Columbia Project on Asia in The Core Curriculum (Case Studies In The Social Sciences)

DETAILS : 

• Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications
  
• Author: Myron L. Cohen
  
• Language: English
  
• Pages: 656
  
• Cover: HARDCOVER
  
• Weight: 630 gm
  
• Edition: 1996

ABOUT THE BOOK

Columbia Project on Asia in the Core Curriculum: Case Studies in the Social Sciences, edited by the distinguished anthropologist Dr. Myron L. Cohen and published by M.E. Sharpe, is a landmark pedagogical and academic anthology. Developed under the auspices of Columbia University’s renowned Core Curriculum program, this comprehensive volume was explicitly designed to integrate Asian history, sociology, and political economy into the mainstream undergraduate social science curriculum of Western universities.

The primary objective of the volume is to challenge Eurocentric frameworks in higher education by presenting localized, deeply researched Asian case studies that test, refine, or expand foundational social science theories. Rather than presenting Asia as a monolithic, static entity, Dr. Cohen organizes the text into multi-disciplinary modules covering East, South, and Southeast Asia. The book is structured around critical thematic axes:

• Social Organization and Kinship: Examines the complex structures of the traditional Chinese lineage system, the operational realities of the Indian caste system, and the evolving dynamics of the family unit under the pressure of modernization.
• Political Economy and State Formation: Analyzes the historical development of agrarian bureaucracies, the socio-economic transitions of post-colonial nations, and the institutional mechanisms behind East Asia's rapid economic rise.
• Cultural Traditions and Ideology: Investigates how deep-seated philosophical traditions—such as Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam—shape contemporary legal frameworks, civic behavior, and modern state ideologies.

A defining feature of this work is its high pedagogical utility. Each case study is written by a leading specialist in the field but is structured to be completely accessible to non-specialist instructors and students. The chapters include sharp analytical questions, comparative cross-cultural frameworks, and robust bibliographies, making it an indispensable resource for curriculum designers, sociologists, and researchers of global studies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Myron L. Cohen is a highly celebrated Professor of Anthropology and former Director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University. With a career spanning several decades, he is widely recognized as a pioneering authority on Chinese kinship, village organization, economic culture, and the historical construction of Chinese national identity.

Dr. Cohen’s academic writing and editorial style are characterized by strict empirical rigor, clear structural frameworks, and a deep commitment to field-based ethnography. His seminal fieldwork in Taiwan and mainland China transformed scholarly understandings of the traditional Chinese family economy. Through his extensive publications, including House United, House Divided: The Chinese Family in Taiwan, and his leadership in the Columbia Project on Asia, he has played a foundational role in shaping modern East Asian anthropological studies.