Economic
Development of China, India or Asia/Vietnam, Summer 2011
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ECON
3355-01 LEC 17108
Economic Development of Asia May 31,
2011-Aug 9, 2011 SPECIAL PROBLEMS: ECON
4198-02 IND 13123
Special Problems Jul 11, 2011-Aug 8, 2011 GRADUATE COURSES: ECON
6355-01 LEC 11324
Economic Development of Asia Jun 6,
2011-Jul 5, 2011 |
Instructor: Dr. Thomas R. DeGregori Ph. (713) 743 3838 (I prefer to receive emails) Office: 209D McElhinney Hall Office hours: TBA |
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Teaching Assistant: Satadru Mukherjee E-mail: satadrumukherjee@gmail.com Office: 246 McElhinney Hall |
Reading for the three
options of which the student chooses one:
o
China's Great Economic Transformation
*Joseph
Needham's Science and Civilisation in China is a
monumental piece of scholarship which broke new ground in presenting to the Western
reader a detailed and coherent account of the development of science,
technology and medicine in China from the earliest times until the advent of
the Jesuits and the beginnings of modern science in the late seventeenth
century. It is a vast work, necessarily more suited to the scholar and research
worker than the general reader. We are using Parts One and Two of the final
volume.
**Normally I use five
books but this book counts for two
One
of the following two:
o Afghanistan: A Cultural and
Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics) by Thomas J. Barfield, Princeton University Press 2010
or
o The Longest War: The Enduring
Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda by Peter L. Bergen, Free Press 2011
o
Vietnam's New
Order: International Perspectives on the State and Reform in Vietnam
(Series in International Relations and Political Economy)
by Stephanie Balme and Mark Sidel,
Palgrave
Macmillan 2006
o
The Cambridge
History of Southeast Asia (Part 1) Nicholas Tarling, Cambridge University Press
o
Cham Muslims of
the Mekong
Delta: Place and Mobility in the Cosmopolitan Periphery by Philip
Talyor (ASAA Southeast Publication Series).
o
ASEAN Economic
Bulletin Vol. 26/1 (Apr 2009). Special Focus on "Vietnam: Coping with
Domestic and External Challenges" by Omkar Lal Shrestha and Sanchita Basu Das (ISEAS, 2009).
o
Vietnam:
Rising-Dragon by Bill-Hayton. Yale University Press,
2009
Additional reading:
For those who wish to pursue
the topic further after the course is completed, I recommend the following two
books. Both are in the UH Library. The Introduction and CHAPTER 3, Part Two,
Part II, Pages 569 to 614 of "Graphics and text in the production of
technical knowledge in China" would be useful for your papers. Both of the
following books are NOT required reading.
o
Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 7, The Social Background;
Part 1, Language and Logic in Traditional China by Joseph Needham and Christoph Harbsmeier (Cambridge
University Press)***
o
Graphics and Text
in the Production of Technical Knowledge in China :
The Warp and the Weft. Edited by Francesca Bray, Vera Dorofeeva-Lichtmann,
Georges Métailié,
General guidelines:
THERE WILL BE NO EXAMS OR
QUIZZES.
THERE WILL NOT BE A FINAL
EXAM.
We are offering Econ 3355 Economic Development of China, India or Asia/Vietnam,
Summer 2011 only in Summer Session 3 Monday, Wednesday
4:00PM - 6:00PM May 31, 2011-August 9, 2011 in the schedule. For this and for
any of my courses this summer, we will allow you to take it in any session but
we will do it as a special problems course with the stated course objective of
doing the syllabus for Econ 3355. We will require that you give us a reason why
you can not enroll for the session offered in the
schedule. This could be a requirement for a particular session to get funding
of some sort or for doing study abroad. Summer Session I is virtually a certain
NO unless you request it far enough in advance so as to allow time for the
reading as described in the syllabus. And remember that all of the summer
courses of mine are independent study. The best option always is for the latest
date to complete the course so as to give maximum time to do the work. And as
stated in the syllabus, in exceptional cases, as long as you have a
reason why you can not take it this summer, you may
sign-up as a special problems course in fall and on the Econ 3355, Summer 2011
syllabus.
This announcement supersedes anything in the syllabus that differs with it as
it was composed when the class scheduling was changed after the syllabuses were
completed.
There is ABSOLUTELY no benefit from taking the course in any other summer
session than Session 3. If for example you will be leaving the city or even the
country in July and wish to take it in session 1 for that reason. You can
instead take it in session 3 and turn in your paper whenever it is completed. I
will grade it, record it and then post it to the registrar in August. For those
graduating in August, the grade will be recorded in time for graduation.
Signing-up for session 3 gives you insurance in case you do not finish it
before you leave and need to complete it while away or when you return. If you
complete it away from campus, please arrange in advance to have someone in
Houston to whom you email your paper so he or she can print it out and turn it
in. I have far too many students in summer classes to accept emailed papers.
Repeat - Saying that you misjudged your ability to complete the paper in five
or seven weeks and need an incomplete will not be an acceptable excuse. Neither
can claiming that you had emotional problems be used as an excuse. In one
sense, emotional problems - divorce, a failed romance etc. - would be a
legitimate excuse but it would be totally inappropriate for me to inquire
further so as to be able to verify it. Once again, only a verifiable excuse -
hospitalization - that prevents you from completing your work and that
was unplanned and unexpected can be used to obtain an incomplete so PLEASE
play it safe and sign-up for the summer whatever your good intentions may
be.
All students, graduate or undergraduate should sign-up for Summer III in order
to have maximum time to complete the assigned papers. This is necessary in
order to allow time to complete papers. Summer I and II are only for those who
are required to have coursework in these sessions to meet a requirement and
will be taken with permission as a special problems course as stated in the
post.
Enrollment for Summer sessions I, II and IV will
require Instructors permission which will be granted only if the student has
read this syllabus and is aware of the options and limitations for each summer
session. Summer III and IV are to be considered only in terms of the final due
date for papers and not for the beginning date in the schedule. The true
beginning date is as soon as the syllabus is downloaded and the student can
acquire the books and begin working on the course. Preferably this would be by
the end of the Spring term and before the end of May.
Starting the course in mid-June or later is not recommended and definitely
discouraged. Students in the Study abroad programs should acquire the books
before leaving and begin reading before leaving and on the flights to from
Asia. I allow students to sign-up for Economic Development of Asia during the
following fall semester as an independent study course doing the summer
syllabus. The student is responsible for obtaining the books as the books will
not be in the bookstore after the summer sessions. I had one student take the
course in fall - he made an A - and I normally have only a couple take it each
fall.
This is a special problems course that can be taken for 3 hours credit. If you
wish to enroll for less than 3 hours credit, please see Marion Foley in 208B M.
One has the option of registering for it in any of the summer sessions since it
is entirely an independent study course except for those in the study abroad
programs where there may be lectures. The course will meet on the first day
indicated in the schedule for the class assignments. Attendance is not
necessary for those who have downloaded this syllabus and understand the
requirements. As noted above, if at all possible, it is very strongly recommended
that students sign-up for the summer sessions where the last day of class is in
August. This will allow you more time to complete your papers as we will be
following the University catalog closely and will be giving an incomplete only
to those who qualify by University rules. Some exception will be made for those
in study abroad programs. There is a substantial financial cost to the student
to dropping a course in one session and adding if for a later session. You may
obtain the books and start work on your papers as soon as this syllabus is
posted in February indicating that it has been approved for the summer
programs.
Graduate credit is more restrictive so that we would have to work out the
research agenda necessary in order to receive credit. Others in the department
may also be offering this course on their own terms. I will only consider this
for students who are taking or who have already taken the graduate course in
Asian Economic Development.
The course can be used in the following study abroad programs:
·
China Study Abroad
Program - see Dr. Yali Zou,
FH 450, ext 34982 or Dr. Xiaohong Wen
AH 453 (ext. 3-3072 xwen@uh.edu)
·
India Study Abroad
Program - see Dr. Saleha Khumawala,
MH 360A, ext 3-4829.
·
Southeast
Asia Study Abroad Program - please contact Dr. Long Le (ext. 3-1142, Long.S.Le@mail.uh.edu)
for his trip to Southeast Asia.
·
Vietnam
Study Abroad Program - please contact Dr. Long Le (ext. 3-1142, Long.S.Le@mail.uh.edu)
for his trip to Southeast Vietnam.
Modifications of either
option will be considered if approved by Dr. Zou, Dr.
Khumawala, Dr. Wen, or Dr.
Le. As I learn of other Asian study abroad programs for 2011, I will add the
contact persons and post the information for them.
There were three options for
the course - (1) Focus on China, (2) Focus on India, (3) All of Asia excluding Japan,
Australia and New Zealand. We added a Viet Nam option summer of 2009 as part of
the No. 3 Asian Option. Pick one of the three options and the books that are
assigned with it. Most of the following books are available in paperback. Buy
or otherwise gain access only to the books assigned for your option.
Assignment guidelines:
ALL PAPERS HAVE TO INCLUDE
CITED MATERIAL (source, date and pages cited) FROM THE ASSIGNED READINGS. Every
paragraph in your papers must have at least one cited source unless it is
either drawn from your own experience or is a concluding paragraph. Each paper
should have a separate reference page that does not count towards your page
requirements. You will lose one letter grade for each assigned source that is
not "substantially" used (in other words, used in a way that
indicates an understanding of what the book is saying). This may seem like a
rigid requirement but since there are no exams or quizzes, it is the only way
that I know (or think that I know) that you have done the reading and that the
paper is yours and not found on the web.
YOU MAY USE OTHER RESEARCH MATERIAL AS WELL. IF YOU USE INFORMATION FROM THE
WWW, PLEASE GIVE AS COMPLETE A CITATION AS POSSIBLE INCLUDING THE URL. I have
posted supplementary instructions on my webpage; please consult it and follow
the instructions. You are not allowed to have two paragraphs in a row that use
only non-assigned sources. As a rough rule of thumb, use only sources published
this century unless there is a compelling reason to use an older source. All
material that is not original to you must have a citation. Quotation marks are
required only when you are using someone else's wording. If you are using their
ideas and facts that are put in your own words, you still need to cite the source
but quotation marks would be inappropriate. Please do not start a sentence with
"I feel." Instead use phrases such as "I conclude" or
"it is my judgment based upon the evidence" etc. If you present solid
evidence on an issue and then follow with a rational argument to reach a
conclusion, I will assume that this is not only your conclusion but it is also
how you "feel."
This summer we are doing only
one paper - circa 30+ pages - on one topic with multiple sections or subtopics
or issues to cover:
Northern
Europe historically lagged behind Asia and the Islamic world until about 1400
to 1500 when it experienced a transformation called the Renaissance or rebirth
of the Greco-Roman civilization. This included advances in science and
technology. It has been widely believed and still held today by many historians
that this was largely a European endeavor owing nothing to the outside world.
This view is increasing disputed by scholars with a more global perspective who
argue the science and technologies upon which Europe was building were derived
from Asia - largely China and India - and passed through to the West through
the Islamic (and occasionally Buddhist) cultures of Central Asia and the
Persian and Arab world. This latter is the position of this course and the
reading. If you wish to differ with it, you still have to present it and the
attempt to refute it.
The
view that Asia contributed little or nothing to European development gave rise
to a set of beliefs about poverty and lack of science and technology in Asia
and when Europe passed Asia in development. The following table (take the
numbers as rough estimates) shows that it was not until the Industrial
Revolution that Europe and European populations began to surpass Asian cultures
in per capita manufacturing and it wasn't until the period 100 to 1900 that
European (including countries dominated by European derived populations such as
the United States) development surge way ahead of Asia and the rest of the
world.
The
issue for your papers is what did Asia (or the particular country or area of your
option) contribute to European development and why was Europe able to build so
rapidly and successfully and these contributions while Asia was changing more
slowly and falling behind to succumb to colonial occupation or influence and
either fall into poverty or remain at such a level that we rightfully call
poverty. Clearly sometime in the 18th century Europe forged ahead in science
and technology to the extent that it was often misnamed as Western Science and
Technology implying that science and technology were unique products of
European and European derived populations. What we call "modern"
science and technology as taught and practiced around the world is very
definitively derived from the two or more centuries of European dominance.
The
same set of beliefs that saw development being a uniquely European attribute,
also considered Asia in the 1950s to be impoverished with little chance of
transformation with the exception of Japan. The cultures and religions Asia
were seen as insurmountable or almost insurmountable barriers to change. Yet
from the 1960s onward we have seen various countries and regions of Asia
transforming themselves with rates of change that would have been understood to
be impossible if forecast in advance. China's transformation began in 1979
followed by India in the 1980s (picking up steam in the 1990s). To what extent
did our views of Asian and European history distort both policies about Asian
development and our ability to understand the continuing basis for this
transformation? To what extent did the prior history of science and technology
in Asia lay a foundation for the transformation of the
region in recent decades? And to what extent does the understandings of this
course contribute to better policies for Asian development by both by the
countries themselves and those working with them in both countries experiencing
rapid change in Asia and those in Asia and elsewhere falling further behind?
Those
in the various Asian study abroad programs who take my Asian Development course
may sign-up for ECON 4198 as field research in Asian Development and get the
same grade for the one hour as they receive for the three hour development
course. Students who take my Asian Development course may also take my
Economics 4398 - Special Problems in Asian Development in which they will add On Their Own Terms: Science in China,
1550-1900 [Hardcover] by Benjamin A. Elman, Harvard University Press and
either The Age of Confucian Rule: The
Song Transformation of China by Dieter Kuhn and Timothy Brook, Belknap Press of
Harvard University Press or A
Cultural History of Modern Science in China (New Histories of Science,
Technology, and Medicine) [Paperback] by Benjamin A. Elman, Harvard University
Press to their reading for Econ 3355 and do a combined paper of
40+ pages for the two course together (Econ 3355 and Econ 4398).
Basically, the student will do the same work as
for the three hour graduate course but get six undergraduate hours of
credit. Obviously, this course is restricted to
those taking my Asian Development class. See syllabus for Economics 3355 Summer 2011 for details. Two books and 10 additional
pages is not much work for three hours credit. I do however expect that
the 40 pages will be more in depth han the 30 pagepaper.
1,
2, 3. Northern Europe historically lagged behind Asia and
the Islamic world until about 1400 to 1500 when it experienced a transformation
called the Renaissance or rebirth of the Greco-Roman civilization. The issue for
your papers is what did Southeast Asia (or the particular country or area of
your option) contribute to European development and why was Europe able to
build so rapidly and successfully and these contributions while Asia was
changing more slowly and falling behind to succumb to colonial occupation or
influence and either fall into poverty or remain at such a level that we
rightfully call poverty.
This
section will be covered in considerably less detail than those doing the China
or India options will be expected to do. China will be used as a proxy for Viet
Nam and to some extent India can be used as a proxy for the rest of Southeast
Asia. The student who wishes to do the additional reading in also taking my
Econ 4398 course will use that addition for major coverage of this topic as
provided in more detail in the syllabus.
