History, Memory and Violence in Asia

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

Admission to the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Advanced) or fourth-year honours in history (or in another relevant program), or enrolment in a relevant coursework Masters program.

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

The history wars between Japan and China over Japan's war time roles periodically cause diplomatic fall outs between these two countries. Within the borders of Indonesia and Cambodia memories of violence are equally contested. Drawing on theoretical reflections on history and memory, on memory and identity politics, memory and the body, memory and gender students in this subject will learn to critically analyse memories or representations of violence in a range of Asian contexts. We will also engage with and reflect on a variety of media of memory such as narratives or oral history, museums, monuments, commemorative ceremonies, Internet sites, art and photographs. We will also reflect on the ethics and problems associated with researching and writing about memories and violence and related issues of truth and justice. The subject will include a number of case studies such as Japanese historical revisionism, the related memory wars in China over Japanese representations of the Nanjing Massacre and in Korea over Japanese silences about the Comfort Women. Further case studies might include memories of decolonisation wars, commemoration of the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, representations of the 1965 anti-communist killings in Indonesia, representations of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, representations of the violence of Partition in India, representations of the 1998 anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia and representations of the Vietnam War in Vietnam.

Students who complete this subject should:

• acquire knowledge of the history of violence in the Asian region;
• understand the various mediums of memory; and
• understand the impact of traumatic pasts on contemporary Asian societies and of the politics of memory in this region.

• A 2000 word assignment due mid semester (40%)
• A 3000 word research essay due at the end of semester (60%)

Hurdle requirement:

• Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

Subject readings will be available on line.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.