Research Areas
International, Comparative, and Critical Political Economy, Global Governance
Research Interests
International Political Economy, Comparative Political Economy, Globalization, Neoliberalism, Identity, Nationalism, Populist Nationalism, Cosmopolitanism, Political Sociology, Social Movements, 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.
“Voting for Jobbik and Front National: Nostalgic, Deprived, and Status-Frustrated”
Using the cases of Jobbik in Hungary and Front National in France, I advance the argument that marketization of societies is prone to: first, generate individual- and group-level psychological experiences of nostalgia, relative deprivation, and status frustration; and relatedly, second, engender a demand for political refuge in the form of populist nationalism.
“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 de-commodification of nature.
Manuscripts in Progress
“Polanyi in Australia: State Transformation, Social Demand, and Political Supply”
The paper analyzes the rise and fall of Pauline Hanson’s populist nationalist One Nation Party in Australia from a Polanyian political economic perspective. I trace the institutional change (state restructuring), social demand (voters’ perceptions), and political supply (parties’ strategies) to develop a comprehensive and multi-layered account of neo-nationalism in the country.
“Asian Martial Arts: An Embodied Synthesis of Virtue Ethics and Deontology”
(Revising) 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.
Further Research
Please refer to the latest version of my research statement.
Datasets in Repositories
Capital-State Index (CSI) (link to Figshare)
35 OECD countries / 36 years (1980-2015)
Neo-Nationalist Vote (link to Figshare)
35 OECD countries / 36 years (1980-2015)
