CULTURES AND SOCIETIES OF CONTEMPORARY SOUTHEAST ASIA

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

Knowledge and understanding:
- Identify and understand the key features of contemporary Southeast Asia's cultural and socio-political systems
- Gain awareness of anthropological research methodologies in the ethnographic study of South-East Asia

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- Describe the key features of contemporary Southeast Asian cultural and socio-political systems
- Identify their similarities and differences with respect to other world regions
- Analyse specific socio-cultural issues in two or more Southeast Asian contexts

Interest in the societies, cultures, and peoples of South-East Asia (Thailand, Burma/Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, The Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam).

Southeast Asia is an incredibly diverse region, which features a plurality of cultures, languages, societies, and peoples. This course will serve as a critical introduction to the layered cultural and socio-political systems of this diverse region.

The course will present some of contemporary Southeast Asia's key cultural and socio-political features, including:
- Ethnic identities
- Social organization and new generations
- Religions
- Sexual habits and family forms
- Laders
- Politics, charisma and power

Required readings/textbooks:
Neher, C.D. (2010), Southeast Asia: Crossroad of the World. Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press.
Fabietti, U. (2023), Elementi di Antropologia Culturale (Terza Edizione). Milano: Mondadori (Ch. 1, 2 e 3).

Thematic subjects/articles-essays:
Bolotta, G. (2023), "Parenthood versus childhood: Young people’s generational rebellion in Thailand", in The Emerald handbook of childhood and youth in Asian societies, (eds) D. Bühler-Niederberger, X. Gu, J. Schwittek and E. Kim (Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited), p. 283-299.
Morris, R. (1994), 'Three Sexes and Four Sexualities: Redressing the Discourses on Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Thailand', Positions 2 (1): 15-43.
Hansson, E. (2017), 'Inequality and political regimes in Southeast Asia' (Special Issue), Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia, Issue 18: https://kyotoreview.org/issue-17/inequality-and-political-regimes-in-asia/ .
Jackson, P.A. (2015) 'Queer Southeast Asia - Recognition, Respect and Legitimacy, Special Issue, Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia', Issue 18: https://kyotoreview.org/issue-18/queer-southeast-asia-recognition-respect-legitimacy/ .
Platenkamp, Jos. D. M. (2010), "Becoming a Lao Person: Rituals of Birth and Socialization in Luang Prabang, Laos", in The Anthropology of Values. Essays in Honour of Georg Pfeffer, (eds.) P. Berger et al. (Delhi: Pearson), pp. 180-200.
Sopranzetti, C. (2017), 'Framed by Freedom: Emancipation and Oppression in Post-Fordist Thailand', Cultural Anthropology 32 (1): 68-92.

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

The written examination will be focused on the assessment of the student's general assimilation of the course's key contents. The written test (duration: 1 hour) will consist of 6 open-ended questions aimed at verifying that students have acquired the concepts presented during the lessons. Each answer will be assigned up to a maximum of 5 points. During the written test, the use of books, notes, and electronic aids is not allowed.

Regarding the grading system (method through which grades will be assigned), regardless of attendance or non-attendance:
A. Scores in the range 18-22 will be attributed in the presence of:
- Sufficient knowledge of the program's contents;
- Limited ability to interpret the contents, formulating independent judgments;
- Adequate communicative skills, especially concerning the use of specific language related to the analysis of Southeast Asian cultures and societies;
B. Scores in the range 23-26 will be attributed in the presence of:
- Fair knowledge of the program's contents;
- Fair ability to interpret the contents, formulating independent judgments;
- Fair communicative skills, especially concerning the use of specific language related to the analysis of Southeast Asian cultures and societies;
C. Scores in the range 27-30 will be attributed in the presence of:
- Good knowledge of the program's contents;
- Good ability to interpret the contents, formulating independent judgments;
- Fully appropriate communicative skills, especially concerning the use of specific language related to the analysis of Southeast Asian cultures and societies;
D. Honors (30 cum laude) will be attributed in the presence of excellent knowledge and understanding, critical analysis skills of the program's contents, judgment abilities, and communicative skills.

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

Italian

written