The George Washington University Alasdair Bowie

Department of Political Science Office: Monroe/

Spring 2013 Hall of Govt 423

Course website: Ph: (202) 994-7370

Course meets: Gelman B04 Em:

W 11:10-1:00 Off hrs: W 1:00-3:00

PSC 2336: State-Society Relations in the Developing World:

Southeast Asia and Beyond

Note: Students registered for this class are required to attend class Tuesday, April 30 (GW Spring Semestermake up day). Location to be announced. There is no class meeting Wednesday, March 27 (instructor absent).

This course is an historically-informed exploration of enduring issues of concern in state-society relations in the developing worldwith a specific focus on Southeast Asia,the region of the instructor’s primary expertise. The course begins with concepts whose understanding is important to any consideration of state-society relations (nation-states, nations, states, regimes, governments, societies). The next part of the course is organized chronologically, beginning with consideration of pre-colonial and colonial states. The main part of the course is organized by theme. The topics chosen involvecontemporary issues of state and society includingthe role of religious identity, failed states, and civil society.One of the class sessions is optional for non-paper writers; it will involve a research workshop at a Gelman location different from the regular class location.

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives for this course represent the impact that the instructor would like this course to have on you two to three years into the future. They are the ways in which, having taken this course, you will differ from students who have not yet taken this (or a similar) course. If you commit yourself to the course, you will be able to:

Identify, name, select, classify and appropriately applyto empirical reality concepts relating to state-society relations in the developing world,such as state, society, civil society, nation, ethnic identity, and pluralism; havean appreciation for the contrasting ways in which these concepts have been interpreted theoretically; have an appreciation for the range of differences in how these concepts have been manifested across two or more countries of the developing world;
Show, demonstrate, that you have the procedural skills to be able to write an essay (in response to a question that asks you to link concepts and empirical examples) that includes an introduction, main points and conclusion and that is logically structured to present and substantiate an hypothesis in response to the question;
Distinguish, analyze, criticize, synthesize core concepts relating to states and societies;describe, analyze, interrogate and explain relationships between these concepts--for example the tension between affirming ethnic identity and embracing a national identity--as these relationships have been manifest in real world events in the contemporary developing world; and
[If you receive instructor approval to write a final paper] research, construct, compose and produce an academic product (medium-length research- or policy-oriented final paper) appropriate to the discipline of political science and to yourlevel of progressin the study of this discipline.

Required Prerequisite for this Course

You must have passed PSC 1001 to take this course (the requirement for all political science Group A [comparative politics] courses). Permission of the instructor is required if you wish to take the course, have not passed PSC 1001, but feel that you have passed a course that is substantially equivalent to PSC 1001.

Format

With the exception of the first class meeting, all class sessions will have elements of lecture and elements of discussion. The lecture component will be more prominent in sessions during the first part of the course, while discussion will be more prominent during sessions thereafter.

Expectations

You are expected to:

--share responsibility with the instructor for committing to the exploration of ideas and furthering of knowledge by collective discussion;

--meetassignment deadlines, understandingthat grade reductionswill apply for late submission according to the course policy (see “Course Policies and Procedures”);

--arrange your schedule so that you complete the reading for each class session before coming to class;

--visit the course website at least twice a week;

--participate in class discussions based upon the required reading;

--participate in the class, submit assignments and take examinations in accordance with your responsibilities as specified in the current edition of the "Guide to Student Rights and Responsibilities," available at: and, in particular, as specified in the “Code of Academic Integrity,” which is part of this larger document (please familiarize yourself with the content of the “Guide” at your earliest convenience); and

--honestly and thoughtfully complete surveys made available at the course website during the course.

Your instructor:

--creates an environment that encourages participation and discussion. This does not mean, however, that your instructor will always agree with your or other students’ points of view;

--brings a commitment to learning from the contributions of all students;

--providesfeedback onthe assignments you submit (with the exception of Exam #2);

--establishes high expectations forstudents and rigorously applies the highest of academic standards in assessing your examination answers and (where applicable) your research paper;

--assesses academic work in such a way as to clearly distinguish that which is truly superior from that which is, good, satisfactory, barely passable, or unsatisfactory (failing);

--listens and responds to any concerns you may have about aspects of the course, whether expressed on anonymous evaluation surveys made available for completion during the semester (end-of-course departmental anonymous evaluationsare not made available to the instructor until after final grades for the course are posted), by email, phone, or in person;

--providesadequate advance notice of anticipated instructor absence; and

--directs the seminar in accordance with the principles established in the current edition of the "Guide to Student Rights and Responsibilities" (see above).

Course Policies and Procedures

Students with Disabilities: If you have special needs because of a disability, please speak with the instructor by the end of Week 2.

Religious Observance: In accordance with university policy regarding accommodations for religious holidays, if you plan a religious observance that precludes your attending Exam #1 (in-class)as scheduled, University policy requires that you petition the instructor orally or in writing during the first week of classes, so that alternative (“make-up”) arrangements can be made for you. Absent such notification in the first week, you are expected to attend Exam #1.Saturday, January 19, is the last day to request from the instructor accommodations for religious observance during this semester.

Attendance, Preparedness and Participation: since participation is the key to your achieving the learning objectives of this course, and you cannot effectively participate if you aren’t there or haven’t read.You are required to complete the session’s reading assignment before class begins, to attend each class session, and to be prepared to discuss knowledgably at the session the required reading assigned. If you attend class, but do not complete the readings, or if you complete the readings, but do not attend class, you are likely to receive a poor grade. Instructor remarks in class are designed to complement—not simply review (“go over”)—the assigned readings.

Examination Policies: There is no final exam for this course. Please take careful note of the scheduled dates for Exam #1 (in-class) and Exam #2 (take-home). Under truly extraordinary circumstances, which you could not have reasonably predicted in advance (examples include sudden illness, accident, or family bereavement or severe illness), it is possible that you may not be able to take Exam #1 or complete Exam #2 on the days/times scheduled. If you encounter such circumstances, please contact the instructor as soon as possible and, subject to your providing documentation of the event that the instructor finds acceptable, a make-up exam may be scheduled for you at a different day and/or time.

Academic Dishonesty (Plagiarism and Cheating) Policy: You are expected to familiarize yourself with and to follow the academic dishonesty-related portions of the “Code of Academic Integrity” and to abide by the Code. The instructor will follow the procedures established by the Office of Academic Integrity in responding to any suspected violations. If you are approved to take the final paper option, you should be aware that your research paper may be submitted through a plagiarism-detection tool, such as SafeAssign. SafeAssign is a software resource designed to help students avoid plagiarism and improper citation. The software encourages original writing and proper citation documentation practices by cross-referencing submitted materials with an archived database of student papers, journals, essays, newspaper articles, books, and other published work. In addition, other methods may be used to determine the originality of research papers submitted.

No Use of Electronic Devices in Class: To facilitate a focused and uninterrupted discussionand as a courtesy to others who might be distracted, please terminate all cell phone discussions upon entering the classroom; turn off or silence ring tones of all cell phones, smart phones, etc. while in the classroom; and refrain from texting, IMing, or otherwise communicating electronically for the duration of each class session. Laptops may not be used in class, unless required for reasons of disability. Given the very limited class time each week (110 minutes), this rule is adopted to encourage you to focus on the class, rather than on the screen. You are of course welcome to access your laptop or hand-held device into the hallway outside the classroom during breaks.

Civil and Respectful Dialogue: it is possible that occasionally you may feel that the material which students and the instructor address in class to be controversial and even sensitive. When discussing such topics, the instructor establishes the expectation that students will engage them in a collegial manner, respecting the opinions and ideas of others, even though you may not agree with them. One of the foundations of excellence in U.S. higher education is the freedom it provides to explore diverse ideas, beliefs, theories, concepts, etc. without “putting others down.” Should you find a particular topic troublesome, please discuss your concerns with the instructor privately.

“Extra Credit”: you do not have the opportunity to earn “extra credit” in this class.

Submission Formats: All materials submitted for a grade in the course by uploading at the course website (Assignments link) must be in 12-point font, double-spaced (does not apply to outlines, which may be single-spaced), with one-inch margins, and formatted in Word for Office format.

Late Submission: The final paper is an option that you can access, subject to instructor approval of your Paper Proposal and Research Memo, as an alternative to taking Exam #2. Paper Proposals, the Research Memo and the Final Paper are submitted online, at the course website (Assignments link). If your Paper Proposal is not received at the course website by the due date/time, you will take Exam #2 (you will not be able to access the research paper option). If final paper is not received at the course website by the due date/time, its grade is reduced by a full grade (e.g., B+ becomes C+; C+ becomes D+) for each 24-hour period or part thereof, including holidays and weekends, that it is late. The time period on which the grade reduction is based begins at the day and time that the work was due and ends at the day and time that the assignment was received at the course website. The same grade reduction policy applies to the Essay assignment. You may confirm receipt of any assignment you have submitted by visiting the My Grades link to check that the appropriate icon indicates “needs grading” for the assignment (for icon explanations, click on the “icon legend”). Assignments sent directly to the instructor’s email address are not considered received until they also have been submitted at the course website.

Incompletes: a final grade of incomplete (“I”) can be reported only if you have presented a legitimate and compelling reason, typically beyond your control, which has prevented you from completing a significant proportion of the course work. You must have been performing at least at a “low pass” level before the event or circumstances for the “I” to be assigned. Your request for the “I” grade for any exam during the period when the class is in session (i.e., January 16-April 30, 2012, inclusive) must be received by the instructor on or before 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, May 01. If you did not submit an exam and did not request an “I” grade by this date and time, then the instructor will assign the grade of “F” for the exam. Before an “I” can be assigned, you must sign with the instructor a written agreement that describes the outstanding work required and specifies when the exam will be made up.

Textbooks

The required textbooks listed below all are available at the GW Bookstore (see below for alternative commercial websites from which these books may be purchased). A limited number of copies of the recommended Owen text have also been ordered. If you have access to earlier editions of any of these textbooks (for example, Owen; earlier editions of this book are: Steinberg, David. In Search of Southeast Asia), please consult with the instructor concerning their suitability for use in this class.

Required

Beeson, Mark, ed., Contemporary Southeast Asia (2nd ed.), Houndsmills, Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.

Friend, Theodore, ed..Religion and Religiosity in the Philippines and Indonesia: Essays on State, Society and Public Creeds.Washington, DC: Southeast Asia Program, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, 2006 (distributed by Brookings Institution Press).

Grindle, Merilee S. Going Local: Decentralization, Democratization, and the Promise of Good Governance. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009.

McMahon, Robert.Limits of Empire: The United States and Southeast Asia Since World War II. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

Migdal, Joel S..State in Society: Studying How States and Societies Transform and Constitute One Another. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Owen, Norman, ed.The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2005.

Alternative sources for book purchase: new or used titles are available from eBay, Half.com or directly from publishers’ websites.Required readings that are not in the textbooks can be accessed using: databases accessible through the Gelman Library home page (gelman.gwu.edu); the course Blackboard website (links: Electronic Reserves; Electronic Resources); Gelman Library reserves (hardcopy); and on-line sources.

Requirements

Note: There is no final exam for this course.

one 3-page essay, worth 15% of your overall course grade, due by Friday, Feb 08, at 5:00 P.M.;
one60-minute, closed-book,in-classexam (Exam #1) held February 27, worth 30% of your overall course grade; and
onetake-homeexam(Exam #2), worth 55% of your overall course grade, which will be available Tuesday, April 30 at 5:00 P.M. and is to be submitted at the course website by Wednesday, May01 at 5:00 P.M. (24 hours).

You have the option of seeking instructor approval to write a 10-page final paper, involving several component assignmentsworth, collectively,55%of your overall course grade, which will substitute forExam #2.The steps involved in requesting instructor approval to exercise this option are listed at the end of this syllabus under “Final PaperGuidelines.”

Essay

Assesses whether you have the procedural and analytical skills to be able to write an essay (in response to a question) that includes an introduction (question, definitions, hypothesis, outline), main body, and conclusion (question, outline, hypothesis, assessment) and that is logically structured to present and substantiate an hypothesis in response to the question. Choose one of the focus questions from sessions 2-4. Use required readings to cite empirical evidence or opinion relevant to your main points in the main body of your essay. Use parenthetical citations, such as “(Owen 178),” to refer to reading and page number(s). Bibliography not required. Submission is at the course Blackboard website (Assignments link). Submission by hardcopy or email to the instructor’s address is not accepted.

In-class Exam (Exam #1)

Assesses your grasp of the readings, instructor in-class presentations, class discussions and any other materials presented (e.g., videos) during sessions 1-6. Comprises two sections. The firstconsists of short answer questions (there will be choice) relating to concepts and their empirical referents. 1-2 paragraph answers are expected in each case. The second consists of an essay. The essay questions (there will also be choice here) will be similar but not identical to the focus questions for each class session. The exam is closed book, closed notes, with laptops closed. However, as a memory aid, you may bring one, 3 inch by 5 inch card, on which you may write any information you wish (on one or both sides).

Take-Home Exam(Exam #2)

Thisexam covers sessions 8-14 andassesses your grasp of the readings, instructor or visitor in-class presentations, class discussions and any other materials (e.g., videos) presented throughout the course. The exam consists of two sections of equal value: the first involves short answer questions (there will be choice) that relate to concepts and empirical referents;the second is an essay. The essay questions (there will also be choice here) will be similar but not identical to the focus questions for each class session. The typical length of essay answers submitted is 3-5 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font. Typical grades for the essays over the past few iterations of this course have been in the range C- through A- and the typical grades for the Exam#2 overall have been in the range D through A, with an average of B-/C+. Typically 20% of exams are assessed in the A range (A or A-), 30% in the B range, and 40% in the C range. However, the grades for Exam #2 are not “curved,” so these distributions can and do vary, year to year, depending upon the quality of the exams submitted.