Skip to main content

Shamsul AB

National University of Malaysia, Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), Faculty Member

Followers

9,409

Following

33

Co-authors

6

Mentions

51

Public Views

I am a social anthropologist by training but has now expanded my research interest to a number of different fields in social sciences, published extensively in English, Malay and other European languages. I am one of the five Distinguished Professor appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia and Founding Director, Institute of Ethnic Studies, The National University of Malaysia (UKM). In 2018, I was inducted as a Fellow of Academy of Science, Malaysia. I was awarded in 2019 a UNESCO Chair (Communications and Social Cohesion) based at UKM, Malaysia. Since July 2020 I have been appointed as Adviser on Unity, Ministry of National Unity, Malaysia.

less

InterestsView All (25)

Uploads

Papers by Shamsul AB

Prof Ungku Aziz Tokoh Tersohor, Ikon Negara

Berita Harian, 2020

GLOBALIZING ASIAN RELIGIONS: MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING. Edited by WendySmith, HirochikaNakamaki, LouellaMatsunaga, and TamasinRamsay. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2019. Pp. 378. Hardback, €109.00

Religious Studies Review, 2020

Representation, Literacy and ‘Gladiatorism’ in Malaysian Politics

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, Nov 1, 2022

On the history of the introduction of elections in Malaya during the colonial period, which was e... more On the history of the introduction of elections in Malaya during the colonial period, which was essentially &#39;election without democracy&#39; because no colonial power endorsed democratic principles. Election was a tool of colonial social control and solving conflict through the ballot box. It engenders &#39;electocracy&#39;, namely, a bureaucratic institution anchored in election. Its success depends on the level of political literacy amongst the voters and elections become a stage for party leaders gladiator-like struggle.

Village: The Imposed Social Construct In Malaysia's Development Initiatives

... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10068/99435. T... more

Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat

... Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, - (2010) Sumbangan aka... more

Studying the consequences of modernization on ethnic food patterns: Development of the Malaysian Food Barometer (MFB)

Anthropology of food

ABSTRACT Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new m... more ABSTRACT Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new middle class has emerged and the traditional ways of life and eating habits of the different ethnic communities are changing. For many years, nutritional surveys have been capturing the transformations of food consumptions. To date no comprehensive survey focusing on the socio-cultural determinants of food habits at the national level have been reported. The Malaysian Food Barometer, a nationally representative with follow-up survey, intends to fill this gap. This article presents the conceptual framework and methodologies used to investigate the eating practices and cultural representations on food and eating in a multicultural context. It analyses the influence of modernization on social hierarchies and ethnic cultures, and ultimately on food eating patterns and food styles.

Anthropology, Identity, and Nation Formation in Malaysia

The Making of Anthropology in East and Southeast Asia

Chapter 12 Anthropology, Identity, and Nation Formation in Malaysia AB SHAMSUL Anthropology at it... more

Cultural Construction of the Malay'New Rich

Culture and privilege in capitalist Asia, 1999

3 From Orang Kay a Baru to Melayu Baru Cultural construction of the Malay 'new rich' AB... more

The Construction and Transformation of a Social Identity: Malayness and Bumiputeraness Re-Examined

Journal of Asian and African Studies, 1996

... ISSN, 巻, 号, ページ, 出版者, 参考文献, 出版年, 年から年まで. すべて CiNiiに本文あり CiNiiに本文あり、または連携サービスへのリンクあり. The Con... more ... ISSN, 巻, 号, ページ, 出版者, 参考文献, 出版年, 年から年まで. すべて CiNiiに本文あり CiNiiに本文あり、または連携サービスへのリンクあり. The Construction and Transformation of a Social Identity--Malayness and Bumiputeraness Re-examined. SHAMSUL AB; 本文を読む／探す. ...

Asian NRMs Are Not All Success Stories The Demise of the Global Dream of Malaysia’s Arqam

Globalizing Asian Religions

This chapter examines the experience of Arqam, an Islamic NRM which emerged in Malaysia in the 19... more This chapter examines the experience of Arqam, an Islamic NRM which emerged in Malaysia in the 1960s, then became so successful at the national and international levels, (with members recruited from various countries in Europe, Africa and Asia), that it was eventually banned and dismantled in the late 1990s at the pinnacle of its success, when it was accused of aiming to take over the government. By focusing on shared mechanisms of contention rather than, say, the uniqueness of the movement, such an approach opens up a broader array of theories, and comparative empirics, for studying successful and failed movements and gives equal weight to the dominant and the dominated, which is needed to explain them This chapter focuses on the rise and fall of a Malaysian Islamic movement, Arqam, and in doing so, contributes three unusual perspectives: Islamic movements in Asia, (in this case, one of revitalization of a traditional religion), a global religious movement originating from a developing economy, Malaysia, and finally a case of failure. A cursory browsing of digital and paper-based material on Asian globalized religious movements reveals the fact that the successful examples, especially new religious movements (NRMs), are overwhelmingly from Japan. Their success is often explained with reference to their style of organization which is highly corporate in nature and is measured, along with membership size, by their global reach made possible by good management, leadership, and a compact internal bureaucracy.

Managing Peace in Malaysia: a Case Study in Developing an Early Warning System for Ethnic Relations (KITA-MESRA®)

Thammasat Review, 2015

This paper provides the background, historical perspective, structures of peace, conceptual frame... more This paper provides the background, historical perspective, structures of peace, conceptual framework and preliminary findings of a research project which monitor ethnic relations and creates an early warning system on the ‘health’ level of ethnic relations in Malaysia in order to manage peace. Existing monitoring projects on ethnic relations in the country tend to focus on the negative aspects of these relations such as ethnic-related grievances and the number of ethnic group conflicts taking place. This project uses a positive indicator based on good governance and quality of life indices as a way to understand the level or quality of ethnic relations in Malaysia. Keywords: ethnic relations, Malaysia, monitoring system, managing peace.

Islam and Human Rights in a Culturally-Embedded Malaysia

Jurnal Pengajian Umum …

The US-or Europe-based world media, often being the self-appointed, political and moral judge of ... more The US-or Europe-based world media, often being the self-appointed, political and moral judge of postcolonial societies' ruling elites, have played a major role, in the last three decades, in portraying and reinforcing the 'authoritarian' image of mostly non-Western leaders, some justified ...

Al Asar Magazine

Muzium Pahang, 2022

Producing knowledge of Southeast Asia: a Malaysian view A . B . SHAMSUL

A Question of Identity: Knowledge and the Formation of Post-colonial Nation-states in Asia

Local and Global: Social Transformation in Southeast Asia, 2005

One State, Three Legal Systems: Social Cohesion in a Multi-ethnic and Multi-religious Malaysia

Boundaries of Religious Freedom: Regulating Religion in Diverse Societies, 2014

From orang kaya baru to melayu baru: Cultural construction of the malay ŉew rich’

The New Economic (NEP) 1971-1990 has created an expandedn Malay middle class. This essay is a nar... more

Colonial Knowledge and the Construction of Malay and Malayness: Exploring the Literary Component

Colonial knowledge is the most powerful, influential, defining and lasting of all the colonial le... more Colonial knowledge is the most powerful, influential, defining and lasting of all the colonial legacy in decolonised societies around the world. It defines the history, territory, citizenship and rule of law in such societies. It is both orientalist and occidentalist in nature against which the colonized has failed to unshackled themselves from, including those so-called scholars of &amp;amp;amp;#x27;subaltern studies&amp;amp;amp;#x27; scholars, who are now occupying important academic positions in the West and become &amp;amp;amp;#x27;de-subalternised&amp;amp;amp;#x27; thriving in the very system they once opposed and criticized. The impact of colonial knowledge in Malaysia is examined in this essay.

When Knowledge Invents Boundaries: From Colonial Knowledge to Multiculturalism

It is a general belief that rational knowledge empowered humans not only to understand how the wo... more It is a general belief that rational knowledge empowered humans not only to understand how the world works but also how to progress. The European pre- modern dependence on virtues of tradition and continuity gave way to a commitment to reason- inspired change, innovation and progress. The rapid economic development in Europe in the nineteenth century depended crucially on easy access to raw materials, cheap labour, and new markets around the globe. Therefore, to the Europeans, colonialism was imperative and it became the most effective ‘rational’ political economic instrument at their disposal.

‘Mamakization’: Measuring Social Cohesion in Malaysian Iconic Eateries

Who Decides?, 2018

The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalisation paradigm,... more The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalisation paradigm, presenting neo liberalism as a form of cultural imperialism leading to global cultural homogenisation. The &#39;Golden Arch Theory (GAT)&#39;, often regarded as an economist offspring of McDonaldization, was much more ambitious: GAT posited itself as a transnational conflict prevention system. In short, countries that were endowed with McDonald&#39;s restaurants on their national soil would not go to war with one another, as their respective middle-classes would have far much to lose, having reached standards of wealth and comfort symbolised by the presence of the Golden Arches on their territory. It is noticeable that the GAT theory was conceived to explain cross-borders or international conflicts, rather than to shed some light on the state of social cohesion in a given country. If we view social cohesion antithetically, as absence of social conflict, rather than opposing it to social exclusion, we pave the way for an alternative theory. We propose that this theory-in-the-making should be socially embedded and empirically rooted in order to analyse the level of social cohesion of a specified country. The main purpose of this chapter is to introduce the construct of &#39;Mamakization,&#39; which draws from an iconic figure among food stalls in Malaysia: the &#39;Mamak&#39; stall. In opposition to the &#39;global&#39; McDonaldization, the foundations of the Mamakization paradigm derive from an alternative food network framing, outlined by two main precepts: localisation and divergent modernity. Mamakization views primarily the act of patronising a food stall in multiethnic Malaysia as a social transaction that can be analysed and made sense of. The objective of this chapter is to propose and discuss the construct of Mamakization as a comprehensive analytical tool to investigate social cohesion through a specific social practice: eating out in a Malaysian food stall. Introduction The disciplines of Anthropology and Sociology have been traditionally compartmentalized as the study of man for the former and the study of men for the latter. Anthropology would typically view food and eating as manifestations of the diversity of man, therefore exploring the rituals, taboos, myths and symbolic meanings that make this dualism a culturally conditioned object. By contrast,

Prof Ungku Aziz Tokoh Tersohor, Ikon Negara

Berita Harian, 2020

GLOBALIZING ASIAN RELIGIONS: MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING. Edited by WendySmith, HirochikaNakamaki, LouellaMatsunaga, and TamasinRamsay. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2019. Pp. 378. Hardback, €109.00

Religious Studies Review, 2020

Representation, Literacy and ‘Gladiatorism’ in Malaysian Politics

WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks, Nov 1, 2022

On the history of the introduction of elections in Malaya during the colonial period, which was e... more On the history of the introduction of elections in Malaya during the colonial period, which was essentially &#39;election without democracy&#39; because no colonial power endorsed democratic principles. Election was a tool of colonial social control and solving conflict through the ballot box. It engenders &#39;electocracy&#39;, namely, a bureaucratic institution anchored in election. Its success depends on the level of political literacy amongst the voters and elections become a stage for party leaders gladiator-like struggle.

Village: The Imposed Social Construct In Malaysia's Development Initiatives

... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10068/99435. T... more

Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat

... Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, - (2010) Sumbangan aka... more

Studying the consequences of modernization on ethnic food patterns: Development of the Malaysian Food Barometer (MFB)

Anthropology of food

ABSTRACT Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new m... more ABSTRACT Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new middle class has emerged and the traditional ways of life and eating habits of the different ethnic communities are changing. For many years, nutritional surveys have been capturing the transformations of food consumptions. To date no comprehensive survey focusing on the socio-cultural determinants of food habits at the national level have been reported. The Malaysian Food Barometer, a nationally representative with follow-up survey, intends to fill this gap. This article presents the conceptual framework and methodologies used to investigate the eating practices and cultural representations on food and eating in a multicultural context. It analyses the influence of modernization on social hierarchies and ethnic cultures, and ultimately on food eating patterns and food styles.

Anthropology, Identity, and Nation Formation in Malaysia

The Making of Anthropology in East and Southeast Asia

Chapter 12 Anthropology, Identity, and Nation Formation in Malaysia AB SHAMSUL Anthropology at it... more

Cultural Construction of the Malay'New Rich

Culture and privilege in capitalist Asia, 1999

3 From Orang Kay a Baru to Melayu Baru Cultural construction of the Malay 'new rich' AB... more

The Construction and Transformation of a Social Identity: Malayness and Bumiputeraness Re-Examined

Journal of Asian and African Studies, 1996

... ISSN, 巻, 号, ページ, 出版者, 参考文献, 出版年, 年から年まで. すべて CiNiiに本文あり CiNiiに本文あり、または連携サービスへのリンクあり. The Con... more ... ISSN, 巻, 号, ページ, 出版者, 参考文献, 出版年, 年から年まで. すべて CiNiiに本文あり CiNiiに本文あり、または連携サービスへのリンクあり. The Construction and Transformation of a Social Identity--Malayness and Bumiputeraness Re-examined. SHAMSUL AB; 本文を読む／探す. ...

Asian NRMs Are Not All Success Stories The Demise of the Global Dream of Malaysia’s Arqam

Globalizing Asian Religions

This chapter examines the experience of Arqam, an Islamic NRM which emerged in Malaysia in the 19... more This chapter examines the experience of Arqam, an Islamic NRM which emerged in Malaysia in the 1960s, then became so successful at the national and international levels, (with members recruited from various countries in Europe, Africa and Asia), that it was eventually banned and dismantled in the late 1990s at the pinnacle of its success, when it was accused of aiming to take over the government. By focusing on shared mechanisms of contention rather than, say, the uniqueness of the movement, such an approach opens up a broader array of theories, and comparative empirics, for studying successful and failed movements and gives equal weight to the dominant and the dominated, which is needed to explain them This chapter focuses on the rise and fall of a Malaysian Islamic movement, Arqam, and in doing so, contributes three unusual perspectives: Islamic movements in Asia, (in this case, one of revitalization of a traditional religion), a global religious movement originating from a developing economy, Malaysia, and finally a case of failure. A cursory browsing of digital and paper-based material on Asian globalized religious movements reveals the fact that the successful examples, especially new religious movements (NRMs), are overwhelmingly from Japan. Their success is often explained with reference to their style of organization which is highly corporate in nature and is measured, along with membership size, by their global reach made possible by good management, leadership, and a compact internal bureaucracy.

Managing Peace in Malaysia: a Case Study in Developing an Early Warning System for Ethnic Relations (KITA-MESRA®)

Thammasat Review, 2015

This paper provides the background, historical perspective, structures of peace, conceptual frame... more This paper provides the background, historical perspective, structures of peace, conceptual framework and preliminary findings of a research project which monitor ethnic relations and creates an early warning system on the ‘health’ level of ethnic relations in Malaysia in order to manage peace. Existing monitoring projects on ethnic relations in the country tend to focus on the negative aspects of these relations such as ethnic-related grievances and the number of ethnic group conflicts taking place. This project uses a positive indicator based on good governance and quality of life indices as a way to understand the level or quality of ethnic relations in Malaysia. Keywords: ethnic relations, Malaysia, monitoring system, managing peace.

Islam and Human Rights in a Culturally-Embedded Malaysia

Jurnal Pengajian Umum …

The US-or Europe-based world media, often being the self-appointed, political and moral judge of ... more The US-or Europe-based world media, often being the self-appointed, political and moral judge of postcolonial societies' ruling elites, have played a major role, in the last three decades, in portraying and reinforcing the 'authoritarian' image of mostly non-Western leaders, some justified ...

Al Asar Magazine

Muzium Pahang, 2022

Producing knowledge of Southeast Asia: a Malaysian view A . B . SHAMSUL

A Question of Identity: Knowledge and the Formation of Post-colonial Nation-states in Asia

Local and Global: Social Transformation in Southeast Asia, 2005

One State, Three Legal Systems: Social Cohesion in a Multi-ethnic and Multi-religious Malaysia

Boundaries of Religious Freedom: Regulating Religion in Diverse Societies, 2014

From orang kaya baru to melayu baru: Cultural construction of the malay ŉew rich’

The New Economic (NEP) 1971-1990 has created an expandedn Malay middle class. This essay is a nar... more

Colonial Knowledge and the Construction of Malay and Malayness: Exploring the Literary Component

Colonial knowledge is the most powerful, influential, defining and lasting of all the colonial le... more Colonial knowledge is the most powerful, influential, defining and lasting of all the colonial legacy in decolonised societies around the world. It defines the history, territory, citizenship and rule of law in such societies. It is both orientalist and occidentalist in nature against which the colonized has failed to unshackled themselves from, including those so-called scholars of &amp;amp;amp;#x27;subaltern studies&amp;amp;amp;#x27; scholars, who are now occupying important academic positions in the West and become &amp;amp;amp;#x27;de-subalternised&amp;amp;amp;#x27; thriving in the very system they once opposed and criticized. The impact of colonial knowledge in Malaysia is examined in this essay.

When Knowledge Invents Boundaries: From Colonial Knowledge to Multiculturalism

It is a general belief that rational knowledge empowered humans not only to understand how the wo... more It is a general belief that rational knowledge empowered humans not only to understand how the world works but also how to progress. The European pre- modern dependence on virtues of tradition and continuity gave way to a commitment to reason- inspired change, innovation and progress. The rapid economic development in Europe in the nineteenth century depended crucially on easy access to raw materials, cheap labour, and new markets around the globe. Therefore, to the Europeans, colonialism was imperative and it became the most effective ‘rational’ political economic instrument at their disposal.

‘Mamakization’: Measuring Social Cohesion in Malaysian Iconic Eateries

Who Decides?, 2018

The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalisation paradigm,... more The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalisation paradigm, presenting neo liberalism as a form of cultural imperialism leading to global cultural homogenisation. The &#39;Golden Arch Theory (GAT)&#39;, often regarded as an economist offspring of McDonaldization, was much more ambitious: GAT posited itself as a transnational conflict prevention system. In short, countries that were endowed with McDonald&#39;s restaurants on their national soil would not go to war with one another, as their respective middle-classes would have far much to lose, having reached standards of wealth and comfort symbolised by the presence of the Golden Arches on their territory. It is noticeable that the GAT theory was conceived to explain cross-borders or international conflicts, rather than to shed some light on the state of social cohesion in a given country. If we view social cohesion antithetically, as absence of social conflict, rather than opposing it to social exclusion, we pave the way for an alternative theory. We propose that this theory-in-the-making should be socially embedded and empirically rooted in order to analyse the level of social cohesion of a specified country. The main purpose of this chapter is to introduce the construct of &#39;Mamakization,&#39; which draws from an iconic figure among food stalls in Malaysia: the &#39;Mamak&#39; stall. In opposition to the &#39;global&#39; McDonaldization, the foundations of the Mamakization paradigm derive from an alternative food network framing, outlined by two main precepts: localisation and divergent modernity. Mamakization views primarily the act of patronising a food stall in multiethnic Malaysia as a social transaction that can be analysed and made sense of. The objective of this chapter is to propose and discuss the construct of Mamakization as a comprehensive analytical tool to investigate social cohesion through a specific social practice: eating out in a Malaysian food stall. Introduction The disciplines of Anthropology and Sociology have been traditionally compartmentalized as the study of man for the former and the study of men for the latter. Anthropology would typically view food and eating as manifestations of the diversity of man, therefore exploring the rituals, taboos, myths and symbolic meanings that make this dualism a culturally conditioned object. By contrast,

PERANAKAN AS A SOCIAL CONCEPT PUE GIOK HUN & SHAMSUL AMRI BAHARUDDIN Siri Kertas Kajian Etnik UKM (UKM Ethnic Studies Paper Series) Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) Bangi 2012

by Shamsul AB, Giok Hun Pue, and Pengarah Pengasas

This article discusses the significance of etymology and its role in the construction of social c... more This article discusses the significance of etymology and
its role in the construction of social concepts pertaining
to amalgam, namely an ethnic group whose formation
stemmed from amalgamation as part of assimilation
process which occurs continuously in interethnic
relations between the majority ethnic group and the
minority. It is an ethnic group that is often overlooked
in the discourse of ethnicity as a way to organise social
difference in a society into different ethnic categories.
The perception that such a group has no place in
mainstream society is reflected by the way labels that
are created and used on the group tend to be negative
and pejorative. As a result, this contributes to ethnic
contestation in the society. However, this is not the
case in the Malay Archipelago where culturally
localised, local-born of non-indigenous descent,
particularly offspring from mix-marriage with native
women, are referred to as „Peranakan‟. Derived from
the root word „anak‟ (meaning child), Peranakan may
be seen as one of rare social concepts that refers to
amalgam in a neutral, if not positive way where the
majority accepts the minority as one of their own while
simultaneously acknowledging the latter‟s ethnic
differences. As such, Peranakan may be adopted into
societies from non-Malay world as a more suitable
social concept to explain amalgamation harmoniously
as a way to promote social cohesion in a society.

Managing Diversity in Multi-Ethnic Malaysia: The Non-Violent Way

Seminar at Sciences Po, Paris, 2019

Malaysia has been able to manage the challenges of diversity since 1970, after the ethnic riot of... more

MELAYU, MALAYSIA DAN KERUMITANNYA: WAWANCARA BERSAMA SHAMSUL AMRI BAHARUDDIN

NM: Ramai penyelidik yang gemar berbicara apa sahaja sampai tampak kehilangan dan kepudaran bidan... more NM: Ramai penyelidik yang gemar berbicara apa sahaja sampai tampak kehilangan dan kepudaran bidangnya. Bagaimana dengan anda dan apa bidang penyelidikan anda? SAB: Bidang saya ialah bidang antropologi sosial. Berdasarkan pengetahuan dalam bidang antropologi sosial ini, saya kemudian menjurus kepada apa yang saya anggap sebagai pengajian politik; dan pengajian politik ini tidak semestinya khusus merujuk kepada bidang sains politik. Maksudnya di sini, pengajian politik ada dalam pelbagai disiplindikira sebagai sub-disiplin. Misalnya dalam antropologi, ada sub-disiplin antropologi politik yang menggunakan metod antropologi untuk mengkaji aspek-aspek politik seperti pilihan raya, pembangunan, dll. Dari segi epistemologinya pula, saya berminat untuk mengetahui perubahan yang dialami oleh individu, keluarga, dan komuniti. Bahkan ketiga-tiga unit ini merupakan elemen asas dalam imaginasi sosiologi (sociological imagination). Maka itulah bidang saya. Secara epistemologinya, ia merupakan kajian tentang tiga komponen asas dalam masyarakat tersebut iaitu individu, keluarga, dan komuniti. Ringkasnya, saya menggunakan metod antropologi sosial sebagai platform kajian saya. Manakala subjek empirikal kajian pula bergantung kepada minat atau apa yang hendak dikaji ketika itu.

Identiti, Nation and State-Building. By K.J. Ratnam. Petaling Jaya, Selangor: SIRD, 2019

Sojourn: Journal of Social issues in Southeast Asian Studies, 2021

A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn... more A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn (Vol.36.No.1, 2021: 192-186) that summarises and comments the central ideas and argument sin the book against the historic political defeat on the National Front Party in May 2018 and its aftermath. A brief but excellent book.

Identity, Nationhood and State-Building in Malaysia. By K.J. Ratnam. Petaling Jaya, Selangor: SIRD, 2019.

Sojourn: Journal of Social issues in Southeast Asian Studies, 2021

A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn... more A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn (Vol.36.No.1, 2021: 192-186) that summarises and comments the central ideas and argument sin the book against the historic political defeat on the National Front Party in May 2018 and its aftermath. A brief but excellent book.