This book investigates the factors that led to the breakdown of democracy and the rise of violent separatism in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1980s, and how the risk of a large-scale war has grown in South Asia in the 1990s. Solutions to this conflict need to be based on knowledge about what caused it as well as perspectives on why this conflict is so particularly dangerous. Widmalm offers answers in this book, with systematic comparisons over time to establish the causes of the conflict. He refutes the contention that ethnic factors are the main cause, while acknowledging that ethnic dividing lines are salient features of the conflict today. Interviews with representatives of the Indian government, the ISI in Pakistan and separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir are also incorporated.

The second edition of this book presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of population trends and patterns in Singapore since its foundation in 1819 to the present day. Separate chapters are devoted to population growth and distribution, changing population structure, mortality trends and differentials, marriage trends and patterns, divorce trends and patterns, family planning, abortion and sterilization, incentive and disincentive measures, fertility trends and differentials, immigration policies and programmes, migration, labour force and future population trends. The strength of the book lies in the author's deep familiarity with the subject acquired through some personal involvement in the compilation of demographic statistics as well as the formulation of population policies for the country.

A cross-disciplinary anthology on contemporary Kashmir by academics from Jammu and Kashmir, the first such volume to appear. The book offers a panorama of key cultural concerns of Jammu and Kashmir today, incorporating analysis of military, cultural, religious, and social aspects of the society and polity.

Japan is one of the world's most important societies, yet remains one of the least understood. This book is designed to fill the gap for a concise but thought-provoking introduction to all aspects of the country's political, economic and social life set in a clear historical context. The author's starting-point is that the study of Japan is 'contested territory' where even such apparently simple questions such as 'Who is in charge?' spark considerable disagreement and controversy among experts. To understand contemporary Japan, Duncan McCargo argues, it is necessary to get to grips with a range of different perspectives on Japanese political and social structures. Integrating contrasting perspectives throughout, the core chapters of the book focus on the changing economy, government and politics, society and culture, and Japan's place in the wider world. The new third edition of this popular text has been fully revised and updated throughout to cover key developments such as the historic end of LDP rule in 2009. This accessible and lively book will be essential reading both for students and general readers who want to know more about this important country.

Series Information:
Political Chronologies of the World Series

This book is a significant gathering of ideas on the subject of modern Chinese literature and culture of the past several years. The essays represent a wide spectrum of new approaches and new areas of subject matter that are changing the landscape of knowledge of modern and contemporary Chinese culture: women's literature, theatre (performance), film, graphic arts, popular literature, as well as literature of the Chinese diaspora. These phenomena and the approaches to them manifest four interconnected trajectories for new scholarship in the field: the rewriting of literary history, the emergence of visual culture, and the quotidian apocalypse--the displacement of revolutionary romanticism and realism as central paradigms for cultural expression by the perspective of private, everyday experience.

The postwar era has witnessed a pluralizing trend in Japan, but small sets of narrowly-focused interest groups still dominate policymaking. Over 200 small consultative councils (shingikai), composed of business people, bureaucrats, scholars, journalists, union members, and others, deliberate on virtually every aspect of public policy. This book reviews their functions and operations, and presents three case studies of specific governmental decisions involving the use of shingikai in the late 1980s.

The Asia Annual 2011 focuses on the various aspects of democracy in the Asian context. The chapters in this volume reflect diverse perceptions, adopting an interdisciplinary approach, which enhance the discussions and reveal a plethora of opinions and outlooks. The collection of essays has been arranged primarily in terms of 'regions' (in the geopolitical sense). The volume brings together contributions from leading experts and 'area specialists' who offer special insights and critiques on crucial issues and questions related to the central theme of democracy in their respective 'regions/areas' of specialisation. The intention is to submit an inclusive volume concerning the idea of democracy in Asia. It strives to offer an exhaustive analysis that could prove to be valuable for those who are absorbed in Asian studies. The essays contend with wide-ranging debates on varied aspects related to the processes of democracy and democratisation from the Asian geopolitical space and contemplate on problems arising from the pressures associated with movements for democracy. The authors in their accounts also raise crucial questions regarding the viability as well as the consequences of external efforts at stimulating democracy and the setting up of imported models of democracy. The inherent emphasis is on both the intrinsic distinctiveness of the regions as well as the considerable commonalities, which inspire comparative analyses in general and in the context of democracy/democratisation in particular.

This book examines the overall trends and labour patterns of migrants, their relationship with the state, and the impacts they have on the societies in which they work and sometimes settle. The book adopts a multidisciplinary perspective which encompasses economics, history, politics, geography, and sociology, and presents a unique body of new empirical research that forms the basis of many of the chapters. The book emphasises the growing importance and value of transnational communities and multiple identities. It covers many of the diverse migration patterns that have recently emerged - from rural out-migration in China, to international labour movements in the Asia Pacific region as a whole. The conditions of many migrant workers are far from satisfactory and this is highlighted in a number of the chapters. Settlement outcomes, when and where they occur, have major policy and social implications and are changing the ethnic composition of many countries in the region. The growth of civil society in Singapore, increased ethnic diversity in Japan and the emergence of New Zealand's multicultural population are all examples of some of the developments that host nations are having to come to terms with. This extensive book presents state-of-the-art research on migration in the Asia Pacific, specifically focusing on the economic, political and social identities of migrants, and the responses of different states to this complex issue. It will be extremely worthwhile reading for students, scholars and researchers in the social sciences, especially those with an interest in geography, demography and the theory and policy of international migration.

Spatial Econometrics is a rapidly evolving field born from the joint efforts of economists, statisticians, econometricians and regional scientists. The book provides the reader with a broad view of the topic by including both methodological and application papers. Indeed the application papers relate to a number of diverse scientific fields ranging from hedonic models of house pricing to demography, from health care to regional economics, from the analysis of R&D spillovers to the study of retail market spatial characteristics. Particular emphasis is given to regional economic applications of spatial econometrics methods with a number of contributions specifically focused on the spatial concentration of economic activities and agglomeration, regional paths of economic growth, regional convergence of income and productivity and the evolution of regional employment. Most of the papers appearing in this book were solicited from the International Workshop on Spatial Econometrics and Statistics held in Rome (Italy) in 2006.

The Maastricht Treaty and the Stability Growth Pact demand that EU member states comply with their famous deficit and debt requirements of 3 and 60 per cent of GDP. Yet, how can the EU's leaders be certain that these targets are met? Is a 3 per cent deficit in Belgium equivalent to one in Italy or France?
Making the EMU explores how the Treaty's budgetary surveillance procedure monitors member state budgetary policies, harmonizes their budgetary data, and effectively determines which member states qualified for member status and are subject to the Pact's sanctions. This book provides the first examination of how the EU entrusted the credibility of these critical budgetary figures to a relatively minor European Commission agency, and what effect the surveillance procedure has on the making of the EMU and the enforcement of Maastricht.

The Dutch revolt against Spanish rule in the sixteenth century was a formative event in European history. The Origins and Development of the Dutch Revolt brings together in one volume the latest scholarship from leading experts in the field, to illuminate why the Dutch revolted, the way events unfolded and how they gained independence. In exploring the desire of the Dutch to control their own affairs, it also questions whether Dutch identity came about by accident.
The book makes the most recent research available in English for the first time, focusing on:
* the role of the aristocracy religion
* the towns and provinces
* the Spanish perspective
* finance and ideology.

Monetary Policy and Taiwan's Economy questions whether the Asian crisis could have been avoided through the application of recommendations highlighted by the contributors. The conclusion reached is that in an abstract world, perhaps; but in the world in which we live; no. It is argued that the proposals made could certainly contribute to improved policy, albeit effecting marginal improvements rather than ground breaking changes.The contributors demonstrate that proficient monetary policy and banking regulation can be achieved through sound economic analysis that takes into account: monetary aggregates in monetary policy the role of exchange rate policies in the Asian crisis the relationship between the exchange rate, capital flows and central bank intervention similarities between the restructuring of banking systems in Asia and in Eastern Europe following the fall of communism. This book will appeal to academics and researchers of macroeconomics - especially those with a particular interest in monetary theory and policy. Economic analysts, commercial banks, financial institutions and specialists in financial crisis will also find the book to be a fascinating read.

This book investigates the EU's regional growth dynamics and, in particular, the reasons why peripheral and socio-economically disadvantaged areas have persistently failed to catch up with the rest of the Union. It shows that the capability of the knowledge-based growth model to deliver its expected benefits to these areas crucially depends on tackling a specific set of socio-institutional factors which prevents innovation from being effectively translated into economic growth. The book takes an eclectic approach to the territorial genesis of innovation and regional growth by combining different theoretical strands into one model of empirical analysis covering the whole EU-25. An in-depth comparative analysis with the United States is also included, providing significant insights into the distinctive features of the European process of innovation and its territorial determinants. The evidence produced in the book is extensively applied to the analysis of EU development policies.

This book questions our perceptions of China. It is argued that what is commonly understood to be 'China' is, in large part, a collage of images. These images - created and manipulated by individuals and groups within the boundaries of the Chinese state in order to pursue their own social, economic and political ambitions - have been accepted, elaborated upon, strengthened and made legitimate by European and American social scientists and by other professional commentators on China. If shaped or strongly conditioned by these images, policies towards China are likely to prove either inappropriate or dangerous.

When Why Has Japan 'Succeeded'? (1982) was published, Japan was still a country of "capitalism from above". For the past ten years the country's economy has faltered and declined. It is turning towards 'capitalism from below' despite Japan's weak democracy. This directional change is investigated through a variety of standpoints, using an in-depth knowledge of the Japanese ethos, national history, educational background, as well as the sociology of the Japanese economy and business world. The author offers a long-term forecast for the future of Japan.

Why was the European Monetary System in 1992-93 swept by waves of disruptive speculative attacks? And what lessons emerged from that episode as regards the future of the European Monetary Union? This book provides a comprehensive assessment of the causes and implications of the 1992-93 crisis of the exchange rate mechanism. Cogent factual presentation, original theoretical analysis, and an interpretation rooted in theory, make this treatment by three leading economists essential reading to understand the process toward economic and political integration in Europe.

In twenty years of reform in China, the key development has been the opening-up of the market to foreign trade and international investment. This increased economic openness has been accompanied by profound changes in both economic organisation and regional disparity. This comprehensive book focuses on the link between these economic reforms and the causes - and ultimately the implications - of regional inequalities in the most populous country in the world. The authors examine the effect of globalisation on regional disparities in terms of income, regional growth, industrial location, urban-rural opposition, performance of the firm, human capital and mortality. In each case they provide new insights into the main changes in the Chinese economy and give original explanations as to the sources of regional diversity. The authors find that on the whole, regional disparities in China have tended to increase since reforms were introduced. They illustrate that this rise of inequality, in terms of both growth and income, results from the aptitudes of different regions to seize the new opportunities afforded to them by market developments. They also demonstrate how current regional disparities and increased competition will go hand in hand with a polarisation of industrial development in a few privileged regions. In the wake of China's accession to the WTO, this timely book offers a unique perspective on what is surely one of the biggest economic issues the global economy will face in the coming years. China and its Regions will be essential reading for all students and scholars of business, industrial development and Asian studies.

A decade after the war for Kuwait and two decades after the Iran-Iraq war, the wider Gulf region is mired in internal, regional and international conflicts. The contributors present analytical perspectives—including solution-oriented assessments—to identify major causes for actual and potential conflicts throughout the Gulf. Original essays cover Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi and Arab Gulf States’ political agendas on the domestic, regional and international fronts, assessments of pending border disputes, relations among the Gulf states themselves, and their ties with several Western powers. The study closes with four "trends" chapters looking at the 2000-2010 period.

This volume of essays contains contributions from a very wide range of British, American and Spanish scholars. Its primary concern is the relationships between the various ethnic, cultural, regional, and religious communities that co-existed in the Iberian peninsula in the later Middle Ages. Conflicts and mutual interactions between them are here explored in a range of both historical and literary studies, to expose something of the rich diversity of the cultural life of later medieval Spain.

This book discusses modern aspects of Japanese religion in terms of cultural geography. To understand the function of religion, it is essential to examine it in the context of local societies. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Japanese religion is its diversity; indeed, it is often remarked that "Japan is a museum of religions." In this work, the author clarifies some geographical aspects of the complex situation of Japanese religion. Chapter 1 discusses the trend of geographical studies of religion in Japan, of which four types can be identified. Chapter 2 focuses on certain characteristics of Japanese religious traditions by discussing tree worship and the landscape of sacred places. Chapter 3 clarifies regional divisions in the catchment areas of Japanese Shintoism by analyzing the distribution of certain types of believers. The author discusses two case studies: the Kasama Inari Shrine and the Kanamura Shrine. Chapter 4 discusses some modern aspects of sacred places and tourism through two case studies. The first part of the chapter focuses on changes in the types of businesses at the Omotesando of the Naritasan Shinshoji-Monzenmachi, and the following sections examine the revitalization of the local community through the promotion of religious tourism.

This timely book explores the unique challenges facing the left in Latin America today. The contributors offer clear and comprehensive assessments of the difficult conditions and conflicting forces that have brought to power the current leftist regimes in Latin American and the Caribbean and are shaping their development. Avoiding the widely accepted but simplistic dichotomy of "good" and "bad" left or democratic and antidemocratic left, the book first sets the theoretical and historical context for understanding the rise of the left in the region. It then provides case studies of the radical left in power in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador and its influence in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Cuba. Thematic chapters consider social and labor movements and debates over problems arising from the democratic transition to socialism. The book points to concrete circumstances in which theoretical issues related to reform and change have played out in nations where the left is in power. These include prioritization of social over economic objectives, the role of the state in the democratic road to socialism, and ecological as opposed to developmentalist strategies. Finally, the book examines the opposition to radical governments in power coming not only from the right but also from movements to their left. With its balanced and thorough assessment, this study will provide readers with a deep and nuanced understanding of the complexity of the political, economic, and sociocultural reality of contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean. Contributions by: Marc Becker, Roger Burbach, George Ciccariello-Maher, Hector M. Cruz-Feliciano, Steve Ellner, Federico Fuentes, Marcel Nelson, Hector Perla Jr., Camila Pineiro Harnecker, Thomas Purcell, Diana Raby, William I. Robinson, and Kevin Young