EXPLORING THE IMPORTANCE OF EXCESS FEMALE MORTALITY AND DISCRIMINATION IN “NATALITY” IN EXPLAINING THE “LOWNESS” OF THE SEX RATIO IN INDIA

The beginning of the present century has been marked by a shift in attention from “excess” female mortality to discrimination in natality in explaining the “lowness” of the sex ratio or proportion of women in India's population. Such a shift in focus seemingly suggests that discrimination in intra‐family allocation of resources has reduced substantially in India. In this context, an attempt has been made to decompose the observed lowness of the sex ratio in India vis‐à‐vis that of the stable population into that attributable to: (1) age structure difference, (2) excess female mortality, and (3) abnormalities in sex ratios at birth in India. Estimated contributions by each factor suggest that, as late as 2001, excess female mortality or the lowness of the relative survival advantage of women is the single most important determinant of “missing” women in India. The results also point to the importance of age structure difference, which accounts for a little more than 17% of the lowness of the sex ratio in India in 2001.     

THE FOUNDATION OF THE MEXICAN WELFARE STATE AND SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM IN THE 1990s

Before 1982 Mexico's welfare state regime was a limited conservative one that put priority on the social security of organized labor. But following the country's debt crisis in 1982, this regime changed to a hybrid liberal model. The Ernest Zedillo government (1995–2000) in particular pushed ahead with liberal reform of the social security system. This paper examines the characteristics and the policy making of the social security reforms in the 1990s. The results suggest that underlying these reforms was the restructuring of the economy and the need to cope with the cost of this restructuring. The paper also points out that one of the main factors making possible the rapid execution of the reforms were the weakened political clout of the officialist labor unions due to their steady breakdown during the 1990s and the increase in the monopolistic power of the state vis‐à‐vis the position of labor during the negotiations on social security reforms.     

“THE IDENTIFICATION PROBLEM AND THE VALIDITY OF ECONOMIC MODELS”: A COMMENT1

Inasmuch as mathematical propositions refer to reality they are not certain, and inasmuch as they are certain they do not apply to reality.     

A REVIEW OF THE CONCEPT OF THE “DUAL ECONOMY”*

The primary object of this paper is to present a methodological study which is concerned with how to clarify and evaluate the characteristics of that social and economic structure which is called “dual economy” in today's developing countries. It attempts a critical review of the concepts developed by J. H. Boeke, J. van Gelderen, J. S. Furnivall, H. Frankel, H. Myint, G. Myrdal and C. Geertz, among those who have taken the view of “social dualism.” It concludes that the concept of a dual economy should be perceived in terms of “colonial social dualism” as a system; and that it is solely from this point of view that the nature and direction of economic development in the context of economic nationalism in developing countries can adequately be explained.     

THE NATURE OF THE “THREAT OF CHINA”—A Japanese View—

A China with nuclear capabilities is one of the big problems in international politics in East Asia. Some of the politicians in Japan feel the threat, and are trying to cope with it by closer ties with the United States. The “threat,” however, must be analyzed from the aspects of both China's capabilities and her intentions. By analyzing China's past behavior, the writer deduces that China's main objective seems to be the “liberation of Taiwan,” and not mere expansionism or simple security. On the basis of this understanding, the writer concludes that the “threat” comes from the Sino-American confrontation over Taiwan and from ideological or psychological warfare. It is concluded, therefore, that closer ties with the U. S. is not good for the peace and security of Asia. Better communications, the solution of the Taiwan problem and better domestic policies, it is suggested, are essential for this purpose.     

SARIT AND THAILAND'S “PRO-AMERICAN POLICY”

The idea of “pro-Americanism,” appearing at the same time as America's sense of world mission, is a phenomenon of the post World War II period, and for this reason has a very short history. The basic point is that “pro-Americanism”fluctuates according to American conditions, but fundamentally it is controlled by the internal conditions of the “pro-American”country. At the same time, as in most diplomatic relations, “pro-Americanism”is too a basically unstable condition and by trying to stabilize it and make it permanent, both American and the other countries undergo severe stresses. The “pro-American”relationship which ties the United States with numerous small countries in a chiefly bilateral relationship is certainly not immutable. How should the changes be measured and in what context should they be viewed? I shall take the case of Thailand, the most “pro-American”of the Southeast Asian countries. I shall be looking at political leadership as the basic key to the changes, and from this angle the main problem of this article is how to evaluate the part played by Sarit.     

“INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY” AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY

At present, when more than half of the “Development Decade” has passed, the economic development of developing countries is far behind the targets set forth at the beginning of this decadc. The author analyses this problem, particularly from the viewpoint of capital movements, and comes to the conclusion that the existing system of capital movements to developing countries today must be re-examined; a new world loans or grants system should be established in combination with efforts in the direction of total disarmament.     

MARX'S VIEW OF ASIAN SOCIETY AND HIS “ASIATIC MODE OF PRODUCTION”

In this article Marx's view of Asian society and his “Asiatic mode of production’ are analysed. It is concluded that Marx at first regarded Asian society as a special society which was stagnant and devoid of history, but that at length he overcame this view, considered that the Asiatic mode of production was begotten out of the dissolution of primitive society and was the earliest form of class society and the specific mode of production preceding the ancient mode of production, and placed this mode of production in the series of historical stages of development. Thereafter the author sets out his own views regarding the logical structure of the genesis, development, and fall of this Asiatic mode of production.     

China's Foreign Trade: A “New Normal”

Since the global financial crisis of 2007/2008, China's foreign trade has continued to grow faster than international trade, but its drivers are now different from those prevailing before. The participation of the Chinese economy in the global production chains through processing activities is no longer the main driver of its trade performance. The new driving force of change is ordinary trade, based mainly on local inputs and domestic demand. China, which played a major role in the globalization process as an export base for multinational companies, is now shifting to having a “normal” foreign trade system, which is more closely integrated into the domestic economy.