Courses

Courses

Fall 2005 Courses

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013. Stories and Scrolls
De-nin Lee M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 VAC-Picture Study
Introduces and examines lessons, legends, myths, and ideal worlds pictured in handscroll paintings of China and Japan. Considers how later viewers reinterpreted these artworks using text sometimes inscribed on the actual scrolls. Students play the roles of artist and audience by creating their own scrolls and composing colophons. Still, emphasis is placed on analyzing images and texts, researching, and writing clearly and intelligently about art. Materials for the course will draw on web resources and the library's Special Collections.
018. Reincarnations of the Monkey
Belinda Kong M 1:30 - 2:25, W 1:30 - 2:25, F 1:30 - 2:25 Mass-McKeen Study
The legendary Monkey, or Sun Wu Kong of sixteenth-century Wu Cheng-en's Journey to the West, is a figure that embodies fierce independence of spirit as much as rebellious mischief and loyal service. This course explores contemporary refigurings of Monkey in diasporic contexts (primarily the U.S., but also Britain and Hong Kong) and in multiple genres (novel, essay, film, and music). How is Monkey transformed, to what purposes, and for what audiences? Authors and artists may include Wu Cheng-en (in translation), Timothy Mo, Maxine Hong Kingston, Frank Chin, Patricia Chao, and Fred Ho.
028. Seekers' Lives
Kidder Smith M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Sills-Peucinian Room
Employs the disciplines of history, religion, and textual studies to examine the autobiographies of contemplatives, past and present. Emphasis on Hinduism and Buddhism in India, Tibet, and Japan, with contrasts drawn from European Catholicism.
213. Introduction to Asian-American Literature
Belinda Kong M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25 CT-16 Whiteside Room
An introduction not only to the writings of Asian America but also to the historical development of Asian-American literature as a field of discussion, study, and debate. We will begin by focusing on a seminal moment in the formation of this field: the critical controversy sparked by the publication of Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior (1976), and then turn to more contemporary writings, and the question of how we should reconceive the terrains of Asian-American Literature in light of recent works. Besides Kingston, authors may include Amy Tan, David Henry Hwang, Frank Chin, Louis Chu, John Okada, Carlos Bulosan, Jade Snow Wong, Diana Chang, Edith Maude Eaton (Sui Sin Far), Gish Jen, Chang-rae Lee, and Jhumpa Lahiri.
227. Chinese Politics
Lance Guo M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25 Kanbar Hall - 107
Examines Chinese politics in the context of a prolonged revolution. After a survey of the political system as established in the 1950s and patterns of politics emerging from it, the analytic focus turns to political change in the reform era (since 1979) and the forces driving it. Topics include the political impact of decentralization and marketization, the reintegration into the capitalist world economy, and the development of the legal system. The adaptation by the Communist Party to these changes and the prospects of democratization are also examined.
237. History of Sexuality, Gender and the Body in South Asia
Rachel Sturman T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 CT-16 Harrison McCann
Intermediate Seminar. Explores changing conceptions of the body, sexuality and gender in South Asia, with a focus on modern formations since the late 18th c. Topics include: practices of female seclusion; ideas of purity, pollution, and the care of the self; religious renunciation and asceticism; the erotics of religious devotion; theories of desire; modern conjugality; and the emergence of a contemporary lesbian/gay/queer movement.
242. Theravada Buddhism
John Holt T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Hubbard-Conference Room West
An examination of the major trajectories of Buddhist religious thought and practice as understood from a reading of primary and secondary texts drawn from the Theravada traditions of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma.
256. MODERN SOUTH ASIA, 1750 TO THE PRESENT
Rachel Sturman T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55 Searles-126
Chronological and thematic introduction to the history of South Asia from the rise of British imperial power to the present. Topics include the formation of the colonial state, economy and society; the emergence of anti-colonial nationalism; independence and the partition of the subcontinent; secularism and religious fundamentalisms; and democracy and inequality in post-colonial South Asia.
264. Gender and Family in East Asia
Nancy Riley M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Sills-117
Family and gender are central to the organization of East Asian societies, both historically and today. This course uses comparative perspectives to examine issues related to family and gender in China, Japan, and Korea. In the context of the enormous changes experienced in East Asia in recent decades, we will explore the place of Confucian influences in these societies, the different roles of the state and economy, and the ways that gender and family have been shaped by and shaped those changes.
266. Women and Writing in Modern China
Shuqin Cui M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Hatch Library-210
Approaches the subject of women and writing in 20th-century China from perspectives of gender studies and literary analysis. Considers women writers and their works in the context of Chinese history and as a challenge to the master narratives of Chinese literary tradition. In addition, constructs a dialogue between Chinese women's texts and Western feminist theory.
267. International Relations in East Asia
Lance Guo M 1:30 - 2:25, W 1:30 - 2:25, F 1:30 - 2:25 Hubbard-Conference Room West
Examines international relations in East Asia (including both Northeast and Southeast Asia) from a regional perspective while considering the impact of outside states on power relations and patterns of interaction in the region. Topics include cultural and historical legacies, nationalism and politics of economic development; flash points in the region such as Korea, Taiwan, the South China Sea and the associated foreign policy issues; broad trends and recent developments in the areas of trade, investment, and regional integration.
273. A Social History of Shamanism in East Asia
Kidder Smith M 8:00 - 9:25, W 8:00 - 9:25 VAC-Kresge Auditorium
What kinds of societies foster shamanic practice? How do variant social structures give rise to analytically similar religious activity? Studies the cultures of Siberia, ancient China, medieval Japan, and premodern Tibet against the larger patterns of shamanic practices in other parts of the world.
282. Japanese Politics and Society
Henry Laurence M 9:30 - 10:25, W 9:30 - 10:25, F 9:30 - 10:25 Hubbard-Conference Room West
Comprehensive overview of modern Japanese politics in historical, social, and cultural context. Analyzes the electoral dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party, the nature of democratic politics, and the rise and fall of the economy. Other topics include the status of women and ethnic minorities, education, war guilt, nationalism, and the role of the media.
283. The Origins of Japanese Culture and Civilization
Thomas Conlan T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Mass-Faculty Room
How do a culture, a state, and a society develop? Designed to introduce the culture and history of Japan by exploring how "Japan" came into existence, and to chart how patterns of Japanese civilization shifted through time. We try to reconstruct the tenor of life through translations of primary sources, and gain a greater appreciation of the unique and lasting cultural and political monuments of Japanese civilization.
286. Japan and the World
Thomas Conlan M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55 Searles-113
Seminar. Explores Japan's relations with China, Korea, and Europe in premodern and modern contexts. Also explores larger issues of state identity and culture in East Asia.
289. Construction of Goddess and Deification of Women in Hindu Religious Tradition
Sree Holt T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55 CT-16 Whiteside Room
The focuses of this course include: 1) an examination of the manner in which the power of the feminine has been expressed mythologically and theologically in Hinduism; 2). how various categories of goddesses can be seen or not as the forms of the "great goddess, " and 3) how Hindu women have been deified, a process that implicates the relationship between the goddess and women. Students will read a range of works, primary sources such as Devi Mahatmya, biographies and myths of deified women, and recent scholarship on goddesses and deified women. One-half credit course.
322. Buddhist Art in Asia
De-nin Lee M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55 VAC-Picture Study
This seminar examines the complex art and architecture of the Buddhist religion in Asia. Students will gain understanding of the basic teachings of Buddhism in order to understand the religious context of art objects and architectural sites. This seminar begins during the time of Ashoka (272-31 BCE) in India and continues through medieval and modern East and Southeast Asia. Throughout the course, we will consider how local conditions--cultural, social, and political--shape religious expression.
337. Advanced Seminar in Democracy and Development in Asia
Henry Laurence T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Searles-116
Examines development from a variety of political, economic, moral and cultural perspectives. Is democracy a luxury that poor countries can't afford? Are authoritarian governments better at promoting economic growth than democracies? Does prosperity lead to democratization? Are democratic values and human rights universal, or culturally specific? Emphasis on Japan, China, India and the Koreas.

Chinese

101. Elementary Chinese I.
Songren Cui Nicholas Lin M 8:30 - 9:25, W 8:30 - 9:25, F 8:30 - 9:25 CT-2 South
A foundation course for communicative skills in modern Chinese (Mandarin). Five hours of class per week and individual tutorials. Introduction to the sound system, essential grammar, basic vocabulary, and approximately 350 characters. Develop rudimentary listening comprehension and conversational skills. No prerequisite. Followed by Chinese 102.
101. Elementary Chinese I.
Songren Cui Nicholas Lin M 8:30 - 9:25, W 8:30 - 9:25, F 8:30 - 9:25 CT-2 South
A foundation course for communicative skills in modern Chinese (Mandarin). Five hours of class per week and individual tutorials. Introduction to the sound system, essential grammar, basic vocabulary, and approximately 350 characters. Develop rudimentary listening comprehension and conversational skills. No prerequisite. Followed by Chinese 102.
LAB
Songren Cui Nicholas Lin T 8:30 - 9:25, TH 8:30 - 9:25 Searles-116
A foundation course for communicative skills in modern Chinese (Mandarin). Five hours of class per week and individual tutorials. Introduction to the sound system, essential grammar, basic vocabulary, and approximately 350 characters. Develop rudimentary listening comprehension and conversational skills. No prerequisite. Followed by Chinese 102.
LAB
Songren Cui Nicholas Lin T 2:30 - 3:25, TH 2:30 - 3:25 CT-2 South
A foundation course for communicative skills in modern Chinese (Mandarin). Five hours of class per week and individual tutorials. Introduction to the sound system, essential grammar, basic vocabulary, and approximately 350 characters. Develop rudimentary listening comprehension and conversational skills. No prerequisite. Followed by Chinese 102.
203. Intermediate Chinese I
Nicholas Lin M 11:30 - 12:55, T 11:30 - 12:25, W 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:25 Searles-116
An intermediate course in modern Chinese. Five hours of class per week and individual conversation sessions. Consolidate and expend the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, with additional 400 characters. Rigorous training in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Followed by Chinese 204.
205. Advanced Intermediate Chinese I
Shuqin Cui M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25 Hatch Library-210
A pre-advanced course in modern Chinese. Three hours of class per week. Upgrades all skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing with an emphasis on accuracy and fluency. Followed by Chinese 206.
307. Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese I
Songren Cui T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 38 College-Conference Room
An advanced course in modern Chinese. Three hours of class per week. Reading of various contemporary literary texts such as narratives, descriptions, argumentative and expository essays. Emphases on vocabulary expansion, faster reading speed, better comprehension, and expressing more effectively by choosing the appropriate rhetorical devices.

Japanese

101. Elementary Japanese I
Natsu Sato Reiko Yoshida M 10:30 - 11:25, T 8:30 - 9:55, W 10:30 - 11:25, TH 8:30 - 9:55 Sills-205
An introductory course in modern Japanese language. In addition to mastering the basics of grammar, emphasis is placed on active functional communication in the language, reading, and listening comprehension. Context-oriented conversation drills are complemented by audio materials. The two kana syllabaries and 60 commonly used kanji are introduced. No prerequisite. Followed by Japanese 102.
101. Elementary Japanese I
Natsu Sato Reiko Yoshida M 1:30 - 2:25, T 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:30 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Sills-205
An introductory course in modern Japanese language. In addition to mastering the basics of grammar, emphasis is placed on active functional communication in the language, reading, and listening comprehension. Context-oriented conversation drills are complemented by audio materials. The two kana syllabaries and 60 commonly used kanji are introduced. No prerequisite. Followed by Japanese 102.
203. Intermediate Japanese I
Reiko Yoshida Vyjayanthi Selinger M 8:30 - 9:25, T 1:00 - 2:25, W 8:30 - 9:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Sills-111
An intermediate course in modern Japanese language, with introduction of advanced grammatical structures, vocabulary, and characters. Continuing emphasis on acquisition of well-balanced language skills based on an understanding of the actual use of the language in the Japanese socio-cultural context. Introduces an additional 100 kanji.
205. Advanced-Intermediate Japanese I
Reiko Yoshida T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55 38 College-Conference Room
Increases students' proficiency in both spoken and written modern Japanese. A variety of written and audiovisual materials are used to consolidate and expand mastery of more advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary. Includes oral presentation, discussion, and composition in Japanese.
307. Advanced Japanese I
Natsu Sato M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25 Hatch Library-210
Designed to develop mastery of the spoken and written language. Materials from various sources such as literature, newspapers and cultural journals as well as TV programs and films are used. Assigned work includes written compositions and oral presentations.

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