GEOGRAPHY OF EAST ASIA

Spring 2001

General Objectives:

This course aims to survey and explore a range of contemporary geographic issues affecting the East Asia region, both within and between countries in the area.  Students should leave this course with a solid grounding in the environmental, political, economic, demographic, and cultural factors operating in the region, and should be able to form critical arguments regarding these issues and their interrelationships.

Specific Aims:

Students who successfully complete this course will have

·      familiarity with major and minor geo-political entities in the region;

·      a grounding in the physical environment and resources of the region;

·      an understanding of the economic underpinnings and interactions in the region;

·      an awareness of issues and problems facing the region.

·      a set of geographic tools and methodologies for tackling geographic issues, including agriculture, industry, urbanization, population, social and cultural change;

Course Requirements:

1.  Map Quizzes

            Each week will feature a very short map quiz.  The purpose of these exercises is to build familiarity and geographic literacy for the region. 

2.  Content Quizzes

Three “content quizzes” on the readings and discussion materials will be administered during the semester.  This will be short-essay, and may be take-home format.

3.  Position Papers:

Each student will submit two position papers of about 500-1000 words which addresses one or more of the required readings for a given week. These position papers are well argued and well organized essays which take positions on one or more of the key issues that arise in these readings. While they should not be “summaries” of the readings, some exegesis or explanation of an author's meaning may be essential to the student's position, and should be included as necessary. These essays will be formally evaluated and will be subject to feedback both from the instructor and other students.

Each student will respond to two position papers with a 200-500 word response essay addressing the issues raised in one of the above position papers. Response essays need not be antagonistic in nature, but should take original positions that are informed by the position papers to which they respond. Responses will be evaluated at the end of the semester on a credit/no-credit basis.

4.  Paper

One ten-page paper on the topic of your choice, as agreed in consultation with the instructor. Any topic concerning the region may be considered, but must be geographic.

5.  Class Participation

            Students are expected to be active learners and “good citizens” of a scholarly community. This means taking seriously the ideas of others and those in the readings, and participating actively in discussions in class.  In a seminar format, active discussion is essential and expected.  This also requires that students have read the assignments prior to class.

6.  Graduate Students

            Graduate students will follow the same assignment schedule.  However, Graduate students are expected to read all of the assigned readings (the “required” readings and the “position paper” readings.  Graduate student’s written work should demonstrate mastery of these materials and should be 50% longer in terms of written pages that is assigned for undergraduates.

Evaluation:

Textbooks and Readings:

Cannon, Terry and Alan Jenkins (eds) The Geography of Contemporary China: The impact of Deng Xiaoping’s Decade  New York: Routledge, 1990.

Benewick, Robert and Stephanie Donald, The State of China Atlas  London: Penguin Reference, 1999.

Other readings as assigned.