Elections,Repertoires of Contention and Habitus in Four Civil Society Engagements in Malaysia's 2008 General Elections

The general elections in Malaysia in 2008 saw the ruling coalition, which has ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since independence in 1957, lose control of a number of states and become significantly weakened at the federal level. Amongst the reasons often cited for this was significant and diverse civil society participation in these elections which was often critical of the incumbent government. This article examines four different engagements in the 2008 elections by civil society actors. Through this examination, it is demonstrated that distinctions between types of collective action, from social movements to political parties, are especially likely to be blurred in the context of repressive states such as Malaysia. This examination in turn sees Charles Tilly's concept of repertoires of contention defended against both Nick Crossley's criticisms of it and his preference of Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus.     

Transnational Debt Groups: The Challenges of Campaigning Within the Internationalising State

A central question facing transnational civil society campaigns is where they can exercise power most effectively in a globalising world. Is the nation state still a worthy site for struggle, or has power shifted significantly to the international arena? Taking transnational debt campaigning as a case study, and using Robert Cox’s concept of the internationalising state, this article examines these questions. While building common cause transnationally, and developing a transnational profile, were important dimensions of debt campaigning, the evidence from the study is that debt campaigns focussed strongly on national governments in order to influence international decision-makers. In this context, the article argues that transnational debt campaigns were re-articulating their governments towards greater accountability to domestic societies, countering the thrust towards the internationalisation of the state.     

集群式革命之“阿拉伯之春”

从社会学与社会心理学来看,"阿拉伯之春"是一个由突发事件引发,通过互联网的社群串联,民众的个体感受逐渐被整合为共同意识的过程;也是经由互联网的群体散播,民众的纷纷仿效,致使"街头政治"逐步演变为集群行动,最终蔓延为大规模、大面积"倒阁"运动的过程。这场"快餐化"传播的西方民主思潮过早地催生了刚刚萌芽、还来不及成长的中东民主幼苗,使得这场追求民主的社会运动先天不足又后天失调,其结果只能是:社会运动的发起者、参与者和煽动者,不但没有能力驾驭运动的走向与结果,而且也无法真正掌控当下处于混乱之中的中东国家。     

Role of the New Media in the Arab Spring

This article examines the role of the new media in the ‘Arab Spring’ in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It argues that although the new media is one of the factors in the social revolution among others such as social and political factors in the region, it nevertheless played a critical role especially in light of the absence of an open media and a civil society. The significance of the globalization of the new media is highlighted as it presents an interesting case of horizontal connectivity in social mobilization as well signaling a new trend in the intersection of new media and conventional media such as television, radio, and mobile phone. One of the contradictions of the present phase of globalization is that the state in many contexts facilitated the promotion of new media due to economic compulsion, inadvertently facing the social and political consequences of the new media.

Este artículo examina el papel de los nuevos medios en ‘la primavera árabe’ en la región del Medio Oriente y Norte de África (MENA, por sus siglas en inglés). Sostiene que aunque los nuevos medios hacen parte de los factores en la revolución social entre otros, como los factores sociales y políticos en la región, aun así, jugaron un papel muy importante especialmente en vista de la ausencia de medios independientes y una sociedad civil. La importancia de la globalización de los nuevos medios se hace resaltar al presentar un interesante cado de conectividad horizontal en la movilización social como también al señalar una nueva intersección de nuevos medios y medios convencionales como la televisión, la radio y el celular. Una de las contradicciones de la fase actual de la globalización es que el estado en muchos contextos, facilitó la promoción de un nuevo medio debido a la compulsión económica, afrontando inadvertidamente las consecuencias sociales y políticas de los nuevos medios.

本文考察发生在西亚北非地区的“阿拉伯之春”中新兴媒体的角色。文章认为尽管新兴媒体同其他政治和社会的因素一样,是该地区发生社会革命的因素之一,但却扮演了至关重要的角色,尤其是在缺乏开放的媒体和公民社会的条件下。由于代表了一种在社会动员中建立水平连通的有趣事例并同时预示着新兴媒体和传统媒体（如电视、电台和移动电话）交叉的新趋势,新兴媒体全球化的重要性被凸显出来。全球化现阶段的矛盾之一就是,在很多不同环境下国家由于经济强制而促进了新兴媒体发展,却正无奈地面对新兴媒体带来的社会和政治后果。     

试论海湾六国货币统一的现实意义

目前，安全问题和经济模式单一问题直接威胁到了海湾六国的社会稳定和经济发展，是六国政府所面临的首要难题。从经济一体化的角度看，货币统一将扩大海湾六国对世界经济的影响，提升其在国际事务中的地位，对海湾六国解决安全问题有重大影响和积极作用。同时，海湾六国统一货币所带来的经济效应也将促进海湾六国经济多元化发展。     

State Welfare and the Development of Voluntary Action: The Case of Ireland,North and South

This paper considers the development of voluntary action in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Drawing on research conducted during 2002–2003 at the Centre for Voluntary Action Studies at the University of Ulster and funded by the Royal Irish Academy, it is argued that the way that voluntary and community organizations developed in Ireland’s two jurisdictions after the partition of the island in 1922 illuminates debates on the role of states in structuring the civic space in which voluntary action occurs. It illustrates, in particular, the interaction of state policy drivers with the cultural and ideological forces that shape voluntary action. Analysis lends support to the view that state action, together with cultural trends and social capital resources, is the crucial determinant of how the voluntary sector develops in a jurisdiction.     

试论海湾六国货币统一的现实意义

目前,安全问题和经济模式单一问题直接威胁到了海湾六国的社会稳定和经济发展,是六国政府所面临的首要难题.从经济一体化的角度看,货币统一将扩大海湾六国对世界经济的影响,提升其在国际事务中的地位,对海湾六国解决安全问题有重大影响和积极作用.同时,海湾六国统一货币所带来的经济效应也将促进海湾六国经济多元化发展.     

The State and Civil Society in Disaster Response

Abstract

This paper, based on the report “The State and Civil Society in Disaster Response: An Analysis of the Tamil Nadu Tsunami Experience,” (Srinivasan, Nagaraj, & Venkatesh, 2005) is essentially an empirical analysis of state and civil society responses in Tamil Nadu (India) to the tsunami of December 26, 2004. It examines interventions by state and non-state agencies, as well as people's experiences in the relief and rehabilitation phases to identify factors influencing both positive and negative outcomes of the tsunami response. Issues related to vulnerability and exclusion, equity, transparency and accountability in different sectors of disaster intervention are explored to highlight themes revolving around reach and efficacy of relief and recovery processes. These analyses bring out some interesting lessons with regard to the importance of institutional autonomy, non-politicized decision-making, and synergetic state-civil society interfaces in fostering inclusive, transparent and accountable rehabilitation processes. The roles played by institutional responsiveness and flexibility in shaping an effective disaster response also emerge very clearly from this study of the Tamil Nadu experience. Another crucial finding points to the need for detailed, reliable and disaggregated geo-demographic and socioeconomic records as a resource base for informing relief and rehabilitation interventions. The study draws extensively from the experiences and insights of people affected by, and involved in tsunami response, and from secondary knowledge resources available on the disaster.     

The impact of the Arab Spring on democracy and development in the MENA region

In evaluating the consequences of the Arab Spring 8 years later, this paper not only focuses on the short‐term consequences of the uprisings that swept through a number of countries in the Middle East and North African region but also analyzes the long‐term prospects for democratization and development in the MENA region. The impact of the Arab Spring, despite its promises and the expectations of the rest of the world, has been dismal. While only Tunisia made a successful transition to a democratic polity with a constitution guaranteeing the basic rights of the people, the rest of the Arab Spring countries remain in the grip of the authoritarian rule, and countries such as Syria, Libya, and Yemen have been degenerated into bloody civil wars with dwindling hope of peace and freedom. On economic front, the growth has been tardy, showing little difference with countries that were unaffected by the Arab Spring. Yet, the paper concludes, echoing historian Eric Hobsbawm's view, that revolutionary outcomes need not be judged as failure too quickly as they are likely to be partial success in the long term. The impact may be observed in the area of social opening, newer class alliances, and the emergence of a less rapacious, reformed, hybrid authoritarianism.     

From advocacy to service provision: state transformation and the disability rights movement in Taiwan

This research uses the development of the disability rights movement in Taiwan as a case study to analyze the impact of state transformation, in particular marketization of social welfare policy, on the disability rights movement. First, the institutionalization of the disability rights movement enabled it to expand its organizational structure and become involved in shaping policy. Secondly, when disability rights organizations started to undertake state-funded projects, their focus shifted from advocacy to service provision. Thirdly, competition for limited state-funding gave the organizations led by urban-middle class advocates a significant advantage over small, community-based NPOs and gathered significantly greater resources. Finally, this paper suggests that, in a context in which the state did not provide basic social services for its citizens with disabilities, the institutionalization of SMOs turned advocacy groups into service providers. Although the number of disability civic organizations increased, the voices of advocacy groups were weakened.     

The man in the black hat

A century after the American Frontier was closed, the cowboy remains an iconic figure. A sturdy individualism, a steely disregard for convention and the bravery to do what’s gotta be done: these are powerful tropes that seemingly define a particular type of heroism. One that seems ageless despite the disappearance of the border environment in which the fictive cowboy operated.

Our aim in this paper is to explore the mythology of the cowboy as depicted in western films and fiction, demonstrating how it draws upon and develops particular kinds of individualism, sociality and morality that were first explicitly explored in the late eighteenth century. And, as theoretically‐laden icon, we examine how the cowboy continues to shape writing and thinking about individuals and organizations, specifically focussing on the works of Ayn Rand and notions of entrepreneurship.     

The Role of NGOs in Strengthening the Foundations of South African Democracy

This paper assesses the contribution of South African nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to the process of democratic consolidation. By drawing on a 1998 survey conducted among 270 NGOs, on several expert interviews, and on an analysis of the structures and programmes of the umbrella body of South African NGOs (Sangoco), the author presents a multi-faceted picture of the activities of the South African NGO sector. The focus is on the NGOs' role as (1) schools of democracy, (2) in bridging societal cleavages, and (3) in providing channels of interest representation for the most marginalized sections of the population. The paper concludes that the contribution of South African NGOs to the process of democratic consolidation is significant, but highly dependent on an enabling external environment.     

Societal innovation at the interface of the state and civil society

The need to adapt to economic globalization and “wicked” problems such as climate change and poverty presents enormous challenges to modern developed societies. These challenges call for new solutions, not only in the form of technological or business innovations, but also through society-wide reform and renewal. In this paper, we outline a societal innovation framework to better understand the stage on which these societal challenges are being played out. Our approach builds on the classical view that considers innovation, an (radical or incremental) improvement that is both novel in its context and deployed by people. These societal innovations change the interface of the state and civil society for stakeholder benefit.     

Migrant workers in the Arab Gulf: the impact of declining oil revenues

"This article explores the relationship between government expenditure and labor immigration in the Arab Gulf states. This relationship was close and positive during the rapid growth of the 1970s. Using Kuwait as a case study, trends in immigrant labor movements over the period 1981-85 are considered in detail. This analysis shows that the current economic downturn, reflecting the collapse of the world oil prices, has not resulted in the large scale re-export of foreign labor which was envisaged. The reasons for this foreign labor retention are considered and the authors speculate on future migration trends in the region."     

The role of emotions during the Arab Spring in Tunisia and Egypt in light of repertoires

ABSTRACT

This article examines the role of emotions during the Arab Spring in Tunisia and Egypt in the context of collective level emotions in mobilizations. Emotions are understood as a catalyst whose mechanism of action is performed through repertories. This article seeks to answer how emotions, having a triggering role, are performed through repertoires while accelerating mobilization against authoritarian orders, creating the intersection of individual and collective level emotions in public spheres of Tunisia and Egypt, and thus affecting the transnational diffusion of emotions. The significant reason to address emotions is to explain what stimulated the Arab Spring and how it spread over the region starting from Tunisia and Egypt. This article synthesizes two literatures: International Relations (IR) and social movements studies in light of emotions and components of repertoires which are as follows: collective action, collective identity, symbolic politics, network society and information politics.     

The Problem with Tragic Narratives: Lessons from the Los Angeles Uprising

This article considers the different media narratives about the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, in order to explain how the genre of tragedy became the most powerful representational form for talking about race and civil society during the 1990s. Three narrative mechanisms were used to shift discussions of race and civil society toward the tragic frame: (1) a change in temporality, (2) the rhetorical failures of politicians, and (3) the emplotment of new events into the dominant tragic narratives. Because most crises get their dramatic power from the tension between romance and tragedy, the shift to tragic discourse led to cynicism, skepticism, resignation, and inaction. The article concludes by arguing that the search for genre imbalance is an important tool for those interested in studying culture and ideology during times of crisis.     

Noisy Winter: The DDT Controversy in the Years before Silent Spring

Abstract In this paper, we examine three unanticipated findings from a social constructionist analysis of popular media coverage of the pesticide DDT from the years 1944 to 1961. The first unanticipated finding was the early (1945) appearance of negative or cautionary claims in the media source examined, the New York Times. Second, while negative or cautionary claims about the pesticide did constitute a minority voice during this time period, it was nonetheless a persistent voice. The third unanticipated finding was the predominance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the State Agricultural Experiment Stations among those claimsmakers initially cautioning potential users about unintended and potentially deleterious impacts. The concept of "routine monitoring mechanisms" is introduced to explain this third finding. We conclude by considering the potential impact of this coverage on the subsequent development of the controversy.     

The Global Development Project Contested: The Local Politics of the PRSP Process in Malawi

Development, in an age of globalizations, has indeed become a global project. However, this project remains contested and contestable. While much attention has been given to this contestation at a macro-policy level, the dynamics of such contestations on the ground remain less studied. Noting that development projects, policies and programs are themselves products of power relations and social struggles, this paper focuses on the dynamics of these relations and struggles in relation to the dissemination of the global development project in Malawi. Drawing from the experiences and fractious journey from 2000 to 2006 of the broad-based civil society network involved in Malawi's ongoing PRSP process, the paper shows how local actors draw creatively on globalized discourses of participation and representation to contest and confound the objectives of the elites, thereby complicating the channels through which the global development project is promulgated.

El desarrollo en la era de la globalización, se ha convertido en un proyecto global. Sin embargo, este proyecto sigue siendo controvertido y cuestionable. Mientras que se le ha dado mucha importancia a esta controversia a nivel macro-político, la dinámica de estos cuestionamientos es menos estudiada a nivel local. Dado que los proyectos, programas y políticas de desarrollo son a su vez el producto de las relaciones de poder y de las luchas sociales, este artículo se centra en la dinámica de estas relaciones y de estas luchas en la diseminación del proyecto global de desarrollo en Malawi. Con base en la experiencia y las dificultades que surgieron entre el 2000 al 2006, entre el proceso PRSP de Malawi y la amplia red de la sociedad civil involucrada en él, el artículo demuestra cómo, de manera creativa, los actores locales, basándose en el discurso globalizado de la participación y representación, protestan y confunden los objetivos de las élites, complicando los canales a través de los cuales se divulga el proyecto de desarrollo global.

在全球化时代,发展问题已然成为一个全球性项目。然而,对这一项目仍然存有争议。不过争议主要集中在宏观政策层面上,对争议在草根层面上的动力学研究不足。本文注意到发展项目、政策和方案本身是权力关系和社会斗争的产物,着重研究涉及马拉维全球发展项目传播过程中这些关系和斗争之间的动态关系。从基础广泛的市民社会网络从2000年到2006年的经验和反抗历程来看（该网络参与了马拉维正在进行的减贫战略文件进程）,本文表明了当地行为者是如何创造性地利用参与权和代表权等全球性话语,来竞争和挫败精英的目标,从而使得全球发展项目的传播路径复杂化。     

“阿拉伯之春”中青年社交媒体参与及其启示

2011年发生的"阿拉伯之春"在世界掀起的政治风暴至今余威犹存。关于这场运动的发起原因和影响的讨论至今没有形成共识,但是不可否认的是,阿拉伯青年在这场运动中高度依赖社交媒体的联结和动员功能,改变了传统社会运动的组织形态和行动逻辑,成为这场运动的发起人、推动者和参与主力。当前,中国社会正处于急剧转型时期,矛盾错综复杂,各种由青年人参与的群体性事件频仍发生,严重地考验着党和政府的治理能力。因而,认真汲取"阿拉伯之春"的教训,积极拓展青年诉求表达的合理渠道,引导其有序参与,对于防范和消弭社交媒体时代的政治风险,实现国家善政良治无疑具有重要意义。     

从欧元看海合会国家金融货币一体化趋势

本文从评析最优货币区理论和不可能三角理论入手，通过对欧元和欧洲中央银行实践的研究，分析了海合会国家金融货币一体化的趋势，指出现阶段成员国只有通过紧密合作、协调各方矛盾才能为提升海合会国家金融货币一体化水平创造前提条件。