Monday, November 22, 2010

Syllabus in Anthropology 124: Peoples of Southeast Asia and Oceania

Copyright © 2010 by Chester B. Cabalza. All Rights Reserved.

ANTHROPOLOGY 124
Peoples of Southeast Asia and Oceania
Wed/Fri 5:30-7:00 PM
Second Semester, 2010-2011
Prof. Chester B. Cabalza, MA



I. Course Description


This course aims to provide students with basic knowledge about Southeast Asian and Oceanic cultures through the use of anthropological perspectives.

The course will give a general survey of the major cultural, social, historical, political, and economic processes in the region through an examination of the internal dynamics in a particular country in Southeast Asia and the Oceanic regions.

Furthermore, this is also a study of Southeast Asians and Oceanic peoples’ responses to external developments and influences that had shaped the ‘Austronesian” culture.

The content of this Course involves the study of the following subjects:

- Approaches of anthropological perspectives in studying the geography and peopling of Southeast Asia and Oceania;

- Understanding the early and paleolithic culture and the neolithic revolution of this region;

- The contribution of ‘Austronesian’ culture in the world;

- To gauge basic understanding and identify explanatory frameworks that could lead to a deeper understanding of the various archaeological, anthropological and historical processes that shaped Southeast Asian and Oceanic developments from the ancient past to the contemporary times; and

- To enable the student to apply the concepts and ideas on a research problem mutually agreed upon by the student and teacher.

II. Course Objectives

Upon the completion of this Course, a student is expected to have:

- obtained a comprehension of the various frameworks and levels of analysis of the peoples in Southeast Asia and Oceania;

- acquired an appreciation and understanding of the cultural factors influencing the internal and external environment of the region;

- gained an insight into the social role of culture in selected Southeast Asian and Oceanic countries; and

- obtained an understanding and appreciation of the major art, literary, aesthetic and religious forms and intellectual traditions in Southeast Asia and Oceania.


III. Course Requirements

Requirements:

Class Participation & Reports 25%
First Long Examination 25%
Research Paper & Class Project 25%
Second Long Examination 25%


IV. Course Outline

Week 1 (Nov 10 & 12, 2010)

1. Introduction: Scope, Coverage, and Expectations of the Course
2. Classroom Policies

A. Students are only allowed up to a maximum of six (6) unexcused absences. Beyond this number, students will be given a grade of DRP if his or her class standing is passing or 5.0 if failing.

B. Those who want to be excused from class must secure a certificate from the U.P Health Service or a letter from his/her Dean explaining the reason for the absence.

C. Students who arrive more than 20 minutes late will be marked absent for the day.

D. Turn off your mobile phones during class hours.

Week 2 (Nov 17 & 19, 2010)

1. Lecture on Approaches to Anthropology
2. Lecture on the Overview of Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Physical Features of Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Cultural Scope of Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Environment-Culture Interaction

Week 3 (Nov 24 & 26, 2010)

1. Lecture on Early Paleolithic Culture and the Neolithic Revolution in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Readings:

1. Hominid Cultural Evolution as Seen from the Archaeological Evidence in Southeast Asia by Richard Shutler Jr
2. Early Agriculture, Language History, and Archeological Record in China and Southeast Asia by Peter Bellwood
3. The Roots of Indochinese Civilization: Recent Development in the Prehistory of Southeast Asia by Donn Bayard

Week 4 (Dec 1 & 3, 2010)

1. Lecture on the Austronesian Culture

- “Heterogenetic Cities in Premodern Southeast Asia” by John Miksic
- “Ties that (Un) Bind: Families and States in Premodern Southeast Asia” by Tony Day
- "Concepts of Order in Southeast Asia and Micronesia by William Alkire
- “Southeast Asia’s Food and Culture” by Brent Roman and Susan Russell
- “Matrilineal Kinship in Melenesia” by Michael Rynkiewich

Week 5 (Dec 8 & 10, 2010)

1. Lecture on Peoples and Early Kingdoms of Southeast Asia and Oceania

- “Jayavarman VII: The Great Khmer Monarch and Southeast Asian Leader” by Chester Cabalza
- “Beyond the Mandala: Buddhist Landscapes and Upland-Lowland Interaction in North-West Thailand AD 1200-1650” by Peter Grave

Week 6 (Dec 15 & 17, 2010)

1. Film Showing: The Angkor Civilization or South Pacific
2. Research Break

Week 7 (Jan 5 & 7, 2011)

1. Lecture on Concepts of Culture

Readings:

1. The Resistance to Culture by William Warner
2. The Politics of Pedagogy of Popular Culture in Contemporary Textbooks by George Lipsitz
3. Notes on Deconstructing “The Folk” by Robin D.G. Kelly
4. Political Culture – From Civic Culture to Mass Culture by John Street
5. Culture Across Borders by Tim Mitchell
6. Popular Culture by Chandra Mukerj and Michael Schudson

Week 8 (Jan 12 & 14, 2011)

1. Lecture from the paper on Colonialism, Decadence and Orientalism: Problematizing Southeast Asian Cinema and Literature by Chester Cabalza
2. Film Showing: Jan Dara or Scent of Green Papaya

Week 9 (Jan 19 & 21, 2011)

Visual and Performing Arts in Selected Southeast Asian Countries

- “Silver Screen, Shadow play: The Tradition of Wayang Kulit” by Felicia Campbell
- “Mae Naak and Company: The Shifting Duality in Female Representation on Contemporary Thai Stage” by Catherine Diamond
- “Malaysia’s Traditional Performing Arts: Berbalas Pantun, Ghazal, Nasyid, Dondang Sayang, Boria, Bangsawan, and Wayang Kulit”

Week 10 (Jan 26 & 28, 2011)

First Long Examination

Diversity, Race, and Ethnicity

- “Western Modernism and Eastern Thought” by Mahathir Mohammad
- “The Malay Dilemma” by Mahathir Mohammad
- “Revisiting Mahathir’s Legacy: NEP as a Roadmap to Vision 2020 and Insights on Asian Values” by Chester Cabalza
- “Bearer of the Sword: Misconceptions on Islam and Islamism” by Chester Cabalza

Week 11 (Feb 2 & 4, 2011)

Role of Intellectuals and the Women Leaders in Southeast Asia and Oceania

1. Lecture on the Role of Intellectuals in Society; Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam
2. Lecture on Female Leadership in Southeast Asia and Oceania

- “Political Cartoons in Singapore: Misnomer or Redefinition Necessary by Lim Chang Tju
- “Indonesian Debate on a Woman President” by Nelly Van Doorn-Harder

Week 12 (Feb 9 & 12, 2011)

Folk Medicine and Beliefs

- “From Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to Cultural Bereavement: Diagnosis of Southeast Asian Refugees” by Maurice Eisenbruch
- “The Therapeutic Role of the Khmer Medium (Kru Boramei) in Contemporary Cambodia” by Didier Bertrand
- “The Diagnosis of Disease among the Subanun in Mindanao” by Charles Frake
- “The Ethnicity of Efficacy: Vietnamese Goddess Worship and the Encoding of Popular Histories” by Philip Taylor
- “Writing the History of Non-literate Peoples: The Case of Ayta in Bataan” by Chester Cabalza

Week 13 (Feb 16 & 18, 2011)

Tobacco, Food, Music, and Internet

- “From Betel-Chewing to Tobacco-Smoking in Indonesia” by Anthony Reid
- “Underground Rock Music and Democratization in Indonesia by Jeremy Wallach
- “Folk to Computer Songs: The Evolution of Malaysian Pop Music (1990-1930) by Craig Lockare
- “ldeology, Social Commentary and Resistance in Popular Music: A Case Study of Singapore by Phua Siew Chye and Lily Kong
- “Cyberterrorism and its Implications on Global-Local (Glocal) Discourse in Southeast Asia” by Chester Cabalza

Week 14 (Feb 16 & 18, 2011)

Tourism in Southeast Asia and Oceania

1. Lecture on Threats and Opportunities to the Tourism Industry in Southeast Asia and Oceania

- “Tomb Raiding Angkor: A Clash of Cultures” by Tim Winter
- “Threats and Opportunities to the Tourism Industry in the SEAN Region” by Chester Cabalza

Week 15 (March 2 & 4, 2011)

Group Reports

1. Polynesia Group
2. Micronesia Group
3. Melenesia Group

Week 16 (March 9 & 11, 2011)

Group Reports

1. Insular Southeast Asia Group
2. Peninsular Southeast Asia Group

Week 17 (March 16 & 18, 2011)

Research Break for Seminar Paper

Week 18 (March 23 & 25, 2011)

Final Examination


Other Required Readings:

Hiatt, L.R. and C. Jayawardena, eds.
1971 Anthropology in Oceania: Essays Presented to Ian Hogbin. San Francisco: Chandler Publishing Company.

Langloh Parker K.
2001 Australian Legendary Tales: Dreaming Stories from the Oral Tradition of the Aboriginal People: Wordsworth Edition.

Keesing, Felix M.
1947 Native Peoples of the Pacific World. New York: The Macmillan Company.

Z'Graggen John A.
1992 And Thus Became Man and World: The Pentland Press Limited.



--- E N D ---

No comments: