Emulating Sinology: Methodology and Exoticism in Recent European Publications on Asian History
Résumé
This paper documents how academic work on non-European areas by scholars not specialised in the corresponding fields tend to result in publications with a low scientific value and marred by cultural prejudices. These publications in turn spread simplified and erroneous ideas to an audience that is not aware of the lack of specialisation of their authors. The awkward emulation of classical Sinology and Orientalism by such publications also allows us to isolate some of the intrinsic strengths and weaknesses of contemporary Chinese studies.