This course is not currently offered, please contact the school or faculty of your program.

Course description

The way in which countries in the Asia Pacific view their place in the world and their interactions with other countries is in large measure determined by how they understand their own history. This course will present an overview of the history of the Asia Pacific, dividing it into 2 culturally distinct subregions: Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. The underlying theme of the course is the transformation of the region from the traditional states of the pre-colonial era into the modern states and societies of the Asia Pacific region today. The course will examine the effects of this transformation on political, economic and social organization, gender relations, religious piety and expression, and cultural life. These themes will be illustrated with reference to the case studies of China, Japan and Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, among other countries. By examining the Asia Pacific as a whole students will gain an enhanced understanding of the interconnectedness of the region, and different countries¿ common experience of the history of the modern era.