1 Volda-Griffith Austral-Asian Study Immersion Program 2010 An Overview of Asia Wayne Muller...

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Volda-Griffith Austral-Asian Study Immersion Program 2010

• An Overview of Asia

• Wayne Muller• Griffith University

• 13th September 2010

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Presentation Structure

• Five Sections:(1) “Defining ‘Asia’, and issues of cultural perspective.”

(2) Geography, demography ethnography, and ecological aspects of ‘Asia’.

(3) The traditional legacies of Asia.

(4) Colonialism, imperialism and nationalism in Asia.

(5) The characteristics of modernisation and globalisation in Asia.

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Section 1

• “Defining ‘Asia’, and issues of cultural perspective.”

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Section Structure

• (1) Defining “Asia” geographically- the concept of “many Asias”.

• (2) Defining “Asia” historically- the concept of “Orientalism”.

• (3) Defining “Asia”- dealing with stereotypes.• (4) The concept of “cultural perspective”.• (5) Some commonly claimed “Asian

perspectives/ values”.• (6) “Asian perceptions” of Australia.

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(1) Defining “Asia” geographically- the concept of “many Asias”.

• (1) Boundaries of Asia- clear cut and blurred?

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• (2) Enormity/ diversity of Asia.• Knight Reading 1

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• (3) Sub regions of Asia.

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• (4) Geographical reality or term of convenience?

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• (5) “Many Asias”-

• Diversity within Asia and within Asian countries

• Change and the modernisation/ westernisation debate

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(2) Defining “Asia” historically- the concept of “Orientalism”.

• (A) Edward Said’s Thesis:

• “The West defined the East in order to colonise and dominate it.”

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• (B) Some definitions of “Orientalism”• (1) ".........The European vision of all Eastern peoples as

exotic, remote, inferior, and subject to the political, military, economic, cultural, and sexual dominance of the west".(Broinowski:1992:2)

• (Some Australian manifestations of “Orientalism”- Paranoia/ White Australia/ racist cartoons.)

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• (2) "......that powerful past image of Asia as poor, military, threatening and exotic has been replaced by a new, just as simple yet ambivalent image of Asia as rich (and also poor). An Asia beckoning us simultaneously with economic opportunities; and still exotic".

(Viviani:1990:2)

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• (3) "The east contemplated the forest; the west counted the trees. ...................The

mind that knows the trees and the forest is a new mind".

(Ferguson:1987:87)

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(3) Defining “Asia”- dealing with stereotypes

• (1) Stereotypes- the need to generalise?• (2) Classifying stereotypes, for example:

– Romantic stereotypes

– Repugnant stereotypes

– Realistic stereotypes ( de Souza 1992: 6)

• (3) Analysing and challenging stereotypes.

– Eg “All Asians look alike”.

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(4) The concept of “cultural perspective”.

• Concepts of 'World View'/ Core Values/ Attitudes/ Perceptions/ etc

• Importance of 'Reality Constructors'• Ethnocentrism: The subjectivity of 'Common

Sense‘ (eg the grasshopper)

• The Emic and the Etic Perspectives *****

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• Strengths, weaknesses and paradoxes in all societies

• Problem of making moral judgments from our perspective- “In order to know the other, one must other the known.”

• “Cultural Relativism” versus “Moral Relativism” (Evans: Reading 2)

• Case study of “Education” from multiple perspectives (Milner and Quilty: Reading 3)

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(4) The concept of “cultural perspective”- some examples.

• (1) "I think, therefore I am".– (Individualism) western?

• (2) ”I am because we are and we are because I am".

– (Group oriented) Oriental? Traditional?

• Or• (1) Western dichotomy.

– E.G. Male......................Female

• (2) Eastern dualism/ holism.– E.G. Yang......................Yin

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(5) Some commonly claimed “Asian perspectives/ values”.

• (1) “The Good Society”• Harmony/ order

– (Contrasted with Western notions of “freedom”)• Hierarchy

– (Contrasted with Western notions of “egalitarianism”)

– within Asia

– within one society

– gender based

– sources of the concept

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• Group identity– (Contrasted with Western individualism)

• "Strong" leadership– (Contrasted with Western aversion to

“authoritarianism”)• Respect

– (Knowing one's proper place)

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5) Some commonly claimed “Asian perspectives/ values” (continued).

• (2) “Behaviour Patterns”• Belief systems including a diversity of religions (c.f.

“secular” Australia)• Core values of honour, face and shame• Formality and protocol• Hiding one's feelings• Don't give offence• Consensus decision making• Meeting deadlines

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(6) “Asian perceptions” of Australia.

• Knowledge limitations (e.g. textbook stereotypes: the sheep farm, the beach and the tourist resort; media representations)

• Lifestyle stereotypes (e.g. outdoors, beach, sport, BBQs)

• Stereotypes of 'national characteristics' (e.g. friendly, relaxed, lazy, etc.)

• Racism ('White Australia')

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(6) “Asian perceptions” of Australia (continued).

• Our openness, directness and criticism of some Asian issues (e.g. human rights) are seen as rudeness and “white arrogance”.

• Culturally immature• Puzzled by our 'national identity':-the flag and the

head of state• Weak commitment to citizenship• Problems in business dealings (e.g. meeting deadlines)• A “mine” and a “beach”

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Section 2: Geography, demography ethnography, and ecological aspects of ‘Asia’

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GEOGRAPHY

• Size and diversity

• Physical characteristics/ plate tectonics

• Regionalism• Mainland Asia/ peninsula Asia/ archipelago Asia

• Rural Asia/ urban Asia

• Desert Asia (hot and cold)/ equatorial Asia/ tropical Asia

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GEOGRAPHY (Continued)

• The characteristics and importance of 'monsoon Asia’

• Riverine and coastal geographies

• Hydro culture/ rice culture

• Asia and 'natural disasters'

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• The characteristics and importance of 'monsoon Asia’

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• Riverine and coastal geographies

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• Hydro culture/ rice culture

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• Asia and 'natural disasters'

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Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami 26th December 2004

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Tsunami Damage Sumatra

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Pakistan Floods August-September 2010

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DEMOGRAPHY

• (Reading 4: Mackerras Chapter 35)

• Population distribution/ density/ totals

• Various demographic indicators

• Culturally based attitudes to reproduction and parenting:

• Children as a 'resource'• The 'male child', etc.

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DEMOGRAPHY (Continued)

• Population growth rates• Huge variations

• Population control measures• Family planning/ abortion/ infanticide

• Government demographic policies• China's 'one child policy'

• Singapore's 'marriage policy', etc.

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DEMOGRAPHY (Continued)

• Population mobility• (A) International migration

– Within Asia eg “Nanyang”– Beyond Asia, including Australia– (Immigration debate and refugees)

• (B) Internal migration– (1) Urbanisation/ city growth/ urban problems.

• eg Bangkok, Seoul– (2) Government initiated migration programs:

• China's 'special economic zones’• Indonesia's transmigration program

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ETHNOGRAPHY

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ETHNOGRAPHY

• Classification- ethnic and linguistic criteria

• Han/ “non Han”/ Mongoloid/ Indo-Aryan/ Dravidian/ Malay/ Melanesian/ Micronesian/ etc

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ETHNOGRAPHY (continued)

• Intra-Asian migrations

• Overseas Chinese- 'nanyang‘

• Multi-racial societies

• Indigenous minorities• Ainu/ non-Han Chinese/ Dyaks/ people of Irian

Jaya/ etc

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ETHNOGRAPHY (Continued)

• Intra-Asian racism

• Ethnicity and nationalism

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ENVIRONMENT

• Asia as a sub-set of global environmental issues and debates:

• “People overpopulation” and “consumption overpopulation”

• Asia in the context of first world/ third world environmental controversies:

• The nexus between development and environmental issues; the green revolution

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ENVIRONMENT (Continued)

• Asian 'attitudes' to the environment- can we generalise?

• The environmental 'harmony' of hydro culture/ slash and burn?

• Urban environmental issues in Asia

• A 'national case study' eg. Japan, Malaysia

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ENVIRONMENT (Continued)

• Specific environmental issues: Endangered species- e.g. Bengal tiger, panda Rain forest extinction- e.g. logging in Malaysia, Indonesia,

Thailand, 1997 forest fires Water management issues, including dams- e.g. the three

gorges dam, dams and water sharing of the Mekong Corporate irresponsibility- e.g. Minamata disease, Bhopal Land degradation- e.g. hillside farming Urban problems- e.g. Bangkok traffic, smoky mountain in

Manila, air pollution in Chinese cities, etc. Displacement of traditional peoples by forestry, mining,

dams, tourism, etc.

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Section 3: The Traditional Legacies of Asia

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Introductory Points

• Using “reason” or “faith” as the catalyst for analysis?

• Are “spirituality” and “being religious” synonymous?

• The subjective circumstances of the acquisition of a belief system?

• Equal validity and subjectivity of all belief systems and religions? An example of cultural relativism.

• “Orthodox teaching” versus “actual practices”• “Moderates” and “fundamentalists”

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Hinduism

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Buddhism

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Islam

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Confucianism

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Shintoism

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BELIEF SYSTEMS, PHILOSOPHIES, INTELLECTUAL LEGACIES, CODES FOR LIVING

• "SECULAR" "RELIGIOUS"(GROUP IDENTITY, (HUMAN MORTALITYNATIONALISM) AND SUPERSTITION)

* Confucianism * Hinduism * Communism * Islam* Capitalism * Buddhism** Bushido * Christianity

* Taoism* Shintoism* Animism/ Shamanism/ Magic

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SOME WAYS OF CLASSIFYING “BELIEF SYSTEMS”

• (1) Universalistic <-----> Community Religions Religions

(Plus sects/ denominations)

• (2) Monodeism <----> Polydeism <---> Nondeistic

*Islam *Hinduism *Buddhism

*Christianity *Taoism *Shintoism *Animism

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• (3) “Tolerant <----> “Exclusive, expansionary Religions” intolerant Religions”

*Buddhism? Christianity??*Shintoism? Islam??

Judaism??

• (4) Religions with a focus on “Nature”* Hinduism--- “Gods of…..”* Taoism---Yin-yang, balance, harmony, earth’s natural energy, feng shui,

etc* Shintoism---Kami* Animism---Eg: Indonesian spirits, exorcism, etc

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• (5) Religions subject to “syncretism”– Balinese Hinduism– Javanese Islam– Filipino Christianity

• (6) Belief systems which stress hierarchy/ respectAll-, but especially:

– Confucianism (filial piety, etc)– Hinduism (Caste system, etc)– Islam (gender based hierarchy, etc)– Buddhism (self respect/ self discipline)

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• (7) Group Oriented <---> Individualistic* Confucianism * Christianity

(both?)* Shintoism * Buddhism

(both?)

• (8) Accceptance Progress oriented/ of the <--------> perfectabilitystatus quo

* Hinduism * Christianity* Islam * Buddhism

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• (9) Reincarnation <------> Single life(Multiple lives) (Heaven or equivalent)

* Hinduism * Christianity (incl animals) * Islam* Buddhism (Nirvana)

• (10) Religious observance* Shrine/ church/ temple/ mosque* Home* Individual

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• (11) Religion and “the State”• Islam- strong link: eg Malaysia and Indonesia• Confucianism-was the state• Community religions- ignore the state

• (12) Religions and “Modernity”• Modernisation and secualarisation?• The role of the mass media and popular culture?• As the basis of a set of “Asian values”?

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Section 4: Colonialism, Imperialism and Nationalism in Asia

• Motives: “Gold, God and Glory”• Colonial Patterns:

– Britain- India, Burma, Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore

– France- Indo-China (modern day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia)

– Holland- “The East Indies” (modern day Indonesia)– Spain- The Philippines– Portugal- Macau, Goa– Germany- the eastern section of New Guinea

• Debates over Colonialism and Nationalism

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Section 5: Modernisation and Globalisation in Asia

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Section Structure

• (1) The concepts of modernisation and globalisation

• (2) The patterns of modernisation/ globalisation in

Asia

• (3) The dimensions of modernisation/ globalisation

in Asia

• (4) The case study approach to modernisation/

globalisation: Some examples

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(1) The concepts of modernisation/ globalisation

“Modernisation” and “globalisation” as processes

The “evidence” of modernisation/ globalisation Beyond “modernity”- concepts of the “post

modern” and the “post industrial” “Western” and “Asian” modernisations the

interface with globalisation The uneven nature of modernisation/

globalisation- an urban phenomenon?

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(2) The patterns of modernisation/ globalisation in Asia

The theory of “the western movement of civilisations”

Modernisation despite adversity? East Asian modernisation- Japan as a catalyst,

and the role of the USA The “Tiger Economies” South-east Asian modernisation- “The Mini

Dragons” China and India

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(2) The patterns of modernisation/ globalisation in Asia

Modernisation in “Communist” systems- China and Vietnam- China’s stellar performance

South Asia and Modernisation- India’s remarkable growth

The “failure” to modernise- Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Philippines

Defying modernisation- North Korea, Myanmar, Afghanistan

Regional contrasts in modernisation- across Asia and within individual Asian countries

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(3) The dimensions of modernisation/ globalisation in Asia

• Economic

• Technological

• Ideological/ political

• Social/ cultural/ lifestyles

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Economic modernisation• Measuring economic modernisation- growth rates, GDP,

GNP, demographic indicators• The “miraculous” nature of the growth statistics (p151)• From import substitution to export orientation• The role of government in economic modernisation?-

“Command capitalism”• The role of “comparative advantage”- off shoring and

cross investment in Asia• Economic modernisation and economic crises? – from

July 1997 to the recent “global financial crisis” (“GFC”)

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• Technological modernisation

• The “traditional pattern” of technological modernisation: Crafts/ toys/textiles -> Heavy industry -> High Tech (ETMs)

• Modifications of this pattern in Asia- eg straight to manufacture of ETMs

• “Niche products” and “niche markets” (Window shop activity)

• “Product development” versus “product manufacture”

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• Ideological/ political modernisation• Modernisation as a challenge to authoritarian governments:

(“Authoritarian democracies” and Communist systems)

• The rise of the middle class -> political activism or the ideology of consumerism?

• Consumerism as a replacement for nationalism -> consumerism and individual and cultural identity? AND nationalism associated with increasing prosperity- eg China

• Is there an ideology called “Asian capitalism”?

• Modernisation and the “Asian values” debate?

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• Social/ cultural/ lifestyle/ modernisation • “Cultural convergence theory”- does Asian

modernisation mean westernisation?• Global influences versus Japanese influences versus

local influences?• Lifestyle evidence of modernisation versus

maintenance of “core values”?• The centrality of “consumerism”- fashion, brand

labels, the latest technology, etc. The “feel good factor” and “cultural identity”

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(4) The case study approach to modernisation/ globalisation: Some examples

Japan

South Korea

Taiwan

Malaysia

Singapore

Indonesia

China

Vietnam

India

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China

• A long tradition of “doing business”• Mao’s ideological “madness”• Deng’s modernisation policies- “to get rich quick is glorious”, “the colour of the

cat…”, etc• The significance of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) eg Shenzhen then Shanghai

and Beijing- 2008 Olympics• Contemporary “economic miracle”- emphasis on “manufacturer to the world” and

rampant consumerism- potential enormity of domestic market• The westward movement of modernisation eg Chongqing• The “two Chinas” and rural unrest• Environmental consequences• Emergence of China as a “global investor”- issues of Chinese takeover or partial

ownership of Western companies• Chinese companies becoming major project builders in the “third world”• As the “creditor nation” to the USA’s “debtor nation status”- what does this mean

for recovery from the “global financial crisis”/ GFC?

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Shenzhen

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Shanghai

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Beijing

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Beijing Olympics

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Shanghai Stadium

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India

• Advantages of a well educated workforce fluent in English- a “colonial legacy” and current education policies

• Focus on services- especially call centres, and technology- especially computer software

• Main epicentre of India’s “economic miracle” is Bangalore, but Delhi and Mumbai also emerging

• Has the world’s largest middle class- 250 million- consumerism

• “Outsourcing” and “offshoring” • Impact on jobs in Australia and the USA• Ongoing poverty in most of the 640,000 Indian villages-

“two Indias”

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New Delhi

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Bangalore

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