Home to close to 60 per cent of the world’s population, Asia is the largest and by far the most populous continent. It is also extremely diverse, physically and culturally. Asian countries and regions have their own distinctive histories, cultural traditions, religious beliefs and political systems, and they have often pursued different routes to development. Asian populations also present a striking array of demographic characteristics and stages of demographic transition. This handbook is the first to provide a comprehensive study of population change across the whole of Asia. Comprising 28 chapters by more than 40 international experts this handbook examines demographic transitions on the continent, their considerable variations, their causes and consequences, and their relationships with a wide range of social, economic, political and cultural processes. Major topics covered include: population studies and sources of demographic data; historical demography; family planning and fertility decline; sex preferences; mortality changes; causes of death; HIV/AIDS; population distribution and migration; urbanization; marriage and family; human capital and labour force; population ageing; demographic dividends; political demography; population and environment; and Asia’s demographic future. This handbook provides an authoritative and comprehensive reference for researchers, policymakers, academics, students and anyone who is interested in population change in Asia and the world.

The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Brunei presents an overview of significant themes, issues, and challenges pertinent to Brunei Darussalam in the twenty-first century. Multidisciplinary in coverage, the contributions cover topics relating to philology, history, religion, language and literature, geography, international relations, economics, politics and sociocultural traditions. The Handbook is structured in eight parts: Foundations History Faith and Ethnicity Literature Language and Education Economics Material Culture Empowerment Chapters focus on the recent past and contemporary developments in this unique country which has remained a Malay Muslim sultanate, sustaining its religious and traditional heritage encapsulated in the national philosophy, Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB, Malay Islamic Monarchy). The MIB philosophy represents the sultanate’s three pillars of social, cultural, political and economic sustainability, and the contributors discuss this concept in relation to the notion of ‘Malay’ or ‘Malaydom’, the official religion of the nation-state, Islam and monarchy as the essential system of government. This Handbook is an invaluable reference work for students of Asian and Southeast Asian Studies and researchers interested in what is demographically the smallest country within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Handbook examines contemporary trends and issues in the formation of families over the different stages of the life cycle and how they interact with family-oriented social policies of modern welfare states, mainly in the OECD countries of Western Europe, East Asia and the U.S. Focusing largely on family needs in the early stages of the life course, the conventional package of policies tends to emphasize programs and benefits clustered around measures to support marriage, childbearing, care, the reconciliation of employment and childcare during the preschool years. Drawing on a multidisciplinary group of experts from many countries, this book extends the conventional perspective on family policy by also looking at later phases of the family life course. In taking a life course perspective, this Handbook extends the purview to encompass the three main stages of family life. These are (1) cohabitation, marriage and starting a family; (2) the early years of parenting, care and employment, and (3) the period of transitions and later life: family breakdown and intergenerational supports across the life course.

This comprehensive handbook provides an overview and update of the issues, theories, processes, and applications of the social science of population studies. The volume's 30 chapters cover the full range of conceptual, empirical, disciplinary, and applied approaches to the study of demographic phenomena. This book is the first effort to assess the entire field since Hauser and Duncan's 1959 classic, The Study of Population. The chapter authors are among the leading contributors to demographic scholarship over the past four decades. They represent a variety of disciplines and theoretical perspectives as well as interests in both basic and applied research.

The demographic future of Asia is a global issue. As the biggest driver of population growth, an understanding of patterns and trends in fertility throughout Asia is critical to understand our shared demographic future. This is the first book to comprehensively and systematically analyse fertility across the continent through the perspective of individuals themselves rather than as a consequence of top-down government policies.

This volume is a collection of articles that examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected and intersected with various Southeast Asian contexts in the broad areas of migration, education and demographic policy. At the height of the pandemic from 2020‒22, the resulting restrictions to international travel, ensuing nationwide lockdowns and eventual economic crises formed part of what many commentators referred to as a “new normal”. Apart from being a global health crisis, the pandemic disrupted and transformed the experience of everyday life at all levels of society, where many of its effects are now likely irreversible. In particular, the impact of the pandemic certainly affected the most vulnerable individuals and communities throughout the region, especially in countries that are experiencing rapid ageing such as Singapore and Thailand. Examples of the most affected include low-wage migrant workers, the disabled and the children of impoverished families. For many who were already living in a state of precarity, the structural “side-effects” of the pandemic were at times more deadly than the coronavirus itself as it often negatively impacted livelihood, social-emotional ties and overall well-being. At the same time, the “new normal” has further created conditions that raise the likelihood of occupational precarity even for long-term professionals within established fields like education. In other words, few experienced the COVID-19 pandemic without encountering both tangible and intangible challenges, regardless of where one was situated. Hence, by merging the theme of precarity with that of the pandemic’s undeniable and exacerbating effects, this volume hopes to establish a useful platform to reflect and learn from a range of scholarly views and to contribute to new knowledge and inform policymaking in Southeast Asian societies. "This volume is a collection of thoughtful scholarship that examines the challenges that have been made more acute by the COVID-19 pandemic among and between Southeast Asian populations. The chapters here consider how the global public health crisis and its policy responses have aggravated various forms of precarity that had taken root in pockets of Southeast Asian societies. While history will be the ultimate judge of the true social and cultural consequences of COVID-19 policy responses, Populations and Precarity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Southeast Asian Perspectives is an urgent reminder that while the worst of the pandemic may be behind us, much more remains to be done to relieve the most vulnerable among our populations of a different kind of long COVID."--Associate Professor Lim Lee Ching, Dean of S R Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences "We have all witnessed the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on our daily lives. This was especially true in areas such as Southeast Asia where local and regional economies rely on the movement of workers, both skilled and unskilled. The compilation of chapters in this volume provides an interesting examination of the struggles faced by many in Southeast Asia during this difficult period. Readers will realize that what was merely an inconvenience for some people was life altering for others. I highly recommend reading this book to increase awareness of the hidden consequences of such global catastrophes and perhaps better prepare for the next global event. It is hoped that this collection will inspire actions to resolve some of the current issues faced by vulnerable populations."--Professor Gary La Point, Professor of Practice in Supply Chain, Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University "A fascinating book that provides an insightful analysis of the 'new normal' and the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in key areas such as migration, housing, education, disaster management, and ageing in Southeast Asia. The book provides invaluable perspectives and knowledge for social policymakers and students in Southeast Asia and beyond." --Dr Sorasich Swangsilp, Director, Social Policy & Development (SPD) Programme (BA International Programme), Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University "Populations and Precarity during the COVID-19 Pandemic provides a timely addition to our understanding of how the pandemic disrupted key areas of everyday life in Southeast Asia, a multi-ethnic and complex region. Thematically diverse and empirically rich, this book is an interdisciplinary collaboration that deserves academic attention."--Professor Jongryul Choi, Chair of the Department of Sociology, Keimyung University, South Korea

A highly comprehensive ethnographic analysis, Resilience and Familism demonstrates in a specifically Filipino context how strong familial ties can affect inner strength and outer determination.