Environmental Studies Commons^™

The Power Of Uncertainty: The Neoliberal Quest For Profit In Spain, Ismael Vaccaro Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Using as a case study the consequences of the recent generalized economic crisis in Spain and Europe (2008-14), I propose to analyze the role of uncertainty as a key and recurrent ingredient needed by market economies to generate high levels of profitability at the cost of extremely high levels of social inequality. The present article examines the relationships between crises and uncertainty as socially constructed realities that have been instrumental in the political reshaping of entire societies. The “crisis” narrative has succeeded in explaining extreme levels of profit generation as economic “failure” and, consequently, in legitimating further profit by dismantling …

South Africa In The Brics: Soft Power Balancing And Instrumentalization, Hany Besada, Evren Tok Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

This paper investigates South Africa’s participation in the BRICS formation and the implications of its inclusion for the country, the continent, and global governance. It argues that by joining the BRICS grouping, South Africa is reinforcing neoliberalism in Africa, with markets being liberalized across the continent, trade and investment becoming the focus, and social and environmental protection remaining a distant concern. Meanwhile, other countries, particularly China and Russia, are instrumentalizing the forum to get what they want out of African countries without formalizing the grouping’s policies and effecting change to global institutions at the global level, as was initially promised. …

India And South Asian Security Issues: Problems Aplenty, Solutions Hazy, Prospects Unsettling, Raviprasad Narayanan

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• David Brewster. India as an Asia Pacific Power. Abingdon: Routledge, 2012. Marcus Franke. War and Nationalism in South Asia: The Indian State and the Nagas. New York: Routledge, 2011.
• D. Suba Chandran and P.R. Chari (Eds.). Armed Conflicts in South Asia 2011: The Promise and Threat of Transformation. New Delhi: Routledge, 2012.

Under Scrutiny: Youth In Contemporary Japan, Natalie Kohout

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• Anne Mette Fisker-Nielsen. Religion and Politics in Contemporary Japan: Soka Gakkai Youth and Komeito. New York: Routledge, 2012.
• Roger Goodman, Yuki Imoto, and Tuukka Toivonen (Eds.). A Sociology of Japanese Youth and Religion: From Returnees to NEETs. New York: Routledge, 2012.

Madeleine Reeves (Ed). Movement, Power And Place In Central Asia And Beyond: Contested Trajectories. London: Routledge, 2012., Feruza Aripova

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

David Hansen, Radical Rhetoric-Moderate Behaviour: Perceptions Of Islam, Shari‘A, And The Radical Dimension In Urban Pakistan. Tapir Academic Press Trondheim, 2012., Muhammad Junaid Nadvi Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Schubert, Gunter And Jens Damm Eds. Taiwanese Identity In The Twenty-First Century: Domestic, Regional And Global Perspectives, Abingdon: Routledge. 2011., Allen Chun Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Robert L. Oprisko. Honor: A Phenomenology. New York: Routledge, 2012., Christian L. Derusha

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Cross-Institutional And Interdisciplinary Dialogue On Curriculum For Global Engagement: Emerging Perspectives And Concerns, Fay Patel Ph.D., Mingsheng Li Ph.D., Matthew Piscioneri Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Inviting stakeholders to engage in dialogue on a curriculum for global engagement and organizational social responsibility in higher education (HE) is a challenge, especially when one crosses disciplinary and institutional boundaries. The established discourse and practice of internationalization in higher education over the past decades has manifested unresolved tensions and inconsistencies that have restricted the effective conceptualization of the global engagement curriculum. Upon observing inadequate professional development opportunities for dialogue regarding the global engagement curriculum at their respective universities, colleagues from Monash University and Deakin University in Australia and Massey University in New Zealand organized an open forum on the …

Rethinking China’S Model: Contending Perspectives On Chinese Economic Reform And State Governance, Zhiguo Ye

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• Wang Mengkui ed. Thirty Years of China's Reform. London and New York: Routledge. 2012.
• Joseph Tse-Hei Lee, Lida V Nedilsky, Siu Keung Cheung (eds.) China's Rise to Power: Conceptions of State Governance. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2012.

Reflections On China’S Global Outreach, Emilian Raychev Kavalski

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• Zheng Bijian, China’s Road to Peaceful Rise: Observations on Its Causes, Basis, Connotations, and Prospects. Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2011.
• Peter Kien-hong Yu, International Governance and Regimes: A Chinese Perspective. Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2012.
• Hongyi Lai and Yiyi Lu (eds), China’s Soft Power and International Relations. Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2012.

Farhan Hanif Siddiqi, The Politics Of Ethnicity In Pakistan: The Balouch, Sindhi And Mohajir Ethnic Movements. Oxon And New York: Routledge, 2012., Muhammad Junaid Nadvi Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Dominik Kopinski, Andrzej Polus, & Iantaylor, (Eds.) China’S Rise In Africa. Perspectives On A Developing Connection. London & New York: Routledge, 2012., Yoon Jung Park

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Lau, Albert Ed. Southeast Asia And The Cold War. New York: Routledge. 2012., Martin Ottovay Jørgensen Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Takeshi Hamashita. China, East Asia, And The Global Economy: Regional And Historical Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2008., Dan Du

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Henrike Donner (Ed.). Being Middle Class In India: A Way Of Life. New York: Routledge, 2011, Frank F. Conlon Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Kellner-Heinkele, Barbara And Jacob M. Landau. Language Politics In Contemporary Central Asia: National And Ethnic Identity And The Soviet Legacy. London: I.B. Tauris, 2012., R. Charles Weller

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Toby Dodge And Nicholas Redman (Eds.).Afghanistan To 2015 And Beyond. London: Routledge, 2011., Saroj Kumar Rath Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Searching For Security: Prospects For Peace In Sino-Foreign Relations, Covell Meyskens

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• Quansheng Zhao and Guoli Liu, eds. Managing the China challenge: global perspectives. London and New York: Routledge, 2009.
• Dennis J. Blasko. Chinese Army today: tradition and transformation for the 21st century. New York: Routledge, 2012.

Debdas Banerjee. Economic And Human Development In Contemporary India: Cronyism And Fragility. New York: Routledge, 2010., Maansi Parpiani

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Arizona's Vulnerable Populations, Jonathan G.S. Koppell, Warren Prostollo, Jay Kittle, Arlan Colton, Kim Demarchi, Darryl Dobras, Susan Goldsmith, Billie Fidlin, Jim Holoway, Tara Jackson, Rita Maguire, Elizabeth Mcnamee, Patrick Mcwhortor, Ray Newton, Pat Norris, Steve Pedigo, Scott Rhodes, Fred Rosenfed, Chad Sampson, David Snider, Bob Strain, Marissa Theisen, Devan Wastchak, Terri Wogan, Larry Woods, Antonia Adams-Clement, Nina Babich, Andrea Banks, Eric Bjorklund, Luke Black, Luis De La Cruz-Parra, Richard Fabes, Felicia Ganther, Joseph Garcia, Maria Harper-Marinick, Kevin Hengehold, Lane Kenworthy, Julie Knapp, Kelly Mcgowan, Ray Ostos, Kathleen Perales, Suzanne Pfister, Michael S. Shafer, Julia Grace Smith, Ed Strong, Cynthia Zwick

Publications from President Jonathan G.S. Koppell

Arizona’s vulnerable populations are struggling on a daily basis but usually do so in silence, undetected by traditional radar and rankings, often unaware themselves of their high risk for being pushed or pulled into a full crisis. Ineligible for financial assistance under strict eligibility guidelines, they don’t qualify as poor because vulnerable populations are not yet in full crisis. To be clear, this report is not about the “poor,” at least not in the limited sense of the word. It is about our underemployed wage earners, our single-parent households, our deployed or returning military members, our under-educated and unskilled workforce, …

Utilizing A Green Revolving Fund For Reforestation On University Of Richmond’S Pagebrook Property, Patrick Love, Adam Owens

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The purpose of our climate change senior seminar project is to offset school funded domestic travel by implementing a fee structure to obtain an allocation of funding from different school departments responsible for sending students and faculty to locations around the United States. We need to take measures in creating a fund dedicated to creating sustainability -focused programs in order to maintain our reputation as a progressive and prominent institution. Once we generate money from the fees on our school’s travel, our first proposal is to reforest an underutilized piece of land owned by the school for the purpose of …

Promoting Sustainability To First-Year Students, Anna Sangree, Ashley Colón, Bree Coleman

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The university provides transportation resources, recycling bins next to most trashcans in popular student locations, and full time staff working for the Office of Sustainability. However, the many resources provided by the university will not facilitate movement towards the campus sustainability goals if students do not participate. According to the most recent survey on campus, 42% of students at the University of Richmond believe that human activity is causing climate change (See Chapter 1). Still, students do not seem to correlate their everyday actions with rising levels of greenhouse gasses. In order to target students on campus, we have structured …

Climate Change In Native American Communities: Challenges Of Comprehension, Context, & Communication, Patrick Austin Freeland

Open Access Theses

Very little literature exists which details how climate change impacts Indian Country. This study first investigates how US newspaper stories published from 1991 to 2011 present American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) perceptions, and observations, of environmental changes resulting from climatic change. Several specific risk, impacts, and vulnerabilities were documented, and observations of climate change from AI/AN perceptions were analyzed for content to identify three frames of perspective: pan-Indian, tribally-specific, and individual perceptions. By law, ethical considerations are paramount when dealing with research in Native American tribes and communities. While each nation is supposed to review research to assess the risk and …

Carbon Offset Solutions For International Travel Emissions, Kristen Bailey, Kelly Kurz, Tanya Sushkova

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

This paper explores possible carbon offset solutions for the University of Richmond’s (UR’s) study-abroad travel emissions in pursuit of the University’s goal to be carbon neutral by the year 2050. First, our group divided the world into five regions to which UR students travel: Oceania, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. For the most popular countries in each region, we suggest several carbon offset programs to address this portion of the University’s carbon emissions. Then, we created a methodology for evaluating and comparing carbon offset programs around the world including six scoring categories: experience, education, incentive, price, impact, and effectiveness. …

Assessing Scope 3 Emissions Within A University Department: Using A Life Cycle Assessment And Supply Chain Case Studies, Celia Landesberg, Erin Brady

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to identify opportunities to reduce Scope 3 emissions associated with University operations. While the scope of this report is limited, analysis of the department case study and the two selected products suggest the University should conduct a larger, more comprehensive supply chain assessment in the future to identify methods for emissions and cost reductions from altered purchasing practices. By sharing the information from this report, we hope to encourage the University to pursue more sustainable consumption practices.

Poster prepared for the Environmental Studies Senior Seminar/Geography Capstone.

Rainwater Harvesting System: Proposal For A Pilot Rainwater Harvesting System Installment At Booker Hall, Diana Alderbashi, Joel Collins, Jack Wilkes

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Fresh water is expected to become increasingly scarce as temperature and sea levels rise due to Global Climate Change. We believe now is the time to start rethinking our behaviors in terms of water use and start conserving water even if it is on a small scale. One of the best ways to conserve water at a university level is to install small scale rainwater harvesting system for irrigation. We propose for the University of Richmond to utilize Booker Hall to collect rainwater using ten 200 gallon rain barrels. The water will be used to irrigate flowerbeds around campus. The …

Climate Change And The Westhampton Lake: Review And Recommendations, Kendel Ahnell, Yazmeen Nuñez, Natasha Rathlev

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

The Westhampton Lake is a campus icon and one of the University of Richmond's most prominent features. The significant attachment that members of the University community hold toward the lake imbues great value on the lake as a key geographic element of campus (Devine-Wright, 2013). However, the lake’s status as a campus monument does not absolve it from the greater effects of climate change, a phenomenon which will continue to transform the geography and ecology of the lake. Without a concrete understanding of the implications of current and future climate change on campus, the community may leave the Westhampton Lake …

Measuring Support For Climate Change Research At The University Of Richmond, Adam Forrer, Brianna Miller, Hunterr Payeur

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

This study investigated the possibility of hiring new faculty at the University of Richmond whose area of expertise incorporates climate change. The study used a survey of Richmond students to gauge interest in academic areas such as climate change classes and research with faculty. In depth interviews with faculty members from various departments within the University were also conducted. Further research showed that although 12 of the top 25 liberal arts schools in the United States offered two or more classes specifically on the issue of climate change, the University of Richmond intermittently offers one climate change class, located in …

Attitudes Towards Climate Change And Sustainability, Sammy Easby, Tess Manning

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar Projects

Climate change is an important issue in the world today and the University of Richmond has the ability to make a difference. The purpose of this project was to gain information about University of Richmond students’ awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to climate change and sustainability on campus. A short survey was composed and sent to students via email. Over the course of two weeks, 274 students completed the survey. The data from the survey was composed and analyzed. Based on the data, for the most part our community’s behaviors have stayed consistent. Student awareness has slightly increased but they …