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Introduction: the Value of Children and Social Transformations in Asia

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Abstract

In this introductory article, I provide an overview of the genesis for the special subsection, situate it in the existing Value of Children literature and highlight major contributions of papers in this collection. The articles contribute to existing scholarship in at least three ways. First, they expand the concept of the value of children by incorporating new value dimensions and new mechanisms that shape child values in contemporary Asia. Second, this collection advances a broader research agenda beyond demography by linking it with mainstream sociological inquiries, including family changes and fertility trends, intergenerational relationships, parenting, gender dynamics and social stratification. Finally, the articles reveal heterogeneous, hybrid and complex patterns of value changes and their social impact rooted in historically and culturally specific trajectories of modernization in different contexts, thus challenging the dominant discourse of a linear economic-emotional value progression in existing literature.

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Notes

  1. One of the articles (Utomo, McDonald, Utomo & Hull 2021), published in Issue 1 of Vol. 14 as a result of a special arrangement, is part of this special subsection. This introduction gives its due attention to the article.

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Acknowledgements

Most papers in this special subsection were first presented in November 2018 at the international conference “The Value of Children in Asia: Economy, Family and Public Policies”, co-organized by Wei-Jun Jean Yeung and Xiaorong Gu and financially supported by the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. In particular, this project has benefitted enormously from Professor Yeung’s intellectual leadership and guidance as the Leader of the Changing Family in Asia Cluster (ARI). We greatly appreciate the enthusiastic participation of conference participants and discussants at the conference to make the conversation lively and thought-provoking, and the anonymous reviewers at Child Indicators Research to improve the quality of this issue. Thanks also to Saharah Abubakar for her commendable editorial support.

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  1. Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, AS8 #07-23, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent (S), Kent Ridge, Singapore, 119260, Singapore

    Xiaorong Gu

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Correspondence to Xiaorong Gu.

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Gu, X. Introduction: the Value of Children and Social Transformations in Asia. Child Ind Res 14, 477–486 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-021-09806-3

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