Books in the Comparative Development and Policy in Asia series

Discusses civic engagement and public policymaking in postcolonial Hong Kong. Utilizing case studies of citizens' advisory committees involving four policy areas - urban planning, social welfare policy, environmental protection, and arts and culture policy - this book examines the interaction between the state and civil society.

This book argues that the current state of China requires an important paradigm shift in the way the party-state manages the country's development, and goes on to assess the fitness of the party-state for implementing such a paradigm shift and the likelihood of the party-state bringing this about.

The Chinese government has recently adopted a radical welfare approach by contracting out social services to non-governmental organisations. This is a big departure from its traditional welfare model, whereby all public services were directly delivered by government agencies.

This book critically and comprehensively examines Chinäs welfare development amidst its rapid economic growth and increasing social tensions. It covers the main policy areas from Chinäs inception of the open door policy in 1978 to the new administration of Jinping Xi and Keqiang Li, including social security, health, education, housing, employment, rural areas, migrant workers, children and young people, disabled people, old age pensions and non-governmental organisations. In particular, it critically analyses the impact of policy changes on the well-being of Chinese people

Social policy in modern industrialised societies is increasingly challenged by new social risks. These include insecure employment resulting from ever more volatile labour markets, new family and gender relationships resulting from the growing participation of women in the labour market, and the many problems resulting from very much longer human life expectancy. Whereas once social policy had to be in step with a standardised, relatively stable and predictable life course, it now has to cope with non-standardised individual preferences, life courses and families, and the consequent increased risks and uncertainties. This book examines these new life courses and their impact on social policy across a range of East Asian societies. It shows how governments and social welfare institutions have been slow to respond to the new challenges. In response, we propose a life-course sensitised policy as an approach to manage these risks. Overall, the book provides many new insights which will assist advance social policy in East Asia.

This book explores how the policy-making process is changing in the very volatile conditions of present day mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It considers the overall background conditions ΓÇô the need to rebalance in mainland China after years of hectic economic growth; governance transition and democratic consolidation in Taiwan; and governance crisis in Hong Kong under a regime of uncertain legitimacy. It examines the various actors in the policy-making process ΓÇô the civic engagement of ordinary people and the roles of legislators, mass media and bureaucracy ΓÇô and discusses how these actors interact in a range of different policy cases. Throughout the book contrasts the different approaches in the three different jurisdictions, and assesses how the policy-making process is changing and how it is likely to change further.

This book assesses the current state of indigenous and minority language policy in China. It considers especially language policy in the education system, including in higher education, and provides detailed case studies of how particular ethnic minorities are being affected by the integrationist approach.

In the context of increasingly multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-ethnic modern societies, the achievement of harmony is emerging as a major challenge. This book examines the idea of harmony, and its place in politics and governance, both in theory and practice, in Asia, the West and elsewhere.

Social policy in modern industrialised societies is increasingly challenged by new social risks. These include insecure employment resulting from ever more volatile labour markets, new family and gender relationships resulting from the growing participation of women in the labour market, and the many problems resulting from very much longer human life expectancy. Whereas once social policy had to be in step with a standardised, relatively stable and predictable life course, it now has to cope with non-standardised individual preferences, life courses and families, and the consequent increased risks and uncertainties. This book examines these new life courses and their impact on social policy across a range of East Asian societies. It shows how governments and social welfare institutions have been slow to respond to the new challenges. In response, we propose a life-course sensitised policy as an approach to manage these risks. Overall, the book provides many new insights which will assist advance social policy in East Asia.

Many states in the Asia Pacific region are not built around a single homogenous people, but rather include many large, varied, different national groups. This book explores how states in the region attempt to develop commonality and a nation and the difficulties that arise. It discusses the consequences which ensue when competing narratives clash, and examines the nature of resistance to dominant narratives which arise.

This book critically and comprehensively examines Chinäs welfare development amidst its rapid economic growth and increasing social tensions. It covers the main policy areas from Chinäs inception of the open door policy in 1978 to the new administration of Jinping Xi and Keqiang Li, including social security, health, education, housing, employment, rural areas, migrant workers, children and young people, disabled people, old age pensions and non-governmental organisations. In particular, it critically analyses the impact of policy changes on the well-being of Chinese people

The search for good governance has become an important element of public policy and public management and is high on the political agenda of East Asian countries. This book focuses on how selected Asian states have responded to the impact of "liberalizing and marketizing trends" in public policy formulation and public management.

The nature of higher education is by no means fixed: it has evolved over time; different models of higher education co-exist alongside each other at present; and, worldwide, there are demands for higher education to change to better help support economic growth and to better fit chagning social and economic circumstances.　 This book examines, from an Asian perspective, the debates about how higher education should change.　 It considers questions of funding, and of who will attend universities, and the fundamental question of what universities are for, especially as the three key funcations of universities - knowledge creation through research, knowledge dissemination through teaching and service, and knowledge conservation through libraries, the disciplinary structuring of knowledge and in other ways - are increasingly being carried out much more widely outside universities in the new "knowledge society".　 Throughout, the book discusses the extent to which the countries of East Asia are developing new models of higher education, thereby better preparing themselves for the "new　 "knowledge society", rather than simply following old Western models.

This book assesses the current state of indigenous and minority language policy in China. It considers especially language policy in the education system, including in higher education, and provides detailed case studies of how particular ethnic minorities are being affected by the integrationist approach.

Examines the idea of harmony, and its place in politics and governance, both in theory and practice, in Asia, the West and elsewhere. This book explores and analyses the meanings, mechanisms, dimensions and methodologies of harmony as a normative political ideal in both Western and Asian philosophical traditions.

Analyzes the implementation of government and policy-making reform in China, focusing in particular on the reform programmes instituted since the early 1990s. This book considers the areas of reform, including the enhancement of policy-making capacity, reform of taxation and fund transfer policies, and tightening of financial control.

Examines the labour migration in China, focusing on the social dimensions, and economic aspects of the migration and development relationship. This title pays attention to policy implications, including the impact of the policy shift of the Chinese government, which has initiated policy reforms pertaining to migration.

Shows that underlying economic inequality are educational inequality and cultural exclusion, which in turn lead to problems of social mobility and thereby to poverty. This book discusses the policy and practice of education for ethnic minorities, the chauvinistic Chinese national culture, from which minorities feel excluded.

Ageing populations present considerable challenges to welfare states internationally. This book explores the causes and trends of population ageing in eight East Asian countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and discusses the challenges and impacts of population ageing on public policies.

This book explores how the policy-making process is changing in the very volatile conditions of present day mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It considers the overall background conditions ΓÇô the need to rebalance in mainland China after years of hectic economic growth; governance transition and democratic consolidation in Taiwan; and governance crisis in Hong Kong under a regime of uncertain legitimacy. It examines the various actors in the policy-making process ΓÇô the civic engagement of ordinary people and the roles of legislators, mass media and bureaucracy ΓÇô and discusses how these actors interact in a range of different policy cases. Throughout the book contrasts the different approaches in the three different jurisdictions, and assesses how the policy-making process is changing and how it is likely to change further.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of how social welfare in handled in leading East Asian countries, analysing current trends, explaining the social and political background driving reform, describing new programmes and assessing their effectiveness.