The ten countries in the ASEAN region account for approximately 5% of world gross domestic product and 8% of world population and represent the most diverse group of nations in terms of the level of prosperity, political system, culture, language, and history. This diversity in ASEAN not only helps us understand the notion of national competitiveness, but also provides important policy lessons for both developed and developing countries.This book — a collection of essays — provides insights on competitiveness challenges and policies. It provides an excellent overview of competitiveness for a group of countries at various stages of development. Written in a simple and accessible manner, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, business executives and government officials.

The ten countries in the ASEAN region account for approximately 5% of world gross domestic product and 8% of world population and represent the most diverse group of nations in terms of the level of prosperity, political system, culture, language, and history. This diversity in ASEAN not only helps us understand the notion of national competitiveness, but also provides important policy lessons for both developed and developing countries. This book - a collection of essays - provides insights on competitiveness challenges and policies. It provides an excellent overview of competitiveness for a group of countries at various stages of development. Written in a simple and accessible manner, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, business executives and government officials.

The ten countries in the ASEAN region account for approximately 5% of world gross domestic product and 8% of world population and represent the most diverse group of nations in terms of the level of prosperity, political system, culture, language, and history. This diversity in ASEAN not only helps us understand the notion of national competitiveness, but also provides important policy lessons for both developed and developing countries. This book - a collection of essays - provides insights on competitiveness challenges and policies. It provides an excellent overview of competitiveness for a group of countries at various stages of development. Written in a simple and accessible manner, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, business executives and government officials.

Internal migration and urbanization are key dimensions of the process of socioeconomic development. The unprecedented movement of peoples within the borders of their own countries is one of the greatest transformations witnessed in the 20th century. Policy analysts, especially those from developing countries where internal migration can be felt at first hand, view migration as one of the most important factors affecting the course of development. It is within this context that UNFPA convened the Symposium on Internal Migration and Urbanization in Developing Countries in January 1996 in preparation for the United Nations World Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul in June 1996. The final results of the symposium are found in this book. This volume provides a better understanding, at global level, of internal migration issues of concern to policy analysts.

"Many parents work more hours outside of the home and their lives are crowded with more obligations than ever before; many children spend their evenings and weekends trying out for all-star teams, traveling to regional and national tournaments, and eating dinner in the car while being shuttled between activities. In this vivid ethnography, based on almost 200 interviews with parents, children, coaches and teachers, Hilary Levey probes the increase in children's participation in activities outside of the home, structured and monitored by their parents, when family time is so scarce. As the parental "second shift" continues to grow, alongside it a second shift for children has emerged--especially among the middle- and upper-middle classes--which is suffused with competition rather than mere participation. What motivates these particular parents to get their children involved in competitive activities? Parents' primary concern is their children's access to high quality educational credentials--the biggest bottleneck standing in the way of, or facilitating entry into, membership in the upper-middle class. Competitive activities, like sports and the arts, are seen as the essential proving ground that will clear their children's paths to the Ivy League or other similar institutions by helping them to develop a competitive habitus. This belief, motivated both by reality and by perception, and shaped by gender and class, affects how parents envision their children's futures; it also shapes the structure of children's daily lives, what the children themselves think about their lives, and the competitive landscapes of the activities themselves"--