Bong Joo Lee - Böcker

Global processes have an increasing influence on local contexts and the nature and distribution of opportunities among populations across the globe. While capital and population mobility, advances in information and communications technology, and economic liberalization have fostered economic development, industrialization, and wealth for some, they have also engendered growing inequalities in income, prosperity, well-being, and access. Those left behind by these global transformations often experience not only material deprivation, but broader dislocation from the contexts, institutions, and capabilities that provide access to social and economic opportunity. The concept of "social exclusion" has been widely adopted to describe the conditions of economic, social, political, and/or cultural marginalization experienced by particular groups of people due to extreme poverty, discrimination, dislocation, and disenfranchisement. This book explores the dynamics of social exclusion within the context of globalization across four countries--China, India, South Korea, and the United States. In particular, it examines how social exclusion is defined, manifested, and responded to with regard to diverse social arenas and processes, varying mechanisms and scales, and a range of impacted populations. Based on collaborative research activities and in-depth deliberation among leading scholars from major academic institutions in each of the four aforementioned countries, the volume provides a rich account of the interplay between globalization and social exclusion, while highlighting the ways in which responses may be more or less effective in different contexts. Its insights will be of particular interest to academics, researchers, and students across diverse social science disciplines.

This test is an outcome of an innovative and unique endeavour: that of the international project "Measuring and Monitoring Children's Well-Being", which involved some 80 experts from 27 countries working together for four years to redefine the concept of children's well-being and to suggest new indicators - beyond survival and basic needs - to measure and monitor the status of children. The reader will find a sound rationale for conducting such studies and for a consistent and thorough attempt to study and monitor children's well-being. Furthermore, the book presents extensive analysis of the field of child well-being indicators and the various projects and studies that are under way. A newly defined context for children's well-being is presented, as well as a set of five "new" domains and some 49 indicators that are recommended for measuring and monitoring children's well-being. Finally, the book discusses how such indicators could be used in the communities where children are living and in the policy-making process in order to promote children's well-being.This book should appeal to sociologists, anthropologists, social psychologists, social workers, social paedagogues, social paediatricians and other child-related professionals.