Final Exam

The final exam questions are

1. Where did the British, Dutch, French, and Japanese have colonies and spheres of influence in Asia, and how did they treat their colonial subjects? (The Triumph of Imperialism, ch. 15)
2. Describe the rise of Southeast Asian nationalism (pp. 370ff) and the impact of the Cold War on Southeast Asian countries. (ch. 19) [Countries: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines]
3. Trace historical causes of a contemporary issue of your choice.

The exam can be found on-line on the Campus Portal. It is a timed exam (2-1/2 hours). You may have open book and open notes, but you may not take it with someone else (although I would encourage you all to study together). The exam must be completed before midnight on Friday, 4/28.

It's been a pleasure exploring Asia with you! Best of luck!

Asia into the 21st Century

Last week of class! For Monday, please read Murphey, chapter 21, on Asia in the 21st century.

On Wednesday, we will review for the final exam (take home due Friday, 4/28, before midnight). The exam will cover material from the textbook chapters 12 through 20.

We will have lunch at Tofu House on El Camino Real during our scheduled final exam time (Friday, 4/28, 11:30-1)

The following questions come from previous years' exams:

• What impact did the Cold War have on the countries of Monsoon Asia?
• Where did the British, Dutch, French, and Japanese have colonies in Asia, and how did they treat their colonial subjects?
• How did World War II affect nationalist movements in Asia? 
• How and why were the countries of Monsoon Asia transformed from the period of European imperialism through World War II and the Cold War? [Timeline Questions]
• What do think is the most important issues facing modern Monsoon Asia? Clearly describe the issue and its significance.

Please consider with me whether these questions would assess what you have or should have learned in the second half of the semester. We have emphasized different topics than the previous class have, so it's likely that these aren't exactly what we want.

Asia After World War II

In today's class, we discussed Murphey chapter 18 (Japan after WW II and China under Mao).

In case you have been inspired to start reading Chinese characters, here's a Ted Talk to get you started.

For Wednesday's class, please read Murphey chapter 19 on Southeast Asia.

For Friday's class, please read chapter 20 on India since independence, and come early (9 a.m.) to watch our final film "Monsoon Wedding," (coincidentally about India since independence).

All three movie papers are due by 11:59 p.m., on April 21st, on TurnItIn.com. The papers should be approximately 1000 words (2-3 pages) long, in MLA format. In each paper, please give your considered response to the movie and a review of the post-movie discussion. The previous movies were "Rashomon," "Hero," and "To Live."

Japan and the Struggle for Asia

For Monday's class, please read Murphey, chapter 17, and for Wednesday's class, please read Murphey, chapter 18 through page 389. Be sure to be able to answer the relevant review questions at the end of both chapters.

Nationalism and Revolution in India and China

For Monday's class, please read chapter 16 to page 343, and for Wednesday's class, please read the rest of chapter 16. Be prepared to answer the review questions at the end of the chapter.

Colonialism and Spheres of Influence

For Monday's class, please read Murphey, chapter 15, to page 315 (15 pages), and for Wednesday's class, read the remainder of the chapter (15 pages). Please be prepared to answer the review questions at the end of the chapter.

Update: For the movie response/discussion paper, in 2-3 pages (5-6 paragraphs), please give your reaction to the movie Rashomon and the post-movie discussions you had. Please consider what the next movie should be. I recommend writing your paper as soon as possible after the discussion so that you do not lose important ideas in the mists of time.

British India

For Monday's class please read Murphey, chapter 14, to page 281 (15 pages), and for Wednesday's class read the remainder of the chapter (16 pages). The topic is British ascendancy and rule in India. Please be prepared to answer the review questions at the end of the chapter.

Added 3/19: I'm sorry I couldn't find a safe link to watch Rashomon for free, but it's available to rent on Amazon and Netflix. Check out the Wiki page.