SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024
SOUTHEAST ASIAN PROGRAMME
SEA301/4: POLITICS & REGIONALISM IN ASEAN
DR. SOON CHUAN YEAN
OFFICE: C13/007
TEL: 6533345
EMAIL: chuanyean@usm.my
VENUE: DK J
SCHEDULE/TIME: Thursday 2PM - 5PM
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This course targets students who already have a basic knowledge of Southeast Asia, ASEAN, and its development.
The course examines the politics of regionalism in ASEAN in particular and the Southeast Asian region in general. The conventional way of looking at regionalism in Southeast Asia intends to focus on the formalized regional organization such as the role of state actors in interaction and cooperation processes within a region. This course attempts to expand the scope of regionalism to include non-institutional, non-organizational regional relations.
Arguably, the formation of ASEAN has been shaped by international political changes and has brought to politico-military formations such as SEATO, ASA, and then ASEAN at its early stage. In the aftermath of the Cold War, ASEAN then expanded to regional alliances that led to Asean+3/6, “ASEAN Ten” in 1997, and Track-Two Diplomacy among others. We will investigate to what extent ASEAN has been shaped and changed. In other words, how has ASEAN as a regional block in Southeast Asia negotiated its identity? This course focuses on the rise of economic interaction (though security issues will also be touched on in the discussion) between ASEAN and East Asia economies.
Firstly, the instructor will introduce to students the concept of regionalism and its development followed by the politics of ASEAN establishment in the Southeast Asian region. The issues discussed are regional cooperation and integration in Southeast Asia accompanied by the turbulence during the Cold War, marked by the Vietnam War, Konfrontasi (Confrontation), Sabah issue, and the involvement of major powers in the region.
Secondly, the course investigates the question of how ASEAN societies are formed in respective nations and “connected” with each other from without and even crossing to East Asian region (namely China and Japan). We will move to the examination of this new emerging regionalism and to identify it in the realm of economic cooperation and popular culture, which are trans-border and transnational, non-state/state-centric, and bottom-up.
In following Peter Katzenstein, this course concludes that ASEAN (and East Asia) regionalism is porous. Regionalism is formed not only from its formalistic framework but also is shaped by the flows of societal responses such as democratization processes and cultural flows. More importantly, this course intends to generate the debate whether or not, regionalism has impacted political structures and development in the Southeast Asia region and ASEAN? As the sole regional organization in Asia, can ASEAN influence the political relations of Asian nations or otherwise?
ASSESSMENT
Essay (30%) + Tutorial exercises (30%) + Final Exam (40%) = 100%
Note:
The readings provided (below) under “Primary” are readings used mostly in the lectures and some will be discussed in tutorial classes. It is recommended and encouraged that the student read these readings in order to be able to follow the lectures and discussions; prepare for your essay.
The “Supplementary” readings are very useful for your essay materials and added knowledge to the discussions of the course.
SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024
SOUTHEAST ASIAN PROGRAMME
SEA301/4: POLITICS & REGIONALISM IN ASEAN
DR. SOON CHUAN YEAN
OFFICE: C13/007
TEL: 6533345
EMAIL: chuanyean@usm.my
VENUE: DK J
SCHEDULE/TIME: Thursday 2PM - 5PM
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This course targets students who already have a basic knowledge of Southeast Asia, ASEAN, and its development.
The course examines the politics of regionalism in ASEAN in particular and the Southeast Asian region in general. The conventional way of looking at regionalism in Southeast Asia intends to focus on the formalized regional organization such as the role of state actors in interaction and cooperation processes within a region. This course attempts to expand the scope of regionalism to include non-institutional, non-organizational regional relations.
Arguably, the formation of ASEAN has been shaped by international political changes and has brought to politico-military formations such as SEATO, ASA, and then ASEAN at its early stage. In the aftermath of the Cold War, ASEAN then expanded to regional alliances that led to Asean+3/6, “ASEAN Ten” in 1997, and Track-Two Diplomacy among others. We will investigate to what extent ASEAN has been shaped and changed. In other words, how has ASEAN as a regional block in Southeast Asia negotiated its identity? This course focuses on the rise of economic interaction (though security issues will also be touched on in the discussion) between ASEAN and East Asia economies.
Firstly, the instructor will introduce to students the concept of regionalism and its development followed by the politics of ASEAN establishment in the Southeast Asian region. The issues discussed are regional cooperation and integration in Southeast Asia accompanied by the turbulence during the Cold War, marked by the Vietnam War, Konfrontasi (Confrontation), Sabah issue, and the involvement of major powers in the region.
Secondly, the course investigates the question of how ASEAN societies are formed in respective nations and “connected” with each other from without and even crossing to East Asian region (namely China and Japan). We will move to the examination of this new emerging regionalism and to identify it in the realm of economic cooperation and popular culture, which are trans-border and transnational, non-state/state-centric, and bottom-up.
In following Peter Katzenstein, this course concludes that ASEAN (and East Asia) regionalism is porous. Regionalism is formed not only from its formalistic framework but also is shaped by the flows of societal responses such as democratization processes and cultural flows. More importantly, this course intends to generate the debate whether or not, regionalism has impacted political structures and development in the Southeast Asia region and ASEAN? As the sole regional organization in Asia, can ASEAN influence the political relations of Asian nations or otherwise?
ASSESSMENT
Essay (30%) + Tutorial exercises (30%) + Final Exam (40%) = 100%
Note:
The readings provided (below) under “Primary” are readings used mostly in the lectures and some will be discussed in tutorial classes. It is recommended and encouraged that the student read these readings in order to be able to follow the lectures and discussions; prepare for your essay.
The “Supplementary” readings are very useful for your essay materials and added knowledge to the discussions of the course.
- Lecturer: DR. SOON CHUAN YEAN
Skill Level: Beginner