The many points of contact and conflict about culture and identity that exist between Europe and the Asia Pacific are highlighted in this book. In terms of democracy, human rights and the state of the economy, Asian 'culture' and 'values' have been a major factor in representing the region and its identity. Definitions of region here have generally taken the 'West' as the major point of contrast, and the edifice against which culture, identity and representations of region have been constructed in the Asia Pacific. Similarly, the idea of 'Europe' and the construction of European identity have required contrasting entities. All this has occurred as part of a process of increasing regionalisation, particularly with the deepening and widening of the European Union. This book surveys a variety of issues relating to culture, identity and representation from an interdisciplinary perspective, with contributions from sociology, economics, history, politics, international relations, security studies, museum studies, translation studies and literary and cultural studies.
Each brings a different perspective to bear on questions of culture and identity in the contemporary period, and how these relate to the politics of representation. Red Chan, University of Oxford, UK; John Clammer, Sophia University Japan; Michael S. Drake, University of East Anglia, UK; Julie Gilson, University of Birmingham, UK; S