Power and Petroleum in Asia, 1890-Present

From Standard Oil’s marketing of kerosene in 1890s China to 21st century conflicts over undersea reserves in the western Pacific, oil has played a key role in Asia’s modern development. In this seminar we will examine the expansion of European, American, and Japanese petroleum companies in East and Southeast Asia, the role of oil in the Pacific War, and China’s present-day efforts to fuel its growing economy. By analyzing novels, films, advertisements, and historical scholarship, we will learn about modern changes to local patterns of resource extraction as well as the emergence of new understandings of nature, illumination, and production. 3 hrs. sem.