MACMILLAN Social Equity in the Asia-Pacific Region: Conceptualizations and Realities

Review “Social equity, long viewed as one of the pillars of public administration, has historically been viewed from the perspective of Western philosophy. In this groundbreaking book, Morgen Johansen expands the conceptual framework of social equity to encompass the perspective from the Asia-Pacific region. In so doing, a sharper foundation is established for scholars committed to studying social equity as well as for practitioners dedicated to developing policies and programs to achieve social equity. Social Equity in the Asia-Pacific Region is a must-read for policymakers and scholars across disciplines.” (Norma M. Riccucci, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Public Affairs & Administration, Rutgers University, USA) “Johansen and her co-authors have created a wide-ranging compendium of country cases that examine social equity juxtaposed with a framework of four dimensions: procedural fairness; access; equality; and, outcomes. The framework hails from a Western canon. The cases, which are drawn from across the Asia-Pacific region, do not, and as such, offer a grounded assessment of how social equity is seen and practiced by public administrators in circumstances that range from Confucian systems in East Asia to post-colonial systems in the Philippines, to the indigenous networks across the South Pacific. The combination is thought-provoking, on multiple levels, and a must-read for those engaged in discourse on how social equity is realized within non-Western administrative systems.” (Jill Tao, Professor of Public Administration, Incheon National University, South Korea) Product Description This book examines the concept and public service value of social equity in public administration research and practice outside of the Western context, considering the influence that historical, cultural, and social trends of Asian and Pacific societies may have on how social equity is conceptualized and realized in the Asia-Pacific region. The book presents the results of an effort by a group of scholars from seven countries (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, The Philippines, and Singapore), one American State (the Hawaiian Islands), and the Pacific Islands to discover what social equity means in their respective contexts. It concludes by synthesizing and analyzing the chapter authors’ findings to advance a more global conceptualization of social equity. From the Back Cover This book examines the concept and public service value of social equity in public administration research and practice outside of the Western context, considering the influence that historical, cultural, and social trends of Asian and Pacific societies may have on how social equity is conceptualized and realized in the Asia-Pacific region. The book presents the results of an effort by a group of scholars from seven countries (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, The Philippines, and Singapore), one American State (the Hawaiian Islands), and the Pacific Islands to discover what social equity means in their respective contexts. It concludes by synthesizing and analyzing the chapter authors’ findings to advance a more global conceptualization of social equity. About the Author Morgen Johansen is Professor and Director of the Public Administration Program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, USA.