This book studies the history of contemporary Chinese fiction criticism, highlighting the role of critics in shaping contemporary literary history.

The author divides the history of contemporary Chinese fiction criticism into three periods: 1949-1976, 1977-1991, and 1992-2015. The first period saw the emergence of the circle of critics who insisted on judging literary works by political standards. The second period brought the rise of the Beijing Critics' Circle and the Shanghai Critics' Circle. The former advocated "artistic standards" in judging works, while the latter introduced contemporary Western literary theories into literary criticism. The third period marked the emergence of "Scholarly Criticism," "Criticism of Women's Fiction," and "Post-1960s Fiction Criticism," reflecting critics' attitudes toward history and philosophy. Drawing on historical materials, this study illuminates contemporary literary trends and the contributions of key writers and critics. It also relates literary criticism to the social environment, underlining the simultaneous relationship between contemporary fiction criticism and social ideology.

This book will be invaluable to scholars and students of Chinese literature and literary criticism, especially those interested in the diverse landscape of contemporary Chinese culture.

This book investigates the politics of language in Hong Kong from a multidisciplinary perspective, showcasing original studies on language use in protest movements, written Cantonese, language attitudes, literary creation, mass media, and popular music.

Representing the work of scholars of various disciplines ranging from political science and history to linguistics, communication, and cultural studies, the book offers a multifaceted and timely account on the state of language in the rapidly changing city. Proposing a conceptual framework that distinguishes between language politics and the language of politics, it effectively underscores the importance of identity and ideology in studying the politics of language across different settings and disciplines.

As a study of the language issue in Hong Kong, this book is a valuable resource for scholars and students of Hong Kong studies and Chinese studies and to researchers of sociolinguistics and the politics of language.

The book examines the current geopolitical tussle in Afghanistan among different non-regional and regional players over control and manipulation of the region after the 9/11 period. Drawing on the conceptual framework of the unintended consequences approach, it reconceptualizes the concept and trope of the Great Game through the proxy war between Pakistan and India in Afghanistan under the Great Power competition, following the USA's shift towards India in its 'war on terror.' It examines Afghanistan's history retrospectively and prospectively, the role of the United States in this Grand Great Game of changing geopolitical and security dynamics post-9/11, India's foreign relations and its soft power engagement in Afghanistan, the implications of the Indo-Afghanistan relations, and the way forward for Pakistan and available policy options while living in a fractured neighborhood. A key intervention in South Asian geopolitics, this book will be indispensable for scholars of international relations, global politics, terrorism and counter-terrorism studies, strategic studies, and military history.

This book examines the strategies Chinese news media have implemented to address the challenges posed by the mobile internet to Chinese journalistic practices and businesses.

Using a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods, the book analyzes the transformation of media convergence in China based on the characteristics of the mobile internet. From three key perspectives-media organization, content, and users-the book discusses the difficulties Chinese journalism faces due to technological advances and analyzes the evolving strategies of Chinese media and their implications. In doing so, the book provides a vivid picture of the transformation of Chinese journalism in the mobile internet era and initiates a theoretical dialogue with global journalism studies.

The title will appeal to scholars and students of journalism, news media, and communication, especially those interested in the case of China.

This book uncovers how women's movements in the Global South are changing the face of transnational activism in their mobilisations against militarism and conflict-related gender violence.

Drawing on the case study of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement established by Nigerian women for the rescue of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted in 2014 by violent extremist group Boko Haram, the book argues that BBOG is one of several emerging forms of transnational resistance in Africa that are breaking old moulds and forging new directions for social movements globally. The book argues that current research on social movements focuses too much on professional advocacy by formal civil society organisations and networks in the Global North. In doing so, it misses the increasingly spontaneous, mass-based protests initiated and led by Global South actors grounded in Global South contexts. Unpacking the workings of the BBOG movement, both internationally and regarding on-the-ground daily struggles in Nigeria, the book highlights their considerable implications for the practice and study of international politics.

This book is an important read for researchers of international relations, decolonisation, social movements, and transnational human rights activism. Activists and leaders of social movements will also find the policy implications highlighted by the book useful.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available by KU 2025 under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

This book explores the significance of Ibn Khaldun's magnum opus, the Book of Examples, to our understanding of human history and the disciplines of anthropology, history, and sociology.

Operating outside of the confines of the Western intellectual tradition, Ibn Khaldun's the Book of Examples is perhaps the first attempt to propose a global history of humanity. In doing so, Ibn Khaldun pioneered approaches from what we today term sociology, anthropology, ecology, economics, geography, and urban studies. Drawing upon the Muqaddima and the other volumes of the Kitab al-Ibar, Cheddadi proposes novel ways of viewing human history and classifying societies. While Ibn Khaldun's attempts to develop a true global history were ultimately flawed, Cheddadi argues that they nevertheless offer pertinent lessons for our attempts to write a global history and to understand the world today.

This stimulating and original work on a seminal figure in Islamic sociology and historiography will be of interest to students and researchers across the humanities and social sciences.