Fall 1998

Burt Levin & Roy Grow

This course has as its underlying theme the complex and changing relationships between the different societies in Asia and the United States. These relationships have been shaped, in part, by (a) the diverse needs of the United States in Asia and the misperceptions about Asia and Asian life held by many American decision-makers and a great deal of the American population; and (b) the diverse interests and needs of the various countries of Asia (i.e., the very different interests of, say, Japan as opposed to China or Vietnam.) This course will examine how foreign policy comes out of the sometimes difficult interaction of these two sets of interests and needs.

Initially, the course will focus on the historic relationships between Asia and North America and examine topics that include the idea of "manifest destiny," the economic and cultural "invasion" of the 1920's and 1930's, and the impact of World War II. Then, the focus of the course will shift to subjects that include economic interaction, diplomatic trends, and American involvement in Asian wars in Korea and Vietnam. Finally, the course will look at the themes that will structure the changing relationships in Asia-Pacific in the late 1990's.

Required Texts:

George Orwell, Burmese Days

Arthur Dudden, The American Pacific

John Hersey, Hiroshima

James Abegglen, Sea Change: Pacific Asia as the New World Center

Harry Harding, Fragile Relationship

James Fallows, Looking at the Sun

Callum Henderson, Asia Falling

Several handouts will also be distributed, including:

Thompson, Stanley, and Perry, Sentimental Imperialists

 

Reading assignments should be completed before coming to class.

Requirements:

In addition to the assigned readings from the texts, students will complete a 15-20 page paper on a subject approved by the instructors. This paper is due on the last day of class.

Mid-term Exam 30%

Paper 40%

Daily seminar participation 30%

There is no final examination in this course.

Fall 1998

Burt Levin & Roy Grow

Sep 10 Introduction

(Basic organization: attendance, discussion of syllabus and assignments)

Part I: The Ebb and Flow of History

(Part I will introduce basic problems in US-Asia foreign policy; main focus will be on history and chronology. Looking at US-Asia relations from two perspectives: the view of an expanding, dynamic and confident America, and the views of the various societies of Asia which were often on the receiving end of American foreign policy)

Sep 15 Misperceiving Asia (1)

(This session--and the three that follow--will look at the work of different specialists who have examined the ways that the societies of Asia and North America view one another; overviews from traditional and radical analysts; discussion on Orwell's novel and attempt to see how Orwell's views do or do not reflect our current attitudes)

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 1-2

George Orwell, Burmese Days

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 1-3

Sep 17 China, Commerce, and Evangelism

(This section and the next will focus on early history of merchants and missionaries along the China and Japan coast; emphasis on perceptions of those in American and those in different Asian societies)

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 3-4

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 5

Sep 22 Japan and the Yellow Peril

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 5-6

Sep 24 Western Expansion

(As above, history of early American involvement, this time focusing on Philippines and SE Asia.)

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 7-9

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 4, 6

Sep 29 War and Its Aftermath

(The growing Asia-US tension in 1920's and 1930's; war in the Pacific; aftermath of war.)

Hersey, Hiroshima

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 10-15

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 7

Fallows, Looking at the Sun, Ch. 1-3

Paper Topic Due

(This section of the course focuses on current era--defined as 1950's to 1990's. Sessions arranged by geographic region and by topic. Emphasis on underlying dynamics of Asia-US relationships, history of problems, current problems for each side.)

Oct 1 China: The "Red Menace"

(These two sessions will evaluate post-World War II China, revolution, Mao, the Soviet Union, and the American reaction; problems with Taiwan and the off-shore islands.)

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 8

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 16

Oct 6 Korea and the "Forgotten War" (1)

(McCarthy, Truman, Acheson, Soviet Union, War, and Ike)

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 17

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 9

Oct 8 Vietnam (1)

(Beginning of conflict in SE Asia; divisions in American foreign policy, the deepening crisis, the move to full war. Discussion of various points of view in United States and juxtaposition of these points of view against Vietnamese perceptions)

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 18

Dudden, The American Pacific, ch. 10

Oct 13 Vietnam (2)

Oct 16 Japan and the "Economic Miracle"

(The post-war period and some of the factors that help explain the "economic miracle." Examination of both American and Japanese attitudes; in the next session, discussion of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea)

Fallows, Looking at the Sun, Ch. 4

Lindner, The Pacific Century, ch. 1-3

James Abegglen, Sea Change, ch.1-3

Oct 20 The 'Four Tigers'

Fallows, Looking at the Sun, Ch. 5

Oct 22 MID-TERM EXAMINATION

(Part III will examine the basic themes that are leading to the restructuring of international relationships across Asia-Pacific in the latter half of this decade.)

Oct 27 China in the 1990's : Asia's New Economic Giant

(Rapprochement with USA, economic growth, Tiananmen, American-Chinese foreign policy problems in 1990's)

James Abegglen, Sea Change, ch. 4

Harding, Fragile Relationship,

Oct 29 China and the U.S.: Rapprochement and Tension

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 21

Harding, Fragile Relationship,

Nov 3 Japan: Partnership and Tension

(Evaluation of the ways that Japan and the United States have created the world's most important political and economic relationship)

Henderson, Asia Falling, Ch. 1-3

Thompson, Sentimental Imperialists, ch. 21

Fallows, Looking at the Sun, Ch. 6-7

James Abegglen, Sea Change, ch. 9

Nov 5 Taiwan, Hong Kong, and SE Asia

(Current problems in Asia-US foreign policy with reference to Burma, Thailand, Philippines)

James Abegglen, Sea Change, ch. 5-7

Fallows, Looking at the Sun, Ch. 8-9

Henderson, Asia Falling, Ch. 4-6

Nov 10 The Post Cold War World

(Overview of future, focusing on such topics as the "Greater China" question, problems for US policy in East and Southeast Asia the question of North Korea)

Fallows, Looking at the Sun, Ch. 10

Henderson, Asia Falling, Ch. 7-8

Nov 12 Summary: Asia and the United States in the 21st Century

(Summary and overview.)

James Abegglen, Sea Change, ch. 10

Henderson, Asia Falling, Ch. 9-11

Nov 19

FINAL PAPERS DUE