ASTK12166U Images of Asia

Volume 2013/2014
Content

The course consists of a series of cases of knowledge related to various geopolitical parts of Asia and to a series of topics including international relations/foreign policy, development aid policy, gender relations/gender equality policy, population policy, and non-governmental organizing. While using various cases, the overall focus is on the production of ideas or knowledge of Asia.

 

The course consists of 14 weeks with 2 hours of teaching each week. Instructors are researchers from NIAS, the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. Guest lectures will be incorporated when possible. The last class provides a summary perspective on the issues covered in the course. 

 

1

Week 6

Introduction - What is Asia? Historical background

 

2

Week 7

PRC 1949–1978 - Ground-breaking achievements contra horrific subordination and exploitation

Cecilia Milwertz

3

Week 8

Population Policy in the PRC – universal human rights of individuals perspective contra accepting population control

Cecilia Milwertz

4

Week 9

Non-governmental organizing in the PRC – separate, pure NGOs contra intra-action of social entrepreneurs, party-state and foreign donors

Cecilia Milwertz

5

Week 10

Domestic politics of Japan: A decision-making system of a developmental state

Aki Tonami

6

Week 11

The Fukushima Nuclear accident and the Japanese politics

Aki Tonami

7

Week 12

A close but complex relations of East Asian Countries and the US

Aki Tonami

8

Week 13

Korea, a divided country with “5000 years of common history”: Culture and politics in an East Asian context

Geir Helgesen

9

Week 14

The two Koreas: United in enmity - Different perspectives on internal and external ongoing conflicts

Geir Helgesen

10

Week 15

Post-Cold War scenarios. Korean and international views. A Nordic perspective

Geir Helgesen

11

Week 17

Indonesia

Vera Altmeyer

12

Week 18

Indonesia

Vera Altmeyer

13

Week 19

Guest lecture

Mr. Martin Bille Hermann, Ambassador of Denmark to Indonesia (TBC)

14

Week 20

What are the images of Asia? What can we learn from this?

 

Learning Outcome

The course intends to critically assess a series of knowledges of Asia produced at various locations. They are created with various aims and are based on various theoretical and methodological presuppositions. We aim to enhance students’ capacity to:

 

  • Identify differences of perspective regarding highly complex situations,
  • Sharpen awareness of how knowledges of Asia are situated and can best be understood.

 

The point at issue here is not whether a given analysis or knowledge of Asia is biased or not, but rather from which positions the analysis speaks, and whose interests its bias serves. The course will focus on inclusion and exclusion of knowledges. We will refer to the course texts and reflect on what is mentioned and why, as well as the theoretical positions from which the course teachers approach this analysis.

From this perspective, we see area studies, in this case the study of Asia, as an interesting challenge to social and political theories, and thus to the universalism that has prevailed in this part of the world until now.

 

 

In-class sessions will constitute a mixture of lectures, discussions and mandatory student presentations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 79
  • Preparation
  • 168
  • Total
  • 275
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination
Written exam
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for achieving the goals:

  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner