SGIA49730: The Politics of East Asia

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• To provide students with an advanced understanding of key concepts and theories in the international politics of East Asia;
• To provide students with an advanced knowledge of the power relationships between key players in the region, and an in-depth understanding of how their domestic politics play a role in these;
• To provide students with an advanced understanding of how these theoretical approaches have been, or could be, applied to the study of key contemporary issues in the international politics of the region;
• To enable students to critically evaluate leading scholarship in the field of Pacific Asian international politics;
• To provide students with an advanced knowledge and understanding of strategic politics and how this shapes foreign policy thinking and behaviour.

• Early lectures will provide some historical grounding on the region and introduce appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks for analysis before moving on to special topics. These will respond to current and emerging issues in the region, but indicative content may include some of the following:
• Democratisation in East Asia;
• Authoritarian legitimation;
• International security in East Asia and US-China competitions;
• Nationalism, history, and the politics of identity
• Regionalism and regional organisations
• Transnational social movements
• Gender and politics in East Asia

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On completion of this module, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of:
• An advanced knowledge of the processes and dynamics of selected states domestic politics;
• An advanced knowledge of the foreign relations of key East Asian countries in the regional context;
• An advanced knowledge of the political economy of key East Asian countries

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of the module students should have:
• The ability to use critically the relevant theoretical concepts and approaches to international politics;
• The ability to interpret and analyse key domestic and foreign policies of major East Asian Nations in the regional context and make appropriate judgements as to the factors shaping their behaviour;
• The ability to conduct analysis of case studies in international politics, using appropriate theoretical and conceptual tools.

Key Skills:

• Students will also develop some important key skills, suitable for underpinning study at this and subsequent levels, such as:
• Independent learning within a defined framework of study at an advanced level;
• Independent thought in analysing and critiquing existing scholarship on the subject area and in evaluating its contribution;
• Advanced ability to seek out and use relevant data sources, including electronic and bibliographic sources, as well as primary sources, and policy reports;
• Ability for independent thinking informed by the academic debate at an advanced level.
• Advanced essay-writing skills and the ability to work to a deadline;
• Effective written communication of research and policy applications;
• Ability to reflect critically on their own work and performance.

• Students are taught through lectures and seminars. Lectures introduce the main theoretical and conceptual frameworks for the study of East Asian politics and are designed to ensure that students with differential knowledge levels approach the subsequent tutorials with an appropriate level of understanding.
• Seminars develop students skills in communication and argumentation. Discussion and debate deepen students knowledge and understanding of different points and perspectives.
• Students are required to submit a formative essay, on which written feedback will be provided.
• As part of the summative assessment, students are required to submit a review (1,500 words) of a monograph or a series of articles within the area of East Asian politics, chosen from a list of books and articles provided by the module convenor.
• Students are required to submit a summative essay of 3,500 words.

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