ASN101 (Introduction to Asian Studies)

Course Description This course is designed to introduce Asian Studies as a major field of specialization through the identification of its scope and methodology in the study and analysis of traditional and contemporary issues in specific culture areas. As a multidisciplinary course, ASN 101 orients students with the various approaches employed in the study of Asia.

Course Objectives A. General At the end of the term, students are expected to know the basic theories and to develop the proper perspective in the study of Asia as a preparation for pursuing Asian Studies as their field of specialization.

B. Specific

1. 2. 3.

Facilitate a better understanding of the basic theories in analyzing issues pertaining to Asian politics, economic development, political economy and culture; Familiarize students with analytical frameworks that are considered non-orientalist Discuss and analyze critically contemporary issues in Asian Studies through the application of these basic theories

Course Requirements

1. 2. 3. 4.

Research/Term Papers which will be submitted before the end of the term Reaction Papers Quizzes Preliminary and Final Examinations

Methodology Lecture-discussion Film Viewing Symposia/Colloquia/Seminars Grading System Prelims Quizzes Recitation and Reaction Papers Preliminary Examination

A) B) C)

1/3 1/3 1/3

Finals A) Quizzes B) Recitation and Term Paper C) Final Examination

1/3 1/3 1/3

FINAL GRADE

Prelim Grade + Tentative Final Grade 2

Course Outline

1. 1.

I. Introduction Asian Studies as a Social Science

Week 1-2

Nagel Chapter 13. Methodological Problems of the Social Sciences Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (the whole book) Wallerstein Eurocentrism and Its Avatars: The Dilemmas of Social Science

1.

Asian Studies as a Field of Specialization

Saniel Staal.

Asian Area Studies in American and Canadian Universities Quezon City: Asian Center, 1989 The Future of Asian Studies IIAS Newsletter (November, 2003)

1.

II.

The Scope of Asian Studies

Weeks 3-7

1.

Asian Politics Borthwick. Chapter 8. Power, Authority and the Advent of Democracy (Read the entire chapter)

1. 1.

Asian Culture Asian Economies

Clammer. Chapter 7. Religion, Values and Social Change: Weber in Southeast Asia Borthwick. Chapter 7. Developing Economies of the Asia Pacific Region Confucianism and Economic Growth (pp 309-319) (pp 273-289)

1.

Asian Political Economy

Borthwick. Chapter 13. Pacific Century: The Regional Perspective (pp507-532)

Preliminary Examination

Week 8

1.

III.

Methodology

Weeks 9-10

1.

Disciplinal Approaches

1. Political Analysis : International Relations Papp. Chapter 1. Understanding International Relations

1.

Anthropological Analysis

Schusky & Culbert. Chapter 1. The Concept of Culture 2. Culture as a Tool Pelto. Chapter 4. Units of Observation : Emic and Ethic Approaches Chapter 9. Building Anthropological Theory: Methods of Comparative Research

1.

Historical Analysis

Agoncillo. Objectivity and Impartiality in History . Historical Bulletin Resurrection. The Study and Interpretation of History . Historical Bulletin

B. Area Studies Approach

Week 11-13

Eckstein. A Critique of Area Studies from a West European Perspective in Pye Pye. The Confrontation Between Discipline and Area Studies Lim. Rethinking Area Studies Macridis, Roy. The Area Concept in Neuman, Stephanie, Social Research in Southeast Asia , June 1962

1.

Interdisciplinary Approach Reyes. The Interdisciplinary Studies Program in Romance Mode in Philippine Literature and Other Essays

1.

Orientalism Sardar, Ziauddin. Orientalism. Concepts in Social Sciences

1.

Feminism Bowles and Klein. Towards a Methodology for Feminist Research

Final Examination

Week 14

Bibliography

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities (Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism). Pasig City: Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2003 Borthwick, Mark. The Pacific Century Inc., 1992 The Emergence of Modern Pacific Asia. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press,

Bowles, Gloria and Klein, Renate D. Theories of Women Studies II. Berkeley: University of California, 1981 Clammer, John. Values and Development in Southeast Asia . Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia: Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn. Bhd. 1996 Kuhn, Thomas S. The Structure of Scientific Revolution. Chicago: The University of Chicago, 1970 Lim, Aurora Roxas. Rethinking Area Studies in Asian Studies 33 (1997) Macridis, Roy. The Area Concept in Neuman Stephanie, Social Research in Southeast Asia, June 1962 Nagel, Ernest. The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1961 Papp, Daniel. Contemporary International Relations: Frameworks for Understanding. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1988 Pelto, Pertti. Anthropological Research: The Structure of Inquiry. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1970 Pye, Lucian (ed). Political Science and Area Studies: Rivals or Partners? Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975 Reyes, Soledad. Romance Mode in Philippine Literature and Other Essays . Manila: De la Salle University Press, 1991 Saniel. Asian Area Studies in American and Canadian University. Quezon City: Asian Center, 1989 Sardar, Ziauddin. Orientalism. Concepts in Social Sciences. Great Britain: The Cromwell Press, 1999 Schusky, Ernest L and Culbert, Patrick T. Introducing Culture. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc. 1987 Staal, Fris. The Future of Asian Studies IAAS Newsletter (November, 2003) The Writing of History, The Historical Bullettin 17 (January-December 1973): 1-4 Wallerstein, Immanuel. Eurocentrism and Its Avatars: Dilemmas of Social Science(http://tbc.binghamton.edu/iweuroc.htm)