Population, Gender, and Disparity - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 63

Agrarian societies, 3000 B.C.

Regional clusters, 1 A.D.

Development and expansion,
c. 400 A.D.

Colonial focus point,
19th century

North
China
Plain

T okyo

Shanghai

Inland
Sea

Canton

Calcutta

Hong Kong

Bombay

Rangoon

Manila

Bangkok

Madras

Saigon Cebu

Singapore

Jakarta

0
0

500 1000 mi

500 1000 km

Figure 3-3
Core areas and diffusion of development. Note how alluvial lowlands fostered settlement
as well as the importance of rivers and coasts in colonial settlement.

at planting and harvest times and in the maintenance of
irrigation and flood-control systems, but this can only
work in a situation of social and political stability .
Consequently , long periods of stability coincided with
population growth. Long-term chaos brought about
population decline.

birth, Asians are imbued with group conscious-
ness extending far beyond familial and national
levels to otherworldly existences. Identity derives
from sets of expectations and responsibilities
covering all aspects of life from emotional to
economic. Long-established relationships among
individuals, families, clans, work groups, and so
forth are regarded as both mutually beneficial
and necessary to nourish and perpetuate family
or organizational lineage. Thought and action
revolve around “we,” and collective agreement
supersedes individual will.
The existence of different standards for different
people is generally understood and accepted. The

Thinking and Acting
Collectively

In contrast to many societies where the individual
is the locus of responsibility and action, Asian
societies are characterized by collectivism. From