Southeast Asia: The Human Landscape of Modernization and Development

Drawing on case studies from across Southeast Asia, this work assesses poverty and the ways in which the poor are identified and viewed. Progress and change in the rural and urban "worlds" are examined in detail, focusing on the strengthening rural-urban interaction as "farmers" make a living in the urban-industrial sector and factories relocate into industrial areas. Giving prominence to indigenous notions of development, based on Buddhism, Islam and the so-called "Asian Way", the author critically assesses the conceptual foundations of the development, ideas of post developmentalism, and the "miracle" thesis.