Naoki Yoshihara, Fluidity of Place: Globalization and the Transformation of Urban Space (Hardcover)

Fluidity of Place presents an interdisciplinary conversation with theories of space-time, place and globalization at the cutting edge of social theory. Focussing on the construction of urban space in the context of hyper-mobility, Yoshihara examines the social relations that form place in a globalized world. The first half of the book discusses globalization theory and looks at place in relation to the fluidity brought about by recent technological advances. The second half details the construction of understandings of Asian mega-cities, particularly Jakarta, and examines the realities behind narratives of overurbanization in light of globalization and the concomitant fluidity of place. Yoshihara makes a compelling argument about the competing claims to place in a world where the nation-state has lost control of its borders.

Koichi Hasegawa and Naoki Yoshihara (eds), Globalization, Minorities and Civil Society: Perspectives from Asian and Western Cities (Paperback)

One effect of globalization has been urban restructuring in various cities of Asia, increasing migration from Asia to European cities and the intensification of debates about citizenship. The multi-dimensional constellations of ethnic minorities in Asian and European cities have become increasingly divided, stratified and segmented. The post-colonial legacy permeates these phenomena. This book examines developments in Asia and Europe on the basis of fieldwork surveys, examining anti-globalization movements and minority group dissent at the local level, and their effects on civil society. Chapters include studies of the homeless in Manila, Thai-Chinese residents in Bangkok, Islam in Bali and the Bangladesh community in London.

Mutsuhiko Shima (ed.), Status and Stratification: Cultural Forms in East ans Southeast Asia (Paperback)

Exploring the myriad ways that status and stratification manifest in different cultural contexts, this collection presents in-depth studies of a variety of cultural forms in Asia. The first of its three parts focuses upon status concepts among the Japanese, providing case studies that examine the special professional status of doctors in feudal Japan, the offspring of fugitive warrior clans in agrarian communities today, ten centuries later, and personal accounts of celebrity sports figures reflecting upon how they are regarded by their fans. The second part shifts the focus to East Asia, presenting cases of late imperial China, contemporary Taiwan and Korea to investigate how different kinship groups define statusand stratification. The third part then turns to Southeast Asia, including Jakarta, Bali and Hanoi, examining the cultural forms of status in local health care services, public security activities, and the interactions between labourers and their employers. All of these studies are based upon culturally-sensitive qualitative fieldwork and thus offer a much deeper understanding of these phenomena than conventional quantitative studies.

Atsuko Suzuki (ed.), Gender and Career in Japan (Paperback)

Gender has long been a major determinant of individuals�f work-career and life trajectory in Japanese society. The complexity of this social phenomenon has inspired the five contributors to this volume, edited by Atsuko Suzuki, to probe the nature and ramifications of changing gender norms in Japan from a multidisciplinary perspective incorporating sociology, social psychology and economics. As they seek to elucidate the mutual interrelationship between the macro and micro dimensions of society and the individual, the various contributors also challenge the unfairness inherent in the association between career and gender, and promote a deeper understanding of the issues involved, in anticipation of their resolution. The specificity and universality of Japan�fs situation is further highlighted by comparison with its near neighbor, Korea.

Atsuko Suzuki (ed.), Gender and Career in Japan (Hardcover)

This is a hardcover edition.

Ken-ichi Ohbuchi (ed.), Social Justice in Japan: Concepts, Theories and Paradigms (Paperback)

Fairness has steadily emerged as an important pivotal point of evaluation among the Japanese when examining social issues. Until now, however, there was insufficient investigation into issues relating to the Japanese view of justice, such as the criteria the Japanese use to judge fairness, the cognitive processes of fairness-judgement, or how evaluating a certain social event as fair or unfair alters people�fs responses to that event. This book is a compilation of papers by Japanese scholars who are grappling with these very issues.

The authors are researchers from the fields of social psychology and sociology, and they approach the question of the Japanese view of fairness through diverse methods, including theoretical analysis, mathematical analysis, laboratory experimentation, survey research, and field studies.

Ken-ichi Ohbuchi (ed.), Social Justice in Japan: Concepts, Theories and Paradigms (Hardcover)

This is a hardcover edition.

Yoshimichi Sato (ed.), Deciphering Stratification and Inequality: Japan and Beyond (Paperback)

Opening with a theoretical discussion of social stratification and inequality, this volume presents several case studies that examine such issues as migration, class identification, employment practices and status homogeny. The book also contextualizes the Japanese examples with international comparisons.

Yoshimichi Sato (ed.), Deciphering Stratification and Inequality: Japan and Beyond (Hardcover)

This is a hardcover edition.

Yoshimichi Sato, Intentional Social Change: A Rational Choice Theory (Paperback)

Why do some efforts to implement social change succeed while others fail? Sato observes that existing theories focus on social action at either the micro or the macro level, and are therefore unable to explain the transitions between these levels. In this book, Sato argues that efforts to effect social change at the macro level stimulate responses at the micro level. The accumulation of these micro-level social actions determines the macro level social outcomes. It is therefore the hitherto neglected multi-level transitions that require explanation if we are to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of intentional social changes. Sato turns to rational choice theory and game theory to analyze such transitions, in the process mounting a defense of methodological individualism. Through an intricate combination of theoretical and empirical explorations, he concludes that intentional social change is successful when change agents anticipate and control for the possible range of responses available to micro-level social actors such that the latter's responses to the change agent's endeavors accumulate towards the desired outcome.

Yoshimichi Sato, Intentional Social Change: A Rational Choice Theory (Hardcover)

This is a hardcover edition.

Junsuke Hara and Kazuo Seiyama, Inequality amid Affluence: Social Stratification in Japan (Paperback)

The two leading sociologists of social stratification in Japan argue that most Japanese have attained a level of income in which they no longer suffer from poverty and starvation, a situation in which Japan has achieved an equalization of 'basic wealth.' However, at the same time, there has been no progress towards the equalization of 'upper wealth.' Inequalities exist in many areas including income, assets, academic background, occupation, gender and lifestyles.

Junsuke Hara and Kazuo Seiyama, Inequality amid Affluence: Social Stratification in Japan (Hardcover)

This is a hardcover edition.

Koichi Hasegawa, Constructing Civil Society in Japan: Voices of Environmental Movements (Paperback)

Based on four epoch-making case studies, this book offers an overview of contemporary Japan's changing attitudes and policies regarding environmental issues. Beginning in the 1970s, the author traces the way the rapid growth of environmental politics and actions contributed to the development of a vibrant civil society. It is argued that recent environmental movements in Japan have created a new, more active public sphere, one that provides a guideline for a sustainable society. This book represents an important contribution to the growing field of environmental sociology.

Koichi Hasegawa, Constructing Civil Society in Japan: Voices of Environmental Movements (Hardcover)

This is a hardcover edition.