This graduate-level seminar course allows students to deepen their knowledge of politics in Asia while becoming familiar with some of the major theoretical and methodological approaches in comparative political research. The diverse topics covered in the class are unified by a concern with how political power is organized and how it is used. Students will look at issues such as regime change, identity politics, and social conflict. The course will focus on the use of qualitative research methods used in the study of comparative politics and will pay particular attention to the types of research design used by scholars of the region. Students will learn the principals of causal inference and how to evaluate the quality of various research designs against cases drawn from across the Central, South, Southeast, and Northeast Asian regions, as well as from the Southwest Pacific. Assignments will push students to think critically about reading and conducting research on the politics of Asia, and to apply the elements of good research design in their own research.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon completion, students are expected to be able to:- Engage with research on Asia-Pacific from a variety of methodological approaches
- Understand how causal inference is established in comparative politics and critique causal claims in comparative research
- Compare and contrast theoretical models of politics in Asian and non-Asian cases
- Communicate knowledgeably on range of political themes in the Asian context
- Understand and apply the principals of good research design in their own research
Indicative Assessment
- Critical Discussion (10%): Students will be graded on the quality of their participation in seminar discussion. (Learning outcomes 2, 4)
- Reading response papers (30%): To facilitate discussion in seminars, students are expected to prepare a response paper (c. 300-500 words x 8 papers) on one theme raised by that week’s material in advance of the seminar. (Learning outcomes 2, 3, 4)
- Research Essay (50%): Students will choose a research paper topic of their choice that relates to the theoretical material covered in the course. The paper should be more than a literature review and should reflect some research beyond the core class material. Recommended readings should help you here. This paper must be originally written for this seminar (i.e. you cannot write on the same topic as your Research Methods class if you are taking it). (Learning outcomes 1, 4)
- Final Exam (10%): Written test on principles of causal inference and research design. Will include multiple choice and short essay questions.
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Workload
2-hour weekly seminar. Extensive reading (100-250 pages per week). Weekly written assignments (8/13 weeks). 2 major written assignments (5,000 words & 8,000 words).Requisite and Incompatibility
Assumed Knowledge
This course is intended for higher degree research (HDR) students. Some prior experience with a relevant social science and/or Asian studies is recommended.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3420 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4878 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9155 | 24 Jul 2017 | 31 Jul 2017 | 31 Aug 2017 | 27 Oct 2017 | In Person | N/A |
