Youth And The Demographic Problems Of Asia

Recent studies show that almost all industrial countries have experienced dramatic decreases in both fertility and mortality rates. This situation has led to aging societies with economies that suffer from both a decline in the working population and a rise in fiscal deficits linked to increased government spending. East Asia exemplifies these trends, and this volume offers an in-depth look at how long-term demographic transitions have taken shape there and how they have affected the economy in the region. The Economic Consequences of Demographic Change in East Asia assembles a group of experts to explore such topics as comparative demographic change, population aging, the rising cost of health care, and specific policy concerns in individual countries. The volume provides an overview of economic growth in East Asia as well as more specific studies on Japan, Korea, China, and Hong Kong. Offering important insights into the causes and consequences of this transition, this book will benefit students, researchers, and policy makers focused on East Asia as well as anyone concerned with similar trends elsewhere in the world.

Preparing for the Challenges of Population Aging in Asia discusses the challenges posed by a rapidly aging population and identifies needed research to help policymakers better respond to them. While the percentage of elderly people in nearly every nation is growing, this aging trend is particularly stark in parts of Asia. Projections indicate that the portion of the population age 65 and older will more than triple in China, India, and Indonesia and more than double in Japan between 2000 and 2050, based on data from the United Nations. Moreover, this demographic shift is coinciding with dramatic economic and social changes in Asia, including changing family structures and large-scale migrations from rural to urban areas. These trends raise critical questions about how nations can develop policies that best support health and economic well-being in large and growing populations at older ages. Governments in Asia still have time to determine the best ways to respond to the unfolding demographic transformation, but taking advantage of this window of opportunity will require new research to shed light on the status and needs of the aging population. Currently the research base on aging in this region is relatively underdeveloped. This book identifies several key topics for research to inform public policy, including changing roles in the family; labor force participation, income, and savings; and health and well-being of the public.

This comprehensive volume explores the remarkable expansion of higher education systems and institutions in Asia in recent decades, alongside changing forms of consumerism, mobility and global economic conditions. It demonstrates how recent changes in training, education and employment have sparked new aspirations for possible and desirable livelihoods among the younger generation, while also generating fresh problems and tensions. The authors in this volume critically interrogate the links between education and employment; normative understandings about youth and adulthood; as well as personal, national and regional level aspirations for economic ‘success’. Comparative chapters on Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Nepal, Singapore and Taiwan illustrate how young people are having to forge innovative pathways into the future, while being confronted with ever increasing insecurities. Offering important insights into the kinds of education and employment landscapes that Asian youth are navigating, reworking or trying to avoid, this collection is an essential reference for students and scholars of Asian Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Development Studies, Human Geography and Youth Studies. This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Children’s Geographies.

A collection of selected and condensed reports on the broad subject of Population Change in Southeast Asia, this book represents the work of young Southeast Asian social scientists. Their research has helped to cast more light on the problems associated with rapid population growth, more specifically the areas of fertility, population mobility, family planning, the evaluation of family planning programs, and the environmental influence of demographic behaviour.