ASIA 111
Introduction to Asian Histories and Cultures
Asia is significant to New Zealand's future. But how much do you know about this incredibly vast, dynamic and diverse region? In this course we will discuss key societal aspects of Northeast, Southeast and South Asia. You will learn about the basic characteristics of the cultures including geographical locations, peoples, religions, histories and traditions. This course will allow you to understand the challenges and opportunities that lie in the region and will prepare you to continue study in many areas with an international focus, such as International Relations, International Business, Languages, Security Studies, or Global Studies. This course will suit all students who are interested in an internationally focussed degree and future career.
About this course
In 2025, this course will be delivered in an in-person format. All lectures will be recorded. It will also be live-streamed on Zoom, exclusively for those who have been registered as Distance Learners (the status descriptions may be 'off-campus' or 'Distance').
Lecture recordings will be available on V-stream for all students and are intended to be used for review purposes only. The use of lecture content beyond those purposes is strictly prohibited. Online tutorials will also be available for Distance Learners (Tuesdays at 9:oo AM NZST). To pass the course, students must attend at least 70% of all tutorials. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class (tutorials). Should students have unavoidable reasons that prevent them from attending lectures and tutorials, they must contact the Course Coordinator at their earliest convenience.
Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course will be able to:
1. Articulate a general understanding of selected Asian societies;
2. Analyse historical, religious, social and cultural issues in selected Asian regions in a variety of contexts and in comparative perspective;
3. Critically engage with scholarly works on the topic.
How this course is taught
Lectures are delivered in the classroom and recordings are available on Nuku. Tutorials are taught face-to-face in the classroom unless the students are registered as Distance Learners.
Assessment
Four Reflection Papers (Online x 5%, between 250 and 300 words) Mark: 20%
Short Essay Proposal (500 Words) Mark: 10%
Annotated bibliography (100-300 each source) Mark: 10%
Group Oral Presentation (10 minutes for presentation, 5 minutes for QA) Mark: 15%
Course Essay (2,000 words) Mark: 25%
Final Test (in person, 90 minutes) Mark: 20%