East in Western Media

Paul Bowman is Professor of Cultural Studies at Cardiff University. He is the author of over a dozen books on themes as diverse as political and cultural theory, popular culture, postcolonialism, and many aspects of martial arts in media and culture. His most recent books include The Invention of Martial Arts: Popular Culture between Asia and America (2021) and The Sublime Object of Orientalism: Asian Physical Culture in the West (2026).

“Paul Bowman’s The East in Western Media is an essential and groundbreaking guide to one of the most important questions in contemporary cultural studies: how the “East” is imagined, represented, and contested in Western media and popular culture. Drawing on decades of pioneering scholarship and teaching, Bowman equips students with the critical tools needed to analyse orientalism, appropriation, globalisation, and cross-cultural exchange across film and media. Clear, rigorous, and deeply informed, this book maps the shifting terrain of East–West encounters with exceptional clarity. For anyone studying global cultures, media representation, and cultural power, Bowman provides the definitive introduction to understanding these complex and consequential dynamics.”- Darren Kelsey, Professor of Media and Collective Psychology, Newcastle University, UK"The East in Western Media: A Critical Introduction offers a clear, accessible guide to the complex histories and debates surrounding Western representations of 'the East’. Drawing on topics ranging from orientalism and cultural appropriation to stereotypes, spirituality, and global media flows, Paul Bowman provides students with an excellent starting point for critically analysing cross-cultural representation. A thoughtful and highly teachable resource for anyone beginning to explore East–West encounters in media and popular culture."- Wayne Wong, Lecturer in East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield, UK

• Introduction 1 A Historical Journey: The Changing Faces of Orientalism2 Understanding East/West Encounters: An Introduction to Orientalism, Postcolonialism and Globalisation3 The Spectrum of Orientalism: From Negative Stereotypes to Positive Fetishism4 Seeing and Hearing the East: Western Media Clichés and Visual Codes5 Iconic Figures: Recurring Eastern Types and Stereotypes in Popular Culture6 Eastern Wisdom and Western Counterculture: The Spiritual Turn7 The Capture and Commercialisation of Eastern Practices 8 Wellbeing Worlds: Asia as Health 9 Bridging Worlds: Philosophical Debates on Authentic East/ West Encounters10 Modern Encounters: Orientalism in Today’s Transnational Film and Media 11 Conclusion: Cultural Dynamics, Identity, and the Effects of Globalisation