Ruler Personality Cults from Empires to Nation-States and Beyond: Symbolic Patterns and Interactional Dynamics

This book explores ruler personality cults across five continents and twenty centuries, combining historians, linguists, media scholars, political scientists, and communication sociologists to develop an integrated approach. It focuses on communicative patterns and interactional chains linking rulers with their subjects, highlighting the collaborative nature of leader adoration.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 280 pages
\n Publication date: 14 September 2020
\n Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
\n

Spanning five continents and twenty centuries, this comprehensive book brings ruler personality cults to the forefront of interdisciplinary exploration, seldom seen in such juxtaposition. The authors, hailing from Europe, the United States, and New Zealand, encompass a diverse range of disciplines, including historians, linguists, media scholars, political scientists, and communication sociologists. While this breadth and versatility serve as means to develop an integrated approach to personality cults, surpassing the dominance of 20th-century poster examples (Bolshevism, Nazism, and Fascism) and addressing the lack of interest in leader adoration in religious and cultural contexts, they are not ends in themselves. Instead of rehashing the conventional focus on rulers as the central figures of cults, the authors shift their attention to communicative patterns and interactive chains that connect rulers with their subjects. In this perspective, the adoration of political figures emerges as a collective endeavor, inseparable from the active, if often tacit, collaboration between rulers and their constituencies.

This multidisciplinary approach fosters a deeper understanding of personality cults by examining their historical, linguistic, cultural, and social dimensions. The book explores the ways in which rulers use communication to establish and maintain power, manipulate public opinion, and shape societal values. It also examines the ways in which subjects engage with and respond to these cults, both actively and passively. By examining these dynamics, the book offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between rulers, their followers, and the broader social and political context in which they operate.

Moreover, the book challenges traditional narratives that view personality cults as solely the product of individual or group pathology. Instead, it recognizes that personality cults are embedded within broader social, cultural, and political systems. It explores the ways in which these systems facilitate the emergence and perpetuation of personality cults, as well as the factors that contribute to their decline or transformation.

In conclusion, this book is a groundbreaking contribution to the study of personality cults, offering a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective that transcends the boundaries of individual disciplines. By exploring the complex interplay between rulers, their followers, and the social and political context, it provides valuable insights into the dynamics and consequences of personality cults. It is a must-read for scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the complexities of power, authority, and the human condition.

\n Weight: 588g\n
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 23 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780367225353\n \n