published_or_final_version / abstract / Modern Languages and Cultures / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Diss.--München, 1998. / Bibliogr. p. 223-229. Glossaire.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1964. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliography: l. 108-121.

Consisting of a subtropical archipelago south of the Japanese mainland, playing host to a bevy of American military bases, and once the semi-independent kingdom of Ryukyu, Okinawa holds a unique and contentious place within the Tokyo-run nation-state. The central argument found in these pages suggests that a new look at the islands' identity along two tracks—a "high track" that focuses on the grander objects of the region's history such as castles or monuments and a "low track" dwelling on day-to-day matters such purchasing a meal or watching a sporting event—shows Okinawa evolving into a sub-state nation solidly within Japan. As the southern realm continues developing its unique identity, fulfilling the high track's symbolism, it allows greater economic and political integration with the nation-state, showing the power of the low track. This process is not steady, but these developments provide the smoothest path for full integration with Tokyo. Additionally, the philosophical divisions applied here allow unification between divergent approaches to nationalist theory. The bended-knee view of the region's nationalism allows Anthony D. Smith's The Ethnic Origin of Nations with its emphasis on history and ethnie to coexist with the every-day approach found in Banal Nationalism by Michael Billig and Ernest Gellner's Nations and Nationalism. These political observers seemingly holding opposing viewpoints actually work as a team. The results of this combined approach can be found all across Okinawa in ordinary places such as vending machines, professional wrestling, and license plates. / Master of Arts

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Anthropology, August 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-260). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 251-260). Also available on the Internet.

In this study, concentrations of organic biomarkers of core MD012404, recovered from central part of the Okinawa Trough, were analyzed, included of unsaturated alkenones and n-alkanes, for reconstructing paleoenviromental and paleoclimatic records for the past 100,000 years. The unsaturated alkenone index of Uk¡¬37 were calculated for reconstructing past variations of sea surface temperature (SST) in the East Chna Sea (ECS). Through the past 100,000 years, our record revealed that the varied pattern of paleo-SSTs of the ECS was mainly reflecting Interglacial/Glacial cycles. This result indicates that the enhanced East Asian winter monsoon which is induced by the changing orbital forcing is the dominant controlling factor to influence the hydrological conditions in the ECS. Otherwise, except of the warming event of Bølling-Allerød and cooling event of Younger Dryas, no obviously cooling trends were observed in the record indicating that the Uk¡¬37 based SST was not sensitive to the millennial-scaled climate events. This may be caused by the slow response of the SST to the millennial-sclaed events. The concentrations of unsaturated alkenones reconstructed in this study can represent to the surface productivity of the ECS. Our record shows that the values are higher in glacial period than in interglacial period. The higher productivity observed in glacial period may result from the wind-driven water mixing. Therefore, the well-mixing of surface and subsurface water thus can supply higher nutrients upto the surface water than induce the higher productivity in glacial period in the ECS. However, a more complicated pattern is found in MIS 5, the unsaturated alkenones have extremely high values in this interval which is different to the Holocene even though that the climatic conditions and global sea level are similar in these two periods. These high values may be caused by either higher surface production or well preservation, which results from the pool ventilation in the ECS. In addition, distributed pattern of n-alkanes can represent to the possible sources of organic materials and vegetation changes on land. Our record shows that n-C31 alkane is dominant in n-alkanes, and the distribution pattern of n-alkanes (C31 > C29 > C33 > C27 > C25 ) is similar to the sediments discovered on the continental shelf of ECS and the estuary of the Changjiang River and is different with the sediments from the Lanyang Hsi River. This fact indicates that the organic materials buried in sediments of the Okinawa Trough are mainly contribute from the ECS continental shelf and the Changjiang River is serves as the main contributor of terrestrial sediments in the study region. Our calculated Carbon preference index (CPI) indicates that terrigenous orangic matters are less influenced by degradation and diagenesis in glacial period, especially during LGM, and the changing pattern is highly correlated with the global sea level changes. Lower sea level observed in glacial period shorten the transporting distance of sediments from the Changjiang River to the Okinawa Trough thus causes more terrestrial inputs and deposits in the Okinawa Trough.

Demand for equal rights tends to be accompanied by assimilation of ethnic subordinates while the recognition of their separate identity is liable to justify unfair segregation. When an ethnic minority is aware of this dilemma, what identity are they to claim and what ideology do they present? By looking at contemporary local activism in Okinawa, Japan, this dissertation tries to give an empirical answer to this question. In Okinawans' historical experience, both their sameness as and difference from the Japanese turned out to be disadvantageous for the people. Local activists can support neither their Japanese identity nor Okinawan identity. As a result, although they struggled against the central power of the state, their activism can not be fully embraced within the category of multiculturalist movements. The body of this dissertation consists of a historical reconstruction of citizens' movements and a sociological analysis of activists' discourse on Okinawa-Japan relations. The ethnography focuses on a particular generation of educated local people, who form the mainstream of local activists in post-reversion Okinawa, and tries to illuminate what impact the reversion movement had on them and how it shaped their thought and actions thereafter. Chapter 1 describes the way in which Okinawan intellectuals re-contextualise obsolete religious tradition into their environmentalist or pacifist movements. Chapter 2 addresses the moral ambiguity of modern collective identities and demonstrates, with the Japanese as an example, that moral values change depending on transient international power relations. Chapter 3 focuses on the empirical historical context, the reversion movement, in which a category of Okinawan intellectuals realised this moral ambiguity. Chapter 4 examines an expression of regional identity, the Ryukyuan Arc, by which Okinawan activists tried to overcome the principle of modern social collectivity. Chapter 5 discusses how Okinawans' perception has historically changed in regard to their position in Japanese society.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Princeton University, 1992. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.