Digital Commons Network^™

Growing Gardens And Nurturing Community In The Urban Environment, Katie Shaw

Global Studies Student Scholarship

The following literature will analyze how urban agriculture (UA), and more specifically community gardens, address the rising global pressures on urban areas by rebuilding local networks. First, it will present community gardening as a solution to the global food crisis. Second, five case studies will compare cities’ community garden projects throughout the world: Accra, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Havana, and Philadelphia. The next section will study the demographics of community gardeners, especially its impacts on marginalized members of society: children, women, elderly, immigrants and ethnic minorities, and physical and mentally challenged. And finally, the issues of city planning and green design …

This American Suburb: Fossil Fuels, Personal Misconceptions, And Loss Of Community, Stephan Mirando

Global Studies Student Scholarship

How did we come to live this way? The modern suburb has become synonymous with the American dream and yet its inception is still rather new. This work examines the creation of this way of life thanks to the ready availability of cheap fuels and questionable modes of thinking. In light of the energy crisis these vast expanses of homes may not be able to sustain themselves after the peak consumption of oil. In light of this possibility, the author questions what these people will be missing since the sense of community has all but been lost in these areas …

Political, Economic, And Legal Influences On Gender Inequality, Brittani Melvin

XULAneXUS

Abstract Obtaining equality has been a continuous struggle in the United States. Race, class, and gender inequality are extensive in this country, so much so that these aspects of inequality often intersect, making the effects of inequality more prevalent. In discussing gender inequality, many only consider the variations in income, employment, and opportunity that exist between men and women. The purpose of this paper is to examine the inequalities that occur within gender inequality, namely on the basis of race and class. This paper will attempt to answer how the political, economic, and legal practices that often govern this nation …

Why Urbanists Need Religion, Joshua D. Ambrosius

Political Science Faculty Publications

This essay summarizes a conference paper presented at the October 2008 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The paper was reviewed by several leading scholars.

Political Science Spring 2009, Dan Sabia

Political Science Newsletter Spring 2009

No abstract provided.

Political And Economic Development, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Social Capital In Rural China: Its Impact On Economic Development, Grassroots Governance, And Democratic Participation, Min Xia

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Does social capital generate positive influences on economic development and democratic governance? This question has important theoretical and policy implications for the contemporary world, especially for the developing countries. The primary goals of this study are to investigate the stock of two types of social capital—bridging social capital and bonding social capital—in rural China, and furthermore to examine the impacts of these two types of social capital upon economic development, grassroots governance, and democratic participation in rural China.

In this study bridging social capital has been measured by the participation in inclusive social networks and general trust among villagers, and …

Huiyuan（汇源): My “Nationalistic” Juice, Yu Zhou

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

On March 18, 2009, the Chinese Commerce Ministry rejected Coca-Cola’s proposal to take over Huiyuan, the top juice maker in China. This deal was a closely watched one as an early test of China’s newly instated anti-monopoly law. The veto was greeted with dismay in the major western media and widely interpreted as a new signal of Chinese protectionism. The article in the Times and the editorial by Financial Times suggested that the Chinese government made decisions based on nationalistic considerations, rather than any sound economic or legal rationale. The rejection is thought to have far-reaching ramifications for foreign investment …

Can China Go High-Tech When Exports Slump?, Yu Zhou

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

As the financial Tsunami batter China’s exporting hubs, everyone is wondering how well China can weather the storm in the next couple of years, but a more important question is how China’s economy will emerge after the crisis. As a result of extensive research, I argue that there have been sustained forces pushing China’s industry to more innovative fields with a stronger orientation to the domestic market. The crisis will only strengthen the shift in a more dramatic manner.

This conclusion is based on my research in Beijing’s Zhongguancun, a region dedicated to innovative industry and domestic market. I started …

Türk Dövlətlərinin Beynəlxalq Təşkilatlar Çərçivəsində Regional Inteqrasiya Perspektivləri, Ceyhun Mahmudov

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Advocate, February 2009, Vol. [20], No. [5], Advocate

The Advocate

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

From the Editor's Desk: Putting Away Childish Things (p. 2)

An Open Letter to President Jennifer Raab, Hunter College, CUNY (p. 3)

In Memoriam: John Patrick Diggins (1935-2009) (p. 4)

Framing Shape: War Crimes and Paralysis, Alan Koenig (p. 6)

Adjuncting: Free Choice and Adjunct Equity, Renee McGarry (p. 8)

Afghanistan: The Use and Abuse of a Buffer State (Part 2), Christian Parenti (p. 9)

Gaza Forum: The War of Punishment and Frustration, Adel Safty (p. 12)

The Dark Days: Fortress Israel’s Final Stand, Naji Ali (p. 13)

Book Review: The Crisis of Labor, Carl Lindskoog (p. …

Montenegro: Vassal Or Sovereign?, Octavian Sofansky, Stephen R. Bowers, Marion T. Doss, Jr.

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The authors conclude that Montenegro could be the key for Balkan peace. Relieved of its Yugoslav appendix, Serbia might finally focus inward on the pressing economic problems and opt for democratization and cooperation with the international community. However, it might also be that Montenegro is a trigger for a new protracted civil war, a new Vietnam, which will immerse the future of Balkan people in uncertainty.

In Case You Missed It: Cape No. 7, Peter Zarrow

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

“Cape No. 7” (海角七號) is an energetic bon-bon of a film that is Taiwan’s official entry for the Oscars this year, in the “best foreign film” category. Who was it who first compared a certain type of movie to the bon-bon? The Taiwanese film sensation “Cape No. 7” fits the description perfectly. Light romantic comedy with an edge of tragic love lost. And above all, let’s all rock together—Hoklo, aborigines, young and old, Japanese—even an energetic Hakka!—invited into the mix. Not a corrupt politician or political judge in sight. The film even had, now that I’m thinking of confectionary, an …

More China Writing In Surprising Places: Japan Focus

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

For quite some time, the online journal Japan Focus has been moving toward covering Asia more generally, and recently it made that shift official with its new name, The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. In our series of lists of “surprising places to find great writing on China,” this is perhaps not the most shocking as it is coordinated by Mark Selden, whose first book, The Yenan Way, is on every China specialist’s exam reading list (and who has published widely in the last thirty years on China, Japan, and Asia).

So here is a list of five sample pieces from …

Religio-Political Groups And The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, Catherine Ruth Orsborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a quagmire of interests working against one another. In this paper, I explore the specific role of religio-political groups in the conflict. I particularly examine the ideological political and religious foundations of Gush Emunim and Hamas, paying much attention to the question of why they are attractive to people in our current era. I argue that these groups are continuously effective in opposing the current quest for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and that they continue to grow as the result of an identity crisis brought about by factors related to globalization and the failure …

2009: Final Report "Is It Time To Change The Drinking Age In The United States?"

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The 2009 Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States must study proposals for changing the current legal drinking age, identify and analyze the perceived problems leading to these proposals as well as arguments in support of the current legal drinking age, and decide if a change is warranted, at what level of government should it be implemented, and whether other provisions should be mandated as part of the change.

Coughlin And Cleveland, Karen G. Ketchaver

Masters Theses

Father Charles E. Coughlin was one of the most prominent, and most controversial, figures in the United States in the 1930s and in the early years of the 1940s. This Canadian-born cleric rose from the life of an ordinary parish priest to becoming one of the leading radio phenomena of his day, masterfully using the new medium to command a vast audience. Coughlin began his radio career addressing religious subjects, but he expanded into the realm of politics by the early 1930s. His views became more and more extreme, and, by the latter part of the decade, he became increasingly …

Reconceptualizing The 2006 Qdr Threat Categories, Robert J. Bunker

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Projections of the future national-security environment are always laden with uncertainty and ambiguity. However, they help to serve an early-warning function concerning emergent threats and the nationalist capabilities that will be required to respond to them. With this in mind, I would like to offer a reconceptualization of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, or QDR, threat categories by viewing these threat potentials through a modified perceptual lens.

From The Suburbs To The House: The Metropolitan–Rural Population And The Success Of Women Candidates, Elizabeth A. Stiles, Larry Schwab

Political Science

We analyze the voting behavior of metropolitan and rural residents in relation to women’s legislative representation. Examining election data on the U.S. House and all lower state houses, we find that the greater the metropolitan population in a legislative district, the more likely it is to be represented by a woman. We extrapolate from these findings that the modern increase in women’s representation can be attributed in part to the rural-to-suburban shift in population and legislative seats.

Canada (En)Counters Terrorism: Us-Canada Relations And Counter-Terrorism Policy, Veronica Kitchen, Karthika Sasikumar

Faculty Publications

This paper examines the role of identity in shaping counter-terrorism policy in Canada. We show that identity functions in three ways: constitutively by defining the range of choices a state is likely to consider; strategically by being a resource to buttress arguments based in economic or sovereignty interests; and heuristically by using identity as a marker for risk. This three-faceted explanation helps explain why, despite close economic, social, and political links between Canada and the United States which might lead us to expect Canada to follow American counter-terrorism policy, Canadian counter-terrorism policy often diverges from the American lead.

Politics Of Europe Resources, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Political Theory Websites And Bibliography, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Erik Von Kuehnelt-Leddihn: The Intelligent American’S Guide To Europe (1979) Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Identifying The Postmodern/Cold War Interlock— Soliciting A Security Studies Pedagogy Au Courant, Michael R. Mcrill

Global Tides

One scholarly faction contends that the arenas of security studies and international politics have remained essentially the same post-World War II. The other sees the 1960s as illuminating a fundamental paradigm shift concerning security studies. The latter group asserts that the majority of security concerns has either been dropped or sharply shifted post-Cold War. Since then, studies have expanded to encompass a scholarly plea for broader definitions of national security. The advent and increase of nonmilitary threats has led many to argue that these threats must be considered within the arena of national security concerns, and other scholars assert that …

Commentary, Kenneth J. Cooper

Trotter Review

Barack Obama has made history by dispatching to the dustbin another usage for the tiresome phrase “first black.” As president, he is also going to make the future, both during his term and long after. The country’s racial-ethnic landscape, with its dangerous crevices and sheer mountains, is about to change in monumental ways.

His presence in the White House will promote more interracial dialogue, for one, and for the good of the country. This will not be a small change. The novelist Richard Wright once explained that he chose exile in Paris in the 1940s because he could not have …

A Symposium On Confronting Global Terrorism And American Neo-Conservatism: The Framework Of A Liberal Grand Strategy. By Tom Farer. Oxford, Uk: Oxford University Press, 2008., Richard Falk, Dino Kritsiotis, Paul Taylor, Tom Farer

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Confronting Global Terrorism and American Neo-Conservatism: The Framework of a Liberal Grand Strategy. By Tom Farer. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Indigenous Rights In Latin America: The Gap Between Doctrine And Reality, Dan Ruge

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Indigenous people are prevalent across Latin America, with numbers reaching upwards of 70 percent of the general population in certain countries. Given their strong ancestral ties to the land and cultural practices, these groups have remained hidden and isolated from mainstream populations and the forces of globalization. For many groups, the limited interactions between indigenous people and the outside world have sadly been harmful to the survival of these communities. The discovery and exploitation of oil and other natural resources have led to the destruction of property, culture, and lives of indigenous groups. The uprooting and extinction in some cases …

Anabaptism And The State: An Uneasy Coexistence, Sandra F. Joireman

Political Science Faculty Publications

In any compilation of Christian views of the state, the Anabaptist position stands out as unique or, if one wanted to be less complimentary, extreme. The Anabaptist view of the state is less focused on articulating the division between church and state responsibilities than the Reformed or Lutheran traditions. Indeed, Anabaptists have no assigned role for government beyond the creation of order, emphasizing scriptural interpretations that give primacy to the church in the life of a Christian. As a result, political theology distances Anabaptists from both the Catholic Church and the mainstream of the Reformation.

The Long Game: Hamas, The Ira, And The Politics Of Radicalization In Palestine And Northern Ireland, Dan O'Sullivan

Honors Theses

The value of a comparative study of the two conflicts stems from a remarkable similarity in the structural organization of political violence by its most influential practitioners: the IRA and Hamas. At the core, I have merely tried my best to approach a beguiling question in a fresh, dynamic way. The stultifying discourse of conflict that serves as lingua franca for the Israeli‐Palestinian issue has largely reduced strategic debate to how best the conflict can be managed – not ended. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s focus on “economic peace” and unwillingness to commit to a two‐state solution – the consensus that …

An Uncertain Place In Uncertain Times: The South Caucasus, Nathan Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to address how geopolitical factors influence the foreign policies of states in the South Caucasus. Due to the recent Russia-Georgia War, this region is central to contemporary foreign policy, fueling discussions of a New Cold War between the US and Russia. With the explicit goal to provide policy relevant research on this critical region, the South Caucasus states (Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia) are examined in three separate case studies. Utilizing qualitative analysis of historical event data, each case examines the role of five different variables: energy resources, routes, demography, proximity, and state leadership. That …