Description Argues that South Africans, like everyone else, need Democracy for a more equal society What are democracies meant to do? And how does one know when one is a democratic state? These incisive questions and more by leading political scientist, Steven Friedman, underlie this robust enquiry into what Democracy means for South Africa post 1994.
Viewing Democracy in this way challenges us to develop a deeper understanding of democracy\'s challenges and in so doing to ensure that more citizens can claim a say over more decisions in society..
Democracy is achieved not by adopting idealized models derived from other societies-rather, it is the product of collective action by citizens who claim the right to be heard not only through public protest action, but also through the conscious exercise of influence on public and private Power holders.
Friedman asserts that democracies can only work when every adult has an equal say in the public decisions that affect them.
Power in Action persuasively argues against this stereotype.
The democracies of Western Europe and North America are understood to be the finished product and all others are assessed by how far they have progressed towards approximating this model.
New democracies are compared to idealized notions by which the system is said to operate in the global North.
Democracy is often viewed through a lens reflecting Western understanding.
Description Argues that South Africans, like everyone else, need Democracy for a more equal society What are democracies meant to do? And how does one know when one is a democratic state? These incisive questions and more by leading political scientist, Steven Friedman, underlie this robust enquiry into what Democracy means for South Africa post 1994
