Course Title：Sociology and Economic Development in East and Southeast Asia

This course offers an introduction to the debate on socioeconomics in East and Southeast Asia. The sociological causes of the rapid economic development in Japan, South-Korea, China and selected ASEAN countries are the focus of this course. We start by comparing these causes for the economic and social modernization processes in the different countries, proceed to explain the economic development policies and make a quantitative analysis of the current sociological foundations of the East and Southeast Asian economies. What are the sociological factors shaping economic institutions in East Asia? How does the distinction between the private sector and the government work in Asian economies? Why does industrial organization in East Asia differ from the way industries are organized in Europe? To find answers to these questions we use sociological models to analyze and investigate: -East Asian (economic) modernization and development, -educational systems, industrialization processes, -employment systems and labor issues, -the changing role of woman, -demographic trends and immigration, and -regional economic integration. We make use of selected socioeconomics theories and apply these to real world cases. The focus is on China, Japan and South-Korea but the increasing integration, both through capital and people, between the East Asian economies and the ASEAN economies is also discussed. We use Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, American and continental European perspectives to understand the dynamics of economic development in East Asia. Seminar course. Each three-hour session consists of a lecture class, student presentations, discussions and panels. All classes are interactive. Students are encouraged to think critically about the readings and to express their ideas. Students will make presentations (individually or in pairs of two) on a topic related to this course. A list of possible topics and optional readings for the presentations will be provided.