Asia in the Mirror : Self-Representations, Self-Narratives, and Perception of the Other

Abstract

As Asia’s role in world politics becomes increasingly central, a deeper understanding of the cultural underpinnings of its global entanglements is urgent and overdue. What defines Asia from a cultural perspective? How has Asia represented itself and its diversity to both Asian audiences and different cultures? How has Asia represented other cultures and how, in turn, how has it been presented by them? How have contacts between Asia and other cultures shaped the continent? What is the role of postcolonial and decolonial approaches in enhancing our understanding of Asia and its relationships to other parts of the world in the past and in the present? Asia in the Mirror tries to address these questions through a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together scholars in literary studies, philology, and media studies working across multiple languages and cultures.