Myron L. Cohen’s volume, Case Studies in the Social Sciences: A Guide for Teaching, is the first of three projected volumes published in the series The Columbia Project on Asia in the Core Curriculum. A second volume on literature has also been published, and a third, on history, is in its final stages of preparation.
According to Roberta Martin, the Core Curriculum Project Director, the major objective of the editors and writers of these volumes was to”identify themes, texts, and comparative concepts that provide avenues for entry or Asian materials into core undergraduate courses.” Two questions guided each of the individuals involved in the project: How can core courses focusing primarily on Western culture, tradition, and canon be enhanced
by reference to Asian traditions? and: Which aspects of the wide and varied Asian traditions should be brought to the attention of the students?
There are four major sections of the book in its present form. The first section focuses on anthropology. The second covers economics. The third examines political patterns and political ideology. The fourth and final section focuses on sociology and deals with the nature of societies in Asia from a number of perspectives.