The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives

Paul Joseph is professor of sociology at Tufts University. He received his BA from McGill University and his MA and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His research specialty is military policies: how they are shaped by economic, political, and organizational interests and influenced by public opinion and peace movements. His books include a decision-making study of the Vietnam War; a review of the debate over nuclear policy; and an analysis of the security implications of the end of the Cold War. Recent titles include Are Americans Becoming More Peaceful?, which explores the influence of public sensitivities toward war given the George W. Bush administration's management of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Soft Counterinsurgency, an examination of "human terrain teams," the social scientists who were embedded in combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also published articles, review essays, and encyclopedia entries on race and class in the United States, on Maori-Pakeha (European) relations in New Zealand, on the memory politics surrounding Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and on the influence of peace movements on government policies. He was for many years the director of the Peace and Justice Studies Program at Tufts University and has served two terms as president of the national Peace and Justice Studies Association. He has lectured in more than a dozen countries and was most recently the distinguished chair for the United States-India Education Foundation (Fulbright program). His teaching interests include war and peace, globalization, and political sociology, and he has been recognized by Tufts University with its annual Lillian and Joseph Liebner Award for Excellence in Teaching and Advising of Students.

"Edited by an expert in the sociology of war and peace, this new collection aims to take a fresh and unique perspective on war, focusing on the social-science perspectives rather than the militaristic, historical, or political viewpoints normally taken in such reference works. So, instead of battles and generals, the alphabetically ordered entries cover issues like Balance of power; Don't Ask, Don't Tell; Military industrial complex; Soldier suicides; Political will for war; War profiteering; and Ecological causes of war. Most entries are clearly not the kind one would find in a traditional "history of war" reference source, and those that are, take a different tack...Overall, this is an excellent resource for academic and public libraries, either as a stand-alone reference resource on war or as a complement to existing historical-reference resources." -- M. Tosko * Booklist * At four volumes, this encyclopedia almost seems too small to be considered a resource on war itself. However, a closer look reveals the density and diversity of the information retained in these four books...The list of contributors, in the first volume, is reassuringly robust. It includes not just professors from world universities, but independent scholars, professors from military universities, and members of militaries from around the world. This reflects the in-depth and diverse nature of the research held in this encyclopedia...this title is an excellent resource for academic libraries, and for those scholars who study war, the social sciences, or both.-Mary Rebecca Yantis -- M. R. Yantis * ARBA *