This is the TSI homepage for The Pacific Century and Asian Women.  You will find the following information here:
 

Course Description

Resources- Newspapers for countries in Asia studied as part of the Pacific Century

Resources - Country Information on Pacific Century Countires

Resources - The Pacific Century Video Series

Resources - Various Topics related to the Pacific Century and/or Asian Women

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Over the past 150 years countries in the Pacific Basin have changed dramatically.  These countries have developed economically and politically.  The situation Asian women find themselves in has changed as well.  This course will increase our awareness of the changes and developments in the region and will look at gender and class influences.
 

• We will see how the western nations treated China in the late 1800s.

 
• We will discover how Japan changed in the Meiji era after opening up due to Perry's visit.

 
• We will look at how nationalism led to two different paths of development in Indonesia and Vietnam.

 
• We will learn how Confucian beliefs have influenced Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea's economies.

 
• We will look at how Japan recovered after the war and how it went on to become a leading economical power.

 
• We will look at the growing pains South Korea went through as it struggled to become a democracy.

While looking at historical events that have shaped the Pacific Century, the course will try to draw connections to the current situation of women in Asia and Japan.

• What is the current role of women?

 
• How has it been influenced or changed by history?

 
• How does class and gender manifest themselves in the Pacific Century?
• What opportunities will the Pacific Century hold for women?

RESOURCES

The following resources will help you as you prepare for classes and gather information for your research paper:
 

RESOURCES--NEWSPAPERS

For online newspapers available throughout the world, click here.
 

Newspapers in the region
 
 

China The People's Daily Hong Kong The South China Morning Post Indonesia The Jakarata Post Japan The Japan Times Korea The Seoul Times Laos The Vientaine Times Malaysia The Malaysiakini

Mynmar The Burma Daily Philippines The Manila Times Singapore The Strait Times Taiwan The Taipei Times Thailand The Bangkok Post Vietnam Nhan Dan, the paper of the Vietnam Communist party

 

RESOURCES--COUNTRY INFORMATION

The Library of Congress' Country Studies/Area Handbooks (CS/AH) Program

The Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world and examines the interrelationships of those systems and the ways they are shaped by cultural factors.
 
 

China Indonesia Japan Korea (South) Laos Malaysia (not available through CS/AH; information is from InfoPlease)

Myanmar (not available through the CS/AH; information is from InfoPlease) Philippines Singapore Taiwan (not available through the CS/AHl information is from InfoPlease) Thailand Vietnam

Click here for country information

The Pacific Century is a ten-volume video series produced by PBS and the Annanberg Center. All of the videos are available in the LRC and the content of videos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 will probably be covered in class.

 Episode Descriptions

1. Asia and the Challenge of the West - The introductory program examines the collision of East and West in the early 19th century. Aggressive Western traders and colonizers, supported by powerful gunboats and new technology, sought to "open" Asia, challenging the viability of ancient Asian-Pacific regimes.
2. The Meiji Revolution - Japan became the first industrially and technically underdeveloped nation to modernize itself and become a great power. In contrast, China, beset by internal division, external challenges, and corrupt rulers, was unable to change quickly and thus declined in power and influence.
3. From the Barrel of a Gun - The lives of Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and the Indonesian leader Sukarno reflect the nationalist movements in those former colonies of Western powers.
4. Writers and Revolutionaries - A Chinese writer and a Japanese philosopher are profiled as intellectuals seeking to resolve the conflict between the national character and international standing of their homelands.
5. Reinventing Japan - This program examines the utter transformation of the Pacific Basin region in the wake of World War II through the expanding, and often contentious, American and Japanese relationship, and the ambiguous roles of conqueror and conquered.
6. Inside Japan, Inc. - The political, historical, and cultural underpinnings of Japan's post-war economic miracle are considered, both in the wealth it brought to the Pacific Basin and in its creation of a new Asian model of capitalism.
7. Big Business and the Ghost of Confucius - Asia's newly industrialized countries--Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore--are moving quickly to the forefront of the world economy. Their economic development raises fundamental questions about how Asian-Pacific societies have entered the modern world, the role of the state in economic growth, and the way rulers and ruled alike have invoked traditional values.
8. The Fight for Democracy - The rising level of expectations among Asian peoples for greater political freedom and self-determination is explored. In the Republic of Korea, rapid economic growth has fostered democratic aspirations. The gap between economic development and political freedoms has fostered popular challenges to autocratic power.
9. Sentimental Imperialists: America in Asia - Using the case studies of American involvement with China and the Philippines, this program examines American attitudes toward Asia from 1776 to the present. The merchants, missionaries, and Marines-- however well intentioned--often saw in Asia and Asians what they wanted to see, rather than the realities of those cultures and peoples.
10. The Pacific Century: The Future of the Pacific Basin - This episode looks at the difficult social problems (pollution, population growth, trade friction, immigration) that are shared by the entire region. In the context of the growing economic and ecological interdependence of the Asian-Pacific nations, this segment examines emerging international conflicts as well as possible solutions.

RESOURCES--VARIOUS TOPICS

Japan Insight--is a place where you can learn what's happening in Japan today. It includes in-depth information on general trends and major contemporary issues impacting Japan's future.  (Focus five and nine both deal with women in Japan).

China Internet Information Center--this link is to Chinese Government white papers covering topics such as human rights, population, religious freedom, the environment, etc.

Korea.net is a site that has information about a wide range of issues related to Korea such as government, education, society and life.  For example, under society and life one can find a link to many sites related to women's issues.