HIØA00652U Introduction to Southeast Asian Studies 2: Southeast Asian Culture

You will be introduced to the cultural, political and economic landscape of past and present Southeast Asia in this course. We will cover the countries of Thailand, Indonesia, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and East Timor. With this background, we will examine the region’s diverse forms of family and marriage systems, livelihoods, religious beliefs and social class structures. The goals of the course are to help you become aware of this region and in particular to gain an appreciation for its great diversity. The foundation will be laid for more advanced modules on specific issues in subsequent years of study. Active class participation is expected.