The End of Concern
Maoist China, Activism, and Asian Studies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3174326 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marc Gallicchio (Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 105 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 758-759 |
| Publication date | 2018-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of American History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-8723 • E-ISSN: 1945-2314 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/jahist/jay421 |
| OpenAlex | W2906358809 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
In 1968 the war in Vietnam had entered its bloodiest year and the Cultural Revolution in China was at its height. Amid this turmoil, a group of young American scholars specializing in the study of Asia created the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars (CCAS). Hoping to transform the professional field of Asian studies, they simultaneously challenged American imperialist policies in Asia. As Fabio Lanza explains in this study of the CCAS, the concerned scholars, most of whom were graduate students, saw the field of Asian studies and American imperialism as mutually supporting. Government funding of research sustained the symbiotic relationship between policy and the profession and raised disturbing questions about the complicity of scholars in American imperialism. The CCAS promoted members' ideas through the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, a less formal newsletter, and several volumes of essays. As Lanza notes, “concerned,” implied “a subjective, personal commitment, a direct involvement in the issue at stake” (p. 2). Concern with China dominated the pages of the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars and newsletter. CCAS members debated the meaning of the Cultural Revolution and the applicability of Maoist thought to situations outside China as part of what Lanza calls “Global Maoism” (p. 6). Drawing on the records of the CCAS, correspondence between members, and interviews, Lanza frequently lets CCAS members speak for themselves and ably reconstructs the spirited intellectual life of the organization. He does less well in providing insight into the personalities behind those voices
American studies · China · Complicity · Government (linguistics · Humanities · Meaning (existential · Media studies · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Vietnam War · Gender Studies · History · Law · Psychology · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2022 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |