Alvin Y. So - Böcker

The Chinese triangle of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan constitutes one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy. Since the late 1970s, these three societies have experienced increasing economic integration; however, studies aimed at analyzing and explaining this integration have often overlooked the very important role social institutions have played in the shaping of this process. To fill this gap, this book adopts a systematic institutional approach designed to examine the different patterns of institutions in the three countries and to discuss how such social institutions as the economy, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora have exerted a profound impact on all three societies. The chapters, taken together, argue that different patterns of institutional configuration have led to divergent paths of development, and that this divergence will have significant implications on the prospects for Chinese national reunification in the twenty-first century.The Introductory chapter provides a historical discussion on the origins and the transformation of the Chinese triangle during the second half of the twentieth century. The remainder of the volume is broken into four topics considered crucial for understanding the transformation of the Chinese triangle: economic transformation, gender, social networks, and the Chinese diaspora. As globalization impacts the Chinese triangle, studies that consider the issues from the perspective of social institutions will be increasingly important to understanding the area as it develops in the world economy.

If the past hundred years will be remembered as a century of war, Asia is surely central to that story. Tracing the course of conflicts throughout the region, this groundbreaking volume is the first to explore systematically the nexus of war and state terrorism. Challenging states' definitions of terrorism, which routinely exclude their own behavior, the book focuses especially on the nature of Japanese and American wars and crimes of war. The authors also assess significant acts of terror instigated by other Asian nations including China, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Offering a rare comparative perspective, the authors consider how state terror leads to massive civilian casualties, crimes of war, and crimes against humanity. In counterbalance, they discuss anti-war and anti-nuclear movements and international efforts to protect human rights, and the interwoven issues of responsibility, impunity, and memory. Interdisciplinary and deeply informed by global perspectives, this volume will resonate with readers searching for a deeper understanding of an epoch that has been dominated by war and terror.

This book sets out to unravel and explain the puzzle of the global rise of China: how, in just forty years, China has been quickly transformed from a poor, backward third-world country to one of the world’s core economic powerhouses. Exactly how did this Chinese developmental miracle happen? Focusing on the key historical turning point in China’s post-socialist development, the book examines the complex processes through which China interacted with the global neoliberal project of the late twentieth century. Alvin Y. So and Yin-Wah Chu reveal the centrality of the communist party-state in propelling China onto the world scene, and how it has successfully responded to the developmental challenges of technological upgrading, environmental degradation, inter-state rivalry, and maintaining its power.This book provides a comprehensive and insightful study of the rise of China not solely from an economic, social, and political perspective, but also from a global and historical perspective. It will be an invaluable guide for students and non-specialists interested in post-socialist development and the global rise of China in the twenty-first century.

This book sets out to unravel and explain the puzzle of the global rise of China: how, in just forty years, China has been quickly transformed from a poor, backward third-world country to one of the world’s core economic powerhouses. Exactly how did this Chinese developmental miracle happen? Focusing on the key historical turning point in China’s post-socialist development, the book examines the complex processes through which China interacted with the global neoliberal project of the late twentieth century. Alvin Y. So and Yin-Wah Chu reveal the centrality of the communist party-state in propelling China onto the world scene, and how it has successfully responded to the developmental challenges of technological upgrading, environmental degradation, inter-state rivalry, and maintaining its power.This book provides a comprehensive and insightful study of the rise of China not solely from an economic, social, and political perspective, but also from a global and historical perspective. It will be an invaluable guide for students and non-specialists interested in post-socialist development and the global rise of China in the twenty-first century.

Hong Kong has undergone sweeping transformation since its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. This is a multidisciplinary assessment of the new regime and key issues, challenges, crises and opportunities confronting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Hong Kong has undergone sweeping transformation since its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. This is a multidisciplinary assessment of the new regime and key issues, challenges, crises and opportunities confronting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

In contrast to the failure to economic reforms in Eastern Europe, China's economic reforms have been quite successful. Decollectivization, marketization, state enterprise reforms, and reintegration into the world economy have led to very rapid economic development in China over the past two decades. These economic reforms, in turn, triggered profound social and political changes. This collection examines the origins, nature, and impact, as well as the future prospects of these reforms and changes. The contributors are all active researchers from a variety of disciplines, including economics, sociology, political science, and geography.

In contrast to the failure to economic reforms in Eastern Europe, China's economic reforms have been quite successful. Decollectivization, marketization, state enterprise reforms, and reintegration into the world economy have led to very rapid economic development in China over the past two decades. These economic reforms, in turn, triggered profound social and political changes. This collection examines the origins, nature, and impact, as well as the future prospects of these reforms and changes. The contributors are all active researchers from a variety of disciplines, including economics, sociology, political science, and geography.

During the past four decades, the field of development has been dominated by three schools of research. The 1950s saw the modernization school, the 1960s experienced the dependency school, the 1970s developed the new world-system school, and the 1980s is a convergence of all three schools. Alvin Y. So examines the dynamic nature of these schools of development--what each of them represents, their contributions, how they have criticized each other, how they have defended themselves, and how they were transformed. He reviews a variety of empirical studies, focusing on the "classical" and the "new" models, to show how each of the perspectives affects the study of development. In addition, this book features a unique emphasis on the research implications of the three perspectives, involving changes in orientation, agenda, methodology, and findings. Social Change and Development is the first study that compares the strengths and weaknesses of the three schools of development in a thorough, comprehensive manner. It will be of great interest to students and professionals in urban studies, development studies, political science and comparative politics. "Highly recommended." --Development Update "The book is valuable both to the beginners as well as the serious student of development ." -Indian Journal of Public Administration "The book will fill a needed niche, and better than anything heretofore." --Immanuel Wallerstein, SUNY, Binghamton "[The] book is a remarkable piece of work and will, I am sure, be of great service to many teachers and students in a number of fields." --Winston Davis, Southwestern University "Professor So has provided students of development with an excellent review of three major theories of development. He skillfully meets his goals of providing a sympathetic presentation of early expressions of each theory, reviewing major criticisms, and then presenting recent expressions of each theory that have taken criticisms into account. The use of extensive reviews of a few studies within each theory provides students with a clear image of the character of the theory, and more importantly an image of the link between theoretical development and social research. The book avoids unfair caricature of theories and research, and provides a solid basis for further study and research on issues of development." --Robert Fiala, University of New Mexico "The author has succeeded in objectively delineating each theoretical perspective so that the reader is not encumbered with attempting to separate academic theory from political ideology. This is no minor achievement and the author is to be applauded for both his efforts and his achievement of this task. . . . The book will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in the historical and contemporary functioning of nation-states and their interdependency." --Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling "I would like to pass along my compliments on So's new volume. The writing is exceptionally clear and the presentations superb." --Marc W. Steinberg, University of Michigan "A useful analysis of the major development theories. . . . A good text for students and teachers and the only study to address the research implications of the three development theories in a comprehensive fashion." --Development Bookshelf "An exceptionally useful book. . . . So's command of the relevant literature and ability to explain complex material, as well as his even-handed (even sympathetic) treatments of three quite different (and often antagonistic) schools, makes this stimulating book useful for a variety of audiences: scholars interested in problems of Third-World development, specialists in modern world history, and even advanced undergraduates ready to tackle problems of theory." --Journal of World History "Alvin So does a thorough job of presenting three ways to understand development. . . . The writing is clear and the territory covered is vast. The result is an impressive survey." --Contemporary Sociology "Alvin So does a thorough job of presenting three ways to understand development....So provides valuable extended summaries of early and later formulations within each perspective. The writing is clear and the territory covered is vast. The result is an impressive survey, with two main audiences: advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in a manageable overview of the field, and scholars in other fields who are interested but prefer not to retrace every step of these long and complex debates through the original texts....the book is generally balanced which is no small accomplishment." --Industrial and Labor Relations Review "Fills a gap in the social science literature in the field of development. . .useful not only for students but for faculty members teaching different courses in sociology, history, and political science. It may also be of interest to a wide and diverse non-professional audience wanting to know more of the past and contemporary research carried out by the three schools." --International Journal of Comparative Sociology

What role do East Asian states play in the world economy? Can the world-systems model originally designed for studying development in Europe and North America be applied to East Asia? To what extent has the rivalry between the United States and Japan had an impact on the development of East Asia? Examining these and other key questions, the authors offer a clear, comprehensive analysis of the economic development of East Asia. Offering a unique perspective, this book examines the origins and transformation of East Asia from a world-systems analysis. In contrast to the literature's focus on market, culture, state, and dependency, East Asia and the World Economy points to the crucial role of geopolitical and regional factors in East Asian development. The authors provide a cohesive review of the world-systems model as it applies to East Asia, exploring its intellectual heritage, the historical context through which it arose, its basic assumptions, and its policy implications. To illustrate how this model works in East Asia, the authors examine the economies of Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, North Korea, and Japan. The result is a fascinating study that demonstrates how the world-systems model provides a more focused explanation of East Asia's peculiar pattern of development. For scholars and students in the fields of political science, economics, Asian studies, international affairs, and development studies, this book is a must. "This book applies world-systems analysis to explain the peculiar pattern of East Asian development over the past two centuries. . . . It offers a fresh and fascinating approach to the study of economic and political evolution in the East asian nations. The volume is well organized and written for both scholars and students. It will make an excellent text for an undergraduate course in East Asian Economics and politics." --Choice CONTENTS: I. Theoretical Introduction // 1. Current Perspectives on East Asian Development // II. Incorporation // 2. The Decline of the Chinese Empire / 3. The Great Escape of Japan // III. Regionalization // 4. Japan and Its Colonial Empire / 5. The Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Communist Revolution // IV. Ascent // 6. The Social Trajectories of China and North Korea / 7. The "Corization" of Japan / 8. The Semiperipherization of the NIEs (Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan) // V. Centrality // 9. United States - Japan Hegemonic Rivalry / 10. The Chinese Triangle of Mainland - Taiwan - Hong Kong / 11. Conclusion / Index ABRIDGED CONTENTS: I. Theoretical Introduction / II. Incorporation / III. Regionalization / IV. Ascent / V. Centrality

What role do East Asian states play in the world economy? Can the world-systems model originally designed for studying development in Europe and North America be applied to East Asia? To what extent has the rivalry between the United States and Japan had an impact on the development of East Asia? Examining these and other key questions, the authors offer a clear, comprehensive analysis of the economic development of East Asia. Offering a unique perspective, this book examines the origins and transformation of East Asia from a world-systems analysis. In contrast to the literature's focus on market, culture, state, and dependency, East Asia and the World Economy points to the crucial role of geopolitical and regional factors in East Asian development. The authors provide a cohesive review of the world-systems model as it applies to East Asia, exploring its intellectual heritage, the historical context through which it arose, its basic assumptions, and its policy implications. To illustrate how this model works in East Asia, the authors examine the economies of Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, North Korea, and Japan. The result is a fascinating study that demonstrates how the world-systems model provides a more focused explanation of East Asia's peculiar pattern of development. For scholars and students in the fields of political science, economics, Asian studies, international affairs, and development studies, this book is a must. "This book applies world-systems analysis to explain the peculiar pattern of East Asian development over the past two centuries. . . . It offers a fresh and fascinating approach to the study of economic and political evolution in the East asian nations. The volume is well organized and written for both scholars and students. It will make an excellent text for an undergraduate course in East Asian Economics and politics." --Choice CONTENTS: I. Theoretical Introduction // 1. Current Perspectives on East Asian Development // II. Incorporation // 2. The Decline of the Chinese Empire / 3. The Great Escape of Japan // III. Regionalization // 4. Japan and Its Colonial Empire / 5. The Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Communist Revolution // IV. Ascent // 6. The Social Trajectories of China and North Korea / 7. The "Corization" of Japan / 8. The Semiperipherization of the NIEs (Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan) // V. Centrality // 9. United States - Japan Hegemonic Rivalry / 10. The Chinese Triangle of Mainland - Taiwan - Hong Kong / 11. Conclusion / Index ABRIDGED CONTENTS: I. Theoretical Introduction / II. Incorporation / III. Regionalization / IV. Ascent / V. Centrality

The material in this book is framed and organized through the themes of world system's theory — such as incorporation, commercialization of agriculture, industrialization, proletarianization, and the cyclical rhythm of the capitalist world-system.The whole range of sericulture is examined from the production process, the social and technical problems, and the motives of cultivators, to how this form of agriculture changed over time. This text, replete with concrete and historical detail, offers carefully researched data of interest to sociologists and sinologists, as well as those in anthropology, economics, political science, and history.

This text focuses on the relationship of Hong Kong with the adjacent Chinese province Guangdong, the territories most directly involved in the 1997 transfer of Hong Kong to Chinese rule. The socio-economic, political and cultural impact of this crucial link and the implications for the future of both Hong Kong and China are studied. A multi-disciplinary approach is taken to examine the complexity of economic, political and cultural transformation of the Hong Kong-Guangdong link and this book presents a historical perspective to trace the long-term structural transformation. The dynamics of the integration process between the two territories is also explored.

Adopting a comparative perspective, this book traces the social, political, economic and cultural conditions under which environmental movements have emerged, and assesses the transformative capacities of these movements.

Handbook of Contemporary China is a convenient reference in one single volume that offers comprehensive overviews of crucial cultural dimensions and key institutions of China. The Handbook covers a wide range of topics including: development model, politics, society, law, population, ethnicity, foreign relations, environment, urbanization, higher education, religion, literature, cinema, leisure and consumption, and internet and society. It is the first of its kind in the field of China Studies that traces the historical evolutions and profound transformations over the last three decades that ultimately allow China to achieve global ascendance. Offering a multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted coverage of the seachanges of the Chinese reform, the Handbook is lucidly written and concisely presented to serve as a handy guide for both professionals and the general public to gain a quick and reliable understanding of the complexities of China.Contributing experts include Guobin Yang (Columbia University), Kevin Latham (London University), Fulong Wu (Cardiff University), Bin Liang (Oklahoma State University), Kam-yee Law (Hong Kong Institute of Education), Xiaogang Wu (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Zhongdong Ma (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Barry Sautman (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Simon Shen (Hong Kong Institute of Education), David Palmer (University of Hong Kong), Yok-shiu Lee (University of Hong Kong), Carlos Wing-hung Lo (Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Anna Ka-yin Lee (University of Hong Kong) Ka-ho Mok (Hong Kong Institute of Education), Li Wang (Zhejiang University), Ling-tun Ngai (Chinese University of Hong Kong), and Rui Zhang (Central Academy of Arts).