Research Areas
International Relations, Comparative Politics, Global Governance
Research Interests
International Political Economy, Comparative Political Economy, Globalization, Neoliberalism, Identity, Nationalism, Cosmopolitanism, Populism, Party Politics, Mixed Methods, Martial Arts Studies
Current Project
I am finishing the dissertation which explores the relationship between the structural transformation of nation-states under neoliberal globalization (from nation-states to capital-states) and the surge of populist nationalism (neo-nationalism). I draw on Karl Polanyi’s study of the “great transformation” and focus on the OECD countries over the period 1980-2015. My case studies include France, Australia, Hungary, and South Korea.
Manuscripts in Submission
“The Rise of the Capital-State and Neo-Nationalism: A New Polanyian Moment”
I explore the systemic causes behind neo-nationalism measured through party electoral performance. I coin the term “capital-sate” to capture the pro-market transformation of nation-states; develop the capital-state index (CSI) to quantify the degree of this transformation; and examine the relationship between the rise of the capital-state and the surge of neo-nationalism as a protective movement.
Manuscripts in Progress
“Commodification of Nature and The Prospects for Glocal Climate Governance”
I apply Karl Polanyi’s theory of “fictitious commodities” to understand the recent commodification of environment and evaluate the prospects for local participation in climate governance. Using the cases of the US, Germany, and India, I suggest that Polanyian commodification-protection dynamic entails opportunities for a more active public engagement in the decommodification of nature.
“Asian Martial Arts: An Embodied Synthesis of Virtue Ethics and Deontology”
Grounded in the broader comparative philosophical perspective, I draw on the Asian martial arts to advance the argument for the “moral philosophy of the body.” I contend that Asian martial arts can be conceived as a synthesized moral tradition of virtue ethics and deontology, and that this synthesis is arrived at through embodied practices rather than rational contemplation.
