Development and Geopolitics in East Asia The aim of this module is to understand the rise of the...
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Development and Geopolitics in East Asia The aim of this module is to understand the rise of the East Asian region through analysing the interconnections between development and geopolitics. The module adopts an historical approach beginning with an examination of the legacies of European and Japanese imperialism and the subsequent role of post-war US hegemony and Cold War politics in shaping development across the region. It also examines the nature of the post-Cold War era for East Asia. The module also critically examines various theoretical frameworks and debates concerning late development, including realist IR theory, neoclassical development theory, state institutionalism, and theories of imperialism. The module thereby provides a unique means with which to examine contemporary shifts in the distribution of global power.
Development and Geopolitics in East Asia The aim of this module is to understand the rise of the East Asian region through analysing the interconnections
Development and Geopolitics in East Asia The aim of this module
is to understand the rise of the East Asian region through
analysing the interconnections between development and geopolitics.
The module adopts an historical approach beginning with an
examination of the legacies of European and Japanese imperialism
and the subsequent role of post-war US hegemony and Cold War
politics in shaping development across the region. It also examines
the nature of the post-Cold War era for East Asia. The module also
critically examines various theoretical frameworks and debates
concerning late development, including realist IR theory,
neoclassical development theory, state institutionalism, and
theories of imperialism. The module thereby provides a unique means
with which to examine contemporary shifts in the distribution of
global power.
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Seminar Outlines Week 1 Introduction. Week 2 Origins of East
Asian development. This seminar examines debates on East Asia and
the origins of capitalism. It examines the legacies of the 19 th
century meeting of East and West and how the experience of Japanese
imperialism shapesd subsequent post-war developments. Week 3 The
Cold War and the Rise of US hegemony in East Asia. This seminar
explores the global conjuncture at the end of the Second World War.
It provides an overview of the origins of East Asian capitalism and
the immediate role of the US in shaping the post-war East Asian
order. Week 4 The Northeast Asian Developmental State. This seminar
involves a critical examination of dominant explanations of East
Asian industrialisation. This will involve an examination of the
distinctive institutions of the Japanese, Taiwanese and South
Korean states, such as the state-bank-business nexus, within the
context of the Cold War.
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Seminar Outlines Week 5 Southeast Asias Dependent Development.
From a comparative perspective, to what extent does the experience
of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia resemble that of the Northeast
Asian? What are the legacies of British colonialism as opposed to
Japanese? What are the implications for the development-geopolitics
nexus? Week 6 Chinese Market Socialism. This seminar provides an
overview of Chinas post-1978 development. To what extent does China
resemble the East Asian miracle states? This seminar will also
examine the effect that Chinas development has on the East Asian
regional system. Week 7 Labour and Capital in East Asia. To what
extent have workers been affected by wider geopolitical and
developmental experiences, and how in turn have they shaped them?
What is the relationship between political authoritarianism and
late development? Week 8 Causes and Consequences of the East Asian
Crisis. Was the East Asian crisis caused by factors internal to the
East Asian countries, i.e. crony capitalism and the high-debt
model? Or was the crisis a consequence of globalisation and
particularly of financial liberalisation?
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Seminar Outlines Week 9 East Asian Regionalism. In the first
decade of the 21 st century, does the proliferation of regional
institutions in East Asia signify an attempt to marginalise the
political influence of the US? What are the barriers to EU-style
regional community? Week 10 China and Africa: The New Imperialism?
This session examines the extent to which Chinas growth and search
for resources have led to increased engagement with the African
continent. It raises the question of to what extent Chinas
engagement can be seen as a case of south-south solidarity or
whether Chinas global search for resources represents a new
imperialism. Week 11 North Korea: The Failure of Development. This
session examines the failure of development in North Korea as a
counter-factual case study in East Asian development. It also
examines how recent tensions are situation in ongoing geopolitical
transformations in the region. Week 12 China, East Asia, and the
Future of US Hegemony. To what extent has there been a transition
towards neoliberalism in East Asia? What are the implications of
the recent global financial crisis? What are the implications of
the rise of China for the rest of Asia and for the wider US-centred
global political economy.