Shifting Narratives: Modern Chinese History since the Economic Reform and a Critique of Popular Opinion

When discussing the trans-formative shifts having occurred in the field of Chinese modern history following the economic reforms, one cannot avoid mention of the “revolutionary history paradigm,” the “paradigm of modernization” as well as the “postmodern paradigm.” According to popular belief, the course of development taken by the academic world during the past forty years was marked by a series of transformations: First was the progressive replacement of the “revolutionary history paradigm” by that of the “paradigm of modernization”; following that was the rise of the “postmodern paradigm” and the challenging of its predecessor. This set of divisions, though logically clear and succinct, cannot possibly conform to the realities of history in all of its complexness. While academic circles in the 1980’s were largely concerned with the issues of “what exactly is the historical driving force of Marxism” and “who are the revolutionary class,” the notion of the “paradigm of modernization” was rather a product of the conservative historical viewpoint and its rise during the late 1990’s. In this sense, then, the latter cannot possibly embody the former. On the surface of things, though the “postmodern paradigm” appears to refuse the narrative of revolutionary history, it in fact shares deeper connections with Chinese revolutionary thought at its roots. In short, then, these trans-formative shifts in modern Chinese history are not a simple “exchange” whereby one paradigm transfers into the next, but are rather a process of incessant and interconnected change.     

Oxygen isotope seasonality in a temperate estuarine shell midden: a case study from CA-ALA-17 on the San Francisco Bay,California

Seasonality determination using stable oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O) analyses in archaeological mollusk shell has been largely limited to aquatic settings where one of the two factors that control shell δ¹⁸O – water δ¹⁸O (or salinity) and temperature – is assumed to be constant. Open coastal marine environments reflect the former situation, and tropical estuaries constitute the latter. In an effort to expand stable isotope seasonality to an ecological setting where neither variable remains constant, we present a model of annual shell δ¹⁸O cycle of aragonite deposition derived from instrumental data on salinity and temperature from San Francisco Bay, California. The predicted range of modeled shell δ¹⁸O is consistent with observed δ¹⁸O values in prehistoric and modern shells when local conditions are considered. Measurements of δ¹⁸O taken at 0 mm and 2 mm from the terminal growth margin were made on 36 archaeological specimens of Macoma nasuta from a late Holocene hunter-gatherer site CA-ALA-17, and season of collection was inferred using the shell δ¹⁸O model. We conclude that shellfish exploitation occurred through the year with the exception of fall, which may indicate scheduling conflicts with acorn harvesting or other seasonally abundant resources elsewhere. The model supports the feasibility of stable isotope seasonality studies in temperate estuaries, provided that instrumental records are available to quantify the relevant water conditions at appropriate spatial and temporal scales.     

Defining competences for future geography students in relation to low carbon societies

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the most important skills and competences that will be important in the coming years for future geographers involved in assessing and managing low-carbon societies. The analysed information was extracted from a questionnaire answered by professionals working in low-carbon management in three European countries (Finland, Poland and Catalonia, Spain). From the results, we have identified not only the most requisite abilities and skills, but also differences between countries on a European scale. Among the findings, we would highlight the general agreement that “soft skills”, as opposed to “hard skills”, are critical for future professionals addressing policies in relation to low carbon societies.     

内外有别:美国华人基督徒研究中观察主体身份特点的学术意义

论文运用参与观察法分析,认为族裔身份、宗教信仰、移民背景等是影响美国华人基督教信仰研究中研究者内部人还是局外人身份及其学术观点形成的重要因素。研究显示,运用参与观察法进行社会研究,观察者是内部人还是局外人往往会影响到与被观察者之间的交流沟通,从而进一步影响到研究素材的搜集整理和研究结果的形成。区分参与观察者内部人还是局外人的身份有助于更好地理解这种方法的情境特点以及观察结果的相对意义,也有助于从多角度分析和衡量这种方法所产生的学术作品。作为一种实证研究方法,参与观察法尽管有自己内在的局限性,却在针对华人基督徒的研究中发挥了重要作用。     

郭世宝博士与加拿大华人新移民研究述评

论文评述了加拿大卡尔加里大学教育学院教授郭世宝在加拿大华人新移民研究方面的学术成果。认为他在华人新移民、华人社团、移民的外国文凭认证、文化多元化与高等及成人教育研究方面成就突出,其中在华人新移民研究方面有两项理论创新：在华人新移民融合研究方面提出了＂三重玻璃效应＂理论;在华人新移民回流研究方面运用了＂双重离散＂理论。     

Science as propaganda: Swedish scientists and the co-production of American hegemony in Sweden during the cold war, 1953–68

This article takes a close look at how the United States used the funding of scientific research in Sweden as a hegemonic and propaganda tool in the 1950s and 1960s. It shows that non-aligned Sweden functioned just as much as a node in the international science network set up by the Americans after the Second World War as did the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. These funds were awarded mainly to an elite network of prominent Swedish scientists. The article sheds interesting light on the controversies of such funding in Sweden during the cold war and adds important knowledge about Swedish–American relations during the cold war. The article argues that this Swedish scientific elite co-produced US hegemony in Sweden by actively seeking out American military funding and by making use of it. It also argues that US funding was intended to portray the United States as an altruistic patron of science in the world and thus serve American propagandistic purposes as well.     

国际移民与婚姻挤压——以战后四邑侨乡为例的探讨

论文从战后四邑侨乡社会婚姻挤压的形成、战后四邑侨乡社会婚姻挤压下的社会调适等方面,对战后四邑侨乡社会重建问题进行研究。认为战后四邑侨乡社会的婚姻挤压是特殊历史时期各种社会经济因素相互影响、共同作用的结果;战争时期的兵燹、饥荒、瘟疫疾病、侨汇中断与国际移民网络丧失等一系列突发性的历史事件及其所带来的社会影响,造成了侨乡社会人口性别年龄结构的急剧变动;战后时期,美、加等国移民新政扫除了侨乡社会向海外华人社会跨国婚姻自由迁移的政策障碍;中外交通的恢复、国际移民网络的重建、巨量侨汇的涌入与华侨残破家庭的重建等社会经济因素的叠加,进一步加剧了婚姻市场的挤压程度。面对日益严峻的婚姻挤压问题,四邑侨乡社会在普通民众追求个人生活幸福的理性选择基础之上,形成了一些新的社会文化规范,衍生出一系列应对婚姻挤压效应的社会机制。     

关于孙中山与辛亥革命几个重要史实的辨析

对于孙中山与海外华侨和辛亥革命的关系,国内外学术界已有很充分的研究。然而,有关孙中山与华侨关系的几个关键问题,如孙中山加入洪门团体的具体情况、武昌起义之时孙中山的行踪、＂华侨为革命之母＂的来源等,学术界却仍然众说纷纭。论文选取相关重要历史文献资料加以解读和评析,以澄清以上相关史实和认识误区。     

Interpreting World War II Intelligence Data for Cultural Heritage Studies

Abstract

Archaeological and cultural resource management analyses of sites of conflict of the recent past regularly draw on archival intelligence sources, in particular on aerial imagery. Like any other data source, they have their limitations. Using a case study, the World War II battlefield of Kiska in the Aleutians, this paper outlines the processes that generated these intelligence resources, as well as the factors that influenced their survival to the present day. Understanding these processes is necessary when using such sources to understand the development of cultural landscapes as well as specific sites.