China's industrial revolution: Politics,planning and management, 1949 to the present,by Stephen Andors

Abstract

The study of Chinese industrial development has come a long way since the 1969 publication of Barry Richman's Industrial Society in Communist China (New York: Random House, 1969). Richman recognized that China had begun to “organize conscientiously and vigorously for industrial progress since the beginning of the 1950's.” Unlike some of his predecessors, he did not explain China's industrial growth in terms of mass coercion or swarms of “blue ants” instead, he warned the reader that “in order to understand more fully how Chinese management and Chinese organization function, it is essential to have an understanding of Chinese ideology.” His examples of the use of ideology-e.g., the study of Mao's On Contradiction to help resolve a problem of cost vs. quality in bicycle production-were refreshingly concrete and useful.     

Discourses of the Vanishing: Modernity,Phantasm, Japan by Marilyn Ivy

Abstract

Discourses of the Vanishing has been anticipated for several years now; it won't disappoint. Despite the rising number of authors who seek to “explain” Japan or attack its essentialism, Ivy is one of the few who have the understanding of modernity and the methodological tools to excavate the celebration (Japanese and American) of Japan's “uniqueness.” Discourses is by far one of the most sophisticated inquiries into what Ivy calls—properly I believe—the “Japanese thing.” The juxtaposition between the singular, thing, and plural, discourses, suggests her overall theme: to discuss the always incomplete reconfigurations of the many pasts that have existed within the archipelago into a singular ideology of Japan.     

The Nixon-Mao Pact

Abstract

It is necessary to explain at the outset that this is something that happened in that age now past.     

The ASEAN Regional Forum and Preventive Diplomacy: Built to Fail?

Abstract

Various reasons purport to explain why the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) has failed to evolve from confidence building to preventive diplomacy (PD). These include the ARF's large membership, its strict adherence to sovereignty and noninterference principles that contradict any effective implementation of PD, and contrasting strategic perspectives among its participants. Although these factors have certainly hindered security cooperation, none are sufficient conditions by themselves to explain the forum's ambivalence toward PD. The authors argue that these factors do not tell the whole story, not least when they have not stood in the way of experiments in PD by other processes in the Asia-Pacific. The claim here is that the ARF has evolved into a highly inflexible forum, which in turn has led to the formalization of its approach to PD. This has severely inhibited the adoption of a PD agenda and actionable measures under the ARF framework.     

Surrejoinder

Abstract

Boardman now says that my critique of mainstream quantitative studies of Chinese foreign policy is “perfectly justified,” yet he continues to argue in the same old unjustifiable manner. He continues the quest for timeless, placeless truths which all can agree to, a quest which both Marx and Weber long ago pointed out was impossible in a world of conflictful social relations where perception cannot be divorced from social perspective. The data does not gather itself, pattern itself or explain itself.     

Drones over Pakistan: Secrecy,Ethics, and Counterinsurgency

Abstract

The US government appears to be using drones to launch air strikes inside Pakistan. This article details uncertainties regarding the ethical soundness of these strikes and highlights the consequent need for greater official transparency. Available evidence is assessed in the light of traditional ethical requirements that the use of force is beneficial to a legitimate military objective, that it discriminates between combatants and noncombatants, and that it generates harm that is proportional to the expected military benefit. The murky picture that emerges is an inadequate foundation for determining whether US drone strikes in Pakistan constitute a just or an unjust use of force. Arguably, however, the very persistence of doubt on this point undermines international norms on the use of force and the reputation of the United States as a champion thereof. The US government should therefore either refrain from drone strikes or explain publicly how they are beneficial, discriminate, and proportionate.     

“Nation” and “Europe”: Re-approaching the debates about Lithuanian national identity

Abstract

The article explores the historical roots of the contemporary debate about Lithuanian national identity. The analysis of the development of two major traditions of defining and positioning Lithuanian national identity in the international context sets out to introduce and explain the co-existing conservative and constructionist concepts of national identity that have been persisted throughout the twentieth century. Particular attention is paid to Lithuania's relationship to Europe. In this way, the article contributes to the current debate about the destiny of national identity, the importance of which is increasing in countries preparing for European Union membership.

It is not easy to be a man and a Lithuanian, to stay faithful to oneself, one's nation and humanity.     

Controlling the unruly agents – linkages between accountability and corruption within the executive structures of Botswana

ABSTRACT

Representative democracy entails delegation of power to representatives and other actors within the political system. Oftentimes, the delegating party has little insight into the actions of the person(s) to whom power is delegated. Ensuring that the power-holder does not misuse his/her powers is, therefore, a challenge. This article analyses accountability mechanisms through which the delegating party can prevent and detect misuse of power in the form of corruption. The article argues that political institutions contribute towards such mechanisms being available/unavailable to the delegating party. The analysis focuses on the case of Botswana, where executive structures stipulate the accountability mechanisms available to principals. As shown by the analysis, principals have formal access to many such mechanisms. Oftentimes, however, these mechanisms are not applied. The analysis shows that accountability alone cannot explain levels of corruption within executive structures of Botswana but that informal rules also explain the presence/absence of corrupt practices.     

Peking politics, 1918–1923

Abstract

Sometimes scholars fall into the gaps of their own arguments. A. J. Nathan, last seen asserting that European influence on China was benign, must now explain the failure of Western educated elites and their political techniques to achieve any semblance of order or development. Peking Politics, 1918–1923 attempts to plug the gap through examination of Western-influenced urban elites in the last period of Chinese history in which Western constitutional theory played any significant role. His historical outline achieves considerable success in elucidating the comings and goings of bureaucrats, bosses, and generals on the Peking stage, but is prey to serious methodological and ideological limitations. Where his data fits his hypothesis, it's usually for the wrong reasons, and all too often it doesn't fit at all.     

Ukrainian volunteer fighters in the eastern front: ideas,political-social norms and emotions as mobilization mechanisms

Abstract

Following the outbreak of the insurgency in eastern Ukraine, thousands of volunteers joined pro-Kiev battalions. Although they have fiercely fought against pro-Kremlin forces, very little is known about them. The article will investigate why individuals have engaged in such a risky endeavour for no obvious material reward. It will claim that ideas, political-social norms and emotions have functioned as mobilization mechanisms that can explain individual decisions. Based on interviews, the article will argue that the mobilization of Ukrainian volunteer fighters has a strong cognitive-normative-emotional dimension that cannot be ignored and should be further explored.     

Unproductive Activities and the Rate of Surplus Value at the Industry Level in Korea, 1995–2015

ABSTRACT

In order to explain how the Korean economy underwent structural change through the two crises of 1997– 1998 and 2008 within the context of globalisation, this article focuses on class analysis and inter-sectoral value transfer by estimating the sectoral rates of exploitation along with the sectoral monetary expressions of labour time. Our data indicate the possibility that the expansion of unproductive activities, accompanied by intensification of exploitation within the unproductive sectors, might not have overtaken capital accumulation in Korea during 1995–2015. It can also be concluded that the condition for manufacturing’s capital accumulation steadily improved since the 1997–1998 crisis but started to deteriorate after 2011. Our value-theoretic analysis provides a foundation for understanding the context of the regime change, which may plausibly characterise the Korean economy in the last couple of decades.     

Ottoman apprentices and their experiences

Abstract

In this article, I analyze craft and trade apprentices in the late Ottoman Empire in order to add a new dimension to the existing literature on guilds and artisans. Rather than presenting an ideal picture, I discuss the apprentices' actions and experiences, which I argue did not take place in isolation.

First, I briefly discuss Ottoman guilds and artisans, including a literature review, define and explain both the system of apprenticeship and who apprentices were.

After focusing on the dialectical relationship between the upper and lower ranks, which presented itself through the authority - obedience or autonomy - disobedience relationship, I explain how the lower rank attempted to gain autonomy. I also question whether guild harmony was real or not and explore how some apprentices changed the direction of their life path, away from mastership to something else entirely. The hidden and unhidden resistance of apprentices will be shown through acts of theft, assault with a knife, and absconding, and through survival strategies which included running away. In the final part of the article, I describe how new institutions filled the gap left by the traditional guild system, which had been on the decline since the nineteenth century.     

Going beyond data collection in ethnography: Options for bridging the gap between researchers and archivists

Abstract

This article investigates options for bridging the missing link between ethnographic field research and archiving. It interrogates the place of archiving in the entire fieldwork process and the roles played by researchers and archivists in promoting access. While a number of reasons explain the gap between research and archiving, the article identifies lack of collaboration as the main challenge. Borrowing from the postmodernist theoretical framework, the article argues that archivists cannot detach themselves from data collection, because the decisions they make are not objective but personal and subjective. The conclusion and main message are that digital technology, in spite of its many advantages, may not deliver all that it promises to data collection and archiving. There is a need to complement digital technology data collection and archiving with traditional archiving methods because of the latter's reliability and cost effectiveness.     

Red Flag over Hong Kong,by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita,David Newman,and Alvin Rabushka

Abstract

The body of literature dealing with the retrocession of Hong Kong is growing rapidly as the changeover draws nearer. Red Flag over Hong Kong distinguishes itself by going beyond what is happening or what has happened to predict what will happen after I July 1997. To give their analysis of the future credence the authors rely on a scientific “model of decision making, not on access to insiders or the divination of tea leaves” (p. xii).     

Complying with European standards of minority education: Estonia's relations with the European Union,OSCE and Council of Europe

Abstract

Between 1993 and 2000, Estonia's policy towards minority education experienced four approximate phases of development, each denoting an increasing degree of compliance with European norms, which call on governments to provide individuals belonging to minorities with access to education in their mother tongue. This article argues that the European Union, OSCE and Council of Europe played a role, at timed key and at times mediated, in Estonia policy transformation. Whereas EU material incentives triggered Estonia's willingness to embark on policy change, the dialogue conducted by OSCE and COE representatives helps explain the content and trajectory of the changes introduced thereafter.     

China's Christian universities,winter, 1948–49

Central Asia Peoples of Central Asia. By Lawrence Krader. Vol. 26 of the Uralic and Altaic Series. American Council of Learned Societies. Indiana University and Mouton and Co., The Hague, 1963. Pp. 319. Maps. Index. $4. Dutch Guilders, 14. 50.

Russia in Central Asia. By Michael Rywkin. Russian Civilization Series. New York, Collier Books; London, Collier‐Macmillan Ltd., 1964. Pp. 191. Maps. Index. 7s. 6d.

South Asia The Poems of Khushhal Khan Khatak. With English Verse Translations by Evelyn Howell and Olaf Caroe. London, Oxford University Press for the Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar, 1963. Pp. 98. 15s.

Charsada. A Metropolis of the North‐West Frontier. By Sir Mortimer Wheeler. London. Oxford University for the Government of Pakistan and the British Academy, 1962. Pp. 130. XLV Plates. Index. 63s.

The China‐India Border. The Origins of the Disputed Boundaries. Chatham House Essays: 2. London, Oxford University Press for the Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1964. Pp. 192. Maps. Bibliog. 12s. 6d.

Peking versus Delhi. By George N. Patterson. London, Faber, 1963. Pp. 310. Maps. Bibliog. Index. 35s.

The Last Years of British India. By Michael Edwardes. London, Cassell, 1963. Pp. 250. Maps. Index. 25s.

Portrait of India. By Bradford Smith. London, Robert Hale, 1963. Pp. 189. Illus. Sketch map. Index and Glossary. 18s.

Tilak and Gokhale. Revolution and Reform in the Making of Modern India. By Stanley A. Wolpert. University of California Press, 1962; London, Cambridge University Press, 1963. Pp. xv + 370. Notes. Bibliog. Index. $7.50. 60s.

Battles of the Indian Mutiny. By Michael Edwardes. London, Batsford, 1963. Pp. 216. Illus. Maps. Index. 25s.

The Builders of the Mogul Empire. By Michael Prawdin. London, Allen and Unwin, 1963. Pp. 198. Maps. Illus. Bibliog. Index. 32s.

South‐West Asia The Yemen. Imams, Rulers and Revolutions. By Harold Ingrams. London, John Murray, 1963. Pp. xi +164. Sketch map. Illus. Index. 21s.

Egypt in Revolution: An Economic Analysis. By Charles Issawi. London, Oxford University Press for the Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1963. Pp. 357. Appendices. Tables. Index. 45s.

The Arabs and the World: Nasser's Arab Nationalist Policy. New York, Published for the Council on Foreign Relations by Frederick A. Praeger; London, Pall Mall Press, 1963. Pp. 338. Map. Bibliog. Index. $6.50. 42s.

Arab Rediscovery of Europe. A Study in Cultural Encounters. By Ibrahim Abu‐Lughod. Oriental Studies Series, No. 22. Princeton University Press: London, Oxford University Press, 1963. Pp. 188. Bibliog. Index. 38s.

The Arabs. By Arnold Hottinger. London, Thames and Hudson, 1963. Pp. 344. Maps. Illus. Index. 42s.

Palestine: Loss of a Heritage. By Sami Hadawi. Texas, The Naylor Co., 1963. Pp. 148. Map endpapers. Appendices. $4.95.

The Heritage of Persia. By Richard N. Frye. London, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1962. Pp. xvii + 317. Illus. Maps. Appendices. Bibliog. Index. 50s.

South‐East Asia The Two Viet‐Nams—A Political and Military Analysis. By Bernard B. Fall. Praeger, New York and London, 1963. Pp. xii+493. Maps. Charts. Bibliog. Index. 50s.

From Colonialism to Communism: A Case History of North Vietnam. By Hoang Van Chi; introduction by P. J. Honey. London: Pall Mall Press, 1964. Pp. 252. Maps. Index.” 40s.

Primer for Revolt: The Communist Takeover in Viet‐nam. By Truong Chinh. Introduction by B. B. Fall. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1963. Pp. 211. $5. 35s.

Street Without Joy. Insurgency in Indo‐China, 1946–63. By Bernard B. Fall. London, Pall Mall Press, 1963. Pp. 379. Illus. Sketch maps. Index. 35s.

The New States of Asia. By Michael Brecher. London: Oxford University Press, 1963. Pp. xiv+215. Index. 30s.

The Republic of Korea. A Political and Economic Study. By W. D. Reeve. London, Oxford University Press for the Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1963. Pp. 197. Bibliog. Index. 30s.

The March on Delhi. By A. J. Barker. London, Faber, 1963. Pp. 302. Illus. Sketch maps. Bibliog. Index. 42s.

Far East Chinese Communist Literature. Edited by Cyril Birch. Praeger, London and New York, 1963. Pp. 254. 40s.

China Only Yesterday, 1850–1950. By Emily Hahn. London, Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Pp. 335. Map. Index. 36s.

A Dream of Tartary. The Origins and Misfortunes of Henry P'u Yi. London, Allen and Unwin, 1963. Pp. 292. Illus. Map endpapers. Index. 30s.

Biography Layard of Nineveh. By Gordon Waterfield. London, John Murray, 1963. Pp. x+533. Map. Illus. Index. 55s.

Travel The Journey's Echo. Selections from Freya Stark. Foreword by Lawrence Durrell. London, John Murray, 1963. Pp. 224. Illus. 21s.     

“A filmmaker and his film”

Abstract

I'm writing this review as a new-found devotee of filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik and as an old friend of Eric de Guia. I say this to lay out my prejudices and at the same time to try to explain my amazement at the transformation of Eric de Guia into Kidlat Tahimik.     

Agrarian transition in the southern Philippines: more than poverty,dispossession, and violence

ABSTRACT

On the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, scholars have documented a precarious land tenure, livelihood, and security situation for many smallholders. Agrarian political economy studies provide insightful analyses of the underlying causes of much poverty and violence on the island. Less attention has been given to cases of smallholder success. This article proposes that conditions for smallholder farming, even among ethnic minority groups, are more varied across the island than the literature suggests. In upland villages of north-central Mindanao, agrarian transition is a multi-directional process that produces different outcomes among households, kin groups, and villages. The main case study is a thriving mixed swidden and fixed field Maranao-Muslim farming village. Almost all the households in the village have successfully claimed land as their own and diversified and improved their livelihoods in recent times. To explain these positive outcomes, the article uses a relational approach and draws on anthropological literature on kinship, land tenure, and place to assess the bargaining power of smallholders in land deals. A stronger cross-fertilization of key insights in agrarian political economy and anthropological literature on kinship enriches the debate on agrarian transition in the southern Philippines.     

The Missing Link: Explaining the Political Mobilisation of Islam in Indonesia

Abstract

Why has an increase in personal piety among Indonesia's Muslims not translated into electoral gains for Islamic political parties? To help explain this conundrum, this article focuses on the role of Indonesia's mass Islamic social organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah. Using a political economy lens, it argues that control over state resources and the provision of social welfare facilities have helped political parties maintain power over the years and that NU and Muhammadiyah have at times played important mediating roles in this process. Extending this analysis into Indonesia's contemporary politics, it then proposes that since 2004 in particular, the health and education facilities provided by NU and Muhammadiyah are becoming less important to ordinary people in relation to the services provided by the state. It concludes that this trend has weakened the ability of these organisations to channel public support to political parties/candidates and is one reason why Islamic parties have not been able to capitalise on increased religiosity in the social sphere.