GEOPOLITICS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

The course is part of the B.A. program in "Languages, Cultures, and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa" (South-East Asia Curriculum).
Its educational objectives fall within the area of cultural and humanistic skills learning.

Knowledge and understanding:
- Understand the complex relationships between physical geography, culture, national sovereignty, and international politics in contemporary Southeast Asia
- Gain awareness of the growing relevance of Southeast Asia as the epicenter of rivalry and conflict between world powers (U.S., China, and Japan)
- Understand the multiple roles played by Southeast Asia's states in regional and global geopolitics

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- Apply appropriate analytical methodologies and categories to the study of the influence of geography on South-East Asian states' cultural politics, at both national and international level
- Use videos/films, academic and/or journalistic texts, archival and/or cutting edge materials in the discussion and critical assessment of geopolitical issues in contemporary Southeast Asia

Adequate knowledge and understanding of the historical and cultural processes that have shaped Southeast Asia over the centuries.

This course introduces students to the multidisciplinary study of geopolitics in contemporary Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on the relationships between geography, culture, and politics, as well as on the influence of external world powers in the transformation of the region.

The course focuses on a number of case study countries, discussed through ethnographic and historical evidence. It sheds light on key geopolitical issues (e.g. borders and cross-border circulation; environment and natural resources; security, religion, and foreign policy; ethnic nationalisms and regional integration).

During the course, experts and specialists of South-East Asia will give guest lectures on specific topics.

Ba, Alice D. and Beeson, Mark (eds.) (2018), Contemporary Southeast Asia: The Politics of Change, Contestation, and Adaptation (III ed.), Palgrave and Macmillan, London.

Thongchai Winichakul (1994), Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-Body of a Nation, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.

Additional required readings will be announced in class and provided through Moodle.

Written test: take-home 'review essay'

Each student will select an academic journal article, film, or other relevant material from those presented during the course, and write a short academic essay (2-3 pages, excluding the bibliography), based on the chosen material/topic. This 'review essay' must (1) critically assess the main issues; (2) develop a number of relevant research questions; (3) propose a research method to address them; (4) and detail how the chosen material, and its critical discussion, can enhance our understanding of contemporary South-East Asia's geopolitics.

Your essay should draw on the theories and empirical evidence that are presented during the course, and demonstrate appropriate use of bibliographic sources.

Lectures (interspersed with presentations of films and materials), group discussions, exercises in small groups.

Italian

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development