Economic Development of China and/or Asia

Summer 2001

 

Economics 3355 or Economics 6397

4 to 6 PM MTWTh

Room 106 M

 

Prof. Thomas R. DeGregori

Office: 209D M

Office hrs. 2 to 4PM MTWTH

(by appointment when in town)

Email: trdegreg@uh.edu

Phone: (713) 743 3838

I prefer to receive emails

 

 

This is a special problems course that can be taken for 1, 2 or 3 hours credit.  The course will meet on the first day indicated in the schedule for the class assignments. If you wish to enroll for less than 3 hours credit or to take it any time up to February 1, 2002, please see Marion Foley in 208B M.  Final due date for all papers, June 1, 2002.

 

Students who sign up for the first session need to turn in their papers by July 1, 2001 for immediate credit.  Those registering for second summer session or as a 12-week course need papers to be in by August 1, 2001.  All others receive an automatic Incomplete with due date June 1, 2002 as stated above.  Please don’t ask for an Incomplete.  It’s automatic.

 

The class is also being taught in China for those who sign up for the China Study Abroad Program (see Dr. Yali Zou, FH 450, ext 34982). It is also available as Economics 6397, Section 05127.  

 

Required reading (all paperbacks except DeGregori)*:

 

Thomas R. DeGregori, Agriculture and Modern Technology: A Defense, Iowa State University Press

Merle Goodman and Andrew Gordon, Historical Perspectives on Contemporary East Asia, Harvard.

R. Benewick and S. Donald, The State of China Atlas, Penquin/Putnam.

Patricia Buckley Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Cambridge University Press.

Merle Goldman & Roderick MacFarqhar, The Paradox of China's Post‑ Mao Reform, Harvard.

Jo Boyden et al., What Works for Working Children, Unicef.

Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Outlook 2000, Oxford University Press.

ISBN 0195929764

 

Recommended Reading or Substitutes for other Readings with prior permission of instructor or Dr. Zou.

 

Vern Ruttan Technology, Growth and Development, Oxford University Press

 

Assignment:

 

Undergraduates: You are to write six short papers of (very) roughly to 5 to 8 pages each. You have considerable latitude as to the length of each paper as long as the total for all six is about 30 to 40 pages.  However, you may combine papers and topics into larger papers or paper as long as each topic is adequately covered.

 

The following four topics are required:

 

1)   Issues of child labor, trade and development.

2)   Asia and agricultural biotechnology.

4)   Asian history and culture as basis for understanding Asian economies today

or

     Asian Culture, Geography & Politics to understand Asia economies today.

 

Other suggested topics are:

 

1)   What is economic development?

2)   Asian Economic Development since 1950.

3)   Asian Economic Development since 1979.

4)   Poverty and inequality in Asia and what can be done about it.

5)   Major issues in Asian Development: IMF, Debt etc.

6)   The Asian Development model: What is it and what is its future?

 

In each of the above suggested topics, you may substitute East Asia or China for Asia. In other words, you may take this as an Asian Economics Course, an East Asian Economics Course or a China Economics Course. All students will do at least 2 of their papers on China.  Students going to China may do an additional cultural paper as a substitute for one of the other topics.   Good luck!

 

THERE WILL NOT BE A FINAL EXAM.

 

# Those taking the course for 1 hour credit will do one 10 to 15 page paper.  Those taking it for 2 hours credit, will do one 20 to 25 page paper.

 

ALL PAPERS HAVE TO INCLUDE CITED MATERIAL FROM THE ASSIGNED READINGS AND A SOURCE MUST BE IDENTIFIED FOR ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED. YOU MAY USE OTHER RESEARCH MATERIAL AS WELL. USE OF INFORMATION FROM THE WWW IS ALSO REQUIRED FOR AT LEAST ONE PAPER. HYPER LINKS TO SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SITES ARE PROVIDED ON MY HOME PAGE (http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg).  PLEASE GIVE AS COMPLETE A CITATION AS POSSIBLE INCLUDING THE URL.

 

Graduate students will do two papers of 10 and 30 to 40 pages each.  Please see me for details and assignment.

 

 

NEW CLASS FOR FALL 2001:

ECON 4389 - FOOD, POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT
CONTENT ID 288915
SECTION #12256
2:30-4 TTH
Room: 9 AH
QUOTA 60