Economic & Political Geography of Southeast Asia

Bachelor 2021/2022

Type: Compulsory course (HSE University 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

Where: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

When: 1 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Language: English

ECTS credits: 5

Contact hours: 60

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course will be built around lectures, discussions and readings with the purpose of creating a greater awareness and understanding of the Southeast Asia region. A major focus will be the nature of development particularly in the contemporary period. But in addition the history and culture of the nations will be discussed as they apply to development conditions. Especially important are spatial aspects of the various development situations. Environmental settings, historical circumstances, as well as, institutions and culture are recognized as keys to the understanding of development conditions and progress. Major emphases coincide with themes of population, urbanization, resources, agrarian structure, industrialization in the global economy and rural development. Select concepts and illustrations will be used to highlight, identify, and explain development progress or the lack thereof. The region includes Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Timor and the Philippines. In addition to lectures and discussions frequent use will be made of slides, videos, and films which focus on a variety of issues within these countries.

Learning Objectives

Identify major historical events shaping contemporary Southeast Asia
Apply geographical approaches and concepts to examine the uneven development in Southeast Asia
Analyze how globalization influences Southeast Asia and interacts with its local social, cultural and political contexts
Identify positive and negative effects of global economy on Asia, including national economies and individual livelihoods
Compare different visions and perspectives on Asia proposed by academics, governments, and non-profit organizations
Critically discuss problems pertaining contemporary Asia, and analytically assess the merits of proposed solutions

Expected Learning Outcomes

Apply geographical approaches and concepts to examine the uneven development in Southeast Asia
Students will be able to analyze the demographic state of the countries of the region of study and how it affects socio-economic policies in Southeast Asia
Students will be able to analyze the main stages in the development of colonialism, the differences in the forms of colonial dependence of Southeast Asian countries and how the legacy of colonialism continues to influence the current situation in the region
Students will be able to analyze the state of agriculture in Southeast Asian countries, its specifics and impact on the development of the region
Students will be able to analyze the theory, history and the current situation in the areas of migration, including the law and general human mobility in the countries of Southeast Asia
Students will be able to apply geographical approaches to the main cases of refugee issues and the forcible displacement of civilians and how the countries of the region are looking for ways out of this situation
Students will be able to apply theories of urbanization and population growth to specific cases and explain how they can be interpreted in the context of the region of study
Students will be able to compare different visions and perspectives on the problems of food security in the region
Students will be able to compare how main religions of Southeast Asia interact with each other and influence various spheres of society in the countries of region of study
Students will be able to compare the main transnational corporations in Southeast Asia, their position in the modern economic and political system of the region, the prospects and the problem of this phenomenon
Students will be able to compare the rural development programs in 3 countries: Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, their differences and results
Students will be able to critically discuss problems pertaining contemporary Asian family structure and analytically assess the merits of their contribution to the economy
Students will be able to critically discuss problems pertaining Southeast Asia in the fields of communications and transport, and analytically assess the merits of proposed solutions
Students will be able to critically discuss the main defining features of Southeast Asian countries from the historical and geographic perspectives
Students will be able to discuss how the megacities of the region emerge, the reasons for their appearance and how they affect the economies of the countries
Students will be able to explain how the change in social and spatial construction in Southeast Asia affected the development of the region
Students will be able to explain how the financial crisis spread across countries by regions, anti-crisis measures of governments and their implementation and impact
Students will be able to explain in detail the scope of Agriculture in Southeast Asia, how it functions at an economic level
Students will be able to explain the causes of agricultural problems in Southeast Asia and ways to address them through reform
Students will be able to explain the history of industrialization and what impact this phenomenon continues to have at the present stage on the countries of Southeast Asia
Students will be able to identify positive and negative effects of changes in the field of transport systems of cities and how countries interact in the field of transport and infrastructure at the interstate level
Students will be able to identify positive and negative effects that rapidly expanding tourism sector has on Southeast Asian countries
Students will be able to identify the main groups of languages of Southeast Asia and and analytically assess their evolutionary/extinction paths
Students will be able to navigate the main topics of the course.
Students will be able to pinpoint the main stages of the history of the Green Revolution and apply geographical approaches and concepts to examine the main challenges of this phenomenon in the countries of the studied region
The students will be able to identify how urbanization influences Southeast Asia and interacts with its local social, cultural and political contexts

Course Contents

Course Introduction
What is Southeast Asia: Defining the region: major issues
The social and spatial construction of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian physical geography
Agriculture and food
Population and urbanization: general patterns
The Diffusion and Impact of Religion
The Incursion of the West: Legacies of Colonialism
Language Mosaics
Structure: Age and Gender (IDB Population Pyramids)
Growth and Family Planning
Nutrition, Disease and Infant-Child Mortality
Migration Streams and Mobility
Refugee Movements and Displaced Population
Levels and Patterns of Urbanization
The Mega-Cities of Southeast Asia
Problems of Rapid Growth: Informal Sector, Employment
Transport in the Southeast Asian City
The Nature of Agriculture: Commercial and Subsistence
Land Tenure Issues and Reform
The Impact of the Green Revolution
Rural Development: Malaysia’s FELDA and Indonesia’s Transmigration Program; Vietnam’s ‘doi moi'
The Post-Financial Crisis Economies
Trends in Industrialization
MNCs and Trade
The Enabling Mechanisms: Transport and Communications
The Role of Tourism

Assessment Elements

Attendance
Midterm Exam
For the midterm, which will be a closed book in-class exam, you will be required to answer two essay questions.
Class Participation
Final Exam
The final will be a take-home exam, in which you will answer one of two essay questions in the form of a brief paper (approximately five pages typed plus or minus a page, double-spaced).

Interim Assessment

2021/2022 2nd module
0.3 * Midterm Exam + 0.1 * Attendance + 0.4 * Final Exam + 0.2 * Class Participation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Shaw, B. (2012). Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia. Asian Studies Review, 36(3), 433–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2012.712653

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Addressing Inequality in South Asia, Martín Rama, Tara Béteille, Yue Li, ISBN 978-1-464-80023-8, 2014
Andrews, Tim, et al. The Changing Face of Multinationals in South East Asia, Routledge, 2002. ProQuest Ebook Central
Kris H. Timotius, Paciencia Po Milan, Josef Margraf, Ecology of Insular Southeast Asia,Elsevier, 2006 ISBN 9780444527394
Mega Urban Regions of Southeast Asia, edited by Ira M. Robinson, UBC Press, 1995. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/hselibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3412334.
Nishikawa, Yukiko. Human Security in Southeast Asia, Routledge, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central
Peggy Teo, T.C. Chang, K.C. Ho, In Advances in Tourism Research, Interconnected Worlds, Pergamon, 2001, ISBN 9780080436951

Course Syllabus