Browse results
Abstract
Different methods of transforming rural migrants’ household registration can affect their integration into citizenship. This study assesses the impact of different rural-to- urban hukou conversion methods on labor market wages and job entry, utilizing empirical analysis with China General Social Survey (CGSS) data. Rural migrants transitioning to urban hukou are categorized as active or passive “agricultural to non-agricultural” groups. Wage disparities between these groups are analyzed using the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method, revealing that 50% of the wage gap remains unexplained by individual characteristics. Additionally, this paper explores factors contributing to wage and job entry differences using OLS regression analysis. Empirical findings indicate that discrimination significantly contributes to the wage and job entry gap between passive and active groups, with primary mechanisms including statistical bias, information acquisition differences, and identity challenges. These results underscore the inevitable transition of the agricultural population to urban areas in emerging nations’ development trajectory. However, challenges may arise during this transformation, particularly in China, where passive “agricultural to non-agricultural” individuals face discrimination. Addressing the rights and interests of this group is crucial for ensuring smooth urbanization in China and offers insights to improve urbanization efforts in developing nations.
Abstract
In this paper, a Comparative Historical Analysis (CHA) is made between South Korea and South Africa for the improvement of the South African politics, economy, society, and ethos. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study is making use of four case studies and a literature study to learn from the most prominent differences between RSA and ROK experienced by South African expats living in ROK (confirmed by other expats in ROK). The issues that form the basis of discussion of prominent differences between South Africa and South Korea are 1) the respect basis of society (the Korean focus on respect for others is viewed as a counter for racial superiority theories in RSA), 2) work ethics (the strong Korean commitment to hard work and proper remuneration corrects the lack of work ethics in small RSA enterprises), 3) education and innovation (the educational system in Korea is under less strain than in RSA because it receives high priority funding and support from the government), and 4) national cohesion (RSA’s diversity can be detrimental if leads to a lack of cohesion in the society). These issues are discussed from a CHA perspective for the purpose of contributing to the ongoing debate for the improvement of the South African society, economy and politics. By presenting case studies, this paper is limited in scope but makes an invaluable contribution to the wider debate on the improvement of RSA. The novel contribution of this paper is that it adds to the debate the observations of expatriates living in a country that has some similarities with RSA, but different from RSA, managed to improve their economy since their democratization in 1987.
Abstract
After 40 years of reform and opening-up, it appears that some new development concepts are emerging in China. We argue that while the Chinese government continues to pursue economic development, it is also engaging in some post-materialist practices in the areas of environmental protection, cultural development, and political participation. The Chinese authorities are exploring the establishment of Zhejiang Province as a model for rural development by facilitating the adoption of a post-materialist governance path. Post-materialist development in China is, however, very different from its Western counterpart. On account of its collectivist, rather than liberal, ideology, the CCP’s idea of post-materialist development consists of party-state environmentalism, “red culturalism,” and participatory authoritarianism. We carried out field research in Caocun Town in Zhejiang Province. The “digital village” scheme promoted by the town is an example of post-materialism with Chinese characteristics. However, we emphasize that China’s development strategy has not completely shifted to one of post-materialism. The Zhejiang case is merely an experiment which could point the way to a new ideology and new development policies in the future.
Abstract
This study investigated the role of the Nigerian Army in the African Union-initiated peace mission in Darfur between 2004 and 2007, in a conflict between the Government of Sudan and two rebel groups in Darfur. This qualitative research which was anchored on Relative Deprivation, Frustration and Aggression, and Role theories, adopted a historical research design. Instruments for, and methods of data collection were primarily direct interviews conducted with Nigerian soldiers. Sample was drawn from officers and men of the Nigerian Army who had participated in the peace mission. The paper finds that even though the mission was beset with numerous challenges, the activities of Nigerian soldiers helped ameliorate the dire situation and restored hope to the embattled people of Darfur. The paper concludes that the nexus between leadership failure in the African Union and inadequate support from the international community accounted for the challenges that befell the mission.
Abstract
This study delves into how the Chinese intellectual community of the early 20th century interpreted scientific ideas, specifically the “theory of evolution” and “theory of relativity.” The conservative publication, The Eastern Miscellany, underwent a transformation during the May Fourth Movement, embracing concepts like “Mutual aid: A factor of evolution” and the theory of relativity in the 1920s. Editors and writers used these scientific concepts to counter radical intellectuals, reshaping cultural and ideological perspectives in journal texts. This reinterpretation aimed to not only adopt modern values but also challenge the dogmatism of scientific discourses in China’s political and cultural context. Scholars associated the mutual help hypothesis with evolutionary studies, aligning it with cultural diversity and opposing centralized political structures. The relativistic theory, connected to anarchism and coexistence within civilization, offered an alternative discourse to radicalism, rejecting a singular modern value system. Their goal was to establish a discourse community reflecting their rationality and principles while restoring traditional values in Eastern civilization. This paper considers this as evidence of how they struggled to maintain conservative legitimacy during the political system’s modern transition and aims to elucidate it through textual analysis of contemporary magazines. Furthermore, the paper aims to remind us once again of the dangers of scientism, which are often overlooked when compared to the absolute nature of science that is still recognized today.
Abstract
In the context of burgeoning interest in entrepreneurship among recent Chinese college graduates, the disappointingly low success rate of startups has prompted a critical inquiry. This study endeavors to delve into the factors shaping entrepreneurial success, aiming to illuminate pathways for addressing this pervasive issue. Employing the csQCA method, we analyze 23 cases of successful entrepreneurship, revealing a nuanced and intricate interplay of factors that challenges simplistic narratives in prior research. The analysis unveils five distinct pathways to success: “Environmental Incentive,” “Motivation,” “Platform Assistance,” “Policy Support,” and “Demand.” Notably, the first two pathways significantly shape pre-graduation success, while the latter three become prominent in the post-graduation phase. We also find that entrepreneurship education and self-fulfillment emerge as key elements leading to success before graduation, while social relationships and self-fulfillment play pivotal roles after graduation. Furthermore, technology emerges as the predominant field drawing the interest of startups, followed by culture and academia. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the complex entrepreneurial landscape but also provide valuable insights for future research and policy considerations.
Abstract
The present study is an analysis of a treatise (risāla) by the 18th-century Mālikī al-Tāwudī in which he discusses a doctrinal detail regarding bayʿ al-thunyā, a common stratagem to circumvent the prohibition of interest. I use al-Tāwudī’s text as a lens to reconstruct the hermeneutical perspective of a Muslim jurist of the late premodern era. In the first section, I show that al-Tāwudī’s legal reasoning is strongly informed by the legacy of Mālikī discourse on bayʿ al-thunya, which is one of constant disagreement over the acceptability of the institution. In the course of this conflict, various doctrinal compromises were negotiated, only to be challenged again by the invention of new stratagems or by rigorist backlashes. Al-Tāwudī’s treatise must be understood as part of this doctrinal tug of war.
In the second section, I analyze al-Tāwudī’s epistemological premises. I show that his legal reasoning is strictly exegetical, except that the object of this exegesis is not Qurʾān and Sunna, as proposed in classical uṣūl al-fiqh, but the school’s literary corpus. This corpus, in turn, is hierarchically structured. It consists of many layers of texts, accumulated over centuries and tightly interwoven by intertextual references, with certain texts enjoying a particularly authoritative status. Against this background, reasoning becomes a game of artful referencing. Successful argumentation requires claiming a maximum of authority within the school tradition in support of one’s position.
Abstract
Using the elite and expert interview approaches, the article situates the city mayor of a highly urbanized city in the Philippines as a policy entrepreneur championing sustainable development based on Mintrom and Norman’s (2009) four essential qualities of policy entrepreneurs, namely, social acuity, problem-solving, leading by example, and team-building as supported by the narratives and discourses culled from an elite interview and reinforced by relevant literature, documents, independent sources and scholars. More importantly, the article seeks to discover the policy-entrepreneurial qualities of the city mayor on sustainable development, analyze the sustainable development issues and challenges the city mayor encounter, and synthesize how the city mayor addresses such issues and challenges as a problem-solver. Finally, the article implies the necessity of exploring policy entrepreneurship as a potential research thrust in the context of sustainable development particularly at the local government which is the level of governance closest to the people.