Asian Social Research Articles

Rethinking Knowledge Production and Circulation in Comparative and International Education: Southern Theory, Postcolonial Perspectives, and Alternative Epistemologies

Rethinking Knowledge Production and Circulation in Comparative and International Education: Southern Theory, Postcolonial Perspectives, and Alternative Epistemologies

Does marriage really matter to health? Intra- and inter-country evidence from China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea.

BackgroundThe health benefits of marriage have been demonstrated mainly by studies on Western populations. This study aims to test whether the benefits are also valid in East Asian populations.Methodology/Principal FindingsIndividuals (n = 8,538) from China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea were sampled from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey. The association between self-rated health status and two marriage-related independent variables was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. In a two-level analysis for individuals from all countries, married individuals were more likely to report very good or good health compared to their never-married counterparts [odds ratio (OR) 1.56; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.16−2.10]. However, the addition of marital satisfaction disintegrated the significant association of marriage with self-rated health. Married individuals in satisfying marriages were more likely to report very good or good health compared with never-married individuals (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.37−2.50). In contrast, married individuals in dissatisfying marriages were as likely to report very good or good health as never-married individuals (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.50−1.24). In a one-level analysis for each country, the importance of marital satisfaction varied greatly across countries. Unlike in other countries, in Japan, married individuals in dissatisfying marriages were about half as likely to report very good or good health as never-married individuals (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31−0.83), thereby showing no significant benefits from marriage with regard to self-rated health.Conclusion/SignificanceThe present study of East Asian countries suggests that marital satisfaction is of greater importance in determining self-rated health than marriage itself, and that the importance of marital satisfaction varies across countries. Further research is required to better understand the relationship between marital satisfaction and self-rated health in different socio-cultural settings, and to establish effective social policies aiming at improving public health.

Associations of subjective social status with physical activity and body mass index across four Asian countries.

Objective. The aims of this study were to (1) assess physical activity and weight status differences and (2) explore the direction and shape of subjective social status (SSS) association with physical activity and weight status within four Asian countries. Methods. Cross section data of adult respondents from the nationally representative East Asian Social Survey were used for analyses. Logistic regression stratified by gender was conducted for the first aim, and simple and quadratic logistic regression models were used for the second. Results. SSS was significantly associated with odds of weekly or daily physical activity across all countries and genders, except for South Korean and Japanese females. Quadratic models provided significantly better fit for Chinese males (LR (d.f. = 1) = 6.51, P value <.05) and females (LR (d.f. = 1) = 7.36, P value <.01), South Korean males (LR (d.f. = 1) = 4.40, P value <.05), and Taiwanese females (LR (d.f. = 1) = 4.87, P value <.05). Conclusions. This study provides a comparable cross Asian country measure of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and new findings that a connection exists between SSS and physical activity. Differences of class distinction help explain the different shaped SSS relationships.

Book Review: East Asian Social Movements: Power, Protest, and Change in a Dynamic Region (Nonprofit and Civil Society Studies), by J.Broadbent &amp; V.Brockman

Book Review: <i>East Asian Social Movements: Power, Protest, and Change in a Dynamic Region (Nonprofit and Civil Society Studies)</i>, by J.Broadbent &amp; V.Brockman

Relational Dynamics Within a Southeast Asian Social Service Agency

There is a growing literature that describes the benefits and challenges of collaboration among schools, counsellors, and the families of students. This literature, however, is largely drawn from Western cultural settings and from situations where the different collaborators exist as essentially separate entities. This article seeks to add to and broaden that literature by reporting on a social service agency in Southeast Asia that works with often highly traumatized children and young people. A qualitative, life history approach is used to report on the experiences and perceptions of counsellors, teachers, and foster-care parents, who are all employed by the agency and who contribute their differing roles to the care and development of the young people. The insights of the groups are presented, and the findings are discussed in the context of existing literature, with particular attention to issues of positioning and power. Attention is drawn to the role of agency senior leadership and to the importance of professional development that attends to broad issues of relational dynamics, not just specifics of service provision.

Religion and Educational Attainment in East Asia: First Evidence from the East Asian Social Survey

In this research note, I analyse the effects of religion on educational attainment in four East Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan) using the East Asian Social Survey. Controlling for a host of background variables, ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates of educational attainment show that Catholics and Orthodox Christians have on average more education than those with no religious affiliation, while the followers of other Eastern religions (including, among others, Taoism and syncretistic beliefs) have on average less education. The effects for Protestantism and Buddhism differ across the four different countries, probably because they both include various denominations and schools.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE NEWS

Journal of Policy Analysis and ManagementVolume 32, Issue 4 p. 905-909 International Conference News INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE NEWS ASIAN SOCIAL PROTECTION IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Karen J. Baehler, Karen J. BaehlerSearch for more papers by this authorDouglas J. Besharov, Douglas J. BesharovSearch for more papers by this author Karen J. Baehler, Karen J. BaehlerSearch for more papers by this authorDouglas J. Besharov, Douglas J. BesharovSearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 August 2013 https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21722Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume32, Issue4Autumn 2013Pages 905-909 RelatedInformation

Self-rated health and its determinants in Japan and South Korea

To compare self-rated health and its determinants between Japanese and South Koreans. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2496 and 1576 adults (aged ≥20 years) in Japan and Korea, respectively, who completed the 2010 East Asian Social Survey. Ordinal logistic regression was conducted to identify significant factors for self-rated health in the two nations. Japan has a lower level, and a smaller variance, of self-rated health than Korea. This study confirmed traditional results by finding that socio-economic status, daily activity and physical exercise had positive effects on self-rated health; and chronic disease, overweight/obesity and smoking had negative effects on self-rated health. In addition, this study found that: middle-aged (40s/50s) Japanese have lower self-rated health than younger (20s/30s) Japanese; living with a spouse has a negative impact on self-related health in both Japanese and Koreans in their 20s/30s; and mental factors (i.e. happiness, hopelessness and mental health problems) have a greater impact on self-rated health in Japanese than in Koreans, whereas the reverse is true for physical health problems. This study found that many health dynamics depend on the unique context of each nation. Moreover, this study may help to inform the direction of future research on self-rated health and its determinants in other Asian nations.

A comparative analysis of intergenerational relations in East Asia

Due to rapid aging of populations in East Asia, intergenerational relations are changing. This study examines these changes in four East Asian societies, chosen for their shared cultural background of patriarchy: China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Data were taken from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey. The authors’ analyses show that in these four East Asian societies, contemporary intergenerational relations reveal both continuity and change. Despite changing family structures, co-residence between generations remains clearly patriarchal, and the main flow of intergenerational support is still from adult children to parents. The dominant patriarchal culture also expresses itself in the continuing influence of filial norms on intergenerational relations, in that sons tend to perform various filial duties much more than daughters. However, the emergence of prolonged co-residence of young, unmarried and less educated adult children with their parents implies that the traditional pattern of intergenerational support in East Asia is changing. In addition, while filial norms remain strong the actual practice of filial responsibility may be shared among adult siblings with various resources. The study concludes that intergenerational relations in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan share similar features, in that both change and continuity of relational patterns are observed.

Changing East Asian Families: Values and Behaviors

This special set of three articles reports the findings of comparative studies of family values and relationships based on the unique East Asian Social Survey (EASS) data set. The design of the EASS was intended to facilitate comparisons between East Asian countries and, also, to address debates concerning the impact on them of contemporary global developments affecting their own social structures as well as delineating unique features when comparing them with their western counterparts. Each of these studies provides a different perspective from which to assess the continuing importance of family values and their impact on family practices or behaviours which are often posited as a distinctive feature of East Asian societies.

Filial piety in contemporary Chinese societies: A comparative study of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China

This study investigates the functions and implications of contemporary filial piety in three Chinese societies, namely, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, using large-scale cross-national datasets from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey. Despite the shared Confucian cultural values among these three societies, they have sharply differed in their paths toward modernization and in the development of their sociopolitical structures over the last century. The authors propose that the implications and influences of filial piety tend to be more similar in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but may be different in China because of profound differences in its sociopolitical system. Using the dual filial piety model as the baseline for comparative analyses, the results show that dual filial piety can be found in all three societies, although there are some componential alterations in China. The study also goes beyond the common practice of treating filial piety within the confines of caring for family elders by considering its functional utility to influence an individual’s sociopsychological outcomes. The regression results support the significance of dual filial piety and its close association with various aspects of daily life in contemporary Chinese societies.

Global Exposure and Openness: Comparative Analysis of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

Abstract This empirical study investigates the phenomenon of global mobility and networking at a quotidian level. A typology of global experience is constructed to characterize the qualitative distinctions among individuals’ involvement in global flows. Derived from our understanding of individual border-crossing mobility and transnational relationships, we propose a system of four contrasts: the “global exposed,” “global surfer,” “networked,” and the “local.” Using East Asian Social Survey data, our empirical study compares three Asian countries. It is found that Japan produces more global surfers while Taiwan and South Korea produce more of the global exposed. Locals, however, still account for a large share of the population in all three countries. This study further investigates global exposure as a class-stratified phenomenon by modeling it on various socio-economic variables as well as on speaking English as a form of cultural capital. A multinomial logistic regression analysis shows that the “global exposed” group represents a very select population with rich resources and capital. Despite this notable difference – or perhaps because of it – they, as well as the globally networked, are found to be more likely to accept the increase in foreign workers, imports, and foreign cultural artifacts than are locals and global surfers.

Methodology and Challenges of the Comparative Study of East Asian Social Policy

Methodology and Challenges of the Comparative Study of East Asian Social Policy

East Asian Social Movements. Edited by Jeffrey Broadbent and Vicky Brockman. New York: Springer, 2011. 516 pp. $119.95.

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Jeffrey Broadbent and Vicky Brockman (eds): East Asian Social Movements: Power, Protest, and Change in a Dynamic Region

Jeffrey Broadbent and Vicky Brockman (eds): East Asian Social Movements: Power, Protest, and Change in a Dynamic Region

‘Labour Processes’ Across the Indo-Pacific: Towards a Comparative Analysis of Civilisational Necessities

This paper initiates a comparative analysis of the labour process in three different social systems in order to shed light on the singularities of East Asian social forms. The point of departure for the project highlights the place of substitution central to the labour process in the West. There time's flow entails the replacement of human ingenuity by mechanical power and so distils into Western culture a fascination with the possibilities of substitution that governs much private and public life. It suggests the problem of ‘Civilisation’ derives from this process. By contrast, social life in the South Pacific, amidst cultures historically contiguous with those in East Asia, focuses on flows from original conditions. In this context social life follows organising sequences, not substitution. There follows and features a mimetic singularity of ascribed, ranked socially appropriate and chained action and reaction. East Asia shares with the South Pacific a mimetic aesthetic of sequence, rank and singularity, but there social process transforms into a centralising mass defined by epochal discontinuities organising the flows of life: Understanding that result is the ‘problem’ of East Asian sociality.

Dependency, Globalization and Overseas Sex‐related Consumption by East Asians

ABSTRACTPrevious research has used dependency theory to explain sex consumption by rich, northern men travelling to ‘developing countries’. Little is known about how this perspective can be applied to sex‐related consumption by tourists from non‐western regions. Analyzing the East Asian Social Survey of 2008, we found that many eastern Asians had engaged in sex‐related entertainments abroad. People from the newly rich countries had become exploiters of sexual services in peripheral countries. East Asian tourists also went west and north bound overseas for sexual pleasures. We argue that the increasing economic activities and travelling opportunities across borders may better explain the overseas sex‐related consumption of eastern Asians than dependency theory. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Intergenerational Coresidence in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan: Comparative Analyses Based on the East Asian Social Survey 2006

A high percentage of elderly parents who live with their adult children is one of the notable living arrangement patterns among senior citizens in East Asia. The present study investigated intergenerational coresidence in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan by using data from East Asian Social Survey 2006. With a sample of couples aged between 20 to 59 who are married, and those whose parents are alive, determinants of intergenerational coresidence were examined by logistic regression. The results revealed that while sharing similar patriarchal norms, intergenerational coresidence has been functioning somewhat differently depending on the socioeconomic condition of each society. In Taiwan, the association between traditional values and coresidence was relatively strong. In South Korea, external constraints may hinder coresidence although their preference and needs for coresidence were high. In Japan, untraditional coresidence that satisfies adult children’s needs was prevalent. In China, both traditional values and needs of parents and adult children were related to coresidence. Implication of differences among East Asian societies is briefly discussed.

Filial norms and intergenerational support to aging parents in China and Taiwan

Lin J‐P, Yi C‐C. Filial norms and intergenerational support to aging parents in China and TaiwanInt J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: S109–S120 © 2011 The Author(s), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.This study compared intergenerational relations in China and Taiwan. It has been assumed that cultural homogeneity results in filial norms being the shared dominant family value. However, due to different socio‐economic experiences, other situational factors could produce different effects in China and Taiwan. Specifically, geographical distance, parental demands, and children's resources were incorporated in the analysis. We suspected that different situational factors might interact with filial norms in producing varying effects on intergenerational support. Data were taken from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey. Results confirmed that the patriarchal family model of intergenerational support remains strong in both China and Taiwan. The traditional Chinese filial norms significantly accounted for all aspects of intergenerational support examined.

What is Social Policy? Understanding the Welfare State

Health & Social Care in the CommunityVolume 19, Issue 1 p. 111-112 What is Social Policy? Understanding the Welfare State Iestyn Williams PhD, Iestyn Williams PhD Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UKSearch for more papers by this author Iestyn Williams PhD, Iestyn Williams PhD Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 10 December 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2524.2010.00974_7.x Book reviews Edited by Iestyn Williams PhD, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK Read the full textAboutRelatedInformationPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessClose modalShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume19, Issue1January 2011Pages 111-112 RelatedInformation RecommendedSocial workers’ attitudes towards social welfare policyIdit Weiss-Gal, John Gal, International Journal of Social WelfareSocial Policy, Welfare StateFranz-Xaver Kaufmann, Lutz Leisering, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, [1]Redefining Welfare: Australian Social Policy and PracticeLesley Chenoweth, Asian Social Work and Policy ReviewNorway: relevance of the social development model for post‐War welfare policyEspen Dahl, Jon Anders Drøpping, Ivar Lø, International Journal of Social WelfareWelfare state regimes and family policy: a longitudinal analysisJing Guo, Neil Gilbert, International Journal of Social Welfare