The George Washington University
Department of Political Science
Fall 2013
Course website: http://blackboard.gwu.edu
Course meets: W 11:10-1:00 P.M. Monroe 353
Alasdair Bowie
Office: Monroe/Hall of Govt 423
Ph: (202) 994-7370
Em: abowie@gwu.edu
Off hrs: W 1:00-3:00
PSC 2373.10
Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia
Course Description
This course explores political and economic developments in Southeast Asia – the region
encompassing the peninsulas between India and China, as well as the Philippine and Indonesian
archipelagoes. The region’s economic prominence is reflected in its consistently high growth
rates (several of its countries were already labeled by the World Bank as “High Performing
Asian Economies” in 1993), by the prominence of Malaysia and Singapore as global exporters
of high-tech electronics, by Thailand’s position as one of the world’s leading producers of rice,
rubber, sugar, textiles, hard disk drives, and even pick-up trucks, and by “market-socialist”
Vietnam’s emergence as one of the world’s largest exporters of coffee. Alongside this economic
growth has been a generally impressive reduction in poverty and increase on "human
development indicators" (education and health, along with income). There are also problems:
inequality has worsened in a number of cases; environmental performance has been weak; and
there are concerns about that political problems and ineffective government may limit the future
prosperity of even those countries of the region which have achieved “middle-income” status.
Political shifts, including democratization, are occurring throughout the region, albeit at an
uneven pace. In the Philippines (in 1986) and Indonesia (in 1998), for example, authoritarian
rulers were forced aside by new elite coalitions and popular movements, and competitive
elections were introduced. Thailand's politics are marked by a combination of competitive
elections, lots of new constitutions (17 since 1932), frequent coups (over 15 since 1932), and
growing societal conflicts. Singapore operates under a one-party government and Malaysia has
been rule since independence by a Malay-dominated coalition; both countries hold elections but
with varying degrees of competitiveness. Burma/Myanmar is ruled by an unelected quasicivilian (military-dominated) government, Vietnam and Laos by unelected communist parties,
and Cambodia by an authoritarian party.
These developments have taken place in the context of diverse cultural traditions and strategic
pressures. The Philippines is largely Catholic. Buddhism is the dominant religion in most of
mainland Southeast Asia. And Islam is the dominant religion in three of the region’s countries
(Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim country) as well as in southern
Philippines and southern Thailand. The Islamic presence, combined with some significant
problems of poverty and inequality, has given rise to concerns about fundamentalism and
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terrorism in certain areas. The region is also characterized by numerous ethnic minorities,
including the economically powerful ethnic Chinese. Strategically, the Southeast Asian
countries must contend with an increasingly influential China exerting its economic and
diplomatic power in the region.
As with any regionally-focused course, the challenge in structuring the sessions of this course is
to strike the appropriate balance between breadth and depth of coverage. The first section of this
course (up to the in-class exam) emphasizes breadth with an historical overview of all parts of
the region, from pre-colonial to post-independence periods. The subsequent sessions delve
more deeply into the major political issues relating to three specific countries in which your
instructor has lived and conducted research (most recently for 16 months, from April 2011-July
2012): Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Malaysia - Ethnic Tensions and Politics in a Rising Middle-Income Developing Country:
Malaysia has embraced globalization and has been one of the more rapidly industrializing
countries in the developing world. Yet unresolved issues, concerning the extent to which the
majority indigenous population (bumiputra) should continue to monopolize political power and
dominate the government-dominated parts of the economy, repeatedly come to light. Are the
kinds of political arrangements that have to date suppressed serious public discussion of ethnic
differences appropriate, if Malaysia is to meet new development challenges, especially in the
context of shifting globalization pressures?
Indonesia - Politics and Islam: Indonesia, with an estimated population of approximately
250 million, is the largest Muslim country in the world (both geographically and
demographically). Yet the origins and characteristics of Islam in Indonesia differ significantly
from those in the Middle East and North Africa. How do we explain these differences? What
are their consequences for both Indonesia's political development and our broader understanding
of Islam as a political force?
Vietnam - Political Economy of a Socialist Transition: After the "American War,"
Vietnam turned to the challenges of political consolidation and economic stabilization and
growth. Can the Communist Party of Vietnam maintain its dominant political position as it
pursues economic growth without unleashing social forces that challenge its very power?
Viewed comparatively, can Vietnam's ruling party emulate the performance of its Chinese
counterpart?
As should be clear from this description, the course has a heavy component of political economy.
While economic policies and issues will play a prominent role in some of the readings and
lectures, you are not expected to have a background in economics. However, you can expect to
learn some new economic concepts during the semester. It is impossible to study the interaction
between politics and economics without first introducing some terms from economics. Every
effort will be made to explain unfamiliar terms in class. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions if
you encounter an unfamiliar concept.
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You are not expected come to this course with any previous knowledge of Southeast Asia. You
are expected to have completed the required prerequisites for this course, i.e., to have some
background in comparative politics and/or international relations and to have completed with a
passing grade the introduction to comparative politics (PSC 1001). As an upper-level course,
this course requires a moderate weekly reading load – 80-120 pages – for the single class session
each week. You will complete the assigned readings prior to the weekly class at which we
discuss them. This is especially important because we will devote at least half of the class time to
discussions and exercises related to the readings. Please ask questions when you do not
understand something in the weekly readings.
Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for this course represent the impact that the instructor would like this
course to have on you two to three years into the future. They are the ways in which, having
taken this course, you will differ from students who have not yet taken this (or a similar) course.
If you commit yourself to the course, you will be able to:
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Identify, name, select, classify and appropriately apply to empirical reality concepts
relating to comparative politics in Southeast Asia, such as state, society, civil society,
nation, ethnic identity, and pluralism; and have an appreciation for the range of
differences in how these concepts have been manifested across two or more countries of
the region;
Show, demonstrate, that you have the procedural skills to be able to write an essay (in
response to a question that asks you to link concepts and empirical examples) that
includes an introduction, main points and conclusion and that is logically structured to
present and substantiate an hypothesis in response to the question;
Distinguish, analyze, criticize, synthesize core concepts relating to comparative politics
in Southeast Asia; describe, analyze, interrogate and explain relationships between these
concepts--for example the tension between affirming ethnic identity and embracing a
national identity--as these relationships have been manifest in real world events in the
Southeast Asia; and
Create, construct, compose and produce a medium-length final paper appropriate to the
discipline of political science and to your level of progress in the study of this discipline.
Required Prerequisite for this Course
You must have passed PSC 1001 to take this course (the requirement for all political science
Group A [comparative politics] courses). Permission of the instructor is required if you wish to
take the course, have not passed PSC 1001, but feel that you have passed a course that is
substantially equivalent to PSC 1001.
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Format
With the exception of the first class meeting, all class sessions will have elements of lecture and
elements of discussion. The lecture component will be more prominent in sessions during the
first part of the course, while discussion will be more prominent during sessions thereafter.
Course Policies and Procedures
Students with Disabilities: If you have special needs because of a disability, whether or not you
have formally registered with GW Disability Services, please speak with the instructor by the
end of Week 2.
Religious Observance: In accordance with university policy regarding accommodations for
religious holidays, if you plan a religious observance that precludes your attending the scheduled
in-class mid-term examination or the final examination, University policy requires that you
petition the instructor orally or in writing during the first week of classes, so that alternative
(“make-up”) arrangements can be made for you. Absent such notification in the first week, you
are expected to attend both the mid-term and the final (unless you receive instructor approval for
the final paper option, in lieu of the final exam). Saturday, August 31, is the last day to request
from the instructor accommodations for religious observance.
Attendance, Preparedness and Participation: Since participation is the key to your achieving the
learning objectives of this course, and you cannot effectively participate if you aren’t there or
haven’t read, you are required to complete the session’s reading assignment before class, to
attend each class session, and to be prepared to discuss knowledgably at the session the required
reading assigned. If you attend class, but do not complete the readings, or if you complete the
readings, but do not attend class, you are likely to receive a poor grade. Instructor remarks in
class are designed to complement—not simply review—the assigned readings. Material that
supplements the assigned readings for the first half of the course may be found in the
recommended text (Owen, ed.). Readings from Owen are however voluntary.
Examination Policies: Please take careful note of the date of the in-class exam (Exam #1) and the
dates when the take-home exam (Exam #2) is available and is due. If you are not present on the
specified day and time for the in-class exam, you will not have the opportunity to take a make-up
exam. However, under truly extraordinary circumstances which you could not reasonably have
predicted in advance (examples include sudden illness, accident, or family bereavement or
severe illness), it is possible that you may not be able to attend the in-class. If you encounter such
circumstances, please contact the instructor as soon as possible and, subject to your providing
documentation of the event that the instructor finds acceptable, a make-up exam may be
scheduled for you at a different day and/or time.
Academic Dishonesty (Plagiarism and Cheating) Policy: You are expected to familiarize
yourself with and to follow the academic dishonesty-related portions of the “Code of Academic
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Integrity” and to abide by the Code. The instructor will follow the procedures established by the
Office of Academic Integrity in responding to any suspected violations. Please be aware that
your final paper may be submitted through a plagiarism-detection tool, such as SafeAssign.
SafeAssign is a software resource designed to help students avoid plagiarism and improper
citation. The software encourages original writing and proper citation documentation practices
by cross-referencing submitted materials with an archived database of student papers, journals,
essays, newspaper articles, books, and other published work. In addition, other methods may be
used to determine the originality of final papers submitted.
Use of Personal Electronic Devices in Class: To facilitate a focused and uninterrupted discussion
and as a courtesy to others who might be distracted, please terminate all cell phone conversations
upon entering the classroom; turn off or silence ring tones of all cell phones, smart phones, etc.
while in the classroom; and refrain from texting, social networking, surfing or otherwise
communicating electronically (shopping?!) for the duration of each class session. Laptops,
iPads, tablets and other personal electronic devices may be used in class for taking notes and for
accessing content found at the course Blackboard website or other content specifically related to
the session’s discussions. However, during the very limited class time we have together each
week (110 minutes), you are required when in class to focus on the class, rather than on the
screen (see Participation, above).
Civil and Respectful Dialogue: It is possible that occasionally you may feel that the material
which students and the instructor address in class to be controversial and even sensitive. When
discussing such topics, the instructor establishes the expectation that students will engage them
in a collegial manner, respecting the opinions and ideas of others, even though you may not
agree with them. One of the foundations of excellence in higher education is exploring diverse
ideas, beliefs, theories, concepts, etc. without “putting others down.” Should you find a particular
topic troublesome, please discuss your concerns with the instructor privately.
“Extra Credit”: Unfortunately, if one or more of the assignments you submit for a grade receive
an assessment (grade) lower than you had hoped for, in this class you do not have the
opportunity subsequently to submit “extra work” and thereby earn “extra credit” to “make up
your grade.”
Submission Formats: All materials submitted as part of the final paper process must be in 12point font, double-spaced (does not apply to the Final Paper Proposal, which may be singlespaced, or to bibliographical entries, which should be single spaced, with a space between each
entry), with one-inch margins, and formatted in Word for Office or Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.
Late Submission: Graded assignments (with the exception of the Discussion Board posts, which
receive zero points if submitted after the weekly due day/time) that are recorded as having been
received late at the course Blackboard website will have their grades is reduced by a split grade
(e.g., B+ becomes B; B- becomes C+) for each 24-hour period or part thereof, including
holidays and weekends, that they are late. The time period on which the grade reduction is based
begins at the day and time that the assignment was due and ends at the day and time that the
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assignment was received at the website. You may confirm receipt of an assignment you have
submitted at the website by visiting the My Grades link to check that the appropriate icon
indicates “needs grading” for the assignment (for icon explanations, click on the “icon legend”).
Where your instructor requires a revised assignment from you (such as a revised Paper
Proposal) and no separate course credit is assigned for the revision (separate from the credit
assigned to the original assignment), late submission of the revision will result in grade
reduction to the original assignment grade, in accordance with the policy outlined above.
Assignments (with the exception of Exam #1 blue books) may not be submitted in hardcopy
form. Assignments submitted by email attachment to the instructor’s email address are not
accepted.
Incompletes: An overall course grade of incomplete (“I”) can be reported only if you have
presented a legitimate and compelling reason, typically beyond your control, that has prevented
you from completing a significant proportion of the course work. You must have been
performing at least at a “low pass” (C-) level before the event or circumstances for the “I” to be
assigned. Your request for the “I” grade for any exam during the period when the class is in
session (i.e., August 28-December 5, inclusive) must be received by the instructor on or before
5:00 P.M. on Friday, December 6. If you did not submit an exam and did not request an “I”
grade by this date and time, then the instructor will assign the grade of “F” for the exam. Before
an “I” can be assigned, you must sign with the instructor a written agreement that describes the
outstanding work required and specifies when the exam will be made up. If a final paper has not
been received from you or you have not submitted the take-home exam by the date and time
specified, and no request for the “I” grade from you has been received by the instructor by this
date and time, then the instructor will assign the grade of “F” to your final paper and/or takehome exam.
Textbooks
The required textbooks listed below all are available at the GW Bookstore (see below for
alternative commercial websites from which these books may be purchased). A limited number
of copies of the recommended texts (Owen; Vickers) have also been ordered. If you have access
to earlier editions of any of these textbooks (for example, Osborne), please consult with the
instructor concerning their suitability for use in this class.
Required
Robert Dayley and Clark D. Neher. Southeast Asia in New International Era (6th ed.). Boulder,
CO: Westview, 2013.
Bill Hayton. Vietnam: Rising Dragon. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010.
Milton Osborne. Southeast Asia: An Introductory History (10th ed.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin,
2010.
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Robert Pringle. Understanding Islam in Indonesia: Politics and Diversity. Honolulu: University
of Hawaii Press, 2010.
Recommended
Norman Owen, ed. The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History. Honolulu:
University of Hawaii Press, 2005.
Adrian Vickers. A History of Modern Indonesia (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2013.
Alternative sources for book purchase: new or used titles are available from www.amazon.com,
www.barnesandnoble.com, eBay, Half.com or directly from publishers’ websites.
Required readings that are not in the textbooks can be accessed using: databases accessible
through the Gelman Library home page (gelman.gwu.edu); the course Blackboard website (links:
Electronic Reserves; Electronic Resources); Gelman Library reserves (hardcopy); and on-line
sources.
Requirements
Note: There is no final exam for this course.
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Discussion Board posts submitted online weekly--minimum 8 posts (out of possible 11),
with 3 lowest grades dropped—worth 15% of your overall course grade;
one 3-page essay submitted online, worth 10% of your overall course grade;
one 60-minute, closed-book, in-class (“blue book”) mid-term exam (Exam #1), worth
15% of your overall course grade;
one open-book, 24-hour, take-home exam (Exam #2) submitted online, worth 20% of
your overall course grade; and
one Final Paper submitted online (with the exception of the oral report), worth 40% of
your overall course grade, comprising (see “Final Paper Guidelines” below for details)
--Proposal (2.5%)
--Research Memo (5%)
--Paper itself (30%)
--Oral report in class on paper findings (2.5%)
Discussion Board Posts: participants are required to post to the course website (link:
Discussions; at Discussion Board, choose Online Discussions, and then the relevant session)
concise responses (worth, collectively, 15% of your overall grade) to: the focus question (link:
Focus Questions); the readings assigned; and/or other participants’ posts (if your post is a
reply or rejoinder to another participant’s post, click on the “reply” button at the end of that
participant’s post). Each post should be roughly 1-2 paragraphs in length. Exceedingly long
posts will receive low assessments. Posts are due by Midnight (12:00 A.M.) the night
before the class meets.
In assessing your posts, your instructor looks for thoughtful responses based upon a careful
reading of the assigned reading and considered, concise responses to the focus question and/or
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other participants’ posts. Participants who choose to respond well in advance of the deadline
have considerable leeway as to what they wish to respond on, whereas participants responding
later need to contribute something new to the discussion (not simply reiterate or endorse what
has already been submitted by earlier posters) or respond directly to a point made by another
participant.
Each post is assessed as follows: excellent (“A”); good (“B”); fair (“C”); or unsatisfactory
(“D” or lower). There are 11 opportunities to post during the semester. You must post a
minimum of 8 posts. The posts contribute equally to the overall Discussion Board grade.
Posts received late or not received at all receive a grade of F. The lowest 3 grades are
dropped. This means that if you submit only 8 posts, the grades for the three “missing” posts
(each assigned F) will be dropped. If you submit 9 posts, the (F) grades for your two
“missing” posts will be dropped, as well as the lowest grade received for one of the posts you
submitted by the due date/time. If you submit 10 posts, the grade for your sole “missing” post
will be dropped, along with the two lowest grades received for posts you submitted by the due
date/time. Lastly, if you submit all 11 posts, the grades for the three lowest grades received
for posts you submitted by the due date/time will be dropped.
To count towards the Discussion Board grade, a post must be posted to the Discussion
Board by the due day/time. Later submissions are accepted, including “follow ups” following
class discussion, but these only contribute to the participant’s grade for the session’s posting if
an original post for that week is received by the above deadline.
Your instructor does not actively moderate the threads, except where they are inappropriate
or posted in error (you do not have the ability to remove a post once you have submitted it).
On occasion, the instructor responds online to a post. But his responses to online posts will
usually be given during seminar discussion of the week’s Discussion Board “conversation.”
He may call upon the authors of specific posts to reiterate, elaborate or defend the content of
their posts during this conversation. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that, before
coming to class, you take a few moments to review all posts received before the due date/time
for the session, including your own. Given the number of participants in the class, it is
generally easier to use hardcopy print-outs to navigate the week’s posts and replies in class,
rather than scrolling on laptops, iPads, tablets or other personal electronic devices (bring
hardcopy to refer to if you can manage it).
Essay: (worth 10% of your overall grade) Submit a 3-page, double-spaced, paper that answers
one of the focus questions from sessions 1-4. Your work will be evaluated to determine
whether you have the procedural and analytical skills to to write an essay (in response to a
question) that includes an introduction (question, definitions, hypothesis, outline), a main
body (topic sentences, one paragraph per main idea, empirical evidence), and a conclusion
(question, outline, hypothesis, assessment) and that is logically structured to present and
substantiate a hypothesis in response to the question. Use course textbooks and required
readings to cite empirical evidence or opinion relevant to the main points in the main body of
your Essay. Use parenthetical citations, such as “(Osborne 178),” to refer to reading and page
number(s). If your Essay responds to the session 1 focus question, cite relevant content from
any of the textbooks adopted for the course. Unlike the Final Paper, the Essay does not
require a separate, appended bibliography. Submit your Essay at the course Blackboard
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website (Assignments link). Submission by hardcopy or email to the instructor’s address is
not accepted. The Essay is due Friday, Sep 20, 5:00 P.M.
In-class Exam (Exam #1): (worth 15% of your overall course grade) Assesses your grasp of the
readings, instructor in-class presentations, class discussions and any other materials presented
(e.g., videos) during sessions 1-6. Lasts 60 minutes and comprises two sections. The first
consists of short answer questions (there will be choice) relating to concepts and their
empirical referents. 1-2 paragraph answers are expected in each case. The second consists of
an essay. The essay questions (there will also be choice here) will be similar but not identical
to the focus questions for each class session. You are expected to cite specific assigned
readings (a list of the assigned readings will be included with the exam questions) in your
essay, but you do not need to cite specific pages. This “blue book” exam is closed book,
closed notes, with laptops, iPads, tablets and other personal electronic devices closed.
However, as a memory aid, you may bring into the exam one, 3 inch by 5 inch card (hardcopy
only), on which you may write any information you wish (on one or both sides). If you bring
a card of larger dimensions, before the exam begins you will be offered two alternatives:
forfeiting the card (your instructor will hold the card and return it after the exam); or having
the card trimmed to the dimensions specified here.
Take-Home Exam (Exam #2): (worth 20% of your overall course grade) This exam covers
sessions 7 (after Exam #1) -14 and assesses your grasp of the readings, instructor or visitor inclass presentations, class discussions and any other materials (e.g., videos) presented
throughout the course. The exam consists of two sections: the first involves short answer
questions (there will be choice) that relate to concepts and empirical referents; the second is
an essay. The essay questions (there will also be choice here) will be similar but not identical
to the focus questions for each class session. The typical length of essay answers submitted is
3-5 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font. Exam #2 is available Wednesday, Dec 04 5:00
P.M. at the course Blackboard website (Exams link), and is due Thursday, Dec 05, 5:00
P.M. Submit your Exam #2 online at the course Blackboard website (Exams link).
Submission by hardcopy or email to the instructor’s address is not accepted.
Final Paper: (worth 40% of your overall course grade) The steps involved in the Final Paper
assignment are detailed at the end of this syllabus under “Final Paper Guidelines.” This
section also includes details on submission requirements for each of the components including
the finished final paper itself, and on the oral report required.
Detailed Listing of Class Sessions, reading assignments and due dates
The reading list is organized by topics. The instructor reserves the right to amend, reorder,
substitute for, or delete session topics and assigned readings, with reasonable notice, during the
course of the semester. Such notice will be provided at the Announcements (front) page of the
course website. You are required to visit the course website at least once per week during the
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semester to review course Announcements and to be current with any changes to topics or
reading assignments posted there.
The abbreviations used below for the course required textbooks are: D=Dayley/Neher;
H=Hayton; O=Osborne; P=Pringle.
Apart from the textbooks, those items that are available full-text through the Gelman Library
home page (ArticlesPlus, the WRLC Catalog, or databases (Ebrary, etc.)) are indicated by an
asterisk (*). Readings available at the course Blackboard website are indicated by the “at”
symbol (@). Such readings are found at the Electronic Reserves link organized by folders that
are identified by session number. Readings also available in hardcopy form at Gelman Library
reserves are indicated by the “plus” symbol (“+”).
Where additional readings are “to be assigned” (tba), this is indicated under the relevant sessions.
Aug 28
1. Introduction: defining Southeast Asia
O ch 1
Sep 04
2. Pre-colonial Southeast Asia
O chs 2-4
Sep 11
3. Colonial Southeast Asia
O chs 5-7
Sep 18
4. Nationalism and Revolution
O chs 8-11
Additional Reading (of related interest; voluntary)
--please consult instructor
**Essay due Friday, Sep 20, by 5:00 P.M. (submit at course website; link: Assignments)**
Sep 25
5. Challenges of Independence after the End of Formal European Rule
O chs 12-14
Oct 02
6. Government and Economic Development
D ch 2 (“Thailand”)(part) 52-57, ch 3 (“The Philippines”)(part) 87-92, & ch 5
(“Malaysia”)(part) 150-53
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*Stiglitz, Joseph E., and Shahid Yusuf, eds. Rethinking the East Asian Miracle. Oxford, UK;
Washington, DC: Oxford University Press and the World Bank, 2001. Ch 12 (“Rethinking
the Role of Government Policy in Southeast Asia” [K.S. Jomo])(part) 473-76 (“Cultural
Policies”)[available, full-text, through WRLC Catalog entry and in WRLC databases
Ebrary and World Bank e-Library]
Additional Reading (of related interest; voluntary)
*Stiglitz, Joseph E., and Shahid Yusuf, eds. Rethinking the East Asian Miracle. Oxford, UK;
Washington, DC: Oxford University Press and the World Bank, 2001. Ch 9 (“Miracle as
Prologue” [Meredith Woo-Cumings])[available, full-text, through WRLC Catalog entry
and in WRLC databases Ebrary and World Bank e-Library]
Oct 09
7. Mid-term Examination; Introduction to Contemporary Malaysia, Indonesia & Vietnam
U.S. Department of State, www.state.gov/countries. Once you’ve navigated to the Malaysia
country page, click on the link labeled “Background Notes.” Focus particularly at the
sections headed (in capital letters) “Government” and “Political Conditions.” There’s also
a shorter “Government” sub-section in the initial Profile section of this background note.
In the case of Indonesia [and Vietnam], at the country page click on
“[Indonesia/Vietnam] Country Fact Sheet” and then, in the Note near the top of the Fact
Sheet, click on the link to archived Backgound Notes: www.state.gov/outofdate/bgn. Next,
click on the country link [Indonesia or Vietnam] on the left hand panel that lists all
countries alphabetically. At the country page, click the link to the most recent version:
Indonesia’s is dated 1/20/12; Vietnam’s is dated 1/5/12. Focus particularly at the section
headed (in capital letters) “Government and Political Conditions.”
**Final Paper Proposal due Wednesday, Oct 09, by 5:00 P.M. (submit at course website;
link: Assignments)**
Oct 16
8. Malaysia
@Owen, ed, ch 29
@Bowie, Crossing the Industrial Divide: State, Society, and the Politics of Economic
Transformation in Malaysia. New York: Columbia University Press, 1991. Ch 5
Oct 23
9. Research Workshop: Dr. David Ettinger, Gelman Library Rm 301
**Final Paper Research Memo due Friday, Oct 25, by 5:00 P.M. (submit at course website;
link: Assignments)**
Oct 30
10. Indonesia: Islam’s Origins and Diversity
P chs 1-4
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Nov 06
11. Indonesia: Political Development and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam
P chs 5-8
Nov 13
12. Vietnam: Origins of Revolutionary Nationalism; Socialist Transitions
D ch 9 (“Vietnam”)(part) 217-31
H Epilogue, chs 4-7, 9
Nov 20
13. Vietnam: Struggling with Economic Policy
D ch 9 (“Vietnam”)(part) 232-38
H chs 1-3, 8
*Fuller, Thomas. “Widening Wealth Gap in Vietnam Is Challenging Leaders' Message of
Equality.” New York Times September 2, 2012 (A06)
**Final papers due (upload at Assignments link of course Blackboard website) Monday, Nov
25, by 5:00 P.M. (or detailed instructions, see Final paper Guidelines below)**
Nov 27 Thanksgiving Break (no class)
Dec 04
14. Conclusion; student in-class presentations on final papers
O ch 15
Final Paper Guidelines
Overview: The Final Paper is an 8-10 page paper (minimum 8 pages, double-spaced; maximum
10 pages, double-spaced, not including cover sheet, end-notes, appendices, if any, and
bibliography) that must: a) focus on one of the themes of the course in the context of a
particular country or countries in the region; b) address a self-chosen question from either a
theoretical or a policy perspective (the approved research question must appear at the top of
the first page, or on the cover sheet, if one is used, in lieu of a title); and c) draw on at least 7
authoritative sources (books, articles in academic or specialized journals, etc.). Submission of
the Paper Proposal and the Research Memo, along with instructor approval (“green light”) for
both, is required to receive a letter grade other than F for the finished Final Paper itself (read
on for more details on these components).
Questions: Select one question that relates to a theme and country(ies) covered in this class
anytime during the semester. The range of potential questions from which you might choose
one is rather broad including questions such as: what roles has organized labor played in
political and economic development in Burma/Myanmar and the Philippines? What have been
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the costs/benefits of democracy for women? Is the growth of Southeast Asian regionalism
primarily the product of economic growth or primarily a strategic response to disputes with
China concerning islands in the South China Sea? How have environmental issues affected
politics (if at all?)? Has the political role of Buddhism in Thailand been more positive than in
Burma/Myanmar and, if so, why? Why has the political and economic position of hill tribes in
Vietnam been less favorable to such tribes than in Thailand? Have anti-Chinese politics been
more virulent in Malaysia as compared with Indonesia? Why?
Theory or Policy: A theory-based paper should respond to the self-chosen question by stating
and then assess the validity of a hypothesis or argument regarding the relationship of two
variables, i.e. an alleged cause and effect (a theory typically includes hypothesized
relationships between cause and effects). To the extent possible, your hypothesis should be
linked to issues raised in the course. For example: Does democracy really weaken
fundamentalist, anti-democratic religious forces, or does democracy provide new avenues for
such fundamentalist forces to grow and become more threatening? Does political
fragmentation weaken the capacity of a country to upgrade its economy to become more
globally competitive? Does marketization of state-owned corporations in socialist regimes
result in greater inequality? Under what conditions can globalization facilitate sustained
economic growth? In response to your chosen theoretical question, you should develop a
hypothesis and then seek to evaluate your hypothesis through the lens of a specific place(s)
and time(s), using empirical facts specific to that place(s) and time(s). In this sense, a theorybased paper for this course relies heavily on empirical evidence. It therefore is very different
from a first-principles argument, such as you might observe in an Oxford Union-style debate.
A policy-based paper, on the other hand, should address a substantive problem of political or
economic development in the region. For example: What seems to be the best policy (and
institution) to reduce inequality in Vietnam? What might be solutions to environmental
degradation in Kalimantan (Indonesia)? What kinds of educational policies might best
promote field-based science projects on rubber in Thailand? Are dominant political parties
inconsistent with the process of democratization? Your audience for the policy-based paper
could be government officials, international or non-governmental organizations, and/or the
private sector.
Paper Proposal: The one-page Paper Proposal, comprising the proposed research or policy
question, followed by a statement explaining and justifying the question and listing the main
sections of the proposed paper, is due by Wednesday Oct 09, 5:00 P.M. Upload your
proposal at the Assignments link of the course Blackboard website. Hardcopy submission or
submission by email attachment is not accepted. Please see the syllabus Course Policies and
Regulations section for submission formats required.
Sources: The instructor’s assessment of your final paper will depend in part on the quality of the
authoritative sources you draw upon in writing the paper. That is, these sources will
demonstrate that you have the capacity to make effective use of library resources, especially
to identify peer-reviewed books, book chapters, and articles in academic journals appropriate
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to answering your self-chosen question. You may use appropriate websites, but these must be
in addition to at least 7 published sources from the library (including its databases). You
should acquaint yourself with these resources through discussions with Dr. David Ettinger,
the International Affairs specialist in the library. A clear bibliography, appended to your final
paper, is required.
Research Memo--annotated bibliography and online search strategy: Your paper will be
assessed in part on the strength of the sources you have researched. The Research Memo
which, among other things, explains your online research strategy, is due by due by Friday
Oct 25, 5:00 P.M. Upload your Research Memo at the Assignments link of the course
Blackboard website. Hardcopy submission or submission by email attachment is not accepted.
Please see the syllabus Course Policies and Regulations section for submission formats
required. For further details on what is expected for this component, please see the Research
Memo section below.
Accuracy and Clarity of Writing: Good writing – writing that is free of grammatical,
punctuation and spelling errors, and is structured clearly to have an introduction, main points
(paragraph topic sentences) and a conclusion - counts significantly in your instructor’s
assessment of your final paper. Please pay careful attention to the need for a clear
introduction, sections and section headings that convey the main pillars of the argument, clear
transitions, and a conclusion that provides a concise assessment of the hypothesis in light of
the evidence presented in the main body of the paper, as well as accuracy in spelling and
grammar. Be sure to proofread your penultimate draft. Do not to rely solely on Spellcheck to
ensure accuracy.
Format: See Submission Formats under Course Policies and Regulations (above).
Bibliographical entries must follow consistently a standard format, such as MLA or Chicago.
Single space the entries themselves and place a space between entries.
Drafts: Your instructor does not read unfinished drafts of the final paper. However, instructor
feedback is provided online (Link: My Grades) in response to each of the components of the
final paper (except the oral presentation). You are encouraged to meet with the instructor
during his office hours if you would like more extensive feedback on any of the components
or of you wish to discuss any aspect of your research and preparation of the finished final
paper itself. Your instructor is willing and enthusiastic to meet with you in person to guide
you as you work on making your final paper the best that it can be.
Submission: Upload your Paper Proposal at the Assignments link of course Blackboard website
by Wednesday, Oct 09, 5:00 P.M. Upload your Research Memo by Friday, Oct 25, 5:00
P.M. Upload your finished final paper at the Assignments link by Monday, Nov 25, 5:00
P.M. Hardcopy submission of the finished final paper or any of the other components (Paper
Proposal, etc.) or submission by email attachment is not accepted.
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Oral Report: If your instructor has approved (“green light”) your Paper Proposal and your
Research Memo, you are required to make a brief (2-3 minutes) oral presentation in-class on
the findings of your final paper towards the end of the semester (note that the final paper may
not be due until after your oral report is scheduled). No presentation aids (e.g., PowerPoint)
please. The content of the oral report should touch very briefly on each of:
--What is your research topic generally about (country, region, group, person, time frame)?
--What is the wording of your question?
--Is yours a theoretically-focused or a policy-focused paper?
--Why did you choose this specific question?
--What was your initial thesis (your response to this question)?
--What is the outcome of your research (or what do you anticipate will be its outcome, if
the paper is still being finalized prior to submission?)? Was your initial thesis sustained
or contradicted by the evidence your research uncovered?
--Why do you think this outcome is significant (and for whom do you think it might be
significant?)?
Component Assignments (deadlines, by 5:00 P.M. in each case, unless otherwise noted):
Collectively, the four components sum to 40% of your overall course grade.
1. Paper Proposal: question, explanation and justification of question (Oct 09), worth 2.5% of
your overall course grade;
2. Research Memo: annotated bibliography and online search strategy (Oct 25) – for further
details, see below - worth 5% of your overall course grade;
3. Final Paper (Nov 25), worth 30% of your overall course grade; and
4. Oral Report: at a class session (scheduled during the final weeks of the semester), worth
2.5% of your overall course grade.
Research Memo:
Annotated Bibliography and Online Search Strategy
Your Research Memo should consist of two components. The first is an annotated bibliography.
By "bibliography," I mean a list of at least seven sources - articles, books, or book chapters with the appropriate reference information as it would appear in the list of
references/bibliography at the end of your research paper. By "annotation," I mean a oneparagraph description of the source and your thoughts about how it will be useful in answering
your research/policy question. Thus, the annotated bibliography component of the Research
Memo should contain a list of at least seven sources, each of which contains both the relevant
reference information and the descriptive/evaluative paragraph.
Most undergraduates, indeed most researchers, find their sources by using online data bases. But
how do you do this most efficiently? Effectively? Which database(s) are most appropriate to
find sources that help you answer your research/policy question? What search terms do you
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choose? How do you know what terms to use if you don't know a lot about your topic yet? Do
you limit your search to sources that have the specific search term(s) in their titles?
The second component of the Research Memo is a 1-3 page description, a first-person
narrative, of the strategy you used to find your sources. I don't expect this process to be smooth
or perfect. In fact, I want you to note where you had problems, tripped up, ran into dead-ends,
and, hopefully, began to learn about both your topic and the research process itself.
Here's an example from a research project undertaken during a course on the Politics of Labor
and Development. The student proposed the research question of why famous cooperatives in
Spain and northern Italy undertook different kinds and levels of vocational training. She began
her search focused only on the names of these two cooperatives and "training" or "education"
and came up with very little. Then she expanded the range of terms to things like "cooperatives"
as a generic phenomenon, "cooperatives AND training AND education," "vocational training in
northern Italy," "politics of education in Spain," "cluster-based education in northern Italy," and
"local government and politics in northern Italy." These searches generated some sources of
direct relevance and others less directly relevant. But both kinds of sources had bibliographies
that she was able to mine for more references that proved very useful. In the process of this
search, the student obtained not only more sources but also a better sense of what her topic
actually involved and how she might explore its political aspects. That is, this preliminary step
allowed her to refine the topic, clarify the research question, and thus narrow the focus. The
resulting annotated bibliography was far from perfect, but it was a useful starting point that
helped the student learn about both the topic and how to go deeper into it.
Here are some guidelines for this assignment:
* Write this in the first-person voice (e.g. "I started with no idea of what this theme actually
involved...;" "I started with term X and, by reading two articles, expanded my search to terms
Y and Z...")
* Structure the memo around the evolution and expansion of search terms.
* Begin by identifying your broad question of interest.
* Some preliminary steps: First, read one or two articles about the general topic to get an idea of
what it actually involves. Use this reading to develop a preliminary list of search terms.
Second, discuss the topic and your preliminary list with your instructor or with a research
librarian at Gelman Library. You may also use encyclopedias and other reference sources to
help identify key search terms, concepts, figures, events, etc.
* Identify terms that are synonymous with your topic of interest (e.g., for training: education,
skills, competencies)
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* Develop a "vertical" conceptual ladder in which you start from the broadest version of the
concept of interest and move to ever-more specific versions of the concept that involve
adverbs, adjectives and/or location-specific qualifiers (e.g. democracy ---> illiberal
democracy; training ---> vocational training; vocational education in cooperatives --->
vocational education about agricultural processing; rural-urban migration and economic
development ---> rural migration in Indonesia). [Note that many of the databases to which
Gelman Library subscribes use taxonomies or classifications to categorize content. Use these
classifications to help narrow and/or make your search more efficient.]
* Develop a "horizontal" conceptual tree in which you identify terms / names that might
influence the presence/absence or strength/weakness of your core concept. For example, if
you are interested in the impact of ethnicity on education in Malaysia vs. Indonesia, it would
probably be worthwhile to incorporate terms relating to electoral rules and economic structure
in your search.
* You might even take a hint from Chinese government censors' 2012 attempts to discourage
online discussion of the "coincidence" of the Shanghai Stock Exchange's falling on the date of
the Tiananmen Square crackdown (the crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989). In response to
bloggers thanking the stock traders and to commemorative demonstrations in Hong Kong's
Victoria Park by black-clothed demonstrators, the censors blocked online searches for "stock
market, "Shanghai Stock," "index," "black clothes," "silent tribute," "Victoria Park," and even
"today" (Keith Bradsher, "Stock Market's Echo of Tiananmen Date Sets Off China's Web
Censors," NYT June 5, 2012).
* Go to the library - physically enter the library - and look at / through the books on the shelf
surrounding the ones you initially found. Use their indices and tables of contents to determine
applicability to your puzzle/research question. Peruse their bibliographies to uncover further,
relevant sources.
* Describe whether and how your search has helped to clarify the specific question you seek to
answer with your Final Paper.
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