OTHER ASIANS, ASIA’S OTHERING
Inclusionary Utopias, Exclusionary Politics
Organized by Monash Asia Institute, Monash University
30 & 31 October 2017
Monash University Caulfield Campus, Melbourne
Monash Asia Institute (MAI) is pleased to welcome submissions of paper abstracts for its Conference on “OTHER ASIANS, ASIA’S OTHERING; Inclusionary Utopias, Exclusionary Politics” on 30-31 October 2017. The conference will open with a public keynote address by Professor Krishna Sen (The University of Western Australia) in the evening of 30 October 2017. On the next day, there will be three panel sessions, each focussing on one of the MAI central research themes for 2017 (see below). Overall, the conference deals with two distinct but related issues; empirical observation and questions of method: recent changes in Asia and the challenge of analysing these changes.
CHANGES IN ASIA: Asia has changed dramatically in multiple dimensions in the past three decades, of which the speed and scope of demographic mobility and cultural fluidity, are some of the most striking. We witness the escalation and intensification of mobility, diversity and connectivity in relation to newly configured politics of inclusion/exclusion. Why and how politics of race has gained momentum for a while in some circles, while politics of religion, gender, or class gained more currency in other times or social settings? Where and when do they intersect, blend, or contradict across Asia and over trans-Asia?
STUDYING ASIA: Ironically, when such rapid changes are taking place across Asia and require fresh analyses and comprehension, formal training in “Asian studies” in schools and universities outside Asia has been in serious decline or under institutional threat. Where such studies survive, there has been a significant rise of Asians studying Asia outside Asia, including Australia in its multiple framework and focus: studying Asia ‘in’ Australia, studying ‘Asians in Australia’ and studying ‘Australia as part of Asia’. What does it mean to study Asia in the new millennium? How and why the Cold War-styled “Asian studies” has been outdated; how today’s Asia poses institutional and methodological challenges to studying Asia, in and/or outside Asia? How can trans-Asia approaches contribute to the debate?
We will welcome papers examining MAI’s three key themes: 1) Migrants, Diaspora & Identity politics; 2) Mobility, Diversity & Inclusion; 3) Media and cultural practices, although proposals that are in other intriguing ways relevant to the conference topic will also be considered. Papers can focus on a single nation or metropolitan area in Asia, but priority will be given to papers with focus on trans-Asian issues, international dimension of a local issue, a comparative perspective of more than one nation, or innovative insights into the future of studying Asia in Australia. Innovative approaches and new interrogations of methods of studying Asia are most welcome. Early Career Researches are strongly encouraged.
Please submit your proposed title, abstract (200 words max), and brief biodata (50 words max) to <MAI-Enquiries@monash.edu> by 15 July 2017. Please clearly put “Paper proposal for OTHER ASIANS, ASIA’S OTHERING” in the subject line. Acceptance of proposals will be notified by the end of July.
Any enquiries should be directed to MAI-Enquiries@monash.edu.
Koichi Iwabuchi, Ariel Heryanto, Mridula Nath Chakraborty, Julian Millie (Co-conveners)
Monash Asia Institute, Monash University