POL388H1F L0101
Politics and Government of Southeast Asia
Themes
This course is an introduction to the politics and governments of Southeast Asia, one of the world’s most diverse regions in terms of regimes, ethnic and religious composition, and levels of economic development. In this course, we will leverage this regional diversity to study key questions in political science including:
• Why do some states democratize while others do not?
• What explains economic development or stagnation?
• Why and how does political violence occur?
• How do individuals navigate contemporary political and economic structures?
This course will mainly focus on contemporary politics in Southeast Asia, though we will also explore the broad contours of the colonial experience and its impact. Further, although we survey the region as a whole, this course will focus more deeply on Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. Assignments and class materials are designed to provide students with theoretical and applied research skills.
Preparation
POL218H1
Prerequisites
1.0 credit in POL/ JPA/ JPF/ JPI/ JPR/ JPS/ JRA courses