1st Edition

The New Rich in Asia Mobile Phones, McDonald's and Middle Class Revolution

Edited By David Goodman, Richard Robison Copyright 1996
    272 Pages
    by Routledge

    266 Pages
    by Routledge

    This is the first volume in the The New Rich in Asia series which examines the economic, social and political construction of the 'new rich' in the countries and territories of East and South East Asia, as well as their impact internationally. From a western perspective the rise of the emergent business and professional class may seem very familiar. However, it is far from clear that those newly enriched by the processes of modernization in East and South East Asia are readily comparable with the middle classes of the West. For example, civil and human rights seem to play a different role in social, political and economic change, and the State is clearly more central as an agent of economic development. This volume is the essential introduction to the series, and identifies the 'new rich' phenomenon in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The contributors demonstrate that the key to understanding the 'new rich' is to realise that they are neither a single category or class, but in each setting a series of different socio-political groups who have a common inheritance from the process of rapid economic growth.

    Chapter 1 The new rich in Asia, Richard Robison, David S. G. Goodman; Part 1 Singapore; Chapter 2 Class transformations and political tensions in Singapore’s development, Garry Rodan; Part 2 Malaysia; Chapter 3 Growth, economic transformation, culture and the middle classes in Malaysia, Joel S. Kahn; Part 3 Indonesia; Chapter 4 The middle class and the bourgeoisie in Indonesia, Richard Robison; Part 4 The Philippines; Chapter 5 The Philippines’ new rich, Michael Pinches; Part 5 Thailand; Chapter 6 Emerging social forces in Thailand, Kevin Hewison; Part 6 Hong Kong; Chapter 7 Hong Kong, Lo Shiu-hing; Part 7 South Korea; Chapter 8 The new rich and the new middle class in South Korea, James Cotton, Kim Hyung-a van Leest; Part 8 Taiwan; Chapter 9 Taiwan, J. J. Chu; Part 9 China; Chapter 10 The People’s Republic of China, David S. G. Goodman;

    Biography

    Richard Robison is Director of the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University.,
    David S. G. Goodman is Director of the Institute of International Studies, University of Technology, Sydney.