Economic Stress, Human Capital, and Families in Asia: Research and Policy Challenges (Quality of Life in Asia Book 4)

This book presents recent findings about the consequences and policy implications of economic stress for human capital development and family well-being in Asia. The scope of the chapters goes beyond the impact of current financial crisis to include the effect of economic deprivation families in Asia experience as a result of job loss, low-wage employment, and catastrophic natural calamities. The studies show how macro-level economic stress can filter down through households to affect individuals’ economic and socio-psychological well-being. The chapters reveal a wide spectrum of economic stresses experienced by families in Asia that is linked to poor human capital development, emotional distress, health problems, changing fertility patterns, more frequent geographic movement, and less supportive parenting behavior. The elderly, women, children, low-skilled workers are particularly vulnerable. The economic shocks in the past several decades have exposed the vulnerability of the family institution and the weaknesses in this region’s social protection system that can lead to detrimental long-term effects on human capital development. This book is relevant for researchers and students in fields such as Family Studies, Globalization, Development, Social Problems, Social Stratification, Social Inequalities, Poverty and Welfare, Education, and Social Policies. Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Economic Stress, Human Capital, and Families in Asia: Research and Policy Challenges....Pages 1-21 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 Global Financial Crisis and Economic and Social Challenges for Asia and the Pacific....Pages 25-38 The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Children in East Asia and the Pacific: A UNICEF Perspective (2009–2010)....Pages 39-56 The Long Reach of Early Childhood Poverty....Pages 57-70 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 The 1997 Economic Crisis, Changes in the Pattern of Achieved Fertility and Ideal Number of Children in Korea....Pages 73-89 Abandoned or Abandoning Men: Economic Stress, Gender Relations, and Migration of Filipinas to Singapore....Pages 91-104 Economic Insecurity and Husband-to-Wife Physical Assault in Hong Kong: The Role of Husband’s Power Motive....Pages 105-127 Front Matter....Pages 129-129 Economic Stress and Health Among Rural Chinese Elderly....Pages 131-149 Poverty, Perceived Economic Strain, and Psychological Distress Among Thai Older Adults....Pages 151-168 Front Matter....Pages 169-169 Social Networks and Reduction of Risk in Disasters: An Example of the Wenchuan Earthquake....Pages 171-182 Human and Social Capital Dynamics in Economic Crises: The Impact on Poor Chinese Migrant Children in Hong Kong During the Far East Economic Crisis....Pages 183-194 Front Matter....Pages 195-195 Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs): A Child Policy Strategy in Asia....Pages 197-220 The Impact of Economic Crises on Health: Past Evidence and Policy Implications for Asia....Pages 221-239 Policy Responses in an Unstable Globalized Economy: Multi-stressed Low-Earning Families in Singapore....Pages 241-258 Conclusion and Policy Implications....Pages 259-261 Back Matter....Pages 263-270 This book presents the most current findings about the consequences and policy implications of economic stress for human capital development and family well-being in Asia. The scope of these articles goes beyond the impact of current financial crisis to include the effect of economic deprivation families in Asia experience as a result of job loss, marital dissolution, low-wage employment, and catastrophic natural calamities.