HIS 2639 - GLOBALIZATION IN THE PACIFIC BASIN

credits: 3.0
Students not enrolled in the Honor’s Program should register for this section. Begin with an exploration of the vibrant history of interactions between the states and peoples of Pacific Basin in a time when the Western states were just the newest of the hundreds of states that had relations with the major powers of the Pacific region. With this vision of world order in mind, we will then investigate the intensification of the encounters with the “West” through a series of case studies that center on firsthand accounts from a range of cultural perspectives. Based on these accounts we will explore and problematizes conventional assumptions about this history, the role of orientalism in the perception of events by participants and later historians. This will reveal deeper layers to such seminal events in the founding of the world order as we see it today such as the missionary movement, Opium Wars, colonialism, imperialism, gunboat diplomacy, Russo-Japanese War, First and Second Sino-Japanese Wars (including WWII) and such institutions as the League of Nations, British Museum of Art, British East India Company, and so on. The course will cover the period from about 1500 to 1949. Objectives: A) Outline and analyze the shifting dimension of globalization from the 15th century to the middle of the 20th century; B) Outline the shifting understanding of this history in recent scholarship and the debates surrounding this history and the history of globalization; C) Compare the views of major events in this history within the various cultures of Pacific Basin, between the cultures of the Pacific Basin, as well as to those from without; D) Analyze and synthesize a variety of historical data; E) Communicate effectively in writing and speaking about historical developments in Pacific Basin. Method of Instruction: Designed to be seminar style with the bulk of the class time spent discussing the materials punctuated with occasional lectures. Method of Evaluation: Discussion Leader (20%): each student will lead/co-lead the discussion during the term (details will be given in class during the first week); Research Briefs (30%): there will be a series of short research projects (details to follow in class and on Angel); Final paper: 50%. Meets *GLP Distribution Requirements.