human nature are explored along with a number of the issues involved in the transition from our capitalist society, to a better post-capitalist society and post-capitalist human being, concluding with the consideration of the good society perspective from a development ethics point of view. The contributors to this volume offer methodological principles and alternative policies for building alternative socio-economic models that can contribute to the design of strategies for building a better world.
Review
"This thought-provoking collection brings home the importance of envisioning what a better organization of our economy and society might look like and how we might get there. Written from a range of theoretical perspectives, the chapters are certain to stimulate discussion and debate. Deborah M. Figart, Professor of Education and Economics, The Richard Stockton College of NJ, USA." - Deborah M. Figart, Professor of Education and Economics, School of Education and Director, Stockton Center for Economic and Financial Literacy
Review
'Marangos offers selected contributions that deal with economics and ethics from alternative perspectives.The list of contributing authors includes scholars at various career stages, and with all exhibitingpassionate commitments toward grappling with ethical challenges of our times that the economics professionshould consider, but has tended to neglect. Marangos builds upon his strengths in ComparativeEconomics, and the nine chapters that follow his introductory chapter seek to answer the question:How might differing economic systems, and at various stages of development, attempt to create—if notgood—at least better and fairer societies? What unifies these authors in their efforts is a heterodox traditionthat leads each of them to think outside the economists' small box. Though the contributors areactive as professional economists concentrated and working in a variety of fields, topics dealt with arelargely focused on ethics and society. This focus renders Marangos' book useful to any potential readerconcerned with ethical questions of our day, and open to learning what our few, highly principled economistsare thinking.'—John Hall, professor of Economics and International Studies, Portland State University andresearch professor, Halle Institute for Economic Research
'This thought-provoking collection brings home the importance of envisioning what a better organizationof our economy and society might look like and how we might get there. Written from a range oftheoretical perspectives, the chapters are certain to stimulate discussion and debate.'—Deborah M. Figart, professor of Education and Economics, The Richard Stockton College of NJ
About the Author
John Marangos is associate professor of Political Economy in the Department of Economics at the University of Crete. Previous appointments include Colorado State University, the University of Ballarat, Monash University, and the University of Melbourne. In September 2002, he was awarded a PhD from LaTrobe University in Melbourne. Focal points for his research include economic transition processes in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, in the former Soviet Union, and in Asia; international development; and innovative methodologies for teaching economics. He is the editor of the Forum of Social Economics (a journal sponsored by the Association for Social Economics) and was the section editor of International Economics and Development Studies for the Global Business and Economic Review.
Table of Contents
About the Authors * 1. Introduction to Alternative Perspectives of a Good Society John Marangos * 2. Marx And Engel's' Vision Of Building A Good Society Al Campbell * 3. Gendered Work in a "Good Society" - A Paradox to Care About Karin Schönpflug * 4. Does the field of comparative economic systems care about the good society? A feminist angle on the need for institutional analysis in CES Lynn S. Duggan and Barbara E. Hopkins * 5. The Development Ethics Perspective of a Good Society John Marangos and Nikos Astroulakis * 6. Demystifying Finance: How to understand financializationand think of strategies for a good society Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos, John Milios and Spyros Lapatsioras * 7. Labor Standards, Gender and Decent Work in Newly Industrialized Countries: Promoting the Good Society Alex DeRuyter, Ajit Singh, Tonia Warnecke and Ann Zammit * 8. A Socially-Sensitive Developmental State: Key Economic and Politico-institutional Aspects Nikolaos Karagiannis and Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi * 9. Obesity, evolutionary psychology and the Good Society Steven Pressman * 10. Questions for a Good Society: Concluding Thoughts Ellen Mutari