Outline

Overview

This unit examines country-specific and transnational social movements in Southeast Asia, including those focused on labour, women, the environment, and identity. During the semester we will explore how these movements emerged, what they have sought to achieve and how successful they have been in promoting social change in the Southeast Asian region. The unit adopts a multidisciplinary approach based on contemporary case study material from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ASNS2663
Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 junior credit points from Table A
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Thomas Power, t.power@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Thomas Power, t.power@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Leading group discussion (collaborative) Present a case study and lead discussion of its value for key concept	10%	Ongoing	500 words (equivalent)
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay portfolio Review selected bibliographic sources; draft research essay introduction	15%	Week 09 Due date: 07 May 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 07 May 2021	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay Academic essay based on thorough research, responding to chosen question	50%	Week 12 Due date: 28 May 2021 at 23:00	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Take-home test Take-home test focusing on key issues discussed in ASNS2663	25%	Week 13 Due date: 04 Jun 2021 at 23:00 Closing date: 04 Jun 2021	1000 words (equivalent)
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Your assessment tasks, which are closely aligned with these learning outcomes, are as follows:

Element	Weighting	Due date
Leading group discussion	10%	On going
Essay portfolio	15%	Friday, 7 May 2021, 23:00
Essay (2000 words including bibliography)	50%	Friday, 28 May, 2021, 23:00
Take-home test (equivalent to 1000 words)	25%	Friday, 4 June, 2021, 23:00

All assessment tasks are compulsory.

Assessment criteria

Result name	Mark range	Description
High Distinction	85 - 100	Submission meets exceptional academic standards as defined by learning outcomes for this unit.
Distinction	75 - 84	Submission meets very high academic standards as defined by learning outcomes for this unit.
Credit	65 - 74	Submission meets good academic standards as defined by learning outcomes for this unit.
Pass	50 - 64	Submission meets satisfactory academic standards as defined by learning outcomes for this unit.
Fail	0 - 49	Submission fails to meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

It is expected that, unless an application for a simple extension or special consideration has been approved, students will submit all assessment for a unit of study on the due date specified. If assessment is completed or submitted within a period of extension, no academic penalty will be applied to that piece of assessment. If an extension is either not sought, not granted or is granted but work is submitted after the extended due date, the late submission of assessment will result in an academic penalty as outlined in section 7A of the Assessment Procedures 2011.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Weekly	Lecture: introduction of weekly topic, including conceptual discussion and case studies	Lecture (2 hr)
Weekly	Tutorial: critically review concepts and cases, including student-led discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Primary text: Ford, Michele (2013). Social activism in Southeast Asia. London, Routledge. (available on Canvas)

Wk	Compulsory Reading (from text)	Additional Readings
1	Social Activism in Southeast Asia: An Introduction (Ford)	Padawangi, Rita. "The Cosmopolitan Grassroots City as Megaphone: Reconstructing Public Spaces through Urban Activism in Jakarta." International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 37, no. 3 (2013): 849-863
The form and function of social movements
2	Southeast Asia Activism and Limits to Independent Political Space (Rodan)	Weiss, Meredith L. and Edward Aspinall. Student Activism in Asia: Between Protest and Powerlessness. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012. (Introduction chapter)
3	Separatism in Aceh: From Social Rebellion to Political Movement (Aspinall)	Soriano, Cheryll Ruth and TT Sreekumar. "Multiple Transcripts as Political Strategy: Social Media and Conflicting Identities of the Moro Liberation Movement in the Philippines." Media, Culture & Society 34, no. 8 (2012): 1028-1039
4	Philippine Contention in the Democratic ‘Transitions’ (Boudreau)	Schock, Kurt. "People Power and Political Opportunities: Social Movement Mobilization and Outcomes in the Philippines and Burma." Social Problems 46, no. 3 (1999): 355-75. doi:10.2307/3097105.
5	Values and the Institutionalisation of Indonesia’s Organic Movement (Edwards)	Barney, Keith. "Re-Encountering Resistance: Plantation Activism and Smallholder Production in Thailand and Sarawak, Malaysia." Asia Pacific Viewpoint 45, no. 3 (2004): 325-339.
6	Burmese Social Movements in Exile: Labour, Migration and Democracy (Arnold)	Grundy-Warr, C., and E. Yin. 2002. Geographies of Displacement: The Karenni and the Shan Across the Myanmar-Thailand Border. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 23 (1):93-122.
7	Labour Activism in Thailand (Brown & Ayudhya)	Bal, Charanpal S. "Production Politics and Migrant Labour Advocacy in Singapore." Journal of Contemporary Asia 45, no. 2 (2015): 219-242.
Scale, agency and values
8	The Anti-globalisation Movement in the Philippines (Caouette & Tadem)	Merk, Jeroen. "Jumping Scale and Bridging Space in the Era of Corporate Social Responsibility: Cross-Border Labour Struggles in the Global Garment Industry." Third World Quarterly 30, no. 3 (2009): 599-615.
9	Activism and Aid: Shaping the Peace Movement in Timor-Leste (Dibley)	Pye, Oliver. "The Biofuel Connection - transnational Activism and the Palm Oil Boom." The Journal of Peasant Studies 37, no. 4 (2010): 851-874.
10	International Agendas and Sex Worker Rights in Cambodia (Sandy)	Yue, Audrey and Jun Zubillaga-Pow. Queer Singapore: Illiberal Citizenship and Mediated Cultures. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, HKU, 2012. (Read Ch. 4)
11	Sexuality Rights Activism in Malaysia: The Case of Seksualiti Merdeka (Lee)	Thoreson, Ryan Richard. "Realizing Rights in Manila: Brokers and the Mediation of Sexual Politics in the Philippines." GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 18, no. 4 (2012): 529-563.
12	The Christian Right’s and the Singaporean Feminist Movement (Lyons)	Derichs, Claudia and Dana Fennert. Women's Movements and Countermovements: The Quest for Gender Equality in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014. (Read Ch. 3)

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Critically discuss the nature and role of selected social movements in Southeast Asia, drawing on theoretical frameworks derived from social movement studies and political science
LO2. Present coherent and analytically rigorous academic arguments in oral and written form
LO3. Contribute effectively and collaboratively to in-class discussions and small group work
LO4. Develop a research project and conduct independent and critical analysis using a range of academic materials

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

- Assessment structure and unit materials have been updated. - Unit designed for remote delivery (Zoom). - Inclusion of additional interactive elements.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ASNS2663: Social Activism in Southeast Asia

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect