When China Rules the World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World

For well over two hundred years we have lived in a western-made world, one where the very notion of being modern is inextricably bound up with being western. The twenty-first century will be different. The rise of China, India and the Asian tigers means that, for the first time, modernity will no longer be exclusively […]

When China Rules the World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World Read More »

For well over two hundred years we have lived in a western-made world, one where the very notion of being modern is inextricably bound up with being western. The twenty-first century will be different. The rise of China, India and the Asian tigers means that, for the first time, modernity will no longer be exclusively

WPS 130 Living Piously in a Culture of Death: The Catholic Church and the State in the Philippines

This paper reflects upon the issue of population growth and reproductive health in the Philippines in the context of the ongoing Congressional deliberation of House Bill 5043. Specific attention is paid to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church upon this process, through the institutional pronouncements and edicts of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the

WPS 130 Living Piously in a Culture of Death: The Catholic Church and the State in the Philippines Read More »

This paper reflects upon the issue of population growth and reproductive health in the Philippines in the context of the ongoing Congressional deliberation of House Bill 5043. Specific attention is paid to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church upon this process, through the institutional pronouncements and edicts of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the

WPS 129 Paradoxes of State Islamization in Malaysia: Routinization of Religious Charisma and the Secularization of the Syariah

This paper argues that there is a changing trend of Islamization in Malaysia, triggered by  a new form of Islam which is dependent on a bureaucratic authority.  This is quite different from the pre-1990s situation when contestation over the “right” Islam was fought among a plethora of contenders, ranging from Malay political parties to Islamic

WPS 129 Paradoxes of State Islamization in Malaysia: Routinization of Religious Charisma and the Secularization of the Syariah Read More »

This paper argues that there is a changing trend of Islamization in Malaysia, triggered by  a new form of Islam which is dependent on a bureaucratic authority.  This is quite different from the pre-1990s situation when contestation over the “right” Islam was fought among a plethora of contenders, ranging from Malay political parties to Islamic

WPS 128 Religion and Ritual in the Royal Courts of Dai Viet

This discussion of state and religion in Dai Viet focuses on ritual in the royal courts and how it is related to the varied beliefs of royalty, aristocracy, the literate, and the people. From the tenth to the nineteenth century, in the series of dynasties, each showed a different  pattern of religious belief and ritual.

WPS 128 Religion and Ritual in the Royal Courts of Dai Viet Read More »

This discussion of state and religion in Dai Viet focuses on ritual in the royal courts and how it is related to the varied beliefs of royalty, aristocracy, the literate, and the people. From the tenth to the nineteenth century, in the series of dynasties, each showed a different  pattern of religious belief and ritual.

WPS 127 Of Monarchs, Monks and Men: Religion and the State in Myanmar

The relationship between religion and the state during the pre-colonial period was the most dominant one in Burmese society for at least a thousand years if not more. With the dawn of the colonial period, it saw a hiatus, but revived when nationalism took center stage. After independence in 1948, the relationship once again became

WPS 127 Of Monarchs, Monks and Men: Religion and the State in Myanmar Read More »

The relationship between religion and the state during the pre-colonial period was the most dominant one in Burmese society for at least a thousand years if not more. With the dawn of the colonial period, it saw a hiatus, but revived when nationalism took center stage. After independence in 1948, the relationship once again became

The Body in Asia

The past few decades have seen growing interest in the study of the body, not least thanks to Michel Foucault’s historical studies of medicine in the 1970s, which inspired the initial development of the contemporary study of the human body. However, the increasing number of exciting and influential publications has primarily, if not exclusively, focused

The Body in Asia Read More »

The past few decades have seen growing interest in the study of the body, not least thanks to Michel Foucault’s historical studies of medicine in the 1970s, which inspired the initial development of the contemporary study of the human body. However, the increasing number of exciting and influential publications has primarily, if not exclusively, focused

The Routledge International Handbook of Globalization Studies

The Routledge International Handbook of Globalization Studies offers students clear and informed chapters on the history of globalization and key theories that have considered the causes and consequences of the globalization process. There are substantive sections looking at demographic, economic, technological, social and cultural changes in globalization. The handbook examines many negative aspects – new

The Routledge International Handbook of Globalization Studies Read More »

The Routledge International Handbook of Globalization Studies offers students clear and informed chapters on the history of globalization and key theories that have considered the causes and consequences of the globalization process. There are substantive sections looking at demographic, economic, technological, social and cultural changes in globalization. The handbook examines many negative aspects – new

WPS 126 Archaeological Report Regarding the Assessment at the Thnal Mrech Kiln Site TMK 02, Anlong Thom, Phnom Kulen, Cambodia

In January 2007 the site of an ancient pottery kiln on Phnom Kulen was excavated. Radiocarbon dating shows that the site probably dates from the 11th century CE, around the time of King Suryavarman I. This report describes the excavation, analyzes the kiln, and provides a detailed typology of the pottery and the technology used

WPS 126 Archaeological Report Regarding the Assessment at the Thnal Mrech Kiln Site TMK 02, Anlong Thom, Phnom Kulen, Cambodia Read More »

In January 2007 the site of an ancient pottery kiln on Phnom Kulen was excavated. Radiocarbon dating shows that the site probably dates from the 11th century CE, around the time of King Suryavarman I. This report describes the excavation, analyzes the kiln, and provides a detailed typology of the pottery and the technology used

WPS 125 Sexual Slander and the 1965-66 Mass Killings in Indonesia: Political and Methodological Considerations

Indonesia has been haunted by the ‘spectre of communism’ since the action by military officers on 1 October 1965 in which the country’s top brass was murdered. The military attributed this ‘putsch’ to the communist party, PKI. The genocide that followed was triggered by an unprecedented campaign of sexual slander. Surprisingly this effective method of

WPS 125 Sexual Slander and the 1965-66 Mass Killings in Indonesia: Political and Methodological Considerations Read More »

Indonesia has been haunted by the ‘spectre of communism’ since the action by military officers on 1 October 1965 in which the country’s top brass was murdered. The military attributed this ‘putsch’ to the communist party, PKI. The genocide that followed was triggered by an unprecedented campaign of sexual slander. Surprisingly this effective method of

WPS 124 Categorically Vulgar

The hybridization of Bhangra, a Punjabi harvest dance, with Western beats of pop and black beats of reggae, rap and hiphop in Britain in the mid 1980s brought it international visibility and has made it part of global youth culture. However, purists on the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Punjab, offended by the ‘vulgar’ content of

WPS 124 Categorically Vulgar Read More »

The hybridization of Bhangra, a Punjabi harvest dance, with Western beats of pop and black beats of reggae, rap and hiphop in Britain in the mid 1980s brought it international visibility and has made it part of global youth culture. However, purists on the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Punjab, offended by the ‘vulgar’ content of