Second Year Seminar I
Introduction
In SYSEM I, we will explore how difference is socially and historically constructed, what it can mean to us, and how it can act on us. We will also ask critical questions exploring what we already know about differences among humans in today’s world.
The Seminar will start with exploring the concept of “the Other.” We will read Ryszard Kapuściński and Toni Morrison, to explore this notion of difference, and to lay the groundwork for our discussions throughout the remainder of the course.
Once we have laid the groundwork, we will look at four different case-studies in difference, reading some background material, and then exploring how these case-studies play out in the context of Myanmar society. Our case studies are:
- Race. Here we will read Stuart Hall, and Chie Ikeya’s work on race, religion and belonging in Myanmar.
- Indigeneity. We will explore Michael Dunford and Micah F. Morton’s work on indigeneity, exploring this concept both in Myanmar and in the broader region of SE Asia.
- Diaspora, Migration and Transnationalism. We live in a world in motion. We’ll explore this through reading Cuban artist Tania Bruguera and Susan Banki’s study of transnational art in Myanmar.
- Gender: Finally, we’ll look at the complexities of gender, from Jessica Harriden’s work on women, power and authority in Myanmar, to the work of Bénédicte Brac de La Perriére exploring one case-study of a young Burmese man who is faced with a choice: do I become a nat kadaw (spirit medium), or an LGBTQI+ activist?
Warning!
In this section, you can find notes from each of the classes. Some of these notes will be quite complete and full, others will be a bit more scrappy. This is not a course manual, but it is instead a place to share information, ideas, stray thoughts, summaries, and suggestions in a way that is easily accessible.
As these are only notes — a work in progress — please don’t see these pages as something you should be citing in your essays!