Asia, the Pacific & the West in History

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

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 questions of human rights, sanctions, and economic trade in the West"s relations with countries in Asia and the Pacific today, particularly China (Tibet), Myanmar, Fiji, and Cambodia.

• 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.

Subject readings will be available to download via the subjectwebsite.

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

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

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.

• 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.

This subject is taught online 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-ordinator.

Orientation 1-7 March, 2010

Weeks 1-4: 8 March-1 April
Easter non- teaching 2-11 April
Weeks 5-8: 12 April-9 May
Final assessment Fri 21 May