Re-orientations : East Asian popular cultures in contemporary Vietnam

Vietnamese-Australians live in Australia, a large island continent. The physical contrast between Vietnam and Australia is remarked upon by many Vietnamese in their migration stories. Whereas Vietnam is remembered as an interlinked sensual and social world, Australia is often viewed as a harsh, spacious, empty, dry continent. Australia is located in a regional Asian context, but this location has always been culturally and politically problematic, as it historically attempted to define itself as a "white" European nation in the Southern Hemisphere (Ang, 2000, p. xiii; McNamara & Coughlan, 1997, p. 1). During the Gold Rush period in the late 1800s, when there was widespread opposition to Chinese labor, Australia implemented a "White Australia" policy, although there were historically a significant number of Australians of Asian background. This exclusionary immigration policy was effectively overturned in the 1970s with the acceptance of a large number of refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in 1975. Vietnamese-Australians live predominantly in urban areas with over three quarters living in Sydney and Melbourne, the two largest cities. Within these two cities they are also highly concentrated in ethnically diverse suburbs, most living in areas with more than 1,000 residents born in Vietnam (Viviani, 1996, p. 49). However, Jupp (Jupp et al., 1990; Jupp, 1993) has argued that these areas are also zones of transition, with much movement in and out.

Physical activity patterns among South-Asian adults : a systematic review

Physical activity (PA) has many beneficial physical and mental health effects. Physical inactivity is considered the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. At present there are no systematic reviews on PA patterns among South Asian adults residing in the region. The present study aims to systematically evaluate studies on PA patterns in South Asian countries. A five-staged comprehensive search of the literature was conducted in Medline, Web of Science and SciVerse Scopus using keywords ‘Exercise’, ‘Walking’, ‘Physical activity’, ‘Inactivity’, ‘Physical Activity Questionnaire’, ‘International Physical Activity Questionnaire’, ‘IPAQ’, ‘Global Physical Activity Questionnaire’ and ‘GPAQ’, combined with individual country names. The search was restricted to English language articles conducted in humans and published before 31st December 2012. To obtain additional data a manual search of the reference lists of articles was performed. Data were also retrieved from the search of relevant web sites and online resources. The total number of hits obtained from the initial search was 1,771. The total number of research articles included in the present review is eleven (India-8, Sri Lanka-2, Pakistan-1). In addition, eleven country reports (Nepal-3, Bangladesh-2, India-2, Sri Lanka-2, Bhutan-1, Maldives-1) of World Health Organization STEPS survey from the South-Asian countries were retrieved online. In the research articles the overall prevalence of inactivity was as follows; India (18.5%-88.4%), Pakistan (60.1%) and Sri Lanka (11.0%-31.8%). STEPS survey reports were available from all countries except Pakistan. Overall in majority of STEPS surveys females were more inactive compared to males. Furthermore, leisure related inactivity was >75% in studies reporting inactivity in this domain and people were more active in transport domain when compared with the other domains. In conclusion, our results show that there is a wide variation in the prevalence of physical inactivity among South-Asian adults within and between countries. Furthermore, physical inactivity in South Asian adults was associated with several socio-demographic characteristics. Majority of South Asian adults were inactive during their leisure time. These Factors need to be considered when planning future interventions and research aimed at improving PA in the region.

Othering the Malay in Malaysia : a planned consequence of politics?

This paper examines the rise in the politicisation of Islam in Malaysia and links it to the othering of the Malaysian Malay. It is my argument that both were “conquering” tools of Malaysia’s “Father of Modernisation”, Mahathir Mohamad, devised to win the support of the Malay Muslim majority in Malaysia. The many awards bestowed on Mahathir obscure the fact that he was instrumental in the systematic erosion of the power and roles of state institutions, especially at the Federal government level. This includes the significant loss of the independence of the Malaysian judiciary. Whilst per capita income in Malaysia may well have increased eight times under his 22-year leadership, this paper asks why is it that the majority of the Malays remain the largest number among the poor and the more disenfranchised of ethnicities in the country? Why have Malay and Muslim women suffered such a rapid decreasing ability to access justice? This paper examines existing research on the social and political changes Malaysia has experienced with Islamisation and under Mahathir’s rule, as well as studies on Malayness, Malay nationalism and Muslim Malay identity formation. The paper elaborates the othering of a majority people, the Malays in Malaysia, and how this othering has brought forth a fast-growing political power in the name of a supremacist Islam, a puritanical Sunni and Malay Islam. Specific events in the rise and rule of Mahathir as Malaysia’s then Prime Minister are reviewed, such as the banning of The Malay Dilemma, and the split in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1987. Also examined is the varying emphasis between Muslim and race, and how during Mahathir’s rule, that strong misogynist and patriarchal attitudes took hold in Malay Muslim consciousness, a colonising consciousness that is othering the perceived cultural and genetic “impurities” within the Malay.

Estimating daily and diurnal variations of illicit drug use in Hong Kong: A pilot study of using wastewater analysis in an Asian metropolitan city

The measurement of illicit drug metabolites in raw wastewater is increasingly being adopted as an approach to objectively monitor population-level drug use, and is an effective complement to traditional epidemiological methods. As such, it has been widely applied in western countries. In this study, we utilised this approach to assess drug use patterns over nine days during April 2011 in Hong Kong. Raw wastewater samples were collected from the largest wastewater treatment plant serving a community of approximately 3.5 million people and analysed for excreted drug residues including cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and key metabolites using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The overall drug use pattern determined by wastewater analysis was consistent with that have seen amongst people coming into contact with services in relation to substance use; among our target drugs, ketamine (estimated consumption: 1400–1600 mg/day/1000 people) was the predominant drug followed by methamphetamine (180–200 mg/day/1000 people), cocaine (160–180 mg/day/1000 people) and MDMA (not detected). The levels of these drugs were relatively steady throughout the monitoring period. Analysing samples at higher temporal resolution provided data on diurnal variations of drug residue loads. Elevated ratios of cocaine to benzoylecgonine were identified unexpectedly in three samples during the evening and night, providing evidence for potential dumping events of cocaine. This study provides the first application of wastewater analysis to quantitatively evaluate daily drug use in an Asian metropolitan community. Our data reinforces the benefit of wastewater monitoring to health and law enforcement authorities for strategic planning and evaluation of drug intervention strategies.

East Asian audio-visual collaboration and the global expansion of Chinese media

In recent years, many of the world’s leading media producers, screenwriters, technicians and investors, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific region, have been drawn to work in the People's Republic of China (hereafter China or Mainland China). Media projects with a lighter commercial entertainment feel – compared with the heavy propaganda-oriented content of the past – have multiplied, thanks to the Chinese state’s newfound willingness to consider collaboration with foreign partners. This is no more evident than in film. Despite their long-standing reputation for rigorous censorship, state policymakers are now encouraging Chinese media entrepreneurs to generate fresh ideas and to develop products that will revitalise the stagnant domestic production sector. It is hoped that an increase in both the quality and quantity of domestic feature films, stimulated by an infusion of creativity and cutting-edge technology from outside the country, will help reverse China’s ‘cultural trade deficit’ (wenhua maoyi chizi) (Keane 2007).

Community-managed forests and wildlife-friendly agriculture play a subsidiary but not substitutive role to protected areas for the endangered Asian elephant

Global conservation policy is increasingly debating the feasibility of reconciling wildlife conservation and human resource requirements in land uses outside protected areas (PAs). However, there are few quantitative assessments of whether or to what extent these `wildlife-friendly' land uses fulfill a fundamental function of PAs-to separate biodiversity from anthropogenic threats. We distinguish the role of wildlife-friendly land uses as being (a) subsidiary, whereby they augment PAs with secondary habitat, or (b) substitutive, wherein they provide comparable habitat to PAs. We tested our hypotheses by investigating the influence of land use and human presence on space-use intensity of the endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in a fragmented landscape comprising PAs and wildlife-friendly land uses. We applied multistate occupancy models to spatial data on elephant occurrence to estimate and model the overall probability of elephants using a site, and the conditional probability of high-intensity use given that elephants use a site. The probability of elephants using a site regardless of intensity did not vary between PAs and wildlife-friendly land uses. However, high-intensity use declined with distance to PM, and this effect was accentuated by an increase in village density. Therefore, while wildlife-friendly land uses did play a subsidiary conservation role, their potential to substitute for PAs was offset by a strong human presence. Our findings demonstrate the need to evaluate the role of wildlife-friendly land uses in landscape-scale conservation; for species that have conflicting resource requirements with people, PAs are likely to provide crucial refuge from growing anthropogenic threats. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Demand: Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse

This paper describes the key findings of an NSPCC study estimating need, in the UK, for therapeutic services for children who have experienced sexual abuse. This is based upon current estimates of the prevalence and impact of sexual abuse towards children and young people against the availability of therapeutic services in the UK. Data were collected on service location, availability, scope and coverage across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Researchers: (1) mapped 508 services; (2) collected data from 195 services via a structured questionnaire; (3) followed up 21 service managers and 11 service commissioners with a semi-structured interview; and (4) carried out two focus groups with young people. Data were collected on service location, availability, scope and coverage The overall level of specialist provision is low, with less than one service available per 10 000 children and young people in the UK. Calculations of need indicate that 57 156 children across the UK in the last year may have been unable to access a service. Findings from services support the view that need outstrips availability; that referral routes are limited, leaving few options for young people who have been raped or seriously sexually assaulted to directly access support; that significant waiting lists mean services must focus on reactive, rather than preventive, work; and that services are less accessible for certain groups, especially sexually abused teenagers, children with disabilities and those from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Relevant professionals must be adequately trained to talk to children about sexual abuse and to identify those vulnerable in order to identify need. Expert specialist services are well placed to share learning on early help and identification with broader children's service providers. Active steps need to be taken by commissioners in consultation with young people, voluntary sector and adult sexual violence service providers to meet the shortfall at the level of local authorities.

Reinvigorating and redesigning early intervention in psychosis services for young people in Auckland

RESUMO: Auckland tem sido pioneira na implementação de modelos de Intervenção Precoce em Psicose. No entanto, esta organização do serviço não mudou nos últimos 19 anos. Segundo os dados obtidos da utilização do serviço, no período de 1996 -2012 foram atendidos 997 doentes, que tinham um número médio de 89 contactos (IQR: 36-184), com uma duração média de 62 horas de contactos (IQR: 24-136). Estes doentes passaram um número médio de 338 dias (IQR: 93-757) em contacto com o programa. 517 doentes (52%) não necessitaram de internamento no hospital, e os que foram internados, ficaram uma mediana de 124 dias no hospital (IQR: 40-380). Os doentes asiáticos tiveram um aumento de 50% de probabilidade de serem internados no hospital. Este relatório inclui 15 recomendações para orientar as reformas para o serviço e, nomeadamente, delinear a importância de uma visão organizacional e dos seus componentes-chave. As recomendações incluem o reforço da gestão e da liderança numa estrutura de equipe mais integrada, com recursos dedicados a melhorar a consciencialização da comunidade, a educação e deteção precoce, bem como a capacidade de receber referenciações diretas. Os Indicadores Chave de Desempenho devem ser estabelecidos, mas os Exames de Estado Mental em risco, devem ser removidos. Auckland deve manter a faixa etária alvo atual. A duração do serviço deve ser aumentada para um mínimo de três anos, com a opção de aumentá-la para cinco anos. A proporção de gestor de cuidados para os doentes deve ser preconizada em 1:15, enquanto o pessoal de apoio não-clínico deve ser aumentado. Os psiquiatras devem ter uma carga de trabalho de cerca de 80 doentes por equivalente de tempo completo. Um serviço local de prestação de cuidados deve ser desenvolvido com, nomeadamente, intervenções culturais para responder às necessidades da população multicultural de Auckland. A capacidade de investigação deve ser incorporada no Serviço de Intervenção Precoce em Psicoses. Qualquer alteração deverá envolver contacto com todas as partes interessadas, e a Administração Regional de Saúde deve comprometer-se em tempo, recursos humanos e políticos para apoiar e facilitar a mudança do sistema, investindo de forma significativa para melhor servir a comunidade Auckland.----------------------------------- ABSTRACT: Auckland has been pioneering in the adoption of Early Intervention in Psychosis models but the design of the service has not changed in 19 years. In service utilisation data from 997 patients seen from 1996 -2012, patients had a median number of 89 contacts (IQR: 36-184), with a median duration of 62 hours of contact (IQR: 24-136). Patients spent a median number of 338 days (IQR: 93-757) in contact with the program. 517 patients (52%) did not require admission to hospital, and those who did spent a median of 124 days in hospital (IQR: 40-380). Asian patients had a 50% increased chance of being admitted to hospital. This report includes 15 recommendations to guide reforms to the service, including outlining the importance of vision and key components. It recommends strengthened managerial leadership and a more integrated team structure with dedicated resources for improved community awareness, education and early detection as well as the capacity to take direct referrals. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should be established but At Risk Mental States should be excluded. Auckland should maintain the current target age range. The duration of service should be increased to a minimum of three years, with the option to extend this to five years. The ratio of care co-ordinator to patients should be capped at 1:15 whilst non-clinical supporting staff should be increased. Psychiatrists should have a caseload of about 80 per FTE. A local Service Delivery framework should be developed, as should cultural interventions to meet the needs of the multicultural population of Auckland. Research capacity should be incorporated into the fabric of Early Intervention in Psychosis Services. Any changes should involve consultation with all stakeholders, and the DHB should commit to investing time, human and political resources to support and facilitate meaningful system change to best serve the Auckland community.

Climate change and the South Asian summer monsoon

The vagaries of South Asian summer monsoon rainfall on short and long timescales impact the lives of more than one billion people. Understanding how the monsoon will change in the face of global warming is a challenge for climate science, not least because our state-of-the-art general circulation models still have difficulty simulating the regional distribution of monsoon rainfall. However, we are beginning to understand more about processes driving the monsoon, its seasonal cycle and modes of variability. This gives us the hope that we can build better models and ultimately reduce the uncertainty in our projections of future monsoon rainfall.

E-commerce environment and trade promotion for Latin America: policy implications from East Asian and advanced economies' experiences

Includes bibliography

South Asian immigrant cardiovascular risk assessment in Houston, Texas 2005

Background. Heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of deaths for all people in the United States. South Asian Americans have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases than native United States residents. ^ Purpose. This study examines the cardiovascular risk factors in the South Asian immigrant community residing in Southwest Houston. This study also explores the level of health insurance available to the South Asian in Houston. ^ Methods. One hundred sixty-two South Asian patients aged 18 years and older received cardiovascular screening from January 1 st, 2005 to March 31st, 2005 at Ibn Sina Community Clinic; blood pressure was measured twice in both arms after resting five minutes. Height and weight were also recorded. Demographic data was collected through personal interview (questionnaire) and blood samples were drawn to collect laboratory data. ^ Results. There were 162 eligible South Asian patients, among whom 127 (78%) participated in the study. There were no significant differences between the responders and the non-responders in terms of demographics and clinical characteristics. Laboratory data revealed a mean total cholesterol of 201 ± 34 mg/dl, 54 percent had high total cholesterol above 200 mg/dl. The mean fasting glucose was 108 ± 43 mg/dl, and body mass index (BMI) was 28 ± 4 kg/m2. The prevalence of hypertension was comparable with the general U.S. population; 38 percent of the South Asian males and 29 percent of females had hypertension. The prevalence of diabetes was also compared; 21 percent of SA males (3% for white American males) and 7 percent of SA females (2% for white American females) were found to have undiagnosed diabetes. Of the sample 12 percent had both hypertension and diabetes; 21 percent had both hypertension and high BMI, and 19 percent had hypertension and high total cholesterol levels. ^ Conclusion. The present study shows that the South Asians in this sample are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases than other ethnicities. The high prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, higher total cholesterol levels with overweight and obesity, and less leisure time physical activity are important cardiovascular risk factors for South Asians population. ^

"Power to the people" : De la Hegemonía al Policentrismo: Una mirada desde las Antípodas sobre el devenir del inglés en el contexto postcolonial de Asia del Sur

Esta tesis buscará diferencias y similitudes sobre el fenómeno "Imperialismo Lingüístico" en contextos poscoloniales desde la mirada de lingüistas angloparlantes, por un lado occidentales, para quienes el inglés es su lengua materna, como así también orientales, para quienes es una segunda lengua. Creemos que los fuertes procesos de apropiación, naturalización, indigenización y re-significación de la lengua inglesa por parte de la población de Asia del Sur han hecho del inglés una lengua de carácter policéntrico, lengua de cultura (Guitarte, 1991) más que una lengua de carácter hegemónico, lengua de culto (Guitarte, 1991). Esta lengua poli/pluricéntrica, lejos de ser una lengua que perpetúe la inequidad social, como proponen los teóricos occidentales, es una lengua que empodera a sus hablantes, inclusive a aquellos más excluidos del sistema social como los dalits. Los textos para el análisis corresponden a las variedades postcoloniales del inglés indio (Indian English) y sri lankeano (Sri Lankean English) que se ubican dentro de los denominados inglés[es] Sud asiático[s] (South Asian English[es]). La evaluación en India y Sri Lanka (colonizados) respecto de la imposición de la Lengua Inglesa es altamente positiva, no sólo en los estratos sociales elevados sino también en los estratos sociales de menores recursos (los dalits). Esto se opone a la evaluación del mismo fenómeno visto desde occidente (colonizadores), quienes consideran haber cometido, a través de la imposición, una especie de genocidio lingüístico de las lenguas locales. Si bien, ambas posturas coinciden en ver al inglés como a un medio capaz de crear un nuevo estrato social: ?la casta de los hablantes bilingües del inglés?, creemos que la diferencia principal radica en que esta capacidad es vista como exclusiva por parte de los occidentales, y es vista como inclusiva por los orientales. Mientras que los primeros se preguntan quiénes quedan afuera del uso predominante del inglés para la comunicación y el acceso a la tecnología, la ciencia, la educación y la cultura; los orientales se preguntan quiénes quedan adentro del uso del inglés para las distintas funciones intra e internacionales. Los autores del este dan un paso más allá de la mera descripción del estado de cosas y proponen políticas lingüísticas que contemplan sus variedades estandarizadas. Queremos también mostrar que la capacidad de transformar algo negativo en positivo; algo que ha sido impuesto, en algo propio es característica de la cultura india. Esto se refleja también en otros ámbitos, como el audiovisual, el gastronómico o el religioso

"Power to the people" : De la Hegemonía al Policentrismo: Una mirada desde las Antípodas sobre el devenir del inglés en el contexto postcolonial de Asia del Sur

Esta tesis buscará diferencias y similitudes sobre el fenómeno "Imperialismo Lingüístico" en contextos poscoloniales desde la mirada de lingüistas angloparlantes, por un lado occidentales, para quienes el inglés es su lengua materna, como así también orientales, para quienes es una segunda lengua. Creemos que los fuertes procesos de apropiación, naturalización, indigenización y re-significación de la lengua inglesa por parte de la población de Asia del Sur han hecho del inglés una lengua de carácter policéntrico, lengua de cultura (Guitarte, 1991) más que una lengua de carácter hegemónico, lengua de culto (Guitarte, 1991). Esta lengua poli/pluricéntrica, lejos de ser una lengua que perpetúe la inequidad social, como proponen los teóricos occidentales, es una lengua que empodera a sus hablantes, inclusive a aquellos más excluidos del sistema social como los dalits. Los textos para el análisis corresponden a las variedades postcoloniales del inglés indio (Indian English) y sri lankeano (Sri Lankean English) que se ubican dentro de los denominados inglés[es] Sud asiático[s] (South Asian English[es]). La evaluación en India y Sri Lanka (colonizados) respecto de la imposición de la Lengua Inglesa es altamente positiva, no sólo en los estratos sociales elevados sino también en los estratos sociales de menores recursos (los dalits). Esto se opone a la evaluación del mismo fenómeno visto desde occidente (colonizadores), quienes consideran haber cometido, a través de la imposición, una especie de genocidio lingüístico de las lenguas locales. Si bien, ambas posturas coinciden en ver al inglés como a un medio capaz de crear un nuevo estrato social: ?la casta de los hablantes bilingües del inglés?, creemos que la diferencia principal radica en que esta capacidad es vista como exclusiva por parte de los occidentales, y es vista como inclusiva por los orientales. Mientras que los primeros se preguntan quiénes quedan afuera del uso predominante del inglés para la comunicación y el acceso a la tecnología, la ciencia, la educación y la cultura; los orientales se preguntan quiénes quedan adentro del uso del inglés para las distintas funciones intra e internacionales. Los autores del este dan un paso más allá de la mera descripción del estado de cosas y proponen políticas lingüísticas que contemplan sus variedades estandarizadas. Queremos también mostrar que la capacidad de transformar algo negativo en positivo; algo que ha sido impuesto, en algo propio es característica de la cultura india. Esto se refleja también en otros ámbitos, como el audiovisual, el gastronómico o el religioso

Winning Friends and Influencing People with Guns: Understanding the Growth of China's Military Diplomacy

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06