Unit information: East Asia and Global Development in 2020/21

Unit name	East Asia and Global Development
Unit code	POLIM0006
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Rob Yates
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

An appreciation of the dynamics and trajectories of change in the world economy is now a sine qua non for an adequate understanding the nature, limitations and vicissitudes of economic, political and social development and thus for the creation of appropriate policy and other forms of intervention in the development process. In recent decades some of the countries of the East Asian region have emerged as decisive actors in global development. This module examines the processes that have transformed the nature of global development and locates the East Asian region in this matrix. It studies how global transformation has impacted on East Asia and how a number of East Asian countries have become important 'drivers' of global development. As such the unit offers a foundation on which an appreciation of East Asia in the global economy can be built.

This unit aims to enable students to:

1. Understand the dynamics of transformation in the world economy.
2. Understand how these dynamics impact on the prospects for global development.
3. Comprehend the role of the East Asian region in global transformation and its consequences for development.
4. Appreciate some of the policy implications that flow from global transformation and East Asia’s role in it.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit students will have:

1. Knowledge of how and why the world economy has been transformed in the past century and the implications of this for various parts of the world.
2. Knowledge of the role that East Asia has played in these processes and of how they have impacted on the region itself.
3. A robust intellectual foundation for studying other units in the programme.

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities

Assessment Information

25% 2000 word country report 75% 3000 word essay

Reading and References

• Peter Dicken (2007), Global Shift (5th Edition). London, Sage Publications.

• Andrew Glynn (2006), Capitalism Unleashed. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

• Richard P. Appelbaum and Jeffrey Henderson (1992), States and Development in the Asia-Pacific Rim. Newbury Park, Sage Publications.

• Frank Lechner and John Boli (2004), The Globalization Reader (2nd Edition). New York, Blackwell.

• L. Alan Winters and Shahid Yusuf, (2007) Dancing with Giants: China, India and the Global Economy. Washington DC., The World Bank,.

• Giovanni Arrighi (2007), Adam Smith in Beijing. London, Verso.