Cold War Cultures in Asia

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

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

This subject explores how the Cold War shaped culture and ideology in Asia, and how cultural and ideological production influenced Asia’s Cold War. Employing global and cultural approaches to studying the Cold War, you will examine case studies from China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia: China’s revolution of 1949, the Americanisation of Japan, war and ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula, Indonesia's strident anti-imperialism under Sukarno, and more. The subject will explore how Cold War ideologies of capitalism, communism and anti-imperialism were embraced and contested in daily life, cultural performance, sport, films, newspapers and propaganda. We will interrogate how fears about the contaminating cultural influence of alternative ideologies shaped local, national and transnational cultures. Students will engage with different approaches to cultural, political and transnational history and draw on a variety of cultural forms including translated primary documents.

Students who complete this subject should be able to:

• understand how the Cold War impacted on cultural and ideological expression in Asia, and how Asian culture and ideology shaped the Cold War;
• comprehend the global, regional and national factors that helped produce Cold War cultures in Asia;
• be conversant with scholarship in the field of New Cold War histories, which seeks to de-centre studies of the Cold War;
• analyse primary and secondary sources in constructing historical arguments;
• demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources; and
• show critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing, and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument.

• A 1500 word document exercise due mid semester (35%)
• A 2500 word research essay due in the examination period (65%)

Hurdle requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Subject readings will be available online.

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

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.