Global economy of signs and selves: A view of work regimes in call centers in the Philippines

Reflecting on the global nature of third-party offshore call center and its implications on the agent, this piece is an account of the researcher's own experience, observations, and interactions as a call center worker. Using the theoretical frame Global economy of signs and selves, weaving ideas from Scott Lash and John Urry, Pierre Bourdieu and Erving Goffman, the study looks at some dimensions and conditions of global service work experienced by Filipino agents. With the relocation of accounts offshore, call centers in the Philippines have given rise to a growing section of society required by the imperatives of their work to “defy” time and space, synchronizing their cycles and routines according to the rhythms and cycles of a distant social dimension and the imperatives of globalized production. Although relocation has allowed firms to reduce costs and make use of cheaper labor, the distance traversed by this new call center platform comes with some hidden costs, borne by workers, who may themselves take these other forms of work they deliver for granted. Highlighting under-emphasized, undervalued and misrecognized aspects of call center work, the study attempts to link the global, the local and the personal, while emphasizing the social and symbolic work involved in call center production.     

Impacts of the Triple Global Crisis on Growth and Poverty: The Case of Yemen

Yemen is an oil‐exporting and food‐importing country with the highest levels of poverty in the Middle East and North Africa. The impacts of the triple crisis are likely to further complicate pre‐existing conditions of conflict, oil depletion and governance failure. Using a dynamic CGE model, this article finds that oil‐driven growth in 2008 dominated the negative growth impacts of the food crisis, but that growth was not pro‐poor. The financial crisis of 2009 slowed growth sharply and raised the poverty rate to 42.8%, up from 34.8% in 2005/6. Poverty continues to be higher in rural areas, where almost half the population live in poverty.     

THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC MEDIA CULTURES

This paper seeks to tie in the arguments that can be connected to the development of a global media culture and concerns around cosmopolitan forms of democracy. This is done by considering arguments for: (i) a global human right initiative in respect of global media conglomerates; (ii) technological change in respect of digital cultures; and (iii) the arrival of what Castells'shas described as the culture of 'real virtuality'. These views and perspectives are assessed in terms of the contributions they are likely to make towards what I call a 'cautious cosmopolitanism'. Finally I seek to make some definite policy recommendations that might help foster conditions in which cosmopolitan democracy could flourish.     

嵌入GVC的我国产业集群竞争力提升模式研究——基于“双钻石模型”

全球化生产网络的形成,片断化生产模式的发展,使得传统的产业集群在构建其区域经济系统时必须嵌入到全球的价值链(GVC)中,构建产业集群的全球竞争力提升模式。本文主要在波特钻石模型的基础上构建适合我国产业集群竞争力提升的双钻石模型,并且分析在GVC下国内钻石的变化趋势。在此基础上从双钻石模型的四个要素出发提出我国产业集群竞争力提升的路径选择。     

中国参与中东经济事务的全球视角分析

全球视角既是中国参与中东经济事务的难点,也是中国扩大国际影响的着力点。以全球视角参与中东经济事务的含义有二:在具体层面上,应正视与中东国家经贸关系存在的问题,从推动双边关系的平稳发展来实现整体顺利参与;从整体角度看,中国应以中东经济事务为平台妥善处理与世界大国关系,推动能源领域的国际化和市场化。中国需从石油美元视角审视贸易顺差和人民币币值问题,超越“瓜达尔港式”命题,加速向国际社会的全面融入。     

辛亥革命期间列强对东北的政策分析

辛亥革命期间，列强面对东三省出现的新形势，有针对性地调整了自己的政策，试图扩大自己的势力范围或在中国的殖民利益。综观此期列强的政策，初期，都企图寻找良机，根本解决满洲问题；随后，由于革命形势的变化，加之列强内部行动的相互牵制，各国不得不放弃最初的想法，进而采取务实的态度，尽量在不谋求改变东三省政治结构的框架内，最大范围地加强对东三省的掠夺。     

盟军最高统帅部的“轰炸战略”分歧和决策

1944年上半年，欧洲盟军最高统帅部就战略空军的作战目标和任务出现了尖锐的意见分歧。铁路目标、石油目标、城市目标三种主张展开了激烈的争论。在充分讨论的基础上，艾森豪威尔协调各种观点，作出了以运输目标为重点、附带石油目标、默许个别城市目标的“轰炸战略”决策，对“霸王”行动的成功起到了至关重要的作用。     

简论20世纪下半期的世界经济

20世纪下半期是世界史上经济发展最快时期.这时期构成世界经济的有:资本主义发达国家经济,社会主义国家经济;发展中国家经济.资本主义发达 国家运用第三次科技革命成果、市场经济规律和现当代经济学理论发展经济,拥有巨大财富 ,都是富国.社会主义国家与发展中国家在发展经济的道路上曲折前进,与资本主义发达国家的经济水平差距甚大.中国经济的和平崛起对世界经济具有深远的影响.     

中国古代生态化生活方式探究

中国古人非常重视生态保护，历代统治者为了农业生产在实践上采取了一系列的生态保护措施，通过设置专门的官员加强对生态环境的管理；通过颁布禁令和法律约束人们的行为；通过舆论从生活起居上指导人们的实践。这些措施使古代的生态保护有利于当时的生产和生活。     

高校内部控制存在的问题与对策

随着高等教育改革的不断深入,高校的经济活动日趋多样化、复杂化,高校对内部控制有了新的认识和需求,建立和完善内部控制制度,加强内部控制管理,确保高等教育事业快速健康的发展。文章分析了我国高校内部控制中存在的问题及其成因,并提出了加强高校内部控制管理的几点具体措施,从而更好地提高高校管理水平。