Politics of Southeast Asia (354-0-20)
Instructors
Jeffrey A Winters
Scott, #403
Meeting Info
University Hall 102: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
We will explore the modern politics of one of the most important and dynamic regions of the world. The course is designed to be stimulating for political science majors, but also highly accessible for non-majors. No prior knowledge of Southeast Asia is required. Stretching between India and China, the eleven countries of Southeast Asia range from poor to rich, tiny to massive, democratic to authoritarian, and from Buddhist to Muslim to Catholic to atheist. No world region is more diverse. The core theme of the course is centered around struggles for voice and equality. We will grapple with questions like: What does democracy mean under conditions of extreme wealth and poverty? What role does the rule of law play? And why are important democratic gains of the past 25 years eroding? Beyond students interested specifically in Southeast Asia, those doing comparative work on Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia will find this course useful.
Class descriptions from the past two years can be viewed on the class descriptions page. https://class-descriptions.northwestern.edu/
Class descriptions prior to that can be viewed in CAESAR in the Class Search and Catalogs sections.
Evaluation Method
Course evaluation is based on three components -- participation in sections, a midterm essay exam, and a final research paper. There is no final exam. The research paper is very flexible and can focus on topics and countries in the region of greatest interest to you.
Class Materials (Required)
Milton Osborne. Southeast Asia, An Introductory History, 14th edition (Allen & Unwin, 2024). ISBN: 978-1761470943.
Mark. R. Thompson. The Philippines: From "People Power" to Democratic Backsliding. (Cambridge, 2023). ISBN: 9781009398480.
Class Attributes
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
Associated Classes
DIS - Harris Hall L06: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM
DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-331: Thurs 1:00PM - 1:50PM
DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-335: Thurs 1:00PM - 1:50PM