Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Synopsis Why do certain East Asian political leaders appear so easily offended by off-the-cuff comments by Australian politicians and media commentators? Is the ideological schism of the Cold War being replaced by a civilisational divide based upon innate cultural differences between East Asia and Europe? This subject seeks to address questions such as these through a critical investigation into the political dimensions of culture and associated notions of difference between East and West. It explores how early contacts gave rise to a core set of stereo-typical images about East Asia shaped largely by the political ambitions of Western societies. It also traces the evolution of these stero-types and reveals how they work through modern film, television and literature to reproduce politically loaded notions of difference in modern society. Attention is also paid to East Asian societies themselves and how these categories of identity and difference with their origins in Western thought have come to be accepted as a part of the political landscape of the region. Throughout the subject attention is paid to the role played by capitalist development in the shaping of culture and notions of cultural difference. Specific topics to be addressed include the construction of gender in an East-West context, differing conceptions of power and human rights, and how the politicisation of difference problematises Australia's attempts to forge closer links with the East Asian region.
Assessment Tutorial attendance, oral presentation (2000 words): 20% + Written work (2000 words): 40% + Examination (2 hours) 40%