Designing History In East Asian Textbooks

This book analyses the efforts throughout East Asia to deploy education for purposes of political socialization, and in particular in order to shape notions of identity. The chapters also examine the trend of ‘common textbook initiatives’, which have recently emerged in East Asia with the aim of helping to defuse tensions arguably fuelled by existing practices of mutual (mis)representation. These are analysed in relation to the East Asian political context, and compared with previous and ongoing endeavours in other parts of the world, particularly Europe, which have been keenly observed by East Asian practitioners. Written by a group of international education experts, chapters discuss the enduring focus on the role of curricula in inculcating homogenous visions of the national self, and indeed homogenized visions of significant 'others'. Including contributions from scholars and curriculum developers involved personally in the writing of national and multi-national history textbooks this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Asian education, Asian history and comparative education studies. Gotelind Müller is Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Modern East Asia details the history of the region while recognizing the intellectual, religious, artistic, economic and scientific contributions East Asians have made to the contemporary world. The three national narratives of China, Japan and Korea are told separately within each chapter, and the text emphasizes connections among them as well as the unique evolution of each society, allowing readers to experience the individual countries' histories as well as the region's history as a whole. The text takes into consideration the radical changes in the field of history in the past 40 years, as the authors have incorporated scholarship in areas such as gender studies, social history and minority histories. While reading social, economic and personal histories, students will uncover the evolution of family structures, peripheral and outcast communities, the sociopolitical power of language and literature, the rise of nationalism and regional trading networks. Attention is also paid to environmental and diplomatic themes.

Beyond the Book is the first book dedicated to studies of rare East Asian materials collected by individuals and institutions in North America. It sheds new light on the two centuries of cultural exchanges between East Asia and North America and provides fresh clues for East Asian studies scholars in their hunt for raw research materials.

Engaging, integrated, and analytical,East Asia: A New History provides a comprehensive history of the East Asian countries and addresses a diverse range of social, economic, and intellectual topics. This accessible and richly illustrated book examines China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and includes coverage of the common people, the environment, and the experiences of women--topics that are often neglected in other books.MARKET Appropriate for anyone interested in the History of East Asia. 73-99350-7

I wrote this book to fulfil my lifelong curiosity. For years, I have been fascinated by the history of my undergraduate major. How did I become a major of East Asian Studies during my undergraduate days? How did such geographically-oriented field of studies begin in some Canadian universities? Why was there such a high demand for this unique discipline? Are students genuinely fascinated by the educational value of this discipline? Or are they interested in learning about the Pacific Rim in order to tool themselves for future opportunities there? This book was completed through sources obtained during multiple from various Canadian university archives. It does not reinforce an explicit one-size-fits-all theory. East Asian programs highlighted were established under different heads of universities. But all of them one thing in common. Each was founded to accommodate the dynamics of Canadian foreign policy in the twentieth-century history.

For decades, historians and societal forces have campaigned for rapprochement, reconciliation and dialogue between East Asian nations. This book is a result of these efforts. Debates regarding the interpretation of the modern history of East Asia continue to affect bilateral relations between the states of the region. History education has become a particularly controversial issue in this context. This book's main message is that a common understanding regarding the history of East Asia is possible, even though some differences remain. It is not only a major contribution to reconciliation in the region, but as the first textbook on the history of East Asia written collaboratively by scholars from three East Asian countries, it is also highly recommended for use in an anglophone teaching environment. The authors are a group of historians, teachers and concerned citizens from China, Japan and South Korea.