Past Grantees

Tracy Lai

Department/Discipline: Global Studies

Course Title: Faces of Globalization: The Rise of China and India

Description:

The dramatic economic growth beginning with Japan’s post World War II recovery, followed by the emergence of the Four Asian Tiger (Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea) economies through the 1990s and the economic reforms in China and India have transformed local, national and global economies. This course explores the role of globalization as a set of processes in a dialectical relationship with Orientalism, a framework that defines Asians through a colonial (and neo or post-colonial) lens. Historically, the West has sought to “own” the East and this relationship has been rejected and now, possibly is in a state of reversal. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we will critique transnational structures and agreements, as well as non-governmental organizations’ advocacy to protect local and small-scale economic development. We will look at “soft power” cultural influences such as Hello Kitty, K-pop and Bollywood films. Through this course, students are encouraged to challenge their assumptions about Asia and to increase their curiosity and knowledge about a region that comprises 60% of the world’s population, approximately 4.4 billion.

Syllabus