The Body in Asia

The past few decades have seen growing interest in the study of the body, not least thanks to Michel Foucaults historical studies of medicine in the 1970s, which inspired the initial development of the contemporary study of the human body. However, the increasing number of exciting and influential publications has primarily, if not exclusively, focused on the body in Western cultures. The various works produced by Asian scholars remain largely unknown to Western academic debates even though Asia is home to a host of rich body cultures and religions. The peoples of Asia have experienced colonization, decolonization, and now globalization, all of which make the "body in Asia" a rewarding field of research. This volume is unique, as it brings together into a single volume a number of scholars who work on East, Southeast and South Asia and presents original and cutting-edge research on the body in various Asian cultures.