ABSTRACT

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.

part 1|22 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|20 pages

Families in Asia

A kaleidoscope of continuity and change

part 2|33 pages

Conceptualizing ‘family’ in the Asian context

part 3|33 pages

Methodological issues in family research

chapter 4|13 pages

Ascertaining family phenomena

Measuring family behaviour

part 4|120 pages

Family life in the context of culture

chapter 7|12 pages

Dating and courtship

chapter 8|15 pages

Marriage practices and trends

chapter 9|12 pages

Fertility trends in Asia

Prospects and implications of very low fertility

chapter 11|14 pages

Fatherhood in Asian contexts

part 5|48 pages

Family relationships across the life cycle

part 6|41 pages

Family, work and income

chapter 17|14 pages

Working couples

The dual-income family

chapter 19|16 pages

Social class, poverty and family life

Asian perspectives

part 7|74 pages

Uncertainty, stress and conflict in the family

chapter 21|14 pages

Spousal violence and in-law conflict in Asia

The case of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

chapter 23|14 pages

Remarriage and stepfamilies

part 8|34 pages

Family diversity

chapter 25|21 pages

Cohabitation in Asia

chapter 26|11 pages

Cohabitation

The case of Thailand

part 9|49 pages

Family policies and the law

chapter 28|16 pages

Legal protection of minors

Experiences of four common law jurisdictions in Asia

part 10|51 pages

Space and environmental settings of family life

chapter 30|25 pages

Making a home

Architectural features

chapter 31|24 pages

Working from home

Redesigning internal space use in homes