Many Possible Worlds

This book provides a crosscutting interdisciplinary account of how the disintegrated, global subsistence economy circa 1800 has transformed into a global complex delivering unprecedented levels of material production and consumption. Applying major findings from economics, history/historiography, and sociology (as well as from anthropology, psychology, politics, and environmental studies), the analysis tracks the ways in which changes in 'society' (including social structures, values, and forces) have changed 'individuals' (including conceptions of race, gender, and identity) and vice versa. These changes have simultaneously homogenised and diversified societies and individuals in distinct but sometimes contradictory ways, opening up many possible worlds from an individual and group perspective. Yet, the scale and pace of change has also led to increasing existential challenges.

The narrative consists of 30 chapters organized into 10 subsetsof 3: one chapter on a relevant core idea; one chapter focused on historical narrative and titled after a representative year; and one chapter on a relevant associated crosscutting theme. Major regional and topical discussions are provided, with special attention paid to business and organisational change and developing world scholarship. Small discussion 'boxes' focusing on illustrative cases and details are presented throughout the book. The last chapter contains over-arching conclusions.

Provides a crosscutting disciplinary narrative of economic and social/political modernization Relies on three major analytical threads: history/historiography, economics, and sociology Argues that social/economic modernization is now overwhelming human and environmental first nature

Auteur
Dr. Cameron Gordon is currently Associate Professor at the Australian National University, College of Business and Economics. He has held prior faculty appointments with the University of Canberra, City University of New York, and the University of Southern California, across a variety of departments including economics, finance, management, public administration, public health, and public policy. He has held visiting faculty appointments with the University of Sydney, Imperial College of London, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He has published widely in the fields of transport, infrastructure, economic history, sustainability, and corporate governance.

Contenu

Chapter 1: Practicing Interdisciplinary Economic History .- Chapter 2: Understanding the Anthropocene.-Chapter 3: 1800.-Chapter 4: Political Economy: The making of a North/South planet.- Chapter 5: Self, Socialisation, Organisation, Culture.- Chapter 6: 1848.-Chapter 7: Revolution.- Chapter 8: Technology, Innovation and Invention.- Chapter 9: 1870.- Chapter 10: La Belle Epoque.- Chapter 11: Civilisation, Gender, Race and Psyche.- Chapter 12: 1900.- Chapter 13: Imperialism.- Chapter 14: Modernity.- Chapter 15: 1914.- Chapter 16: Global Demographic Change.- Chapter 17: Ideas and Ideologies.- Chapter 18: 1929.-Chapter 19: Global Finance.-Chapter 20: Exceptionalism.-Chapter 21: 1945.- Chapter 22: War.- Chapter 23: Comparative Economic, Social and Political systems.- Chapter 24: 1968.- Chapter 25: Cold War.-Chapter 26: TIME AND 'PROGRESS'.-Chapter 27: 1989 1991.- Chapter 28: Neo-liberalism.-Chapter 29: Structural Change.- Chapter 30: 2016.- Chapter 31: Populism, Elitism, and Identity.- Chapter 32: Old Models, New Realities.