Welcome to Volume 6 Number 2 of the Journal of International and Global Studies. We continue to increase our subscriptions to this free open access online interdisciplinary journal. If you would like to subscribe to the journal, just click on the tab at the top of the page below the journal title. We will be sure to send you the web link to the journal so that you can read and download the essays in accordance with your interests. You will also provide us with a data base so that we can draw on your expertise for peer reviewing essays for the journal. This Spring 2015 issue features three essays from a variety of different disciplines, two review essays, and 13 book reviews on globalization topics (defined broadly), a predominant theme of the journal. The lead essay by Shawn Smallman discusses the 2009 pandemic of H1N1 influenza and how it led people around the globe to create narratives about the epidemic defined by the question of trust. These narratives ranged from true conspiracy theories to simply accounts in which mistrust and betrayal formed a motif. As Smallman suggests most of these narratives reflected a fear of capitalism and globalization, although in specific regions, other issues—such as religion—played a more central role. After comparing these conspiracy theories and moral panics related to the H1N1 pandemic, he concludes that these narratives were not unique but rather have appeared with every contemporary outbreak of infectious disease. This paper will examine conspiracy theories and moral panics related to the H1N1 pandemic in different world regions to explore how the disease became associated with economic and social systems in these accounts.

The second essay by Habibul Haque Khondker from Zayed University explores the history of the global environmental movement from its genesis with the publication of Rachel Spring’s The Silent Spring in 1962. He discusses the growing awareness of sustainable living in the past half a century through the interplay of awareness and consciousness raising, knowledge production, institution building, environmental movement and its globalization. He indicates how there was a change in the conceptualization of development from a narrow “economic development” as measured in income growth to a more inclusive sustainable development where the focus is on quality of life, wellbeing and happiness. Khondker describes how environmental activism launched by the civil society, the state and inter-state institutions played an important role in these developments. He concludes that in many parts of the Global South such an integrated, thus holistic, environmental movement is still wanting or remains at a rudimentary stage.

The third essay by Krishna Bista is focused on the experiences of Asian international students in U.S. higher educational institutions. His study examines associations between Asian international students’ quality of personal contact and gains in learning. Based on a sample of 705 Asian international students, results indicate that Asian international students’ relationships with peers, faculty, and administrative staff are positively associated with five domains of gains of learning (i.e., personal development, science and technology, general education, vocational preparation, and intellectual skills). Bista examine the perceptions of Asian international students’ personal relationships (with faculty, administrative personnel, and other students) and their self-reported gains in learning. A quantitative and comparative analysis is completed by Bista with a description of his findings regarding Asian international students in U.S. higher educational institutions.

We have two excellent review essays related to vital global topics. One of the review essays is by Michael Olender, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada who discusses the important book by Joseph S. Nye, Jr., The Future of Power followed by books focusing on Cyber warfare and conflict by Daniel Ventre (ed.), Cyber Conflict: Competing National Perspectives and Paulo Shakarian, Jana Shakarian, and Andrew Ruef, Introduction to Cyber-Warfare: A Multidisciplinary Approach. The other review essay is written by Gunjan Singh a research assistant at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in Delhi. He discusses two books on China’s role in the international system and regionally in Asia.

As in the past, we have a number of book reviews for those scholars who have an interest in interdisciplinary research and in globalization and its consequences throughout the world. Again, as we stated in our first issue of the journal, we intend to maintain this standard of generalized interdisciplinary readability for all of our essays and book reviews in future issues of our journal. We hope that you will subscribe to our journal to read future essays, review essays, and book reviews. We also invite you to submit essays, review essays, book reviews, and suggest possible book reviews for the journal.

Sincerely,

Raymond Scupin, Ph.D. Director: Center for International and Global Studies Professor of Anthropology and International Studies Lindenwood University