Southeast Asian Urbanism: The Meaning and Power of Social Space

"... one of the more ambitious mappings of urbanism in Southeast Asia through the lens of globalisation.... it will become an important resource for the study of Southeast Asian cities" (Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs [RIMA]).

"... a very welcome addition to the social analyses of Southeast Asian cities ... this book is a fascinating read which will hopefully stimulate a new wave of research and writing on Southeast Asian cities" (The Australian Journal of Anthropology).

"... the book is definitely worth reading for urban anthropologists, political scientists and sociologists, students of Southeast Asian history, culture and society and for urban planners" (International Quarterly for Asian Studies).

Southeast Asian Urbanism is based on the results of over two decades of field research on cities and towns of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. The connections between micro and macro processes, between grassroots interactions and urban structures, between social theory and empirical data are analysed to provide a vivid picture of the great variety of urban forms, the social creativity in the slums of Bangkok, Manila or Jakarta, the variety of cultural symbolism and the political and religious structuration of urban space. The book will be of interest to urban anthropologists, political scientists and sociologists, to students of Southeast Asian history, culture and society, to urban planners and policy makers.