Contesting conventional assumptions of the modern nation-state, this book challenges us to rethink the segmentation of the political realm and its underlying economic and social processes.

Cognizant of the historical context of systemic change, Lilyblad reconstructs how illicit social order arises from agonistic competition over territory, authority, and institutions. Immersive empirical investigation traces this bottom-up process in local conflict zones, detailing how spontaneous configurations of violence, socioeconomic resources, and legitimacy transcend the divide between public and private. Ultimately, the analytical vantage of global governance assesses the sobering implications for sovereignty to more accurately reflect the world we have, not the one we may want.

By showing how these inherently local illicit social orders develop apart from - not below - the state within a global anarchic society, this book will be of interest to a wide range of scholars, including political scientists, economists, sociologists, geographers, as well as researchers in interdisciplinary fields such as International Development, International Political Economy, and Global Governance.

About the Author

Dr Christopher Marc Lilyblad is a policy advisor in global governance and development. Currently serving as a program specialist for policy and strategy with the United Nations Development Program, he previously held research appointments at Harvard University, Oxford's Changing Character of War Centre, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. As a development practitioner, he has also served in managerial and advisory roles with the development services of the European Union and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. His research has featured in several chapters of the edited volume Reducing Armed Violence with NGO Governance, the journal Territory, Politics, Governance, and the Routledge Handbook of NGOs and International Relations. Christopher holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where he attended as a Clarendon Scholar and concurrently held the Peter J. Braam scholarship in International Development at Merton College.

Reviews

"A rare combination of theoretical acumen and empirical perspective. Not everyone can spend years theorizing licit and illicit governance at various territorial levels, tracing the history of their emergence in a country like Brazil, and travel to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to investigate further. But everyone can read this book." - Joerg Friedrichs, Associate Professor of Politics, University of Oxford, UK.

"States established themselves as sovereign in competition with other polities, and the fight is still on. By writing this 'state building meets Brazilian favela politics' book, Lilyblad has done both parties a great service." - Iver B. Neumann, author of Governing the Global Polity.

Book Information
ISBN 9780367425203
Author Christopher Marc Lilyblad
Format Hardback
Page Count 290
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g