Introduction

Abstract

This volume problematizes the idea of ‘Global Centres’ and ‘Peripheries’ in healthcare communication research. We use these two concepts of ‘Global Centres’ and ‘Peripheries’ to present carefully selected examples of the rich tradition of linguistic research in healthcare settings in several designated geographical locations in Asia 1 -namely, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore and Japan (what would be traditionally referred to as ‘Peripheries’). This volume also demonstrates the dynamic and expanding world-class research that originates from these ‘peripheral’ contexts-in the case of this volume, Asia. As such, this volume challenges the binary, subjective and parochial view of the dominance of the Anglo-American (‘central’) research tradition in the healthcare communication field.