Sociology of Southeast Asia, The: Transformations in a Developing Region

Victor T. King

2008. 352 pp., illustrated

• First sole-authored introductory sociology text on Southeast Asia that focuses on change and development in the region.
• Provides an overview of the important sociological and political economy writings.
• Considers the key concepts and themes in the field since 1945.
• Covers a wide range of themes including class, ethnicity and gender.
• Uses case studies from across the region.

One of the main problems faced by teachers and students who have a scholarly interest in Southeast Asia is the lack of general, user-friendly texts in the social sciences. The absence of an introduction to the sociology of Southeast Asia is especially unfortunate. It is the intention of this volume to meet these needs. Aimed primarily at undergraduates up to the final year, it will also be a useful reference work for postgraduates and researchers who lack such a general work.

‘Victor King has produced a lucid, comprehensive and challenging analysis of the state-of-the-art of Southeast Asian sociology. The book is not only an excellent text book for courses on Southeast Asia or development sociology, but also “required reading” for all social scientists embarking on research on the area. I am certain that it will become a long-lasting addition to the standard literature on Asia.’—Hans-Dieter Evers, University of Bonn