*Electives must be taken from at least 2 different disciplines; one course must be at the upper level.
CHIN 001 Mandarin Chinese: Stage I (5 hours)
An introductory course on Mandarin Chinese designed to develop skills in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and culture with emphasis on practical communication.
CHIN 002 Mandarin Chinese: Stage II (5 hours)
Continuation of CHIN 001 Mandarin Chinese: Stage I.
JAPAN 001 Japanese: Stage I (5 hours)
An introduction to the Japanese language designed to develop skills in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and culture, with emphasis on practical communication.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)
JAPAN 002 Japanese: Stage II (5 hours)
Continuation of JAPAN 001 Japanese: Stage I.
Prerequisite(s): JAPAN 001 Japanese: Stage I.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)
HIST 180 Introduction to East Asian History (4 hours)
This course introduces students to major topics in the history of East Asia. Rather than a century-by-century narrative covering prehistory to the present, the course emphasizes the theme of inter-regional relations. Students learn about traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism that provided a foundation for the development of centralized, Sinicized states in East Asia, as well as the cultural, economic, and political aspects of the tribute system that structured inter-regional relations throughout the pre-modern period. The second half of the semester picks up the theme of inter-regional relations in the modern period by examining the contunuing impact of twentieth-century warfare on the Chinese, the Koreans, and the Japanese. Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on East Asian history as well as primary historical and literary sources. (Normally offered every year)
HIST 181 Introduction to Japanese History (4 hours)
An overview of key themes in early modern and modern Japanese history with an emphasis on the period between the seventeenth and twenty-first centuries. The course concentrates on themes of change and continuity in Japan's political systems, social and economic institutions, and cultural forms. Specific themes include changing notions of samurai identity, the rise to modern nation-state, imperialism and inter-regional relations, postwar prosperity and Japan's "Lost Decade." Our sources include a combination of scondary scholarship by leading experts on Japanese history as well as primary historical and literary sources.
HIST 182 Modern Chinese History (4 hours)
In this course we survey the historical factors that have shaped China's emergence as one of the dominant players on the global stage in the twenty-first century. We will begin by exploring the history of the last imperial dynasty. Emphasis is placed on the historical diversity of Chinese society. After learning about the combination of domestic and external challenges that undermined the last dynasty and led to the overthrow of the imperial system, we look at the impact of the world wars, the civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists, and the establishment of the People's Republic. The course will conclude with a section on the transition to "market socialism" and the legacy of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations. Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on Chinese history as well as primary historical and literary sources.
HIST 283 East Asia In Nineteenth Century (4 hours)
This seminar is intended as an introduction to the breadth and depth of the changes that took place in the three countries of East Asia--China, Korea, and Japan--during the nineteenth century, with particular emphasis on linkages across national borders. We read a wide variety of scholarly studies and primary sources in translation as we examine topics including: the legacy of early modern political and cultural forms; encounters with Western imperial powers; the rise of nationalism; rebellions; and the emergence and regional consequences of Japanese imperialism.
HIST 284 Meiji - the Making of Modern Japan (4 hours)
In this seminar we will read widely in the political, social, and cultural history of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to develop an understanding of the period's powerful shaping influence on the course Japan took in the twentieth century. In addition to secondary scholarship by leading authorities on the Meiji period, we will read works of literature that illuminate the complexities and tensions within Meiji society.
HIST 285 Tokugawa Japan (4 hours)
In this course, we will explore the multiple meanings attached to the Tokugawa period (1600-1868) in Japanese history by reading and discussing works written by Tokugawa-era Japanese, as well as accounts by non-Japanese observers and modern scholars of Japanese history and culture. We learn about the political and social arrangements that differentiated early modern Japan from Western countries (then and now), as well as elements of Tokugawa society and culture that make it seem familiar. Examining the vibrant, diverse culture of early modern Japan will allow us to reflect on our own assumptions about the rules that govern human relations, the principles that form the foundation of a just government, the meaning of honor and loyalty, and the relationship between the past and the present.
HIST 286 Japanese Popular Culture, Past & Present (4 hours)
This class is an upper-level seminar on the cultural history of modern Japan focusing on the popular culture of Tokyo. Students will be introduced to literature, art, and theater, as well as popular practices ranging from early-modern pilgrimage to "costume play" (kosupure) among devotees of anime in contemporary Japan. The course aims to situate cultural forms from the late-seventeenth to the twenty-first century in the context of the key social, political, and economic changes that took place in Japan during the same time.
GLST 185 Modern Japanese Culture through Literature and Film (3 hours)
This course invites students to explore the complexities of the modern Japanese experience through the study of major literary texts and films. Students will learn key features of modern Japanese culture, know major authors and directors, and become familiar with critical methods of inquiry and analysis. No previous knowledge of Japanese culture or language is required.
ARH 103 Survey of Non-Western Art History (3 hours)
A survey of African, Asian, Native American, and Pre-Columbian arts.
ANTHR 156 Asian Cultures (3 hours)
This course examines selected Asian cultures from an anthropological perspective, including the effects of stratification and culture change. It provides a general survey of prehistoric cultures as well as some of the issues related to Western expansion in Asia.
(Normally offered alternate years.)
