{"product_id":"against-symbolic-liberalism-a-plea-for-dialogical-sociology-9781836244677","title":"Against Symbolic Liberalism: A Plea for Dialogical Sociology","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn an era of deepening polarization, \u003cstrong\u003eSari Hanafi\u003c\/strong\u003e examines how social scientists often reproduce the very injustices they seek to challenge, taking entrenched positions while dismissing alternative perspectives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe introduces the concept of \u003cem\u003esymbolic liberalism\u003c\/em\u003e - a contradiction in which individuals espouse classical liberal principles, yet act in politically illiberal ways. This, he argues, has exacerbated the pathologies of late modernity: authoritarianism, economic precarity, and environmental destruction, now all unfolding in a climate where reasonable debate seems increasingly impossible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExamining key flashpoints of contemporary polarization, Hanafi critiques how symbolic liberalism inflates the universality of rights while simultaneously narrowing the space for dialogue. Rather than this rigid ideological stance, he calls for a dialogical turn, a renewed public sphere where diverse conceptions of the 'common good' engage in genuine conversation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending political and moral philosophy with sociological critique, Hanafi offers a path forward in an age when intellectual exchange is more necessary, yet also more imperilled, than ever. \u003cstrong\u003eAgainst Symbolic Liberalism\u003c\/strong\u003e is not just a critique of polarization but a critical and impassioned call to reclaim meaningful intellectual discourse.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHanafi, Sari:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eSari Hanafi is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut. He served as President of the International Sociological Association (2018-23) and Vice President of the Arab Council for Social Sciences (2015-16). An International Fellow of the British Academy, he was also the Editor of \u003ci\u003eIdafat: The Arab Journal of Sociology (2007-22)\u003c\/i\u003e. His contributions to the field have been recognized with some of the Arab world's most prestigious academic awards, including the Abdelhamid Shouman Award (2014) and the Kuwait Award for Social Science (2015). In 2019, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the National University of San Marcos, Peru.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Liverpool University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51589805015314,"sku":"9781836244677","price":54.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_dfaa16f9-555a-4f26-814b-9da72cc38e03.jpg?v=1756807416","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/against-symbolic-liberalism-a-plea-for-dialogical-sociology-9781836244677","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}