This seminar will cover the key thematic issues of political economy and ecology of Thailand and Myanmar. Students will connect their experiences to theories and concepts that explain political development and ecological issues relating to the challenges of nationalism, state formation, regional integration, regional development, the rise of the power of non-state actors, and the struggles for citizen-sovereignty of the people in Thailand and Myanmar. We will examine these frontier issues against the backdrop of Southeast Asia’s societal evolution through kingdoms, colonial eras, emergence of nation-states, the influence of globalization, and environmental changes.
This seminar emphasizes understanding and linking the theories and practices of political economy and ecology of Southeast Asia by experiencing life in Thailand and Myanmar. Students will gain a fundamental and first-hand understanding of conceptual issues, empirical evidence, and theoretical puzzles that resonate in Southeast Asian politics and development but are also relevant to many other regions of the world.
In conjunction with the formal coursework, students will live with local families, intern or volunteer at local organizations, take part in village social life (mushroom hunting, pineapple harvesting, water system building), and participate in the implementation of globally-driven development projects. This program is highly experiential and activities and schedules are subject to change with very little notice, so students must be prepared to be flexible.
This seminar will provide opportunities for students to experience and learn dynamic interactions between social changes and ecological changes Southeast Asia. There are three goals for the seminar participants:
- to experience and learn how social changes are happening in both rural and urban settings in Thailand and Burma/Myanmar;
- to experience and understand how different levels of socio-economic development are tied to different levels of political freedoms in daily life of diverse communities in Thailand and Myanmar; and
- to gain first-hand experience and understanding of how development projects are implemented on the ground and how they impact surrounding social ecological systems.
This seminar is designed for students who are interested in learning about Southeast Asia by doing things on the ground, engaging in discussions, presenting findings, and reflecting on their experiences. There are no prerequisites for the seminar, but students are highly encouraged to have taken POSC380-Political Economy of China and Zomia, and/or POSC120, 170 or 230.
Students should be prepared to apply QRE and to engage in intensive writing and oral presentation.
18 Credits
POSC 392: Field Research Experiences and Methods (6 Credits)
This course provides a comparative field research experience for students. Students will carry out a project involving a combination of research techniques including questionnaires, interviews, and participant observation. Students will learn to develop quantitative reasoning and qualitative analyses based on field experiences. Students will write a short paper reflecting on their experience doing field research and present their findings to the class. An alternative assignment is to write a descriptive paper for a global audience to be published on Wikipedia.
Instructor: Professor Tun Myint
POSC 378: Social Changes in Southeast Asia (6 Credits)
Informed by the assigned readings, students will visit markets, factories, farms, and various cultural and natural sites to see first-hand the changes and challenges occurring in these areas. The course covers: (1) issues of livelihood transition from rural to urban; (2) the interaction between market systems and social relations; and (3) the impact on society of changes in physical infrastructures such as roads and telecommunication. Students will keep a journal and produce a series of thematic short essays, a 20-25-minute video, or a well-organized blog to document their learning.
Instructor: Professor Tun Myint and Local Faculty
POSC 379: Diversity of Social Ecological Systems in Southeast Asia (6 Credits)
Connecting the first and the second components, this course examines key actors, issues, and interests in the political economy of and ecology of Southeast Asia. Students will connect economy to ecology in Southeast Asia by connecting field experiences and observation to real data, facts, and cases that illustrate the interaction between economy and ecology. This course requires students to identify a topic of interest based on their field experience, research it using techniques taught in the field research and methods course, and write a research report in the form of a term paper.
Instructor: Professor Tun Myint
Professor Myint earned his PhD in 2005 from the joint program of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the School of Law at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research examines the role of individuals and groups in the dynamic relationship between social changes and global environmental changes with a focus on democracy, development, globalization, and sustainability. His forthcoming book on Burma/Myanmar analyzes the challenges of state building and democratization in Burmese society. He has ongoing field research sites in Northern Thailand, Central Lao PDR, and Myanmar, examining social changes and ecological changes. A Burmese native, Professor Myint looks forward to introducing students to this dynamic and rapidly evolving region.
In Yangon, students will live in private-rental apartments and townhouses shared among 4-6 students per unit and/or hotels. During rural village visits, you will stay with local families, some with very few amenities. For approximately 7 days, we will live on the cruise boat on the Irrawaddy. In other locations, we will use hotels or small hostels. Apartments and townhouses in Yangon, Myanmar will include reasonably equipped kitchens, linens, television, laundry facilities, and, in some cases, access to high-speed internet. Hotels and housing arrangement in Lao PDR and Thailand will include basic amenities. Housing in general will vary from four stars to no star conditions, so you are asked to be flexible and to bring a therma-rest mattress!
The program will apply mobile-classroom style teaching and discussion, which includes hiking and visits to farms, schools, markets, and parks. There will be self-organized excursion days (4-5 days) after the mid-term.
Program dates roughly correspond to the Carleton academic term. Specific dates will be communicated to program participants.
All Carleton-sponsored 10-week off-campus study programs charge the Carleton comprehensive fee, which includes instruction, room and board, group excursions, public transportation, medical and evacuation insurance, travel assistance, and most cultural events.
Students are responsible for books and supplies, passports and visas (when required), transportation to and from the program sites, and personal expenses and travel during the seminar. Students will receive a program-specific Additional Cost Estimate at the time of acceptance.
Student financial aid is applicable as on campus. See the Off-Campus Studies website for further information on billing, financial aid, and scholarships.
