This course will explore the impact of the central forces of 21st century globalisation – transnational capitalism, border-crossing electronic media, and mass human movements – on the popular cultures of mainland Southeast countries, in particular Thailand and Singapore. Key issues in globalisation studies will be introduced, including, debates on the extent to which rapidly expanding market economies and transnational capitalism have replaced the historical role of the state as key drivers of cultural change in Southeast Asia. A central question posed in this course is whether globalisation leads to a homogenising Westernisation of Asian cultures, or alternatively, the emergence of distinctly new forms of local cultural differnce in the region. This course will relate the empirical details of Southeast Asian popular cultures to Euro-American critical theory, and ask whether the critical theory used in cultural studies  has value in studies of Asia. The course will be divided into four thematic units:

Theories of Cultural Globalisation: Anti-Western critiques of 'Americanisation', 'Disneyfication', and 'McDonaldsisation'; debates about capitalism and new mass media as forces for global  cultural homogenisation or local differentiation.

Buddhism, Capitalism and 21st Century Magic: The postmodern 're-enchantment' of 21st century global cultures; new 'prosperity religions', resurgent supernaturalism, and Buddhist critques of materialist consumerism in Thailand and Singapore

'Global Queering' and New Lesbian, Gay and Transgender Cultures in Asia: Debates on new same-sex and transgender cultures in Thailand and Singapore as signifying Westernisation or localisation.

Globalisation and Knowledge: Debates on premodern cultural syncretism and postmodern cultural hybridity; area studies versus culture studies as frames for knowledge of contemporary southeast Asia.

This course will encourage students to draw on the results of empirical research on popular culture in Southeast Asia to critically asess theories of globalisation.

Students will develop two complementary sets of analytical skills: (1) a detailed appreciation of the 'facts' of  two fields of research on popular culture in contemporary Southeast Asia; and (2) a capacity to relate these 'facts' to a body of theoretical work. The emphasis will be on accurately summarising and marshalling a body of evidence (on Southeast Asian cultures) to make an argument (about the forms and direction of globalisation). Students will be encouraged to develop these skills in both an oral presentation and by means of an extended written essay.

Classroom participation: 10%

Oral presentation: (20%) with accompanying short 800 word essay (15%) - total 35%

Final 3,000 word essay: 55%

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