Key events in Asia’s recent history have included the end of the Cold War, the Asian Economic Crisis and the ‘war on terror’. This is a critical assessment of these events, and of the interplay of security and economics in shaping political regimes and modifying market systems. Based on the notion that market systems are inherently political and conflict-ridden, this collection clarifies and explains the conflicts shaping the path of neoliberal globalization. Collectively it represents a disciplined and systematic address of four overarching questions: * What are the significant conflicts emanating from neoliberal globalization, and what are their implications? * What are the implications of new security concerns for these conflicts, and what are their impacts? * How are conflicts associated with globalization and security affecting social and economic policy directions? * Can these directions be reconciled with the reproduction of existing political regimes, or do they threaten their basis? In addressing these questions, the essays depict neoliberal globalization – in the new security context – as being able to accommodate a range of political regimes. This fascinating collection is a must-read for those with a professional interest in the region post-9/11. This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal Critical Asian Studies.

The book examines the rise of the amalgam of economic and political ideas we know as neo-liberalism and how these became the defining orthodoxy of our times. It investigates the inexorable global spread of market economies and how neo-liberal agendas are accommodated or hijacked in collisions with authoritarian states and populist oligarchies.

This book analyzes the overall effect of American primacy on social and political conflicts in Asia, discussing how the post-Cold War American agenda does not promote democratization in the region, in contradiction to one of the major proclaimed aims of the proponents of the Pax Americana. This team of renowned scholars argue that the US agenda can strengthen anti-democratic impulses in Asian societies, exacerbating and complicating existing domestic conflicts and struggles. Empire and Neoliberalism in Asia also examines how the requirements of the War on Terror intersect with, and reinforce, those of transnationalized sections of American capital. Drawing on country case studies, this multidisciplinary book looks at the ramifications of the American Empire for the Asian region and will appeal to anyone interested in Asian politics, international relations, political economy, development studies and sociology.

This book analyzes the overall effect of American primacy on social and political conflicts in Asia, discussing how the post-Cold War American agenda does not promote democratization in the region, in contradiction to one of the major proclaimed aims of the proponents of the Pax Americana. This team of renowned scholars argue that the US agenda can strengthen anti-democratic impulses in Asian societies, exacerbating and complicating existing domestic conflicts and struggles. Empire and Neoliberalism in Asia also examines how the requirements of the War on Terror intersect with, and reinforce, those of transnationalized sections of American capital. Drawing on country case studies, this multidisciplinary book looks at the ramifications of the American Empire for the Asian region and will appeal to anyone interested in Asian politics, international relations, political economy, development studies and sociology.

Land Conflicts Across Frontiers compares Myanmar’s journey with North East India on the critical and contested issue of land. It examines concerns related to land in pre-colonial and colonial history, causes and consequences of land conflicts today, the socioeconomic dynamics attached to land, along with attempted community-based institutional interventions and rural activism. As Myanmar takes its steps towards a democratic future, it becomes critical for the country to be aware of North East India’s experiences, as they could provide valuable lessons of what to ‘implement’ and what to ‘avoid’. Loss of common property resources, non-recognition of customary rights, ambiguous land laws and inadequate attention to people’s grievances have led to a rural landscape which has witnessed livelihood vulnerability, displacement and conflict. The book not only tries to capture cross-border experiences in order to have a better understanding of land alienation, agrarian discontent and peripheral marginalization but also notes recent trends in rural spaces and suggests policy measures.

In 2015, Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence. This book covers the complex historical forces and circumstances that shaped this nation. It tells of Britain's imperial visions and schemes, and of how their failure cast a shadow on the story of Singapore's incorporation into the Federation of Malaysia and expulsion from it.

Economic development in Asia is associated with expanding urbanism, overconsumption, and a steep growth in living standards. At the same time, rapid urbanisation, changing class consciousness, and a new rural–urban divide in the region have led to fundamental shifts in the way ecological concerns are articulated politically and culturally. Moreover, these changes are often viewed through a Western moralistic lens, which at the same time applauds Asia’s economic growth as the welcome reviver of a floundering world economy and simultaneously condemns this growth as encouraging hyperconsumerism and a rupture with more natural ways of living. This book presents an analysis of a range of practices and activities from across Asia that demonstrate that people in Asia are alert to ecological concerns, that they are taking action to implement new styles of green living, and that Asia offers interesting alternatives to narrow Anglo-American models of sustainable living. Subjects explored include eco-tourism in the Philippines, green co-operatives in Korea, the importance of "tradition" within Asian discourses of sustainability, and much more.

The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle-Eastern and North African History critically examines the defining processes and structures of historical developments in North Africa and the Middle East over the past two centuries. The Handbook pays particular attention to countries that have leapt out of the political shadows of dominant and better-studied neighbours in the course of the unfolding uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. These dramatic and interconnected developments have exposed the dearth of informative analysis available in surveys and textbooks, particularly on Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria.

The Routledge Handbook of Civil Society in Asia is an interdisciplinary resource, covering one of the most dynamically expanding sectors in contemporary Asia. Originally a product of Western thinking, civil society represents a particular set of relationships between the state and either society or the individual. Each culture, however, molds its own version of civil society, reflecting its most important values and traditions. This handbook provides a comprehensive survey of the directions and nuances of civil society, featuring contributions by leading specialists on Asian society from the fields of political science, sociology, anthropology, and other disciplines. Comprising thirty-five essays on critical topics and issues, it is divided into two main sections: Part I covers country specific reviews, including Japan, China, South Korea, India, and Singapore. Part II offers a series of thematic chapters, such as democratization, social enterprise, civic activism, and the media. As an analysis of Asian social, cultural, and political phenomena from the perspective of civil society in the post-World War IIera, this book will be useful to students and scholars of Asian Studies, Asian Politics, and Comparative Politics.

This book provides a comparative assessment of the material and ideational contributions of five countries to the regional architecture of post-Cold War Asia. In contrast to the usual emphasis placed on the role and centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Asia’s multilateral architecture and its component institutions, this book argues that the four non-ASEAN countries of interest here 3⁄4 Australia, Japan, China and the United States 3⁄4 and Indonesia have played and continue to play an influential part in determining the shape and substance of Asian multilateralism from its pre-inception to the present. The work does not contend that existing scholarship overstates ASEAN’s significance to the successes and failures of Asia’s multilateral enterprise. Rather, it claims that the impact of non-ASEAN stakeholders in innovating multilateral architecture in Asia has been understated. Whether ASEAN has fared well or poorly as a custodian of Asia’s regional architecture, the fact remains that the countries considered here, notwithstanding their present discontent over the state of that architecture, are key to understanding the evolution of Asian multilateralism. This book will be of much interest to students of Asian politics, international organisations, security studies and IR more generally.