Strong Societies and Weak States: State-Society Relations and State Capabilities in the Third World

by Joel S. Migdal

This book offers a fresh approach to the study of state society relations and to the possibilities for economic and political reforms in the third world.

Genres: Political Science, Politics, Nonfiction, Academic, Social Science, International Relations, Grad School

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too muddled.

[Nikhil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the interesting case studies. Sierra Leone, Israel, and Egypt were the main ones, with some additional references to Mexico and India. I think Migdal is probably wrong about the origins of mid 20th century power-brokers in the countries within the scope of his work. He is often long-winded and not particularly clear, with lots of qualifications and specifications which detract from his attempt to set forth a generalizable theory. Despite all of this, I think the topics he draws attention to are important, he made some sharp then-contemporary observations which have since aged well, and his conclusion does offer some clear and plausible forces that condition the emergence of the "strong state".

[Gonzalo Bolio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremadamente claro. Una serie de ensayos iluminadores que disecciona las entrañas de los Estados. Explica cómo es que las debilidades estructurales propias del Estado y su relación con otros cuerpos sociales se ven particularmente expuestas en países con fuertes estructuras sociales diversas y cómo es que se enfrentan por la dominación.

[Khadija Elrashid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed every minute reading it

[Neris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed Migdal's writing style. It does not feel heavy for a book proposing a theory.
First classic I've read. Not bad.

[Anand Gopal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book shows how market forces and colonialism created weak states and strong "societies," which the author defines as the melange of social organizations that competes with the state to dictate the rules by which people live. It focuses on Sierra Leone, Israel, Mexcio, and India. I found it to be a very useful analysis of state weakness that has important implications for the contemporary Middle East and South Asia.

[Nikolaus Buenconsejo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This explains how strong societies are

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

makes completely sense and is great to read... not only for third world pol development, but also for current financial crisis!

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a hard read.

[goddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on what makes societies strong or weak. Some of the case studies were good, but this book probably could have used a few more to substantiate its claims.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with many examples.

[Felix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its all about what the state is and its part of my thesis about the strongman