Managing Welfare Expectations and Social Change ― Policy Transfer in Asia

Much has been written about the challenges Asian governments face in response to rapid socio-economic changes and the resulting social needs and welfare expectations. Indeed, heated debates have emerged when scholars in social development, social welfare and social policy conducted more systematic comparative research related to the diverse policy measures adopted by Asian governments: Which welfare models or typologies best describe Asian cases after the 2008 global financial crisis? How can contemporary social policy transformations in Asia be appropriately conceptualized? Are particular ‘best practice’ examples evolving in Asia and if so, can they be successfully transferred to enhance social welfare governance among Asian economies? This book combines contributions that address Asian government responses in light of the above questions. In doing so, it revisits the broad theoretical literature on 'policy transfer' and provides empirical examples to explore the spread of ideas, social policies and programmes across Asia from varying analytical and methodological perspectives.

The chapters originally published as a special issue in the Journal of Asian Public Policy.

Ka Ho Mok is Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Comparative Policy at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He has extensive research experience in international higher education and comparative social policy with focus on Asia and contemporary China. He is Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Asian Public Policy (Routledge) and Asian Education and Development Studies (Emerald). He is also book series editor of Routledge series of Comparative Development and Policy in Asia and Palgrave Macmillan Series of Social Policy and Development Studies in East Asia.

Stefan Kuhner is Assistant Professor and Programme Director for the Master of Social Sciences in Comparative Social Policy (International), Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. His academic interest centers on comparative and global social policy with particular emphasis on the policies and politics of productive and protective welfare.