Most Asian countries have shown a strong commitment to rapid economic development. Economists have argued that the fruits from economic development will be spread equitably throughout the population. In the absence of a strong tradition of social rights, social development in Asia has long been taken for granted. This collection documents social development in the Asian countries of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and India and concludes that social development has lagged behind economic development. This has given rise to `distorted development' in many countries. Serious development problems of poverty and inequalities have lingered even in these economically advanced countries of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. These problems have been exacerbated in the wake of the Asian economic crisis. In order to harmonize social development with economic growth, Asian states ought to be more proactive in their development agendas.
As a text on social development in Asia, this book is primarily intended for practitioners and students of social work, social administration, and social policy. It is also relevant for students and practitioners of sociology, economics, and public policy.

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Acknowledgments. About the Contributors. Foreword; J. Midgley. Introduction Social Development in Asia; K. Tang. 1. Moving Toward Xiaokang in China; J.C.B. Leung. 2. Balancing Collectivization and Individual Responsibility: Hong Kong Social Policy Under the Chinese Regime; J.K.C. Lee. 3. Social Development in Taiwan: Upheavals in the 1990s; Y. Ku. 4. Social Welfare Development in Korea: Past, Present and Future; S. Lee, I.-J. Lee. 5. Economic Growth, Paternalism and Nation Building: Social Development in Singapore; K. Tang. 6. Industrialization and Labour Fragmentation in Thailand; V. Charoenloet. 7. Social Development in India: Performance and Causes; P. Agrawal, P.V. Srinivasan. 8. The World Bank's `Effective State' in East Asia; G. Greenfield.