Regional / International studies Books

Book SynopsisSince September 2001, the U.S. has increased focus on radical Islamist and terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, particularly those in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. Al Qaeda penetrated the region by establishing local cells, training Southeast Asians in its camps in Afghanistan, and by financing and co-operating with indigenous radical Islamist groups. To combat the threat, the U.S. has pressed countries in the region to arrest suspected terrorist individuals and organisations, funded and trained Indonesia''s elite counter-terrorist unit, and deployed troops to the southern Philippines to advise Philippine military in their fight against the violent Abu Sayyaf Group. This book examines the rise of Islamist militancy and terrorism in the region, its background and issues, and options for U.S. policy.

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Book SynopsisThe United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbours and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bilateral relations are characterised by strong commercial and cultural ties and co-operation on a range of bilateral and international issues. In recent years, security issues have dominated the bilateral agenda, as the United States has supported Mexican President Felipe Calderon''s campaign against drug trafficking organisations (DTOs) and organised crime. This book is an overview on the background, history, economic trends, and current issues facing Mexico today.

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Book SynopsisThe Central Asian region is an age-old east-west and north-south trade and transport crossroads. While welcoming new trade, aid, and other ties, the leaders of Central Asia have been less receptive to calls to democratise and respect human rights. This book discusses the internal and external security concerns of the Central Asian states which include mixes of social disorder, crime, corruption, terrorism, ethnic and civil conflict, border tensions, water and transport disputes, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and trafficking of illegal narcotics and persons and the scope of U.S. interest and presence in the region.

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Book SynopsisThe issue of the interpretations of Japan''s wars is not totally a matter of the past; it is related to the present. Conservatives firmly believe that China uses the issue of history to divide Japanese public opinions so that Japan cannot adopt more active foreign and defence policy. Due to the negative interpretations of Japan''s war, Japan still does not admit her state right of collective self-defence. Without it she cannot participate in any military operations under the aegis of the United Nation or an international coalition such as the 2003 Iraqi War. This book discusses Japanese conservative views on foreign policy.

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Book SynopsisThe Greek city-state of Athens is believed to have developed the first known democracy around 500 B.C. Modern Greece has been a democracy since the toppling of a military junta in 1974. Since then, the New Democracy (ND) party and the Pan Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) have alternated leadership of the government. ND ruled from March 2004 until October 2009, when PASOK won national elections and a clear majority of the seats in parliament. PASOK''s victory has been attributed to anti-ND public sentiment caused by the economic recession, corruption scandals, and law-and-order issues. On taking power, PASOK inherited a severe financial crisis; economic growth has contracted for three consecutive quarters in 2009, and the budget deficit is projected to be 12.7% of GDP and debt to be 125% of GDP in 2010. This book focuses on Greece''s foreign policy; debit crisis, reunifying Cyprus; and relations with the U.S.

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Book SynopsisCentral Asia''s importance to the U.S. is rooted in the following three facts: its proximity to Afghanistan and thus the seat of the Taliban and Al-Qaida that have attacked us and will do so again; its proximity to key states like Russia, Iran and China, and the Indian subcontinent; and its large energy deposits which are becoming critical for Europe. These facts have led every administration since 1993 to advance broad geostrategic goals for Central Asia. This book explores the Central Asian country backgrounds of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Also discussed are the challenges and opportunities for the Obama Administration in Central Asia; Central Asian security issues and U.S. policy in Central Asia.

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Book SynopsisThe loss of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened concerns about the region''s future. Issues such as Arctic sovereignty claims; commercial shipping through the Arctic; Arctic oil, gas, and mineral exploration; endangered Arctic species; and increased military operations in the Arctic could cause the region in coming years to become an arena of international co-operation, competition, or conflict. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial political, economic, energy, environmental, and other interests in the region. Decisions that Congress, the executive branch, foreign governments, international organisations, and commercial firms make on Arctic-related issues could affect these interests. This book provides an overview of Arctic-related background information and issues.

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Book SynopsisThe Organization of American States (OAS) is the oldest multilateral regional organization in the world. It was founded in 1948 by the United States and 20 Latin American nations to serve as a forum for addressing issues of mutual concern. Over time, the organization expanded to include all 35 independent countries of the Western Hemisphere (though Cuba currently is excluded from participation). The organization''s areas of focus have also shifted over time, evolving in accordance with the priorities of its member states. Today, the OAS concentrates on four broad objectives: democracy promotion, human rights protection, economic and social development, and regional security cooperation. It carries out a wide variety of activities to advance these goals, often providing policy guidance and technical assistance to member states. This book provides an overview of the OAS history and issues for Congress, with a focus on illicit drug trafficking and terrorism issues.

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Book SynopsisMembers of Congress continue to demonstrate an ongoing interest in the efficiency and effectiveness of United Nations (U.N.) development activities, both in the context of U.N. reform and broader U.S. development and foreign assistance efforts. Thirty-two U.N. agencies, funds, programs, and offices play a role in development. These entities, collectively referred to as the U.N. development system (UNDS), are independent intergovernmental organisations with distinct mandates, rules, membership, and financial resources. They work to help countries achieve social and economic progress through a range of development activities, including program implementation, technical assistance, providing forums for intergovernmental co-operation, setting and facilitating international standards and norms, advocacy and awareness raising, and research and data collection. This book discusses the origins and evolving role of the UNDS and its perceived strengths and weaknesses, with a focus on the current UNDS structure, funding levels and trends.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors gather and present research from across the globe in the study of the political, economic and social issues of developing countries. Topics discussed include food security in Yemen; urban housing and social development in Nigeria; beef production in Southern Africa; NGOs partnering with universities to overcome evaluation challenges; colorectal cancer in relation to country development; social health protection and maternal health and the Millennium Development Goals; improving economic growth in South Africa; disparity in trauma burden between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries; energy system transition research for developing countries; and skills and business cycle in Uruguay.

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Book SynopsisBrazil occupies almost half of the continent of South America and is the fifth most populous country in the world. The United States has traditionally enjoyed co-operative relations with Brazil, which also is the seventh-largest economy in the world. United States administration officials have often highlighted Brazil''s status as a multicultural democracy, referring to the country as a natural partner that shares values and goals with the United States. Bilateral ties have been strained from time to time, however, as the countries'' occasionally divergent national interests and independent foreign policies have led to disagreements. U.S.-Brazilian relations have been particularly strained over the past year as a result of alleged National Security Agency (NSA) activities inside Brazil. Nevertheless, the countries continue to engage on issues such as trade, energy, security, racial equality, and the environment. This book discusses Brazil''s political and economic situation, as well as their relations with the United States. The book also provides Brazil''s human rights report for 2013; the international religious freedom report for 2012; and the investment climate statement for 2013.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a bird''s eye view of the livelihood and geographical conditions of backward rural areas in the central and northern Andes in Perú and in Argentina. There, people live in scattered settlements dedicated to subsistence agriculture and are also marginal to markets. NGOs are playing increasing roles in the development of peripheral rural regions, such as in Perú; while the State addresses the production at the commercial agricultural levels, the subsistence dwellers speak of the difficulties they continue to encounter to manage the marketing of their crops. In rural development, we found the need for interdisciplinary approaches to tackle the poor conditions of education, health protection, increased agricultural output, infrastructure, improved living (including sanitary) conditions and social development. In conclusion, we argue that rural development should be confronted within a systems approach that relies heavily on education. In fact the poor education of the peasantry is a hindrance to a better livelihood. All these thoughts are applied to Frias, Perú and Quebrada Lules in Argentina. The book is arranged in 15 chapters that discuss conceptual terms such as "livelihood "and continues to present the study area and its possibilities to development. This gives way to expand on a discussion on participatory research, programmes supporting livelihoods in developing countries, natural resources, and productive activity. The environmental characteristics of the district of Frias and its agriculture are examined, as well as the factors limiting the development of Frias, its threats, social vulnerability and dwellers'' ways of life. The authors of this book also discuss the social ties and the role of local authorities in development taking, for example, the Quebrada de Lules in Argentina.

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Book SynopsisRural communities, often the first indicators of economic downturns, play an important role in planning for development and sustainability. Increasingly, these communities are compelled to reimagine the paths that lead not only to economic success, but also to the cultural, social, environmental, and institutional pillars of sustainability. As the contributors to this volume demonstrate, there are many examples of such innovation and creativity, and many communities that seek out new ways to build the collaboration, capacity, and autonomy necessary to survive and flourish. Contributors: Don Alexander, Kirstine Baccar, Michael Barr, Mary A. Beckie, Moira J. Calder, Meredith Carter, Yolande E. Chan, Sean Connelly, Jon Corbett, Anthony Davis, Jeff A. Dixon, David J.A. Douglas, Roger Epp, Kelly Green, Lars K. Hallström, Greg Halseth, Casey Hamilton, Karen Houle, Glen T. Hvenegaard, Melanie Irvine, Bernie Jones, Robert Keenan, Rhonda Koster, Ryan Lane, Sean Markey, Shelly McMann, L. Jane McMillan, Morgan E. Moffitt, Karen Morrison, Karsten Mündel, Craig Pollett, Kerry Prosper, Mark Roseland, Laura Ryser, Claire Sanders, Jennifer Sumner, Kelly Vodden, Marc von der Gonna, Shayne Wright.Trade Review“This book is an excellent compilation of research on rural sustainability issues in Canada, covering a number of topics by university researchers and rural communities working closely together.… The rural issues the contributors discuss all involve public engagement with academics and rural citizens working together, covering a wide range of issues, from Aboriginal communities to land use regarding conversion of farmland, to economic impacts of rural population loss and aging, and the meanings of sustainability.” -- Duane (Dewey) Thorbeck * Great Plains Research *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction // Lars K. Hallström SECTION I: Contexts and Challenges for Rural Sustainability ONE Roots, Regions, and Radical Practice Rural Communities in Societal Survival and Transformation // David J. A. Douglas TWO Rural Sustainability and the “Lenses" of Place // Don Alexander and Bernie Jones THREE Engaging the Public in Wildlife and Greenspace Stewardship in Camrose, Alberta An Analysis of Outcomes, Drivers, and Lessons Learned // Glen T. Hvenegaard and Michael Barr FOUR Peaks and Valleys on the Prairies Optimism and Resistance to Sustainable Community Development in Craik, Saskatchewan // Sean Connelly, Kelly Green, Sean Markey, and Mark Roseland SECTION II: Sustainability Planning, Capacity, and Collaboration FIVE Municipal Sustainability Planning, Community Engagement, and Rural Revitalization A Case Study of Chauvin, Alberta // Moira J. Calder, Mary A. Beckie, and Shelly McMann SIX Developing Assessment and Adaptation Capacity Integrating Climate Change Considerations into Municipal Planning in Newfoundland and Labrador // Melanie Irvine, Robert Keenan, and Kelly Vodden SEVEN The Creative Economy An Opportunity for Rural Community Sustainability // Yolande E. Chan and Jeff A. Dixon EIGHT University–Community Partnerships to Support Small-Town Economic Transition // Laura Ryser, Marc von der Gonna, and Greg Halseth SECTION III: Implementation and Action: Lessons from the Front Lines NINE Taking the Next Steps Toward Environmental Sustainability Implementing the Official Plan on Pelee Island // Jennifer Sumner and Claire Sanders TEN Rural First Nations Tourism Examining the Relationship Between Sustainable Tourism and Capacity // Rhonda Koster and Kirstine Baccar ELEVEN Netukulimk Narratives Pathways to Rebuilding Sustainable Indigenous Nations // L. Jane McMillan, Kerry Prosper, Morgan E. Moffitt, and Anthony Davis TWELVE You Are Where You Eat Developing an Online Tool for Community Food Mapping // Jon Corbett, Casey Hamilton, and Shayne Wright SECTION IV: Assessment THIRTEEN An Ecohealth Framework for Evaluating Source-Water Protection, Health, and Well-Being in the Otonabee River Basin // Karen Morrison, Karen Houle, and Meredith Carter FOURTEEN Seeking Sustainability through Self-Assessment and Regional Cooperation in Newfoundland and Labrador // Kelly Vodden, Ryan Lane, and Craig Pollett FIFTEEN An Incremental Radicalism for Sustainable Communities // Roger Epp Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThe transfer of knowledge is a key issue in the North as Indigenous Peoples meet the ongoing need to adapt to cultural and environmental change. In eight essays, experts survey critical issues surrounding the knowledge practices of the Inuit of northern Canada and Greenland and the Northern Sámi of Scandinavia, and the difficulties of transferring that knowledge from one generation to the next. Reflecting the ongoing work of the Research Group Circumpolar Cultures, these multidisciplinary essays offer fresh understandings through history and across geography as scholars analyze cultural, ecological, and political aspects of peoples in transition. Traditions, Traps and Trends is an important book for students and scholars in anthropology and ethnography and for everyone interested in the Circumpolar North. Contributors: Cunera Buijs, Frédéric Laugrand, Barbara Helen Miller, Thea Olsthoorn, Jarich Oosten, Willem Rasing, Kim van Dam, Nellejet ZorgdragerTrade Review“Traditions, Traps and Trends is exceptional in several ways…. [It] reflects the breadth of Indigenous knowledge systems; as it happens here, those of Inuit and Sami. Each contribution provides insight into the complexity and wholeness of these systems by illuminating the values and beliefs that meaningfully animate livelihood and social life.” -- George W. Wenzel, Journal of Northern Studies, 2020Table of Contents1 | The Transformation and Transfer of Inuit Knowledge Notes on isumaqsajuq, ilisaijuq, and qaujimajatuqangit WILLEM C. E . R ASING 2 | Language and Literacy Exchange between the Moravians and the Inuit A Transfer of Knowledge in the 18th Century THEA OLSTHOORN 3 | Traditions, Traps and Tricks Social Aspects of the Transfer of Inuit qaujimajatuqangit FRÉDÉRIC LAUGRAND and JARICH OOSTEN 4 | Finding New Places to Transfer Inuit Knowledge in Nunavut KIM VAN DAM 5 | Living Objects The Transfer of Knowledge through East Greenlandic Material Culture CUNERA BUIJ S 6 | Transfer of Healing Knowledge A Case Study of the Coastal Sámi BARBARA HELEN MILLER 7 | Two Traditional Sámi Love Songs and the Transfer of Knowledge NELLEJE T ZORGDRAGER 8 | Sámi Storytelling and the Transfer of Knowledge The Kautokeino Rebellion and Its Aftermath NELLEJE T ZORGDRAGER

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Book SynopsisRevisiting ten notable days from recent history, Aaron W. Hughes invites readers to think about the tensions, events, and personalities that make Canada distinct. These indelible dates interweave to offer an account of the political, social, cultural, and demographic forces that have shaped the modern nation. The diverse episodes include the enactment of the War Measures Act, hockey’s Summit Series, the patriation of the Constitution, the Multiculturalism Act, the École Polytechnique Massacre, victories for gay rights, Quebec’s second referendum on secession, The Tragically Hip’s farewell concert, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and ongoing Black equality struggles. Each day represents a window on contemporary Canada, jumpstarting reflection and conversation about who we are as a nation and how we got here. Ten Days That Shaped Modern Canada is the perfect guide for all those curious about the forces that shape our country and about how we understand our place in the world.Trade Review"10 Days is quirky and compelling. It is excellent book club material. It is a good way to start a fight." Holly Doan, Blacklock's Reporter, September 3, 2022 [full review at https://www.blacklocks.ca/review-memories]"Hughes does not pick his days at random. These are hinge points in the making of a modern state…. 10 Days That Shaped Modern Canada tells several striking stories. A very readable book, it offers some new and exciting interpretations of a number of old themes and topics. Not every reader will agree with the author’s point of view or his choice of days. But this is part of the volume’s charm.… the days highlighted by Aaron W. Hughes illustrate that in order to understand who we are as a national community, it is essential to be aware of where we came from.” Matthew J. Bellamy, Literary Review of Canada, January/February 2023Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 | October 13, 1970 “Just Watch Me” 2 | September 28, 1972 Team Canada’s Most Famous Goal 3 | April 17, 1982 Patriation of the Constitution 4 | July 21, 1988 Multiculturalism Act 5 | December 6, 1989 École Polytechnique Massacre 6 | May 25, 1995 Egan v. Canada 7 | October 30, 1995 Quebec Referendum 8 | June 2, 2015 Release of the Executive Summary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 9 | August 20, 2016 The Tragically Hip’s Final Concert 10 | March 8, 2018 A New Ten-Dollar Bill Acknowledgements Notes Index"

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Book SynopsisSince the mid-1990s, tertiary education in Malaysia has experienced great transformation. Legislation was introduced to make the system more democratic and international. Focusing on public universities, this book analyses recent reforms in the sector, and seeks to initiate an urgently-needed debate on how the reforms should be implemented. this study is based on extensive interviews with academics from public universities at Malaysian institutions, because it is individual academics who play a crucial role in developing and maintaining the credibility and reputation of universities. Their stories give a clear picture of public universities that are juggling different expectations and pressures from the social, political and economic environments. The question is how this elusive balance can be achieved.

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Book SynopsisOver the last two decades, China''s extraordinary rate of economic growth has been driven by the 120-150 million people who have flocked into China''s cities from the surrounding countryside in search of a better life. This book examines the manner in which these people live, work, and interact with their urban cousins. A particular feature of the book is its comparative focus, with interesting parallels drawn between China''s experience with mass internal migration and labour market restructuring and the experiences of India, Mexico, and France.

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary economic performance of Asia is arguably the most important economic phenomenon of the last 50 years. Recovering from the shocks of colonial control, the world of Asian business is a rapidly changing scenario in which home-grown companies compete against multinationals for market share and market access. This collection focuses on the role of entrepreneurship -- both private and state -- in propelling Asian economic growth in the five decades since the end of the World War II. The volume places the familiar names of Asian business in a long term historical and policy context. The 21st century is now being heralded as the ''Asian Century'' and this book assists in understanding what has made all this possible.

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Book Synopsis"The Treaty of Waitangi" is the founding document of New Zealand, a subject of endless discussion and controversy, and is at the centre of many of this nation''s major events, including the annual Waitangi Day celebrations and protests. Yet many New Zealanders lack the basic information on the details about the Treaty.

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Book SynopsisToday, the streets of Victoria are busy thoroughfares. Yesterday, they were simple trails, used by the Hudson''s Bay Company men and the First Nations people who traded with them and helped build their fort. Then came the gold miners, followed by the bankers and businessmen, sailors and saloon-keepers, poets, postmasters, architects and astronomers. They''re remembered in Victoria''s city''s streets . . .and every street name tells a story: Courtney Street is a misspelled memorial to Captain George W. Courtenay, whose Constance was one of the first of Her Majesty''s vessels to sail into Esquimalt Harbour in the 1840s. Fan Tan Alley provides a tantalizing glimpse into 1800s Chinatown, where Fan Tan gambling dens existed alongside brothels and opium factories that fuelled the gamblers'' fortunes. Rattenbury Place is named for the ill-fated architect who designed the Empress Hotel and the Parliament Buildings. Danda''s knack for colourful, no-nonsense writing makes history come alive. You''ll sympathize with the characters she writes about, enjoy them and through their eyes experience 19-century Victoria in a way you''ve never experienced it before.

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Book SynopsisThis aim of this book is to look at the dominant representation that at present underpin the issues of territorial organisation and planning in Europe. Cities and networks are often envisaged as inevitably driving territorial development. However, the conceptualisation of European territorial integration has often been reduced to two conventional models: the centre-periphery model and the hierarchical model of urban networks. Limiting territorial integration to these two schema means that integration is limited. Today, reference to polycentric territorial development has to some extent changed the picture. Rather than being viewed in a polarised, pyramidal manner, spatial dynamics are being read in terms of interconnection and reticulation. In addition, reflection on the subject of polycentric territorial strategies has encouraged politicians and spatial planners to include the principle of territorial cohesion in the priorities of European public policies. From considerations which associate conceptual approaches and analytical studies, this book makes it possible to understand in what manner polycentrism, viewed as an alternative to metropolisation, could sow the seeds for new readings, at various scales, of the organisation of European territory. The main challenge of this book is to explain why it is worthwhile revisiting some rather too static representations of territorial systems in Europe. The aim is to promote the emergence and the consolidation of new, critical ways of looking at the issues of territorial dynamics.

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Book SynopsisSince 1991, post-Soviet political elites in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have been engaged in nation -- as well as state-building. They have tried to strengthen territorial sovereignty and national security, re-shape collective identities and re-narrate national histories. Former Soviet republics have become new neighbours, partners and competitors searching for geopolitical identity in the new Eastern Europe," i.e. the countries left outside the enlarged EU. Old paradigms such as "Eurasia" or "East Slavic civilisation" have been re-invented and politically instrumentalised in the international relations and domestic politics of these countries. At the same time, these old concepts and myths have been contested and challenged by pro-Western elites. The main subject of this book is the construction of post-Soviet borders and their political, social and cultural implications. It focuses on the exemplary case of the Ukrainian-Russian border, approaching it as a social construct and a discursive phenomenon. The book shows how the symbolic meanings of and narratives on this border contribute to national identity formation and shape the images of the neighbouring countries as "the Other" thereby shedding new light on the role of border disputes between Ukraine and Russia in bilateral relations, in EU neighbourhood politics and in domestic political conflicts. The study also addresses "border making" on the regional level, focusing on the cross-border co-operation between Kharkiv and Belgorod and on the dilemmas of a Euro-region "in absence of Europe". Finally, it reflects the everyday experiences of the residents of near-border villages and shows how national and local identities are performed at, and transformed by, the new border.Trade Review[The] analytical structure and trajectory of Zhurzhenkos work travelling from broad historical time and geopolitical space to the here and now practically means one could read it from the last chapter to the first as easily as the other, conventional, way around. I enjoyed immensely reading in the closing chapters the Ukrainian and Russian villagers own testimonies, their preoccupations, details of their changing lives. I could well have taken all this in first before proceeding to the so called 'bigger questions' of state-to-state relations and the changing geopolitical architecture of Eastern Europe. Either way, it is a carefully constructed narrative about the advent of a border in peoples minds and across their land. -- Debatte, vol. 19, issue 1-2, 2011"I enjoyed immensely reading in the closing chapters the Ukrainian and Russian villagers' own testimonies, their preoccupations, details of their changing lives. It is a carefully constructed narrative about the advent of a border in people's minds and across their land. -- Marko Bojcun, Faculty of Governance and International Relations London Metropolitan University"Overall, this monograph is an excellent piece of scholarship, which is well written and extremely well researched. It will be of interest to researchers and students of East European Studies as well as Post-Soviet Studies and of specific interest for individuals interested in border studies as an emerging sub-field within the social sciences. -- Peter Rodgers, University of Sheffield[] many academic readers will find the fieldwork portion of Zhurzhenkos volume, as well as some of her theoretical analysis, informative and thought-provoking. [] Her detailed focus on the area and its problems is truly pioneering and is to be commended. -- Anthropology of East Europe Review 30 (1), Spring 2012Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations List of Images Foreword: Ukraine en route to where?, by Dieter Segert Acknowledgements Introduction Part I. Remapping the Post-Soviet Space 1. "Eurasia" and its Uses in the Ukrainian Geopolitical Imagination 2. Slavic Sisters into European Neighbours: Ukrainian-Belarusian relations after 1991 Part II. Bordering Nations, Transcending Boundaries 3. Under Construction: the Ukrainian-Russian Border from the Soviet Collapse to EU Enlargement 4. Boundary in Mind: Discourses and Narratives of the Ukrainian-Russian Border 5. "Slobozhanshchyna": Re-inventing a Region in the Ukrainian-Russian Borderlands Part III. Living (with the) Border 6. Making Sense of a New Border: Social Transformations and Shifting Identities in Five Near-Border Villages 7. Becoming Ukrainians in a "Russian" Village: Local Identity, Language and National Belonging

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Book SynopsisThis timely book investigates the complex relations between the Republic of Poland and the Slovak Republic in the context of ongoing processes in the European Unions political and economic system. The basic assumption of the study is that Polish-Slovak relations are affected and shaped not only by the interaction between the two of them but also by the dynamics of the European and global international environment. The authors explore different aspects of the interconnectedness of Warsaw and Bratislava. This includes the analysis of political, economic, and social dimensions of bilateral relations in the multilateral context. One of the goals of this volume is to define areas and spheres of Polands and Slovakias common interest, as well as to point out those areas with the highest potential for development. It also defines and analyzes problematic issues in common relations that could be seen as obstacles in developing cooperation in specific areas and politically strategic areas like foreign and security policy. Moreover, the book seeks to measure the extent to which Polish-Slovak relations are affected by the European integration process.

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Book SynopsisReligion and magic have played important roles within Eastern European societies where social reality and socio-political balance may differ greatly from those in the West. Although often thought of as being two distinct, even antagonistic forces, religion and magic find ways to work together. By taking on various examples in the multicultural settings of post-Soviet and post-socialist spaces, this collection brings together diverse historical and ethnographic analyses of orthodoxy and heterodoxy from the pre- and post-1989 periods, studies on the relationship of religious and state institutions to individuals practicing alternative forms of spirituality, and examples of borderlands as spaces of ambiguity. This volume is at the crossroads of anthropology, history, as well as cultural memory studies. Its archival and field research results help us understand how repurposing religious and magic practices worked into the transition that countries in Eastern Europe and beyond have experienced after the end of the Cold War.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive study of the social roots of citizen raising in contemporary Russia. It traces the development of governmental patriotic programs in recent decades, discusses how the Soviet past and political traditions influence todays system of patriotism formation, and presents numerous examples illustrating real-life processes in current patriotic education. While the topics of patriotism and patriotic education are highly politicised, this study approaches them from a sociological perspective. It identifies the basic model of patriotic education as a fairly stable structure born of the values and attitudes of different agents: teachers, school administrators, and civil servants. Patriotic education in Russia is shown as a particular example of how a political idea can lead to the formation of social structures, and how, in time, those social structures can lead to the restoration of the original political idea.

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Book SynopsisAccording to general Realist premises, after the end of the Cold War, the United States took an interest in remaining the only super power. Accordingly, it was attempting to maintain and manage unipolarity. The pursuit of this Grand Strategy, however, required the U.S. to adapt its various strategies to the various receiving states. Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus played very unalike roles in that configuration: Whilst Poland was labeled Americas best friend by President George W. Bush, Belarus was not seeking alignment with the U.S., whereas Ukraine-U.S. relations were subject to many ups and downs. The three countries diverging attitudes towards Washington led to very different policy approaches from a U.S. vantage point. As this study shows, the U.S. did not have an overall strategy for the region. Rather, Washington managed its relations with European states through a set of mainly bilateral relations. Madeleine Albright once described the tools of foreign policy as including everything from kind words to cruise missiles. This book is a comparative case study of the United States use of these tools in its approaches towards Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus after the end of the Cold War. As the only remaining superpower, Washington played a key role in the formation of post-communist Central and Eastern Europe. Yet, its actions and policies have received comparatively little attention. This book contributes to filling that gap by providing three in-depth case studies.

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Book SynopsisThis special issue provides a forum for discussion of what Belarusian Studies are today and which new approaches and questions are needed to revitalize the field in the regional and international academic arena. The major aim of the issue is to go beyond the narratives of dictatorship and authoritarianism as well as that of a never-ending story of failed Belarusian nationalism -- interpretive schemes that are frequently used for understanding Belarus in scholarly literature in Western Europe and Northern America. Bringing together ongoing research based on original empirical material from Belarusian history, politics, and society, this issue combines a discussion of the concept of autonomy/agency with its applicability to trace how individual and collective actors who define themselves as Belarusian -- or otherwise -- have manifested their agendas in various practices in spite of and in reaction to state pressure. This issue offers new approaches for interpreting Belarusian society as a dynamically changing set of agencies. In doing so, it attempts to overcome a tradition of locating present Belarusian political and social dilemmas in its socialist past.

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Book SynopsisIn the present social and cultural transformation of South Thailand's cultural politics, ideologies involving the family, gender and home provide the cultural codes in social dramas of the state, the media and social and religious movements. This study looks at micropolitics and the nesting of the political action of everyday life in larger, ultimately global structures of power. Exploring the making of class, culture and space, the production and consumption of culture is understood as work which involves the constant negotiation of boundaries.Trade Review"As the literature on Southern Thailand is very limited, the book is a welcome source of information about the cultural and societal situation in this region. The study can be recommended to readers interested in detailed regional information about Southern Thailand." Patrick Ziegenhals, Internationales Asienforum, 11 (2004)

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Book SynopsisIn a bold departure from conventional thinking on the subject, the author presents an exciting blueprint for the Resurgence of Pakistan from a terrorism sponsoring state to a dynamic and responsible member of the comity of nations.

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Book SynopsisThis book is an introduction to the topic of bridges and is an unpretentious, popular contribution to the history of technology, where such aspects as technology, history and philately are merged. The book was published for the first time in 1990 with the title ''Broer som hobby''. The current edition is bilingual and is published in an electronic version and in an abbreviated paper edition. It deals with the history, development and classification of bridges. Different kinds of bridges are described and particular structures are presented. Illustrations are all stamps with bridge motives, arranged according to engineering criteria.

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Book SynopsisThe Norwegian University of Science and Technology hosted a conference on the Anglo-American Middle East in Trondheim 2 to 4 May 2005. A distinguished group of scholars accepted our invitations and gracefully agreed to rewrite their lectures for inclusion in this book. They also easily transcended the, perhaps, narrow theme of the conference, making their papers a sophisticated discussion, by and large, how the different great powers have, not always successfully, tried to control the Middle East. Hence the title of this book, ''Controlling the Uncontrollable''. Edward Ingram compares with a grand sweep the British and the American imperial experience in the Middle East, he notes that too many scholars exaggerate the power of nineteenth-century Great Britain in order to compare it with the present day ''US paramountcy''. Alan Milward is on a different tack, explaining how the oil crisis and oil embargo forced the European Common Market to take a new approach towards the Arabs, in the process cutting loose from the American embrace and laying the foundation for a common EU foreign policy. In his article, Douglas Little deepens our understanding of his concept American Orientalism -- the tendency to dismiss Muslims as backward, decadent and evil -- ending his essay with a withering criticism of George W Bush who has rejected the doctrine of containment in favour of preventive war when invading Iraq, needlessly creating the current imbroglio there. Peter Hahn discusses American-Israeli relations in the period 1945-1961, showing that Israeli and American officials were often at loggerheads on the future of the Jewish state. Rounding off the essays is Mary Ann Heiss'' account of key episodes of American oil policy since 1945. Even with the importance of oil, as Heiss explains, the balance of power had by 1974 shifted in favour of the oil producers; that had ''shrewdly divided the Atlantic Alliance, pitting the Western Europeans against both the Americans and each other''.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn 1998 the Middle East Conflict celebrated its 50th anniversary and now, eight years later, no final general settlement is in sight. Despite peace agreements between Israel and two Arab countries in the nineteen nineties (Egypt and Jordan) and a part-settlement with the Palestinian authorities or PLO in 1993, violence reached its highest level in 2002/2004, and has still not abated, albeit decreased recently. The withdrawal of the Israeli forces and settlers from occupied Gaza is a step in the right direction, but too many uncertainties remain. Just now the political situation is confused in Israel. The Middle East Conflict gives a clear-cut study of the conflict from 1948-2005. It should be fairly easy for readers without any special foreknowledge to read if they have a keen interest in political matters and want to understand this long drawn conflict that over the years developed into what the author describes as war. May be more dramatic than necessary, but the conflict has had a serious repercussions anywhere in the area conflict -- including a damaging civil war in Lebanon -- and also in a larger area than the one this study outs its focus on, namely the direct involved neighbours of Israel and the Jewish nation itself.

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Book SynopsisThis volume celebrates the 40th anniversary of the journal American Studies in Scandinavia, which began publication in 1967. This book is an invitation to develop a dialogue across the Atlantic. For too long European scholars have watched Americanists in the United States as though looking through a one-way window, invisible to those arguing on the other side of the glass. For too long US Americanists have scarcely realised that what appeared a mirror could be a window.

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Book SynopsisSince 1945 Denmark''s policy towards Europe has become one of the most important issues, if not the most important issue, in Danish politics. Why is this? In what way is Denmark a special case with regard to European policy? What are the basic factors in the formation of Danish European policy, and how does the study of this policy contribute to the field of foreign policy analysis? These are some of the questions which this book attempts to answer. The aim is to provide the reader with a better understanding of Danish policy towards Europe, taking into account both historical and theoretical aspects. The contributors to the volume are experienced researchers in political science and history. They approach the main theme of Danish European policy from four different perspectives. A theoretical, a historical and cultural, a perspective focusing on policy determinants and A decision-making perspective. The book forms part of the Copenhagen Research Project on European Integration (CORE).

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Book SynopsisThis publication examines the Amsterdam Treaty negotiated by the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) 1996-97. It looks at the preferences of the main actors, the Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament, as well as the negotiation process that produced the Treaty. The book includes chapters on each of the main actors as well as the most important substantive issues: the changes in the Union''s first pillar, mainly in respect to environment and employment policies, changes in the second pillar, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the creation of a new Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) as well as the introduction of new provisions on ''closer co-operation'' or flexibility. Concluding chapters seek to confront the Treaty reform process with leading integration theories.

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