Asian Studies Commons^™

Seeking Common Ground While Keeping Differences: “Using The Case Of Cross-Strait Relations As A Case”, Charles Chong-Han Wu

Maryland Series in Contemporary Asian Studies

For the past decade, the “joint democracy produces peace” theory has received substantial attention. Evidence has confirmed that democracies rarely, if ever, engage in large-scale conflicts with each other. However, there is a lack of specific information regarding the mixed dyads (democracies and non-democracies), especially when we attempt to study their peace scenarios. Hence, some other international relations scholars proclaim that even though the political structures may be different between democracies and non-democracies, sharing similar interests provide certain strong incentives for states to behave peacefully. Regime types may be influential, but under the mixed dyads scenario, states’ vital interests have …

Indonesia Beyond Reformasi: Necessity And The “De-Centering” Of Democracy, Leonard C. Sebastian, Jonathan Chen, Adhi Priamarizki

Maryland Series in Contemporary Asian Studies

We argue that Indonesia’s path to democracy was borne out of necessity brought about by a state of extreme precariousness and then molded by its lack thereof. Its lack thereof precisely reflected the internal power struggle and elite competition between remnant groups of the New Order vying under a different set of circumstances. Notwithstanding the given peculiarities of Indonesia’s transition, the current state of democracy in Indonesia is clearly one that is also shaped by the patrimonial character of the New Order. While imminent necessity acts as a temporary stop to ensure that these predatory tendencies of Indonesia’s political system …

Taiwan’S 2014 Nine-In-One Election: Gauging Politics, The Parties, And Future Leaders, John F. Copper

Maryland Series in Contemporary Asian Studies

On Saturday November 29, 2014 voters in Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China) went to the polls to cast ballots for mayors and city council members of the metropolitan cities, mayors and councilors of the counties and provincial cities, town- ship chiefs and councilors, aboriginal district chiefs and councilors, and borough and village chiefs. Sometimes called Taiwan’s “midterms”, these combined elections are held at four-year intervals, scheduled in between its national presidential/vice presidential and legislative elections. The midterms are now considered nearly as important as the latter elections, one of the reasons being as of 2014 all local …

The Changes In Mainland Chinese Families During The Social Transition: A Critical Analysis, Anqi Xu, Yan Ruth Xia

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Modernization theory offers possible explanations for family changes related to advances in science and technology, and socio-economic development in industrial societies. Modernization impacts family structure, relationship, values and beliefs. Families become nuclear while people become mobile and the society becomes urban. Economic development provides employment opportunities outside the birthplace. Away from kinship network, a nuclear family is less influenced and controlled by elder members in the extended family in fulfilling its traditional roles and obligations (Parsons, 1943). The changes occur in all societies although they may vary in pace across societies (Goode, 1982). Modernization theory is criticized for valuing Western …

Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2013 - 2014, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

Ho Kwon Ping, together with our Board of Trustees and senior leaders, debated vigorously before endorsing a bold and exciting SMU Vision 2025. To achieve its objective of becoming a great university, it requires the institution to be a game-changer in education, a catalyst in cutting-edge research and an exemplar as a leading city university in Asia. Already, the transformative process is off to a quick start with several initiatives being launched (see “President’s State of the University Address 2014: Vision 2025 – Making it Real”). Research that is relevant and makes a positive impact on society is one of …

An Analysis Of The Appreciation Of The Chinese Currency And Influences On China's Economy, Lina Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, China's economy development has had more and more impact on the global economy. The Chinese currency continued to appreciate since 2005, which has had both positive and negative results on Chinese's economy. The Chinese government uses the monetary policy to control the inflation pressure, which could work counter to Chinese exchange rate policy. RMB appreciation also has some effects on the Chinese banking system. Through the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), a global computable general equilibrium model, we analyze how, when there is RMB appreciation, the Chinese exports and imports, and Chinese employment and income inequality react. …

The Negative Impact Of Trips On Gender Rights In Access To Health And Food In India: A Study Of The Dynamics Of Knowledge Economy And Neo-Medieval Governance, Kausiki Mukhopadhyay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Southern developing nations are increasingly emulating the knowledge economy followed by the developed nations of the North. This paradigm is characterized by the signature feature of the regime of TRIPS or individualized legal patents, particularly bio-patents developed through biotechnology in pharmaceutical and agriculture. It is also characterized by corporate social responsibility as a market mode of governance of development and increasing state retrenchment from delivery of public welfare. This form of economy is embedded in multilayered governance of neo-medieval governance where states and corporations tussle for the right to define growth and equity. This thesis argues that such a mode …

Berita Autumn 2014, Timothy P. Daniels

Berita

Table of Contents

Chair’s Address ... 2

Editor’s Foreword...4

Members’ Updates...5

Prizes ... 8

Announcements...10

Malaysian Chinese Muslims in Search of an Identity...11

Brunei’s Syariah Penal Code and Secular Fundamentalism...14

A comparative analysis of online and print media during the 2013 Malaysian General Election: A Research Note...22

Book Review...36

Obituary...39

Fields Of Individuals And Neoliberal Logics: Japanese Soccer Ideals And The 1990s Economic Crisis, Elise M. Edwards

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

This article explores the relationship between popular representations of soccer and the rise of neoliberal discourse celebrating a new individualism in Japan at the turn of the millennium, a time when the country experienced sharp economic decline and consequent economic restructuring. Examining dominant vocabularies and practices present in coaching discourse, on soccer fields, and in media portrayals of Japanese men’s and women’s professional leagues, the author argues that rather than a coincidental, coeval mirroring between two seemingly unrelated realms—sports and economic transformations—these relationships point to the positioning of soccer over the past 20 years in Japan as a site to …

A Comparative Study Between Japanese And Thai Rocket Festivals: Yoshida Ryusei Festival And Ban Pa-Aw Bang-Fai Rocket Festival, Chomnard Setisarn

Asian Review

Rocket festivals are found in many countries in Asia, including Thailand and Japan. This study examines the similarities and differences between the Yoshida Ryusei festival in Japan and Pa-Aw Bang-fai rocket festival in Thailand. The theoretical framework of this study is drawn from Tsuneo Sogawa's "Culture Complex of Sport" which focuses on three aspects, namely socio-cultural, technologicalcultural and spiritual-cultural. Rocket festivals from the two countries are similar in terms of the socio-cultural element because the two festivals are related to folk beliefs and have religious sites as their centers. However, the Japanese festival focuses on safety whilst the Thai festival …

The Anti-Japanese Movement In Thailand In The 1970s In International And Domestic Perspective, Saikaew Thipakorn

Asian Review

The Anti-Japanese protests that emerged in 1972 were part of a wider movement of opposition to economic impreialism and cultural domination, foocused principally against the US. This movement emerged as part of the social changes created by urbanbiased economic development.

Asean's Weak Role In Bilateral Dispute Settlement: The Case Of Preah Vihear (Phra Wihan), Gabriela Steinemann

Asian Review

This paper examines the role of ASEAN in the resolution of territorial conflicts between its member states. It studies the border dispute cases of Vietnam-Cambodia and Indonesia-Malaysia, before turning its focus to the Thai-Cambodian conflict over Preah Vihear (Phra Wihan). The domestic political contexts in both countries provided important reasons for the weak role ASEAN has been able to play. But the association's struggle to find a meaningful place in dispute settlement is not limited to Preah Vihear, and it will likely continue as long as member states are unwilling to make use of the mechanisms they once created. At …

From Charity To Change: Social Investment In Selected Southeast Asian Countries, Sonu Chhina, Watanan Petersik, Jacqueline Loh, David Evans

Lien Centre for Social Innovation: Research

From Charity to Change looks at how social investing is evolving in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. It examines the emerging ecosystem for social investment in each of these countries, with a view to identifying gaps and obstacles to the advancement of the field. A section containing reports on current social investing developments Cambodia and Vietnam is also included in this publication.

The Chinese Social Enterprise: A Global Phenomenon With Chinese Characteristics, Amanda Jingtong O'Malley

Honors Theses

Social entrepreneurship, a concept that integrates business strategies with achieving social goals, is gaining traction in China. However, it is a distinctly Chinese variant of an approach exported by Western entrepreneurs. The purpose of this thesis to is analyze the Chinese social enterprise by identifying China’s socioeconomic and political forces that create the unique environment in which this trend is taking root. By examining how these factors are changing in China’s progressively more market economy, I conclude that key characteristics of the Chinese social enterprise are also shifting in response—moving from a civil society- originated model to a market‐based social …

Notes To Contributors Of Asian Review Journal

Asian Review

No abstract provided.

The Changkufeng And Nomonhan Incidents - The Undeclared Border War And Its Impact On World War Ii, Tobias Block

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nomonhan and Changkufeng

Immediately following the Mukden Incident in 1931 and the founding of Manchukuo, the Japanese supported puppet state in northeastern China, the Imperial Japanese Army found itself again face to face with their old enemy Russia, now the Soviet Union. The border disputes between these two countries would soon become armed conflicts. The Japanese Korea Army as well as the Kwantung Army, stationed in Manchuria, would soon follow a policy of limited war against the Soviet Red Army, here in particular during the battles of Changkufeng, in 1938, and Nomonhan in 1939.

These two battles proved to be …

Female Activism: Reevaluating Traditional Buddhist Patriarchy In Chinese Occupied Tibet, Mikaela Murphy

Undergraduate Research Awards

Examines the role of Buddhist women as activists in Chinese-occupied Tibet. The author's entry essay for the 2014 Undergraduate Research Awards is included.

The Soul Of Korean Christianity: How The Shamans, Buddha, And Confucius Paved The Way For Jesus In The Land Of The Morning Calm, Colin Lewis

Honors Projects

Whether one is speaking of its progressive elements or its charismatic characteristics, Korean Christianity exhibits a vibrancy that stands out among the religious traditions of modern East Asia. Its evangelistic zeal and enormous growth have led to its being a locus point of Christian faith for those in non-Western contexts. In light of its vibrancy and prominence, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the church in Korea is proof that Christianity may thrive outside of the West.

At the same time, the reasons for Christianity’s success on the Korean peninsula are more difficult to pin down. Why …

Revisiting The Determinants Of Students' Performance In An Undergraduate Accountancy Degree Programme In Singapore, Poh Sun Seow, Gary Pan, Joanne Siok Wan Tay

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The current study investigates the association of prior academic achievement, admission interview, critical thinking, mathematical aptitude and gender with successful academic performance in an undergraduate accountancy degree programme at a Singapore university. The purpose of revisiting the determinants of academic performance in the Singapore context is twofold. First, university accounting education in Singapore has changed greatly since Koh and Koh’s earlier study (1999); the current study examines if determinants previously identified as significant continue to be so in the new setting. Second, the study tests the usefulness of admission interview in identifying applicants who achieve subsequent academic success. Data on …

The China Dream And The American Dream, William A. Callahan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Since Xi Jinping invoked “The China Dream” as a key concept in November 2012, this phrase has come to dominate discussions of China’s future. This paper will examine the China dream phenomenon first by placing it in the context of debates that have been raging in Chinese civil society over the past few years. It will analyze the works of 20 prominent “China dreamers” in terms of debates over the proper relationship between (1) politics and economics, (2) equality and hierarchy, (3) civilization and civility, and (4) nationalism and statism. The other main context for the China dream concept is …

Media Coverage And Firm Valuation: Evidence From China, Jiwei Wang, Kangtao Ye

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Drawing on both a managerial discipline perspective and an information intermediary perspective, we explore how media coverage of a firm’s controlling shareholder influences firm valuation in corporate China. Using 366 listed family firms in China from 2003 to 2006, we find that firms in which controlling shareholders receive more neutral media reports enjoy higher valuation, whereas negative media reports on controlling shareholders impose adverse effects on firm valuation. Interestingly, favorable media coverage of the controlling shareholders does not enhance firm value. Further analyses reveal that ownership structure and audit quality moderate the relationship between media coverage and firm valuation. Our …

Breaking The Mold: Four Asian American Women Define Beauty, Detail Identity, And Deconstruct Stereotypes, Allison Ginwala

Honors Theses and Capstones

The experiences of four women reveal how notions of outer beauty touch ideas of personal ethnic identity, racism, media-imposed pressure, and social stereotypes; shaping the lives of Chinese, Chinese American, and Asian American women.

Transnational Marriage: Modern Imaginings, Relational Realignments, And Persistent Inequalities, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Journal Articles

In the context of shifting cultural anchors as well as unstable global economic conditions, new practices of intimacy and sexuality may become tactics in an individual’s negotiation of conflicting desires and potentials. This article offers reflection on the interface between global forces, powerful transcultural narratives, and state policies, on the one hand, and local, even individual, constructions and tactics in regard to sexuality, marriage, migration, and work, on the other. The article focuses on the life trajectory of Gudiya, an ambitious young Hindu woman who started out life with little social capital and few economic resources in a dusty corner …

Adapting To Change: The State Of Singapore Private Enterprise In China, Wilfred How, Caroline Yeoh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

One of the most affluent and developed nations in its region, the city-state of Singapore relies largely on tapping global resources for economic growth, to ameliorate its tiny land area and accompanying lack of natural resources. Its current prominence is to a great degree owing to an early recognition of the need for such, and a well-documented stratagem of expanding its foreign direct investments (FDIs) as a means to stimulate economic development (Huff, 1995; Murray and Pereira, 1995) and strengthen the city-state’s ‘external economy’ - one which saw the island progress through a number of distinct phases of overseas investment …

North Korean Supernotes: Nuclear Arms Financed By Counterfeit Currency, Michael Yatskievych

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Michael Yatskievych, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract of Master's Thesis, Submitted 21 May 2014:

North Korean Supernotes: Nuclear Arms Financed By Counterfeit Currency

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate whether DPRK is producing high quality counterfeit US currency, supernotes, and has determined to what extent supernotes are financing North Korea's emerging nuclear arms program.

The application of Analysis of Competing Hypotheses, ACH, satisfied this study's purpose by meeting the following objectives: the development of multiple hypotheses in an attempt to explain a supernote-nuclear arms program link, assessing evidence from assorted sources, providing a diagnostic weighing …

Resources In English On The Criminal Justice System Of The People’S Republic Of China, Ellen Sexton

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Reversing The Flood Of Forced Displacement: Shedding Light On Important Determinants Of Return Migration, Prakash Adhikari Ph.D., Wendy L. Hansen Ph.D.

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Most current research on forced migration focuses on explaining patterns of displacement during armed conflicts and the role that social networks play in pulling people away from conflict torn areas. But what happens to displaced persons after a conflict ends? While many of these individuals are able to resettle in the place to which they fled during conflict, some individuals return to their places of origin while others remain in limbo. This research seeks to better understand behavior after flight. Using a rational choice framework, we theorize that people are strategic in their calculations of the costs and benefits of …

Incongruent Premodern And Modern Beauty Ideals: A Case Study Of South Korea And India's Reconciliation Of Current Beauty Trends With Foundational Religious Ideals, Minger Bropleh

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis is an in-depth analysis of beauty ideals in South Korea and India. These two countries have recently turned to skin lightening and cosmetic surgery in order to achieve their new beauty standards. Not only do these two countries share a propensity for those two trends, but they also have an overwhelming majority of the population that identifies with a specific religion; Hinduism in the case of India and Confucianism in the case of South Korea. However, it is not clear that the current beauty ideal in each country aligns with the beauty ideal set out in the respective …

Cooperative Security: The American Strategy For A Rising China, Ethan Landau

CMC Senior Theses

This paper analyzes the theoretical underpinnings and strategic goals of US security strategy with respect to China. It argues that the language used in statements and publications of US strategy demonstrate the development of a strategy of cooperative security. This strategy is dependent on the security environment the United States cultivates with allies and partners in the region. The paper uses evidence from the two largest PACOM military operations--RIMPAC and Cobra Gold-to demonstrate this developing strategy.

Strategic Deployments Of ‘Sisterhood’ And Questions Of Solidarity At A Women’S Development Project In Janakpur, Nepal, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Journal Articles

Linguistic uses of ‘sisterhood’ provide a window into disparate understandings of relationality among virtual and actual interlocutors in women’s development across vectors of caste, class, ethnicity and nationality. In this essay, I examine the trope of ‘sisterhood’ as it was employed at a women’s development project in Janakpur, Nepal, in the 1990s. I demonstrate that the use of this common signifier of kinship with culturally disparate ‘signifieds’ created a confusion of meaning, and differential readings of the politics of relationality. In my view, ‘sister,’ as used at this project, was a multivalent, strategically deployed, and divergently interpreted term. In particular, …