Elite Pluralism and Class Rule: Political development in Maharashtra, India

Based on a study of recent political behaviour in a rural region of India, the author presents a critique of pluralist theories of democracy and advances a new approach to political sociology. Professor Lele insists that the politicians of Maharashtra sustain, however dispersed, a hegemonic class ru...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. Verfasser: Lele, Jayant (VerfasserIn)
Format: Elektronisch E-Book
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: Toronto University of Toronto Press [2020]
Schriftenreihe:Heritage
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:FAW01
FHA01
FKE01
FLA01
UPA01
UBG01
FAB01
FCO01
Volltext
Zusammenfassung:Based on a study of recent political behaviour in a rural region of India, the author presents a critique of pluralist theories of democracy and advances a new approach to political sociology. Professor Lele insists that the politicians of Maharashtra sustain, however dispersed, a hegemonic class rule. The processes of development and modernization directly serve strategies of private gain through the public sphere; the elites continue to enclose the public sphere while propagating the myth of open competition. Case studies of local, state, and national politicans illustrate this behaviour and show how competition between powerful alliances is effectively moderated. The concluding section proposes a new comparative approach to political sociology. It demonstrates the inherent contradiction between domination and community, and argues for a historical analysis of the rise and fall of classes and ideologies. Professor Lele challenges the emphasis on modernization and instrumentality in contemporary social science, and suggests that the insights of Marx and Weber can lead to a more previse and universal framework for the study of societies
Beschreibung:Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Apr 2020)
Beschreibung:1 online resource (263 pages)
ISBN:9781487586157