The concept of the Silk Road has recently been repackaged as a China-led inter-state enterprise t... more The concept of the Silk Road has recently been repackaged as a China-led inter-state enterprise that will lead to ‘a win-win attempt for all’. This technocratic utopia of superior infrastructure, smooth transport routes, and boosted trade should be challenged, because it ignores the countless flows and networks across Eurasia that states fail to control. The zone connecting China to India across Myanmar and Bangladesh exemplifies the obstacles that the broader scheme is generally likely to face: distrust, implementation deficits, fragmented sovereignty, sensitive spaces, and unregulated cross-border flows. In this chapter, it is argued that the plan, far from offering benign progress for all, will damage many livelihoods and lead to adverse political, environmental, and security outcomes.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any ... more No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. Niets uit deze dissertatie mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand of openbaar gemaakt worden in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij elektronisch, mechanisch of door fotokopieën, opname, of op enige andere manier, zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de auteur.
The renewables transition influences interstate energy relations in many ways. The emergence of n... more The renewables transition influences interstate energy relations in many ways. The emergence of new energy-related patterns of cooperation depends on favourable political and economic circumstances. Within the multi-layered EU energy governance, innovative institutions evolved at the regional level. In 2005, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands formed the Pentalateral Forum (Penta Forum), joined by Austria and Switzerland in 2011 as full member and observer, respectively. In the process of establishing the Energy Union, which seeks to realise the single European energy market and the transition to a low-carbon energy system, the Penta Forum constitutes an intermediate step. The electricity sector is key to realising the Energy Union. This chapter examines how the cooperation between the members of the Penta Forum helps to achieve the integration of the European electricity market. It highlights two facets of the Penta Forum’s institutionalisation. First, as a form of differentiated integration in the context of EU policymaking the Penta Forum increases the member states’ room for manoeuvre within EU energy governance. Second, the design of the Penta Forum depoliticises the conversation about complex policy issues, which in turn is instrumental in limiting frictions among its members to practical issues.
between the different power holders in the world. Anyone familiar with brands such as Taikoo and ... more between the different power holders in the world. Anyone familiar with brands such as Taikoo and Cathay Pacific may also find this book an interesting read, because of insights and revelations about the rise and development of these and other Swire brands and companies, their business connections and growth, all of which contribute to a better understanding of their position in the international market. This book is recommended reading for anyone interested in the corporate history of John Swire & Sons and those looking for deeper insights into the historical relations and complex dynamics between Britain and Asia. It will throw light on the challenges confronting the current relationship between the power holders.
come from her immersion in the daily life of the family with whom she lived throughout her fieldw... more come from her immersion in the daily life of the family with whom she lived throughout her fieldwork. When the maternal grandfather of the family was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Lora-Wainwright became witness to the various family members’ efforts to define their caregiving and mourning practices as morally appropriate. Through this family’s experience the reader learns how an ill family member was protected from knowledge of the seriousness of his condition, what explanations were offered for his having this illness (and how these explanations changed after his death), how treatment decisions were negotiated, how cancer caused familial and not just individual suffering, and how distrust of the medical system as much as the expense of care can lead to withdrawal from treatment. The book’s eight chapters and conclusion are organized into three parts: an introduction (Foundations), a theoretical and macro-level analysis of factors affecting local perceptions of what causes cancer (Making sense of cancer), and the case study (Strategies of care and mourning). Broad reasons villagers proposed for the high incidence of cancer in their community included hard work, farm chemicals, and polluted water. Little notice was taken of the high rates of alcohol and tobacco use or of the consumption of mouldy sweet potatoes or salt-preserved vegetables that epidemiologists studying in a nearby county found were associated with cancer. In attempting to explain why a particular person got cancer, villagers, relying on popular Chinese concepts of the body, added another possible cause: repressed anger caused by blocked qi (breath or air). Such a blockage could be the result of temperament (in which case the sufferer had to accept some responsibility for the illness) or the result of anger resulting from aggravation or disrespect by someone else (in which case the offender had to accept some responsibility). Lora-Wainwright points out how the latter possibility frequently served to discipline family members, especially women. Utilizing the lens of cancer, this study is an original contribution to the body of literature addressing the impact of economic change on the lived experience of rural residents. The author finds that the new economy has not obliterated a moral sense – rather, it has increased the means available for demonstrating one’s moral sensibility (or lack thereof) and opened space for greater contestation about the appropriateness of behaviour within the family and community. Though occasionally repetitious, this book would make excellent reading for courses in medical anthropology, Chinese studies, family dynamics, and economic development.
In Europe, China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative primarily interacts with the institutional... more In Europe, China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative primarily interacts with the institutional and physical landscape of the ‘shared neighbourhood’ between Russia and the European Union (EU). Norms and institutions in these ‘borderland’ states reflect an institutional ambiguity between the Eurasian and EU brands of market integration. In this chapter, the structures of economic governance in this region and their interaction with OBOR are examined from institutional and infrastructural perspectives. It is argued that OBOR is incompatible with current trends of European economic governance. In Ukraine and the 16+1 states, the interplay between Chinese state-controlled entities and oligarchic elites deconstructs formal norms and institutions and reinforces informal structures. Instability in the borderlands increases, while infrastructure investments extend the shadowy character of OBOR-induced practices into the future.
skills of an ethnographer whose insight lends depth to her evaluation of the local cultural setti... more skills of an ethnographer whose insight lends depth to her evaluation of the local cultural setting. The monograph is full of nuanced micro events that enrich the discussion and, thus, our understanding of how family organization in northern China has shifted away from its long-standing patrilineal bias toward a more bilateral, if not tacit, natal or mother-centred preference. Shi provides a thorough review of the changes in China’s birth control population polices, highlighting the factors that contribute to China’s overall fertility decline. The one-child policy has changed the way children are raised, and it has contributed to undermining long-standing Chinese norms. This is especially evident in the reworking of the meaning of filial piety that is increasingly seen as something parents must earn by giving their time and resources and being emotionally involved rather than simply assuming their right to obedience and care. These sociological and demographic changes are manifested in today’s ‘modern Chinese family’. In sum, this is a persuasive and eloquent study of the changing gender roles in Chinese society. It is a ground-breaking account of the cultural transformation of northern Chinese society whose people have come to re-evaluate kinship bonds and to value a daughter over a son. This is the kind of book that opens up new vistas. Full of surprises, it is ethnography as it should be.
Book review essay: Contextualizing China’s resource-fuelled rise Elizabeth C. Economy and Michael... more Book review essay: Contextualizing China’s resource-fuelled rise Elizabeth C. Economy and Michael Levi, By All Means Necessary: How China’s Resource Quest Is Changing the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014; x + 279 pp. with notes, glossary, and index: 9780199921782, £18.99 (hbk) Stuart Harris, China’s Foreign Policy. Cambridge and Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2014; xvii + 236 pp. with a map, chronology, notes, references, and index: 9780745662473, US$22.95 (pbk) Monique Taylor, The Chinese State, Oil and Energy Security. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014; xiv + 213 pp. with bibliography, index, tables, and figures: 9781137350541, £65.00 (hbk)
The concept of the Silk Road has recently been repackaged as a China-led inter-state enterprise t... more The concept of the Silk Road has recently been repackaged as a China-led inter-state enterprise that will lead to ‘a win-win attempt for all’. This technocratic utopia of superior infrastructure, smooth transport routes, and boosted trade should be challenged, because it ignores the countless flows and networks across Eurasia that states fail to control. The zone connecting China to India across Myanmar and Bangladesh exemplifies the obstacles that the broader scheme is generally likely to face: distrust, implementation deficits, fragmented sovereignty, sensitive spaces, and unregulated cross-border flows. In this chapter, it is argued that the plan, far from offering benign progress for all, will damage many livelihoods and lead to adverse political, environmental, and security outcomes.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any ... more No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. Niets uit deze dissertatie mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand of openbaar gemaakt worden in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij elektronisch, mechanisch of door fotokopieën, opname, of op enige andere manier, zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de auteur.
The renewables transition influences interstate energy relations in many ways. The emergence of n... more The renewables transition influences interstate energy relations in many ways. The emergence of new energy-related patterns of cooperation depends on favourable political and economic circumstances. Within the multi-layered EU energy governance, innovative institutions evolved at the regional level. In 2005, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands formed the Pentalateral Forum (Penta Forum), joined by Austria and Switzerland in 2011 as full member and observer, respectively. In the process of establishing the Energy Union, which seeks to realise the single European energy market and the transition to a low-carbon energy system, the Penta Forum constitutes an intermediate step. The electricity sector is key to realising the Energy Union. This chapter examines how the cooperation between the members of the Penta Forum helps to achieve the integration of the European electricity market. It highlights two facets of the Penta Forum’s institutionalisation. First, as a form of differentiated integration in the context of EU policymaking the Penta Forum increases the member states’ room for manoeuvre within EU energy governance. Second, the design of the Penta Forum depoliticises the conversation about complex policy issues, which in turn is instrumental in limiting frictions among its members to practical issues.
between the different power holders in the world. Anyone familiar with brands such as Taikoo and ... more between the different power holders in the world. Anyone familiar with brands such as Taikoo and Cathay Pacific may also find this book an interesting read, because of insights and revelations about the rise and development of these and other Swire brands and companies, their business connections and growth, all of which contribute to a better understanding of their position in the international market. This book is recommended reading for anyone interested in the corporate history of John Swire & Sons and those looking for deeper insights into the historical relations and complex dynamics between Britain and Asia. It will throw light on the challenges confronting the current relationship between the power holders.
come from her immersion in the daily life of the family with whom she lived throughout her fieldw... more come from her immersion in the daily life of the family with whom she lived throughout her fieldwork. When the maternal grandfather of the family was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Lora-Wainwright became witness to the various family members’ efforts to define their caregiving and mourning practices as morally appropriate. Through this family’s experience the reader learns how an ill family member was protected from knowledge of the seriousness of his condition, what explanations were offered for his having this illness (and how these explanations changed after his death), how treatment decisions were negotiated, how cancer caused familial and not just individual suffering, and how distrust of the medical system as much as the expense of care can lead to withdrawal from treatment. The book’s eight chapters and conclusion are organized into three parts: an introduction (Foundations), a theoretical and macro-level analysis of factors affecting local perceptions of what causes cancer (Making sense of cancer), and the case study (Strategies of care and mourning). Broad reasons villagers proposed for the high incidence of cancer in their community included hard work, farm chemicals, and polluted water. Little notice was taken of the high rates of alcohol and tobacco use or of the consumption of mouldy sweet potatoes or salt-preserved vegetables that epidemiologists studying in a nearby county found were associated with cancer. In attempting to explain why a particular person got cancer, villagers, relying on popular Chinese concepts of the body, added another possible cause: repressed anger caused by blocked qi (breath or air). Such a blockage could be the result of temperament (in which case the sufferer had to accept some responsibility for the illness) or the result of anger resulting from aggravation or disrespect by someone else (in which case the offender had to accept some responsibility). Lora-Wainwright points out how the latter possibility frequently served to discipline family members, especially women. Utilizing the lens of cancer, this study is an original contribution to the body of literature addressing the impact of economic change on the lived experience of rural residents. The author finds that the new economy has not obliterated a moral sense – rather, it has increased the means available for demonstrating one’s moral sensibility (or lack thereof) and opened space for greater contestation about the appropriateness of behaviour within the family and community. Though occasionally repetitious, this book would make excellent reading for courses in medical anthropology, Chinese studies, family dynamics, and economic development.
In Europe, China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative primarily interacts with the institutional... more In Europe, China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative primarily interacts with the institutional and physical landscape of the ‘shared neighbourhood’ between Russia and the European Union (EU). Norms and institutions in these ‘borderland’ states reflect an institutional ambiguity between the Eurasian and EU brands of market integration. In this chapter, the structures of economic governance in this region and their interaction with OBOR are examined from institutional and infrastructural perspectives. It is argued that OBOR is incompatible with current trends of European economic governance. In Ukraine and the 16+1 states, the interplay between Chinese state-controlled entities and oligarchic elites deconstructs formal norms and institutions and reinforces informal structures. Instability in the borderlands increases, while infrastructure investments extend the shadowy character of OBOR-induced practices into the future.
skills of an ethnographer whose insight lends depth to her evaluation of the local cultural setti... more skills of an ethnographer whose insight lends depth to her evaluation of the local cultural setting. The monograph is full of nuanced micro events that enrich the discussion and, thus, our understanding of how family organization in northern China has shifted away from its long-standing patrilineal bias toward a more bilateral, if not tacit, natal or mother-centred preference. Shi provides a thorough review of the changes in China’s birth control population polices, highlighting the factors that contribute to China’s overall fertility decline. The one-child policy has changed the way children are raised, and it has contributed to undermining long-standing Chinese norms. This is especially evident in the reworking of the meaning of filial piety that is increasingly seen as something parents must earn by giving their time and resources and being emotionally involved rather than simply assuming their right to obedience and care. These sociological and demographic changes are manifested in today’s ‘modern Chinese family’. In sum, this is a persuasive and eloquent study of the changing gender roles in Chinese society. It is a ground-breaking account of the cultural transformation of northern Chinese society whose people have come to re-evaluate kinship bonds and to value a daughter over a son. This is the kind of book that opens up new vistas. Full of surprises, it is ethnography as it should be.
Book review essay: Contextualizing China’s resource-fuelled rise Elizabeth C. Economy and Michael... more Book review essay: Contextualizing China’s resource-fuelled rise Elizabeth C. Economy and Michael Levi, By All Means Necessary: How China’s Resource Quest Is Changing the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014; x + 279 pp. with notes, glossary, and index: 9780199921782, £18.99 (hbk) Stuart Harris, China’s Foreign Policy. Cambridge and Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2014; xvii + 236 pp. with a map, chronology, notes, references, and index: 9780745662473, US$22.95 (pbk) Monique Taylor, The Chinese State, Oil and Energy Security. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014; xiv + 213 pp. with bibliography, index, tables, and figures: 9781137350541, £65.00 (hbk)
Uploads
Papers by Susann Handke