Transforming Society ― Strategies for Social Development from Singapore, Asia and Around the World

Social change affects all quarters of life and human society whether in individual neighbourhoods, communities or nations, or in the world as a whole - encompassing many issues of gender, age, social class and ethnicity. This book examines both the conceptual as well as operational aspects of social transformation and social development. It examines societal transformation at the individual, group, community, national and international levels using a range of case studies from Singapore, Asia and around the world.

The five sections of this book highlight challenges to social development; workforce and migration, social welfare and social care; women and development; community development and sustainability issues. Social development and social transformation are presented as intertwined concepts that affect citizens in profound ways from social care to social well-being, construction of social relationship as well as community life, capacity building and nation building.

Professor Tan, Ngoh Tiong is Professor of Social Work and former Dean of School of Human Development and Social Services, SIM University Singapore. Prof Tan is also Chair of the Global Institute of Social Work, Past President of Singapore Association of Social Workers, immediate past chair of Commonwealth Organization for Social Workers (COSW), past Vice President of International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). He led IFSW and COSW’s FAST (Families And Survivors of Tsunami) Project as an international social work response to the Asian tsunami disaster and chaired the recent International Consortium for Social Development conference in Singapore. He is currently President of ConneXions International, a non-profit society with the mission to assist international students, scholars and new residents.