ANY4440

Asia and the West

Don Miller

12 points
* 2 hours per week
* Second semester
* Clayton

Objectives Students in this subject can expect to survey a range of materials to extend their knowledge about Asian societies and the ways they have been studied in the past and the present; further their understanding of the politics of representation by analysing the construction of notions of `the Orient' and `Orientalism', and questioning how these constructions can be applied to more peripheral Asian societies and those that have not been directly colonised; situate Asian societies in relation to debates about feminist theory, post-colonialism and nationalism, where they have played a particularly important role; develop their capacity to apply theories and concepts to the critical examination of cultural differences, remaining sensitive to the problem of the subject position of the speaker and diverse cultural perspectives; improve written and oral skills in presenting, discussing and evaluating ideas and issues using the methods of comparative anthropology.

Synopsis This subject investigates the theoretical and empirical problems of a study of Asia and the West which we encounter when we engage in the study of Asian societies. These issues are explored not only from the perspective of the challenges facing outsiders who seek to construct an understanding of Asian societies and cultures, but also by looking at how intellectuals (and even non-literate `village intellectuals') in Asia have constructed their own forms of self-understanding. We will focus on current debates about colonialism and the post colonial context. We will look at a series of oppositions that keep recurring in dialogues between Asia and the West; materialism vs spirituality; historical dynamism vs adherence to tradition; male agency vs female submission. It will be the argument of the course that many of these familiar dualities must be recast to understand the present diversity of modern Asian cultures. Intersections with notions of subjectivity and subjected persons, gender, and theories of domination and resistance will receive special attention.

Assessment Written (9000 words ): 100%

Recommended texts

Chatterjee P The nation and its fragments Princeton, 1993
Couperus L The hidden force Library of the Indies, 1985
Dirks N (ed.) Colonialism and culture U Michigan P, 1992
Minh-ha T Woman, native, other: Writing post-coloniality and feminism Indiana U P, 1989
Orwell G Burmese days Harcourt Brace (1934), 1962
Pemberton J On the subject of `Java' Cornell U P, 1994
Stoler A Race and the education of desire Duke, 1995
Toer P A This earth of mankind Penguin, 1982