Southeast Asia

The revised edition of Southeast Asia provides a grounded account of how people in the region are responding to - and being affected by - the changes sweeping through the region. The "growth" or "miracle" economies of Southeast Asia, after having achieved one of the most remarkable transformations in recent history, suffered a sharp downturn in fortunes with the Asian economic crisis of 1997. At the same time the transitional economies of Indochina have undergone a deep process of market reform. This book unpicks the "miracle" and the "crisis" and elaborates on the process of reform. The first section of the book provides the conceptual and empirical background to the later chapters, by examining the various explanations for Asia's rapid growth, the implications of fast-track industrialization, the causes and interpretations of the economic crisis, and indigenous and alternative visions of development in the region including Buddhist and Islamic economics and the Asian Way. The second section focuses on poverty and social exclusion in the region from standard income-poverty studies to participatory methods that focus on more nuanced notions of deprivation. The third section of the

'This text should be of great value to those interested in South East Asian development in particular and development studies in general and should stimulate lively debate.' - Geographical Journal'For the student of Southeast Asia, development studies and development geography, this book provides a wealth of knowledge and insight into the inner workings of one of the world's most interesting and challenging regions. For their teacher, the book encapsulates a series of debates which will provide almost endless material for tutorial discussions' - ASEASUK News'This book reflects many years of careful scholarship and committed engagement with the region, and, as benefits a Southeast Asianist, a genuine and realistic appreciation of the ways in which development and modernization are appraised by the peoples of Southeast Asia.' - The Geographical Journal, 2005