Asia, the Pacific & the West in History

Subject 131-076 (2009)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2009. Search for this in the current handbook

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 2 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

Semester 1, - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable


Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: This subject is taught online, from 9 March to 16 May 2009.
Total Time Commitment: 2.5 contact hours/week , 6 additional hours/week. Total of 8.5 hours per week.
Prerequisites: Usually 12.5 points of first-year history or Asian studies, or admission to the Universitas 21 Certificate in Global Studies.
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Coordinator

Dr Justin Richard G Tighe

Contact

Kate McGregor

k.mcgregor@unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview: From Burma to Japan, Manchuria to Thailand, the Cook Islands to Cambodia and Tibet, this subject will explore histories of Asia, the Pacific and the West's involvement in these areas from the 16th century to the present, with an emphasis on 20th century history. The subject will be divided into three thematic groups: early contact between Asia, the Pacific and the West; colonisation, resistance and the struggles for independence; and the decolonisation process and recent crises in Asia and the Pacific. Questions explored over the course of the subject include: What was the nature of early contact between the West and Asia and between the West and the Pacific? How did contact with the West transform states and societies in Asia and the Pacific? What policies did colonial powers (including Japan) implement? What forms did resistance to these policies take? How did colonisation and eventual decolonisation exacerbate racial, ethnic and national tensions, and how have these factors influence states and societies in Asia and the Pacific today? Finally, we will look at the role (if any), human rights, sanctions, and economic trade have had on the West's relations with countries in Asia and the Pacific today, particularly China (Tibet), Myanmar, Fiji, and Cambodia.
Objectives:
  • have a firm grasp of the important role that Western contact and Asia's various responses to the West had in shaping the nature and course of Asian history during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Assessment: Online class participation, and written work totalling 4000 words comprising a 1000-word radio documentary comparison 30% (due during the one-week break), tutorial participation though online postings equivalent to 500 words 25% (throughout the teaching period) and a 2500-word essay 45% (due one week after the final class).
Prescribed Texts: A subject reader will be available as a CD.
Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources;
  • show critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument;
  • demonstrate understanding of social, ethical and cultural context through the contextualisation of judgements, developing a critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and possibilities and by constructing an argument.
Notes:

This online subject is part of the U21 Diploma in Global Studies and is taught over a nine week period with one week for orientation exercises. Students who have completed 131-214 are not eligible to enrol in this subject. The subject dates and HECS/course fee census date for this subject change each year. Check your enrolment record for the correct census date for this subject.

Students enrolled in this subject as part of the GIP must be capable of reading and writing in English to a university standard. If you have any doubts or queries about the level of English required, please contact the subject co-ordinators.


Orientation 9-15 March
Weeks 1-4: 16 march-10 April
Easter non- teaching 10-19 April
Weeks 5-8: 20 April-16 May
final assessment Fri 29 May
Related Course(s): Bachelor of Arts(Media and Communications)
Diploma in Arts (History)
U21 Certificate in Global Issues (Understanding Globalisation)
U21 Diploma in Global Issues
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: History
History
History
History Major

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