Global Studies: Japan and the Pacific Rim

ISBN: 9780070249486

定价: 54.00

内容简介

WHAT IS THE PACIFIC RIM?
The term Pacific Rim??? as used in this book??? refers to 2G
countries or administrative units along or near the Asian side
of the Pacific Ocean??? plus the numerous islands of the Pacific.
Together??? they are home to approximately 30 percent of the
world s population and produce about 20 percent of the
world s gross national product (GNP).
It is not a simple matter to decide which countries to
include in a definition of the Pacific Rim. For instance??? if we
were thinking geographically??? we might include Mexico???
Chile??? Canada??? the United States??? Russia??? and numerous other
countries that border the Pacific Ocean??? while eliminating
Myanmar (Burma) and Laos??? since they are not technically on
the rim of the Pacific. But our definition??? and hence our
selected inclusions??? stem from fairly recent developments in
economic and geopolitical power that have affected the coun-
tries of Asia and the Pacific in such a way that these formerly
disparate regions are now being referred to by international
corporate and political leaders as a single bloc.
Most people living in the region that we have thus defined
do not think of themselves as \"Pacific Rimmers.\" In addition???
many social scientists??? particularly cultural anthropologists
and comparative sociologists??? would prefer not to apply a
single term to such a culturally??? politically??? and sociologically
diverse region. It is true that many of the countries in question
share certain cultural influences??? such as Buddhism and rice
cultivation. But these commonalities have not prevented the
region from fracturing into dozens of societies??? often very
antagonistic toward one anothen