Global powers : Michael Mann's anatomy of the twentieth century and beyond / edited by Ralph Schroeder.

1: The evolution of the sources of social power, and some extensions
2: The return of big historical sociology
3: Taming the chief : from evolutionary theory to political ideology
4: On political decency
5: Mann on neoliberalism 6: Nationalism and military power in the twentieth century and beyond 7: History, historical sociology and the problem of ideology : the cases of communism and neoliberalism
8: Mann's globalizations and their limits
9: Ethnicity, class and the social sources of US exceptionalism
10: Mann's big picture of US social citizenship : "Road to World Empire" with Bob Hope
11: Mann and the problem of empire 12: Hegemonic power during the Cold War and beyond
13: The last empire? American power, liberalism, and world order
14: Response to the critics

Michael Mann is a central figure in contemporary sociology. His analysis of how the four sources of social power - ideological, economic, military and political - have shaped world history is a major contribution to social science. In this volume, distinguished scholars assess Mann's work, focusing on his final two volumes of Sources of Social Power, which deal with the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They tackle some of the major themes in Mann's work including globalisation, American empire and the recent financial crisis. They also question his stance on some perennial topics in sociology: is the trajectory of American society 'exceptional'? How is military power different from the other sources of power? What is the role of agency and ideology in social change? How do the relations between states affect domestic social development? Global Powers will provoke debate among all those interested in understanding the next phase of globalisation. A unique volume discussing Michael Mann's view of social change in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries Includes penetrating accounts of globalisation and empire and long-term international dynamics Features a concluding chapter by Michael Mann and his response to the critics

Includes bibliographical references and index.