AS/GEOG/ID 107

Miracles of Asia:

Economic Growth in Global Contexts

Satisfies the Global Perspectives (GP)

Will be offered in Spring 2007

Course Description:

            What explains the rapid rise of Asian economies, and what prompted the sudden crises?  This course provides a foundation in understanding the primary factors in the most successful form of Industrialization in the latter 20^th Century, by focusing on the role of the state, export-led industrialization, and industrial organization of Japan and Newly Industrializing Economies of East and Southeast Asia.  The course covers some of the major issues and impacts of rapid industrialization on the standard of living, housing, resource extraction and ethnic relations, and contrasts areas of rapid industrialization with areas of stagnation and political instability.  The course also presents recent developments including the Asian financial crises, as well as the region’s distinctive adaptation to new technologies such as the impacts of the internet, e-commerce, and video games. 

Readings:

 Textbook: 

Dean W. Collinwood,  Japan and the Pacific Rim.  Guilford, Conn.: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin Co., 2004.

Additional readings will be assigned for some classes.

Learning Tools:

We will use “Blackboard 6”, the internet-based learning tool at Clark University.  Please familiarize yourself with the operation.  The syllabus, assignments, and announcements are all posted on Blackboard, which can be found at http://cicada.clarku.edu/. 

Course requirements:

 The requirement of the class includes regular class attendance, participate in discussions, take midterm and final examinations, and submit a country report (see assignment sheet for details. 

Grading:

Class participation and Pop quizzes:                              20% of grade

Midterm Exam                                                  25%

Country Report                                                            35%

            Section I           (15%)

            Section II         (10%)

            Section III        (15%)

Final Examination                                                          20% 

In-class Presentation                                         -10 to +10 points

Class participation is evaluated with the following set of criteria.  These categories will be used as a frame of reference to evaluate the quality of student participation in class, and will be ranked in three categories: completely, partially, or not at all.

1.                  The student showed that s/he understood –

a.       Facts

b.      Concepts

c.       Theory

2.                  The questions the student asked were comprehensible.

3.                  The answers that student gave were correct.

4.                  The student gave constructive criticism

5.                  The student gave an application for the concept/theory.

6.                  The student built on another student’s answer.

7.                  The student encouraged other students to participate.

8.                  The student was prepared for the session.