Introduction:

Most interested students in the West may only be familiar with the nations of contemporary Southeast Asia (Brunei Darussalam, Burma or Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) in the context of the modern trade opportunities or against the backdrop of the various wars and episodes of political violence that plagued Southeast Asia throughout the twentieth century. However, these countries are, in fact, heirs to long histories of cultural brilliance and diversity. This region has also sustained rich natural environments, on which much of the world has long depended. In this class we will explore the social and political conditions, particularly during the Age of Imperialism, from which the individual modern Southeast Asian nations emerged. Specifically, we will consider how a shared history of commodity exchange in this region has shaped the collective political character of these nation-states. This class begins with the premise that history is guided by interdependent influences of population, environment, economics, and culture. Following these themes, we will distinguish human enterprise from the natural history of Southeast Asia, and so gain some understanding of the manner with which political or economic change will occur in this region in the future.

Students taking this course should reach the following goals by the end of the semester:

• Construct persuasive written arguments regarding issues of historical interpretation.
• Utilize the latest methods of Web-based technology to communicate with fellow students.
• Understand better the effect the ancient past has had on the modern world.
• Exhibit self-motivation and self-expression by exploring and asking questions regarding historical topics beyond personal life experiences.