AN3006 - Asia Pacific Development: Culture and Globalisation

This subject critically explores the notion and phenomenon of 'development' in Asia-Pacific contexts through an anthropological lens. Practices, problems and processes in social or community-based development and planned culture change raise central anthropological questions about power, identity and agency. The subject will provide students with an understanding of how anthropological approaches inform the study of meanings and concepts associated with modernity and the priorities, policies and practices of development agencies. The subject considers globalisation and transnationalism, international NGO networks, and such issues such as the politics of development knowledge, natural resource development, environment and bio-technology, poverty, labour and the global economy, gender, health and human rights. The subject includes practical workshops on research methods used in development anthropology.

Learning Outcomes

• understand meanings and concepts associated with modernity and the priorities, policies and practices of development agencies;
• acquire the ability to critically evaluate case studies from the Asia-Pacific region concerning development issues;
• understand the theoretical and ideological issues concerning gender and development;
• acquire a broad based understanding of contemporary Anthropology in relation to development issues in Asia-Pacific contexts;
• acquire the ability to assess the social and cultural impacts of globalisation and transnationalism, natural resource development and the introduction of new technologies.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to read complex and demanding texts accurately, critically and insightfully;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to work with people of different gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion and political persuasion.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.