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Asian Studies

Selected Works

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Full-Text Articles in International Relations

She Who Laughs Loudest: A Meditation On Zen Humor, Andrew Whitehead Mar 2019

She Who Laughs Loudest: A Meditation On Zen Humor, Andrew Whitehead

Andrew K. Whitehead

Articulating a Zen Buddhist perspective on humor, this paper examines the Japanese Zen Buddhist response of humor in the face of the suffering of situated existence and the motivations for this response. The examination will take the school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism as its exemplar. I argue that in order to appreciate the function of humor in Zen a number of cultural and historical influences must be considered: correlative ontology; the Buddhist notion of emptiness; the impotence of language; sense and nonsense; and the senselessness of transgression.


Reviewer_Report.Pdf, Mark Reisinger Dec 2018

Reviewer_Report.Pdf, Mark Reisinger

Mark Reisinger

By 2047, Hong Kong’s “One Country, Two Systems” government regime will end, promoting the country’s integration into the People’s Republic of China (PRC). To ensure a smooth transition, the PRC has been issuing measures to promote integration by eliminating the border and other forms of geographic barriers that separate the two countries. But despite on-going practices of integration, Hong Kong continues to strengthen its border with China through infrastructural and bureaucratic means, reinforcing a British-colonial era border regime. Thus, my research focuses on this contradiction between the elimination and reinforcement of the Hong Kong-China border as an attempt to understand …


Syllabus Inr 3227 (Rvc): International Relations Of South Asia (Fall 2019), Lukas K. Danner Dec 2018

Syllabus Inr 3227 (Rvc): International Relations Of South Asia (Fall 2019), Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

No abstract provided.


Faq#7: Why Were Chinese People So Angry About The Attempts To Seize The Torch In The International Torch Relay?, Susan Brownell May 2018

Faq#7: Why Were Chinese People So Angry About The Attempts To Seize The Torch In The International Torch Relay?, Susan Brownell

Susan Brownell

I have just returned from five days in the earthquake disaster zone in Sichuan province, where I was a member of the “People’s Olympic Education Promotion Team” that visited Deyang city to conduct “Youth Olympic Games Re-enactments” at six local primary and secondary schools. There I realized that for the people we encountered, The Torch is a sacred object. I call it The Torch because that is what they called it – 火炬 – as if there were only one, and no further adjectives were necessary.

The project expressed the mission of Donnie Pei, a professor at the Capital Institute …


The Olympics In East Asia: Nationalism, Regionalism, And Globalism On The Center Stage Of World Sports, William W. Kelly, Susan Brownell May 2018

The Olympics In East Asia: Nationalism, Regionalism, And Globalism On The Center Stage Of World Sports, William W. Kelly, Susan Brownell

Susan Brownell

Yale CEAS Occasional Publication Series - Volume 3


A Political Theory Of Kulturkampf: Evidence From Imperial Prussia & Republican Turkey, Ioannis N. Grigoriadis, Theocharis Grigoriadis Jan 2018

A Political Theory Of Kulturkampf: Evidence From Imperial Prussia & Republican Turkey, Ioannis N. Grigoriadis, Theocharis Grigoriadis

Theocharis Grigoriadis

No abstract provided.


The Human Security Dimension Of China’S Belt And Road Initiative, Rosita Dellios, R. James Ferguson Dec 2017

The Human Security Dimension Of China’S Belt And Road Initiative, Rosita Dellios, R. James Ferguson

R. James Ferguson

Despite the geopolitical calculations associated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and how this will allow Beijing greater influence in transregional relations, the human security dimension goes to the heart of China’s wider regional strategy. The importance of development cannot be understated even as the “rise of China” attracts the headlines. How well Beijing can engage wider human security concerns will be crucial for the success of this megaproject. It is argued that the human security aspect of China’s Belt and Road Initiative requires a stronger ethical base—one which draws on China’s own Confucian heritage. This allows for both cultural …


The Human Security Dimension Of China’S Belt And Road Initiative, Rosita Dellios, R. James Ferguson Aug 2017

The Human Security Dimension Of China’S Belt And Road Initiative, Rosita Dellios, R. James Ferguson

Rosita Dellios

Despite the geopolitical calculations associated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and how this will allow Beijing greater influence in transregional relations, the human security dimension goes to the heart of China’s wider regional strategy. The importance of development cannot be understated even as the “rise of China” attracts the headlines. How well Beijing can engage wider human security concerns will be crucial for the success of this megaproject. It is argued that the human security aspect of China’s Belt and Road Initiative requires a stronger ethical base—one which draws on China’s own Confucian heritage. This allows for both cultural …


Modern Chinese Defence Strategy: Present Developments, Future Directions, Rosita Dellios Jul 2017

Modern Chinese Defence Strategy: Present Developments, Future Directions, Rosita Dellios

Rosita Dellios

The author argues that the Chinese believe in the strategy of "people's war under modern conditions", and are confident that middle-range technology and unconventional warfare and the combination of the "human" and "weapon" factors represent a successful application of the strategy. Extract: A new era in Chinese defence policy followed the ascent in 1977 of China's most powerful political and military leader since Mao. After being disgraced in 1966 and again in 1976, Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-ping) returned to the ruling ranks for the third time in July 1977. A decade of self-strengthening and reform would result. The objective of …


Religion, Administration & Public Goods: Experimental Evidence From Russia, Theocharis N. Grigoriadis Jan 2017

Religion, Administration & Public Goods: Experimental Evidence From Russia, Theocharis N. Grigoriadis

Theocharis Grigoriadis

In this paper, I argue that religion matters for the provision of public goods. I identify three normative foundations of Eastern Orthodox monasticism with strong economic implications: 1. solidarity, 2. obedience, and 3. universal discipline. I propose and solve a public goods game with a three-tier hierarchy, where these norms are modeled as treatments. Obedience and universal discipline facilitate the provision of threshold public goods in equilibrium, whereas solidarity does not. Empirical evidence is drawn from public goods experiments run with regional bureaucrats in Tomsk and Novosibirsk, Russia. The introduction of the same three norms as experimental treatments produces different …


Rising Assertiveness Versus Peaceful Development: Making Sense Of China’S Ambivalent International Behavior, Lukas K. Danner Nov 2016

Rising Assertiveness Versus Peaceful Development: Making Sense Of China’S Ambivalent International Behavior, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

In the past few years, especially after the 2008 global financial crisis, China has become more assertive, not just in its military posture but also in its diplomatic affairs and economic interactions. Despite this rising assertiveness, China’s grand strategy officially remains that of ‘Peaceful Development.’ In consequence, scholars have disagreed about the trajectory of China’s grand strategy in light of its often ambivalent behavior. To explain this ambivalence, this article will take a closer empirical look at  two important developments regarding China’s international affairs: The softening on China’s preoccupation with territorial integrity and sovereignty has been exhibited in taking sides …


University Of Rhode Island Presentations At Interdisciplinary Conference On Human Trafficking, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2016

University Of Rhode Island Presentations At Interdisciplinary Conference On Human Trafficking, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.


Sex Trafficking Of Women Around U.S. Military Bases In South Korea: Impact Of New U.S. Laws And Policies Since 2000, Amy Levesque, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2016

Sex Trafficking Of Women Around U.S. Military Bases In South Korea: Impact Of New U.S. Laws And Policies Since 2000, Amy Levesque, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Since the Korean War and permanent stationing of U.S. troops in the Republic of Korea (ROK), U.S. servicemen stationed in the ROK have purchased sex from women trafficked domestically and across international borders to work in bars and clubs surrounding U.S. military bases. For decades, the Department of Defense (DoD) and United States Forces Korea (USFK) denied that U.S. servicemen purchased sex and did not enforce the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 138-34 Pandering and Prostitution, which states that buying sex is illegal and punishable by military law. The DoD and USFK did not connect women working in bars …


Russia And The Cis In 2008 : Axis Of Authoritarianism?, Charles E. Ziegler Sep 2016

Russia And The Cis In 2008 : Axis Of Authoritarianism?, Charles E. Ziegler

Charles E. Ziegler

Russia’s seamless presidential succession produced no major changes in domestic politics or foreign policy. Ties with Asia remained strong, though several key relationships—with China, Japan, and the Central Asian states—frayed under the impact of Russia’s military action in Georgia. Impressive economic performance in the first half of the year boosted Russian confidence as a great power, but its vulnerability to the global financial crisis together with the heavy-handed operation in the Caucasus undermined Moscow’s standing with both Asia and Europe by the end of the year.


Russia And The Cis In 2007 : Putin's Final Year?, Charles E. Ziegler Sep 2016

Russia And The Cis In 2007 : Putin's Final Year?, Charles E. Ziegler

Charles E. Ziegler

Russia in 2007 moved further away from a constitutional order governed by the rule of law as President Vladimir Putin's second term drew to a close and the country prepared for parliamentary and presidential elections. High oil and gas prices buoyed the economy, but little progress was made in addressing Russia's serious social problems. In foreign policy, confrontation with the West was balanced by excellent relations with most of Asia.


Central Asia, The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, And American Foreign Policy : From Indifference To Engagement., Charles E. Ziegler Sep 2016

Central Asia, The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, And American Foreign Policy : From Indifference To Engagement., Charles E. Ziegler

Charles E. Ziegler

This paper examines U.S. engagement in Central Asia over the past two decades, with specific reference to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. While alarmist voices occasionally warn of the threat to American interests from China and Russia through the SCO, the organization’s influence appears limited. Washington has engaged it only sporadically, preferring to conduct relations bilaterally with the Central Asian states.


Neomercantilism And Great-Power Energy Competition In Central Asia And The Caspian., Charles E. Ziegler, Rajan Menon Sep 2016

Neomercantilism And Great-Power Energy Competition In Central Asia And The Caspian., Charles E. Ziegler, Rajan Menon

Charles E. Ziegler

The neomercantilist energy policies of China and Russia contribute to what is largely a competitive relationship among all three great powers in Central Asia. While neomercantilist policies do not negate the possibility of cooperation and the development of norms, rules, and institutions designed to promote collective action, they certainly erect formidable barriers.


Legitimacy Of Taiwan's Trade Negotiations With China: Demystifying Political Challenges, Pasha L. Hsieh May 2016

Legitimacy Of Taiwan's Trade Negotiations With China: Demystifying Political Challenges, Pasha L. Hsieh

Pasha L. HSIEH

The article analyzes Taiwan’s legitimacy debate over trade negotiations with China. The theoretical concept of legitimacy is used to assess Taiwan’s cross-straits negotiation mechanism and trade agreements. This article argues that Taiwan’s current legal framework governing congressional supervision of cross-straits agreements falls short of procedural legitimacy and performance legitimacy.  By explaining the constitutional design for Taiwan’s “white glove” mechanism, the article explores the initial procedural legitimacy deficit.  As cross-straits negotiations involve increasingly substantive obligations, the legitimacy of bilateral agreements has changed fundamentally. The massive protest in the Sunflower Movement due to the Services Trade Agreement reinforced legitimacy concerns. Taiwan’s ambiguous …


How Movie References Can Make Teaching Theories More Accessible, Lukas K. Danner Apr 2016

How Movie References Can Make Teaching Theories More Accessible, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

No abstract provided.


China And The Eu: Development Competitors Or Partners?, Lukas K. Danner Feb 2016

China And The Eu: Development Competitors Or Partners?, Lukas K. Danner

Lukas K. Danner

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Religious Origins Of Democracy & Dictatorship, Theocharis Grigoriadis Jan 2016

Religious Origins Of Democracy & Dictatorship, Theocharis Grigoriadis

Theocharis Grigoriadis

Weber considered the Protestant work ethic the foundation of modern capitalism. I extend Weber’s theory by arguing that states with predominantly Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Muslim populations have had a stronger inclination toward underdevelopment and dictatorship than states with Protestant or Jewish majorities. This is the case because their respective religious collectives (monastery, tariqa) promote the hierarchical provision of common goods at the expense of market incentives. I define the aforementioned three religions as collectivist, in contrast to Protestantism and Judaism, which I define as individualist. I provide a historical overview that designates the Jewish kibbutz as the collective …


Syllabus Inr 3224 (Rvc): International Relations Of East Asia (Spring 2016), Lukas K. Danner Dec 2015

Syllabus Inr 3224 (Rvc): International Relations Of East Asia (Spring 2016), Lukas K. Danner

Lukas K. Danner

International Relations of East Asia is an upper-level undergraduate course covering the foreign affairs of Northeast Asian nations. Topics explored in this course include the basics of international relations theories as they pertain to East Asia, the historical foreign affairs in the region and the foreign policies of the singular nations in the area, including security, economic, and non-traditional transnational issues. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to understand the historical legacies in East Asian international relations, analyze current East Asian foreign affairs through a theoretical lens, explain the impact of transnational issues on East Asian international …


Implications Of The Dragon’S Rise For South Asia: Assessing China’S Nepal Policy, Bibek Chand, Lukas K. Danner Dec 2015

Implications Of The Dragon’S Rise For South Asia: Assessing China’S Nepal Policy, Bibek Chand, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

China has always been an important neighbour to Nepal which has otherwise historically been heavily influenced by India. The ‘rise of China’ has created a more outward-looking Middle Kingdom and so its influence in Nepal has significantly increased within the last decade. As a consequence, Nepal is experiencing growing interest from China. This article aims to give some historical background to Sino-Nepalese relations and to measure the most recent impact of the ‘rise of China’ on Nepal, particularly on its economic, military and political fronts. This is followed by a broader look at China’s policy towards Nepal, also taking into …


Realism And Pm Narendra Modi’S Foreign Policy: Identification Of Gaps, Vivek Kumar Srivastava Dr. Jun 2015

Realism And Pm Narendra Modi’S Foreign Policy: Identification Of Gaps, Vivek Kumar Srivastava Dr.

Vivek Kumar Srivastava Dr.

Indian PM Narendra Modi is a dynamic leader. There are several discussions on his foreign policy, most of these have not studied it with a realist perspective. The present paper uses realist theoretical framework to identify the gaps in foreign policy.


The Debate On China’S Grand Strategy, Lukas K. Danner Apr 2015

The Debate On China’S Grand Strategy, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

No abstract provided.


Review: Halper, Stefan A. Beijing Consensus: Legitimizing Authoritarianism In Our Time. New York, Ny: Basic Books, [2010] 2012. 336 Pp., Lukas K. Danner Mar 2015

Review: Halper, Stefan A. Beijing Consensus: Legitimizing Authoritarianism In Our Time. New York, Ny: Basic Books, [2010] 2012. 336 Pp., Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

No abstract provided.


The Role Of Great Powers In China's Grand Strategy, Lukas Danner Jan 2015

The Role Of Great Powers In China's Grand Strategy, Lukas Danner

Lukas K. Danner

No abstract provided.


Syllabus Inr 3061 (U01): Conflict, Security, And Peace In International Relations (Fall 2015), Lukas K. Danner Dec 2014

Syllabus Inr 3061 (U01): Conflict, Security, And Peace In International Relations (Fall 2015), Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

War and peace are two intermittent outcomes of the continuous and dynamic nature of social interactions in world politics. In turn, these social events are connected by social conflicts that may, or may not degenerate into a crisis situation and war. Thus, this course will explore the genesis of social conflicts, their possible resolution, or their ultimate degeneration into crisis and war. Since the conflict-crisis-war cycle is born out and nurtured during times of “peace,” we will focus on that tract of time in order to understand the nature of social conflicts, the evolution into crisis, and the conditions for …


Securitization And De-Securitization In The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands Territorial Dispute, Lukas K. Danner Nov 2014

Securitization And De-Securitization In The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands Territorial Dispute, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

Recently, the territorial dispute over the Diaoyu, or Senkaku, Islands in the East China Sea has flamed up between China and Japan. This conflict deserves further attention because of its potential of being the spark to unleash a Sino-Japanese firefight. However, this was not the first time the two Northeast Asian great power rivals have at least verbally fought over who is the rightful owner to the resource-rich archipelago and surrounding waters. The controversy can be traced from post-World War II, over the 1970s and 1990s, to today. The entire process of this largely verbal fistfight can be best understood …


Foreign Relations - Northeast Asia, Lukas K. Danner Oct 2014

Foreign Relations - Northeast Asia, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

No abstract provided.