• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.1-56
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• 2009

It is generally acknowledged that Philippines politics has achieved a basic soil for democracy at the macro-level by the two incidents of 'People Power' (1986 & 2001). However, in spite of such an achievement, Philippine politics at the micro-level, does not enjoy the same reputation. Institutionalized 'Bossism' or 'patron/clientelism' political culture has been attributed to make such a gap. This paper aims to bridge the gap by a longitudinal observation on local politics of a particular province in the Philippines. Surigao del Norte is the province picked up for the study. The reason why this particular province attracts special concerns is that there appears to come a very dynamic local politics, led by an indigenous Christian organization, the PBMA (Philippines Benevolent Missionary Association), which was founded in the mid 1960s. With the coming of the organization in the province, the political power of the traditional families has been narrowed. On the other hand, new families, not only the leader family of the PBMA but also the family allied with the PBMA, has expanded political influence. Following steps are adopted to understand the meaning of such a change. First, institutional frame of Philippine politics and elections will be reviewed. Second, demographic changes will be investigated on Surigao del Norte province to find out how popular the PBMA organization is among the people. Third, local election outcomes will be examined to describe the changing nature of political landscape of the province. This will reveal how the relationship between the old and new families has been developed in the province. Lastly, based on the facts discovered by a longitudinal observation, an attempt to evaluate theories on Philippines politics will be made Conclusions are as follows. To understand the dynamics of Philippine politics, 'expectations from the below,' or, 'passions of the people,' suggested by Ileto, needs more attention. Furthermore, 'mutual accommodation' between domination and resistance, coined by Abinales, also demands more appreciation. The case of local politics in the Surigao del Norte, with the coming of the PBMA, is sure to show a concrete example of changing politics in the 'changeless land.'

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2003

This research attempts to describe and explain the development of Korean environmental movement. It finds that the emergence of Korean environmental movement was constrained by the authoritarian nature of Korean politics. In 1970s, environmental movements were primitive and were not organized ones. With the wake of democratization in the 1980s, Korean environmental movement began to get some momentum. And in the 1990s, environmental movement to save clean water has achieved some success in certain areas. However, the emphasis on the growth of local economy in the age of local autonomy system has brought heavy degradation of local environment. The coming of the phenomena of Globalization and Cyber-Age has brought positive effects on Korean environmental movement.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.119-143
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• 2010

Local administrative districts in Japan have extensively reformed over the last 10 years and have decreased by 40 percent. This study examines the process of the municipal mergers in Japan from the perspective of the politics of space, in addition to a focus on the formation of Tobichi (enclaves). The background and progress of municipal mergers in Japan revealed that the reformation of administrative districts progressed under 'restruction' rather than 'decentralization' to manage a financial crisis of government. As a result, the municipal mergers of Japan have progressed in spatiotemporal inequality. The municipal mergers of the study areas are analyzed in multi-dimensional spatial politics composed of financial and demographic properties, locationality, territoriality, placeness, and the politics of decision making. Administrative districts have a spatial property; the reformation of them should be considered with the specialty and generality of the region.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.224-248
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• 2010

This study is to analyze the Korean translation of "Goseong Chongswaerok" by O Hoeng-muk as a local governor through political ecology. It focuses on how O Hoeng-muk recognized and wrote the interrelation among weather, agriculture, local resident's life, and local policy. The results are summarized in the followings. Firstly, weather was recorded into three types of expression, simple and dynamic expression and agriculture-related expression. Its dynamics was much meaningful and important when weather was related to local resident's life and local or non-local economy and politics. Secondly, weather and local government were conflict under a particular natural condition like severe drought. And society and politics are affected by such a conflict. Thirdly, local people's demonstration was occurred under a certain condition. Bounded agency can be founded in O Hoeng-muk's behavior as a local governor like jinhyul(賑恤), rain rituals, tax collection. Fourthly, the interrelation among weather, agriculture, local people's life, and local policy implemented in a particular local like Goseong ought to be interpreted in terms of multiple scales.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.148-168
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• 2020

In April, 2020, amid widespread fear of a second wave of infections of the novel coronavirus in China, local authorities in Guangzhou cracked down on the city's black population, resulting in mass evictions of Africans. The incident raises several questions about racism in China. How should we interpret this heavy-handed treatment of black people? Was this an isolated incident? What motivated such operations? In this article, I explain social control of Guangzhou's African communities as a problem of municipal politics. What underlies the government's heavy handed approach, I argue, are those communities' ties to rurality, which constitute a roadblock in the city's urban upgrade. Using Dengfeng Village, one of the best known African communities in China, as a case study, I show that efforts to upgrade the area by the local state and the real estate industry were frustrated by the community's status as an urban village. Africans, whom Chinese have historically associated with rurality, are seen as contributing to a space that has long been stigmatized as a spatial manifestation of rural people's lack of self-discipline. To better reveal the interconnection between social control and urban politics, I place official action in context of the history of the community's formation and the lived experience. This analysis of Dengfeng applies to various extents to other major African communities in Guangzhou.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.61-84
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• 2023

In this paper, I tried to clarify the background of the strengthening of centralization in the central-local relations during the Xi Jinping period in terms of the institutional structure of elite politics through a comparative study of the composition of the provincial sector of the Politburo, the highest power body, during the time of Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping. Compared to the Hu Jintao period, it is judged that the strengthening of centralization in the Xi Jinping era is being implemented not through the neutralization of institutionalized formal construction norms, but through the expansion of control within the norms. In other words, the institutionalized frame itself was not broken in the composition of the provincial sector of the Politburo, and local compliance with the central government centered on the general secretary was increased by exercising the right to control personnel more strongly.

• Proceedings of the KGS Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2004

본 논문은 세계화를 외부의 힘에 의해 국가나 지역에 부여된 거부할 수 없는 과정으로 인식하는 전통적 견해를 비판하면서, 세계화가 다양한 지리적 규모에서 이루어지는 여러 가지 정치, 사회, 경제적 과정들 사이의 복잡한 상호작용을 통해 물질적이고 담론적으로 구성된다는 세계화에 대한 다규모적 (multi-scalar) 입장을 제시하는 것을 목적으로 한다. (중략)

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.85-108
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• 2017

This paper argues that Thailand's internal colonial model is facing severe challenges: no longer is it so possible to suppress local and regional identities, or to submerge ethnic difference in an all-embracing but potentially suffocating blanket of "Thainess." In recent decades, Thailand's diverse localities have become increasingly assertive. This is most acutely the case in the insurgency-affected southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, but also applies in the "red' (pro-Thaksin) dominated North and Northeast. As the old ruling elite faces serious legitimacy challenges, Thailand's emerging post-colonial politics may require a radical rethinking of the relationship between center and periphery.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.800-823
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• 2004

This paper aims at examining the ways in which foreign immigrant workers in South Korea have been "forgotten" and "marginalized" in the regulatory politics of globalization and how the politics of "forgetting" has influenced the formation of immigrant local communities in South Korea. More specifically, by focusing on the immigrant community in Wongok dong, Ansan, it explores the forming questions. First, under what conditions has Wongok' dong become one of the biggest communities for foreign workers in South Korea? Second, how has the growth of the Wongok-dong immigrant community been influenced by the politics of "exclusion", and "inclusion" taking place at various geographical scales? Based on this case study, this paper suggests that the practices of "exclusion" and "forgetting" should not be seen as an inevitable outcome of globalization; instead, they need to be seen as an outcome of political processes, in which the practices of "exclusion" and "inclusion" are intertwined with one another through interactions and negotiations among different interests and ideas that take place in the multi-scalar regulatory processes, which contribute to the (material and discursive) construction of globalization.

• Strategy21
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• s.31
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• pp.164-189
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• 2013

Last December, the Abe government came back, and it is critical core of Northeast Asia. They visited to Yasukuni Shrine, denied to Korea's invasion and they are denying all of their invasion history. I'm afraid they want to take Dokdo. Dokdo is Korean territory, but Japan politics assert it belongs to them. To make matters worse, they are waiting an opportunity to invade. Ministry of Foreign Affair blue paper and Ministry of Defense white paper have claimed Dokdo as Japanese territory, and many right wing politicians are taking part in the Cabinet. Liberal Democratic Party of Japan is becoming more right wing politicians than before by Japan Restoration Party, and the others also have more right wing ideologies. It can't control Japan right wing political parties. They finally aim to take Dokdo. In this situation, we have to defend Dokdo. Japan must be very important partner for our nation's development. But it is necessary to trust between two countries. Dokdo is effective controlled by Korea. It is the best way how to keep Dokdo. During Dokdo is effective controlled by Korea, the Japanese Government has limited Dokdo's ownership. Now we don't have any way to keep Dokdo except more effective control. We have strategies about Japanese claim of Dokdo's ownership as follows. First, we can overpower Japan right wing politics as Japan conscientious force's ideology. Second, Japan politics say to Dokdo's ownership is based on The San Francisco Treaty. But it is not right. Third, we have to exchange a lot of local government and civic society in Japan. Finally, we must prepare thoroughly to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice.