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There is increasing recognition of the important role culture plays in the framing and delivery of education and development in the South. Whether this is in the reciprocal and synergistic relationship between theory and practice or the links between research and policy, it is clear that at the heart of successful educational development is a recognition of the importance of culture. This book critically reviews the relationships of culture, education and development both from a theoretical and methodological perspective and also from the perspective of the teacher, researcher and policy maker on the ground. The importance of context is stressed throughout with a series of case studies of educational developments drawn from a range of national settings. Issues such as education and poverty elimination, local and global knowledge transfers, and the role and discourse of development assistance to education are examined from the perspective of culture and context. Of particular value to the education researcher and policy maker, whether working in the North or South, this book provides a timely reminder of the importance of culture in the development of education. Following an introduction, the book is divided into three parts. Part I, Principles, includes: (1) Culture in Education and Development; and (2) Researching Culture, Education and Development. Part II, Practice, includes: (3) Girls and Basic Education in Ghana: Gender and Schooling within the Domains of Home, Economy and School; (4) Children and Health Education in Uganda: Issues of Culture, Language and Curriculum; (5) Schooling and Cultural Values in South Africa: Building Cultural Capital?; (6) Primary Education in Indonesia: Issues of Culture and the Aid Process; (7) Teachers and Cultural Identity: Critical Dialogues with Self--A Case Study of Student Teachers in South Africa; (8) Exploring the Backgrounds and Shaping of Beginning Student Teachers in Ghana: Toward Greater Contextualisation of Teacherducation; and (9) Action Research and Teachers in Laos: Issues of Knowledge, Research and Culture. Part III, Policy, concludes with: (10) Culture and Educational Development: Policy Implications and Ways Forward.

This collection of papers is based on the 5th International Conference on Language and Development: Defining the Role of Language in Development, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2001. The 25 papers include the following: (1) "Destitution, Wealth, and Cultural Contest: Language and Development Connections" (Joseph Lo Bianco); (2) "English and East Timor" (Roslyn Appleby); (3) "Partnership in Initial Teacher Education" (Bao Kham and Phan Thi Bich Ngoc); (4) "Indigenous Languages for Development: The Philippine Experience" (Nestor Castro); (5) "Building Institutional Capacity" (Suos Man and Sok Luong Chan); (6) "International Languages in Education in Developing Countries: Implications for Cambodia" (Thomas Clayton); (7) "Evaluating Development Programs: Time to Watch Our Language" (Hywel Coleman); (8) "Making the Cap Fit: Culture in Higher Education Reform" (Jacqueline Dyer); (9) "Language Policy, Literacy Development, and Book Sector Development" (Martin Ferns); (10) "Gender, Language and Power in Community-Based Programs" (Lilliana Hajncl and Barbara Fitzgerald); (11) "Language in Development: The Open Society Institute" (Robert Hausmann); (12) "Language, Textbooks and Perspectives on Social Harmony in Sri Lanka" (David Hayes); (13) "Multilingual Literacy Development: Success in a Difficult Environment" (Margaret Hill); (14) "In the Field: Inter-Cultural Communication through Radio and Other Media" (Kaz Janoski and Monica Janoski); (15) "Language, Development and Political Correctness" (Psyche Kenett); (16) "Vernacular Literacy in Community Development: The Chong of Thailand" (Kimmo Kosonen); (17) "Applying the Findings of Cognitive Psychologists in a Resource Poor Teaching Environment" (Gaylene Levesque); (18) "Globalisation Power and Hegemony in Language Development" (Shane P. Martin and Edmundo F. Litton); (19) "The Return on Investment from the Donor's Perspective" (Bonaventure Mbida-Essama); (20) "Sustainability Revisited: Insights from a Multiliteracies Project in Malaysia" (Moses Samuel); (21) "Second Languages in Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity in Laos" (Souvanixay Mythong, Nouannavong Onekeo, Keovongsa Khounmi, and Gary Ovington); (22) "A Distance Education Program in an Area of Ethnic Insurgency" (Richard Sproat); (23) "A Sustainable Testing System for Distance Education in Vietnam" (Quoc Hung Tran); (24) "Self-Monitoring Capabilities: Teacher Education and TEFL in Vietnam" (Ha Van Sinh); and (25) "Foreign Languages and Development: German in China" (Ulrich Wannagat). (Papers contain references.) (SM)

A chapter of the book "Southeast Asian Affairs 2009" is presented. It explores the resources, challenges, and the external relations of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR). It highlights the emerging connection with China as evident in the political and the economic developments and the agreements entered into by the country with Chinese companies and the China Development Bank.

Chapter 5 of the book "Post-war Laos: The Politics of Culture, History and Identity" is presented. It explores the nationalist discourse on the different historical, economic, social and political conditions in Laos. It pointed out the divergent interpretations performed by the state and the villagers of Ban Paktai in Meuang Thateng, Sekong Province concerning minority leader Ong Keo through investigating the memory of some villagers.

Chapter 4 of the book "Post-war Laos: The Politics of Culture, History and Identity" is presented. It explores the three interpretations of the origins of the Lao people in which interpretations are situated in divergent geopolitical, political and ideological perspective. It is concluded that the Communist ethnography, which is guided by the policy of national equality embedded in an evolutionist vision, went on defining, categorizing and classifying the whole population of the country.

Chapter 1 of the book "Post-war Laos: The Politics of Culture, History and Identity" is presented. It introduces the issues of ethnicity and nationalism in Laos. It explores the situation of the country such as the government, social structure and ethnicity after World War II. It discusses the three phases of the emergence and development of non-Western nationalist in the country including the moment of departure, maneuver and arrival.

Chapter 7 of the book "Post-war Laos: The Politics of Culture, History and Identity" is presented. It explores the processes of globalization as an idea of fluidity and plurality of identities within the context of ideological, cultural and economic change in the Lao society. It discusses the notion of different coexisting identities among the members of ethnic minorities in Laos. It examines the perceptions of the minorities' ethinicity, national identity and citizenship in post-communist Laos.

The article focuses on issues related to politics and economy of Laos. It mentions that corruption which is a major social and political problem in the country has been part of Lao political culture. It states that the expanding economy with an annual growth rate of 7 percent is due to the improved living standards of people. It also says that the parties keep tight political control of the population while benefiting financially from both aid and foreign investment.

The article focuses on the socio-political conditions in Laos in 2005. During the year, the country was considered to be one of the most underdeveloped in the world in which 38% of the population lived below the poverty line. Despite the country's adherence to communism, it slowly relaxed its control over the population and foreigners. Moreover, the government has attempted to improve the country's infrastructure since 2000.