Economic Development of China, India or Asia/Vietnam, Summer 2010
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ECON 3355-01LEC 24506 Economic Development of Asia
(Lecture) June 1, 2010-Aug 12, 2010 SPECIAL PROBLEMS: ECON 4198-02 IND 15764 Special Problems (Independent
Study) July 6, 2010-August 12, 2010 GRADUATE
COURSES: ECON 6355-01LEC 11662 Economic Development of Asia
June 1, 2010-July3, 2010 |
Instructor: Dr. Thomas R. DeGregori Ph. (713) 743 3838 (I prefer to receive emails) Office: 209D McElhinney
Hall Office hours: MTWTh
3-4 PM and by appointment |
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Teaching Assistant: Jarrod Hunt E-mail: jarrodehunt@yahoo.com Office: 207 McElhinney
Hall |
Reading for the three options of which the student
chooses one:
One
of the following two:
or
One of the
following two:
or
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
The Story of
Buddhism: A Concise Guide to its History & Teachings (Paperback), Donald S.
Lopez Jr., HarperOne
***Joseph Needham's Science
and Civilisation in
Additional reading for the Graduate and
Special Problems sections:
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
De Re Metallica
by Georgius Agricola,
Again see syllabus for
Economics 3355 Summer 2010 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
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
Graphics and Text
in the Production of Technical Knowledge in
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 2010 only in Summer Session 3 Monday,
Wednesday 4:00PM - 6:00PM TBA June 1, 2010-August 12, 2010 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 2010 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 permission 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 an
incomplete 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 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) 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 - June 21 - July 5, 2010 - (see Dr. Yali
Zou, FH 450, ext 34982) or for the India Study Abroad
Program in 2010 - India Study Abroad June 1-16, 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 2010, 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. Dr Wen
will not have a program for Summer 2010 but will have
one for 2011. For Southeast Asia Study Abroad May 24 - June 20, 2010, please
contact Dr. Long Le (ext. 3-1142, Long.S.Le@mail.uh.edu) for his trip to Southeast
Asia/Vietnam.
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 added a Viet Nam option summer of 2009 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:
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.
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 Asian 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 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) 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.
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.
