The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives
- Paul Joseph - Tufts University, USA
Traditional explorations of war look through the lens of history and military science, focusing on big events, big battles, and big generals. By contrast, The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspective views war through the lens of the social sciences, looking at the causes, processes and effects of war and drawing from a vast group of fields such as communication and mass media, economics, political science and law, psychology and sociology.
Key features include:
- More than 650 entries organized in an A-to-Z format, authored and signed by key academics in the field
- Entries conclude with cross-references and further readings, aiding the researcher further in their research journeys
- An alternative Reader’s Guide table of contents groups articles by disciplinary areas and by broad themes
- A helpful Resource Guide directing researchers to classic books, journals and electronic resources for more in-depth study
This important and distinctive work will be a key reference for all researchers in the fields of political science, international relations and sociology.
"Edited by an expert in the sociology of war and peace, this new collection aims to take a fresh and unique perspective on war, focusing on the social-science perspectives rather than the militaristic, historical, or political viewpoints normally taken in such reference works. So, instead of battles and generals, the alphabetically ordered entries cover issues like Balance of power; Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; Military industrial complex; Soldier suicides; Political will for war; War profiteering; and Ecological causes of war. Most entries are clearly not the kind one would find in a traditional “history of war” reference source, and those that are, take a different tack...Overall, this is an excellent resource for academic and public libraries, either as a stand-alone reference resource on war or as a complement to existing historical-reference resources."
At four volumes, this encyclopedia almost seems too small to be considered a resource on war itself. However, a closer look reveals the density and diversity of the information retained in these four books...The list of contributors, in the first volume, is reassuringly robust. It includes not just professors from world universities, but independent scholars, professors from military universities, and members of militaries from around the world. This reflects the in-depth and diverse nature of the research held in this encyclopedia...this title is an excellent resource for academic libraries, and for those scholars who study war, the social sciences, or both.—Mary Rebecca Yantis
