Political Science 371 Southeast Asian Politics
Jim Ockey
Office: Zulauf 406
Office Hours: Monday
Email: jockey@niu.edu
Course Objectives
In a
world where distance
and borders are becoming less relevant,
We have the privilege of being at a university with one of the top Southeast Asian Studies programs in the world. I hope you will take advantage of the resources available to you here. As you will see, many of the readings in the syllabus were written by members of the program. The center regularly hosts visiting scholars as well. The library has an extensive collection on the region, including many works in Southeast Asian languages. You can find out more about the program and the staff members who are a part of it on the program webpage, at http://www.niu.edu/cseas/
As most of you will be aware by now, we also have an excellent political science department. If you haven’t done so yet, it is well worth your time to investigate the breadth of knowledge of staff members in the department, as well as the specific expertise of individual staff members. For details on staff members and their work, see the department website, http://polisci.niu.edu/ The website also has a lot of other useful information, including information on other courses, information on awards, and a syllabus archive.
Assessment
In the course, there will be two tests and one assignment. You will also be graded on participation. The tests are to assess your knowledge of the material, and your ability to think critically. The test will focus on your understanding of concepts and patterns, rather than historical details. The assignment is intended to help you develop skills necessary for future research papers and research seminars, and skills necessary for effective participation in many jobs. In particular, it will help you develop the skills to research and evaluate a current event. You may choose to do it as if you were a scholar, as if you were a journalist, or as if you were a policy analyst. The assignment should be about 7-10 pages. Further information on the assignment will be available in class. One extra credit assignment is available at your option. It is an assignment aimed at getting you to learn to use library resources effectively and will be worth up to 5%.
Due
Participation 10%
Contemporary Event Analysis 25% November 15
Mid-term 30% October 11, in class
Final 35% December 6, in class
Library Assignment (Extra Credit) 5%
Assignments should be handed-in to a Department secretary in ZU 415 to be time-stamped and recorded. Any assignment that is not handed in according to this procedure will be deemed to have arrived only on the day a secretary receives it. In other words, if you slip it under my door, it is considered to have arrived only when I give it to the secretary, which may be several days after you slip it under the door. This is to ensure that there is verification for all assignments received.
Classroom Etiquette
Students are to arrive at class on time. Two tardy arrivals
are equivalent to one class absence. Students are to remain for the entire
session unless excused by the professor beforehand or confronted with a serious
personal emergency. For instance, it is not acceptable for students to walk in
and out of class to answer cell phones, take casual bathroom and smoking
breaks, or attend to other personal matters. Cell phones, pagers, or any
electronic devices that make noise must be turned off during class unless the
instructor has been notified beforehand of a special circumstance (e.g., sick
family member, pregnant wife, special childcare situation, etc.). No one should
talk while someone else is talking; this includes comments meant for a
classmate rather than the entire group. Overall, classroom dialogue and
behavior should always be courteous, respectful of others, and consistent with
the expectations set forth by the university.
Undergraduate Writing
Awards
The Department of Political Science will recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers written in conjunction with 300-400 level political science courses or directed studies. Authors do not have to be political science majors or have a particular class standing. For details, see the department website, http://polisci.niu.edu/
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use without proper acknowledgement of the ideas or work of another person. To do so is cheating. All quotations and all paraphrasing of the ideas of others must be referenced. All sources, including the internet, must be clearly referenced by a recognised form of footnotes, endnotes or in‑text referencing, and in a bibliography. The Undergraduate Catalog states: "students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional or not, if they copy material from books, magazines, or other sources without identifying and acknowledging those sources or if they paraphrase ideas from such sources without acknowledging them. Students guilty of, or assisting others in either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz, or examination may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may be suspended or dismissed from the university."
Note that all internet referencing must include the author or institution in the reference, and with all of your sources, but particularly with the internet, you must be careful to use only reputable works that are appropriate to academic writing.
Late Penalties
Late work will be penalized at the rate of up to 5 percent per day. Since students have been given the assignment on the first day of class, late penalties will be waived only in extreme circumstances.
Make-up Exams
Makeup exams will only be given in extraordinary circumstances. If such circumstances arise, please contact me as soon as possible and where possible before the scheduled exam. Students will be asked to support requests for makeup exams with documentation. No makeup exam will be allowed unless arrangements are made before the regularly scheduled exam has been graded and returned.
Incomplete requests will be granted only in unusual circumstances, when supported with documentation. Missing an exam in itself is not a reason for an incomplete.
Participation
I believe that it is appropriate to participate not only by speaking, but also by listening respectfully to others. However, it is impossible to participate, in any way, without attending. Thus your participation grade will be based on attendance, on thoughtful spoken contributions, and on paying attention to the contributions of others.
Students with Disabilities
Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, NIU is
committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons with documented
disabilities. Those students with disabilities that may have some impact on
their coursework and for which they may require accommodations should notify
the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on the fourth floor of the
Contacting Me
I will endeavor to answer email in a timely manner. However, I do not access my email every day, particularly on the weekends. As a general guideline, you should expect that a response to your email may be no quicker than meeting me during my office hours. You should be aware that email messages can go awry, while coming to my office guarantees that I am made aware of your problem. Keep in mind, too, that your tuition helps to pay for the time I devote to students during my office hours, so don’t be shy about coming to see me. Make an appointment to see me outside office hours if necessary.
Please note
1. The most important component of the course is the material presented in the lectures. The readings are meant to supplement the lectures, not replace them. When you study for exams, you should spend about 90% of your study time on the lecture notes.
2. Some readings are marked with an asterisk. Those will be the most useful.
3. The best source
for the latest information on the region is the January-February issue of the
latest Asian Survey (for this class, that means January-February
2006). I strongly recommend you read the
article on each country as we study it.
I use it myself in preparing the lectures (and I’m writing the
1.
August 30 Pre-colonial
Recommended
Note: For this week, all the material you will need
for the exam will be provided in the lecture.
However, we will need to cover a lot of material during this week. The readings will help to reinforce the
material from the lecture, especially for those with little previous knowledge
of
I also recommend you familiarize
yourself with the entries on
2.
September 6 Colonialism and Nationalism
3.
September 13
King, “Corruption in
4.
September 20
Independent
*King, “East
5.
September 27
*Ruland, “Constitutional Debates
in the
Note: Review Essay Due October 1
6.
October 4
7.
October 11 Midterm
8.
October 18
9.
October 25
10. November 1
11. November 8
Chai-Anan Samudavanija, The Thai Young Turks, ch. 2
12. November 15
Note: Contemporary Analysis Paper Due
Pasuk Phongpaichit and Baker, Chris. “Thaksin Dismantles the
Opposition,” Far Eastern Economic Review 168 (March 2005):25-29.
13.
November 29
Aung San Suu Kyi, "In Quest of Democracy" in Freedom From
Fear
14. December
6 Final Exam in class