Book note for Sumantra Bose, Contested Lands: Israel-Palestine,Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007. $27.95 hardcover

Midgley, James

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The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 35 Issue 4 December Article 15 2008 Contested Lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Sumantra Bose. James Midgley University of California, Berkeley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Midgley, James (2008) "Contested Lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Sumantra Bose.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 35 : Iss. 4 , Article 15. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol35/iss4/15 This Book Note is brought to you by the Western Michigan University School of Social Work. For more information, please contact wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu. Book NotesSumantra Bose, Contested Lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia,Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UniversityPress, 2007. $27.95 hardcover.Despite the amazing achievements of modem science andtechnology and reductions in the incidence of global poverty,ill health and other social ills, the perpetuation of conflict basedon religious, cultural and ethnic difference continues unabatedand seems to be particularly intractable. Although conflicts ofthese kinds have claimed millions of lives and are widely con-demned, hardly a month goes by without some new conflicterupting somewhere in the world. Tragically, these conflictsinevitably involve the mass destruction of property, the dis-placement of hundreds of thousands of ordinary people andthe maiming and slaughter of innocents.In this informative book, Bose documents conflicts in fiveregions of the world that are specifically linked to territorialdisputes. The contested lands he discusses are Israel-Palestine,Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka. Of course, the issue isnot territory as such, but rather the association between terri-tory and identity. Rooted in tradition and belief, the strugglefor land is inextricably linked to culture, language and religion.It is also rooted in economic realities and in social relationshipsand power structures.Bose has an extraordinarily sensitive and in-depth knowl-edge of each situation. He not only analyzes the cultural, linguis-tic and ethnic dimensions of each situation, he also describesthe historical evolution of each conflict in depth and pays at-tention to the personalities and movements on both sides ofthe struggle. Although the attachment to land is related to anunderstandable historic sense of ownership and cultural iden-tity, it is also manipulated by political entrepreneurs. Sadly, theattachment is characterized by a common turn to violence.Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, December 2008, Volume XXXV, Number 4177178 Journal of Sociology & Social WelfareThe bulk of the book is concerned with the historical, cul-tural and political dimensions of these conflicts. These are ana-lyzed in great depth and offer an incisive yet extremely read-able account which will serve as a useful summary for anyonewishing to know more about each situation. The author is alsoable to offer a balanced view which dispassionately examinesthe positions on each side yet does not shirk from exposingblatant injustices. However, the best part of the book is its in-troduction, which provides a general analysis of the cause ofconflicts involving land as well as the best means of address-ing them. Although Bose recapitulates some of these generalprinciples in the book's conclusion, a more extensive exposi-tion would have been helpful, especially with regard to theissue of how these conflicts can be managed and resolved.Bose argues that solutions that transcend a zero-sumstrategy must be found and that they must be found quickly.Currently popular incremental approaches, he argues, seldomwork. In addition, success is most likely achieved through thirdparty engagement, particularly by powerful intermediaries.He shows, for example, how the Palestinian issue has been leftto fester because of a lack of decisiveness and determinationby successive American presidents. He also sees merit in con-sociationism and the use of "soft borders" between disputedterritories. Although it is a pity that Bose did not discuss theseand other strategies in more detail, it is to be hoped that futurepublications will develop these insights and form the basis foreffective interventions that can address the deadly conflictswhich continue to plague the modern world.James Midgley, University of California, BerkeleyLena Dominelli (Ed.), Revitalising Communities in a GlobalisingWorld. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. $114.95hardcover.Globalization, a term which covers a wide range of politi-cal, economic, and cultural movements, has become a fash-ionable catchphrase in recent political and academic debate.

\u3cem\u3eContested Lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka.\u3c/em\u3e Sumantra Bose.

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3396&amp;context=jssw

\u3cem\u3eContested Lands: Israel-Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia, Cyprus and Sri Lanka.\u3c/em\u3e Sumantra Bose.

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