Introduction
This paper aims to analyze two academic articles from a critical point of view. The first work is “Terminally Haunted: Aviation Ghosts, Hybrid Buddhist Practices, and Disaster Aversion Strategies Amongst Airport Workers in Myanmar and Thailand” by Ferguson. The other article is “Aw Boon Haw, the Tiger from Nanyang: Social Entrepreneurship, Transregional Journalism, and Public Culture” by Theng and Volland. Each of the works has different themes and approaches to reflect the facts presented. The critical evaluation of the content based on the research of arguments, presuppositions, pieces of evidence, and significance may help to obtain comprehensive data on the reliability of both articles.
Personal Evaluation of the Articles
The article by Ferguson examines the principles of the work of employees at Asian airports, in particular, Thailand and Myanmar, aimed at exploring ghostly creatures that are believed to inhabit these places. The religious interpretation of this neighborhood is also considered in detail. As beliefs, Buddhist concepts are applied, and the author notes that the views of the advocates of these practices imply a close connection between technology and the ghostly world (Ferguson 48).
The article provides the detailed descriptions of the rituals followed by airports staff and religious shrines where sacred worships take place. Ferguson notes that many of the practices of contact with ghosts used have much in common with those in India (53). Also, the justifications for the actions of the workers of runways are cited, and special signs and customs are listed.
The article by Theng and Volland describes the entrepreneurial practices and approaches of Aw Boon Haw, a prominent representative of the business market. According to the authors, the object of their analysis has always “kept exploring new ways to intervene in popular and public culture” (Theng and Volland 122). At the same time, all his principles of work cannot be called identical, and the search for the new ways of developing and entering the market is the businessman’s typical feature. The article presents the detailed analysis of Aw Boon Haw’s practices and cites many facts in order to draw comprehensive conclusions and hypotheses regarding the success of the entrepreneur.
Critical Analysis of the Articles
According to the theory presented by Ferguson, traditional theological practices in Thailand and Myanmar provide for a close relationship between the spirit world and the technical field, in particular, aircraft (48). This statement is supported by facts from Buddhism as a key local religion and the examples of how runway employees view their work in the context of contact with otherworldly forces. The presuppositions for this topic are sacred theories about the close interaction of entities from a parallel world with people, and it is assumed that such a neighborhood is felt at airports.
The author also gives examples of cases where staff allegedly met ghosts on the runways and saw unexplainable things (Ferguson 55). Mysticism and the transmigration of souls are generally accepted concepts in Buddhism, and Ferguson mentions plane crashes that local employees consider the direct result of the negative effects of a dangerous neighborhood with spirits (61). The significance of this work lies in the fact that it represents the influence of religious beliefs in the conditions of technological progress.
Theng and Volland remark that the influence of Aw Boon Haw on the formation of entrepreneurial trends was significant, and an impact was made on the business sphere of East and Southeast Asia (122). The activities of the personality in question differed from those of the majority of his colleagues since as the businessman did not only plan to launch new products and interact with large industrial and agricultural concerns.
According to the authors, Aw Boon Haw had numerous social and cultural missions, for instance, charitable projects (Theng and Volland 124). The evidence of the statement concerning the substantial contribution of the entrepreneur is the opinion of “the geographic spread of his charitable activities, in which China played an increasingly important role” (Theng and Volland 127). The significance of this article lies in describing the valuable steps taken by Aw Boon Haw to promote Chinese business activity and international relations.
Conclusion
The critical analysis of the articles reviewed allows finding the rationale for the authors’ arguments and the significance of the research conducted. Based on a personal assessment, it can be concluded that the facts are authentic and relevant in the context of the topics under consideration. The presuppositions of the studies provide an opportunity to review the topics in detail due to examples and historical references.
Works Cited
Ferguson, Jane M. “Terminally Haunted: Aviation Ghosts, Hybrid Buddhist Practices, and Disaster Aversion Strategies Amongst Airport Workers in Myanmar and Thailand.” The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, vol. 15, no. 1, 2014, pp. 47-64.
Theng, Sin Y. and Nicolai Volland. “Aw Boon Haw, the Tiger from Nanyang: Social Entrepreneurship, Transregional Journalism, and Public Culture.” The Business of Culture: Cultural Entrepreneurs in China and Southeast Asia, 1900-65, edited by Christopher Rea and Nicolai Volland, UBC Press, 2015, pp. 121-149.