This book explores the complex relationship between the novel and identity in modern Arab culture against a backdrop of contemporary Egypt. It uses the example of the Egyptian novel to interrogate the root causes - religious, social, political, and psychological - of the lingering identity crisis that has afflicted Arab culture for at least two centuries.

Islamic Culture Through Jewish Eyes analyzes the attitude towards Muslims, Islam, and Islamic culture as presented in sources written by Jewish authors in the Iberian Peninsula between the tenth and the twelfth centuries. By bringing the Jewish attitude towards the "other" into sharper focus, this book sets out to explore a largely overlooked and neglected question - the shifting ways in which Jewish authors constructed communal identity of Muslims and Islamic culture, and how these views changed overtime. The book's methodological sophistication and wide range of sources make it a valuable resource for scholars and researchers of comparative literature and cultural studies.

This highly relevant study provides an incisive analysis of a critical phase in recent East Asian financial history, exploring the underlying causes of the financial crisis that struck Indonesia during the second half of 1997.

Matsumoto's extensive commercial experience in Indonesian finance during these critical years, allows him to skilfully argue that the roots of the crisis lay in the period of capital liberalization undertaken during the boom years from 1994 to 1997 which encouraged the development of fragile and unstable financial structures, involving increased corporate leverage, reliance on external debt, and the introduction of riskier and more complicated financial instruments and transactions.

In-depth fieldwork data and four detailed case studies illuminate the microeconomic foundations of the crisis, showing how Indonesian capitalists sought to liquidate their Indonesian assets without losing control of their corporate empires, by taking advantage of increased access to foreign loans and complex financial re-engineering, actions which ultimately precipitated instability and crisis throughout the entire financial system. Finally, it reflects upon the policy implications of this episode, putting forward the case for comprehensive capital controls for open and developing economies until they establish appropriate financial institutions to monitor and manage the level of indebtedness and the volatility of capitalists' behaviour.

There is a growing interest in human security in Southeast Asia. This book firstly explores the theoretical and conceptual basis of human security, before focusing on the region itself. It shows how human security has been taken up as a central part of security policy in individual states in Southeast Asia, as well as in the regional security policy within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The book discusses domestic challenges for human security including the insurgencies in southern Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. Transnational security issues such as terrorism, drugs, human trafficking and the situation in Burma are explored by the author, and the 'ASEAN' way of contrasting the values and approaches of Southeast Asian countries with those in the West is assessed. By focusing on the ongoing changes and efforts to achieve human security in Southeast Asia, this book contributes to theoretical debates on human security as well as regional studies on Southeast Asia.

Incorporating original fieldwork carried out over a period of more than ten years, combined with innovative theoretical argument, Globalization, Culture and Society in Laos presents one of the first sociological investigations into modern Laos. Boike Rehbein gives a fascinating overview of contemporary Lao culture and society, whilst linking local and national phenomena to tendencies of globalization and the history of the region.

The book introduces a new theoretical approach based on the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu, applying this sociology to the interpretation of Lao history. It also examines various aspects of Lao culture and society, including economics, politics, language, higher education, music, and religion. Rehbein concludes by attempting to synthesize these cultural elements with the impact of globalization to give a synopsis of contemporary Lao society.

Written by an expert in Lao history and culture, familiar with the language and the people, this book will be of huge interest to students and scholars of Laos, Southeast Asia, social theory and globalization.

Human Conscience and Muslim-Christian Relations puts forward a discussion of how the notion of conscience may unite Muslim and Christians across religious divides, as well as examining the relation between selfhood and otherness in interfaith dialogue. The author explores how the notion of conscience has been dealt with by modern Egyptian authors and discusses their works in light of how Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt have evolved during the modern period.

Deploying the provocative idea of the 'subaltern citizen', this book raises fundamental questions about subalternity and difference, dominance and subordination, in India and the United States. In contrast to other writings on subordinated and marginalized people, the essays presented here devote deliberate attention to diverse locations of subalternity: in the conditions and histories of slaves, dalits, peasants, illegal immigrants, homosexuals, schoolteachers, women of noble lineage; in the Third World and the First; in pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial times. With contributions from a diverse group of distinguished scholars, the anthology explores issues of gender and sexuality, migration, race, caste and class, education and law, culture and politics. The very juxtaposition of different bodies of scholarship serves to challenge common perceptions of inherited histories - claims to American and Indian 'exceptionalism' - and promotes a new awareness, not only of shared histories and shared struggles in the making of the modern world, but of particularities and facets of our different histories and societal conditions that are assumed as being well understood, and hence often taken for granted. Subaltern Citizens and Their Histories will be essential reading for scholars of colonial, postcolonial and subaltern studies, American studies, US and South Asian social science and history.

This book is about the processes of globalization, demonstrated through a comparative study of three television case histories in Asia. Also illustrated are different approaches to providing television services in the world: public service (NHK in Japan), state (CCTV in China) and commercial (STAR TV, based in Hong Kong). Through its focus, Global Media addresses a considerable lacuna in the media studies literature, which tends to have a heavy Western bias. It provides an original addition to the literature on globalization, which is often abstract and anecdotal, in addition to making a major contribution to comparative research in Asia. Finally, it offers a thoughtful causal layered analysis, with a concluding argument in favor of public service television.

Why are some regimes democratic while others are not? Specifically, how have Spain and Italy managed to become democratic while Turkey, which shares many similar characteristics, has not? Spain, Italy and Turkey have shared common historical features which would have been disruptive to any new democracy; however they represent a wide array of democratization experiences. Providing a comparative case study analysis, this book offers some clues as to the reasons for successful transitions to democracy. This is done through a range of variables which include: the degree of 'stateness' problems learning from previous experiences with democracy and authoritarianism economic development the procedures used for designing the new rules of the regime the existence or absence of 'civil society' and the connection between society and political institutions the democratic rules themselves the professionalization of the military the influence of external factors on democratic consolidation. By examining these variables across the three countries, Lauren McLaren narrows the range of possible explanations for differences in democratic consolidation. The book will be of particular interest to students and researchers of European Politics and Democratization Studies.

Military action in South Ossetia, growing tensions with the United States and NATO, and Russia's relationship with the European Union demonstrate how the issue of Russian nationalism is increasingly at the heart of the international political agenda.This book considers a wide range of aspects of Russian nationalism, focussing on the Putin period. It discusses the development of Russian nationalism, including in the Soviet era, and examines how Russian nationalism grows out of - or is related to - ideology, culture, racism, religion and intellectual thinking, and demonstrates how Russian nationalism affects many aspects of Russian society, politics and foreign policy. This book examines the different socio-political phenomena which are variously defined as 'nationalism', 'patriotism' and 'xenophobia'. As Russia reasserts itself in the world, with Russian nationalism as one of the key driving forces in this process, an understanding of Russian nationalism is essential for understanding the dynamics of contemporary international relations.

How do the dead live among us today? Approaching death from the perspective of media and communication studies, anthropology, and sociology, this book explains how the all-encompassing presence of mediated death profoundly transforms contemporary society. It explores rituals of mourning and the livestreaming of death in hybrid media, as well as contemporary media-driven practices of immortalization. Sumiala draws on examples ranging from the iconic deaths of Margaret Thatcher and David Bowie to those of ordinary people ritualized on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. In addition, this book examines digital mourning of global events including the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Coronavirus pandemic. Mediated Death is a must-read for scholars and students of communication studies, as well as general readers interested in exploring the meaning of mediated death in contemporary society.

'Journalism in Iran' charts the development of professional journalism in Iran since the 1979 Revolution that replaced the monarchy with an Islamic Republic. Written to pay homage to Iranian journalists, the book focuses on newspapers, radio and television providing a fuller picture of Iran's media environment.

This book examines the relationship between environmentalism and political transition in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Environmentalism was a strong force behind the nationalist movements preceding the independence of the Baltic States and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union. The contributors illustrate how the Baltic States face contemporary environmental challenges through transition, enlargement and integration into the European Union.

This edited collection brings the reader through the political, economic and social changes of the post-Soviet Baltic States as a way of examining how transition influences environmentalism. Secondly, the book looks at how the enlargement of the European Union to encompass the Baltic States has influenced political and legal approaches to the environment. Finally, the contributors examine how regional and global environmental narratives have shaped contemporary environmentalism in the Baltic States. From eco-nationalism to the world 's first green prime minister, environmentalism continues to play an important role in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Baltic Studies.

Describing one of the most important practices of hathayoga (khecarimudra), the Khecarividya of Adinatha is presented here to an English-speaking readership for the first time. The author, James Mallinson, draws on thirty Sanskrit works, as well as original fieldwork amongst yogins in India who use the practice, to demonstrate how earlier tantric yogic techniques developed and mutated into the practices of hathayoga. Accompanied by an introduction and an extensively annotated translation, the work sheds light on the development of hathayoga and its practices.

Analyzing the role of journalists in science communication, this book presents a perspective on how this is going to evolve in the twenty-first century. The book takes three distinct perspectives on this interesting subject. Firstly, science journalists reflect on their 'operating rules' (science news values and news making routines). Secondly, a brief history of science journalism puts things into context, characterising the changing output of science writing in newspapers over time. Finally, the book invites several international journalists or communication scholars to comment on these observations thereby opening the global perspective. This unique project will interest a range of readers including science communication students, media studies scholars, professionals working in science communication and journalists.

Based on archival material, this intriguing book examines David Ben-Gurion's influence on the relationship between the state of Israel, the Zionist Organization and American Jewry between 1948 and 1963 when he served as Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. The author discusses how Ben-Gurion was largely instrumental in forming Israel's policies throughout the first two decades of the country's existence and, due to his position, personality and prestige, he was able to influence the fashioning of political structures as well as their content. The book discusses both the political motives of the leaders and the ideological discourse, in order to understand their dependency and to highlight their significance in the terms Diaspora and exile, the centrality of the State of Israel, and the role played by the Jews of America. As such this will be of great interest to scholars of Middle East Studies, Jewish Studies, and ethnicity and nationalism.

This book brings together studies by experts in the study of religion in nineteenth century Iran. Broad areas covered include the relationship between religion and the state, the importance of archival materials for the study of religion, the developments in Qajar religious thought, the position of religious minorities in Qajar Iran and the relationship between religion and Qajar culture. The centrality of Shi'ite Islam to any understanding of Qajar religion is emphasised, though non-Muslim religious communities, and their relationship with the Shi'ite hierarchy and the state are also studied. For the first time, a collection of studies by the leading researchers in the field are collected in one place. The collection represents the proceedings of a conference in September 2000 at the University of Bristol.

This book demonstrates that the origins of the US-Israeli alliance lay in the former's concern over Egyptian influence in Jordan, contrasting with the widely-held view of the significance of the Six Day War.

The American-Israeli Alliance will be of great interest to students of Middle East studies, history, and politics.

An original and innovative recasting of constitutionalism, written by acknowledged experts in the field, this empirically grounded and theoretically informed volume addresses the strategies and philosophies that judges and lawyers bring to bear when creating European constitutional jurisprudence; investigating and promoting promotes the sustainability of a theory or praxis of 'procedural' constitutionalism. Building upon European and American critical legal scholarship, Michelle Everson and Julia Eisner argue that constitutional adjudication has never been the neutral matter of a mere judicial 'identification' of the values, norms and procedures that each society seeks to concretise in its own body of constitutional law. Instead, a 'mythology' of comprehensive national constitutional settlement has obscured the primary legal constitutional conundrum that is created by the requirement that a judiciary must always adapt its constitutional jurisprudence to the evolving values that are to be found within any society; but must always, also, maintain the integrity and autonomy of the law itself. European judges and lawyers, having been denied recourse to all forms of constitutional mythology, provide us with an alternative model of constitutionalism; one that does not require a founding myth of constitutional settlement, and one which both secures the autonomy of law, as well as ensures dialogue between law and society. This occurs, however, not through grand theories of 'constitutional adjudication' but, as The Making of a European Constitution documents, rather through a practical process.

A team of international leading experts provide a much needed re-examination of the theoretical claims and the empirical foundation of developmental state theory. Asian States argues that regardless of the merits of the developmental state as an explanation of economic growth, it falls far short of being an adequate theory of the state in Asia. The contributors critically review claims about agency, state-society and state-market relations that shape developmental projects. It broadens the analysis of state involvement in developmental projects and considers the variety of political and social bases for state projects across East and Southeast Asia in a theoretically sensitive, thematic and empirically rich way.

Written by an internationally recognized specialist on Buraku studies, this book casts new light on majority-minority relations and the struggle for Buraku liberation. Ian Neary focuses on the Burakumin activist, left-wing politician, family company manager and arguably the most important Buraku leader of the twentieth century: Matsumoto Jiichiro. Based on primary material reflecting recent research, each chapter locates Matsumoto Jiichiro's experience within the broader developments in Japan's social, political and economic history and illuminates dimensions of its social history during the twentieth century that are frequently left unconsidered. As an examination of Buraku history this book will appeal to scholars and students of Japanese political and economic history, ethnic and racial studies, socialism, social thought and social movements.

There is much debate regarding which countries economies have the best economic systems to encourage economic growth and technological change. This book is a major contribution to this discussion, connecting the fields of corporate governance and finance with the field of innovation and technology and analysing the ways in which countries systems of corporate governance affect firms ability to meet the technological challenges of different sectors.

Tylecote and Visintin combine incisive analysis with empirical studies systems of corporate governance in the US, Europe, East Asia and China, demonstrating how these systems vary and how the demands on those who control and finance industry are changing. The authors argue that while certain types of system have worked for particular sectors, the technological revolution through which we are passing demands innovation in corporate governance and finance. Indeed, this book goes some way in challenging accepted views of best practise in corporate governance and finance, showing how structures and rules intended to advance shareholder value may undermine it by inhibiting technological change.

This book will be very interesting reading for students and researchers engaged with corporate governance and national business systems, as well as those interested in systems of innovation.

This text critically examines the belief that the EU not only has an impact on the international system but also a 'normative', 'civilian' and 'civilizing' power. The contributors question whether this assertion fits with the empirical record or is merely based on anecdotal evidence and whether there is a theoretical basis for the expectation of a 'normative' or 'civilizing' power. Moving the research agenda forward, the book establishes criteria and assessment standards for examining the EU's international role and its putative normative dimension. Such an endeavour is particularly important against the backdrop of recent developments in European security and defence. The acquisition of military means, or the EU's ambition to acquire such means, might weaken at least the argument that the EU is a 'civilian' power and could provoke a shift towards a policy more akin to traditional 'great powers.' This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of European Public Policy.

In May 1998 the fall of Suharto marked the beginning of a difficult and multi-layered transition process. It was accompanied by intensified conflict in the political arena, a dramatic increase of ethnic and religious violence and the danger of national disintegration. Ten years after the collapse of the New Order, Indonesia has made significant progress, however the quality of democracy is still low. Theoretically innovative and empirically sound, this book is an in-depth analysis of the Indonesian reform process since 1998. Marco Bunte and Andreas Ufen bring together a selection of noted Indonesia experts to provide new insights into the restructuring of core state institutions, the empowerment of Parliament, the slow and difficult evolution of the rule of law, and the transfer of power to locally elected regional governments (decentralization). Based on the results of extensive fieldwork, Democratization in Post-Suharto Indonesia will be an important read for scholars engaged in research on Indonesia and the politics of Southeast Asia.

This book explores the essential nature of regionalism by conducting a comprehensive analysis of more than 30 regionalist proposals made by Japan and other Asian countries throughout the post-war period.

Shintaro Hamanaka examines the whole post war period and covers all regionalist proposals since then, while most existing studies cover only the development of Asian regionalism in the recent decade. A significant number of cases in the proposed book enable the readers to go beyond an understanding of each regionalist project, to a deeper understanding of theoretically generalizeable behavior pattern of Japan and other countries. The book also comparatively analyzes political, financial and trade regionalisms.

The central aim of the book is to reveal the fact that policies with regard to regionalism have a pattern, in this case with a principal, though not an exclusive focus, on Japan. The author demonstrates that the behavior pattern of external policy is extremely consistent in terms of the membership of regionalist organizations and discusses whether this new approach to regionalism holds explanatory power vis-?-vis regionalism outside Asia.

This book will be of interest to scholars, postgraduate students and policy makers in the fields of international relations, Asian studies, international trade and regionalism.