Sylabus
Course (for MA program)
Making of Modern Asia
Professor Alexey Maslov
This introductory course focuses on the cultural, historical, social and economic background in East and South-East Asia including the cultural anthropology of Asia, natural environment, food and agriculture, historical roots, the nature of state power, social forces, traditional and modern economic development, major powers relationships and the future of Asian geopolitics in the 21st century. The legacy of history, traditional political culture, cross-border conflicts and alliances play very important role in the modern-day political situation in Asia.
This course will examine how the Asian states as well as Western powers have tried (and are trying) to shape the geopolitical environment since the mid-18th century to the present. The course will focus primarily on the continuities and discontinuities in Asian cultural, social, political pattern, international relations.
The following issues will be discussed: the East Asian settings, cultural anthropology of Asia, including language, peoples and historical roots; types of organizations, agriculture, food and food production in Asia; demography and migrations; Core areas of growth and diffusion in Asia; 19th century European impact on East and Southeast Asia; China's and Japan’s response to the West; the decline and fall of empires in East Asia and national resurrection of Asian states; the Cold War in Asia and postwar nation-building ; the self-reinventing of Japan and China; the rise of nationalism in East Asia and its different models (Chinese, Japanese, etc.); power, authority, and the advent of democracy in Asia; Russia in Pacific Asia; regional dynamics, regional and global perspectives of Asia Pacific; new trends in Asia: isolation, integration, and changes, etc.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to (knowledge, skills and competences):
· Understand the origins and nature of the peoples in Asia, demography, industries and agriculture;
· Situate major historical events in East and South-East Asian history in their proper geographical, chronological, and thematic context.
· Connect and integrate historical and socio-economic understandings, and grasp their political, economic, ethical and moral dimensions.
· To understand continuities and discontinuities in political and state institution of East Asia and SEA
· Seek for better understanding of the present development of Asia.
· Evaluate and critically assess the validity of historical and social evidence and interpretations.
· Use primary and secondary sources to construct sophisticated, persuasive, and logical interpretations of historical problems and events.
· Lectures, readings, excursions, assignments, and discussions are designed to help you develop the skills to:
· Appreciate the greatness and complexity of EA and SEA cultural and religious traditions.
· Use primary and secondary sources to construct sophisticated, persuasive, and logical interpretations of historical problems and events.
Course Requirements
Class Attendance & Discussion
Regular class attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to attend class as well as participate in lectures, discussions, and review sessions. Class participation will constitute 25% of the final grade. Each student is allowed a maximum of two (2) and no more than two (2) unexcused absences during the semester. For each unexcused absence thereafter, five (5) points are deducted from your final grade. You are responsible for keeping the professor informed of any situation that prevents you from attending class. Students who have more than 5 unexcused absences will not pass the course
Presentation
You should make at lest one presentation using PowerPoint or Keynote. Please, clearly articulate objectives of the presentation, the main content and idea and summary. Choose main points, Try presenting no more than three-five main points in a 10-15 minute presentation and develop a good conclusion. Don’t put to many slides in your presentation (usually 4-5 for 15 min presentation), and don’t put to much text in each slides (usually no more than 5 pointed lines). Try to use more tables, charts and illustrations.
After your presentation, it will be a class discussion for 30 minutes, so be prepared to answer questions
You can find some helpful materials how to prepare a good presentation here: http://www.skillsyouneed.com/presentation-skills.html
Academic Honesty
Academic Honesty is taken very seriously in this course. Plagiarism or academic dishonesty in any form will result in a failed grade for the project, and possibly for the course. In order to avoid the sanctions applied to cases of academic dishonesty, please make sure that you properly cite all sources that you utilize in your writing, including works that are directly quoted or paraphrased, as well as works used as a source of information. This includes both print and online sources. Your paper submissions must consist of your own writing, and any direct quotations or paraphrasing from other works must be properly cited.
Readings
You have to read a lot – it’s one of the main requirements for the course. To intensify your understanding and to make your life easier I recommend you first of all to catch the main idea and the main trends of the development of East and SE Asia. Some details in this case could be dropped.
Students should be prepared to do a fair amount of reading and to confront a number of unfamiliar-looking names and places. If you find yourself confused, or not understanding what we are covering, please do not hesitate to inform me.
Grading
Requirements for obtaining credits (assessment structure)
Attendance and Class Participation - 20%
Presentation - 25%
Mid-term quiz – 15%
Group Discussion and readings – 20%
Final Exam (essay) - 20 %
Textbooks
Weightman, Barbara A. Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East, and Southeast Asia. 3rd ed. Wiley, 2011.
Borthwick, Mark. Pacific Century: The Emergence of Modern Pacific Asia. Westview Press, 2013.
Supplementary material
Although most of the readings will be in the textbooks, in several instances we will draw on outside readings.
You are expected to do all the assigned reading prior to all classes, and do it in a way that will allow you to raise critical questions and actively participate in the discussions. You should also bring your books to class (in digital form), since we will discuss the readings. 1) Abrami, Regina M., William C. Kirby, and F. Warren Mcfarlan. Can China Lead?: Reaching the Limits of Power and Growth. Harvard Business Review Press, 2014. 2) Cumings, Bruce. Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History, Updated Edition. W. W. Norton, 2005. 3) Ferdinand, Peter. Governance in Pacific Asia: Political Economy and Development from Japan to Burma. Continuum, 2012. 4) Fraser, Evan D.G. Empires of Food: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations. Arrow, 2011. 5) Miller, Alice, and Richard Wich. Becoming Asia: Change and Continuity in Asian International Relations Since World War II. Stanford University Press, 2011. 6) Owen, Norman G. The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History. Ed. Norman G. Owen,. University of Hawaii Press, 2015. 7) Schirokauer, Conrad, Miranda Brown, David Lurie, and Suzanne Gay. A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations. 4th ed. Wadsworth Publishing, 2012. 8) Shambaugh, David. China Goes Global: The Partial Power. Oxford University Press, 2014. 9) Zhu, Zhiqun. New Dynamics in East Asian Politics: Security, Political Economy, and Society. Ed. Zhiqun Zhu,. Continuum, 2012.
Title
Lectures (Acad. Hours)
Discussions (Acad. Hours)
Home Work 1.
Environment and People in Asia 2 6 4 2.