Cover Story

Feminine Power and Protest in Postmodern Japanese Society By Amy Xu
[July 18, 2011 | 1 Comments]

Traditional Japanese ideals of the pure, obedient girl have been destabilized by modern female subcultures that challenge the patriarchal structure of Japanese society. The iconoclastic fashions worn by women like the ganguro girls and Lady Gaga protest the conservative, often restrictive, views held by dominant Japanese society.

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Choosing Fear over Hope: Content Analysis of Chinese Media Coverage of Obama’s Inaugural Address
[May 12, 2011 | History, National Focus: China]

The decision to censor vague references in the Obama Inaugural address reveals the insecurities of the CCP leadership. At a time when America was at her weakest vis-à-vis China, when her democratic system seems too inefficient to deal with the enormity of the challenge, Chinese leaders did not find the courage to let the Chinese public decide the merit of Obama’s words. While Obama is calling for the people to choose hope over fear, the CCP fears its own people.



Addressing China’s Naval Military Build-Up: How should the United States respond?
[March 29, 2011 | National Focus: China, Political Science]

China’s recent naval military build-up has aroused much concern among certain groups of politicians and analysts, who see this build-up as a threat to the United States’ historic hegemonic position in Asia, with the Chinese Navy possibly trying to reduce the US Navy’s influence in Asian waters. How should the US government respond to this build-up?



Self Expression in China: A Domestic Dilemma with Global Implications
[December 20, 2010 | National Focus: China, Social Science]

The Chinese Communist Party’s clumsy handling of censorship and freedom of expression will negatively impact both its strategic relationships abroad and its ability to juggle domestic political issues.



Imagining the Nation: Dilemma of Modernity in Yi Kwang-su’s Mujong
[November 26, 2010 | Literature, National Focus: Korea]

The Korean nationalism of Mujong reflects the conflicted relationship between the author and colonial modernity. On the one hand, he desperately wants the Korean people to become strong, but on the other, he feels separate from and indeed repulsed by the common Korean person. He identifies himself as a member of the nation but cannot find community within its masses…



Asia’s Quiet Giant: Japan
[November 26, 2010 | National Focus: Japan]

Japan’s rapid “miraculous” rise, has now been all but forgotten as China takes center stage in Asia. But Japan’s story is important, not just for the many lessons it offers, but also for the prescient foreshadowing it provides: in the long-run, Japan’s story may manifest itself in many more places.



Hong Kong’s Economic and Political Development in the Post-1997 Period
[November 23, 2010 | Economics, National Focus, Sociology]

Situated on the southern coast of China, Hong Kong has little arable land and few natural resources; these geographic features predetermined Hong Kong’s direction of economic development.



Evaporated Hopes
[October 5, 2010 | Blog, National Focus: China]

For the generation of youths who grew up under the One-Child Policy, life harbors promise, and most hope that their futures will follow an upward trajectory. As the SACOM report analyzes, the younger workers are vulnerable to an identity crisis, in which they neither belong entirely in the city nor conceptualize themselves as part of the countryside.