Social Sciences in Asia II: Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Nepal. Reports and Papers in the Social Sciences, No. 33.

The document focuses on social science teaching and research in Afghanistan, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and Nepal. One chapter is devoted to each of the five nations. The first chapter suggests that social science has not played a major role in the socioeconomic development of Afghanistan because most Afghans favor traditional ways of thinking. The chapter on Indonesia traces social science research from the eighth century through establishment of social science faculties by Dutch colonizers and to modern times--characterized by computer research and individualized curriculum for university students. The chapter on Japan stresses rapidly expanding social science research activities to meet the needs of increasing numbers of students and others who demand social science information particularly in areas of sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and interdisciplinary studies. The chapter on Korea identifies law, economics, and political science as the most popular fields of social science and indicates that a major research need is interaction between scholars from developed and developing nations. The final chapter, which discusses Nepal, emphasizes that, although basic social science disciplines are offered at the University of Katmandu and at several specialized institutes, social science is an underdeveloped area with few resources, outdated curriculum, and a lack of creative teachers. (Author/DB)