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Identifying a Free Society
Conditions and Indicators
Series: - Studies in Critical Social Sciences, Volume: 107
Author:
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.
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 (Brill, 2013).
Acknowledgement
List of Illustrations
1 Introduction: Modern Free Society
âThe Free, Freer, Freest Modern Society and Societies
âDemocracy, Capitalism, and Modern Free Society
ââLiberty, Equality, and Justice in Modern Free Society
âDefinition and Specification of Modern Free Society
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Democracy
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Economy
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Culture
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Civil Society
âModern Free Society in Aggregate
ââModern Free Society versus Unfree and Pseudo-Free Societies
âClassification of Modern Societies
âOrganization of the Work
2 The Political Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâDemocracy
âConditions and Indicators of Democracy
ââFormal-Procedural Democracy
ââSubstantive-Effective Democracy
âComparative Estimates and Types of Democracy
âClassification of Modern Political Systems
âComparative Estimates of Democracy for Western and Related Societies
ââA Note on Liberal Democracies and Welfare States
3 Sources and Grounds for Democracy Estimates
âAggregate Estimates of Democracy
âFreedoms, Rights, and Opportunities to Political Participation
âIdeological-Political Pluralism and Competition
âEffective Universal Political and Civil Liberties
âEffective Democratic Rule
ââState Terror
ââImprisonment and Executions as Elements of State Terror
âEffective Freedom of Opinion and Dissent
ââGlobal Press Freedoms
âEffective Universalism, Equality, and Justice of Government Goods and Sanctions
ââUniversalism and Egalitarianism in Public Goods
ââJustice of Government Sanctions
âPeace in the Polity and Pacifism
ââPeace Estimates
ââPacifism versus Militarism Estimates
ââMilitarism versus DemocracyâThe Persistent âJanus Face of the Westâ?
âAppendix 3.1 Qualitative Considerations of Political Freedoms
4 The Economic Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâA Free Economy
âConditions and Indicators of a Free Economy
âConditions and Indicators of a Free Economy and Types of Capitalism
âClassification of Modern Economic Systems
âComparative Estimates of a Free Economy for Western and Related Societies
5 Sources and Grounds for Free Economy Estimates
âGeneral Considerations
âProperty Freedoms and Rights
âFree Trade and Freedom of Foreign Investment
âLabor Freedom and Agency
âLabor Rights, Rewards, and Benefits
ââGlobal Labor Rights
ââLabor Rewards and Benefits
âFreedom of Movement of Labor
âAppendix 5.1 Qualitative Considerations of Economic
6 The Cultural Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâA Free Culture
âConditions and Indicators of a Free Culture
âTypes of Culture and Comparative Estimates of Cultural Liberty
âClassification of Modern Cultures
âComparative Estimates of Free Culture for Western and Related Societies
7 Sources and Grounds for Free Culture Estimates
âArtistic Liberties and Rights
âScientific/Academic Freedoms and Rights
âEducational Freedoms and Rights
âIdeological and Religious Freedoms and Rights
âCulture Openness
âAppendix 7.1 Notes on Cultural Freedom Estimates for theus
8 The Civic Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâA Free Civil Society
âConditions and Indicators of Free Civil Society
âComparative Estimates and Types of Civil Society
âClassification of Modern Civil Societies
âComparative Estimates of Free Civil Society for Western and Related Societies
9 Sources and Grounds for Free Civil Society Estimates
âCivil Liberties in General
âIndividual Liberty and Privacy
âReproductive Liberties and Rights
âFreedom of Alcohol Production, Distribution, and Consumption
âFreedom of Drug Production, Distribution, and Consumption
ââThe Death Penalty for Drug Offenses
âSexual Freedoms and Rights
ââLegal Status of Extramarital Sex
ââLegal Status of Same-sex Marriage
ââLegal Status of Prostitution
ââPeace and Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Civil Society
âAppendix 9.1 Qualitative Considerations of Civil Liberties
10 Summary and Conclusion
âSummary of Findings
âConclusions
References
Index
List of Illustrations
1 Introduction: Modern Free Society
âThe Free, Freer, Freest Modern Society and Societies
âDemocracy, Capitalism, and Modern Free Society
ââLiberty, Equality, and Justice in Modern Free Society
âDefinition and Specification of Modern Free Society
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Democracy
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Economy
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Culture
ââModern Free Society and the Type of Civil Society
âModern Free Society in Aggregate
ââModern Free Society versus Unfree and Pseudo-Free Societies
âClassification of Modern Societies
âOrganization of the Work
2 The Political Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâDemocracy
âConditions and Indicators of Democracy
ââFormal-Procedural Democracy
ââSubstantive-Effective Democracy
âComparative Estimates and Types of Democracy
âClassification of Modern Political Systems
âComparative Estimates of Democracy for Western and Related Societies
ââA Note on Liberal Democracies and Welfare States
3 Sources and Grounds for Democracy Estimates
âAggregate Estimates of Democracy
âFreedoms, Rights, and Opportunities to Political Participation
âIdeological-Political Pluralism and Competition
âEffective Universal Political and Civil Liberties
âEffective Democratic Rule
ââState Terror
ââImprisonment and Executions as Elements of State Terror
âEffective Freedom of Opinion and Dissent
ââGlobal Press Freedoms
âEffective Universalism, Equality, and Justice of Government Goods and Sanctions
ââUniversalism and Egalitarianism in Public Goods
ââJustice of Government Sanctions
âPeace in the Polity and Pacifism
ââPeace Estimates
ââPacifism versus Militarism Estimates
ââMilitarism versus DemocracyâThe Persistent âJanus Face of the Westâ?
âAppendix 3.1 Qualitative Considerations of Political Freedoms
4 The Economic Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâA Free Economy
âConditions and Indicators of a Free Economy
âConditions and Indicators of a Free Economy and Types of Capitalism
âClassification of Modern Economic Systems
âComparative Estimates of a Free Economy for Western and Related Societies
5 Sources and Grounds for Free Economy Estimates
âGeneral Considerations
âProperty Freedoms and Rights
âFree Trade and Freedom of Foreign Investment
âLabor Freedom and Agency
âLabor Rights, Rewards, and Benefits
ââGlobal Labor Rights
ââLabor Rewards and Benefits
âFreedom of Movement of Labor
âAppendix 5.1 Qualitative Considerations of Economic
6 The Cultural Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâA Free Culture
âConditions and Indicators of a Free Culture
âTypes of Culture and Comparative Estimates of Cultural Liberty
âClassification of Modern Cultures
âComparative Estimates of Free Culture for Western and Related Societies
7 Sources and Grounds for Free Culture Estimates
âArtistic Liberties and Rights
âScientific/Academic Freedoms and Rights
âEducational Freedoms and Rights
âIdeological and Religious Freedoms and Rights
âCulture Openness
âAppendix 7.1 Notes on Cultural Freedom Estimates for the
8 The Civic Condition and Indicator of Modern Free SocietyâA Free Civil Society
âConditions and Indicators of Free Civil Society
âComparative Estimates and Types of Civil Society
âClassification of Modern Civil Societies
âComparative Estimates of Free Civil Society for Western and Related Societies
9 Sources and Grounds for Free Civil Society Estimates
âCivil Liberties in General
âIndividual Liberty and Privacy
âReproductive Liberties and Rights
âFreedom of Alcohol Production, Distribution, and Consumption
âFreedom of Drug Production, Distribution, and Consumption
ââThe Death Penalty for Drug Offenses
âSexual Freedoms and Rights
ââLegal Status of Extramarital Sex
ââLegal Status of Same-sex Marriage
ââLegal Status of Prostitution
ââPeace and Peaceful Conflict Resolution in Civil Society
âAppendix 9.1 Qualitative Considerations of Civil Liberties
10 Summary and Conclusion
âSummary of Findings
âConclusions
References
Index
All interested in modern society, including democracy, economy, culture, and civil society, in particular in estimating and rankings of Western and related societies in terms of liberty and related criteria.