Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 445-471). Also available on the Internet.

China has experienced unprecedented growth since the open door policy began at the end of the 1970s and is currently in position as the world’s second largest economy in terms of gross domestic product. Much of the academic community already considers China a dominant economic power and potentially the most important nation state in terms of its current and future role in the global economy. In addition, the last 50 years has produced a plethora of research on the importance of cities and on their profound economic contribution under persistent international trends of globalization. One prime example of the culmination and prominence of this research, Saskia Sassen’s The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo, delineates specific characteristics of true global cities, citing the three titled cities as the only prime examples in existence. Based on the economic prominence of China as a nation-state, this dissertation aims to view China’s prominent contemporary cities through the lens of Sassen’s global city alongside other relevant and related theories and data in order to determine whether a true global city exists today within Mainland China. It then evaluates the current status of Chinese cities with respect to the observed effects of globalization and on the hypothetical path to true global city status. A number of theories relating to Chinese cities are developed in this respect, including the ‘shared spotlight’ theory and the ‘polarity of global city functions’ theory. Finally, an attempt is made to directly associate the distinct global economic roles and developmental paths of Beijing and Shanghai to the unique political and economic policy and action demonstrated by the Chinese Communist Party. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, the conclusion is drawn that Chinese cities, specifically Beijing and Shanghai, have taken divergent paths and play very distinct economic roles, as opposed to showing the natural agglomeration of global city functions one would expect to find in a world economic power under an increasingly globalizing world economy. Additionally, an associated conclusion is drawn that the unique developmental paths and the resulting distinct roles can be directly associated with actions and policies of the Chinese Communist Party. / published_or_final_version / China Development Studies / Master / Master of Arts in China Development Studies

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The Louisiana shrimp fishery has experienced a collapse in the price of shrimp since 2001. The principal reason for this collapse is increasing shrimp imports. Examining the political economy of agro-food systems and the interrelated household economies of Louisiana shrimp fisherpeople, this thesis asks how household commodity production, where fishers own their means of production and supply most labor themselves, is being restructured by the liberalization of seafood trade. Shrimpers have drawn increasingly on household resources (such as unwaged labor of family members) that are normally devoted to social reproduction to maintain their participation in household commodity production. In other words, households shift resources out of the family and into the economy in order to make good on losses of cash income they suffer from low prices. Households continue producing at de facto wage levels below that necessary to support the household on shrimping income alone.

Title : The deadliest war in the world – An assessment of the war reporting from the democratic Republic of Congo Author: Melinda Sutus University and course: Örebro University, Media- and communication C (international) Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand if cultural and geographical proximity affects the way of reporting news and why the war in the Democratic republic of Congo gets so little attention compared to other wars and catastrophes. This will be made by studying the reporting about the war in two newspapers different from one another, one geographically and culturally closed to the war struck area, and one far away. Previous research: The research used in this study focuses on the third world, foreign coverage and globalisation. Studies made by Johan Galtung and Mari Holmboe Rouge, and Stig-Arne Nohrstedt are used to understand the reporting about Africa. Further follow Edward S Herman´s and Noam Chomsky´s views about the different types of victims and Jean-Claude Willame´s research about violence in Africa. Lastly a number of interpretations about globalization are being accounted for. Theories: Post colonialism, reporting war, the CNN-effect and 24h news and critical discourse analysis. Methods: Quantitative analysis and critical discourse analysis. Main results: The New York Times focused their reporting on war facts, in Cape Times the focus is distributed somewhat equally between all the topics. The New York Times portrays the conflict as cold-blooded and barbaric while Cape times emphasis the civilian and humanitarian aspects. Cape Times is closer to the area in question and the humanitarian aspects are easily understood, furthermore Africa does not see itself as a war-struck continent and victims the same way as the west sees the continent, which explains the absence of war facts in Cape Times. The main result is that geographically and cultural proximity does have a certain effect on how news is being portrayed. Key words: Africa, war, globalization, news reporting.

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This thesis examines the extent of the diffusion of baseball across the world. Tracing the diffusion of baseball, and the diverse receptions the game has encountered on foreign soils, holds out the prospect of offering many insights into the global spread of sport and our understanding of the processes of globalization in general. By examining different responses to baseball, and developing our empirical knowledge on the extent of its diffusion, we will be in a position to draw more reliable and valid conclusions than have, thus far, been offered in relation to the global diffusion of baseball specifically, and globalization processes more generally. The thesis endeavours to determine the extent to which baseball can be regarded as a global sport. This objective will involve charting the development of baseball in America, its diffusion to other countries and the different receptions the game has received on foreign soil, via a series of national case studies Given the magnitude of global diffusion processes it is hardly surprising that its study has attracted the attention of academics from a number of disciplines and orientations. This particular thesis tests the figurational approach, assessing the adequacy of this approach in being able to make sense of the global baseball figuration. It does this by first providing an outline for the incipient modernization, and subsequent sportization, of baseball in America. Then a cross-sectional analysis of the diffusion and development of baseball in various countries throughout the world is presented, for the most part via a critical analysis of secondary source material. In order to supplement the secondary source material, questionnaires were sent to all national governing bodies for baseball across the world (109 in total). The principal focus of the empirical aspects of this thesis is on the development of baseball in England. Extensive documentary analysis of archival newspaper sources was carried out in the National Newspaper Library, Colindale, London. Alongside this, several oral history interviews were conducted with baseball players who had played in this country before the 1950s. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with administrators involved in the running and promotion of the game in this country. Analysing the diffusion of baseball around the world, and the different responses to attempts to develop the game, and subsequently analysing in much greater depth the developments and responses to baseball in England, enables us to engage in more informed comparative analysis. On the basis of this thesis it is concluded that the argument that baseball is a 'global sport', is a highly exaggerated view of baseball's global profile. The fact of the matter is baseball has only enjoyed sustained periods of success in a handful of countries in Asia and Latin America. Furthermore, it is argued that the theoretical premises of figurational sociology are both sensitising and illuminating; and provide a more object-adequate analysis of the global baseball figuration than other theoretical approaches allow. In this respect, the central figurational concept of dynamic and differential power relationships is key to developing our understanding of the global baseball figuration, and globalization more generally. The concept of lengthening chains of interdependency is a far more illuminating, and therefore more useful, way of conceptualising the process by which baseball has undergone diffusion, than concepts such as Americanization, American cultural hegemony, imperialism, or, indeed, globalization.

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Bibliography: leaves 256-319. / v, 319 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Politics, 1999