Ethnicity in Asia: A Comparative Introduction

This book is designed as a comprehensive comparative introduction to ethnicity in East and Southeast Asia since 1945. Each chapter covers a particular country looking at such core issues as:

· the ethnic minorities or groups in the country of concern, how many ethnic groups, population, language and culture group they belong to, traditional religions and arts
· government policy towards the ethnic minorities or groups
· the economies of the ethnic minorities or groups and the relation with the national economy;
· problems of national integration caused by the ethnic minorities or groups;
· the impact of ethnic issues on the country's overall foreign relations.

Social scientists, most from or in the region, synthesize the current academic understanding of ethnicity in countries in East and Southeast Asia. Among the themes they address are the development of ethnicity, state policies towards minorities, some particular ethnic minorities, and ethnic conflict within states. The coverage is thickest for the last decades of the 20th century. Distributed by Taylor and Francis. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Colin Mackerras is Professor in the School of Asian and International Studies, Griffith University, Australia. In 1999 he was elected Fellow of the Australia Academy of Humanities and won an award for achievements in Australia-China cultural relations. He is a well known specialist on China with particular research interests in China's ethnic minorities, Chinese history and politics and Chinese theatre.