Conscientious Objection
Resisting Militarized Society
Published on 9. April 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-84813-278-8 (ISBN)
Description
Refusing to take part in war is as old as war itself. This wide-ranging and original book brings together four different bodies of knowledge to examine the practice of conscientious objection: historical and philosophical analyses of conscientious objection as a critique of compulsory military service and militarization; feminist, LGBT and queer analyses of conscientious objection as a critique of patriarchy, sexism, and heterosexism; activist and academic analyses of conscientious objection as a social movement and individual act of resistance; legal analyses of the status of conscientious objection in international and national law.
Conscientious objection is an increasingly important subject of academic and political debate in countries including the US, Israel and Turkey. This book provides a much needed introduction and tool for making sense of the history of nation-states in the 20th century and understanding the political developments of the early 21st century.
Conscientious objection is an increasingly important subject of academic and political debate in countries including the US, Israel and Turkey. This book provides a much needed introduction and tool for making sense of the history of nation-states in the 20th century and understanding the political developments of the early 21st century.
Reviews / Votes
'This Turkish-oriented comparative study of conscientious objection to military service is illuminating, while exhibiting the courage of morally motivated individuals who defy coercive governments. In essence, this fine multi-authored volume challenges readers to assess the nature of good citizenship in the 21st Century.'Richard Falk, Princeton University.
'The world's hundreds of thousands of conscientious objectors to military labour come alive in this volume, and not simply as figures of moral conscience. They are also revealed as symptoms and powerful critiques of militarism and the diverse problems it both feeds and draws on, including nationalism, patriarchy and class inequality, and racialism.'
Catherine Lutz, Brown University.
'I wish I had had this book decades ago when I first found my way to conscientious objection and ultimately to draft resistance. It is far and away the best book I have seen on the subject. Cinar and UEsterci have conceived and assembled a remarkable and appropriately complex resource about freedom and resistance to militarism. An important book for scholars and activists alike.'
Joseph Gerson, American Friends Service Committee.
'At last a book on conscientious objection to military service from the point of view of contemporary objectors ... it expresses the critique objection poses to patriarchy and social militarization and firmly places objection in the context of struggle for social transformation.'
Howard Clark, chairperson, War Resisters' International
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84813-278-8 (9781848132788)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
07/2013
1st Edition
Zed Books Ltd
€100.99
Available for download
E-Book
09/2009
1st Edition
Zed Books Ltd
€100.99
Available for download
Persons
OEzguer Heval Cinar is a lawyer. Currently he is a Ph.D. candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Law Department at the University of Essex. He has also worked at several NGOs, including the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association of Turkey and Human Rights Watch on a voluntary basis. He is the author of "The Effects of European Court of Human Rights' Decisions on the Turkish Legal System" as well as a number of journal articles.
Coskun UEsterci is a peace and human rights activist. Graduating from the Department of Economic and Commercial Science at the Ege University, he was a founder of the Izmir War Resisters' Association. He is currently a member of the Human Rights Association, and has been working since 1992 at the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, where he is a board member. In addition, he runs workshops on anti-militarism, conscientious objection and non-violence.
Coskun UEsterci is a peace and human rights activist. Graduating from the Department of Economic and Commercial Science at the Ege University, he was a founder of the Izmir War Resisters' Association. He is currently a member of the Human Rights Association, and has been working since 1992 at the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, where he is a board member. In addition, he runs workshops on anti-militarism, conscientious objection and non-violence.
Content
Acknowledgements
Preface - Cynthia Cockburn
Introduction - Coskun UEsterci and OEzguer Heval Cinar
Part I: Conscription and resisting conscription in a militarized society
1. The militarization of society: conscription and national armies in the process of citizen creation - Suavi Aydin
2. Patriotism and the justification of inequality in the construction of militarism - Melek Goeregenli
3. Refusing to serve by other means: desertion in the late Ottoman Empire - Erik-Jan Zuercher
4. Sand in the wheels? Conscientious objection at the turn of the twenty-first century - Ulrich Broeckling
5. The morals and politics of conscientious objection, civil disobedience and anti-militarism | Nilguen Toker Kilinc
6. The philosophical grounds of conscientious objection - Taha Parla
Part II: Conscientious objection as a critique of patriarchy, sexism and heterosexism
7. Where are the women in military conscientious objection? Some feminist clues - Cynthia Enloe
8. Refusing to identify as obedient wives, sacrificing mothers and proud warriors - Ayse Guel Altinay
9. Conscientious objection and masculine violence - Serpil Sancar
10. Rotten report and reconstructing hegemonic masculinity in Turkey - Alp Biricik
Part III: Conscientious objection in the world: experiences and problems
11. Experiences of conscientious objection movements: South Africa, Greece and Paraguay - Andreas Speck and Rudi Friedrich
12. Military conscription, conscientious objection and democratic citizenship in the Americas - Matthew C. Gutmann
13. Conscientious objection in Chile - Pelao Carvallo
14. Conscientious objection in Spain: disobedience - Cthuchi Zamarra
15. Conscientious objection in Israel - Tali Lerner
16. Refusing to serve in the army for reasons of conscience in Greece - Alexia Tsouni and Michalis Maragakis
17. Conscientious objection in Turkey - Coskun UEsterci and Ugur Yorulmaz
Part IV: Conscientious objection and law
A International law
18. A view on international implementation of the right to conscientious objection - OEzguer Heval Cinar
19. International standards on conscientious objection to military and alternative service - Rachel Brett
20. European standards on conscientious objection and alternative service - Friedhelm Schneider
21. Conscientious objection in international law and the Osman Murat UElke case - Kevin Boyle
B The case of Turkey
22. Conscientious objection and the Turkish constitution - Osman Can
23. The criminality of conscientious objection in Turkey and its consequences - Huelya UEcpinar
Notes on contributors
Index
Preface - Cynthia Cockburn
Introduction - Coskun UEsterci and OEzguer Heval Cinar
Part I: Conscription and resisting conscription in a militarized society
1. The militarization of society: conscription and national armies in the process of citizen creation - Suavi Aydin
2. Patriotism and the justification of inequality in the construction of militarism - Melek Goeregenli
3. Refusing to serve by other means: desertion in the late Ottoman Empire - Erik-Jan Zuercher
4. Sand in the wheels? Conscientious objection at the turn of the twenty-first century - Ulrich Broeckling
5. The morals and politics of conscientious objection, civil disobedience and anti-militarism | Nilguen Toker Kilinc
6. The philosophical grounds of conscientious objection - Taha Parla
Part II: Conscientious objection as a critique of patriarchy, sexism and heterosexism
7. Where are the women in military conscientious objection? Some feminist clues - Cynthia Enloe
8. Refusing to identify as obedient wives, sacrificing mothers and proud warriors - Ayse Guel Altinay
9. Conscientious objection and masculine violence - Serpil Sancar
10. Rotten report and reconstructing hegemonic masculinity in Turkey - Alp Biricik
Part III: Conscientious objection in the world: experiences and problems
11. Experiences of conscientious objection movements: South Africa, Greece and Paraguay - Andreas Speck and Rudi Friedrich
12. Military conscription, conscientious objection and democratic citizenship in the Americas - Matthew C. Gutmann
13. Conscientious objection in Chile - Pelao Carvallo
14. Conscientious objection in Spain: disobedience - Cthuchi Zamarra
15. Conscientious objection in Israel - Tali Lerner
16. Refusing to serve in the army for reasons of conscience in Greece - Alexia Tsouni and Michalis Maragakis
17. Conscientious objection in Turkey - Coskun UEsterci and Ugur Yorulmaz
Part IV: Conscientious objection and law
A International law
18. A view on international implementation of the right to conscientious objection - OEzguer Heval Cinar
19. International standards on conscientious objection to military and alternative service - Rachel Brett
20. European standards on conscientious objection and alternative service - Friedhelm Schneider
21. Conscientious objection in international law and the Osman Murat UElke case - Kevin Boyle
B The case of Turkey
22. Conscientious objection and the Turkish constitution - Osman Can
23. The criminality of conscientious objection in Turkey and its consequences - Huelya UEcpinar
Notes on contributors
Index