International Relations Commons^™

The Globalization Of Technology To Developing Countries, James Wiley

Global Studies Student Scholarship

This paper examines current trends in the globalization of technology to developing countries, and the current disparities that exist. This thesis will indicate why many developing nations have limited access to new technology, and what steps must be taken for them to better their economic status. In addition, the actions and effects of both Wired International, a non-profit organization, and the Gaviotas community in Colombia will be analyzed. These two organizations represent groups helping to achieve major positive change in severely underdeveloped nations, and accordingly their impact and methods have the potential to spread endlessly worldwide.

Abrahamic Faith-Based Ngos: A New Approach To Peacemaking And Development, Nicole Chininis

Global Studies Student Scholarship

This thesis examines the new phenomenon of faith-based nongovernmental organizations and their work in peacemaking and development. In our current globalized world, religion has become a heated topic, often times being the cause of international conflict. However, this argument proves that religion, specifically those of the Abrahamic faiths, and which has been used as a means in peacemaking for many years, is now coming to the forefront of providing a strong foundation for NGOs to thrive. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have some of the most popular, successful, and expansive NGOs currently involved with humanitarian aid and peacemaking. This paper goes …

The World Water Crisis: Problems, Crisis Regions, Action & Solutions Based On Regional Opportunity, Moira Kelley

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Moira Alice Kelley, “The World Water Crisis: Problems, Crisis Regions, Action and Solutions Based on Regional Opportunity,” 2009.

This thesis explains a number of factors that are associated with the world water crisis through a multi-layered study. By examining a varied of severity levels in specific regions, the action being taken by local, national, and multi-national organizations, and solutions which present themselves to regions, I discovered the importance of everyday conservation. The research for this thesis came in two forms: (1) a review of the literature on the current crisis and (2) an action-based method which taught local high school …

How To Eliminate Corruption In Africa?, Sofia Graça

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Corruption is generally defined as the misuse of power for personal gain. The initial aim of this paper was to find a way to eliminate corruption. Even though corruption is a global problem, the research of this project is focused on African nations, particularly on the country of Angola.
The review of the literature consists of an analysis of the main causes and effects of corruption and of how they have a correlation to poverty and underdevelopment. I found that the specific case of Angola fits perfectly into all of the causes and effects of corruption that are mentioned in …

Of Books, Bloggers, And The Buddha

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

With the anniversaries of the 1959 (and 2008) Tibetan Uprisings just past, Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism has been much in the news in the past few months. But Buddhism more generally has been popping up in world news. A few readings on the topic…

1) “Six episodes” are distilled from Donald Lopez’s new book Buddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed at University of Chicago Press’s website. Here’s one:

Although hailed in Victorian Europe for its rejection of the Indian caste system and its championing of the spiritual potential of all social classes, Buddhism also played a role in …

Cultural Culinary Wisdom: Combating The Nutrition Transition, Alanna O'Neil

Global Studies Student Scholarship

The nutrition transition is a rapidly developing global problem. The disparity between the rates of global obesity and malnutrition is diminishing. Westernization and industrialization are serious factors contributing to the global food and dietary epidemic. As a result, food cultures are threatened by dietary changes inflicted by Westernization. Moreover, rates of diet related non-communicable diseases are on the rise as never seen before. This study examines the problem of the nutrition transition through the context of the prevalence of food cultures, case studies, culinary recipes, dietary habits, and cultural transitions. Supporting this research is a dietary survey of study abroad …

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 …

Interview With Bo Caldwell—Author Of "The Distant Land Of My Father," A Shanghai Novel, Jeff Wasserstrom

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Preface to the Interview (by Jeff Wasserstrom): When I was working on Global Shanghai, 1850-2010, I thought I was keeping up with the fiction as well as non-fiction that was being published about the city—at least things coming out in English and Chinese. Somehow, though, Bo Caldwell’s excellent 2001 Shanghai novel, The Distant Land of My Father, passed me by initially. I didn’t learn of it until the Pasadena Public Library invited me to give a public lecture on Shanghai’s past to provide background for an upcoming author’s visit. This would be part of their “One City, One Story” program, …

China In 2008 Price Drop

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Last Wednesday, Amazon dropped the price of China in 2008 to its lowest yet–just over $20 (the price has been fluctuating over the past couple weeks). And the site has also bundled China in 2008 with Peter Hessler’s Oracle Bones for about $30, so if any River Town fans never got around to ordering the second book by one of our contributors, now would be a great time to do so.

Amazon’s book bundling can be a little hit or miss, so we were wondering who Amazon would pair China in 2008 with, and were hoping it wasn’t a book …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Food Security, Nicolas Trilla

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Global hunger has become one of the most pressing issues our planet faces. The need to research the causes of this food shortage are more urgent than ever, and if we fail to act, the situation will only grow direr. Climate change and food shortage are both highly intricate, but their common ground is the area that is of greatest importance. Climate change has proven too much for global food production systems to bear, and as a result, climate-stressed regions are now experiencing food insecurity as well. Climate change has shaken the three pillars of food security—availability, access, and utilization—and …

Francophone African Immigration To The United States: Causes And Implications For American Social Work Practice, Whitney Henderson

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Francophone West Africans are a special population within whole African immigration to the US. Due to the political instability in the West African region, it is understandable why West Africans would seek immigration to more stable environment. What is not understood is why Francophone immigrants are immigrating to an English-speaking country such as the United States instead of France, where there is an official language commonality in addition to cultural similarities. In terms of social work practice, this is of great importance, as social workers will be aiding this group in resettling in the United States. This paper explores why …

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 …

The Ngo Sector In Community Development: Emerging Roles, Strategies And Identities, Victoria Neff

Global Studies Student Scholarship

This community engaged thesis will articulate some of the identities, patterns, and dominant practices of NGOs related to community development in the hope of uncovering emerging trends. The literature review of this thesis will have a slight focus on NGO’s working in direct conjunction with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, it will manifest the promise of social capital as necessary to an organization’s success. Civic participation remains critical in enabling an NGO to be politically active, to continue building networks, and instilling positive social attitudes. After expounding on these issues, this thesis will then propose a solution- …

Commemoration In 2009

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Readers may be interested to know that the new issue of China Heritage Quarterlyis out, and it examines the issue of commemoration (a relevant issue at the moment as, having just passed one sensitive set of dates, we are now into the spring–months strewn with anniversaries). As Editor Geremie Barmé writes in theMarch issue’s editorial:

The year 2009 also marks other significant anniversaries. Some of these will be commemorated with due pomp and circumstance in the official media and dissected at length by learned gatherings. Others—those events best thought of as ‘dark anniversaries’—will pass by in an atmosphere of heightened …

A Reader On Tibet

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Tibet has been much in the news the past few weeks, as China attempted to divert attention from the anniversary of last year’s riots and protests and reports leaked out of arrests and crackdowns in Tibet. Here are a few of the pieces from this week that we recommend.

In the current issue of The New York Review of Books, Pico Iyer writes about the Dalai Lama’s sinking faith in the Chinese leadership’s desire to resolve the situation in Tibet. Iyer points to the current situation in Tibet as the reason why—the title of his piece is “A Hell on …

China’S Way Forward?, Mark Selden

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

2008—Annus Horribilis for the world economy—produced successive food, energy and financial crises, initially devastating particularly the global poor, but quickly extending to the commanding heights of the US and core economies and ushering in the sharpest downturn since the 1930s depression.

As all nations strive to respond to the financial gridlock that began in the United States and quickly sent world industrial production and trade plummeting, there has been much discussion of the ability of the high-flying Chinese economy to weather the storm, of the prospects for the intertwined US and Chinese economies, even of the potential for China to …

The Dalai Lama And The Nobel Prize: Correcting A Misunderstanding, A. Tom Grunfeld

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

As many readers of this blog doubtless realize, everything having to do with Tibet is subject to mythologizing. That the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on behalf of Tibetan independence is one of these myths. This notion gets mentioned in the Western press routinely, and it sometimes even shows up in comments by academic specialists. In fact, the prize was awarded to him more because of the events in Tiananmen Square that had happened just a few months before the award than for anything related to the Tibet struggle per se.

Indeed, it appears …

Interview With Carol Thompson, Marcia Monaco

Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement

Length: 91 minutes

Oral history interview of Carol Thompson by Marcia Monaco

In this interview, Carol Thompson recalls her involvement and work in the anti-apartheid movement. She explains that her awareness of the anti-Apartheid movement began while at Northern Illinois University, but she first became involved after she moved to Chicago, when she met South African author, Donald Woods, which led to her involvement in the Dennis Brutus’ defense committee. She recalls that she initially worked with Clergy and Laity Concerned and later, alongside Prexy Nesbitt, became a founding member of CIDSA, which was committed to passing legislation in Chicago …

Obama To Visit China

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

After meeting today with Hu Jintao in advance of the G20 in London, Obama accepted an invitation to visit China later this year:

The leaders agreed to “strengthen ties at all levels” ranging from the economy to fighting terrorism, and would expand consultations on “non-proliferation and other international security topics,” the White House said.

“The two sides agreed to resume the human rights dialogue as soon as possible,” the statement said.

In January and February, China Beat ran a series of reading (and sometimes viewing) recommendations for the new president. [See installments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.] Now …

New Quiz Winner

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Several weeks ago, we announced a brand new quiz for readers to name “The Prettiest” (photo of China), “The Wittiest” (title of a China-related piece of writing), and “The Grittiest” (best muckraking journalist to work the China beat). The award: A copy of China in 2008, signed by as many authors as we could get hold of (which, as one of us went to AAS, turned out to be a lot).

Our winner is Charles Hayford who, in typically fine style, gave us not just answers but a lot of good solid prose to back it up (and added three …

Interview With Michael Elliott, Brian Gibson

Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement

Length: 56 minutes

Oral history interview of Mike Siviwe Elliott by Brian Gibson.

Mr. Elliott begins by recounting his childhood in Detroit, raised in a working-class union neighborhood on the west side of the city. He talks about his early challenges in school, attending an alternative school where he received his GED, then attending Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan where he studied political science for three years. He explains how he first became involved in activism, working for the Black Panthers when he was young and serving as chair of the Association of Black Students in college. He recalls how …

Interview With Anne Evens, Beth Thenhaus

Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement

Length: 84 minutes

Oral history interview of Anne Evens by Beth Thenhaus

Ms. Evens begins by recalling her childhood memories, growing up in Evanston with two academic parents. She began her work in activism during high school, demonstrating for stricter gun control laws and against racism. She explains how she first learned about Apartheid South Africa as she learned about the struggle of Palestinian people in Israel and the economic ties between the two countries. She explains how she became involved in anti-Apartheid efforts on her first day of college when she was introduced to the South African Divestment Coalition, …

Interview With Prexy Nesbitt, Erin Mccarthy

Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement

Length: 350 minutes

Oral history interview of Rozell 'Prexy' Nesbitt by Erin McCarthy, PhD in 2009. Transcript created by Katherine Philipson, summer 2017

Prexy Nesbitt recounts his childhood in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, living in the family-owned apartment building with eleven flats and multi-racial family and friends. He speaks about his education at Francis Parker school and his first trip to African while a student at Antioch in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he began his anti-apartheid work in the early 1960s,He recalls his years of activism with governments, organizations, and political groups, including the the six liberation …

The Samurai's Rebirth - Japan's Increasing "Offensive" Security Capabilities, Patrick Bright

Political Science Theses and Capstones

This thesis studies the increasing "offensive" nature of Japanese security capabilities in nation which has major restrictions on military capability. There are regional tensions in East Asia that have the potential to escalate to armed conflict. Other countries in the region have increased their levels of armament but how has Japan reacted? I look at three major acquisitions by Japan that have created controversy, then examine the role public opinion has towards issues of defense, including external and domestic considerations. Two major data sets on public opinion, the Global Attitudes Project and the Asia Barometer, are used. I find that …

A Man Bites Dog Story: Picky Academic Praises Journalist

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Well, I don’t think I’m actually quite as bad when it comes to giving reporters their due as the title I’ve selected for this post suggests, as I have recently gone on record praising a variety of journalists based in China. Still, the ones I typically say the best things about are people who have a long-term commitment to the country (though I’ve been critical of some of these, of course), while the ones I most often pick on for things like missing important aspects of a story or failing to go to the best possible specialists for quotes are …

Five Quirky Blogs To Check Out

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

A few blogs we’ve stumbled across in recent weeks that, depending on your interests, may merit your further attention:

1. “China Book Reviews” runs (as you might expect) reviews of an unusual selection of China books, including a few we’ve mentioned or reviewed ourselves, like Jeff Wasserstrom’s Brave New World and Mobo Gao’s The Battle for China’s Past (which Kate Merkel-Hess reviewed for TLS last spring).

2. Anna Greenspan wrote a piece for China in 2008 about the tainted milk scandal in China last fall. Now she is keeping her own blog about her experiment with placing her three-year old …

Living The Game: Wow-China

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Last fall, we ran an interview with UCI Professor of Informatics Bonnie Nardi, who was conducting research on the different ways World of Warcraft (an MMO-RPG, Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game) was used in China and the US.

Recently, a reader drew our attention to interesting images where Chinese players envisioned themselves in the game (often quite playfully). In honor of Chinese New Year (a game players celebrate in-game as “Lunar Festival”), WoW-China invited players to submit photos of themselves “blending their Lunar New Year celebration with their enthusiasm for World of Warcraft.” The contest received more than eight thousand …

Aas Blogging

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Jeff Wasserstrom (3/28/09, 7:41 a.m.):

This is, of course, the first AAS meeting at which a book associated with the China Beat has been displayed. And nicely displayed it definitely is, as the accompanying photo illustrates (and note that it is shown in the company of books like Voices Carry, China Ink and The Subject of Gender, which have been discussed on our site before). More than that, though, this is also a conference that, overall, has some features that run in tandem with some of the goals of China Beat. For example, just as we’ve tried to encourage more …

Conference Report: Asia And The Environment, Maura Elizabeth Cunningham

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

I began reading Pallavi Aiyar’s Smoke and Mirrors on my flight to Philadelphia last week to get me into a China-India frame of mind before I attended the “Asia and the Environment” conference held at Saint Joseph’s University on March 20-21. Although Friday’s sessions (which I unfortunately missed) were devoted to India, and Saturday’s topic was China, the goal of the conference organizers was to encourage some comparative discussion of the environmental problems—and possible solutions—shared by the two countries. Readers interested in specific presentations should watch the above SJU website, where podcasts of the talks will be available in the …

Blogging Aas

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

From Paul Katz (3/28/09, 2:27 p.m.):

Saturday morning was a disaster, or at least full of fascinating panels about disaster and resulting relief efforts. Panel #139, alluded to by Kate Edgerton-Tarpley in her earlier post, explored the sociocultural impacts of the Great Leap Famine. Relevant research has also been done by Steve A. Smith in his “Talking Toads and Chinless Ghosts” article, published in The American Historical Review in 2006, and he has also written on this topic for the China Beat. There was also Panel #167, organized largely by a group of German scholars, which builds on the pioneering …