[eBook]Social Welfare over the Life Course in Brunei Darussalam

–Charles Hirschman

Professor Emeritus,  University of Washington-Seattle

“This book offers a detailed exploration of social welfare across different stages of life, from youth to “golden citizens” (older people), using a life course approach. The book focuses on individual behaviours at each stage of life and examines how these behaviours interact with the social and economic conditions of Brunei Darussalam—a small, hydrocarbon-rich nation known for its high Human Development Index and for having one of the highest per capita incomes in Southeast Asia. By focusing on the unique context of this resource-rich country, this volume provides valuable insights into how individuals navigate welfare throughout their lives, enriching our understanding of well-being in different social contexts.”

—Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng

Head of the Department of Japanese Studies and Co-Director of the Next Age Institute,  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,  National University of Singapore

“A thorough and original compilation of research that encapsulates the impactful evolution of social welfare measures on population well-being and quality of life in Brunei Darussalam. It provides an eloquent narrative of Brunei’s inexorable transition from a hydrocarbon economy-supported welfare system to a diversified economy, triggered by unprecedented national and global challenges, including climate change, pandemics, disease burden and technological disruption. The editors intelligently placed the social welfare concept in a life course framework to analyse the role of welfare structures, agency and actions in shaping human development across different stages of life, from independence to date and with a futuristic outlook. They made the best use of available resources by integrating quantitative data with qualitative information to reconstruct and quantify the beneficial impact of welfare trajectories on social and demographic outcomes across the life course. I found this edited volume highly informative and refreshing—no doubt an invaluable source of citation for further research.”

—Sabu S. Padmadas

Professor of Demography & Global Health,  University of Southampton, United Kingdom