This first volume in the series examines such topics as improving public policy toward and within developing nations, economic development and decentralized government, policy evaluation methods for developing country energy issues, and the law of developing nations and super-optimum solutions.

This book describes and explains the remarkably large rural-urban divide in economic well-being that exists in China, tracing the root causes, present effects, and future implications for the increasingly marketized Chinese economy. It uses the rigorous analysis and empirical methodology of modern economics. Primarily aimed at a broad readership of development and transition economists, China specialists will also find much that is of interest.

This book offers a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to understand the trends and issues of development, governance, and dynamics of gender in the South Asian region. It familiarizes the reader with the quantitative as well as qualitative aspects of governance and development. Contributing authors pay close attention to the socio-political and economic developments in South Asia in their respective chapters. The book is divided into four parts. The first part analyzes the social and economic development of South Asia in the context of human development, state apparatus, and migration. The second part focuses on issues of good governance and human rights. Issues related to minorities and corporate governance are also discussed specifically. The third part deals with the role of media and literature in the development narratives of South Asia. The last part highlights the inter-linkages between gender narratives and development. It is a must-read for those interested in understanding the socio-economic fabrics, political dynamics, and trajectory of development in South Asia.

Recent global appropriations of public spaces through urban activism, public uprising, and political protest have brought back democratic values, beliefs, and practices that have been historically associated with cities. Given the aggressive commodification of public re- sources, public space is critically important due to its capacity to enable forms of public dis- course and social practice which are fundamental for the well-being of democratic societies. Public Space Reader brings together public space scholarship by a cross-disciplinary group of academics and specialists whose essays consider fundamental questions: What is public space and how does it manifest larger cultural, social, and political processes? How are public spaces designed, socially and materially produced, and managed? How does this impact the nature and character of public experience? What roles does it play in the struggles for the just city, and the Right to The City? What critical participatory approaches can be employed to create inclusive public spaces that respond to the diverse needs, desires, and aspirations of individuals and communities alike? What are the critical global and comparative perspectives on public space that can enable further scholarly and professional work? And, what are the futures of public space in the face of global pandemics, such as COVID-19? The readers of this volume will be rewarded with an impressive array of perspectives that are bound to expand critical understanding of public space.

In this theoretically and empirically engaging volume, the contributors demonstrate that despite the dynamism of India's software industry and the rhetorical flourishes of industry leaders, at present, the benefits of the revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs) touch only the hundreds of thousands with the right skills and access. India still needs to do more to bring the benefits of ICTs to the hundreds of millions of its citizens still living in acute poverty. The contributors take stock of the political economy implications of informational development in India.

Written by two widely published academics with many years' experience in university teaching, research and consultancy, Geographies of Development in the 21st Century provides a concise yet informative introduction to development in the contemporary Global South. Incorporating field research from Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador, the Philippines, Botswana and The Gambia, Sylvia Chant and Cathy McIlwaine bring alive a body of fascinating subject matter extending across gender, family, poverty, employment, household livelihoods, the informal economy, housing, migration, civil society, conflict and violence. Reflecting both authors' enduring interests in the academic-policy interface, the book is also informed by assignments they have undertaken for various international organisations such as the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO and the Commonwealth Secretariat. This timely and engaging volume will be an essential companion for undergraduate students taking introductory courses in development and globalisation as well as a useful reference and repository of teaching and learning ideas for those lecturing on the subject. Students will not only find this resource refreshingly accessible and user-friendly, but will be able to further their knowledge guided by annotated readings, key internet sources and a range of learning activities.

The theme of this book is the cultural construction in Zhejiang Province under the guidance of "China Dream" policy. It reviews the profound history of traditional culture in Zhejiang, and concludes with the modern practice and achievements by the local government. It reviews policies implemented in Zhejiang for the construction of socialist core values, public cultural services and cultural industry. The methodologies applied in this book mainly are living examples, case studies and policy presentations, as well as interpretations. The book covers several important areas in modern cultural scopes such as media, ideology, history and tradition, public culture construction and culture industrialization where the "China Dream" policy has the most influences. This book presents an interesting view for scholars and policy makers to better understand the important statecraft of China.

This book investigates how humanitarians balance the laws and principles of civilian protection with the realities of contemporary warzones, where non-state armed actors assert cultural, political and religious traditions that are often at odds with official frameworks. This book argues that humanitarian protection on the ground is driven not by official frameworks in the traditional sense, but by the relationships between the complex mix of actors involved in contemporary wars. The frameworks, in turn, act as a unifying narrative that preserves these relationships. As humanitarian practitioners navigate this complex space, they act as unofficial brokers, translating the official frameworks to align with the often-divergent agendas of non-state armed actors. In doing so, they provide an unofficial humanitarian fix for the challenges inherent in applying the official frameworks in contemporary wars. Drawing on rich ethnographic observations from the author's time in northern Iraq, and complemented by interviews with a range of fieldworkers and humanitarian policy makers and lawyers, this book will be a compelling read for researchers and students within humanitarian and development studies, and to practitioners and policy makers who are grappling with the contradictions this book explores.

Development and social justice are intrinsically linked. The articulation of social justice is constrained by political forces, and governance which perpetuates inequality. Poverty and inequality are quintessentially issues of social justice, not only within the nation state but between nation states. Morvaridi extends the theory of social justice to a global level, providing a new contribution to the development debate. Morvaridi analyzes radical changes within the institutions of Global Governance - IMF, The World Bank, WTO. This book examines the emergence of a rights-based approach to development as a means to addressing social injustice, poverty and inequality and considers the extent to which it has been able to influence development thinking.

The contributors to this volume bring a variety of experience, background and interest to bear on this issue and considerable attention is given to the design of appropriate structural adjustment programmes as well as the role of debt reduction, food aid and the European Community in this context. Other important issues discussed include: the link between dependent development and enviornmental degredation, the woodfuel crisis, the political economy of rural development, the transfer of institutional innovations; the role of women's organizations in development and foreign direct investment by newly industrialized countries. An important overall theme which emerges from this book is that there is a need for an adaptive evolutionary approach to problems of development.

This book considers the principal sources of agreement and disagreement among policymakers and analysts concerning the current economic problems of Sub-Saharan Africa. A distinguished collection of international and African authors, including economists from the IMF and the World Bank, as well as their critics, addresses the key policy issues in agriculture, trade, macroeconomic management, social issues, privatization, external capital flow, and political economy. An introductory interpretive essay searches for areas of consensus and identifies those of continuing controversy.

This book deals with how to measure innovation in crisis management, drawing on data, case studies, and lessons learnt from different European countries. The aim of this book is to tackle innovation in crisis management through lessons learnt and experiences gained from the implementation of mixed methods through a practitioner-driven approach in a large-scale demonstration project (DRIVER+). It explores innovation from the perspective of the end-users by focusing on the needs and problems they are trying to address through a tool (be it an app, a drone, or a training program) and takes a deep dive into what is needed to understand if and to what extent the tool they have in mind can really bring innovation. This book is a toolkit for readers interested in understanding what needs to be in place to measure innovation: it provides the know-how through examples and best practices. The book will be a valuable source of knowledge for scientists, practitioners, researchers, and postgraduate students studying safety, crisis management, and innovation.

delivers a realistic and feasible framework for creating resilient landscapes in an era of anthropogenic climate change. presents fifteen case studies of differing sociocultural, economic, and biophysical backgrounds that showcase opportunities and limitations for creating resilient landscapes throughout the world. provides that much-needed link between theory and practice to deliver forward-thinking, practical solutions. This book will be of great interest to students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers who are interested in the complex relationship between landscapes, climate change, biodiversity loss, and land-based conversion at local, national and global scales.

A nation's culture and structure influence the type and degree of innovation achievable within its society. Routes exist for any nation, regardless of its structural or cultural elements, to achieve innovative success and economic development. Clear, concise prescriptions are given to enable managers and societies to determine the structural aspects of their nation that may need adjustment. Managers of international businesses, research and development, as well as researchers in the fields of strategic management, technology, and public policy, will find this comprehensive book on innovation practical reading.

A number of innovation hotspots are studied, including large, evolving countries such as Russia and India. Various governmental support, incentives, and regulations are evaluated in light of their contributions or obstructions to the process. Cross-cultural studies on major economies are also included to enhance the readers' knowledge and understanding. Recommendations are provided on how a society, or region within a particular country, can become either more innovative or retain what innovativeness it currently has.

* One of the first critiques of participatory design processes that are currently the fashion in design and business * highlights political, social and methodological obstacles when designers turn to design thinking, participation and "living labs" * uses global examples to introduce a more critical and post-colonial perspective on participation and social innovation throughout the book

The cultural sector plays an important role in sustainable economic development and creates economic activities, opportunities for entrepreneurship and jobs, adding to the attractiveness of cities and contributing to the development of tourism. The Cultural Sector and Sustainable Economic Development: Innovation and the Creative Economy in European Cities offers both a theoretical and practical analysis of the contemporary approach to culture and innovation, with special emphasis on the relationships among culture, innovation and the economy. Sustainable development, itself, balances environmental protection, culture, social progress, the economy and stability today and for the future. The book's key theme is the role and possibility of culture as a laboratory, with a strong supporting subtext on innovative practice. The text provides an eclectic mix of possibilities that reinforce and underscore the full innovative and complex potentials of culture. It is a cross-disciplinary volume presenting case studies that cover the main theme of cultural ecosystem in a very broad sense, highlighting the relationships that could lead to a sustainable system where economy and culture are the main players. It proposes and maps the European perspective of urban cultural development and suggests that the successes and challenges of European cities under consideration may offer guidance on best practices for urban development in other distant cultural contexts. This book is written in such a way that it can be used as a summary for a cultural professional, a reference text for an academic or for actors in local development and cultural policy at European, national and local levels.

This volume seeks to explore bureaucratic forms of administration in the Third World and alternatives to them. A variety of unconventional approaches are included and an argument is made for gendered, ecological and spiritual views. The contributors deal with issues of reform, indigenization, and desirable futures. Overall perspectives are provided dealing with models of development, non-governmental organizations, feminist critiques, and ecological thinking, as well as chapters on world areas.

There is growing awareness of the crucial relationship between health and development. But while the importance of this relationship may be obvious, scholars are still debating about the nature of it, and different assumptions on this crucial relationship have an impact on the developmental agenda of international organizations and their modus operandi at country level. Is good health a consequence or a pre-requisite of country development? How does the long term impact of different diseases affect economic development?" Health and Developmen"t will address these and other questions, bringing the reader to a closer understanding of the role of international organizations in the health arena.

What shapes characteristics and types of state governance in a specific country? How do they change over time? More importantly, what will they look like in the near and far future? This book addresses these fundamental yet timely questions by introducing and analyzing a distinctive group of Japanese statesmen: Seikai-Tensin, which means one's transformation into politicians in Japanese. The book looks at the Japanese developmental state through a time-series analysis on historical data to determine the dynamic pattern of a prototype developmental state. It offers comparative implications for other developmental states, including South Korea and Singapore, to have a better understanding of themselves and their counterparts and useful lessons for governance practitioners to pursue a better balance between politics and administration. This book will interest those researching governance, comparative politics, government bureaucracy, and public policy.

Despite the unprecedented gravity of the challenges posed by global warming, most political systems have not given them the required priority. The oil industry has resisted, and many countries have taken only token measures to reduce emissions and mitigate the worst effects. In this context, this book examines the progressive options available to today's developing countries as they face the limitations of neoliberalism and the existential challenge of global warming. Examining the cases of both low-income fossil fuel-dependent economies and large middle-income economies, this book argues that for all developing economies the best way forward includes 'green' macroeconomic policies articulated with progressive industrial and social policies, thus allowing these countries to achieve economic diversification, build alternative drivers of growth, and deliver improvements in the distribution of income, wealth and power. There is urgent need for this progressive policy agenda - grounded on heterodox economics, committed to social integration and the reduction of multiple inequalities - to improve the economic outcomes for these countries, improve the lives of citizens and meet global climate targets. The book argues that capitalism challenges the possibility of free and dignified existence while climate change challenges the possibility of life itself, and that these challenges must be confronted together. Since neoliberal capitalism will not adopt the necessary policies to reduce carbon emissions rapidly, it must be overthrown - not only for ethical or logical reasons, or to shift to better arrangements for the functioning of society, but in order to preserve the conditions for life itself. This agenda for progressive economic development is essential reading for anyone interested in heterodox economics, development studies, international politics, international relations and sustainable business.

Biofuels and Rural Poverty makes an original contribution to the current controversial global debate on biofuels, in particular the consequences that large-scale production of transport fuel substitutes can have on rural areas, principally in developing countries but also in some poor rural areas of developed countries.

Three key concerns are examined from a North-South perspective: ecological issues (related to land use and biodiversity), pro-poor policies (related to food and land security, gender and income generation) and equity of benefits within the global value chain. Can biofuels be pro-poor? Can smallholder farmers be equitably integrated in the biofuels global supply chain? Is the biofuels production chain detrimental to biodiversity?

Most other books available on biofuels take a technical approach and are aimed at addressing energy security or climate change issues. This title focuses on the socio-economic impacts on rural people's livelihoods, offering a unique perspective on the potential role of biofuels in reducing rural poverty.

What is the relationship between social science research and public health policy, particularly in the developing world? This question is at the heart of this collection of essays drawn from Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored conferences at Harvard University. The book examines the theoretical impact of social science research as well as specific case studies of successful applied research.

Beginning with a section on broad issues and the conceptualization of behavioral change, the volume then examines the anti-smoking movement in the United States; measures to prevent and control HIV infection in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the United States; anti-malaria measures; and the application of dietary management and lot quality assurance sampling to public health issues in Peru. The volume concludes with a section re-examining ways social science research can have an impact on improving public health. Scholars and researchers as well as policy makers involved with health research and international development will find this collection particularly valuable.

Kazan tests several hypotheses on development communications derived from the ideas of Marx, Toynbee, Lerner, McLuhan, Frey, and Schiller, through three years of research he conducted in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar. He focuses on whether media content, rather than the process of media exposure (i.e., vicarious exposure to different experiences), is the decisive factor in cultivating modernity. Particularly, Kazan examines whether Gulf media, which convey socially and politically restricted "traditional" content in "traditional" societies, cultivate attitudinal "traditionality" or "modernity." Investigated are the differences in the impact of local, regional, and foreign media, and various media organs--including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, video, and electronic media. Kazan also tests the notion of cultural imperialism, such as the degrees of credibility that respondents lend to Western media, their interest in and satisfaction with Western and regional media, and the amount of time respondents allocate to Western and local media. Specific media studied include the Voice of America, Radio Moscow, Monte Carlo Radio, the BBC, Voice of the Arabs, Voice of the Arab Homeland, Radio of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the local broadcasting services of each Gulf country. Dr. Kazan presents both a review and a critique of classical and mainstream theories of modernization in general, and those of development communication in particular, to determine the degrees of validity, relevance, and applicability of these theories to the development situation of Gulf societies. Furthermore, Kazan develops an integrated mass media effects modelthat factors in both macro and micro processes that are dynamically interconnected, interdependent, and continuously evolving and changing, to account for the impact of media on modernity and development. Media impact, according to this model, should be understood, not only in terms of the socio-economic and psychological characteristics of the media audience, but also in terms of the dynamics of the whole socio-cultural and political system. Kazan concludes his study with a critique of the Western paradigm of development and presents the outline of a new paradigm of development that is more in harmony with the new physics, with the ecosystems, and with social justice.

Should Japan and Germany strive to restructure their institutional fabric and arrangements to make them more similar to Anglo-American standards? Where will systemic change lead? This book offers fresh insights by collecting Japanese and German contributions to this scholarly discussion both from theoretical and empirical viewpoints. A major conclusion of several papers is that the forces of differentiation are frequently underestimated. Important thematic issues include: contingency, path dependence and complementarity. Examinations of economic globalisation and rapidity of technological change pose questions about the nature of socio-economic system analysis in the future.