In the good old days,
it used to be that we were here and
Asia was someplace over there. 9/11 has heightened our awareness of
the multiple ways in which global flows across national and regional
boundaries link different nations and different parts of the world
together more closely than ever. Our futures (as, indeed, have been
our pasts) are deeply intertwined and the need for knowledge and
understanding of other societies is even more critical.
Hawai'i has had a long history of multiple ties across the Pacific
with the countries of Asia. These are bound to increase as the flows
of capital, peoples, ideas, and cultures grow exponentially in the
years to come. Our knowledge of this vast region must keep up with
these events. This course presents an interdisciplinary overview of
some of the main issues and problems that affect the peoples and
institutions of contemporary Asia. Hopefully, it will spark your
interest to explore these and other topics further-either on your own
or through other courses on Asia. A special feature is the
integration of visual and sound media to make the subject come
alive.