Alternative Discourses in Asian Social Science: Responses to Eurocentrism

by Syed Farid Alatas

This book addresses a set of problems surrounding the state of the social sciences in Asia. It contextualizes problems by pointing to the historical and continuing dominance over Asian social science discourses by Western paradigms and concepts. Syed Farid Alatas documents various critiques of the state of the social sciences in Asia and critically assesses the prescriptions for alternative discourses that have emerged from these critiques. Among the important features of this book are that it has a pan-Asian focus and that it incorporates perspectives drawn from economics and sociology.

Genres: Sociology

228 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2006

About the author

Syed Farid Alatas (Arabic: سيد فريد العطاس‎ Sayyid Farīd al-ʿAṭṭās) is a Malaysian author and educator, serving as a professor in the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore. He also headed the Department of Malay Studies at NUS from 2007 to 2013. He lectured at the University of Malaya in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies prior to joining NUS. His areas of interest are the sociology of Islam, social theory, religion and reform, and intra- and inter-religious dialogue. He is currently researching on Salafism in the Malay world.

Reviews

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book outlines the trajectories of alternative discourse in Social Science, which is not centred on European historical and social structure, but more of Asian's. while noticing intellectualism as one of the significant power instrument and mentioning--among others--India's high achievement in this field, he abandons the possibility that whether in Europe, India or elsewhere in the world, any attempt to develop intellectual credence (however provincial it might be) has always been an attempt of power.

[Hanif Kurniawan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Untuk orang yang baru terbiasa membaca buku-buku non fiksi, buku ini cukup mudah untuk dipahami, walaupun memang diperlukan wawasan yang sangat luas untuk dapat menikmati buku ini. apalagi ketika Prof. Farid al-attas sering mengutip pendapat para pemikir besar dan para sosiolog lain, belum lagi istilah-istilah ilmiah yang saya sendiri belum pernah mendengar sebelumnya.


Imperialisme Pendidikan dan Neo-kolonialisasi ilmu pengetahuan barat sangat membuka mata saya akan sangat tidak kritisnya masyrakat (khususnya ilmuwan sosial asia) dalam menyikapi krisis independensi ilmu pengetahuan di asia.


Konsep "ulayatisasi" pengetahuan barat, dan teori benak terbelenggu yang disampaikan Prof. Farid al-Attas benar-benar berhasil membuat saya berfikir kritis terhadap segala bentuk dominasi pemikiran barat dalam segala disiplin ilmu sosial seperti sejarah, psikologi dan lain sebagainya. Ditambah dengan wawasan Nativisme dan solusi Ilmu Sosial Otonom, buku ini dijamin akan menambah khazanah pengetahuan anda dan akan membuka mata terhadap fakta-fakta ilmu sosial di negara-negara dunia ketiga.

[Alfisyahrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without denying the structure of academic dependence, I agree with Farid, it's more about marginal mentality: the captive mind. Because Farid say that effort to reversing the structure of academic dependence aren't for undergraduate student, like me, I want to be social scientist too. Overall, for me, it's enlightening book.