To date, most knowledge about the region has been primarily produced by scholars who are not in, or from, the region. This scholarship was initiated by Western scholars at the start of the colonial era and was later followed by the politicised development of ‘area studies’ in Western countries during the Cold War. In this introductory chapter, the history and geography of Southeast Asia are briefly considered, before moving to a summary of specific conditions in the ASEAN member states, followed by an appraisal of the varied opportunities and obstacles facing social science researchers across Southeast Asia. The question of language is of vital importance, not only the dominance of English in the global research publication world, but the challenges for regional social scientists in sharing knowledge across very different local languages and cultures. We note the efforts of social science researchers in the region to develop new epistemologies and ways of seeing that are better attuned to the countries and places they come from. The position of critical syncretism in research endeavours may help to transcend the divisive positions constructed by colonial power relations.