Culture
From the Editors

We begin by asking two questions. Why culture? Why now? Much is heard today about a possible clash of civilizations. There are bold, if somewhat incoherent, attempts to champion an Asian model of development. Many now speak of Asian cultural values. But the task of defining and delineating cultural boundaries is much more difficult than it might seem. It is in this context that we have dedicated this issue to an exploration of both the different aspects of culture and, hopefully, the meaning of the term itself.

Cultural identities are frequently inscribed within rigidly-conceived boundaries, usually based on race, nationality, religion, and even gender. But every act of drawing such a border inevitably involves exclusion. Those who seek to secure a notion of an authentic Asian culture must define what is not Asian, who is not Asian, and answer the far more difficult, troubling question-why? Yet, as our contributors repeatedly argue, the idea of culture stands as a slippery construct, subject to great instability and variation across time. This theme comes across in both the pieces that discuss the meaning of "culture" and those that trace a particular cultural form over time. Indeed, authenticity is a notion placed in doubt everywhere. How real is a historical monument preserved in Singapore for the explicit purpose of luring tourists? How Korean is a Korean art movement greatly influenced by German abstract art? Does it make sense to think about a more genuine Indian culture that existed in a pristine pre-colonial past?

These are difficult questions. But in trying to answer them, it becomes clear that the study of culture is a rich field that straddles, perhaps uncomfortably, politics, economics, and society. This very variety is reflected in our list of contributors, who range from novelists and literary critics to performing artists and social historians. Together, they explore the role of ideas, institutions, and people in the construction of our cultural identities.

In the end, it may be useful to think of the development of culture as a complex and confusing process that is rooted in history. Differing historical circumstances create significant local variation. And yet, no cultural identity is ever free from external influences-one nation influences another, the East interacts constantly with the West, and our past conditions the present. This second issue of the Harvard Asia Pacific Review will explore precisely these historical forces that shape, reinforce and challenge our idea of culture.