Compliance: Cultures and Networks of Accommodation

This book explores compliance from an anthropological perspective, highlighting its value as a heuristic approach for understanding collective life and offering new avenues for anthropological enquiry.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 08 December 2023
Publisher: Berghahn Books

This book delves into the realm of compliance, offering a diverse and global collection of chapters that explore various aspects of human behavior and societal interactions. From taxation to corporate governance, medicine to development, carbon offsetting to irregular migration, and the building trade, the book offers a comprehensive examination of compliance as a multifaceted phenomenon. Rather than viewing compliance as merely the antithesis of resistance, the book presents it as a valuable heuristic approach for understanding collective life. Compliance serves as a means by which individuals and groups adapt to and accommodate themselves to others, shaping their interactions and relationships within society.

This perspective challenges traditional distinctions between power and resistance, offering a fresh lens through which to examine human behavior. By exploring compliance, the book opens up new avenues for anthropological inquiry, shedding light on the complex dynamics and processes that shape our social world.

The chapters in this book are written by leading scholars from various fields, each bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to the study of compliance. The book is organized into four sections, each addressing a different aspect of compliance.

The first section explores the theoretical foundations of compliance, examining the concept's historical roots, its evolution, and its various theoretical frameworks. The authors discuss the role of social norms, cultural values, and power dynamics in shaping compliance behavior, and they explore the ways in which compliance can be both positive and negative.

The second section examines the empirical dimensions of compliance, focusing on specific case studies and examples from different regions and industries. The authors explore the ways in which compliance is enacted and enforced, the challenges and barriers to compliance, and the consequences of non-compliance.

The third section explores the ethical and philosophical dimensions of compliance, examining the ethical implications of compliance and the ways in which it can be used to promote social justice and human rights. The authors discuss the role of compliance in shaping public policy and the ethical challenges associated with compliance-driven practices.

The fourth section explores the policy implications of compliance, focusing on the ways in which governments, organizations, and individuals can promote and facilitate compliance. The authors discuss the role of regulation, incentives, and education in shaping compliance behavior, and they explore the ways in which compliance can be integrated into sustainable development and social responsibility initiatives.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of compliance, presenting a rich and nuanced understanding of the phenomenon. By offering a diverse range of chapters and perspectives, the book provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics and processes that shape our social world, and it offers a framework for promoting compliance as a positive force for social change.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781805392255