Is Vladimir Putin a Strong Leader?

Author(s): Kenneth Wilson

In: Post-Soviet Affairs, 2020

Examines Putin's strength both in terms of his personal power and the effectiveness of his policies measured by economic growth, social stability and international standing. The article compares Putin's record with that of governments in other former Soviet states, and concludes that his achievements are not especially impressive.

See also: White, David, 'State Capacity and Regime Resilience in Putin's Russia', International Political Science Review, 2018. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512117694481

White argues that although state capacity in Russia is 'relatively weak', the Putin regime has achieved relative stability through enriching elites, controlling civil society and opposition, and promoting public support through 'economic benefits and national-patriotic appeal'.

Panama: The Whole Story

Author(s): Kevin Buckley

Simon and Schuster, New York, 1991, pp. 304

Rather sensationalist account by journalist focusing on events from the 1985 coup to the US invasion, but stressing the role of Noriega and the Panama Defence Force. Includes descriptions of popular resistance as well as elite manoeuvres.

What Happened to the New Zealand Peace Movement? Anti-Nuclear Politics and the Quest for a More Independent Foreign Policy

Author(s): Kevin Clements

In: in Patman, Robert, Iati Iati and Balazs Kiglics (eds.) New Zealand And The World. Past, Present And Future, pp. 221-237

Clements comments on the success of the peace movement in the 1980s in achieving the Nuclear-Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act of 1987, and the later waning of its influence on New Zealand’s foreign policy.

Available online at:

https://doi.org/10.1142/9789813232402_0014

Political Change in Thailand: Democracy and Participation

Editor(s): Kevin Hewison

Routledge, London, 1997, pp. 301

An overview of society and politics in Thailand. The Introduction briefly discusses the background to May 1992. Andrew Brown, ‘Locating Working Class Power’ (pp. 163-78), challenges the mainstream interpretation of May 1992 as an expression of the increased power of the middle class and civil society groups, which demonstrated the absence of working class power, suggesting commentators have an over-simplified model of united working class action.

A Book, the King and the 2006 Coup

Author(s): Kevin Hewison

In: Journal of Contemporary Asia, Vol 38, No 1, 2008, pp. 190-211

Hewison assesses a biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, which the palace tried to suppress, and which examines the king's role in Thai politics and in the moves to suppress Thaksin.

See also: Handley, Paul, The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibal Adulyade, New Haven Conn, Yale University Press, 2006.

Back from the Brink: The Creation of a Nuclear Free New Zealand

Author(s): Kevin P. Clements

Harper Collins, Wellington NZ and New York, 1988, pp. 241

Account of significant popular movement in 1970s and 1980s (including local councils declaring themselves nuclear-free) that led to government action to turn New Zealand into a nuclear-free zone and to refuse to allow US warships carrying nuclear weapons to dock in its ports (although it did not remove US monitoring bases).

Anti-Gay Violence and Victimization in the United States: An Overview

Author(s): Kevin T. Berrill

In: Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol 5, No 3, 1990, pp. 274-294

There have been significant campaigns to protect and promote LGBT rights in the USA, including a series of National Marches on Washington in 1979, 1987, 1993 and 2000, but also in many other western countries, which are not so well covered in English publications. The political, legal , religious and cultural contexts vary, however, between countries, so LGBT communities can face somewhat different problems. (For the UK see G.2.b.)

Available online at:

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/088626090005003003

The limitations of U.S. white midde-class feminism in the Middle East

Author(s): Kholod Sendi

In: International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, Vol 5, No 1, 2017, pp. 109-120

This paper discusses the hegemony of U.S. White middle-class feminism and examines seven limitations that make it inapplicable in non-Western societies, and specifically in Middle Eastern countries. These limitations include (a) ignoring the cultural, historical, and political systems that shape women in the Middle East; (b) misinterpretation of some religious practices; (c) generalizing women's conditions; (d) universalizing Western values; (e) playing the role of the savior; (f) ignoring the influence of Western imperialism; and (g) ignoring women's strengths and actual needs. Finally, this paper included suggestions that can be taken into consideration to reduce the gap between U.S. White middle-class feminism and other types of feminisms in the Middle East.

MeToo in Japan and South Korea: #WeToo, #WithYou

Author(s): Linda Hasunuma, and Ki-young Shin

In: Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, Vol 40, No 1, 2019, pp. 97-111

This article compares the impact of the #MeToo movement in South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, #MeToo inspired many women to go public with their accusations in numerous high-profile cases. Those accusations in turn inspired mass demonstrations and demands for legal reform. In South Korea, the movement also led to policy proposals and the revision of laws on sexual harassment and gender-based violence. In Japan, however, the movement has grown more slowly. Fewer women made public accusations, and if they did, they tended to remain anonymous. The movement has been limited to a small number of cases leading to a professional network to support women journalists. The authors argue that the different outcomes can be explained by the strength of women’s engagement in civil society and the nature of the media coverage in each case. In both countries, however, women continue to face a powerful backlash that includes victim-blaming and social and professional sanctions for speaking up.

Committed Participation or Flashes of Action? Mobilizing Public Attention to Climate on Twitter, 2011-2015

Author(s): Kierstin Thorson, and Lupamg Weng

In: Environmental Communication, Vol 14, No 2, 2020, pp. 347-363

Climate advocacy organizations are increasingly using social media to mobilize the public and so put pressure on policy-makers. The authors' investigation found that relatively few people repeatedly used Twitter on climate issues, though a small group of organizations and individuals did so repeatedly. They therefore raise questions about maintaining political interest over time.

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