East Asia and the International System (988M9)
East Asia and the International System
Module 988M9
Module details for 2017/18.
30 credits
FHEQ Level 7 (Masters)
Module Outline
The aim of this course is to understand the rise of East Asia in the international political economy from the early twentieth century until the present. It will critically examine East Asian development from within the context of broader geopolitical rivalries and will seek to explore how these rivaliries have shaped the transformations taking place in the region.
The course will begin by historicising the recent transformations in East Asia and contextualising them within the longer purview of world history. The legacies of both European and Japanese imperialisms will be examined, followed by the role of the Cold War and of US hegemony in the region. As part of this historical survey, varying analytical frameworks and debates concerning late development and the rise of capitalism in the region will be examined and contextualised, including neoclassical economics, structural institutionalism, neo-Marxist theories of development such as dependency theory, and debates surrounding international versus comparative political economy, etc.
The course will examine the post-war emergence of developmental state forms in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and the developmental and geopolitical context of the these states will be contrasted with those of Southeast Asia. The question of the so-called rise of China and its implications for the regional and international political economy will be addressed, and one session will be devoted to the transformations of labour - capital relations in the region. The course will also examine the causes and consequences of the East Asian economic and financial crisis, and will end by exploring whether the centre of power in the international political is shifting from the West to Asia.
Module learning outcomes
Identify core themes and various approaches to understanding East Asian IR.
Relate empirical practices to theoretical accounts of IR and development.
Conduct a theoretically and empirically informed study of a theme in East Asia.
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Essay (5000 words) | Semester 2 Assessment Week 3 Wed 16:00 | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Seminar | 3 hours | 111111111111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Prof Kevin Gray
Convenor
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Mx Emilia Moscardini-Powers
Assess convenor
/profiles/214700
Dr David Karp
Assess convenor
/profiles/322326
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