The search for good governance has become an increasingly important element of public policy and public management and is high on the political agenda of East Asian countries. The need for robust governance structures and institutions was brought into sharp focus by the Asian Financial Crisis which adversely affected most East Asian societies. Since then they have begun to look for ways to restructure their public administration and political systems in order to develop new mechanisms and ...

Shortlisted for Best Wine Book for the 2018 Wine Communicator of the Year Awards.The Margaret River region of Australia's south-west is internationally renowned for its award-winning wines. There are now more than 200 wineries, predominantly boutique style, in the region, producing more than 20% of Australia's premium wine market.The Way It Was tells the story of the early days of the region's wine industry, from the first plantings by Dr Tom Culli...

Originally published in 1990 and drawing on extensive research, this book provides an evaluation of the impact of the growth of home ownership in the UK, and of the claims and counter-claims made for its social significance. The book examines critically the evidence for and against the proposition that mass home ownership is contributing towards a more equal society. Wide-ranging in its coverage, the book discusses the changing nature and role of home ownership, wealth accumulation and hou...

Originally published in 1995, this innovative collection provides a multidisciplinary and cross-national perspective on the links between housing, personal wealth and the family in contemporary society. Reasserting the role of the family and informal networks in housing provision, it counteracts a tendency to view housing issues in the narrow terms of market and state provision.The contributions include analyses from the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Greece, France, Sweden and Hungary, an...

Young People and Housing brings together new research exploring the economic, social, and cultural challenges that face young people in search of permanent housing. Featuring international case studies from Asia, Europe, and Australia, Young People and Housing is a collection of groundbreaking work from leading scholars in housing policy.Younger generations across a wide range of societies face increasing difficulties in gaining access to housing. Housing occupies...

In 1915 Robert Park penned his seminal paper “The City: Suggestions for the investigation of human behaviour in the city environment”. This essay provided an agenda for the Chicago School of Urban Sociology, which formed the basis of urban research for decades.Given that China’s urban centres now occupy the spotlight that once belonged to American cities, Park’s essay is a platform and point of departure for this volume, which gathers together reflections from a broad range of urba...

With the rise of wealth inequalities, our cities are changing dramatically. This collection critically engages with and advances existing debates on the super-rich and their roles in these transformations. An interdisciplinary range of contributions from international experts including sociologists, geographers, historians, discourse analysts, and urban studies specialists reveal crucial aspects of the real estate investment practices of the super-rich, their social spaces in the city as w...

From the re-emergence of Japan as an industrial power in the 1950s through to the contemporary rise of China as a potential economic and political behemoth, the story of East Asian development has been central to any serious analysis of the dynamics and trajectory of the global political economy. Integrated into a coherent, critical narrative, this book examines key political-economic and social dynamics that helped forge the ‘miracle’ economies of East Asia and continue to drive them forw...

This book critically and comprehensively examines China’s welfare development amidst its rapid economic growth and increasing social tensions. It covers the main policy areas from China’s 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,...

Since the mid-1980s, mass migration from the countryside to urban areas has been one of the most dramatic and noticeable changes in China. Labour migration has not only exerted a profound impact on China’s economy; it has also had far-reaching consequences for its social development. This book examines labour migration in China, focusing on the social dimensions of this phenomenon, as well as on the economic aspects of the migration and development relationship. It provides in-depth covera...

China's urbanization is one of the great earth-changing phenomena of recent times. The way in which China continues to urbanize will have a critical impact on the world economy, global climate change, international relations and a host of other critical issues. Understanding and responding to China's urbanization is of paramount importance to everyone. This book represents a unique exploration of the demographic, spatial, economic and social aspects of China's urban transformation....

The Peoples Republic of China celebrated its 60th anniversary on 1 October 2009. December 2008 marked 30 years since the Chinese Communist Partys decision to launch market reforms. The breathtakingly rapid economic growth witnessed after 1978 has attracted worldwide attention. But the condition of more than 350 million workers is abysmal, especially that of the migrants among them. The stagnation of peasant incomes had fuelled a huge, historically unprecedented migration into the cities—over ...