近現代跨國史的研究與回顧──以亞洲區域為中心

A Survey of Modern Transnational History, with a Focus on Asia

跨國史作為一種研究方法，一方面保留國家做為論述的個體，另一方面強調從跨國視角另闢蹊徑，將國家的歷史置於更大框架下探討，如視為區域史或各洲歷史的一部分。近年亞洲區域研究的趨勢，可歸納為三個面向：一、在跨國史的基礎上，運用比較觀點，參照世界其他主要區域的歷史，突顯亞洲區域研究的特色。二、殖民地知識體系到區域研究的典範轉移。帝國史研究典範下的亞洲區域研究，目的在建構一套完整的帝國對世界的認知框架。第二次世界大戰後，區域研究取代殖民地研究，亞洲國家不再依從帝國賦予的角色，轉而側重歷史脈絡下個別國家與區域的特殊關係，累積豐富的個案研究，表現亞洲區域的自主性與獨立性。三、「中心—邊陲」說強調全球交流與亞洲區域政治經濟體系之間的交互影響。新的研究帶有全球化視野，打破既定的地理空間概念，認為世界的邊陲或中心各自具有多元功能與角色，其地位或作用，不能一概而論。整體而言，跨國史研究推進區域研究的可能性，呼籲歷史研究者跳脫歐洲中心論，冷靜客觀的面對非歐洲地區的歷史。

Transnational history is a research method that preserves the nationstate as a unit of analysis while also emphasizing the importance of situating it within broader historical frameworks. Individual countries, for instance, are often examined within the context of continental or global history. As applied to the study of Asian history, three main trends in transnational history have emerged in recent years. First, by adopting a comparative perspective and analyzing Asia alongside other major regions, historians have been able to highlight the distinctive features of Asian regional studies. Second, the field has witnessed a paradigm shift from an emphasis on colonial knowledge systems to regional frameworks. Rather than viewing Asian countries solely as products of imperialism, scholars now attend more closely to the intricate relations among Asian nations. A growing body of case studies illustrates the region’s autonomy and historical agency. Third, the application of center-periphery theory, which explores the interactions between global forces and local political and economic systems, has fostered a more globalized historiographical outlook. Historians increasingly reject past geographical models, recognizing instead the diversity of centerperiphery dynamics.
This paper concludes that transnational historical research not only contributes to the advancement of regional studies but also encourages the shedding of past Eurocentric frameworks, thus enabling more objective engagement with non-European histories.