Bachelor
2024/2025
State and Society in East Asia
Type:
Compulsory course (HSE University and Kyung Hee University Double Degree Programme in Economics and Politics in Asia)
Area of studies:
Foreign Regional Studies
Delivered by:
Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When:
2 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Eriks Varpahovskis
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Contact hours:
60
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Course Description
East Asia is an important region that includes the second and the third largest economies in the
world and has four countries in the G20. East Asian countries have achieved remarkable
economic success in the post-war period but are facing many endogenous and exogenous
challenges. Focusing on Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea, this course will examine the
political, social, and economic pathways traveled by East Asian countries on their road to
prosperity, democracy, and security.
In this course, students will analyze comparatively the models of economic development, political
changes, and social transformations pursued in these countries. Topics examined in this course
include culture and values, war and colonialism, historical memory, the developmental state,
development and politics in China, democratization in South Korea and Taiwan, social
movements, economic crisis, nationalism, low fertility trap, precarious labor, and the East Asian
welfare state.
Learning Objectives
- describe historical and cultural context of East Asian countries
- understand the success and challenges of economies within East Asia.
- understand the variation of state-society relations within East Asia.
- apply concepts and theories to analyze East Asian societies
- think critically about the roles of history, culture, government and non-government actors in the society of East Asia.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- In this course, students will analyze comparatively the models of economic development, political changes, and social transformations pursued in these countries. Topics examined in this course include culture and values, war and colonialism, historical memory, the developmental state, development and politics in China, democratization in South Korea and Taiwan, social movements, economic crisis, nationalism, low fertility trap, precarious labor, and the East Asian welfare state.
Course Contents
- Week 1 (September 3): Introduction
- Week 2 (September 10): East Asian Model of Development: Japan
- Week 3 (September 17): East Asian Model of Development: South Korea
- Week 4 (September 24): East Asian Model of Development: China
- Week 5 (October 1): Economic Crisis in East Asia
- Week 6 (October 8): Democratic Transitions in Korea and Taiwan
- Week 7 (October 15): Political Parties and Party Systems in East Asia
- Week 8 (October 22): Midterm Exam
- Week 9 (November 2): Civil Society in East Asia: Japan
- Week 10 (November 5): Civil Society in East Asia: South Korea
- Week 11 (November 12): Civil Society in East Asia: China
- Week 12 (November 19): Precarious East Asia
- Week 13 (November 26): Poverty and Inequality in East Asia
- Week 14 (December 3): Low Fertility Trap and Gender in East Asia
- Week 15 (December 10): Welfare States in East Asia
- Week 16: Final Exam
Assessment Elements
- Mid-term exam (1 module)The midterm exam will be administered during week 8. It will cover the background material from week first to week seven of the course. The midterm exam will consist primarily of multiple-choice, identification, and short answers. The test will be worth 15% of your course grade.
- Attendance (1&2 modules)
- Final exam
- Participation during in-class activities
- Quiz
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 1st module1 * Mid-term exam (1 module)
- 2024/2025 2nd module0.1 * Attendance (1&2 modules) + 0.2 * Final exam + 0.15 * Mid-term exam (1 module) + 0.4 * Participation during in-class activities + 0.15 * Quiz
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Gordon, A. (2003). A Modern History of Japan : From Tokugawa Times to the Present. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=120926
- So Young Kim. (2010). Do Asian Values Exist? Empirical Tests of the Four Dimensions of Asian Values. Journal of East Asian Studies, 10(2), 315–344. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1598240800003477
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Pekkanen, R. (2004). After the Developmental State: Civil Society in Japan. Journal of East Asian Studies, 4(3), 363–388. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1598240800006019