DOCSLIB.ORG

“Political Voice” in a Philippine Website Blog1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Political Voice” in a Philippine Website Blog1 The Internet as a Democratizer: Exploring “Political Voice” in a Philippine Website Blog １） Yellowbelle Del Mundo DUAQUI ２） Abstract This paper examines http://kuro-kuro.org, which is at least one of the many active sites in Philippine blogosphere, in the context of Philippine democracy. This Internet address hosts a website blog that publishes essays submitted online by Filipino citizens all over the world. It was launched by Filipino expatriate supporters during the presidential campaign of Philippine President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III. It is fundamentally conjectured in this paper that political blogging has become a democratizing tool in the Philippines, which deepens democracy by foregrounding the “political voice” of ordinary citizens. This paper seeks to answer the following questions: does political blogging promote freedom of expression? Does it serve as a democratizing tool? How does blogging impact mass politics and democracy in general? Keywords : political blogging, Philippine democracy, mass politics, political voice, Internet I. Introduction As of June 2010, Internet penetration rate in the Philippines was pegged at 29.7%, which translates to 29, 700,000 users out of the total population of about 99 million Filipinos, according to the research company AC Nielsen. ３） The Yahoo-Nielsen Net Index 2008 found out that 28 percent of Filipinos in the 22 major Philippine cities (including Metro Manila) have Internet access. Internet connectivity, however, is not only an urban privilege; it extends to far-reaching geographic locations, age groups and income brackets in the Philippines. The study also discovered that approximately 5 percent of its respondents use the Internet daily. The Internet is most appealing to young Filipinos, with 50% of the respondents in the 10 to 19 year-old age group having gone online the month before they participated in the study. ４） Table 1 shows the increasing trend of Internet use in the Philippines within the span of a decade, between the years 2000 to 2010. － 151 － 立命館言語文化研究23巻 4 号 Table 1. Growth of Internet Use in the Philippines, 2000-2010 Year Internet Users Population % of the Population Source 2000 2,000,000 78,181,900 2.6 % ITU 2005 7,820,000 84,174,092 9.3 % C.I. Almanac 2008 14,000,000 96,061,683 14.6 % Yahoo! 2009 24,000,000 97,976,603 24.5 % Nielsen 2010 29,700,000 99,900,177 29.7 % ITU Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/ph.htm Despite Internet penetration not being able to cover even at least half of the Philippine population, it is worth noting that the Philippine blogosphere acts as a vibrant public space and an important opinion maker. Based on a study of global Internet use conducted by the Universal McCann, approximately 90% of Internet users in the Philippines read blogs on a regular basis, trailing behind South Korea at 92%. ５） Meanwhile, the Yahoo-Nielsen Net Index 2008 study found out that Filipino Internet users are “more likely to be opinion leaders.” ６） It could be claimed, on the basis of these two studies, that there is a sustained effort in blog writing and a solid blog readership base in the Philippines. II. Literature Review Earlier analyses of the linkage between democracy and the Internet showed a positive correlation, citing the spread of democratic values and the empowerment of ordinary citizens to bypass state censorship as its clear outcomes. A. Western Literature on the Democracy-Internet Connection Simon (2002) noted that the developers themselves of the Internet intended the technology to “reinvigorate democracy and spread democratic values around the globe.” (Simon, Corrales and Wolfensberger, 2002: vii) These “idealistic technologists”, according to Simon (2002), point to the various unprecedented capabilities of the Internet in order to prove the link between democracy and the Internet: it made possible for anyone to become a publisher and gain access to a wide readership base, it allowed “new modes of free expression”, it built civil society by making freedom of association and advocacy support digitally possible, it empowered ordinary citizens by providing the tools for e-participation, and it promoted government transparency and accountability. (Simon, Corrales and Wolfensberger, 2002: vii) Simon (2002) also pointed out that the connection between democracy and the Internet can be historically validated. The development of the Internet, according to the author, coincided with the fall of the Soviet Union and Communism. The rapid expansion of the Internet also occurred contemporaneously with the transition to democracy of formerly Communist states in Eastern － 152 － The Internet as a Democratizer（DUAQUI） Europe, Russia, and certain Asian countries. (Simon, Corrales and Wolfensberger, 2002: viii) Citing Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, Simon (2002) underscored that the information age is empowering not only the big industrial nations, but the small developing ones as well. The Internet has become a tool for soft power, changing the nature of power in international relations. (Simon, Corrales and Wolfensberger, 2002: 13) For industrial nations like the United States, the Internet was appropriated as a tool for governance. Aikat (2000) ７） discussed how the United States government is making use of the Internet on how to promote access to government information it is willing to share. The author cited a landmark legislation passed by the United States Congress in 1993, known as the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act, directing the U.S. Government Printing Office and the Office of Superintendent of Documents to improve access to federal electronic information by maintaining an electronic directory, providing a system of online access to government publications and operating an electronic storage facility. (Albarran and Goff, 2000: 34) B. Asian Polities and the Internet The 2011 Singapore elections demonstrated the power of social media to transform existing power dynamics. The People’s Action Party, which has been ruling Singapore for 52 years, had experienced an unprecedented decrease in its share of votes by 60%. The dramatic shift in the Singaporean political terrain is attributed by many politicians and scholars in Singapore to the increasing importance of online media to reach out to voters. The People’s Action Party had been observed to cling to traditional media such as the newspaper and television during the electoral campaign while neophytes had gained popularity (but not necessarily clinching political victory) as they resorted to the latest social networking tools in the Internet. ８） In national contexts where there are high levels of political censorship and repression, political blogging has been found to proliferate. China, the country that registered the highest number of political bloggers in the world, offers an interesting case. ９） Esarey and Qiang (2008) analyzed popular Chinese political blogs that mostly involved satire directed to the Chinese State and its policies. The authors cite blogging as a medium of political expression in China that is relatively impervious to state repression.10） Meanwhile, in Iran, Khiabany and Sreberny (2007) cited the writings of Iranian youth bloggers on national and international issues at the backdrop of a repressive Islamic state. Similar to the Chinese case, Persian bloggers are numerous, making the Persian language one of the top five most popular languages in the global blogosphere.11） In the Chinese and Iranian case, scholars － 153 － 立命館言語文化研究23巻 4 号 regard Internet use very positively in terms of advancing democratization in these countries. Meanwhile, political developments in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011 had led observers to refer to these events as the “Facebook Revolution.” But while analysts in popular media have disagreed to the proposition that social media had caused the widespread support to the protests, they claim that it did hasten the process. In Egypt, for example, organizing of the January 25, 2011 protest had already been done even before the Egyptian government was able to block Twitter and Facebook. According to popular media analysts, social media also largely shaped the narrative. While the Egyptian government had been trying to make the situation look anarchic, a New York-based Egyptian blogger had been able to persuade global media networks like CNN that the event constituted a legitimate uprising. Most importantly, popular media analysts underscored the role of social media in attracting international support for the Egyptian cause.12） Like the Egyptian case, Tunisian protesters also turned to Facebook and Twitter for organizing and public support. Highly educated and prolific Tunisian bloggers, who were perceived to be critics of the government, also figured prominently as the Tunisian government actively sought to block blog sites.13） C. The Use of Information and Communications Technology in Philippine Democracy Hutchcroft and Rocamora (2003) speak of a “democratic deficit” in Philippine democracy involving a mismatch between strong demands and weak institutions. They point out that it is manifested in the “deepening frustration over the inability of democratic institutions to deliver the goods, specifically goods of a public character.” Hence, crisis in Philippine democracy springs not from the lack of appeal of democratic values to Filipino citizens, but from the incapacity of democratic institutions to deliver public services in a reliable and efficient way. (Hutchcroft and Rocamora, 2003: 259-260)
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Political Activism of Philippine Labor Migrants in Hong Kong
    Diffusion in transnational political spaces: political activism of Philippine labor migrants in Hong Kong Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Philosophischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br vorgelegt von Stefan Rother aus Ravensburg SS 2012 Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rüland Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Heribert Weiland Drittgutachter: Prof. Dr. Gregor Dobler Vorsitzender des Promotionsausschusses der Gemeinsamen Kommission der Philologischen, Philosophischen und Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftlichen Fakultät: Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmuth Gander Datum der Fachprüfung im Promotionsfach: 26. August 2012 Table of contents List of Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................... v 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Part I: Theoretical background and approach .................................................................................................... 7 2. Labour migration, transnationalism and International Relations Theory ............................................... 8 3. Transnationalism in migration studies .................................................................................................. 21 3.1. Transnational social fields ................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Philippine Political Economy 1998-2018: a Critical Analysis
    American Journal of Research www.journalofresearch.us ¹ 11-12, November-December 2018 [email protected] SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES Manuscript info: Received November 4, 2018., Accepted November 12, 2018., Published November 30, 2018. PHILIPPINE POLITICAL ECONOMY 1998-2018: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS Ruben O Balotol Jr, [email protected] Visayas State University-Baybay http://dx.doi.org/10.26739/2573-5616-2018-12-2 Abstract: In every decision than an individual deliberates always entails economic underpinnings and collective political decisions to consider that affects the kind of decision an individual shape. For example governments play a major role in establishing tax rates, social, economic and environmental goals. The impact of economic and politics are not only limited from one's government, different perspectives and region of the globe are now closely linked imposing ideology and happily toppling down cultural threat to their interests. According to Žižek (2008) violence is not solely something that enforces harm or to an individual or community by a clear subject that is responsible for the violence. Violence comes also in what he considered as objective violence, without a clear agent responsible for the violence. Objective violence is caused by the smooth functioning of our economic and political systems. It is invisible and inherent to what is considered as normal state of things. Objective violence is considered as the background for the explosion of the subjective violence. It fore into the scene of perceptibility as a result of multifaceted struggle. It is evident that economic growth was as much a consequence of political organization as of conditions in the economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Taking the Hong Kong Tour Bus Hostage Tragedy in Manila to the ICJ? Developing a Framework for Choosing International Dispute Settlement Mechanisms
    Taking the Hong Kong Tour Bus Hostage Tragedy in Manila to the ICJ? Developing a Framework for Choosing International Dispute Settlement Mechanisms AMY LA* Table of Contents PROLOGUE ................................................... 674 I. THE MANILA HOSTAGE TRAGEDY: UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND UNSERVED JUSTICE ..................... 675 A. The Calm Before the Storm ............................... 676 B. "Storming" the Bus ..................................... 677 C. Nine Lives, One Incomplete Report, and Three Forums .......... 678 D. The ICJ as the Fourth Forum? ............................. 680 H. ADJUDICATING THE HOSTAGE TRAGEDY BY THE ICJ? THE (IN)APPLICABILITY OF LEGAL STANDARDS ................. 681 A. Third-Party Dispute Settlements v. Negotiation ................. 682 B. Formal Adjudication by the ICJ v. Other Third-Party Settlements . 683 C. Re-examining the Hostage Tragedy Impasse: Why Not the ICJ? ... 684 1. Preference for Less Public Methods? The Necessity for "Airing Dirty Laundry" ..................................... 685 2. Retrospective or "Win-Lose" Situation? The Necessity for Breaking a Chain of Abuses ............................ 685 3. Unclear Laws: The Lack of Detailed, Robust Standards for Adjudication . ....................................... 687 a. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Or Was It Ordinary Negligence? .............................. 687 b. International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages: A Far Less Direct Method ............................ 689 III. THE ICJ OR OTHER SETTLEMENT MECHANISMS?
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of Hong Kong SAR and Its Implications to Chinese Foreign Policy
    Paradiplomacy and its Constraints in a Quasi-Federal System – A Case Study of Hong Kong SAR and its Implications to Chinese Foreign Policy Wai-shun Wilson CHAN ([email protected]) Introduction Thank for the Umbrella Movement in 2014, Hong Kong has once again become the focal point of international media. Apart from focusing the tensions built among the government, the pro-Beijing camp and the protestors on the pathway and the pace for local democratization, some media reports have linked the movement with the Tiananmen Incident, and serves as a testing case whether “One Country, Two Systems” could be uphold under the new Xin Jinping leadership.1 While academics and commentators in Hong Kong and overseas tend to evaluate the proposition from increasing presence of Beijing in domestic politics and the decline of freedoms and rights enjoyed by civil society,2 little evaluation is conducted from the perspective of the external autonomy enjoyed by Hong Kong under “One Country, Two Systems”. In fact, the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the subsequent Basic Law have defined and elaborated the scope of Hong Kong’s autonomy in conducting external relations ‘with states, regions and relevant international organizations.’ 3 It is therefore tempted to suggest that the external autonomy enjoyed by Hong Kong SAR Government serves as the other pillar of “One Country, Two Systems”, giving an unique identity of Hong Kong in global politics which may be different from that possessed by mainland China. Though officially “One Country, Two Systems” practiced in Hong Kong (and Macao) is not recognized by Beijing as a federal arrangement between the Central People’s Government and Hong Kong SAR Government, the internal and external autonomy stipulated in the Basic Law gives Hong Kong similar, to some extent even more, power as a typical federated unit.
    [Show full text]
  • Basic Law and Hong Kong's Bilateral Relations
    External Relations of Hong Kong: The Most Neglected Subject in International Relations? Colonial Law: Promulgated by the UK Basic Law: As Authorized by the NPC of PRC › No Nullifying Power › Full Sovereignty from PRC The Central People's Government shall be responsible for the foreign affairs relating to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China shall establish an office in Hong Kong to deal with foreign affairs. The Central People's Government authorizes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to conduct relevant external affairs on its own in accordance with this Law. Representatives of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may, as members of delegations of the Government of the People's Republic of China, participate in negotiations at the diplomatic level directly affecting the Region conducted by the Central People's Government. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may on its own, using the name ""Hong Kong, China "", maintain and develop relations and conclude and implement agreements with foreign states and regions and relevant international organizations in the appropriate fields, including the economic, trade, financial and monetary, shipping, communications, tourism, cultural and sports fields. WTO: “Tariff” APEC: “Economy” FIFA: “Domestic League” The application to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of international agreements to which the People's Republic of China is or becomes a party shall be decided by the Central People's Government, in accordance with the circumstances and needs of the Region, and after seeking the views of the government of the Region.
    [Show full text]
  • IFSSO) November 18-20, 2011
    20th General Conference of the International Federation of Social Science Organizations (IFSSO) November 18-20, 2011. Lyceum of the Philippines University, Batangas City, Philippines CONFERENCE PROGRAM 18 November 2011 (Friday) REGISTRATION 7:00-8:30 a.m. Venue: Freedom Hall OPENING PROGRAM Opening Remarks – Prof. Teruyuki Komatsu (IFSSO President) 8:30-9:30 a.m. Welcome Address – Mr. Peter P. Laurel (President, Lyceum of the Philippines University) Overview of Conference Program – Dr. Esmenia R. Javier (Executive Vice President, Lyceum of the Philippines University) KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Beyond the Reflexive Borders of the Western World’s Social Science System 9:30-10:00 a.m. Dr. Michael Kuhn (World Social Sciences and Humanities Network, Germany) 10:00-10:30 a.m. Break PLENARY SESSION 1: Human Security: Country Perspectives Managing Social Hazards: Path to Sustainable Human Security in Africa – Samuel Marfo (University for Development Studies, Ghana) 10:30-12:00 noon Family Security Over Life Cycle from Thai Experience – Sirinapa Kunphoommarl and Somsak Srisontisuk (Khon Kaen University, Thailand) Tourism and Community Security in Bali – I Ketut Ardhana (Udayana University, Indonesia) Deconstructing Human Security in the Philippines – Chester B. Cabalza (National Defense College of the Philippines) 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch Break SESSION A1: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches SESSION A2: Disciplinal Perspectives Moderator: Nestor T. Castro Moderator: Leon R. Ramos Venue: Freedom Hall Venue: Multimedia Room The Concept of Human Security from a Theoretical and A Philosophical Investigation on Human Security Using the Problem Methodological Approach – Estrella D. Solidum (National Research of Evil According to St. Thomas Aquinas and Siddhartha Gautama Council of the Philippines) Buddha – Jerwin M.
    [Show full text]
  • Journalism Under Pressure: a Mapping of Editorial Policies and Practices for Journalists Covering Conflict
    Journalism under Pressure: A mapping of editorial policies and practices for journalists covering conflict Edited by Marte Høiby and Rune Ottosen CC-BY-SA Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus HiOA Rapport 2015 nr 6 ISSN 1892-9648 ISBN 978-82-93208-93-8 Opplag trykkes etter behov, aldri utsolgt HiOA, Læringssenter og bibliotek, Skriftserien St. Olavs plass 4, 0130 Oslo, Telefon (47) 64 84 90 00 Postadresse: Postboks 4, St. Olavs plass 0130 Oslo Adresse hjemmeside: http://www.hioa.no/Om-HiOA/Nettbokhandel For elektronisk bestilling klikk Bestille bøker Trykket hos Allkopi Trykket på Multilaser 80 g hvit 2 Preface This report concludes the findings of a survey among journalists and editors in seven countries about issues related to safety and working conditions in conflict areas. The project was funded by the Norwegian UNESCO Commission and we wish to thank the commission for the opportunity to work with this important topic. Every day we hear reports in the news about journalists killed or harassed. Safe working conditions are necessary so that reporters can get access to events and sources, and a pre- condition for doing their jobs and giving the audience and decision makers first-hand knowledge of what is happening at the scene of important events. As the pressure on journalists is a global issue, we have included seven countries on four continents in this study. An interesting part of this report is the comparison of the situation for journalists in diverse countries and, obviously, we find similarities and differences. Violence and threats against journalists are a global phenomenon, even though Norwegian journalists, for instance, generally have safer working conditions than do their colleagues in the Philippines.
    [Show full text]
  • China to Support Horse Racing, Sports Lotteries in Hainan P8
    BOSTON CASINO WANG MAKES RARE TAP SEAC SALE POSSIBLE JAPAN VISIT CRAFT Wynn Resorts CEO Matt China’s foreign minister is making MARKET Maddox remains committed to a rare visit to Tokyo, in a sign of SEES MORE finishing the USD2.5b casino the improving cooperation between CROWD company is building in Boston Asia’s two largest economies P3 MDT REPORT P9 P11 MON.16 Apr 2018 T. 17º/ 20º C H. 75/ 98% facebook.com/mdtimes + 11,000 MOP 8.00 3027 N.º HKD 10.00 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” WORLD BRIEFS Stanley HO TO STeP DOWN AP PHOTO Analysts: SJM’s board SYRIA Demonstrators poured into the streets of Damascus on Saturday, dancing and P3 chanting in defiance of what they called the structure is ‘messy’ West’s “failure” to shake their nation’s resolve with airstrikes that jolted the capital only hours earlier. More on p15,20 BLOOMBERG AP PHOTO US President Donald Trump unleashed a torrent of rage against James Comey yesterday over the former FBI director’s forthcoming book, calling him “slippery,” insisting he never asked him for loyalty and labelling him “the WORST FBI Director in history, by far!” AP PHOTO NORTH KOREAN leader Kim Jong Un has met with a high-ranking Chinese diplomat in Pyongyang, amid a flurry of diplomacy following Kim’s recent surprise visit to Beijing. INDIA Thousands of people protested across the country to seek an end to sexual violence against women, which has been on the rise in the country.
    [Show full text]
  • February 19, 2011 November 9, 2013
    novemBer 9, 2013 hawaii Filipino ChroniCle 1 ♦ FEBRUARYNOVEMBER 19,9, 20132011 ♦ HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE PRESORTED NEWS FEATURE HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS STANDARD 94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR. U.S. POSTAGE WAIPAHU, HI 96797 PAID FilCom to honor emme "Untold triUmph" to Be HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 9661 at 11th annUal Shown on nov. 17 Gala dinner at pearl harBor 2 HaWaii filiPino CHroniCle noVeMBer 9, 2013 EDITORIALS FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor f there was ever a time to pray Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Honoring Our Veterans for the Philippines, now is it. At Publisher & Managing Editor t’s been said that the history of a nation is often press time, Super Typhoon Chona A. Montesines-Sonido written by the blood of its heroes. This saying is es- Haiyan, a Category 5 storm Associate Editors pecially true for the United States of America and with winds of up to 195 mph, I Dennis Galolo the Philippines, two nations with inter-twining his- slammed into the Central Edwin Quinabo tories. Thanks to the heroic actions of their brave Visayas. The timing of Haiyan could not I Creative Designer men and women, Filipinos and Americans today have been worse, particularly for the Junggoi Peralta live as free citizens. Visayan region, which is still recovering from the powerful Design Consultant It’s safe to say that every Filipino born in the Philippines 7.1 magnitude quake that rocked the area last month. Weather Randall Shiroma during the past century owes a debt of gratitude to those veter- forecasters expect Haiyan to exit the Philippines sometime on Photography ans who fought against Japanese occupation during World War Saturday, November 8th, but not before leaving a swath of Tim Llena II.
    [Show full text]
  • Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy
    This page intentionally left blank Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy describes the problem of terrorism; compares it to other forms of aggression, particularly crime and war; and discusses policy options for dealing with the problem. It focuses on the causes of terrorism with the aim of understanding its roots and providing insights toward policies that will serve to prevent it. The book serves as a single-source reference on terrorism and as a platform for more in-depth study, with a set of discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Individual chapters focus on the nature of terrorism, theories of aggression and terrorism, the history of terrorism, globalization vs. clash, the role of religion, nonreligious extrem- ism and terrorism, the role of technology, terrorism throughout the modern world, responses to terrorism, fear of terrorism, short-term approaches and long-term strategies for preventing terrorism, balancing security and rights to liberty and privacy, and pathways to a safer and saner twenty-first century. Brian Forst joined the American University faculty after twenty years in nonprofit research, including positions as research director at the Institute for Law and Social Research and the Police Foundation. He is the author most recently of After Terror (with Akbar Ahmed, 2005); Errors of Justice: Nature, Sources, and Remedies (Cambridge University Press, 2004); and The Privatization of Policing: Two Views (with Peter Manning, 1999). He is a member of the American University Senate and chairs the Department of Justice, Law, and Society’s doctoral program. He is also a voting member of the Sentencing Commission for the District of Columbia.
    [Show full text]
  • Dynamics of Contention, by Mcadam,Tarrow,Tilly
    This page intentionally left blank Dynamics of Contention Dissatisfied with the compartmentalization of studies concerning strikes, wars, revolutions, social movements, and other forms of political struggle, McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly identify causal mechanisms and processes that recur across a wide range of contentious politics. Critical of the static, single-actor models (including their own) that have prevailed in the field, they shift the focus of analysis to dynamic interaction. Doubtful that large, complex series of events such as revolutions and social movements conform to general laws, they break events into smaller episodes, then identify recurrent mechanisms and proces- ses within them. Dynamics of Contention examines and compares eighteen con- tentious episodes drawn from many different parts of the world since the French Revolution, probing them for consequential and widely applicable mechanisms, for example, brokerage, category formation, and elite defection. The episodes range from nineteenth-century nationalist movements to con- temporary Muslim–Hindu conflict to the Tiananmen crisis of 1989 to disin- tegration of the Soviet Union. The authors spell out the implications of their approach for explanation of revolutions, nationalism, and democratization, then lay out a more general program for study of contentious episodes wher- ever and whenever they occur. Doug McAdam is Professor of Sociology at Stanford University and Director Designate of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. His previous books include Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930–1970 (1982, 1999) and Freedom Summer (1988), which shared the 1990 C. Wright Mills Award and for which he received a Guggenheim Fellowship to support research.
    [Show full text]
  • 2013 to 31 March 2014
    CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG Progress Report for Research Centres Reporting Period: 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 1. Name of the Research Centre Southeast Asia Research Centre (SEARC) 2. Membership and Management Structure 2.1 Centre Director (Name & Department) Director Prof Mark R Thompson, Department of Asian and International Studies Associate Director Dr Chiara Formichi, Department of Asian and International Studies (RO will include the list of core members/Centre Members which have already been provided by Centres to this report) Please see attached file for list of core members. 2.2 Advisors/Consultants Associate or other Members/Advisors/Consultants New SEARC members SEARC has been actively recruiting new members outside of CLASS, including in the natural sciences. 1. Prof Johnny CL Chan, Dean of School of Energy and Environment, Chair Professor of Atmospheric Science, CityU. Prof Chan is internationally renowned in the research areas of typhoons and monsoons. Recently, he has been working on the problem of global warming and its relationship with typhoon activity, as well as on tropical cyclone and monsoon climate. He met with SEARC speaker Prof. James Warren in October 2013, a renowned historian of Southeast Asia working on the history of typhoons in the Philippines (Prof Chan joined SEARC in October 2013). Page 1 2. Dr Wong Pak Nung Bryan, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, CityU. With a cross-disciplinary background in anthropology, political science and sociology, he has done ethnographic fieldwork in northeastern Philippines and more recently, in northern-central Thailand (Dr Wong joined SEARC in February 2013). 3.
    [Show full text]