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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Differential Impact Of Directors’ Social And Financial Capital On Corporate Interlock Formation, Nicholas Harrigan, Matthew Bond Dec 2012

Differential Impact Of Directors’ Social And Financial Capital On Corporate Interlock Formation, Nicholas Harrigan, Matthew Bond

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Exponential random graph models (ERGMs) are increasingly applied to observed network data and are central to understanding social structure and network processes. The chapters in this edited volume provide a self-contained, exhaustive account of the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of ERGMs, including models for univariate, multivariate, bipartite, longitudinal and social-influence type ERGMs. Each method is applied in individual case studies illustrating how social science theories may be examined empirically using ERGMs. The authors supply the reader with sufficient detail to specify ERGMs, fit them to data with any of the available software packages and interpret the results.


Social And Adversarial Varieties Of Democracy: Which Produces Fewer Criminals?, Devin K. Joshi Dec 2012

Social And Adversarial Varieties Of Democracy: Which Produces Fewer Criminals?, Devin K. Joshi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article explores the relationship between two prominent varieties of democracy and the size of a country’s prison population. Theoretically, it proposes that social democracies increase social and economic equality which reduces both the “demand for crime” and the number of criminals. Adversarial democracies, on the other hand, generate higher levels of inequality and insecurity that lead to higher levels of crime. Utilizing a structured, focused comparison of Nordic social democracies and Anglo-American adversarial democracies complemented by cross-sectional multiple regression analysis of twenty industrialized democracies, I find empirical support for both of these conjectures. A major implication of this study …


South Africa’S First Five Years On The United Nations Human Rights Council, Eduard Christiaan Jordaan Dec 2012

South Africa’S First Five Years On The United Nations Human Rights Council, Eduard Christiaan Jordaan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In June 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted its first resolution on sexual orientation and human rights. Resolution 17/19 expressed grave concern at violence and discrimination committed against people because of their sexual orientation and tasked the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on such abuses. In a body marred by regional bloc voting, Resolution 17/19 passed with support from states in all five of the official regions of the UN. South Africa was widely praised for leading such a progressive resolution through the Council, especially in the face of considerable pressure from African and …


Aesthetic Constructions Of Korea Nationalism: Spectacle, Politics And History, Yooil Bae Dec 2012

Aesthetic Constructions Of Korea Nationalism: Spectacle, Politics And History, Yooil Bae

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


A Historical Review And Assessment Of Urban Heat Island Research In Singapore, Matthias Roth, Winston T. L. Chow Nov 2012

A Historical Review And Assessment Of Urban Heat Island Research In Singapore, Matthias Roth, Winston T. L. Chow

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This historical review of 20 studies since the 1960s examines the influence of urban development on the thermal environment in Singapore, a fast growing tropical island city-state. Past observations are critically assessed with regard to experimental controls and station metadata. Given the availability of historical climate and developmental data spanning almost 50 years, changes in urban heat island (UHI) intensity and spatial coverage can be traced temporally. Rapid urban expansion in Singapore is clearly reflected in spatially and temporally changing air and surface temperature patterns. The nocturnal canopy-layer UHI intensity – measured as the difference between the commercial urban core …


Singaporeans' Well-Being: It's Not Just About Emotions, David Chan Nov 2012

Singaporeans' Well-Being: It's Not Just About Emotions, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


Future Of Jobs, Li Peng, Ning Wang, Phei Sunn Sim Oct 2012

Future Of Jobs, Li Peng, Ning Wang, Phei Sunn Sim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article highlights three trends that are disruptingthe job market’s ability to link education, jobs andincomes, examining the implications of these trendsand identifying possible early signposts.


Exit, Freedom, And Gender, Chandran Kukathas Oct 2012

Exit, Freedom, And Gender, Chandran Kukathas

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Day and night I ponder on the means by which it might be possible to escape the strictmoral code and customs of my country yet … The old Eastern traditions are firm and strongbut I could shake them from me, break them, if it were not for that other bond, even moresecurely and strongly fixed than any centuries old tradition, which binds me to my world:the love I have for those who gave me life, to whom I owe everything, everything – RadenAdjeng Kartini, 25 May 1899, Japara


New Land: A Look At Very Large Floating Structures, Li Peng Oct 2012

New Land: A Look At Very Large Floating Structures, Li Peng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Very large floating structures(VLFS) are large, tethered buoyantstructures on a body of water.Due to land reclamation, heavysea traffic and a narrow strait tothe north which is shared withMalaysia, Singapore has littleterritorial waters to spare. Theseconsiderations will constrainlarge-scale VLFS deployments.


Local Successes In Encouraging Participatory Irrigation Management: Policy Lessons From Indonesia, Jacob I. Ricks, Sigit Supadmo Arif Oct 2012

Local Successes In Encouraging Participatory Irrigation Management: Policy Lessons From Indonesia, Jacob I. Ricks, Sigit Supadmo Arif

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite decades of promotion, efforts to encourage participatory irrigation management often falter. Nowhere is this more true that on the island of Java, Indonesia where multiple programmes and millions of dollars have resulted in few effective water user associations. Even so, pockets of participatory success exist. We present findings from one locally developed water user association training programme found in Yogyakarta, Indonesia that has experienced relative success in encouraging farmer participation. We then derive policy lessons from this case.


The Political Economy Of Contract Farming In China's Agrarian Transition, Qian Forrest Zhang Oct 2012

The Political Economy Of Contract Farming In China's Agrarian Transition, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

How does rural China’s political economy determine the motivations and constraints that drive small farmers and agribusiness companies into contract farming and shape its practice and impact? This paper identifies three distinctive features of contract farming in China—varied impact on rural inequality, unstable contractual relations, and lack of competitiveness with other alternatives—and proposes tentative explanations with three features in rural China’s political economy: strong collective institutions, active state support for agriculture, and strong domestic markets. The recent turn in China’s agrarian transition toward vertical integration of agriculture with industries is, however, undermining these conditions and may move China toward more …


Putting Their Best Foot Forward: Emotional Disclosure On Facebook, Lin Qiu, Han Lin, Angela K. Y. Leung, William Tov Oct 2012

Putting Their Best Foot Forward: Emotional Disclosure On Facebook, Lin Qiu, Han Lin, Angela K. Y. Leung, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Facebook has become a widely used online self-representation and communication platform. In this research, we focus on emotional disclosure on Facebook. We conducted two studies, and results from both self-report and observer rating show that individuals are more likely to express positive relative to negative emotions and present better emotional well-being on Facebook than in real life. Our study is the first to demonstrate impression management on Facebook through emotional disclosure. We discuss important theoretical and practical implications of our study.


What's Keeping Malaysia's Opposition Together?, Bridget Welsh Oct 2012

What's Keeping Malaysia's Opposition Together?, Bridget Welsh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


From Subaltern To Free Worker: Exit, Voice, And Loyalty Among Indochina’S Subaltern Imperial Labor Camp Diaspora In Metropolitan France, 1939-1944, Tobias Frederik Rettig Oct 2012

From Subaltern To Free Worker: Exit, Voice, And Loyalty Among Indochina’S Subaltern Imperial Labor Camp Diaspora In Metropolitan France, 1939-1944, Tobias Frederik Rettig

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The twentieth century has seen its share of Vietnamese diasporas and migratory flows. In France alone, one counts six different Vietnamese diasporas, each unique in its composition, motivation, politics, and length of stay in France. As in the First World War, the Vietnamese Second World War diaspora was unique in that its migration was meant to be temporary (for the duration of the war only), organized by the French imperial nation-state that largely requisitioned rather than attracted labor, and in that the migrants were exclusively male. The French journalist Pierre Daum has called them forced laborers, whereas the French-Vietnamese scholar …


The Eu Sanctions Against Syria: Conflict Management By Other Means?, Clara Portela Oct 2012

The Eu Sanctions Against Syria: Conflict Management By Other Means?, Clara Portela

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Since May 2011, the EU has crafted one of its most far reaching and sophisticated sanctions operations in support of the anti-regime protests against the current regime in Syria. This article examines the measures wielded by the EU, its expected impact and its implications for the EU's relations with its global partners. While seriously undermined by the lack of support of Russia, the sanctions are having a noticeable economic impact. Yet, the choice of measures is ill-suited to stop the bloodshed. The sanctions have also served to (re)define partnerships with other powers, both in the Middle-East and globally.


The Importance Of Employee Well-Being, William Tov, David Chan Sep 2012

The Importance Of Employee Well-Being, William Tov, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


United Front For Reforms In Myanmar, Bridget Welsh Sep 2012

United Front For Reforms In Myanmar, Bridget Welsh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


Global Health Governance: Analyzing China, India, And Japan As Global Health Aid Donors, Ann Florini, Karthik Nachiappan, Tikki Pang, Christine Pilcavage Sep 2012

Global Health Governance: Analyzing China, India, And Japan As Global Health Aid Donors, Ann Florini, Karthik Nachiappan, Tikki Pang, Christine Pilcavage

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Development assistance is a significant mechanism by which major countries exercise influence in the global health arena. Of the major Asian powers, Japan has long provided significant funding, while China and India have primarily been recipients but are beginning to increase their funding roles. This article examines the amounts, channels, modes, disease allocations and the geographic focuses of their foreign health aid, and delineates the institutional structures that govern the formulation and implementation of foreign health aid policy in each of these countries, to explore what influence China, India, and Japan have and may develop in the global health arena. …


The Peculiar Politics Of Energy, Ann Florini Sep 2012

The Peculiar Politics Of Energy, Ann Florini

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Imagine that you could wave a magic wand and provide everyone in the world with easy access to clean and affordable energy. In one stroke you would make the world a far cleaner, richer, fairer, and safer place. Suddenly, a billion and a half of the world's poorest people could discover what it is like to turn on an electric light in the evening. The looming threat posed by climate change would largely disappear. From the South China Sea to the Middle East to the Arctic, geopolitical tensions over energy resources would fade away. Human health would benefit, too, as …


The Goals Matter, So Does The Journey, David Chan Aug 2012

The Goals Matter, So Does The Journey, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.


The Better-Than-Average Effect In Hong Kong And The United States: The Role Of Personal Trait Importance And Cultural Trait Importance, Kim-Pong Tam, Angela K. Y. Leung, Young-Hoon Kim, Chi-Yue Chiu, Ivy Yee-Man Lau, Al K. C. Au Aug 2012

The Better-Than-Average Effect In Hong Kong And The United States: The Role Of Personal Trait Importance And Cultural Trait Importance, Kim-Pong Tam, Angela K. Y. Leung, Young-Hoon Kim, Chi-Yue Chiu, Ivy Yee-Man Lau, Al K. C. Au

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

People tend to make self-aggrandizing social comparisons on traits that are important to the self. However, existing research on the better-than-average effect (BTAE) and trait importance does not distinguish between personal trait importance (participants’ ratings of the importance of certain traits to themselves) and cultural trait importance (participants’ perceptions of the importance of the traits to the cultural group to which they belong). We demonstrated the utility of this distinction by examining the joint effects of personal importance and cultural importance on the BTAE among Hong Kong Chinese and American participants. Results showed that the BTAE was more pronounced for …


International Human Rights Law And Social Movements: States' Resistance And Civil Society's Insistence, Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Claire Whitlinger, Alwyn Lim Aug 2012

International Human Rights Law And Social Movements: States' Resistance And Civil Society's Insistence, Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Claire Whitlinger, Alwyn Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This review examines recent scholarship on the rise of international human rights law and proposes that social movements have played critical roles both in elevating the standards of human rights in international law and in leveraging these standards into better local practices. Institutionalization of universal human rights principles began in the immediate post–World War II period, in which civil society actors worked with powerful states to establish human rights as a key guiding principle of the international community and to ensure the actors' continuing participation in international human rights institutions. The subsequent decades saw various hurdles arise in international politics, …


Ovulation Leads Women To Perceive Sexy Cads As Good Dads, Kristina M. Durante, Vladas Griskevicius, Jeffry A. Simpson, Stephanie M. Canfu, Norman P. Li Aug 2012

Ovulation Leads Women To Perceive Sexy Cads As Good Dads, Kristina M. Durante, Vladas Griskevicius, Jeffry A. Simpson, Stephanie M. Canfu, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why do some women pursue relationships with men who are attractive, dominant, and charming but who do not want to be in relationships—the prototypical sexy cad? Previous research shows that women have an increased desire for such men when they are ovulating, but it is unclear why ovulating women would think it is wise to pursue men who may be unfaithful and could desert them. Using both college-age and community-based samples, in 3 studies we show that ovulating women perceive charismatic and physically attractive men, but not reliable and nice men, as more committed partners and more devoted future fathers. …


Examining The Complications Of Global Energy Governance, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Ann Florini Aug 2012

Examining The Complications Of Global Energy Governance, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Ann Florini

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article systematically examines fundamental obstacles to effective and efficient global energy governance. The first part of the article defines and conceptualises governance, global governance and global energy governance. It also explores the existing global energy governance architecture, depicting six types of global energy governor – intergovernmental organisations, summit processes, international non-governmental organisations, multilateral financial institutions, regional organisations that involve two or more countries as members and hybrid entities – and a sample of 42 such institutions and organisations currently operating around the world. The second part of the article corrects some emerging misconceptions about global energy governance: that effective …


The Geographies Of Religious Conversion, Orlando Woods Aug 2012

The Geographies Of Religious Conversion, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The paper reviews the corpus of research that attempts to explain the process of religious conversion, and explores the ways in which geographers can add new perspectives to the discourse. It argues that religious conversion is a phenomenon that goes beyond the reorientation of individual belief, and is instead a process of change that involves the (re)definition of self and other. Five conceptual frames are proposed - (1) conversion of space; (2) spaces of conversion; (3) spaces of negotiation; (4) the (im)mobile convert; and (5) the (dis)embodied convert - which are used to help define the geographies of religious conversion.


Coalitions And Language Politics: Policy Shifts In Southeast Asia, Amy H. Liu, Jacob I. Ricks Jul 2012

Coalitions And Language Politics: Policy Shifts In Southeast Asia, Amy H. Liu, Jacob I. Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why is it that some governments recognize only one language while others espouse multilingualism? Related, why are some governments able to shift language policies, and if there is a shift, what explains the direction? In this article, the authors argue that these choices are theproduct of coalitional constraints facing the government during critical junctures in history. During times of political change in the state-building process, the effective threat of an alternate linguistic group determines the emergent language policy. If the threat is low, the government moves toward monolingual policies. As the threat increases, however, the government is forced to co-opt …


Not A Partnership In Pepper, Coffee, Callico, Or Tobacco: Edmund Burke And The Vicissitudes Of Colonial Capitalism, Onur Ulas Ince Jul 2012

Not A Partnership In Pepper, Coffee, Callico, Or Tobacco: Edmund Burke And The Vicissitudes Of Colonial Capitalism, Onur Ulas Ince

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This essay examines the tensions between liberalism and capitalism through an analysis of Edmund Burke's works on eighteenth-century liberal political economy and, specifically the challenges posed by colonial capitalism. When criticizing the East India Company Burke attempted to fortify "commercial" principles, on which British self-image rested, against the "rapacious" policies of British imperialism in India, which threatened this liberal self-image. His denunciation of the Company thus can be construed as an index to broader contradictions between the liberal self-image of capitalism and the coercive processes of colonial displacement and extraction that were an integral part of capitalism's emergence. The article, …


Cash In Hand, Want Better Looking Mate: Significant Resource Cues Raise Reported Mating Standards In Men, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li Jul 2012

Cash In Hand, Want Better Looking Mate: Significant Resource Cues Raise Reported Mating Standards In Men, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Resources are a cardinal component of male mate value in the sexual exchange between men and women. Inspired by theories and research suggesting a link between mating and resource constructs as well as studies linking money and valuations of others, the current study tests the hypothesis that cues to resource availability may lead to higher mating standards for men, but not women. Participants were exposed to either stacks of paper, a small sum of money (104 Singapore dollars ~USD$84), or a large sum of money (2600 Singapore dollars ~USD$2100). Consistent with the hypothesis, after male – but not female – …


Myanmar: The Beginning Of Reform And The End Of Sanctions, Marco Bünte, Clara Portela Jun 2012

Myanmar: The Beginning Of Reform And The End Of Sanctions, Marco Bünte, Clara Portela

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Since March 2011, Burma/Myanmar has witnessed a liberalization of the press, the release of political prisoners and the initiation of a political dialogue between the regime on the one hand and the opposition and ethnic groups on the other. The reforms culminated in by-elections on 1 April 2012, which in turn resulted in a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). Overall, political reforms in Burma/Myanmar are being initiated from “above.” They are elite-driven and stem from the president and progressive members of the military-dominated party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).


Ambitions Of A Global City: Arts, Culture And Creative Economy In 'Post-Crisis' Singapore, Lily Kong Jun 2012

Ambitions Of A Global City: Arts, Culture And Creative Economy In 'Post-Crisis' Singapore, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper chronicles some of the key policies pertaining to the arts and culture in post-independent Singapore. A brief summary is first provided of the early (1960s and 1970s) cultural policy focusing on the harnessing of arts and culture for nation-building purposes, followed by the subsequent (1980s) recognition that the arts and culture had tourist dollar potential. The paper then expands on the cultural/creative economy policy of the 2000s, in which arts, heritage, media and design are recognized for their economic value (beyond their role in tourism to include their export value and their importance in attracting global workers). The …