Education About Asia: Online Archives

Introducing Key Issues in Asian Studies

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Published by the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Key Issues in Asian Studies is a new series of booklets designed for use in undergraduate humanities and social science courses, as well as by advanced high school students and their teachers. Key Issues booklets are designed to complement Education About Asia, and serve as vital educational materials that are both accessible and affordable for classroom use. Booklets will sell for around $10. AAS plans to publish two or three booklets per year.

Booklets in the series will tackle broad subjects or major cultural and historical themes in an introductory yet compelling, jargon-free style, written to encourage classroom debate and discussion. The idea for a teaching booklet series was first conceived by Jim Huffman and Peter Frost, names familiar to readers of Education About Asia.

Former Key Issues Editor Robert Entenmann commissioned two booklets. Political Rights in Post-Mao China by Merle Goldman, and Gender, Sexuality, and Body Politics in Modern Asia by Michael Peletz are now available for purchase. Please visit www.aasianst.org for details and ordering information.

After Robert Entenmann’s resignation due to personal commitments, AAS Editorial Board Chair Martha Selby and I asked Lucien Ellington whether he would consider taking on the role of Key Issues Editor. We are thrilled to announce that Lucien has agreed to spearhead this important new series. Lucien, who will of course continue as Editor of Education About Asia, is ideally situated to guide Key Issues to great success. We have high hopes for the series under his editorship.

We are pleased to announce that interest from potential authors about writing KIAS booklets has been very encouraging. Potential titles include: Caste in India, Traditional China in Asian and World History, Understanding East Asia’s Economic Miracles, South Asia and Globalization in Early World History, Korea in World History, and Japanese Pop Culture.

When you have questions about Key Issues—or have suggestions for topics that would be useful in your teaching—please contact Lucien at l-ellington@comcast.net. For further information, visit www.aasianst.org.