Area Studies

Anthropological regionalism

by Rena Lederman

'Sufism, Panislamism and Information Panic. Nil Sergeevich Lykoshin and the aftermath of the Andijan Uprising'

by Alexander Morrison

Past & Present No.214 (February 2012) pp.255 - 304

This article explores a hitherto unknown incident in the region between Aulie-Ata and Chimkent in the eighteen months... more This article explores a hitherto unknown incident in the region between Aulie-Ata and Chimkent in the eighteen months following the Andijan Uprising against Russian rule in Central Asia in 1898, in which the late Tsarist Orientalist-Administrator Nil Sergeevich Lykoshin found himself called upon to uproot an imaginary conspiracy. It uses this to explore late Russian imperial attitudes to Islam, and the degree to which, despite his unusual knowledge of Central Asian culture and society, Lykoshin's attitudes were in many ways highly typical of Russian officialdom in this period.

Wendt meets East: ASEAN cultures of conflict and cooperation

by Stefan Rother

Rother, Stefan. 2012. "Wendt meets East: ASEAN cultures of conflict and cooperation." Cooperation and Conflict 47 (1):49–67.

The major theories of International Relations (IRT) differ significantly as far as their concepts
of conflict... more The major theories of International Relations (IRT) differ significantly as far as their concepts
of conflict and cooperation are concerned. However, they share one common denominator:
They are deeply rooted in Western experiences and intellectual history. Recently, a growing
literature on the possibilities and benefits of a non-Western IRT has emerged. This article
proposes a ‘via media’: a theoretical approach that can be applied to Western and non-Western
IR alike, taking into consideration the specific historical, ideational and cultural contexts. Based
on social constructivism as developed by Alexander Wendt, it is argued that the existence of
a collective identity among states in a given region can manifest itself in distinctive logics or
cultures of anarchy. These are based on norms of conflict or cooperation that can be established
through interaction, can be proposed by outside agents and localized, or can be affected by the
re-negotiation of state identity caused by domestic events. In addition, there are cultural path
dependencies: norms rooted in the cultural memory or consciousness of a region which tend
to be ignored by interpretations that merely focus on current events or established Western
models of cooperation. Area studies can contribute to provide this context.

A current bibliography of Turkic etymologies 3 (1998-1999 et addenda)

by Marek Stachowski

The Middle East and the Disciplinary (Re)Production of Knowledge

by Andrea Teti

in "Commitment and Complicity in Cultural Theory and Practice"
Edited by Begum Ozden Firat, Sarah de Mul and Sonja van Wichelen, London: Palgrave Macmillan, June 2009
ISBN: 978-0-230-22195-6, ISBN10: 0-230-22195-5,

This paper analyses the epistemic frameworks which define the fields of Political Science and Middle East Area Studies... more This paper analyses the epistemic frameworks which define the fields of Political Science and Middle East Area Studies (MES) and articulate their relation. Drawing on Foucault's analysis of confession, it argues that within Social Science as a mode of knowledge production, a double confessional relation exists between the Area Studies and Political Science in which MES silences and speaks for the Arab-Islamic Oriental Other, and is then in turn silenced by the Disciplines in the attempt to produce 'law-like generalisations'.

The Catholic University Student Movement in Brazil, 1956-1966

by Joseph Holbrook

Von der hispanidad zum Panarabismus: Globale Verflechtungen in Argentiniens Nationalismen

by Michael Goebel

in: Geschichte und Gesellschaft, vol. 37 (2011), pp. 523-558.

The article explores the connections of various forms of nationalism in Argentina with Arab countries and pan-Arabism,... more The article explores the connections of various forms of nationalism in Argentina with Arab countries and pan-Arabism, focusing on the 1960s. Contrary to much of the existing scholarship on Argentine nationalism, it maintains that nationalist ideas and movements were not necessarily undermined, but frequently fed by transnational exchange. Analyzing how cultural analogies between Argentina and Arab countries were construed on the basis of pre-existing notions of Argentina as a Hispanic country, the article eventually arrives at broader theoretical considerations about the advantages and predicaments of transnational history.

Locating Disciplinary Change: The Afterlives of Area and International Studies in the Age of Globalization

by Paul Jay

"Getting sicker quicker": Does living in a more deprived neighbourhood mean your health deteriorates faster?

by Michael Green

Health & Place, 2011 [e-pub ahead of print]
Ellaway, A, Benzeval, M, Green, M, Leyland, A, & Macintyre, S

Data from the longitudinal West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study: Health in the Community was used to examine whether, over... more Data from the longitudinal West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study: Health in the Community was used to examine whether, over a 20 year period, the self-reported health of people living in deprived areas became poorer faster compared to those living in more affluent areas. Three cohorts (born in the early 1930s, 1950s and 1970s) are included, covering 60 years of the life span. Using multilevel growth curve models, a 40% probability of reporting poor health was predicted among residents of more deprived areas at an earlier age (66) compared to those living in more affluent areas (83). Wider area differences were seen for men than for women. Our findings indicate that attempts to reduce area differences in health should start young but also continue throughout the lifespan.

Here and Now - A New Rationale for Canadian studies

by Ian Angus

“Here and Now: A New Rationale for Canadian Studies?” in Christl Verduyn and Jane Koustas (eds.) Canadian Studies: The State of the Art (Toronto: Fernwood Press, forthcoming).

Nordic Regions of Culture: intercultural links between Norway and Shetland after 1770

by Silke Reeploeg

Theory and Method of Comparative Area Studies-- Qualitative Research (2011)

by Ariel Ahram

Review of Bruce Grant 'The Captive and the Gift. Cultural Histories of Sovereignty in Russia and the Caucasus'

by Alexander Morrison

Published in 'The Slavonic & East European Review' Vol.89 No. 3 (July 2011) pp.552-554

Expanding the toolbox: Discourse Analysis and Area Studies

by Saskia Schaefer

Published in: Nadja-Christina Schneider/Bettina Gräf (eds.): Social Dynamics 2.0: Researching Change in Times of Media Convergence - Case studies from the Middle East and Asia

Conflict Transformation in Assam: Lessons and New Challenges

by Bibhu Prasad Routray

Published in Times of Assam, 20 June 2011

Assam is experiencing relative peace after decades. Although incidents like the recovery of an IED from a train in the... more Assam is experiencing relative peace after decades. Although incidents like the recovery of an IED from a train in the Guwahati railway station on 17 June is a stark reminder of  some of the existing problems, the State can certainly boast of having left a violent past behind. The peace talks with the ULFA, scheduled to start in July, if handled carefully, can go a long way in establishing durable peace in this previously turbulent State.

There is no harm in New Delhi displaying magnanimity and an overwhelming element of sincerity to end insurgencies politically. Even when it can not and should not provide any political largesse to the ULFA faction, it can certainly adopt measures for the economic benefit and better governance of the State of Assam. Some success in the talks would be also necessary to force the Paresh Barua group to join the peace process, or become irrelevant. Moreover, a successful culmination of the peace process would also send signals to the other insurgencies in the region and beyond that rebellions do not have to be armed and violent to be successful. Towards that extent, a comprehensive process of dialogue with all the insurgent movements in Assam presently under ceasefire, rather than separate ones with individual outfits, would not be a bad idea.

India’s Myanmar Policy: Rational Change

by Bibhu Prasad Routray

Published in V R Raghavan, ed. "Internal Conflicts in Myanmar: Transnational Consequences", (New Delhi: Vij Books India Pvt Ltd, 2011), ISBN 13: 978-93-80177-63-2

Its not available online. But I will be happy to share a PDF copy. Mail me at bibhuroutray@gmail.com

Myanmar's military ruler Senior General Than Shwe undertook a five day goodwill visit to India in July 2010. The... more Myanmar's military ruler Senior General Than Shwe undertook a five day goodwill visit to India in July 2010. The General’s itinerary included official business in New Delhi as well as visit to Buddhist shrines of Bodh Gaya and Saranath. Predictably, the visit by the 77 year old military leader came under much criticism from the Myamarese pro-democracy forums who took objection to India welcoming the military ruler and called the Indian move ‘shameless’. Irrawady, the United States based pro-democracy advocacy forum commented in its August 2010 editorial, “India’s red-carpet welcome of Than Shwe strongly indicates that no matter how egregiously his military regime manipulates the process to ensure an outcome and future government in its favor, New Delhi is likely to honor the result of Burma’s election.”  The understandable criticism of this hopelessly marginalized and outnumbered group of pro-democracy activists notwithstanding, Than Swe’s visit marked the continuation of India’s new Myanmar policy which has come out of the grove of idealism and rooting itself deep in realpolitik.

Frog voices, whispers, and silences: problems and issues in collecting for an African studies library in Africa.

by Colin Darch

Reference Librarian vol.42, no. 87-88, 2004, pages 189-207.

This article is an attempt to respond to two questions about discrete special African studies collections in African... more This article is an attempt to respond to two questions about discrete special African studies collections in African university libraries. First, do we need to have such collections at all? Second, if we do, how can we write collection development policies that make sense, given the present turmoil in African studies and indeed in the social sciences in general? Librarians have a responsibility to recognise that their practice cannot be value-free, and that their collections are biased by the choices made by writers, by publishers, and by themselves. Their duty, especially in Africa, may simply be to ensure that African voices are not drowned out in their collections.

Redefining the Af-Pak endgame

by Bibhu Prasad Routray

Coauthored with Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, Published in Business Standard, 7 May 2011

The end goal, "to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the Al Qaeda" remains an unfinished project even after the... more The end goal, "to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the Al Qaeda" remains an unfinished project even after the death of Osama bin Laden. In the moments of euphoria, a partially-finished task should not be conceived as a full-blown victory.

Not exactly 'flying' in the Naxal heartland

by Bibhu Prasad Routray

Published in Business Standard, 29 May 2011

A Few days ago, some newspapers in India ran two separate reports. One hogging the front page was a stub on India’s... more A Few days ago, some newspapers in India ran two separate reports. One hogging the front page was a stub on India’s flourishing economy and the other relegated to the inside pages underlined the challenges faced by the security forces battling the Left-wing extremists (Naxalites) in the remotest corners of the country. The first item pointed to the soaring number of choppers and private jets jostling for space in Indian skies and the demands they make on the Air Traffic Controllers. The second report, on the other hand, quoted the Border Security Force (BSF) authorities asking the ministry of home affairs (MHA) to replace the Dhruv helicopters since these do not meet the force’s operational requirements. This report went on to detail the drastic shortage of choppers for the security forces deployed on anti-Naxal duty and its impact on the morale of the forces. These two narratives posed a familiar paradox, from Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, when there are “choppers choppers everywhere, but not many for the security forces”.

An Unexpected Peace: Azerbaijani-Georgian Relations 1918-1920

by Harun Yilmaz

This article examines the peaceful relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan in the period 1918–20. Whilst civil wars... more This article examines the peaceful relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan in the period 1918–20. Whilst civil wars and inter-ethnic conflicts razed neighbouring regions and countries
to the ground, Georgian–Azerbaijani bilateral relations, unusually, remained harmonious during these countries’ short independence. What were the reasons for this unexpected
peace? The interpretations of this period usually focus on the influence of foreign intervention and external factors on the region, such as the shifts of power in Europe and developments in the Russian Civil War, especially the dangers posed to independent Transcaucasia by the growing
strength of the White forces of General Denikin to the north. This article, however, argues that these peaceful Georgian–Azerbaijani relations should be cast in a new light, by considering the local economic and political conditions in both countries. Using archival evidence from Azerbaijan and Georgia, the article demonstrates how the complementary economic and political relations of the two countries during this turbulent period outweighed the option of war. This historical narrative also helps us to explain the contemporary relations in the region.