Subject Area: History
This course can also be studied in the following specialisations: Asian Studies

Southeast Asia is often called the "crossroads of civilization" because its peoples, arts, architecture, literature and knowledge systems are the product of many centuries of interaction with China and India, and with Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Islamic and Christian traditions. Eleven countries make up Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor. These countries are Australia's neighbours and the ancestral homelands numerous Australians. Written and visual sources will introduce students to the region in a broad survey from early societies with writing (early centuries Common Era) through to the late stages of European colonial rule. The component societies of Southeast Asia will be approached through broad themes, including traditional concepts of power, states without borders, immigration of Indians and Chinese, emergence of agricultural proletariats, modernization and modernity. Country focus will be on Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Emphasis will be placed on the openness of Southeast Asian societies to external influences and the localizing process of absorption and integration.