Routledge Handbook of Families in Asia

Research on the family has expanded considerably across Asia but studies tend to be fragmented, focusing on narrow issues within limited areas (cities, towns, small communities) and may not be accessible to international readers. These limitations make it difficult for researchers, students, policy makers, and practitioners to obtain the information they need. The Routledge Handbook of Families in Asia fills that gap by providing a current and comprehensive analysis of Asian families by a wide range of experts in a single publication. The thirty-two chapters of this comparative and multi-disciplinary volume are organized into nine major themes: conceptual approaches, methodological issues, family life in the context of culture, family relationships across the family life cycle, issues of work and income, stress and conflict, family diversity, family policy and laws, and environmental setting of homes. Each chapter examines family life across Asian countries, studying cultural similarities and differences and exploring how families are changing and what trends are likely to develop in the future. To provide a fruitful learning experience for the reader, each chapter offers examples, relevant data, and a comprehensive list of references. Offering a complete interdisciplinary overview of families in Asia, the Handbook will be of interest to students, academics, policy makers and practitioners across the disciplines of Asian Studies, Sociology, Demography, Social Work, Law, Social Policy, Anthropology, Geography, Public Health and Architecture. Review The most comprehensive--and the most detailed--examination of families in Asia published to date. A major achievement that significantly advances our understanding of how cultures, structures, and kin dynamics intersect. Particularly impressive is the skillful combination of comparative analysis and multidisciplinary perspective, making for a volume that has both substantive and methodological value. Essential reading for family scholars across the globe. Ralph LaRossa, Georgia State University, USA This book is remarkably revealing about both modern Asia and present-day family life in an unfamiliar cultural setting. The articles, by eminent family sociologists, all deserve close attention. The articles on dating, courtship, and the marital relationship by editor Stella Quah were especially fascinating. I also learned a lot from Susan McDaniel’s article on the family life course and Chin-chun Yi’s article on adolescence and the transition to adulthood.. Lorne Tepperman, University of Toronto, Canada About the Author Stella R. Quah is an Adjunct Professor at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, National University of Singapore.