ABSTRACT
Asia has undergone strong economic growth since the Second World War. However, it also experiences growing economic and regional disparities brought about by this unprecedented development. This economic growth cannot be considered sustainable without taking into consideration the social development of minority populations, as well as the fundamentals of minority rights.
The chapters in this book work from the premise that an environment that favours the emergence of various conditions necessary for the development of minority populations will contribute towards further economic development and prosperity, as well as the social cohesion of the entire country. Bringing together perspectives from Economics, Development and Area Studies, Geography, Anthropology, and Sociology, the contributors provide local narratives that shed light on some of the different needs, situations, and methods of problem solving.
This diverse approach gives a nuanced perspective on social, economic and political inequality, and the ways in which people are constructing varied responses to the challenges of modernization. Through the comparison of the characteristics and realities of minority region development among countries in East and Southeast Asia, this book provides a better understanding of the development-related challenges faced by minority regions in the current context of modernization and globalization.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|153 pages
Overcoming exclusion
chapter 1|22 pages
From rebels to governors
chapter 2|15 pages
Balancing livelihoods, limited options, and the state
part II|41 pages
Development or underdevelopment?
chapter 5|19 pages
Access to education for girls in minority regions of Gansu
part III|51 pages
Ethnic integration and cultural revival