Print and Power in Modern Southeast Asia

This seminar explores the relationship between print and power in the comparative histories of 20th century colonial era Southeast Asia (focus: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma). What are the mechanics and manifestations of ‘print?’ How does print communicate and symbolize ‘power’? From governmental paperwork to scriptural authority, mass printed newspapers to writers and publishers, print embodies many forms and functions. We will cover the following topics: print culture and print capitalism, circulations and the publishing economy, colonial archives and mapping, the formation of ‘imagined communities’ and national consciousness, and debates on gender, class, and modernity expressed through popular press and novels.