For those not familiar with Southeast Asia, there is often a misconception that the region is chaotic and therefore cannot be analysed as a singular whole. This class is to dispel that misconception and will be utilising the theoretical lens of nationalism to paint a fairly unified picture of the region. It will be looking at the 'pre-modern', 'modern'' as well as the contemporary periods of Southeast Asian history bringing into perspective the experiences of the region's 11 nations as they slowly evolved into modern nations. This course engages with the powerful societal forces which allows a 'people’ to conceive of themselves as members of a ‘nation’. What are these forces? How did they come about? What are the different forces they take? This course will encourage students to reflect on this issue as they ponder on the life nationalism has taken in contemporary times.