The College Catalogue

First-Year Seminars

For a full description of first-year seminars, see the First-Year Seminar section.

11 {1025} c. Living in the Sixteenth Century. Fall 2014. Thomas D. Conlan. (Same as History 13 {1035}.)

[19 {1045} b. East Asian Politics: Introductory Seminar. (Same as Government 19 {1020}.)]

21 {1010} c. Perspectives on Modern China. Fall 2013. Shu-chin Tsui.

26 {1035} c. Globalizing India. Fall 2012. Rachel Sturman. (Same as History 26 {1038}.)

Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced Courses

138 {1625} b - ESD, IP. Everyday Life in India and Pakistan. Spring 2013. Sara Dickey.

Focuses on contemporary life in India and Pakistan by looking at everyday experiences and objects. Explores topics such as teen cyberculture, painted truck designs, romance fiction, AIDS activism, and memories of violence. These seemingly mundane topics offer a window onto larger cultural processes and enable us to examine identities and inequalities of gender, religion, caste, class, ethnicity, and nationality. Sources include ethnographic texts, essays, fiction, government documents, newspapers, popular and documentary films, and YouTube videos. (Same as Anthropology 138 {1057}.)

201 {2300} c - ESD, IP. Literature of World War II and the Atomic Bomb in Japan: History, Memory, and Empire. Spring 2013. Vyjayanthi Selinger.

A study of Japan’s coming to terms with its imperialist past. Literary representations of Japan’s war in East Asia are particularly interesting because of the curious mixture of remembering and forgetting that mark its pages. Postwar fiction delves deep into what it meant for the Japanese people to fight a losing war, to be bombed by a nuclear weapon, to face surrender, and to experience Occupation. Sheds light on the pacifist discourse that emerges in atomic bomb literature and the simultaneous critique directed towards the emperor system and wartime military leadership. Also examines what is missing in these narratives—Japan’s history of colonialism and sexual slavery—by analyzing writings from the colonies (China, Korea, and Taiwan). Tackles the highly political nature of remembering in Japan. Writers include the Nobel prize-winning author Ôe Kenzaburô, Ôoka Shôhei, Kojima Nobuo, Shimao Toshio, Hayashi Kyoko, and East Asian literati like Yu Dafu, Lu Heruo, Ding Ling, and Wu Zhou Liu.

209 {2209} c - IP, VPA. The Arts of Japan. Fall 2012. Peggy Wang.

Surveys ritual objects, sculpture, architecture, painting, and decorative arts in Japan from the Neolithic to the modern period. Topics include ceramic forms and grave goods, the adaptation of Chinese models, arts associated with Shinto and Buddhist religions, narrative painting, warrior culture, the tea ceremony, woodblock prints and popular arts, modernization and the avant-garde. (Same as Art History 272 {2720}.)

212 {2050} c - ESD, IP. Writing China from Afar. Fall 2012. Belinda Kong.

The telling of a nation’s history is often the concern not only of historical writings but also literary ones. Examines contemporary diaspora literature on three shaping moments of twentieth-century China: the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), and the 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement and massacre. Focuses on authors born and raised in China but since dispersed into various Western locales, particularly the United States, England, and France. Critical issues include the role of the Chinese diaspora in the historiography of World War II, particularly the Nanjing Massacre; the functions and hazards of Chinese exilic literature, such as the genre of Cultural Revolution memoirs, in Western markets today; and more generally, the relationship between history, literature, and the cultural politics of diasporic representations of origin. Authors may include Shan Sa, Dai Sijie, Hong Ying, Yan Geling, Zheng Yi, Yiyun Li, Gao Xingjian, Ha Jin, Annie Wang, and Ma Jian. (Same as English 273 {2752}.)

Prerequisite: One first-year seminar or 100-level course in English, or one course in Asian studies.

216 {2802} c - ESD, IP. Asian Diaspora Literature of World War II. Spring 2013. Belinda Kong.

Focuses on World War II as a global moment when modernity’s two sides, its dreams and nightmares, collided. Emphasis on contemporary Asian diaspora Anglophone fiction that probes the exclusions and failures of nation and empire—foundational categories of modernity—from both Western and Asian perspectives. On the one hand, World War II marks prominently the plurality of modernities in our world: as certain nations and imperial powers entered into their twilight years, others were just emerging. At the same time, World War II reveals how such grand projects of modernity as national consolidation, ethnic unification, and imperial expansion have led to consequences that include colonialism, internment camps, the atom bomb, sexual slavery, genocide, and the widespread displacement of peoples that inaugurates diasporas. Diaspora literature thus constitutes one significant focal point where modernity may be critically interrogated. (Same as English 274 {2753}.)

Prerequisite: One first-year seminar or 100-level course in English, or one course in Asian studies.

219 {2550} c. Religion and Fiction in Modern South Asia. Spring 2013. John Holt.

A study of the Hindu and Buddhist religious cultures of modern South Asia as they have been imagined, represented, interpreted, and critiqued in the literary works of contemporary and modern South Asian writers of fiction and historical novels. (Same as Religion 219 {2219}.)

220 {2850} c. Visualizing Black and Asian Diasporas. Spring 2013. Wendy Thompson-Taiwo.

Seminar. Explore Black and Asian diasporic experiences in the Americas and Europe through photographic and visual arts representations in the modern world. Discusses the representation of Black and Asian peoples in photographs, advertisements, studio portraits, postcards, and informal snapshots from the nineteenth to the twentieth-first century. Students analyze the political, social, and cultural implications of these visual representations, especially in the context of racial formations, migrant cultures, gender identity, and imperialism. (Same as Africana Studies 219 {2219}.)

221 {2851} c. Afro-Asian Encounters: Reading Comparative American Racial Experiences. Spring 2013. Wendy Thompson Taiwo.

Seminar. Surveys a breadth of historical and contemporary encounters between African Americans and Asian Americans in the United States. Begins with the earliest waves of Asian immigration in the mid-nineteenth century and ends with contemporary critiques of Blackness and Asianness in what some call a post-racial era. Students learn how various political, economic, and social shifts have contributed to the racial positioning of Black and Asian peoples in relation to dominant white American culture and to each other and what this means in relation to the stratification of racial identities in America. Readings center on themes of shared experiences with and conflict over labor, community-building, interracial relationships, foodways, popular representations, and public perception. (Same as Africana Studies 246 {2246}.)

223 {2551} c - IP. Mahayana Buddhism. Spring 2013. John Holt.

Studies the emergence of Mahayana Buddhist worldviews as reflected in primary sources of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese origins. Buddhist texts include the Buddhacarita (“Life of Buddha”), the Sukhavati Vyuha (“Discourse on the ‘Pure Land’”), the Vajraccedika Sutra (the “Diamond-Cutter”), the Prajnaparamitra-hrdaya Sutra (“Heart Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom”), the Saddharmapundarika Sutra (the “Lotus Sutra”), and the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, among others. (Same as Religion 223 {2223}.)

227 {2060} b - IP. Contemporary Chinese Politics. Fall 2012. Christopher Heurlin.

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. (Same as Government 227 {2440}.)

[230 {2230} c - ESD, IP. Imperialism, Nationalism, Human Rights. (Same as History 280 {2344}.)]

231 {2830} b - IP. Topics on Asian Economies. Fall 2013 or Spring 2014. Yao Tang.

A study of the similarities and differences in growth experience and the level of economic output per person in Asian countries. Explores possible causes of differences in economic paths, with a focus on several important economies, including China and Japan. Also discusses the relationship between the Asian economies and the United States economy. (Same as Economics 239 {2239}.)

Prerequisite: Economics 101 and 102.

[233 {2570} b - IP. South Asian Popular Culture. (Same as Sociology 236 {2236}.)]

234 {2821} b - IP. Politics in East Asia. Spring 2013. Henry C. W. Laurence.

A broad survey of political systems across East Asia, including China, Japan, and North and South Korea. Central topics include twentieth-century political development, democratization, human rights, and the political roles of women. Also examines current international relations in the region. (Same as Government 234 {2545}.)

[236 {2580} c - ESD, IP. India and the Early Modern World. (Same as History 282 {2341}.)]

237 {2583} c - ESD, IP. Sex and the Politics of the Body in Modern India. Spring 2013. Rachel Sturman.

Seminar. Explores changing conceptions of the body, sexuality, and gender in South Asia, with a focus on modern formations since the late eighteenth century. Topics include arranged marriage; courtesanship and prostitution; ideas of purity and defilement; gender, sexuality, and nationalism; and the emergence of a contemporary lesbian/gay/queer movement. (Same as Gender and Women’s Studies 259 {2259} and History 259 {2801}.)

Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor.

[239 {2584} c - ESD, IP. From Gandhi to the Taliban: Secularism and Its Critics in Modern South Asia. (Same as History 241 {2800}.)]

241 {2553} c - IP. Hindu Cultures. Fall 2012. John Holt.

A consideration of various types of individual and communal religious practice and religious expression in Hindu tradition, including ancient ritual sacrifice, mysticism and yoga (meditation), dharma and karma (ethical and political significance), pilgrimage (as inward spiritual journey and outward ritual behavior), puja (worship of deities through seeing, hearing, chanting), rites of passage (birth, adolescence, marriage, and death), etc. Focuses on the nature of symbolic expression and behavior as these can be understood from indigenous theories of religious practice. Religion 220 is recommended as a previous course. (Same as Religion 221 {2221}.)

242 {2554} c - ESD, IP. Theravada Buddhism. Fall 2012. John Holt.

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. (Same as Religion 222 {2222}.)

244 {2301} c - IP. Modern Japanese Literature. Fall 2013. Vyjayanthi Selinger.

As a latecomer to industrial modernity, Japan underwent rapid changes in the early part of the twentieth century. Examines how the creative minds of this period responded to the debates surrounding these sweeping technological and social changes, pondering, among other things, the place of the West in modern Japan, the changing status of women, and the place of minorities. Many of the writers from this period chose to write “I-novels” or first-person fiction. How is the inward turn in narrative tied to modern ideas of the self and its relationship to society? What sorts of quests does this self embark on and how is the end of the journey conceptualized? How do the romantic objects of this (male) self help express notions of stability/instability in a changing world? No prior knowledge of Japanese language, history, or culture is required. All readings in English.

246 {2270} c - IP. The Fantastic and Demonic in Japanese Literature. Fall 2012. Vyjayanthi Selinger.

From possessing spirits and serpentine creatures to hungry ghosts and spectral visions, Japanese literary history is alive with supernatural beings. The focus of study ranges from the earliest times to modernity, examining these motifs in both historical and theoretical contexts. Readings pose the following broad questions: How do representations of the supernatural function in both creation myths of the ancient past and the rational narratives of the modern nation? What is the relationship between liminal beings and a society’s notion of purity? How may we understand the uncanny return of dead spirits in medieval Japanese drama? How does the construction of demonic female sexuality vary between medieval and modern Japan? Draws on various genres of representation, from legends and novels to drama, paintings, and cinema. Students develop an appreciation of the hold that creatures from the “other” side maintain over our cultural and social imagination.

247 {2561} b - ESD, IP. Bollywood, Kollywood, and Beyond: Indian Cinema and Society. Fall 2012. Sara Dickey.

Explores Indian films, film consumption, and film industries since 1947. Focuses on mainstream cinema in different regions of India, with some attention to the impact of popular film conventions on art cinema and documentary. Topics include the narrative and aesthetic conventions of Indian films, film magazines, fan clubs, cinema and electoral politics, stigmas on acting, filmmakers and filmmaking, rituals of film watching, and audience interpretations of movies. The production, consumption, and content of Indian cinema are examined in social, cultural, and political contexts, particularly with an eye to their relationships to class, gender, and nationalism. Attendance at weekly evening screenings is required. (Same as Anthropology 232 {2601}.)

Prerequisite: One of the following: Anthropology 101, Sociology 101, Film Studies 101 or 202, one course in Asian studies; or permission of the instructor.

252 {2071} c - IP. Cultural Topics in Contemporary China. Spring 2014. Shu-chin Tsui.

Explores cultural trends in contemporary China with post-socialist condition as the contextual setting and cultural studies the theoretical framework. Discussion topics include rural-urban transformations, experimental art, alternative literature, documentary cinema, fashion codes, and gender issues. Examines how cultural trends reflect and react to China’s social-economic transitions, and how the state apparatus and the people participate in cultural production and consumption.

254 {2072} c - IP, VPA. Transnational Chinese Cinema. Fall 2012. Shu-chin Tsui.

Introduces students to films produced in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Places national cinema in a transnational framework and explores how cinema as a sign system constructs sociocultural and aesthetic meanings. Students will benefit most by bringing both an open mind toward non-Western cultural texts, and a critical eye for visual art. (Same as Film Studies 254 {2254}.)

256 {2581} c - ESD, IP. The Making of Modern India. Fall 2012. Rachel Sturman.

Traces the history of India from the rise of British imperial power in the mid-eighteenth century to the present. Topics include the formation of a colonial economy and society; religious and social reform; the emergence of anti-colonial nationalism; the road to independence and partition; and issues of secularism, democracy, and inequality that have shaped post-colonial Indian society. (Same as History 261 {2342}.)

258 {2582} c - ESD, IP. Politics and Popular Culture in Twentieth-Century India. Spring 2013. Rachel Sturman.

Examines the new forms of politics and of popular culture that shaped twentieth-century modernity in India. Topics include the emergence of mass politics, secular and religious nationalism, urbanization and the creation of new publics, violence and popular media, modern visual culture, democracy and social movements, and the politics of development. Focuses on the relationship between new sociopolitical forms and new technologies of representation and communication. (Same as History 263 {2343}.)

260 {2080} c. China-Africa Relations in the Global Age. Fall 2012. Wendy Thompson-Taiwo.

Seminar. China’s meteoric rise as a global economic power has encouraged extensive debate by political pundits, economic analysts, and cultural critics in recent years. Focuses the debate on the rise of China as a global power on China’s growing influence in Africa—a continent where China has made important inroads in the global era. Through close readings of cultural studies, visual media, and contemporary global analyses, seminar discussions explore the debate on China’s drive for resources and investment in African states; analyze the response of African states to China’s growing influence in the continent; and discuss evolving cultural exchanges and transnational networks between China and Africa. This Sino-African case study provides an interdisciplinary discussion on how we analyze the idea of the nation and transnationalism in the age of globalization. (Same as Africana Studies 214 {2214}.)

263 {2840} b - IP. Transnational Race and Ethnicity. Spring 2013. Dhiraj Murthy.

Examines globally mediated formations of ethnic and racial identities, including the ways in which transnational communities are shaped through contact with “homelands” (physically and virtually) and vice versa. Particular attention given to “Black” and “South Asian” diasporic communities based in London and the transnational cultural networks in Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Caribbean that they help maintain. Readings include works by Paul Gilroy, Arjun Appadurai, Les Back, Stuart Hall, Jayne Ifekwunigwe, Ian Ang, and the Delhi-based sarai school. (Same as Africana Studies 227 {2227} and Sociology 227 {2227}.)

Prerequisite: Sociology 101 or Anthropology 101.

264 {2101} b. Gender and Family in East Asia. Fall 2012. Nancy Riley.

Family and gender are central to the organization of East Asian societies, both historically and today. Uses comparative perspectives to examine issues related to family and gender in China, Japan, and Korea. Using the enormous changes experienced in East Asia in recent decades as a context, explores 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. (Same as Gender and Women’s Studies 265 {2265} and Sociology 265 {2265}.)

Prerequisite: Sociology 101 or Anthropology 101.

265 {2061} b. United States-China Relations. Spring 2013. Christopher Heurlin.

Examines the development of United States relations with China. Begins with a brief historical examination of the Opium War, then examines United States policy towards the Nationalists and the Communists during the Chinese Civil War. In the aftermath of the civil war and subsequent revolution, the role of China in the Cold War will be discussed. Then focuses on more contemporary issues in United States-China relations, drawing links between the domestic politics of both countries and how they influence the formulation of foreign policy. Contemporary issues addressed include human rights, trade, the Taiwanese independence movement, nationalism, and China’s growing economic influence in the world. (Same as Government 272 {2540}.)

266 {2073} c - IP. Chinese Women in Fiction and Film. Spring 2013. Shu-chin Tsui.

Approaches the subject of women and writing in twentieth- and early twenty-first-century China from perspectives of gender studies, literary analysis, and visual representations. Considers women writers, filmmakers, and their works in the context of China’s social-political history as well as its literary and visual traditions. Focuses on how women writers and directors negotiate gender identity against social-cultural norms. Also constructs a dialogue between Chinese women’s works and Western feminist assumptions. (Same as Gender and Women’s Studies 266 {2266}.)

[269 {2090} - MCSR. Applied Research Practicum: Chinese Rural to Urban Migration. (Same as Economics 277 {3277} and Gender and Women’s Studies 277 {2277}.)]

271 {2011} c. History of China II: Middle and Late Imperial Periods (800 to 1800). Spring 2013. Leah Zuo.

Second installment of a three-part introduction to Chinese history. Begins with the conditions shortly before the Golden Age (Tang Dynasty) collapses, and ends with the heyday of the last imperial dynasty (Qing Dynasty). Major topics include the burgeoning of “modernity” in economic and political patterns, the relation between state and society, the voice and presence of new social elites, ethnic identities, and the cultural, economic, and political encounters between China and the West. (Same as History 273 {2321}.)

273 {2005} c. Science, Technology, and Society in China. Spring 2013. Leah Zuo.

Seminar. Examines Chinese science and technology in the cultural, intellectual, and social circumstances. Surveys the main fields of study in traditional Chinese science and technology, the nodal points of invention and discovery, and important conceptual themes associated with natural studies since antiquity to the early twentieth century. Prominent themes include astronomy and court politics, alchemy and Daoism, printing technology and books, the dissemination of Western natural science, among others. Reading materials reflect the interdisciplinary approach of this course and include secondary literature on cultural, intellectual history, ethnography, and the sociology of scientific knowledge. (Same as History 260 {2781}.)

275 {2010} c. History of China I: Antiquity and Late Antiquity (2000 B.C.E. to 800 C.E.). Fall 2012. Leah Zuo.

First installment of a three-part introduction to Chinese history. Explores the origins and foundations of Chinese civilization. Prominent themes include the inception of the imperial system, the intellectual fluorescence in classical China, the introduction and assimilation of Buddhism, the development of Chinese cosmology, and the interactions between early China and neighboring regions. Class discussion of historical writings complemented with literary works and selected pieces of the visual arts. (Same as History 275 {2320}.)

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

276 {2002} c. The Classical Roots of Chinese Thought. Fall 2012. Leah Zuo.

Seminar. Addresses Chinese thought from the time of Confucius, ca. sixth century B.C.E., up to the beginning of the Common Era. The first half of the time period nurtured many renowned thinkers, who devoted themselves to the task of defining and disseminating ideas. The latter half witnessed the canonization of a number of significant traditions, including Confucianism. Major problems that preoccupied the thinkers include order and chaos, human nature, the relationship between man and nature, among others. Students instructed to treat philosophical ideas as historically conditioned constructs and to interrogate them in contexts. (Same as History 276 {2780}.)

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

281 {2260} c - IP. The Courtly Society of Heian Japan. Fall 2012. Thomas D. Conlan.

Seminar. Japan’s courtly culture spawned some of the greatest cultural achievements the world has ever known. Using the Tale of Genji, a tenth-century novel of romance and intrigue, attempts to reconstruct the complex world of courtly culture in Japan, where marriages were open and easy, even though social mobility was not; and where the greatest elegance, and most base violence, existed in tandem. (Same as History 281 {2760}.)

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

282 {2320} b - ESD, IP. Japanese Politics and Society. Fall 2012. Henry C. W. Laurence.

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. (Same as Government 232 {2450}.)

283 {2250} c - ESD, IP. The Origins of Japanese Culture and Civilization. Fall 2012 and 2013. Thomas D. Conlan.

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. Attempts to reconstruct the tenor of life through translations of primary sources, and to lead to a greater appreciation of the unique and lasting cultural and political monuments of Japanese civilization. (Same as History 283 {2300}.)

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

284 {2251} c - ESD, IP. The Emergence of Modern Japan. Spring 2013 and 2014. Thomas D. Conlan.

What constitutes a modern state? How durable are cultures and civilizations? Examines the patterns of culture in a state that managed to expel European missionaries in the seventeenth century, and came to embrace all things Western as being “civilized” in the mid-nineteenth century. Compares the unique and vibrant culture of Tokugawa Japan with the rapid program of late-nineteenth-century industrialization, which resulted in imperialism, international wars and, ultimately, the postwar recovery. (Same as History 284 {2301}.)

285 {2261} c - IP. Conquests and Heroes. Spring 2015. Thomas D. Conlan.

Seminar. Examines the experience of war in China, Japan, and Europe in order to ascertain the degree to which war is a culturally specific act. Explores narratives of battle and investigates “heroic” qualities of European, Chinese, and Japanese figures. A secondary theme constitutes an examination of the impact the thirteenth-century Mongol Invasions had on each of these military cultures. (Same as History 285 {2761}.)

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

286 {2262} c - IP. Japan and the World. Fall 2014. Thomas D. Conlan.

Seminar. Explores Japan’s relations with China, Korea, and Europe in premodern and modern contexts. Also explores larger issues of state identity and cultures in East Asia. (Same as History 286 {2762}.)

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

287 {2263} c - ESD, IP. Kingship in Comparative Perspective. Spring 2014. Thomas D. Conlan.

Seminar. What makes a king? How does one characterize or define sovereign authority and to what degree is this culturally specific? Explores the nature of kingship through a comparative perspective, contrasting Buddhist and Confucian notions of kingship and sovereignty. Focuses on Asia (South Asia, China, and Japan), although further insight is provided through comparisons with medieval Europe. (Same as History 287 {2763}.)

289 {2501} c - IP. Construction of the Goddess and Deification of Women in Hindu Religious Tradition. Fall 2013. Sree Padma Holt.

Focuses 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 read a range of works, primary sources, biographies and myths of deified women, and recent scholarship on goddesses and deified women. (Same as Gender and Women’s Studies 289 {2289} and Religion 289 {2289}.)

291–294 {2970–2973} c. Intermediate Independent Study in Asian Studies. The Program.

299 {2999} c. Intermediate Collaborative Study in Asian Studies. The Program.

332 {3300} b. Advanced Seminar in Japanese Politics. Spring 2014. Henry C. W. Laurence.

Analyzes the political, social, and cultural underpinnings of modern politics, and asks how democracy works in Japan compared with other countries. Explores how Japan has achieved stunning material prosperity while maintaining among the best health care and education systems in the world, high levels of income equality, and low levels of crime. Students are also instructed in conducting independent research on topics of their own choosing. (Same as Government 332 {3400}.)

Prerequisite: Asian Studies 282 (same as Government 232).

333 {3060} b. Advanced Seminar in Chinese Politics. Spring 2013. Christopher Heurlin.

Seminar. Asks the question: Why was China not only able to survive the collapse of international communism after the Cold War but become an economic superpower? Drawing on evidence from the past twenty years, examines the sources of strength and fragility in the regime. Areas of focus include elite politics and the Communist Party, reform of the state-owned sector, the rise of private entrepreneurs, social protest, religion, and corruption. Class is discussion-based and assignments include short writing responses and a research paper. (Same as Government 333 {3410}.)

[337 {3810} b. Advanced Seminar in Democracy and Development in Asia. (Same as Government 337 {3550}.)]

[344 {3550} c. Religious Culture and Politics in Southeast Asia. (Same as Government 393 {3900} and Religion 344 {3344}.)]

380 {3250} c. The Warrior Culture of Japan. Spring 2013. Thomas D. Conlan.

Explores the “rise” of the warrior culture of Japan. In addition to providing a better understanding of the judicial and military underpinnings of Japan’s military “rule” and the nature of medieval Japanese warfare, shows how warriors have been perceived as a dominant force in Japanese history. Culminates in an extended research paper. (Same as History 380 {3300}.)

Prerequisite: Asian Studies 283 (same as History 283) or 284 (same as History 284), or permission of the instructor.

Note: This course fulfills the pre-modern requirement for history majors.

401–404 {4000–4003} c. Advanced Independent Study and Honors in Asian Studies. The Program.

405 {4029} c. Advanced Collaborative Study in Asian Studies. The Program.

Chinese

101 {1101} c. Elementary Chinese I. Fall 2012. Songren Cui.

A foundation course for communicative skills in modern Chinese (Mandarin). Five hours of class per week. Introduction to the sound system, essential grammar, basic vocabulary, and approximately 350 characters (simplified version). Develops rudimentary communicative skills. No prerequisite. Followed by Chinese 102.

102 {1102} c. Elementary Chinese II. Spring 2013. Songren Cui.

A continuation of Chinese 101. Five hours of class per week. Covers most of the essential grammatical structures and vocabulary for basic survival needs and simple daily routine conversations. Introduction to the next 350 characters (simplified version), use of Chinese-English dictionary. Followed by Chinese 203.

Prerequisite: Chinese 101 or permission of the instructor.

103 {1103} c. Advanced Elementary Chinese I. Fall 2012. Yuxia Xiu.

An accelerated course for elementary Chinese designed for heritage speakers and for students who have had some background in Chinese language. Emphasis on improvement of pronunciation, consolidation of basic Chinese grammar, vocabulary enhancement, reading comprehension, and writing. Five hours of class per week and individual tutorials. Followed by Chinese 104. Students should consult with the program about appropriate placement.

104 {1104} c. Advanced Elementary Chinese II. Spring 2013. Yuxia Xiu.

A continuation of Chinese 103. An all-around upgrade of communicative skills with an emphasis on accuracy and fluency. Cover more than 1,000 Chinese characters together with Chinese 103. Propels those with sufficient competence directly to Advanced-Intermediate Chinese (205 and 206) after a year of intensive training. Followed by Chinese 203 or 205 with instructor’s approval.

203 {2203} c. Intermediate Chinese I. Fall 2012. Yuxia Xiu.

An intermediate course in modern Chinese. Five hours of class per week. Consolidates and expands the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, with 400 additional characters. Further improves students’ Chinese proficiency with a focus on accuracy, fluency, and complexity. Followed by Chinese 204.

Prerequisite: Chinese 102 or permission of the instructor.

204 {2204} c. Intermediate Chinese II. Spring 2013. Yuxia Xiu.

A continuation of Chinese 203. Five hours of class per week. Further develops students’ communicative competence and strives to achieve a balance between the receptive and productive skills. Students learn another 400 characters; read longer, more complex texts; and write short compositions with increasing discourse cohesion. Followed by Chinese 205.

Prerequisite: Chinese 203 or permission of the instructor.

205 {2205} c. Advanced-Intermediate Chinese I. Fall 2012. Songren Cui.

A pre-advanced course in modern Chinese. Three hours of class per week. Upgrades students’ linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to explore edited or semi-authentic materials. Followed by Chinese 206.

Prerequisite: Chinese 204 or permission of the instructor.

206 {2206} c. Advanced-Intermediate Chinese II. Spring 2013. Songren Cui.

A continuation of Chinese 205. Three hours of class per week. Focuses on the improvement of reading comprehension and speed, and essay writing skills. Deals particularly with edited and/or authentic materials from Chinese mass media such as newspapers and the Internet. Followed by Chinese 307.

Prerequisite: Chinese 205 or permission of the instructor.

307 {3307} c. Advanced Chinese I. Fall 2012. Shu-chin Tsui.

Designed to develop mastery of the spoken and written language. Emphasis given to reading and writing, with focus on accuracy, complexity, and fluency in oral as well as written expression. Assigned work includes written composition and oral presentations.

Prerequisite: Chinese 206 or permission of the instructor.

308 {3308} c. Advanced Chinese II. Spring 2013. Shu-chin Tsui.

Continuation of Chinese 307.

Prerequisite: Chinese 307 or permission of the instructor.

401–404 {4000–4003} c. Independent Study in Chinese. The Program.

405 {4029} c. Collaborative Study in Chinese. The Program.

Japanese

101 {1101} c. Elementary Japanese I. Fall 2012. Mitsuko Numata.

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.

102 {1102} c. Elementary Japanese II. Spring 2013. Mitsuko Numata.

A continuation of the fundamentals of Japanese grammar structures and further acquisition of spoken communication skills, listening comprehension, and proficiency in reading and writing. Introduces an additional 90 kanji.

Prerequisite: Japanese 101 or permission of the instructor.

203 {2203} c. Intermediate Japanese I. Fall 2012. Vyjayanthi Selinger.

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 sociocultural context. Introduces an additional 100 kanji.

Prerequisite: Japanese 102 or permission of the instructor.

204 {2204} c. Intermediate Japanese II. Spring 2013. Vyjayanthi Selinger.

A continuation of Japanese 203 with the introduction of more advanced grammatical structures, vocabulary, and characters.

Prerequisite: Japanese 203 or permission of the instructor.

205 {2205} c. Advanced-Intermediate Japanese I. Fall 2012. Mitsuko Numata.

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.

Prerequisite: Japanese 204 or permission of the instructor.

206 {2206} c. Advanced-Intermediate Japanese II. Spring 2013. Mitsuko Numata.

A continuation and progression of materials used in Japanese 205.

Prerequisite: Japanese 205 or permission of the instructor.

[308 {3308} c. Advanced Japanese II.]

401–404 {4000–4003} c. Independent Study in Japanese. The Program.

405 {4029} c. Collaborative Study in Japanese. The Program.