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Study Abroad Information for Current Linfield Students

January Term Abroad

POLS/ENGL-298  From Colonialism to Globalism: Political Change in Southeast Asia from World War II to the Present

This course investigates first-hand the major political and historical developments in Vietnam, Thailand, and potentially Cambodia since World War II in literary perspective. Few regions in the world have experienced more intense political change over the past half-century than Southeast Asia. Vietnam endured two lengthy and transformative "revolutionary" wars. The Thai government has been overthrown on multiple occasions, all under the watch of the world's longest reigning king. Cambodia continues to be haunted by genocide. The course begins in Vietnam, where we will explore the legacies of colonialism; the origins, conduct, and aftermath of the French-Indochina and Vietnam Wars; the effect of war on the individual; the impact of globalization on development in North and South Vietnam, respectively; Vietnamese politics; and the evolution of the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship since World War II and the political, economic, military, and cultural dimensions thereof. If it fits in the itinerary, we will then travel to neighboring Cambodia, where we will examine the origins and aftermath of genocide at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. We will conclude the trip in Thailand, where we will examine the evolution of the U.S.-Thai relationship, political change in Thailand since World War II, and important transnational issues and their effects on Thailand, including trafficking in persons, refugees, and disaster relief in the wake of the 2004 tsunami. We will also be exploring volunteer opportunities in each country. We will be using literature to facilitate our learning about these cases from different perspectives and to probe more deeply the meanings attached to these transformative events. While in country, we will meet with local officials, U.S. Diplomats, intergovernmental officials, and nongovernmental activists. At the end of the course, students should be able to leverage course material to demonstrate a basic grasp of the politics, culture, literature, and recent history of SE Asia; exhibit knowledge of the evolution of the diplomatic relationship of each country with the United States; identify sources and processes of change in the context of each country; and conduct comparative analyses between the two

Faculty: Professor Patrick Cottrell and Professor David Sumner

Fees: Program Fee: $5000 Estimated Air: $1860
Credits: 4
LC: IS or VP or GP