Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review: The Faces Of Terrorism: Social And Psychological Dimensions, By Neil Smelser, Dylan Kissane

Dylan Kissane

In the decade since the 9/11 terrorist attacks there have been countless books and articles published that have sought to explain Islamist terrorism and explore policy responses to terrorism from the Muslim world. A smaller sector of the literature has sought to place Islamist terror in its international political context, drawing parallels with terrorism in the Basque country, Northern Ireland and domestic groups in the United States. A smaller sector again seeks to explore not only to describe such terrorism and explore policy responses to it but also to dig deeper and uncover the motivations that drive terrorists and those …

The United States, Iran And The Continuing Salience Of Geography, Dylan Kissane

Dylan Kissane

With recent US political and strategic goals unmet after ineffective diplomatic efforts and economic sanctions, some commentators and foreign policy experts have begun urging American strategists to employ military force to effect change in Iran’s domestic and foreign policies. Presumably inspired by American success in establishing a US-friendly regime in neighbouring Iraq, such commentators suggest that a similar strategy of overwhelming military force could overcome the existing military and political structure of Iran and establish a pro-Western regime in its place. Such notions, however, rely on ignorance of one of the most basic elements of Iran: her geography. This ignorance, …

Pakistani Stance On Fmct - An Alternative Approach (Centreline), Shams Uz Zaman Mr.

Mr. Shams uz Zaman

It gives an alternative approach to Pakistan's policy on FMCT.

Comparing Postwar (West) German-Polish And Sino-Japanese Reconciliation: A Bridge Too Far?, Yinan He

Yinan He

The article argues that the harmonisation of national memories facilitates genuine reconciliation, while memory divergence resulting from national mythmaking hampers reconciliation. After WWII, Sino–Japanese and West German–Polish relations were antagonised by the Cold War structure, and pernicious myths prevailed in national collective memory. Then China and Japan brushed aside historical legacy for immediate diplomatic normalisation, but their reconciliation was impeded by elite mythmaking practices. Since the 1970s West Germany and Poland have de-mythified war history and engaged in historical settlement, paving the way for deep reconciliation after the Cold War

Samarthan’S Campaign To Improve Access To The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme In India, Ramesh Awasthi, International Budget Partnership

International Budget Partnership

In India the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which guarantees a minimum of 100 days of unskilled work per year to every poor rural family that needs employment, has been ridden with bureaucratic glitches and widespread corruption. This case study examines a civil society campaign to address problems in the NREGA’s administration and mobilize people to demand work under the scheme.

The full version, short summary, and one page summary of this case study are available in English. Summaries are also available in Spanish, French, Arabic, and Chinese.

LINK: http://internationalbudget.org/publications/samarthan%E2%80%99s-campaign-to-improve-access-to-the-national-rural-employment-guarantee-scheme-in-india/

Mapping 'Chinese' Christian Schools In Indonesia: Ethnicity, Class And Religion, Chang Yau Hoon

Chang Yau HOON

No abstract provided.

Busyness In Cybercafes: An Indian Context, Payal Arora

Payal Arora

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Book Imposing Peace And Prosperity: Australia, Social Justice And Labour Reform In Occupied Japan By C. De Matos, Leon Wolff

Leon Wolff

Extract:

Christine de Matos finds little evidence of an Australia imprint on Occupation policy on Japan. If anything, Australia’s policy legacy on post-war Japan was “negligible” (p. 151): its proposals for structural reform were “neglected” (p.147); its practical policy inputs “arbitrary” (p. 74); and its engagement in Occupation control machinery a mere “preten[ce] to Allied cooperation and policy contributions” (p.74). This hardly is a promising basis for a book-length inquiry into Australia’s involvement in “imposing peace and prosperity in Occupied Japan”.

A System Of Exemptions: Historicizing State Illegality In Indonesia, Robert Cribb

Robert Cribb

No abstract provided.

The Maritime Potential Of Asean Economies, Hans-Dieter Evers, Mhd Azhari-Karim

Hans-Dieter Evers

Countries may utilize a long coastline in relation to their landmass as a resource to develop their maritime conomy. This paper argues that ASEAN countries differ in utilizing their maritime potential. As a basis for further comparative studies the Center for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) in Penang developed a set of indicators to measure the maritime potential of nations, the state of their maritime industries, and the degree to which the maritime potential has actually been utilized. Using the CenPRIS Ocean Index (COI) shows that Brunei and the Philippines have underutilized their maritime potentials, whereas Singapore and Thailand …

Monetary Policy Games, Instability And Incomplete Information, Somnath Sen Professor

Somnath Sen

Abstract: Central banks, in executing monetary policy, while pursuing traditional objectives, such as the control of inflation, may try also to promote financial stability. In this paper, we explore a simple monetary policy game played between the central bank and the financial sector. The central bank can be of two types, one traditional and the other concerned with controlling the financial markets; however, the financial sector is unsure which, due to incomplete information. The conclusion of the paper is that for small shocks to inflation there is a pooling equilibrium, whereas for larger shocks there is separation. In the latter …