CORE028 Communism in the 21st century in Asia

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2022
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Bc. Denisa Hilbertová, M.A. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Dušan Vávra, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Bc. Denisa Hilbertová, M.A.
Department of Chinese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Bc. Denisa Hilbertová, M.A.
Supplier department: Department of Chinese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 16:00–17:40 C33
Prerequisites
None
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The clash of ideologies defined the 20th century. Nearly half the world supported the ideology of communism during the Cold War. Today, five countries in the world officially claim to be communistic – four of which are in Asia in close proximity – China, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea. Communism is not a dead ideology, quite the opposite. Communism in these countries has been transformed according to "local specifics and characteristics". And as the development shows, it will undoubtedly play an important role in the 21st century. Not only because of the economic strength of the PRC, but also because of the tradition of adapting communist ideas to domestic Asian conditions. The course will introduce the development of ideology, its transformation into contemporary diverse forms and the possibilities of manipulation with local population on the example of communism regimes in Asia.
Learning outcomes
The course has several goals. The first aim is to introduce the mechanisms of ideological manipulation, techniques of spreading ideology and a potential impact on the population. Given the rise of populism around the world, it is essential that students learn to recognize the basic mechanisms of spreading political propaganda on existing examples. The second objective is to shed light on regional and cultural specifics that can lead to successful ideological dissemination, i.e. analysis and comparison of communist regimes in China, North Korea, Laos and Vietnam, with overlaps into neighboring countries with shorter communist regimes, such as Cambodia. Third, students will have the opportunity to practice their argumentative skills and form their own opinion Attention will be given mainly to the following areas: • The rise of communists to power, the international situation • Comparison of ideology, propaganda and leaders • Consequences of regimes and current developments At the end of this course, the student will be able to: • define the main differences in the communist ideology of the mentioned regimes • analyze the impact of the given regimes on the internal and international situation • describe the most important milestones of the monitored Asian communist governments
Syllabus
  • 1) Introductory lesson Authoritarian regimes How to become a tyrant? Crowd psychology 2) How did Communism dominate half the world? Comparison of the political and social situation on the continents at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century Predisposition to a successful communist transformation Marxism/Lenism/Stalinimus The role of the Comintern 3) China The role of the Comintern The PRC and the consolidation of the power of the Communist Party of China Maoism 4) Communism with Chinese characteristics – China at the turn of the century Dengism Three representatives Harmonious society Xi Jinping's Thoughts 5) China Today Big Brother is watching you – Credit Score System Communism in the everyday life of the Chinese Unobtrusive export of communist ideology 6) North Korea Formation of the DPRK Kim3 and the hereditary dictatorship? Juche 7) North Korea The World's Most Secretive Mode What is life like in the DPRK? Propaganda v. reality 8) Vietnam Decolonization and Communism The Vietnam War as the Key 9) Vietnam Communism Paves the Way for Authoritarian Capitalism 10) Laos Laos and Cambodia as forgotten victims of the Vietnam War Pol Pot 11) Comparison Comparison of countries and individual leaders The importance of foreign interventions International ties in the communist era 12) The crisis of capitalism and democracy? The Treacherous Path of Populism Extremism among us
Literature
  • Andrei Lankov. The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia. Oxford University Press, 2013.
  • Haign Ngor. Survival in the Killing Fields, Basic Books, 2003
  • Yong Chang. Mao. Příběh, který možná neznáte. Praha : Beta, 1996.
  • Philip Short. Pol Pot. Dějiny zlého snu, Praha: BB/art, 2005
  • Barbara Demick. Nothing to Envy. Ordinary Lives in North Korea. Spiegel & Grau, 2010.
Teaching methods
Lecures
Assessment methods (in Czech)
1) Domácí příprava a aktivita v průběhu semestru. V průběhu kurzu studenti zhlédnou několik filmů, které budou průběžně hodnotit v předmětovém fóru. 2) Multiple-choice test. Úspěšné napsání testu znamená udělení kolokvia.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2022, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2022/CORE028