Traumatic Pasts in Asia: History, Psychiatry, and Trauma from the 1930s to the Present

In the early twenty-first century, trauma is prevalent, but historical research has primarily focused on Western experiences. Traumatic Pasts in Asia extends Euro-American paradigms of traumatic experience to new sites of world-historical suffering, enriching earlier scholarship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 406 pages
Publication date: 17 September 2021
Publisher: Berghahn Books

Trauma has become pervasive in the early twenty-first century, manifesting as an experience, diagnosis, concept, or buzzword. While scholars view trauma as a defining feature of psychological modernity or the post-Enlightenment human condition, historical research has predominantly focused on Western experiences and actors, such as World War I or the Holocaust. However, there is an urgent need to expand the scope of trauma research to encompass a truly global perspective. The chapters in Traumatic Pasts in Asia make a significant contribution to this endeavor by extending Euro-American paradigms of traumatic experience to new sites of world-historical suffering. In doing so, they explore how these new domains of research inform and enrich earlier scholarship.

Trauma has permeated various aspects of our lives in the early twenty-first century, taking on diverse forms such as personal experiences, diagnostic categories, conceptual frameworks, and popular terms. While many scholars regard trauma as a fundamental aspect of psychological modernity or the post-Enlightenment human condition, historical research on the topic has primarily concentrated on specific cases, such as World War I or the Holocaust, where Western experiences and actors take center stage. This narrow focus has left a significant gap in our understanding of trauma on a global scale.

To address this need, the chapters in Traumatic Pasts in Asia offer a valuable intervention by expanding the horizons of traumatic experience beyond the confines of Western contexts. These chapters demonstrate how trauma can be understood and analyzed in diverse cultural and historical settings, challenging Euro-American paradigms that have dominated the field. By exploring the traumas experienced in Asia, these chapters shed light on the unique ways in which individuals, communities, and societies have coped with and responded to historical atrocities.

One of the key contributions of Traumatic Pasts in Asia is its exploration of new sites of world-historical suffering. The book takes readers to regions that have been overlooked in traditional trauma studies, such as East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. These chapters highlight the experiences of individuals and communities affected by wars, natural disasters, political upheavals, and other forms of violence and trauma. By bringing these overlooked narratives to the forefront, the book challenges the notion that trauma is solely a Western phenomenon and demonstrates the universality of human suffering.

Furthermore, the chapters in Traumatic Pasts in Asia engage with the methods and insights of recent historical trauma research. The book incorporates cutting-edge scholarship in the field, including postcolonial theory, cultural studies, and gender studies. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a more comprehensive understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals and societies. By integrating these diverse perspectives, the book provides a richer and more nuanced analysis of the ways in which trauma has shaped history and continues to shape our lives today.

In conclusion, Traumatic Pasts in Asia is a groundbreaking work that makes a significant contribution to the field of trauma studies. By expanding the scope of trauma research to encompass a truly global perspective, the book challenges traditional paradigms and provides new insights into the ways in which individuals, communities, and societies have experienced and responded to historical trauma. The chapters in this book offer valuable perspectives and methodologies that can be applied to trauma studies in other regions and contexts, fostering a more inclusive and interdisciplinary understanding of this complex phenomenon.

Weight: 666g
Dimension: 159 x 237 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800731837