Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
11,565
result(s) for
"Asian Studies (General)"
Sort by:
Asian American literature and the environment
\"This book is a ground-breaking transnational study of representations of the environment in Asian American literature. Extending and renewing Asian American studies and ecocriticism by drawing the two fields into deeper dialogue, it brings Asian American writers to the center of ecocritical studies. This collection demonstrates the distinctiveness of Asian American writers' positions on topics of major concern today: environmental justice, identity and the land, war environments, consumption, urban environments, and the environment and creativity. Represented authors include Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, Ruth Ozeki, Ha Jin, Fae Myenne Ng, Le Ly Hayslip, Lan Cao, Mitsuye Yamada, Lawson Fusao Inada, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Milton Murayama, Don Lee, Mae Myenne Ng, and Hisaye Yamamoto. These writers provide a range of perspectives on the historical, social, psychological, economic, philosophical, and aesthetic responses of Asian Americans to the environment conceived in relation to labor, racism, immigration, domesticity, global capitalism, relocation, pollution, violence, and religion. Contributors apply a diversity of critical frameworks, including critical radical race studies, counter-memory studies, ecofeminism, and geomantic criticism. The book presents a compelling and timely \"green\" perspective through which to understand key works of Asian American literature and leads the field of ecocriticism into neglected terrain\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Performance of omnichannel warehouse of Muslim fashion company in Indonesia based on workforce, equipment, space, and information system aspects
The objective of this study is to determine the overall effectiveness of omnichannel warehouses, with a focus on the fashion industry, which has demonstrated resilience during the pandemic by utilizing both offline and online sales techniques. This study essentially develops a generic technique for evaluating omnichannel warehouse productivity based on the design of Karim et al., adjusting some of its indicators to suit Indonesia's medium-sized fashion industry. The observational study's results indicate that the workforce and space categories' Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the fashion sector are still deficient. Based on discussions with various management entities, it is suggested that KPIs be extended into four categories by including measures related to space and information systems. Moreover, four indicators-product receiving, identification, and picking (offline) in the labor category, and transportation utilization in the space category-are highlighted using the Traffic Light System (TLS) method as the highest priority areas for improvement. The fundamental reasons for these issues are found through fishbone diagram analysis, and they include a deficient fleet of vehicles, imprecise transportation plans, inaccurate demand projections, insufficient employee training about new products, and inadequate mechanisms for communication between the sales, warehouse, and vendors. The limitation of this study is that it solely looked at the fashion industry's productivity. It is recommended that future studies use omnichannel principles across many businesses to measure other industry variables like time, cost, and quality.
The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has caused significant changes in several industries, including the fashion sector. New habits are entering the market as a result of people's trends changing quickly and dynamically. One such habit is the move to online apparel buying, which provides a range of practical features at reasonably low costs. Since many of them would rather spend their time doing other things than shopping in real stores, the younger generation prefers to use internet programs to make apparel purchases. Fashion has adopted a new way of life as a result of the pandemic. This study essentially uses the research of Karim et al., who created a generic technique to gauge warehouse productivity and modified a few variables to make them relevant to the fashion sector in Indonesia. The measurement results indicate that there is a need to enhance the following areas: employee awareness of new items, accuracy of demand projections, appropriate transport vehicles, and reliable, timely transportation planning.
Journal Article
Consumable texts in contemporary India : uncultured books and bibliographical sociology
\"This book examines five areas of English-language publications in India: Indian 'commercial fiction' in English; English translations of Indian vernacular pulp fiction; Hitler's Mein Kampf (which commands a significant market in India and globally); Group Discussion guidebooks; and government 'value education' texts (policy statements, textbooks and related). These kinds of publications are generally neglected by academic researchers, which is itself a matter of interest. Conceptualizing his approach as bibliographical sociology, the author explores the presence of these books in the contemporary Indian context - their productions, circulations and readerships - to understand current social trends. The themes that emerge include perceptions of youth, concerns about education, the status of the English language, the book publishing industry, the relationship between public and private sectors, the drives of global and local forces, and tensions amidst social strata\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Thailand’s BRICS move revisited
This study explores Thailand’s pursuit of BRICS membership through the lenses of Teo’s middle power theory and Kuik’s theory of regime legitimation, based on archival and secondary materials. Methodologically, a case study research design with a process tracing technique is employed. The key findings indicate that internal and external conditions drove Thailand’s BRICS move. Externally, the stratified international structure has motivated the country, self-proclaimed as a middle power, to preserve, if not elevate, its international standing by differentiating itself from smaller nations through active engagement in multilateralism, including the pursuit of BRICS membership. Internally, maintaining regime legitimacy has shaped Thai foreign policy actions towards BRICS, thereby supporting the domestic agendas of the political party in power. The delay in becoming a full member of BRICS from the time publicly anticipated may imply that policymakers in Bangkok need to do more to distinguish the country and demonstrate its value-added to BRICS compared to other middle powers seeking the same status.
Journal Article
The minor intimacies of race : Asian publics in North America
\"An attempt to put an Asian woman on Canada's $100 bill in 2012 unleashed enormous controversy. The racism and xenophobia that answered this symbolic move toward inclusiveness revealed the nation's trumpeted commitment to multiculturalism as a lie. It also showed how multiple minor publics as well as the dominant public responded to the ongoing issue of race in Canada. In this new study, Christine Kim delves into the ways cultural conversations minimize race's relevance even as violent expressions and structural forms of racism continue to occur. Kim turns to literary texts, artistic works, and media debates to highlight the struggles of minor publics with social intimacy. Her insightful engagement with everyday conversations as well as artistic expressions that invoke the figure of the Asian allows Kim to reveal the affective dimensions of racialized publics. It also extends ongoing critical conversations within Asian Canadian and Asian American studies about Orientalism, diasporic memory, racialized citizenship, and migration and human rights\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
China’s semiconductor conundrum: understanding US export controls and their efficacy
This article discusses the evolution of the US–China tech rivalry from Trump’s first term to the Biden administration and examines the efficacy of US export control measures. To highlight the changing relevance of traditional economic statecraft tools such as export controls, the article explores the tech rivalry through three key objectives. First, it analyzes how the dynamics of hegemonic competition between the US and China have evolved, particularly in light of their economic and military dependence on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Second, it reviews the state of China’s semiconductor sector and assesses how American export control policies are reshaping the Chinese chip industry. Third, the article evaluates the effectiveness of US sanctions on China, identifying four key ways in which Chinese chipmakers have managed to circumvent these measures. The paper argues that America’s chokepoint strategy is increasingly proving to be a fallacy, as US policies have inadvertently accelerated China’s push for domestic innovation in high-tech sectors. This trend exposes a structural flaw in the conventional geoeconomic strategy of export controls, as global supply chains appear to be less controllable by US-led policies. It reflects a broader strategic realignment with deeper implications for global power dynamics.
Journal Article
Islam and controversy : the politics of free speech after Rushdie
\"Was Salman Rushdie right to have written The Satanic Verses? Were the protestors right to have protested? What about the Danish cartoons? Is giving offence simply about the right to freedom of expression, and what is really happening when people take offence? Using case studies of a number of Muslim-related freedom of speech controversies surrounding (in)famous, controversial texts such as The Satanic Verses, The Jewel of Medina, the Danish cartoons of Muhammed and the film Submission by Theo van Gogh, this book examines the moral questions raised by such controversies, questions that are often set aside at the time, such as whether the authors and artists involved were right to have done what they did and whether those who protested against them were right to have responded in such a way. In so doing, it argues that the giving and taking of offence are political performances that struggle to define and re-define freedom, and suggests that any attempt to establish a language of inter-cultural communication appropriate to multicultural societies is an ethical as opposed to merely political or legal task, involving dialogue and negotiation over fundamental values and principles. Overall, this important book constitutes a sustained critique of liberal arguments for freedom of speech, in particular of the liberal discourse that took shape in response to the Rushdie controversy and has, in the twenty-five years since, become almost an orthodoxy for many intellectuals, artists, journalists and politicians living and working in Britain (and elsewhere in the West) today. \"-- Provided by publisher.
BOOK
The emergence of the ‘Ai Khai’ worship and the social revival in post-COVID-19 southern Thailand: the interplay between local folklore and sacred tourism
This article undertakes a critical analysis of the ascendancy of the Ai Khai (ไอ้ไข่) cult, a religious phenomenon involving youthful spirit believed to bestow wealth and fortune, located at Wat Chedi (วัดเจดีย์: Pagoda Temple) in modern Thai society. This spirit is deeply embedded in the religious mythologies of the Southern Thai region and have evolved into a cultural force that catalyzes economic shifts at both the local and regional levels, particularly during the economic stagnation induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a nuanced examination of Ai Khai narratives set against the backdrop of the Southern Thai region’s economic landscape, this study posits that the rise of the Ai Khai phenomenon is intricately linked to transformations in the capitalist economy of this geographical area. Additionally, this study explores the intertextual relationship between local folklore and canonical Buddhist narratives. By doing so, the Ai Khai narrative itself reveals a significant transformation: its evolution from a localized spectral entity to a trans-local guardian spirit. Consequently, Wat Chedi’s burgeoning prosperity has emerged as an unparalleled stimulant for local economic development under Post-COVID-19 situation. The article also discusses the possible way to keep the economic growth of the area following a sustainable development goal.
Journal Article
A Critical Ethnography of 'Westerners' Teaching English in China
Tens of thousands of Western 'teachers', many of whom would not be considered teachers elsewhere, are employed to teach English in public and private education in China. Little has previously been known, except anecdotally, about their experiences, about the effect they have on education in the context, or on students' perceptions of 'the West' that result from this contact. This book is an ethnographic study of Westerners' lived experiences teaching English in Shanghai, China. It is based on three years of groundbreaking research into the pre-service training, classroom practices, personal identities and motives, and local socially constructed roles of a group of 'backpacker teachers' from the UK, the USA and Canada. It is a study that goes beyond the classroom, addressing broader questions about the sociology, and politics, of transnational education and China's evolving relationship with the outside world.
eBook
A study on environmental prosocial attitudes to green consumption values, openness to green communication, and its relationship with buying behavior
For decades, businesses have struggled with the dichotomy between going green and becoming sustainable. Consumers are frequently seen as the most significant challenge when companies attempt to become more sustainable and greener. Although most consumers claim to be environmentally conscious, their green consumption habits are limited by other life commitments, showing an intention-action gap. There are only a handful of studies have developed an optimal model for predicting green consumer behavior. In this paper, the researcher identified a set of antecedents of Buying Behavior, including Environmental Prosocial Attitude, Green Consumption Value, and Openness to Green Communication, to develop an optimal model for predicting Green Consumer Buying Behavior. The findings demonstrate how widespread environmental prosocial attitudes and beliefs are related to green consumption values. As a result, these green values can have a positive relationship with openness to green advertising and green buying behavior. The research provides new insight into the factors influencing green buying behavior, especially consumer prosocial attitudes. Companies must understand consumers’ green values and prosocial attitudes to accept green marketing communications and influence green buying behavior. A developed model is important for companies in creating creative green marketing content for implementing effective green marketing Campaigns to create favorable green consumer behaviors.
Journal Article