International Conference On Consolidating The Third Wave Democracies On Civil Society And The Consolidation Of Democracy Ten General Propositions And Nine Speculations About Their Relation In Asian Societies

In East and Southeast Asia, the creation of civil society is a crucial yet most difficult issue. Europeans have had the luxury of centuries in a slow-moving world characterised by weak governments in which the foundation institutions, norms and values of civil society could ferment and develop. Asia, however, faces this task when a nation's currency can devalue in seconds, destabilising its government, and when states have far more effective means of surveillance, suppression and terror. This book examines these issues and shows that a better understanding of civil society in the Asian context is central to promoting contemporary political, social and economic reform in Asia. It will appeal to students and teachers of politics, law and sociology because it provides new perspectives on how to understand civil society drawing on Asian examples, as well as indications for rethinking what civil society means in Asia. Individual chapters combine theoretical and empirical issues in a way which fills a major gap in the literature. Henceforth, works about 'civil society' will need to take more account of the Asian evidence and Asianists will need to have a clear idea of what civil society in Asia means.

East Asia has developed into one of the most promising regions. This volume of essays by leading European, Asian, and American scholars provides a comprehensive look at the key themes relating to politics in East Asia today. The contributors explore the formidable obstacles on the road to democratic consolidation in the region's new democracies, and the prospects for democratic transitions among the region's remaining authoritarian polities. The essays address issues of institutional design, media reform, electoral politics, and religious movements.

This book explores the varying reactions to the political turmoil in Asia in the late 1990s by looking at external pressures from global actors (the IMF and US security policy), popular protests, the nature of the opposition, and elite coalition formation/dissolution at the highest levels of government.

In Constructing Democratic Governance, Jorge I. Dominguez and Abraham F. Lowenthal bring together a distinguished group of scholars to assess how well democracy has been working in this volatile part of the world. The authors find that serious problems still plague these new democracies. Many of these problems are related to the political institutions, including political parties, the civil service, and the justice system. Part I introduces broad thematic surveys of such key issues as the role of the left, conservatism, inequality, and indigenous peoples. Part II reviews the South American nations. Part III focuses on Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, including Cuba. In Part IV, the volume editors draw conclusions about the problems and prospects for stable democracies in Latin America. In addition to the complete hardcover edition, Constructing Democratic Governance is available in three paperback volumes, each containing the introduction and conclusion from the complete edition and organized for convenient course use.

This book considers the impact of migrant communities on the politics of their home nations, with case studies from Israel, Turkey, Kurdistan, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Sri Lanka.

Explores the impact of social and political change on China's provinces during the reform era. Offering an in-depth comparative anaysis of a number of major provinces, it challenges generalizations over the nature of change in China

This book is a sociological study of how economic reforms, started in the late 1970s, have affected people's life in China. The book is based upon the author's recent research projects conducted in mainland China. The unique feature of the book is not only based upon qualitative analysis but also quantitative data, the integration of which can enhance readers' understanding of current social and political developments in post-Mao China. In particular, the book aims to depict a context and sociological framework for the analysis of the dynamic and interactive processes between economic, social and political fronts.

Until the dramatic economic collapse of 1997, East Asia was the symbol of a successful market-led development strategy for Western governments, aid agencies and academics, despite underlying concerns about a lack of rights and freedoms. The crisis changed Asia and the world; currency depreciations, personal and state indebtedness, mass unemployment and rioting brought the paternalistic capitalist phase to an end in Asia. The decade following the economic crisis has seen a swift response, with the major restructuring of Asian economies, improved corporate governance, banks recapitalized, more attention paid to the environment and foreign exchange reserves restored so the IMF became redundant in Asia. Dividing the countries that emerged from the crisis into three categories – the Insecure Rich, the New Aspirants for Prosperity and the Danger Zone – Noman analyses the complex Asian recovery and future challenges within the framework of Responsible Development, an agenda for Asia that emphasizes the simultaneous challenge of building sustainable democracies, a viable environment and an equitable economy. Covering the many related issues that pose a threat to Asian economic stability – climate change, religious fascism, inequality and hunger – this book will have particular relevance in the areas of development studies, economics, international politics and Asian studies.

This volume is the outcome of a symposium on Asian civil society and a conference on justice and governance held at Griffith University during 2001. The contributors offer new perspectives on the nature and definition of Asian civil society.