Routledge Research on Social Work, Social Policy and Social Development in Greater China – serie

Based on data collected through in-depth fieldwork observation and interviews in Bai Township, this book examines how women with disabilities in rural Southwest China compensate for their disability identity through marriage. As the first book to theorize the married life of rural-based women with different types of disabilities, it provides a more holistic picture of their marital life by tracing the marriage process from mate selection to wedding ceremony, reproduction and role performance. It also generates a substantive theory grounded in the real experiences of women living with disabilities with Jing Yang arguing that these women are not passive victims in the marital process, but active agents who endeavour to minimize the risk of abuse and maximize security and satisfaction in their marriage. By examining the effects of fertility, patriarchy and village society on women with disability, this book will be of huge interest to students and scholars of many disciplines, including disability studies, sociology, social work, women's studies and Chinese culture and society.

Thirty-years of economic transformation has turned China into one of the major players in the global capitalist economy. However, its economic growth has generated rising problems in inequality, alienation, and sustainability with the agrarian crises of the 1990s giving rise to real social outcry to the extent that they became the object of central government policy reformulations.Contributing to a paradigm-shift in the theory and practices of economic development, this book examines the concept of social economy in China and around the world. It offers to rethink space, economy and community in a trans-border context which moves us beyond both planned and market economies. The chapters address theoretical issues, critical reflections and case studies on the practice of social economy in the context of globalization and its attempt to create an alternative modernity. Through this, the book builds a platform for further cross-disciplinary and cross-boundary dialogue on the future of social economy in China and the world.With examples from Asia, North America, Latin America and Europe this book will not only appeal to students and scholars of Chinese and Asian social policy and development, but also those of social economy from an international perspective.

This edited volume is the first book-length study focusing entirely on mobile phone use in China. Drawing on examples from a wide range of contemporary situations in China and beyond, the contributors argue that the mobile phone is in fact an important means by which one can understand a rapidly changing China, and the developing culture of mobile phone usage reflects both the cultural norms and struggle of the people.Through a theoretical comparison of usage in the West and in China, the editors assert the uniqueness of China’s experience, highlighting that Chinese society is being exposed simultaneously to a rapid process of industrialization and cyberization. The contributors maintain that such density of experience under a compressed period combined with a thick cultural heritage and a country still under a dictating rule provides a unique situation and offers deep insights into Chinese culture in general.This work will be of great interest to all students and scholars of Asian communication studies, ICT and Chinese culture and society.

As a hybrid regime, Hong Kong has been governed by a state-business alliance since the colonial era. However, since the handover in 1997, the transformation of Hong Kong’s political and socio-economic environment has eroded the conditions that supported a viable state-business alliance. This state-business alliance, which was once a solution for Hong Kong’s governance, has now become a political burden, rather than a political asset, to the post-colonial Hong Kong state. This book presents a critical re-examination of the post-1997 governance crisis in Hong Kong under the Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang administrations. It shows that the state-business alliance has failed to function as an organizational machinery for supporting the post-colonial state, and has also served to generate new governance problems. Drawing upon contemporary theories on hybrid regimes and state capacity, this book looks beyond the existing opposition-centered explanations of Hong Kong’s governance crisis. By establishing the causal relationship between the failure of the state-business alliance and the governance crisis facing the post-colonial state, Brian C. H. Fong broadens our understanding of the governance problems and political confrontations in post-colonial Hong Kong. In turn, he posits that although the state-business alliance worked effectively for the colonial state in the past, it is now a major problem for the post-colonial state, and suggests that Hong Kong needs a realignment of a new governing coalition.Hong Kong’s Governance under Chinese Sovereignty will enrich and broaden the existing literature on Hong Kong’s public governance whilst casting new light on the territory’s political developments. As such, it will be welcomed by students and scholars interested in Chinese politics, Hong Kong politics, and governance.

The monograph examines the constructive process of class consciousness among rural migrant children in China and how their perceptions of social reality are shaped by their interactions within family, community, and school contexts.Using evidence from qualitative investigations conducted in two Beijing primary schools, one public school and one private migrant school, the author explores the nexus of social class structure, schooling process, and consciousness construction of rural migrant children, which helps readers to understand rural migrant children’s perceived way out of their social reproduction loop, foresee the future working-class formation in Chinese society, and seek the possibility of fostering a critical consciousness of China’s new workers via education channels.The book will appeal to researchers and students studying migrant children, migrant workers, and education in China. Those who research underprivileged children from the perspective of student agency/student resistance and through a Freirean lens could also be an audience for this book.

The monograph examines the constructive process of class consciousness among rural migrant children in China and how their perceptions of social reality are shaped by their interactions within family, community, and school contexts.Using evidence from qualitative investigations conducted in two Beijing primary schools, one public school and one private migrant school, the author explores the nexus of social class structure, schooling process, and consciousness construction of rural migrant children, which helps readers to understand rural migrant children’s perceived way out of their social reproduction loop, foresee the future working-class formation in Chinese society, and seek the possibility of fostering a critical consciousness of China’s new workers via education channels.The book will appeal to researchers and students studying migrant children, migrant workers, and education in China. Those who research underprivileged children from the perspective of student agency/student resistance and through a Freirean lens could also be an audience for this book.

As a hybrid regime, Hong Kong has been governed by a state-business alliance since the colonial era. However, since the handover in 1997, the transformation of Hong Kong’s political and socio-economic environment has eroded the conditions that supported a viable state-business alliance. This state-business alliance, which was once a solution for Hong Kong’s governance, has now become a political burden, rather than a political asset, to the post-colonial Hong Kong state. This book presents a critical re-examination of the post-1997 governance crisis in Hong Kong under the Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang administrations. It shows that the state-business alliance has failed to function as an organizational machinery for supporting the post-colonial state, and has also served to generate new governance problems. Drawing upon contemporary theories on hybrid regimes and state capacity, this book looks beyond the existing opposition-centered explanations of Hong Kong’s governance crisis. By establishing the causal relationship between the failure of the state-business alliance and the governance crisis facing the post-colonial state, Brian C. H. Fong broadens our understanding of the governance problems and political confrontations in post-colonial Hong Kong. In turn, he posits that although the state-business alliance worked effectively for the colonial state in the past, it is now a major problem for the post-colonial state, and suggests that Hong Kong needs a realignment of a new governing coalition.Hong Kong’s Governance under Chinese Sovereignty will enrich and broaden the existing literature on Hong Kong’s public governance whilst casting new light on the territory’s political developments. As such, it will be welcomed by students and scholars interested in Chinese politics, Hong Kong politics, and governance.

Asia has long been a testing ground for efforts to augment financial and social security by developing assets that may support individuals and households and contribute to long-term social development. Rapid growth in the number and breadth of asset-based social policies has prompted Asian scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to share lessons from current efforts and chart future directions. This book offers a unique collection of macro- and micro-level analyses on asset-based social development and compares and contrasts national social policies across the Asia Pacific region. Many asset-building policies and programmes have been undertaken in Asia, and innovative proposals continue to emerge. The contributions in this book present and assess this broad, often nuanced, and evolving landscape, and offer an insightful analysis of the evolution of asset-building policies, innovative programmes in rural populations, asset-based interventions to facilitate the development and well-being of children, as well as case studies on new, ground-breaking asset-building projects. Asset-Building Policies and Innovation in Asia will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of Asian social policy, social welfare, social development and social work.

Based on data collected through in-depth fieldwork observation and interviews in Bai Township, this book examines how women with disabilities in rural Southwest China compensate for their disability identity through marriage. As the first book to theorize the married life of rural-based women with different types of disabilities, it provides a more holistic picture of their marital life by tracing the marriage process from mate selection to wedding ceremony, reproduction and role performance. It also generates a substantive theory grounded in the real experiences of women living with disabilities with Jing Yang arguing that these women are not passive victims in the marital process, but active agents who endeavour to minimize the risk of abuse and maximize security and satisfaction in their marriage. By examining the effects of fertility, patriarchy and village society on women with disability, this book will be of huge interest to students and scholars of many disciplines, including disability studies, sociology, social work, women's studies and Chinese culture and society.

This edited volume is the first book-length study focusing entirely on mobile phone use in China. Drawing on examples from a wide range of contemporary situations in China and beyond, the contributors argue that the mobile phone is in fact an important means by which one can understand a rapidly changing China, and the developing culture of mobile phone usage reflects both the cultural norms and struggle of the people.Through a theoretical comparison of usage in the West and in China, the editors assert the uniqueness of China’s experience, highlighting that Chinese society is being exposed simultaneously to a rapid process of industrialization and cyberization. The contributors maintain that such density of experience under a compressed period combined with a thick cultural heritage and a country still under a dictating rule provides a unique situation and offers deep insights into Chinese culture in general.This work will be of great interest to all students and scholars of Asian communication studies, ICT and Chinese culture and society.

Asia has long been a testing ground for efforts to augment financial and social security by developing assets that may support individuals and households and contribute to long-term social development. Rapid growth in the number and breadth of asset-based social policies has prompted Asian scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to share lessons from current efforts and chart future directions. This book offers a unique collection of macro- and micro-level analyses on asset-based social development and compares and contrasts national social policies across the Asia Pacific region. Many asset-building policies and programmes have been undertaken in Asia, and innovative proposals continue to emerge. The contributions in this book present and assess this broad, often nuanced, and evolving landscape, and offer an insightful analysis of the evolution of asset-building policies, innovative programmes in rural populations, asset-based interventions to facilitate the development and well-being of children, as well as case studies on new, ground-breaking asset-building projects. Asset-Building Policies and Innovation in Asia will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of Asian social policy, social welfare, social development and social work.