In Identifying a Free Society Milan Zafirovski offers a holistic sociological approach to modern free society as a total social system. The book examines the main conditions and indicators of modern free society such as democracy, a free economy, a free culture, and a free civil society, hence political, economic, cultural, and individual liberty entwined with equality and justice. It provides specific and aggregate free-society estimates for Western and related societies based on a variety of objective rankings, data, and reports. On the basis of these estimates, the book identifies liberal societies as the freest as a whole, and their anti-liberal opposites as the most unfree.
By:
Milan Zafirovski
Imprint: Haymarket Books
Country of Publication: United States
Volume: 107
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781608469321
ISBN 10: 1608469328
Pages: 474
Publication Date: 14 August 2018
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgement List of Illustrations 1 Introduction: Modern Free Society The Free, Freer, Freest Modern Society and Societies Democracy, Capitalism, and Modern Free Society Liberty, Equality, and Justice in Modern Free Society Definition and Specification of Modern Free Society Modern Free Society and the Type of Democracy Modern Free Society and the Type of Economy Modern Free Society and the Type of Culture Modern Free Society and the Type of Civil Society Modern Free Society in Aggregate Modern Free Society versus Unfree and Pseudo-Free Societies Classification of Modern Societies Organization of the Work 2 The Political Condition and Indicator of Modern Free Society—Democracy Conditions and Indicators of Democracy Formal-Procedural Democracy Substantive-Effective Democracy Comparative Estimates and Types of Democracy Classification of Modern Political Systems Comparative Estimates of Democracy for Western and Related Societies A Note on Liberal Democracies and Welfare States 3 Sources and Grounds for Democracy Estimates Aggregate Estimates of Democracy Freedoms, Rights, and Opportunities to Political Participation Ideological-Political Pluralism and Competition Effective Universal Political and Civil Liberties Effective Democratic Rule State Terror Imprisonment and Executions as Elements of State Terror Effective Freedom of Opinion and Dissent Global Press Freedoms Effective Universalism, Equality, and Justice of Government Goods and Sanctions Universalism and Egalitarianism in Public Goods Justice of Government Sanctions Peace in the Polity and Pacifism Peace Estimates Pacifism versus Militarism Estimates Militarism versus Democracy—The Persistent ‘Janus Face of the West’? Appendix 3.1 Qualitative Considerations of Political Freedoms 4 The Economic Condition and Indicator of Modern Free Society—A Free Economy Conditions and Indicators of a Free Economy Conditions and Indicators of a Free Economy and Types of Capitalism Classification of Modern Economic Systems Comparative Estimates of a Free Economy for Western and Related Societies 5 Sources and Grounds for Free Economy Estimates General Considerations Property Freedoms and Rights Free Trade and Freedom of Foreign Investment Labor Freedom and Agency Labor Rights, Rewards, and Benefits Global Labor Rights Labor Rewards and Benefits Freedom of Movement of Labor Appendix 5.1 Qualitative Considerations of Economic 6 The Cultural Condition and Indicator of Modern Free Society—A Free Culture Conditions and Indicators of a Free Culture Types of Culture and Comparative Estimates of Cultural Liberty Classification of Modern Cultures Comparative Estimates of Free Culture for Western and Related Societies 7 Sources and Grounds for Free Culture Estimates Artistic Liberties and Rights Scientific/Academic Freedoms and Rights Educational Freedoms and Rights Ideological and Religious Freedoms and Rights Culture Openness Appendix 7.1 Notes on Cultural Freedom Estimates for the us 8 The Civic Condition and Indicator of Modern Free Society—A Free Civil Society Conditions and Indicators of Free Civil Society Comparative Estimates and Types of Civil Society Classification of Modern Civil Societies Comparative Estimates of Free Civil Society for Western and Related Societies 9 Sources and Grounds for Free Civil Society Estimates Civil Liberties in General Individual Liberty and Privacy Reproductive Liberties and Rights Freedom of Alcohol Production, Distribution, and Consumption Freedom of Drug Production, Distribution, and Consumption The Death Penalty for Drug Offenses Sexual Freedoms and Rights Legal Status of Extramarital Sex Legal Status of Same-sex Marriage Legal Status of Prostitution Peace and Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Civil Society Appendix 9.1 Qualitative Considerations of Civil Liberties 10 Summary and Conclusion Summary of Findings Conclusions References Index
Milan Zafirovski, Ph.D. (1999), Florida International University, is professor of Sociology at University of North Texas. He has published numerous articles and monographs in sociology and related fields, including Modernity and Terrorism (Haymarket Books, 2015).
