Bachelor
2019/2020
Modern History of Southeast Asia
Type:
Elective course (HSE and Kyung Hee University Double Degree Programme in Economics and Politics in Asia)
Area of studies:
Foreign Regional Studies
Delivered by:
Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When:
1 year, 3, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Contact hours:
84
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course surveys the recent history of the nation-states that comprise Southeast Asia. We begin in the 19th century when the region was dominated by European imperial powers, and we end with modern-day Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, East Timor, and Brunei. In between we will discuss the cultural and economic transformations wrought by colonization (including Japanese, American, and Indonesian colonization, in addition to colonization by major European powers); common experiences during world war; the various ways that Southeast Asians negotiated for independent nationhood; Cold War politics; ethnic tensions in this very diverse region; and the important political and social role of religion in Southeast Asia. We will cover religious, nationalist, royalist, communist, peasant, and labor movements, political transitions to democracy and dictatorship, and rapidly changing relations with the outside world.
Learning Objectives
- At the end of this course, the student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the major events and ideas that have shaped modern Southeast Asia.
- The student will know the basic geography of the region and will be able to construct and defend theses about why regional politics and culture have changed so dramatically over the last two hundred years.
- Students will be able to offer a comparative cultural analysis about how shared historical experiences variously affected the people of several different Southeast Asian nations.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to analyze the history of the Philippines: from the time of the colonization of the Philippines by Spain to our time, including the history of the formation of the Philippine nation
- Students will be able to analyze the history of Burma from the pre-colonial era to the end of World War II
- Students will be able to analyze the history of Burma after World War 2, how Burma fought for independence, how it was gained and how the country then developed at the present stage of history
- Students will be able to analyze the history of Malaysia: the history of countries on the territory of modern Malaysia, how modern Malaysia appeared and the reasons for the emergence of independent states of Brunei and Singapore
- Students will be able to analyze Indonesia’s history until the end of World War II, how Indonesia fell into the hands of the Netherlands, not Great Britain, and how the Netherlands defended their colonies during the war
- Students will be able to analyze the history of Indonesia, the establishment of Soharto’s sole authority and territorial claims against neighboring countries
- Students will be able to analyze the history of the Kingdom of Thailand, how he was able to maintain his independence under colonialism
- Students will be able to analyze the history of French Indochina, the internal opposition of Cambodia and Vietnam, the causes and results of this confrontation
- Students will be able to analyze the history of Cambodia: the struggle for independence, the establishment of a republic, the rule of Pol Pot, genocide and the war against Vietnam
- Students will be able to analyze the history of the Vietnam War, its causes, the course of hostilities, the intervention of third countries and the results
- Students will be able to analyze the modern history of Vietnam, rebuilding the country after the Vietnam War, the confrontation between Vietnam and China, modernizing the economic and political system
- Students will be able to analyze the modern problems of South-East Asia: problems of ethnic minorities, economic problems and ways to overcome these problems
Course Contents
- Course IntroductionBrief Introduction to the Course, that will be discussed
- The Spanish Philippines, the Philippine revolution, American conquest and colonialism, and the Philippine nation.The topic will focus on studying the history of the Philippines, from the time of Spanish colonization to the present
- Burma to 1945The topic will focus on the history of Burma until 1945: the history before the era of colonialism, the history of British rule in Burma, the situation in Burma during the Second World War
- Burma from 1945The topic will focus on the history of Burma after 1945: the history of the struggle for independence, the history of the formation of the modern state and the history of the interaction of Burma with neighboring countries
- Fractures in the Malay edifice: the emergence of Singapore and Brunei; the making of modern MalaysiaThe topic will focus on the history of Malaysia and the countries surrounding it: the history of states in Malaysia before the advent of Europeans, the history of British rule, the history of independence after the Second World War, the reasons for the emergence of independent Brunei and Singapore
- Dutch Indonesia; Indonesia and World WarThe topic will focus on the history of Indonesia until the end of the Second World War: state entities in Indonesia before the era of colonialism, the penetration of Europeans on the islands of the Indonesian archipelago, the struggle of Great Britain and the Netherlands for dominance, on the events of World War II
- Indonesia to the present day: Suharto; struggles for East Timor and Papua (Irian Jaya, West Irian, etc.); democracy in IndonesiaThe topic will focus on the theme of the history of Indonesia after gaining independence, the rule of Suharto and territorial disputes with neighboring countries
- Thailand, always independentThe topic will focus on the phenomenon of the ever-independent Thailand, the causes of this phenomenon and its results
- French Indochina, Cambodia vs. VietnamThe topic will focus on the history of French Indochina, the confrontation between the elites of Cambodia and Vietnam within the colonial formation
- Cambodian nationalism, the emergence of an independent Cambodia, the Cambodian republic, and the Cambodian genocideThe topic will focus on the history of post-colonial Cambodia, the establishment of a democratic republic and the Khmer Rouge regime
- Vietnam at warThe topic will focus on the history of the Vietnam War: confrontation between the north and the south, American intervention in the conflict and assistance from the Soviet Union
- Modern VietnamThe topic will focus on the history of Vietnam at the present stage of history, political and economic modernization of the country, results and prospects
- Issues across Southeast Asia: ethnic minorities, the South China Sea, democracy, economic development, anything relevant from the newsThe topic will focus on the study of modern issues in Southeast Asia, their solutions and prospects
Interim Assessment
- Interim assessment (4 module)0.1 * Attendance + 0.2 * Class Participation + 0.4 * Final Exam + 0.3 * Midterm Exam
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Croissant, A. V. (DE-588)120357321, (DE-627)080624138, (DE-576)178221074, aut. (2018). Comparative politics of Southeast Asia an introduction to governments and political regimes by Aurel Croissant, Philip Lorenz. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.496911902
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Intercultural exchange in Southeast Asia : history and society in the early modern world / ed. by Tara Alberts . (2013). London [u.a.]: Tauris. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.351359532
- Sumanto Al Qurtuby. (2015). Southeast Asia: History, Modernity, and Religious Change. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.E1BFF2AD