Buddhism and Abortion
Buddhism and Abortion

Author: Damien Keown

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-07-27

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 134914178X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Abortion is arguably the most controversial and divisive moral issue of modern times, but up until now the debate has taken place almost exclusively within a Western cultural, religious and philosophical context. For the past three decades in the West arguments both for and against abortion have been mounted by groups of all kinds, from religious fundamentalists to radical feminists and every shade of opinion in between. Rather than mutual understanding, however, the result has been the polarisation of opinion and the deepening of entrenched positions. In the face of this deadlock a new perspective is urgently required. Buddhism is an ancient tradition which over the centuries has refined its distinctive beliefs and values in the course of a long interaction with the major cultures of Asia. As Buddhism continues to engage the attention of the West, the time is now opportune for its views on abortion to be heard. This is the first book to explore the abortion question from a range of Buddhist cultural and ethical perspectives. The approach is interdisciplinary and will be of relevance to those working in fields such as law, ethics, medicine, philosophy, religion, the social sciences and women's studies.

Patpong Sisters
Patpong Sisters

Author: Cleo Odzer

Publisher: Arcade Publishing

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9781559702812

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Cleo Odzer, a young American anthropologist, spent three years studying Bangkok's red-light district, Patpong, an area of a few blocks teeming with bars and explicit sex shows. Patpong is now world-famous for its available and extremely attractive young women and men, who cater mainly to farangs - foreigners, most of them men but some women, who come from Europe, Australia, America, and Japan. Odzer got to know the bar girls, the bar boys, and their varied entourages. She gained their confidence, interviewed them at length, lived among them, and accompanied some of them home to visit their families - whom they often supported - in the isolated countryside, where they were idolized. She also got to know their customers - usually men who had traveled for thousands of miles to immerse themselves in the sensual world of Patpong - some of them falling in love with, even marrying, their newfound Thai companions. At times these liaisons, complicated by language and culture barriers, are truly hilarious, but they can be poignant, touching on the tragic. Odzer herself gained a deeper sympathy for these relationships when she became romantically involved with one of her male subjects. Her affair with him, mirroring the involvements in which many farangs found themselves with the bar girls, imparts to her book a very personal meaning. Her people are not simply dry statistics but real human beings.

Women and Politics in Thailand
Women and Politics in Thailand

Author: Kazuki Iwanaga

Publisher: NIAS Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 8791114357

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This edited volume, including contributions from some of the leading scholars in the field, addresses the challenges, obstacles and opportunities for increased women's political representation in Thailand. Will Thai politics be different with an increase in the number of women politicians? What are the possibilities for Thai women to take proactive initiatives that aim to transform Thai politics into being more gender aware and equal? In seeking to address these and related issues, the analysis brings together a complex interplay of factors, such as traditional Thai views of gender and politics; the national and local political context of the new Thai constitution of 1997; and recent experiences of selected women politicians in the legislative and executive branches of Thai government.

Toward the Rural-based Development of Commerce and Industry
Toward the Rural-based Development of Commerce and Industry

Author: Y?jir? Hayami

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 9780821340264

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A traditional paradigm in development economics assumes that the process of modern economic growth is associated with a major shift in labor from rural hinterlands to urban industrial centers. However, the logic of economic development does not dictate that industrialization and urbanization are intertwined and inseparable, as assumed in the traditional paradigm. The studies reported in this volume examine whether an alternative route of economic development might exist in which the modern production base also moves into the rural sector instead of the rural labor force alone moving into the urban sector. Part I focuses on historical experiences in Japan such as technical and institutional innovations in rice marketing, and the formation of Toyota's relationship with suppliers. Part II reports on current developments in East Asia including the rural garment and weaving industries in Northern Thailand, and rural entrepreneurship and industrial development in Korea.

Women in Asia
Women in Asia

Author: Louise Edwards

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-07-25

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 1000248356

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Women in Asia: Tradition, Modernity and Globalisation surveys the transformation in the status of women since 1970 in a diverse range of nations: Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Burma. Within these 13 national case studies the book presents new arguments about being women, being Asian and being modern in contemporary Asia. Recent social changes in women's place in society are untangled in recognition that not all change is 'progress' and that not all 'modernity' enhances women's status. The authors suggest that the improvements in women's status within the Asian region vary dramatically according to the manner in which women interact with the particular economic and ideological forces in each nation. Each contributor has focussed on a particular country in their area of expertise. They present innovative arguments relating to the problem of 'being women' in Asia during a period of dramatic social and political changes. Each national case study explores key social and economic markers of women's status such as employment rates, wage differentials, literacy rates and participation in politics or business. The effects of population control programs, legislation on domestic violence and female infanticide, and women's role in the family and the workforce are also discussed. The book poses questions as to how women have negotiated these shifts and in the process created a 'modern' Asian woman. Specialists from a variety of disciplines including history, anthropology, sociology, demography, gender studies and psychology grapple with the complexities and ambivalences presented by the multiple faces of the modern Asian woman. Complete with a list of recommended readings and a web-site with links to electronic resources, the book will be of particular interest to undergraduate students of Asian studies and women's studies as well as scholars and postgraduate students interested in comparative women's studies.

Female Well-Being
Female Well-Being

Author: Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban

Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.

Published: 2013-07-04

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1848136676

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This global survey starts from the assumption that the significant transformations in women's lives deserve to be fully documented and interpreted. Janet Mancini Billson and Carlyn Fluehr-Lobban tackle the complexities of social change by using data from countries in every world region to illustrate the most critical challenges that women faced during the last century - challenges that are also likely to shape the 21st century. Global knowledge and feminism dovetailed in the 20th century, fed by international air travel, telecommunications, the internet, and a growing awareness that solving female oppression would improve the lot of all humankind. The authors therefore adopt a strong international, comparative, cross-cultural, and feminist framework that uncovers the fundamental processes that promote, sustain, or degrade the female condition. At the heart of Female Well-Being are case studies written by country teams of scholars, educators, and policy analysts, in Canada, The United States, Colombia, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa, and Sudan. Female well-being is measured by analysing trends in infant mortality, maternal mortality, literacy, life expectancy, education, work, income, family structure, and political power. These trends are contextualised in the light of the century's major events, legislative initiatives, social policies, and leadership, to illustrate the processes that enhance, sustain, or detract from the female condition. This book will be a critical resource for academics, development experts and policy analysts.

Gender and Development
Gender and Development

Author: Janet Henshall Momsen

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0415266904

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Extrait de la couverture : "Since the classic'Women and development in the Third World' was published over a decade ago, a new awareness of the importance of gender roles in development has grown. Globalization, international migration, refugees and conditions of war have brought these issues of gender and development to the public attention. At the same time, gender perspectives have become central to the many United Nations meetings on development, including the Beiing Women's Conference. [This book] focuses on these new challenges and the efforts to overcome them though the empowerment of women and men. ... This accessible textbook provides an introduction to the topic that is based on the author's wide field experience. Topical and up-to-date information and analysis are used throughout. It contains a wealth of student-friendly features, including boxed case studies drawn from around the world ..."

Education in Thailand
Education in Thailand

Author: Gerald W. Fry

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-11-01

Total Pages: 790

ISBN-13: 9811078572

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This interdisciplinary book offers a critical analysis of Thai education and its evolution, providing diverse perspectives and theoretical frameworks. In the past five decades Thailand has seen impressive economic success and it is now a middle-income country that provides development assistance to poorer countries. However, educational and social development have lagged considerably behind itsglobally recognized economic success. This comprehensive book covers each level of education, such as higher and vocational/technical education, and such topics as internationalization, inequalities and disparities, alternative education, non-formal and informal education, multilingual education, educational policy and planning, and educational assessment. The 25 Thai and 8 international contributors to the volume include well-known academics and practitioners. Thai education involves numerous paradoxes, which are identified and explained. While Thailand has impressively expanded its educational system quantitatively with much massification, quality problems persist at all levels. As such, the final policy-oriented summary chapter suggests strategies to enable Thailand to escape “the middle income trap” and enhance the quality of its education to ensure its long-term developmental success.