Special Topics In History II

We study the history of the environment of Southeast Asia. We will study how 'nature' and 'the environment' or rather, and more accurately, how cognate concepts in Southeast Asian societies are understood in the regions throughout history. We will study how these cognate concepts are perceived through the philosophy and worldview of the region and how environmental processes have intertwined with socio-economic, cultural, and political processes. Some of the major themes include forest, agriculture, climate, colonialism, war, industrialism, and environmentalism. By the end of the course, we would have gained a deeper appreciation for the climate and terrain of the region, how humans have maintained livelihoods there, and how the environment has played a role in human history.