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Discusses the history of Asian universities, their position today, and what the transitions represent for the future. Describes the major debate in the past as concerning the preservation of traditional cultural values while becoming modern institutions. Argues that Asian universities need to recognize the great relevance of traditions to social and psychological community health. (DK)

Demonstrates the false dichotomy between the concepts of "modernity" and "tradition." Special focus is on scientific development in Asia, particularly the Philippines. (46 references) (VWL)

Discusses the problem of eradicating illiteracy in developing countries, where the illiteracy rate may average about 70 percent. Looks at the Arab countries, Latin America, Africa, and India and the factors that thwart attempts to increase literacy in those countries. These include religious habits and the problem of language in multilingual societies. (SED)

A dwelling, while providing shelter, reflects the identity and individuality of its occupant(s). Traditional architecture evolved with time, catering to the needs of the inhabitants, adopting local materials and in harmony with the prevalent climate and environment. Growing aspirations and global pressures drive transitions in this traditional fabric, pushing towards modern construction practices. For traditional societies in Asia and Africa with a large rural population, transitions have serious local and global impact, including loss of traditions, increased material and energy demand, and contribution towards climate change. This article reviews transition in dwellings in rural settlements and makes an effort to comprehend its nature, drivers and consequences. Understanding transitions helps appreciate traditional building practices and design for a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modernization of Chinese and Japanese national traditional sports is here discussed using cultural comparative methods based on a dual construction theory of 'inner core–outer edge' according to the cultural classification principle. The paper concludes that, in the initial stage of the modernization of Chinese and Japanese traditional sports attributable to the eastward spread of Western culture through the cultural temporal and spatial space, cultural characteristics, nature, and internal adjustment mechanisms are major causes of the differences in the modernization process between Chinese and Japanese national traditional sports. Time lags existed in the modernization process in temporal, spatial, and subjectivity characteristics. This paper interprets the modernization process of Chinese traditional sports and explores useful implications for the transformation strategies and approaches to transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore the power of “cultivated ambivalence” in the task of constructing Confucian feminism. Such resources of cultivated and radical ambivalence create a “third space” in which Asian women can be true both to themselves and to their ambivalence. In this space, they would be empowered to “talk back” to both Confucian traditions and Western liberal feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Przeworski et al.’s paradigmatic work on democracy and development as a touchstone, this review examines East Asia’s lessons for comparative politics. It focuses particularly on the challenges that China and South-East Asia present for modernization theory, a foundation stone of political science. In most of the rich world, including north-east Asian cases of modernization such as Korea and Taiwan, economic development and democratization have tended to go hand in hand. In South-East Asia, by contrast, almost none of the expected relationships between democracy and development seems to work. The most striking anomaly of all today is China, which appears to be moving ever further away from democratic reform as it grows richer. This disjuncture between theory and practice is explored, along with other, more positive, East Asian contributions to scholarship on democracy and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escape from the 'Malthusian trap' can generate serious political upheavals. We analyze the demographic-structural mechanisms that generate such upheavals and develop a mathematical model of the respective processes. The model yields a forecast of political instability in African and West Asian countries for 2012-2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Basic and clinical research in traditional Chinese and Korean acupuncture has been performed at the Research Unit of Biomedical Engineering in Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center at the Medical University of Graz since 1997. This publication focuses on the latest innovative aspects that underline the further enhancement and development of acupuncture. In this context, novel biomedical and neuroscientific methods are of paramount importance for the fast and efficient modernization of the ancient Asian healing method. Traditional and future oriented acupuncture stimulation methods can be divided into manual needle, laser needle (blue, red and infrared laser light) and electrical punctual stimulation at the body, hand and ear. Special emphasis in this research article is given to totally new technical and methodological investigations, e.g. the first data published worldwide in medicine obtained with new blue laser acupuncture equipment. In this regard, critical summary and recent results from peripheral and central measurements during acupuncture stimulation using high-tech bioengineering assessment are given. In addition, we describe the first teleacupuncture performed between Asia and Europe. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

"The objective of this article is...to examine the demographic characteristics and emergence of new challenges of the fast growing elderly population in Sri Lanka." Results indicate that "the combination of low fertility and increased survival in Sri Lanka during the last four decades ensures that there will be large and rapid increases in the elderly population. Although the traditional family support system for the elderly still exists, modernization has an adverse impact on the care and support traditionally provided by families.... The study examines possible socio-economic implications of ageing to enable policy makers to be prepared for problems that are likely to emerge.", (excerpt)

"The present study, in the context of Pakistan, is based on intensive National Population, Labour Force, and Migration Survey data covering 10,000 households [and focuses]...on the determinants of fertility in Pakistan, specifically the determinants of the adoption of deliberate fertility regulation. The role of socio-economic modernisation and cultural factors in the determination of the potential family size and the adoption of deliberate fertility control through a knowledge of fertility regulation have also been explored. The 'Synthesis Framework' of fertility determination, applied to Sri Lanka and Colombia by Easterlin and Crimmins (1982), and with its recent modifications by Ahmed (1987), is the main vehicle for the study.", (excerpt)

"Comparison of marriage data from the five-yearly censuses in Kuwait from 1970 to 1985, and vital statistics, show trends in marriage. Age at first marriage increased for women, but there was little change in men, so there was a narrowing of the age difference between spouses. There is a new tendency emerging for Kuwaiti males to marry non-Kuwaiti females. These changes are attributed to increasing education and employment of women, urbanisation and modernisation, and appear to be leading to a decline in fertility.", (excerpt)

The author examines developments in marriage patterns in Bangladesh in light of social, cultural, and economic conditions. Previous literature on the subject is used to discuss Muslim marriage, Hindu marriage, child marriage, mate selection and social mobility, and the question of a marriage squeeze. "The analysis presents evidence that the society is experiencing a change in its family formation, mating process and family type. This transition is to some extent towards the characteristics of [the] Western World, but in a poor economy. Part of this transition is due to the effect of modernization and part due to increasing poverty.", (excerpt)

"China's efforts to accelerate the pace of modernization emphasize the promotion of economic development and the reduction of its population growth through the adoption of a one-child per family policy. However, that policy has implications for the eventual aging of the country's population. This article reviews the changes in the status of the elderly, explores the changes in size of the elderly population, and various related social and policy implications." Topics considered include socioeconomic changes, underlying population dynamics, the current situation of the elderly, some international comparisons, implications of aging, planning for support of the elderly, health care, living arrangements and family support, retirement, and the status of the widowed, divorced, and unmarried in the elderly population., (excerpt)