Economic Development of China, India or Asia/Vietnam, Summer 2009

 

 

ECON 3355-02LEC 15126 Economic Development of Asia Jun 1, 2009-Aug 8, 2009

 

SPECIAL PROBLEMS:

 

ECON 4398-01IND 15146 Special Problems (Independent Study) June 1, 2009-July 2, 2009
ECON 4398-10IND 15162 Special Problems (Independent Study) July 6, 2009-August 8, 2009

 

GRADUATE COURSES:

 

ECON 6355-01LEC 15172 Economic Development of Asia Jun 1, 2009-Jul 2, 2009

ECON 6355-02LEC 15174 Economic Development of Asia Jul 6, 2009-Aug 8, 2009

ECON 6398-29 IND 16388 Res & Readings-Eco (Independent Study) July 7, 2008-August 14, 2008

 

Instructor:

Dr. Thomas R. DeGregori

Ph. (713) 743 3838

(I prefer to receive emails)
E-mail: trdegreg@uh.edu
Homepage: http://www.uh.edu/~trdegreg

Office: 209D McElhinney Hall

Office hours: MTWTh 3-4 PM and by appointment

 

Teaching Assistant:

Senay Topal

E-mail: senaytopal@yahoo.com

Office: 203A McElhinney Hall

Reading for the three options of which the student chooses one:

  • China

 

    • Science and Civilisation in China Volume 7: The Social Background, Part 2, General Conclusions and Reflections by Joseph Needham ***
    • The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy by Kenneth Pomeranz., Princeton University Press
    • The Chinese Economy: Transitions and Growth by Barry Naughton The MIT Press, Paperback
    • The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China by Dieter Kuhn and Timothy Brook
    • add –on: Major Barbara (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback) by George Bernard Shaw and Arms and the Man (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback) by George Bernard Shaw

 

  • India

    • A New History of India by Stanley Wolpert, Oxford University Press,  Paperback
    • The Eastern Origins of Western Civilization by John M Hobson, Cambridge University Press.
    • Agriculture, Food Security, Poverty, and Environment: Essays on Post Reform India by C H Hanumantha Rao, Oxford University Press.
    • Moving Out of Poverty (Volume 3): The Promise of Empowerment and Democracy in India by Deepa Narayan,  World Bank Publications, paperback

and one of the following two:

    • Empires of the Indus by Alice Albinia, John Murray, Paperback

or

    • Imperial connections : India in the Indian Ocean arena, 1860-1920 by Thomas R. Metcalf, Berkeley : University of California Press

 

  • Southeast Asia/Viet Nam

    • Vietnam's New Order: International Perspectives on the State and Reform in Vietnam (Sciences Po Series in International Relations and Political Economy) (Hardcover), by Stephanie Balme (Author), Mark Sidel, Palgrave Macmillan (December 12, 2006)
    • The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to its History & Teachings (Paperback), Donald S. Lopez Jr., HarperOne
    • The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia (Part 1) Nicholas Tarling, Cambridge University Press

 

One of the following two:

 

o    Science and Civilisation in China Volume 7: The Social Background, Part 2, General Conclusions and Reflections by Joseph Needham, Cambridge University Press ***

or

o    The Great Divergence:  China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy by Kenneth Pomeranz., Princeton University Press

 

One of the following two:

o    Confucianism for the Modern World (Paperback) by Daniel A. Bell (Editor), Hahm Chaibong, Cambridge University Press (September 8, 2003)

or

o    Rethinking Confucianism: Past and Present in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam (Paperback), by Benjamin A. Elman (Editor), John B. Duncan (Editor), Herman Ooms (Editor), UCLA (March 1, 2002)

 

One of the following two:

o    A New History of India by Stanley Wolpert, Oxford University Press, Paperback

or

o    Imperial Connections: India in the Indian Ocean arena, 1860-1920 by Thomas R. Metcalf, Berkeley: University of California Press

 

***Joseph Needham's Science and Civilisation in China is a monumental piece of scholarship which broke new ground in presenting to the Western reader a detailed and coherent account of the development of science, technology and medicine in China from the earliest times until the advent of the Jesuits and the beginnings of modern science in the late seventeenth century. It is a vast work, necessarily more suited to the scholar and research worker than the general reader. We are using Parts One and Two of the final volume.

 


Additional reading for the Graduate and Special Problems sections:

o    Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 7, The Social Background; Part 1, Language and Logic in Traditional China by Joseph Needham and Christoph Harbsmeier (Cambridge University Press)***,

o    De Re Metallica by Georgius Agricola, Dover Publications Paperback

 

Again see syllabus for Economics 3355 Summer 2009 for details on the topic for your paper for the course. For those who wish to pursue the topic further after the course is completed, I recommend the following two books. Both are in the UH Library. The Introduction and CHAPTER 3, Part Two, Part II, Pages 569 to 614 of "Graphics and text in the production of technical knowledge in China" would be useful for your papers. Both of the following books are NOT required reading.

 

o    The Cambridge History of China, Volume 5, The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907–1279, Part 1. Edited by Denis Twitchett, Paul Jakov Smith. Hardback (ISBN-13:9780521812481)

o    Graphics and Text in the Production of Technical Knowledge in China : The Warp and the Weft. Edited by Francesca Bray, Vera Dorofeeva-Lichtmann, Georges Métailié, Leiden ; Boston : Brill,.

 

 

General guidelines:

 

THERE WILL BE NO EXAMS OR QUIZZES.

THERE WILL NOT BE A FINAL EXAM.

 

We are offering Econ 3355 Economic Development of China, India or Asia/Vietnam, Summer 2009 only in Summer Session 3 Monday, Wednesday 4:00PM - 6:00PM TBA June 1, 2009-August 8, 2009 in the schedule. For this and for any of my courses this summer, we will allow you to take it in any session but we will do it as a special problems course with the stated course objective of doing the syllabus for Econ 3355. We will require that you give us a reason why you can not enroll for the session offered in the schedule. This could be a requirement for a particular session to get funding of some sort or for doing study abroad. Summer Session I is virtually a certain NO unless you request it far enough in advance so as to allow time for the reading as described in the syllabus. And remember that all of the summer courses of mine are independent study. The best option always is for the latest date to complete the course so as to give maximum time to do the work. And as stated in the syllabus, in exceptional  cases, as long as you have a reason why you can not take it this summer, you may sign-up as a special problems course in fall and on the Econ 3355, Summer 2009 syllabus.

This announcement supersedes anything in the syllabus that differs with it as it was composed when the class scheduling was changed after the syllabuses were completed.

There is ABSOLUTELY no benefit from taking the course in any other summer session than Session 3. If for example you will be leaving the city or even the country in July and wish to take it in session 1 for that reason. You can instead take it in session 3 and turn in your paper whenever it is completed. I will grade it, record it and then post it to the registrar in August. For those graduating in August, the grade will be recorded in time for graduation. Signing-up for session 3 gives you insurance in case you do not finish it before you leave and need to complete it while away or when you return. If you complete it away from campus, please arrange in advance to have someone in Houston to whom you email your paper so he or she can print it out and turn it in. I have far too many students in summer classes to accept emailed papers.

Repeat - Saying that you misjudged your ability to complete the paper in five or seven weeks and need an incomplete will not be an acceptable excuse. Neither can claiming that you had emotional problems be used as an excuse. In one sense, emotional problems - divorce, a failed romance etc. - would be a legitimate excuse but it would be totally inappropriate for me to inquire further so as to be able to verify it. Once again, only a verifiable excuse - hospitalization - that  prevents you from completing your work and that was unplanned and unexpected can be used to obtain an incomplete so PLEASE  play it safe and sign-up for the summer whatever your good intentions may be.

 

All students, graduate or undergraduate should sign-up for Summer III in order to have maximum time to complete the assigned papers. This is necessary in order to allow time to complete papers. Summer I and II are only for those who are required to have coursework in these sessions to meet a requirement and will be taken with pemission as a special problems course as stated in the post.

 

Enrollment for Summer sessions I, II and IV will require Instructors permission which will be granted only if the student has read this syllabus and is aware of the options and limitations for each summer session. Summer III and IV are to be considered only in terms of the final due date for papers and not for the beginning date in the schedule. The true beginning date is as soon as the syllabus is downloaded and the student can acquire the books and begin working on the course. Preferably this would be by the end of the Spring term and before the end of May. Starting the course in mid-June or later is not recommended and definitely discouraged. Students in the Study abroad programs should acquire the books before leaving and begin reading before leaving and on the flights to from Asia. I allow students to sign-up for Economic Development of Asia during the following fall semester as an independent study course doing the summer syllabus. The student is responsible for obtaining the books as the books will not be in the bookstore after the summer sessions. I had one student take the course in fall - he made an A - and I normally have only a couple take it each fall.

This is a special problems course that can be taken for 3 hours credit. If you wish to enroll for less than 3 hours credit, please see Marion Foley in 208B M.

One has the option of registering for it in any of the summer sessions since it is entirely an independent study course except for those in the study abroad programs where there may be lectures. The course will meet on the first day indicated in the schedule for the class assignments. Attendance is not necessary for those who have downloaded this syllabus and understand the requirements. As noted above, if at all possible, it is very strongly recommended that students sign-up for the summer sessions where the last day of class is in August. This will allow you more time to complete your papers as we will be following the University catalog closely and will be giving incompletes only to those who qualify by University rules. Some exception will be made for those in study abroad programs. There is a substantial financial cost to the student to dropping a course in one session and adding if for a later session. You may obtain the books and start work on your papers as soon as this syllabus is posted in February indicating that it has been approved for the summer programs.

It is also available as a graduate course, Economics 6355. Those taking it for graduate credit will also be required to use Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 7, The Social Background; Part 1, Language and Logic in Traditional China by Joseph Needham and Christoph Harbsmeier (Cambridge University Press). This is in ADDITION to the books for the undergraduate section.

Graduate credit is more restrictive so that we would have to work out the research agenda necessary in order to receive credit. Others in the department may also be offering this course on their own terms. I will only consider this for students who are taking or who have already taken the graduate course in Asian Economic Development.


The course has been used in the following study abroad programs: China Study Abroad Program (see Dr. Yali Zou, FH 450, ext 34982) or for the India Study Abroad Program in 2010 (see Dr. Saleha Khumawala, MH 360A, ext 3-4829). Modifications of either the China or India options will be considered if approved by Dr. Zou or Dr. Khumawala or Dr. Wen. As I learn of other Asian study abroad programs for 2008, I will add the contact persons and post the information for them.  Please contact Dr. Xiaohong Wen (AH 453, ext. 3-3072) for more information on the study abroad program sponsored by the Chinese Studies Program.

There were three options for the course - (1) Focus on China, (2) Focus on India, (3) All of Asia excluding Japan, Australia and New Zealand. We are adding a Viet Nam option this summer as part of the No. 3 Asian Option. Pick one of the three options and the books that are assigned with it. Most of the following books are available in paperback. Buy or otherwise gain access only to the books assigned for your option.

 

Assignment guidelines:

 

ALL PAPERS HAVE TO INCLUDE CITED MATERIAL (source, date and pages cited) FROM THE ASSIGNED READINGS. Every paragraph in your papers must have at least one cited source unless it is either drawn from your own experience or is a concluding paragraph. Each paper should have a separate reference page that does not count towards your page requirements. You will loose one letter grade for each assigned source that is not "substantially" used (in other words, used in a way that indicates an understanding of what the book is saying). This may seem like a rigid requirement but since there are no exams or quizzes, it is the only way that I know (or think that I know) that you have done the reading and that the paper is yours and not found on the web.

YOU MAY USE OTHER RESEARCH MATERIAL AS WELL. IF YOU USE INFORMATION FROM THE WWW, PLEASE GIVE AS COMPLETE A CITATION AS POSSIBLE INCLUDING THE URL. I have posted supplementary instructions on my webpage; please consult it and follow the instructions. You are not allowed to have two paragraphs in a row that use only non-assigned sources. As a rough rule of thumb, use only sources published this century unless there is a compelling reason to use an older source. All material that is not original to you must have a citation. Quotation marks are required only when you are using someone else's wording. If you are using their ideas and facts that are put in your own words, you still need to cite the source but quotation marks would be inappropriate. Please do not start a sentence with "I feel." Instead use phrases such as "I conclude" or "it is my judgment based upon the evidence" etc. If you present solid evidence on an issue and then follow with a rational argument to reach a conclusion, I will assume that this is not only your conclusion but it is also how you "feel."

 

This summer we are doing only one paper - circa 30+ pages - on one topic with multiple sections or subtopics or issues to cover:

  • China/India

 

1.       Northern Europe historically lagged behind Asia and the Islamic world until about 1400 to 1500 when it experienced a transformation called the Renaissance or rebirth of the Greco-Roman civilization. This included advances in science and technology. It has been widely believed and still held today by many historians that this was largely a European endeavor owing nothing to the outside world. This view is increasing disputed by scholars with a more global perspective who argue the science and technologies upon which Europe was building were derived from Asia - largely China and India - and passed through to the West through the Islamic (and occasionally Buddhist) cultures of Central Asia and the Persian and Arab world. This latter is the position of this course and the reading. If you wish to differ with it, you still have to present it and the attempt to refute it.

 

2.       The view that Asia contributed little or nothing to European development gave rise to a set of beliefs about poverty and lack of science and technology in Asia and when Europe passed Asia in development. The following table (take the numbers as rough estimates) shows that it was not until the Industrial Revolution that Europe and European populations began to surpass Asian cultures in per capita manufacturing and it wasn't until the period 100 to 1900 that European (including countries dominated by European derived populations such as the United States) development surge way ahead of Asia and the rest of the world.

 

World manufacturing (1750 - 1900) (The Geography of the World Economy by Paul Knox, John Agnew, Linda McCarthy)

 

3.       The issue for your papers is what did Asia (or the particular country or area of your option) contribute to European development and why was Europe able to build so rapidly and successfully and these contributions while Asia was changing more slowly and falling behind to succumb to colonial occupation or influence and either fall into poverty or remain at such a level that we rightfully call poverty. Clearly sometime in the 18th century Europe forged ahead in science and technology to the extent that it was often misnamed as Western Science and Technology implying that science and technology were unique products of European and European derived populations. What we call "modern" science and technology as taught and practiced around the world is very definitively derived from the two or more centuries of European dominance.

4.       The same set of beliefs that saw development being a uniquely European attribute, also considered Asia in the 1950s to be impoverished with little chance of transformation with the exception of Japan. The cultures and religions Asia were seen as insurmountable or almost insurmountable barriers to change. Yet from the 1960s onward we have seen various countries and regions of Asia transforming themselves with rates of change that would have been understood to be impossible if forecast in advance. China's transformation began in 1979 followed by India in the 1980s (picking up steam in the 1990s). To what extent did our views of Asian and European history distort both policies about Asian development and our ability to understand the continuing basis for this transformation? To what extent did the prior history of science and technology in Asia lay a foundation for the transformation of the region in recent decades? And to what extent does the understandings of this course contribute to better policies for Asian development by both by the countries themselves and those working with them in both countries experiencing rapid change in Asia and those in Asia and elsewhere falling further behind?

 

5.       Those in the various study abroad programs who take my Asian Development course may sign-up for ECON 4198 as field research in Asian Development and get the same grade for the one hour as they receive for the three hour development course.

6.       Students who take my Asian Development course may also take my Economics 4398 - Special Problems in Asian Development in which they will add Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 7, The Social Background; Part 1, Language and Logic in Traditional China by Joseph Needham and Christoph Harbsmeier (Cambridge University Press) to their reading for Econ 3355 and do a combined paper of 40+ pages for the two course together (Econ 3355 and Econ 4398). Basically, the student will do the same work as for the three hour graduate course but get six undergraduate hours of credit. Obviously, this course is restricted to those taking my Asian Development class.

 

Two books by George Bernard Shaw in the China option are added for a bit of fun.

  • Major Barbara (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback) by George Bernard Shaw (Author)
  • Arms and the Man (Dover Thrift Editions) by Bernard Shaw

 

Arms and the Man shows the absurdity of warfare but also comparing Eastern Europe to Western Europe, shows in a number of ways the incredible transformation that the 19th century brought to Western Europe. This would apply to the differences between Western Europe and Asia as well. Major Barbara magnificently displays the capitalist ethics and business practices of the arms merchants. It also shows the relative prosperity of those who work in the arms industry offering the argument that the real enemy is poverty.

I put in two cheap editions of these two Shavian classics. The students can use any text of them that is available. If they are unable to work the plays into their main paper, the can add a one or two page review in which they note the relevance of the plays to the main research topic.

 

  • Southeast Asia/Viet Nam

 

1, 2, 3.    Northern Europe historically lagged behind Asia and the Islamic world until about 1400 to 1500 when it experienced a transformation called the Renaissance or rebirth of the Greco-Roman civilization. The issue for your papers is what did Southeast Asia (or the particular country or area of your option) contribute to European development and why was Europe able to build so rapidly and successfully and these contributions while Asia was changing more slowly and falling behind to succumb to colonial occupation or influence and either fall into poverty or remain at such a level that we rightfully call poverty.

This section will be covered in considerably less detail than those doing the China or India options will be expected to do. China will be used as a proxy for Viet Nam and to some extent India can be used as a proxy for the rest of Southeast Asia. The student who wishes to do the additional reading in also taking my Econ 4398 course will use that addition for major coverage of this topic as provided in more detail in the syllabus.

    1. The same set of beliefs that saw development being a uniquely European attribute, also considered Asia in the 1950s to be impoverished with little chance of transformation with the exception of Japan. The cultures and religions Asia were seen as insurmountable or almost insurmountable barriers to change.

      This topic will form the core of your papers as follows.

      Buddhism was considered too other worldly. Confucianism was considered too bureaucratic and Islam was considered to be too rigid and zealous. Given the assigned readings, the Islamic countries of Malaysia and Indonesia will not be included even though they both have greatly out performed expectations. Niether will the predominantly Christian country of the Philippines be included though it should be noted here that in the 1950s, after Japan, the Philippines had the highest per capita income in Asia, the fastest rate of economic growth and far and away the the highest level of education in Asia. Today, the Philippines is a laggard in all of these categories so that it would appear that their religion neither explained the success of the 1950s nor the failures thereafter.

      From the 1960s onward we have seen various countries and regions of Asia transforming themselves with rates of change that would have been understood to be impossible if forecast in advance. China's transformation began in 1979 followed by India and Viet Nam in the 1980s (with both picking up steam in the 1990s).

      By the mid 1980s there was talk (including conferences) about Asian values being the causal (or at least a major force) factor in Asian development wth some projecting that the 21st century becoming the Asian century. Corporate executives were reading Sun Tzu's The Art of War and its virtues were even celebrated in a Hollywood film. Asian values were Buddhist and Confucian values which just a few decades previously were considered insurmountable barriers to development.

      The core issue of the paper for Southeast Asia/Viet Nam option is the religions and cultures of the "IndoChina" portion of that region to try to understand development that has been taking place there these past decades. (note that though it is not standard usage, the term IndoChina applies to the rest of Southeast Asia. In addition to India's influence on the cultures and religions of Burma, Thailand, Laos (a Northern Thai culture) and Cambodia, India's cultural influence spread across the Indonesian acheapelago to Bali while Chinese culture has been in Viet Nam and Chinese migrants have been a major force in the Philippines for the past century and a half.)

      Note - Beginning over 30 years ago, I have taught, worked doing development and/or lectured in all the countries of South, Southeast and East Asia from Pakistan to China (including Australia, New Zealand and Japan) except for Cambodia and Korea so I have 1st hand field experience of the development that has taken place in these regions. I have lived in some of these countries - Bangladesh, Indonesia and Viet Nam and have literally been back and forth to others more times than I can count. For some countries such as Malaysia, I am in regular contact with key people from there throughout the year and meet with them (along with my African contacts) several times a year in London and elsewhere. Thus, I am comfortable grading your papers as they seek to apply what is in the reading assignment what is observed on the ground. My vita is posted on my webpage so that one cnn check on my publications on development and the specifics of my work in Asia.

      To what extent did our views of Asian and European history distort both policies about Asian development and our ability to understand the continuing basis for this transformation?  And to what extent does the understandings of this course contribute to better policies for Asian development by both by the countries themselves and those working with them in both countries experiencing rapid change in Asia and those in Asia and elsewhere falling further behind? The papers have the option of exploring briefly, the extent to which Asian values have been a factor in the success of Asian immigrants the the United States.

    2. Those in the various study abroad programs who take my Asian Development course may sign-up for ECON 4198 as Field Research in Asian Development and get the same grade for the one hour as they receive for the three hour development course.

    3. ECON 4198-02IND 15136 Special Problems (Independent Study) 0 12:00AM - 12:00AM TBA July 6, 2009-August 8, 2009

      This course is reserved for students in one of the Asian study abroad programs. I consider this course to be the field work for my development classes, particularly my Aisan Economic Development course. Students who have taken one of my development classes can enroll for one hour credit which they will receive upon completion of their study abroad program receiving the grade that they obtained in my development class. No prior approval is necessary and it will be stated on the form that the course is for economic development field study in China or India. Those interested in obtaining the entire 3 hours credit can with my prior approval, sign-up for the 3 hours and earn it by doing a report on their trip which I will assign prior to approval and of course prior to the trip. It is likely if not nearly certain that approval for the full 3 hours will be limited to those who take Economic Development of China, India or Asia/Vietnam and Special Problems in Asian Development. In other words, if your intent is to obtain either 6 or 7 hours credit then enroll in the two courses formally offered plus this one for 1 hour credit if you wish the 7th credit.

      Students who enroll for three hours and who go to either China or India have the option of joining the post trip sessions conducted by Dr. Zou for China, Dr. Khumawala for India and possibly, Dr. Wen for China, and present and oral report which can be used to satisfy the requirements for this course. In case I am unable to attend, Dr Zou or Dr. Khumawala will send me a notice that a student or students made an adequate presentation. The grade that the student made in one of my development classes will then be assigned for this one. DR KHUMAWALA'S INDIA TRIP IS NOT OFFERED IN 2009 BUT WILL BE OFFERED IN SUMMER 2010. Similar arrangements will be made for those taking the Viet Nam study abroad trip.

      This information will be provided to Marion Foley (mlfoley@uh.edu, M 208B) so that she can properly enroll you.

      In the close to a decade and a half that the course has been offered, not one single student has complained about their being too much work required. There is a considerable amount of reading but the reading is for content (and for some sources selectively) without worrying about what the instructor will quiz them on and what to memorize. Given that there are no lectures or quizzes the expectation that is that the TOTAL TIME spent on the course is the same as for any other three hour course. The difference being that between the readings, I consider it necessary for the student to stop and think about what they are reading before plowing ahead with other readings and paper writing, This is particularly important for study abroad students (for whom the course was originally created) who can read a book or too before leaving or on the plane over and reflect upon their reading as they travel through their area of study.  They can also read on the plane back as they reflect upon the experience of the trip. Thus the course is most satisfactory and least stressful for those who have the entire summer to take it (and even mor for those able to start their reading before the summer sessions begin. Let me repeat, the TOTAL TIME spent on the course is the same as for any other three hour course.

 

 

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