Department website: http://krieger.jhu.edu/east-asian/
East Asian Studies Major and Minor
The East Asian Studies program is interdisciplinary and interdepartmental. It includes both a major and a minor. The primary purpose of the program is to introduce undergraduates to the knowledge, language skills, and research methods they will need to enter various academic and professional paths relating to China, Japan, and Korea, or East and Southeast Asia more generally. Majors in East Asian Studies engage in intensive Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean language study through the Center for Language Education. Students are encouraged to pursue original research projects in East Asia with the support of intersession and summer travel grants, stipends for conference presentations, a senior thesis honors option, and seminars that bring together research scholars, faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates in a manner that is distinctly Hopkins. Alumni of the program are making their mark around the world in business and finance, academia, law, international development, medicine and public health, engineering, media, public service, and the arts.
Direct Matriculation Program: Master’s in International Relations (MAIR) with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
The Direct Matriculation Program: Master’s in International Relations (MAIR) with the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., allows East Asian Studies majors to pursue an intensive program at the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus as well as at the SAIS campuses in Washington, D.C. and Nanjing, China. The five-year program allows students to obtain both a bachelor’s degree from Hopkins and a master’s degree from SAIS. The program includes three years of study at the Homewood campus followed by one year at the SAIS campus in Nanjing and one year at the SAIS campus in Washington, D.C., or two years at the Washington, D.C. campus. To study in Nanjing, students must be proficient in Mandarin.
Students must indicate that they are applying for the SAIS Direct Matriculation Program: Master’s in International Relations (MAIR) on their initial admissions application to Johns Hopkins University. For more information, click here to visit the website.
Johns Hopkins in Tokyo
In fall 2012, the East Asian Studies Program inaugurated a full-year undergraduate exchange program with the University of Tokyo. This study abroad program was designed with JHU East Asian Studies majors and Japanese language students in mind. As with other departmental study abroad programs at JHU, students’ credits and grades will be transferred between the two universities.
This is a direct exchange program between the two universities, rather than a program run by JHU. For each JHU student who attends the University of Tokyo, one University of Tokyo student will attend JHU. Each JHU student has a Japanese student as their personal tutor. The tutors assist students in both academic matters and in daily life.
Limited to 1-3 students per year, admission to the University of Tokyo program is competitive. Students must have completed 4 semesters of college-level Japanese or the equivalent, have a term GPA of 3.0 or above, and submit two faculty references, one of which should be from a Japanese language instructor. For more information and application instructions, click here to visit the website.
For current course information and registration go to https://sis.jhu.edu/classes/
Courses
AS.310.202. Introduction to Korean Culture. 3 Credits.
From North Korea’s nuclear threat to South Korea’s K-pop, Korea is constantly in the US media. But how much do you know about Korea? This introductory course is designed to introduce students to the long and complex cultural history of Korea. While focusing on key aspects in shaping premodern and modern Korean identity, the course also places Korea in a larger cross-national context, particularly its close interactions with China and Japan. Reading primary and secondary sources combined with visual materials, the course chronologically and thematically examines major historical moments, from Korea’s participation in and exit from a Sino-centric premodern world order, Japanese colonialism and its ramifications in Korean society, economic development and democratization, to the global popularity of Korean popular culture.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.310.207. Cities and Urban Life in Chinese Film. 3 Credits.
This seminar introduces students to the phenomenon of migration in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan from theoretical, empirical, and comparative perspectives. The objectives of the course are to understand the 1) historical context behind present-day migrations in East Asia; 2) different patterns of migration flows and their consequences on receiving countries; 3) various theoretical frameworks for migration. The course is divided into three parts. In the first part, the course will examine theoretical approaches to migration, structured around the question of whether East Asia as a region represents a distinct model of migration. In the second, students will explore the empirical cases in greater detail by comparing and contrasting the different types of migrations. The third part addresses the responses to migration by host governments and societies and the implications of migration on citizenship and identity. Recommended Course Background: any class related to the history or politics of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and/or China.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.208. U.S. National Security Technology Partnerships in Asia. 3 Credits.
This course explores the intersection of U.S. national security strategy, emerging technologies, and alliance partnerships in East Asia. Through readings, discussions, guest speakers, and a group project (oral policy briefing and policy memo), students will examine the roles of executive and legislative actors, the private sector, and foreign governments in shaping the future of technology partnerships with key U.S. allies and partners. The final assignment simulates an interagency memo-writing and briefing exercise to the National Security Advisor.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Science and Data (FA2),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.310.285. Chinese Leaders: Institutions and Agency. 3 Credits.
This course is a broad survey of what leadership looks like in China. The main through-line of the course is the how China’s leaders navigate the often challenging terrain between constraints and incentives, on the one hand, and opportunities to apply their own individual agency. We will explore the state as the arena in which all this takes place over time (to explore continuity and change) and across space (to explore adaptation and innovation). The course does not presume prior knowledge of China or Chinese language, but students new to the study of China are encouraged to pay special attention to the cumulative nature of the course and invest in the readings, particularly in the first four weeks. Although some of the themes of this course may minimally overlap with/reinforce other Chinese politics courses offered at JHU, the approach to this class will be significantly different.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.303. Women and Writing in Modern China. 3 Credits.
China’s turbulent 20th century was marked by social and political upheavals, wars, and economic hardship. Women writers played an important role in documenting these events. How did women experience and understand their historical context? How were their experiences and interpretations different from (or similar to) those of their male counterparts? This course will search modern China’s mind through women’s writings. Students will read works by women writers of the “long 20th century” (roughly 1890s-2020s) including, but not limited to, Ding Ling, Xiao Hong, Zhang Ailing, and Zhang Jie. We will engage in close readings of their literary works in context of their life experiences, considering key themes such as women’s identity and agency, nationalism, revolution, and social reform as well as new and changing gender norms. Basic knowledge of modern Chinese history helpful but not required.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.305. China, Southeast Asia, and U.S. National Security. 3 Credits.
The global political and security landscape of the 21st century will be shaped by the rivalry between two superpowers -- China and the U.S. For the foreseeable future, the geographic focus of that contest will be Southeast Asia and the surrounding maritime space, particularly the South China Sea. Southeast Asia is a complex, highly differentiated region of ten-plus nations, each with its own unique history and relationship with China. This course will introduce Southeast Asia as a key region -- geographically, economically, and strategically -- often overlooked by policymakers and scholars. It will also focus on the craft of national security strategy as the best tool for understanding the multi-sided competition, already well underway involving China, the U.S., and the Southeast Asian states.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.326. Labor Politics in China. 3 Credits.
This course explores the transformation of labor relations in China over the past century. It will cover the origins of the labor movement, the changes brought about by the 1949 Revolution, the industrial battles of the Cultural Revolution, the traumatic restructuring of state-owned enterprises over the past two decades, the rise of private enterprise and export-oriented industry, the conditions faced by migrant workers today, and recent developments in industrial relations and labor conflict. The course is designed for upper division undergraduates and graduate students.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.310.329. Women, Patriarchy, and Feminism in China, South Korea, and Japan. 3 Credits.
We will try to get a quick overview of the recent history of patriarchy in China, South Korea, and Japan from the mid-twentieth century to our present and then compare the initiatives of feminists to transform the lives of women throughout these three societies. We will also debate whether or how it makes sense to adapt the Western notions of patriarchy and sexism as well as the Western political program of feminism to the non-Western context of East Asia by reading books by historians, anthropologists, and sociologists.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.331. Islam in Asia. 3 Credits.
You will learn about the efforts of ordinary, non-elite Muslims to shape the relation between their communities and the state as well as to (where applicable) the non-Muslim majority through collective organizing over the last forty years. We will read and discuss books by anthropologists, historians, and sociologists studying Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.332. Ethnicity in China. 3 Credits.
Ever since the Chinese Empire fell in 1911, Chinese have tried to think of themselves as modern and to build a modern Chinese state. Among the Western concepts that Chinese appropriated to define and comprehend themselves were the notions of ethnicity, culture, nationality, and race. We will try to answer the following questions: What was the allure of arcane and elusive Western categories on culture, ethnicity, and race for Chinese scientists in the 20th century, and how did these categories come to underpin the rule of the Chinese state over its enormous population since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949? How have the Chinese state’s policies on nationality and ethnicity shaped the minds of American China scholars as they study ethnicity and nationality in China?
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.333. Engaging Allies and Adversaries in East Asia: The Role of Multitrack Diplomacy. 3 Credits.
Diplomacy can occur in several forms, or “tracks,” that engage a range of actors critical to managing or changing state to state relations. In an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, formal government to government diplomacy, or Track 1, can be constrained by various political realities in an increasingly complex geostrategic environment. In East Asia in particular, maintaining peace and security despite the state of formal diplomatic relations is crucial, given the high prospects of nuclear use in case of war. Finding ways to overcome these challenges, creating an environment more conducive for Track 1 to restart or expand, and establishing channels of communication in the absence of Track 1 relations is often done through nongovernmental actors in a number of ways. This course will examine the role of multitrack diplomacy, both past and present, in engaging both allies and adversaries in East Asia, to help build understanding and trust, explore potential pathways forward, and help prevent conflict in this vital and dynamic region. It will examine case studies of US efforts to engage China and North Korea, strategic dialogues with US allies in the region, and broader multilateral efforts in the region, focused on how these approaches have fed into or helped support formal diplomatic processes.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.310.336. Rebellion and Its Enemies in China Today. 3 Credits.
On 13 October 2022, a middle-aged upper-middle class Chinese man staged a public political protest on an elevated road in Beijing. Peng Lifa, or “Bridge Man,” as he has become known in allusion to Tank Man from the Tiananmen demonstrations in 1989, demanded elections and reforms. How have urban Chinese been able to be so content or even happy despite their lack of political freedom? The class readings will introduce you to different kinds of activists who have confronted the authoritarian state since the late 1990s, among them human rights lawyers, reporters, environmental activists, feminists, religious activists, and labor activists. We will ask whether freedom, an obviously Western notion, is useful as an analytical category to think about China. Does freedom translate across the West/non-West divide?
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.337. Modern Korean Literature and Film. 3 Credits.
We will examine modern Korean culture through short stories and a series of films associated with New Korean Cinema. One aim of the course is to gain a sense of history from which the literary and cinematic artifacts obtain their representative artistic status. A second aim is to inquire into the relationship between written and filmic texts in order to articulate what the limits and advantages are of that specific medium. No prior familiarity with Korean language is expected.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.340. Development and Social Change in Rural China. 3 Credits.
This course will survey the major issues of development and social change in rural China since 1950s. These issues will be addressed in chronological order. They include land ownership and land grabbing, organization of rural economic, political, and social life, rural elections and village governance, development strategies, urban-rural relationship in resource allocation, rural modernization strategies in regard to irrigation, clean drinking water, electricity supply, hard paved road, education and rural medical service, women’s rights and family life, rural consumption, and etc. This course will prepare students, both empirically and analytically, to understand what happened in rural China from 1949 to the present, and how we can engage in policy and theoretical discussions based on what we learn.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.310.431. Senior Thesis Seminar: East Asian Studies. 3 Credits.
The East Asian Studies Senior Honors Thesis Seminar is a workshop for EAS majors writing an honors thesis. It is a year-long course with meetings scheduled in both the fall and spring semesters. Please note that in order to qualify for honors in the major, the thesis must receive a final grade of A- or better. Students will receive credit for the seminar regardless of whether their thesis qualifies for honors.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.310.432. Senior Thesis Seminar: East Asian Studies. 3 Credits.
This course is the continuation of Senior Thesis Course AS.360.431 for students completing their thesis in the East Asian Studies program.
Prerequisite(s): AS.310.431
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.310.501. Independent Study - East Asia. 1 - 3 Credits.
Students carry out an independent research project involving East Asia.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Customized Academic Learning using the Customized Academic Learning form found in Student Self-Service: Registration > Online Forms.
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
Writing Intensive
Cross Listed Courses
Anthropology
AS.070.205. Gods and Ancestors: East Asian Religions in Everyday Life. 3 Credits.
This course offers an introduction to the religious traditions of East Asia, including Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Shinto. Moving chronologically from ancient foundations to modern developments, we will explore how religious ideas and practices have shaped—and been shaped by—East Asian societies over time. Emphasis will be placed on the diversity and unity of religious expressions in these traditions, with readings drawn from a wide range of texts: religious scriptures, philosophical texts, popular literature, and ethnographic accounts.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Center for Language Education
AS.373.111. First Year Heritage Chinese. 3 Credits.
This course is designed for students who were raised in an environment in which Chinese is spoken by parents or guardians at home and for those who are familiar with the language and possess native-like abilities in comprehension and speaking. The course therefore focuses on reading and writing (including the correct use of grammar). Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.112. First Year Heritage Chinese II. 3 Credits.
For students who have significant previously-acquired ability to understand and speak Modern Standard Chinese. Course focuses on reading and writing. Teaching materials are the same as used in AS.373.115-116; however, both traditional and simplified versions of written Chinese characters are used. Lab required. Continuation of AS.373.111. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.111 or permission required.
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.111 or or instructor permission
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.115. First Year Chinese. 5 Credits.
This course is designed primarily for students who have no prior exposure to Chinese. The objective of the course is to help students build a solid foundation of the four basic skills---listening, speaking, reading, and writing in an interactive and communicative learning environment. The emphasis is on correct pronunciation, accurate tones and mastery of basic grammatical structures. Note: Students with existing demonstrable skills in spoken Chinese should take AS.373.111-112. No Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.116. First Year Chinese II. 5 Credits.
Introductory course in Modern Standard Chinese. Goals: mastery of elements of pronunciation and control of basic vocabulary of 800-900 words and most basic grammatical patterns. Students work first with Pin-Yin system, then with simplified version of written Chinese characters. Continuation of AS.373.115. Note: Student with existing demonstrable skills in spoken Chinese should take AS.373.111-112. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.115 or permission required.
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.115 or instructor permission]
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.211. Second Year Heritage Chinese. 3 Credits.
This course is designed for students who finished AS.373.112 with C+ and above (or equivalent). Students in this course possess native-like abilities in comprehension and speaking. The course focuses on reading and writing. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.112 or Instructor Permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.212. Second Year Heritage Chinese II. 3 Credits.
For students who have significant previously-acquired ability to understand and speak Modern Standard Chinese. Course focuses on reading and writing. Teaching materials are the same as used in AS.373.115-116; however, both traditional and simplified versions of written Chinese characters are used. Continuation of AS.373.211. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.211 or permission required.
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.211 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.215. Second Year Chinese. 5 Credits.
Consolidation of the foundation that students have laid in their first year of study and continued drill and practice in the spoken language, with continued expansion of reading and writing vocabulary and sentence patterns. Students will work with both simplified and traditional characters. Note: Students who have native-like abilities in comprehension and speaking should take AS.373.211-212. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.116 or equivalent
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.216. Second Year Chinese II. 5 Credits.
Consolidation of the foundation that students have laid in their first year of study and continued drill and practice in the spoken language, with continued expansion of reading and writing vocabulary and sentence patterns. Students will work with both simplified and traditional characters. Note: Students who have native-like abilities in comprehension and speaking should take AS.373.211-212. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.215 or Permission Required.Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.215 or instructor permission.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.313. Third Year Heritage Chinese. 3 Credits.
This course is designed for those who have already taken AS.373.212 or equivalent. Students need to have native-level fluency in speaking and understanding Chinese. The course focuses on reading and writing. In addition to the textbooks, downloaded articles on current affairs may also be introduced on a regular basis.Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.212 or Instructor Permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.373.314. Third Year Heritage Chinese II. 3 Credits.
This course is a continuation of AS.373.313. Students need to have native-level fluency in speaking and understanding Chinese. The course focuses on reading and writing. In addition to the textbooks, downloaded articles on current affairs may also be included on a regular basis. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.313 or Permission Required. Lab required.
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.313 or equivalent
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.373.315. Third Year Chinese. 3 Credits.
This two-semester course consolidates and further expands students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and further develops reading ability through work with textbook material and selected modern essays and short stories. Class discussions will be in Chinese insofar as feasible and written assignments will be given. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.216 or Instructor Permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.316. Third Year Chinese II. 3 Credits.
This two-semester course consolidates and further expands students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and further develops reading ability through work with textbook material and selected modern essays and short stories. Class discussions will be in Chinese insofar as feasible, and written assignments will be given. Continuation of AS.373.315. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.315 or permission required.
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.315 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.373.415. Fourth Year Chinese. 3 Credits.
This course is designed for students who finished AS.373.316 with a C+ or above (or equivalent). Readings in modern Chinese prose, including outstanding examples of literature, newspaper articles, etc. Students are supposed to be able to understand most of the readings with the aid of a dictionary, so that class discussion is not focused primarily on detailed explanation of grammar. Discussion, to be conducted in Chinese, will concentrate on the cultural significance of the readings' content.Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.316 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.373.416. Fourth Year Chinese II. 3 Credits.
Continuation of AS.373.415. Readings in modern Chinese prose, including outstanding examples of literature, newspaper articles, etc. Students should understand most of the readings with the aid of a dictionary, so that class discussion need not focus primarily on detailed explanations of grammar. Discussion, to be conducted in Chinese, will concentrate on the cultural significance of the readings' content. Recommended Course Background: AS.373.415 or Permission Required. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.415 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.373.491. 5th Year Chinese. 3 Credits.
Fifth Year Chinese is designed for students who finished fourth year regular or third year heritage Chinese course at JHU or its equivalent and wish to achieve a higher advanced proficiency level in Chinese. The goal of the course is to help students further develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills cohesively and to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese culture and society through language learning.
Prerequisite(s): AS.373.416 OR AS.373.314 or Instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.378.115. First Year Japanese. 5 Credits.
This course is designed for students who have no background or previous knowledge in Japanese. The course consists of two components: lectures and conversation practicums to ensure the simultaneous progression of four skills (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) . Students participate in speaking exercises and pair/group activities, engaging in interactions within an immersive learning environment. By the end of the semester, students: 1) Can read and write Hiragana/Katakana symbols, and approximately 60 Kanji; 2) Can conjugate verbs, adjectives, and nouns into past tense as well as present tense in their long form; 3) Can create sentences to incorporate locations and time with particles, 4) Can talk about themselves using familiar tangible topics in single subject sentences. No Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory.
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.378.116. First Year Japanese II. 5 Credits.
This course is designed for students who have no background or previous knowledge in Japanese. The course consists of lectures on Tuesday/Thursday and conversation classes on Monday/Wednesdays/Fridays. The goal of the course is the simultaneous progression of four skills (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) as well as familiarity with aspects of Japanese culture. By the end of the fall term, students will have basic speaking and listening comprehension skills, a solid grasp of basic grammar items, reading and writing skills, and a recognition and production of approximately 60 kanji in context. Knowledge of grammar will be expanded significantly in 2nd year Japanese. May not be taken Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Recommended Course Background: AS.378.115
Prerequisite(s): Prereq: AS.378.115 or instructor permission
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.378.215. Second Year Japanese. 5 Credits.
The goal of the course is the simultaneous progression of four skills as well as familiarity with aspects of Japanese linguistics and culture that are necessary for language competency. Students participate in speaking exercises and pair/group activities, engaging in interactions within an immersive learning environment. By the end of the semester, students: 1) Can read and write a short paragraph with Hiragana, Katakana and approximately 200 Kanji; 2) Can use short forms and long forms whenever necessary; 3) Can talk about other people than themselves (3rd person) by using structures such as a quote and a conjecture; 4) Can expand their conversation using a reason and a contrast.
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.116 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.378.216. Second Year Japanese II. 5 Credits.
Continuation of Beginning Japanese and Intermediate Japanese I. Training in spoken and written language, increasing students' knowledge of more complex patterns. At completion, students will have a working knowledge of about 250 Kanji. Recommended Course Background: AS.378.215 or equivalent.
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.215 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.378.315. Third Year Japanese. 3 Credits.
This course is designed for students who have completed AS.378.216. The course aims to develop communicative skills through participatory activities and to establish a solid linguistic foundation in the basic Japanese grammar patterns. By the end of the semester, students: 1) Can read and write a short paragraph with Hiragana, Katakana and approximately 340 Kanji; 2) can have a command using the basic patterns including the passive and causative; 3) Can explain and describe a simple and familiar subject using multiple sentences; 4) Can create an engaging two-way exchange including follow-ups.
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.216 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.378.316. Third Year Japanese II. 3 Credits.
Emphasis shifts toward reading, while development of oral-aural skills also continues apace. The course presents graded readings in expository prose and requires students to expand their knowledge of Kanji, grammar, and both spoken and written vocabulary. Lab required. Continuation of AS.378.315. Recommended Course Background: AS.378.315 or equivalent.
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.315 or equivalent.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.378.396. Fundamentals of Japanese Grammar. 2 Credits.
This course is designed for students who have already studied 1st Year Japanese grammar and wish to develop a thorough knowledge of Japanese grammar in order to advance all aspects of language skills to a higher level. It is also appropriate for graduate students who need to be able to read materials written in Japanese. The goal of the course is to provide students with a thorough knowledge of Japanese grammar; therefore, knowledge of vocabulary (including kanji) in depth is not requisite. In addition, since this is not a language course that places equal focus on all four skills (speaking, listening, writing, and reading), there will be no conversation practice – this is a lecture course on grammar. 2 credits. Pass-fail grade option only
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.116 or permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Science and Data (FA2),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.378.415. Fourth Year Japanese. 3 Credits.
The course promotes the development of effective communication and collaborative skills, while nurturing learning autonomy. The course builds advanced Japanese skills that can be applied to real-life issues and problems through participatory activities. By the end of the semester, students: 1) Can read and write multiple paragraphs with Hiragana, Katakana, and approximately 550 Kanji; 2) Can summarize news stories related to Japan and provide their opinions; 3) Can give a presentation on a topic of their interests and provide the facts and their viewpoints; 4) Can enhance a discussion by posing an opposite point of view as well as acknowledging others’ opinions.
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.316 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.378.416. Fourth Year Japanese II. 3 Credits.
By using four skills in participatory activities (reading, writing, presentation, and discussion), students will develop reading skills in modern Japanese and deepen and enhance their knowledge on Kanji and Japanese culture. Lab required. Recommended Course Background: AS.378.415
Prerequisite(s): AS.378.415 or equivalent.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.378.611. Readings in Japanese Studies. 2 Credits.
This course is designed for graduate students (in East Asian Studies, Public Health, History of Medicine, History,etc.) and undergraduate students with a strong interest in improving Japanesereading skills. The main goal of the course is to learn strategies for reading and comprehending materials written in Japanese without using a dictionary.Specific strategies and techniques are introduced, followed by practice. Class materials include a broad spectrum of native materials, including novels, newspapers, scholarly articles, essays, historical papers, and so forth. A diverse range of articles and essays are selected to introduce and enforce various ways of reading Japanese effectively. 2 credits for undergraduate students.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS.380.101. First Year Korean. 5 Credits.
Introduces the Korean alphabet, hangeul. Covers basic elements of the Korean language, high-frequency words and phrases, including cultural aspects. Focuses on oral fluency reaching Limited Proficiency where one can handle simple daily conversations. No Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.380.102. First Year Korean II. 5 Credits.
Focuses on improving speaking fluency to Limited Proficiency so that one can handle simple daily conversations with confidence. It provides basic high-frequency structures and covers Korean holidays. Continuation of AS.380.101. Recommended Course Background: AS.380.101 or permission required.
Prerequisite(s): AS.380.101 or instructor permission
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.380.201. Second Year Korean. 4 Credits.
Aims for improving oral proficiency and confident control of grammar with vocabulary building and correct spelling intended. Reading materials of Korean people, places, and societies will enhance cultural understanding and awareness. Project due on Korean cities. Existing demonstrable skills in spoken Korean preferred.
Prerequisite(s): AS.380.102 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.380.202. Second Year Korean II. 4 Credits.
Aims for improving writing skills with correct spelling. Reading materials of Korean people, places, and societies will enhance cultural understanding and awareness, including discussion on family tree. Continuation of AS.380.201. Recommended Course Background: AS.380.201 or equivalent.
Prerequisite(s): AS.380.201 or equivalent
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.380.301. Third Year Korean. 3 Credits.
Emphasizes reading literacy in classic and modern Korean prose, from easy essays to difficult short stories. Vocabulary refinement and native-like grasp of grammar explored. Project due on Korean culture. Cross-listed with East Asian Studies
Prerequisite(s): AS.380.202 or Instructor Permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.380.302. Third Year Korean II. 3 Credits.
Emphasizes reading literacy in classic and modern Korean prose. By reading Korean newspapers and professional articles in one’s major, it enables one to be well-versed and truly literate. Continuation of AS.380.301. Cross-listed with East Asian StudiesPrerequisite: AS.380.301 or equivalent.
Prerequisite(s): AS.380.301 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.380.401. Fourth Year Korean. 2 Credits.
This course is designed for those who have finished AS 380.302 or beyond advanced mid level of competency in Korean in four skills. By dealing with various topics on authentic materials including news, articles on websites, short stories, this course aims to help students enhance not only linguistics knowledge and skills, but also current issues in Korea. It is expected that, by the end of the term, students will be able to discuss a variety of topics and express opinions fluently in both spoken and written language.
Prerequisite(s): AS.380.302 or instructor permission
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
Comparative Thought and Literature
AS.300.229. Lu Xun: Literary, Comparative, Philosophical. 3 Credits.
Modern China’s foremost writer and intellectual Lu Xun (1881–1936) wrote to think, to innovate, to fight, and, ultimately, to transform. What and how did he write as he confronted a radically changing world in early-twentieth-century China, and what can we learn from his works, as we once again face an uncertain world? This course introduces students to fundamental methods of textual analysis by exploring the contemporary significance of Lu Xun’s writings—short stories, poems, “miscellaneous essays”—through three distinct approaches: literary, comparative, and philosophical. Our investigation will revolve around questions such as: How did he expand what written language was capable of doing? How did he engage with world literature (from Europe, Russia, and beyond), and how have his works been read and adapted by writers in East Asia? How can his works be understood in a broader context of the global spread of Enlightenment thought and the discontents it caused? This course is open to any student interested in Lu Xun’s works and their transnational significance, and satisfies the “text-based” course requirement for the minor in Comparative Thought and Literature. All readings are in English.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.300.322. Lu Xun And His Times: China’s Long 20th Century And Beyond. 3 Credits.
The “founding father of modern Chinese literature,” Lu Xun (1881-1936) saw himself as a contemporary of writers like Gogol, Ibsen, and Nietzsche in creating his seminal short stories and essays, and likewise, he has been seen by numerous Chinese and Sinophone writers as their contemporary since his lifetime until today. In this course, we will survey Lu Xun's canonical works and their legacies through a comparative approach. What echoes do Lu Xun's works have with the European and Russian texts he engaged with? Why did his works manage to mark a “new origin” of Chinese literature? How were his works repeated, adapted, and appropriated by Chinese and Sinophone writers from the Republican period through the Maoist era to the post-socialist present, even during the Covid-19 pandemic? Are his times obsolete now that China is on the rise? Or, have his times come yet? We will raise these questions to guide our comparative investigation into Lu Xun’s works and their legacies in China’s long twentieth century and beyond.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Writing Intensive
AS.300.325. Origins of Postwar Japanese and Japanophone Literatures. 3 Credits.
A survey of post-WWII literatures written in Japanese and/or by writers of Japanese backgrounds from the perspective of their engagement with the memories of war and imperialism. Reading novels, short stories, essays, and poems produced by representative postwar Japanese writers, zainichi Korean writers, and overseas Japanophone writers, we will discuss how their struggles with the contested, politicized, and/or un-historicized memories of suffering from war and imperialism shapes literary forms. These works will be coupled with critical writings on key concepts such as pain, trauma, victimhood, responsibility, nationalism, diaspora, and gender. Readings in Hayashi Fumiko, Abe Kobo, Mishima Yukio, Oe Kenzaburo, Murakami Haruki, Lee Yangji, Yu Miri, John Okada, and Kazuo Ishiguro, among others. This course also serves as an introduction to postwar Japanese literature and culture. All readings are in English.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Writing Intensive
AS.300.328. Contemporary Sinophone Literature and Film. 3 Credits.
A survey of contemporary literature and film from the peripheries of the Chinese-speaking world, with a special focus on Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, the Americas, and Europe. We will not only examine literary and filmic works in the contexts of the multilayered histories and contested politics of these locations, but will also reexamine, in light of those works, critical concepts in literary and cultural studies including, but not limited to, form, ideology, hegemony, identity, history, agency, translation, and (post)colonialism. All readings are in English; all films subtitled in English.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.300.330. Modern East Asian Literatures Across Boundaries. 3 Credits.
Modern literature in East Asia is as much defined by creation of national boundaries as by their transgressions, negotiations, and reimaginations. This course examines literature originally written in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean in light of contemporary understandings of political, social, and cultural boundary demarcation and crossings. How do experiences of border-crossing create and/or alter literary forms? How, in turn, does literature inscribe, displace, and/or dismantle boundaries? Our readings will include, but not limited to, writings by intra- and trans-regional travelers, exiles, migrants, and settlers; stories from and on contested borderlands and islands (e.g. Manchuria, Okinawa, Jeju); and works and translations by bilingual authors. All readings are provided in English translation.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Writing Intensive
AS.300.341. Transwar Japanese and Japanophone Literatures. 3 Credits.
A survey of Japanese and Japanese-language literatures produced in Japan and its (former)colonies during the “transwar” period, or the several years before and after the end of WWII. This periodization enables us to take into account the shifting boundaries, sovereignties, and identities amid the intensification of Japanese imperialism and in the aftermath of its eventual demise. We aim to pay particular attention to voices marginalized in this political watershed, such as those of Japanese-language writers from colonial Korea and Taiwan, intra-imperial migrants, and radical critics of Japan’s “postwar” regime. Underlying our investigation is the question of whether literature can be an agent of peace and justice when politics fails to deliver it. We will introduce secondary readings by Adorno, Arendt, Moi, Nancy, and Scarry, among others, to help us interrogate this question. All readings are in English.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Writing Intensive
AS.300.401. Comparative Late- and Post-Cold War Cultures in China, the USSR, and Beyond. 3 Credits.
This course invites students to explore culture in the late and post-Cold War world from a broader perspective by surveying literature, thought, cinema, art, and music in Chinese and Soviet (and post-Soviet) societies from the 1980s to the present. How did Chinese and Soviet (and post-Soviet) intellectuals reconfigure, reform, and/or reinvent their cultures as they re-embraced or debated ideas of freedom, democracy, and globalization? How did they grapple with the legacies of their socialist and even pre-socialist pasts as they entered new eras of reforms? How did reform movements adopt different forms and strategies in different parts of the USSR and in the Sinophone world? What kinds of negotiations took place between various centers and peripheries within and around these regions? What can we learn from their cultural endeavors about the promises, contradictions, and discontents of the post-Cold War world, as we witness the rise of a so-called “new cold war” and revisionist coalitions against globalization today? In this co-taught course, specialists in Sinophone and Soviet cultures and their legacies will guide students in reading and discussing representative works from the 1980s onward from a comparative perspective. Readings include the film Hibiscus Town, Cui Jian, Yu Hua, Ge Fei, Can Xue, Mo Yan, Yan Lianke, and Ng Kim Chew, as well as the film Russian Ark, Viktor Tsoi, Komar and Melamid, Aka Morchiladze, Oksana Zabuzhko, and Serhiy Zhadan. No prerequisites. All course materials will be provided in English translation or with English subtitles.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.300.409. Modernist Animacies and the Politics of Wonder. 3 Credits.
From dancing skeletons and Mickey Mouse to nuclear-powered robots and Fritz the Cat, modernist visual culture is replete with iconic images of animated existence. This course surveys these diverse forms of "animatedness” emerging within the interconnected histories of special effects film and animated media, focusing on their entanglement with broader modernist practices, movements, and styles between the 1920s and the 1970s. Students will explore the shared origins of animation and special effects in the frame-by-frame manipulations of early trick film, the hopes and fears attached to machine aesthetics in German expressionism, French surrealism, and Soviet avant-garde cinema of the 1920s, and the ambivalent agency expressed by animated bodies in American and Japanese cartoons of the 1920s-40s. They will then assess the continuities and ruptures in the aesthetic and political commitments of interwar and postwar modernisms through case studies from North American, Central and Eastern European, and Japanese animation. By engaging with the diverse forms of “animatedness” and animated media presented in this course, students will develop critical theoretical, historical, and comparative frameworks for navigating the complex entanglements of organic life, emotional states, and machine technologies that increasingly define contemporary existence.
Prerequisite(s): Students may not have taken the AS.300.321 version of this course.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Critical Study of Racism, Immigration, & Colonialism
AS.305.101. Introduction to Critical Diaspora Studies. 3 Credits.
Introduction to Critical Diaspora Studies will explore the transnational, relational, and comparative approach to racism, migration, and colonialism at the heart of this major. It will introduce students to cutting-edge literature in the major’s four tracks: Migration and Borders; Global Indigeneities; Empires, Wars, and Carceralities; and Solidarities, Social Movements, and Citizenship. Topics covered will include diasporic and indigenous cultures and politics from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as the United States. Students should expect to learn the value of interdisciplinary and transnational approaches to questions of social belonging, activism, justice, and politics. This course will also be useful to students in all humanities and social science majors who are interested in questions of racism, migration, and colonialism. This course may entail travel over fall break.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Economics
AS.180.210. Migrating to Opportunity? Economic Evidence from East Asia, the U.S. and the EU. 3 Credits.
Increased mobility of people across national borders, whether by choice or by force, has become an integral part of the modern world. Using a comparative perspective and an applied economics approach, the course explores the economic and political determinants, and (likely) consequences of migration flows for East Asia, the US and the EU. Lectures, assignments and in class discussions, will be built around the following topics: i) migrants’ self-selection; ii) human capital investment decision-making; iii) remittance decisions and effects; iv) impacts on labor markets of both receiving and sending countries; and v) the economic benefits from immigration. Overall, the course will give students perspective on the why people choose or feel compelled to leave their countries, how receiving countries respond to migrants’ presence, and the key economic policy concerns that are influencing the shaping of immigration policy in East Asia, the US, and the EU.
Prerequisite(s): AS.180.101 AND AS.180.102
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.180.214. The Economic Experience of the BRIC Countries. 3 Credits.
In 2001, Jim O’Neill, the Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs, coined the acronym BRIC to identify the four large emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China. These economies had an amazing run for the next decade, and emerged as the biggest and fastest growing emerging markets. However, since 2014 there has been some divergence in the BRICs’ economic performance. In this course, we look at the economic experiences of the BRIC countries for the past several decades. We discuss the reasons that contributed to their exceptional growth rates, with particular emphasis on their transformation into market economies, and the reasons for their eventual divergence. We also analyze some of the challenges that these countries continue to face in their development process.
Prerequisite(s): AS.180.101 AND AS.180.102
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
First Year Seminars
AS.001.174. FYS: Women and Family in Chinese Film. 3 Credits.
From the early 20th century, Chinese society underwent a turbulent process of modern transformation. Industrialization, urbanization, and democratization challenged previous gender and family norms. Meanwhile, at exactly this time, the Chinese film industry flourished, especially in the modern metropolis of Shanghai. Women and family provided a useful microcosm through which to explore national questions related to revolution, war, and modernity. They also entertained a public eager for new leisure pursuits. Popular feature films not only recorded but also interpreted and helped shape family and gender roles. Using filmic representations as the main material this First-Year Seminar will survey the "family question" (and "the woman question") in 20th century China
AS.001.294. FYS: Living and Writing Across Cultures. 3 Credits.
Many of us live across multiple cultures, but those real, visceral experiences often go unrecognized or even suppressed in our everyday lives. Whether stemming from migration, relocation, family backgrounds, or even the global ubiquity of social media and pop culture content, more people are living cross-cultural lives than ever before. And yet, the existing vocabularies appear quite inadequate to grasp the nuances, challenges, and complexities of those lives. Going beyond overused notions like cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism, and cultural hybridity, we explore in this First-Year Seminar what it means for us as individuals to live and exist across multiple cultures and consider the roles reading and writing play in making sense of such lives. What happens to us when we cross a cultural boundary? How have cross-cultural experiences been written about and conceptualized in different civilizations and periods of human history? How do economic and political circumstances influence those experiences? How do the transformation of information and media technologies shape them? We examine literary, philosophical, ethnographic, cinematic, and other artistic works from different civilizations and historical periods that engage with cross-cultural lives. Based on discussions of those texts, students are invited to explore their own cross-cultural experiences through writing and other creative media.
History
AS.100.143. China: Neolithic to Song. 3 Credits.
This class offers a broad overview of changes in China from Neolithic times through the Song dynasty (roughly from 5000 BCE through the 13th century CE). It features discussion of art, material culture, philosophical texts, religious ideas, and literary works as well as providing a broad overview of politics and society. Close readings of primary sources in discussion sections and extensive use of visual material in lectures will allow students to consider the relationship between what (sources) we have—and what we can know about the past.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.100.170. Chinese Cultural Revolution. 3 Credits.
The Cultural Revolution was Mao Zedong’s last attempt to transform Chinese society spiritually and structurally. The events of this period were marked by social upheaval, personal vendettas, violence, massive youth movements, and extreme ideological pressure. What were the causes of the Cultural Revolution? How was it experienced and how is it remembered? To what extent are its reverberations felt in contemporary Chinese society, politics, and literature? How have subsequent events affected our understanding of the Cultural Revolution decade? This course will explore the Cultural Revolution from a variety of perspectives, focusing on the relationship between events in China from 1966-1976, and their subsequent interpretation as history and in historical memory in China and beyond.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.245. Islam East of the Middle East: The Interconnected Histories of Islam in Asia. 3 Credits.
Challenging the conception that Islam is synonymous with the Middle East, this course considers Muslim populations across Asia and interrogates how Islam and these regions have shaped one another.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
AS.100.301. America after the Civil Rights Movement. 3 Credits.
This course explores the history of late twentieth-century America by examining the social, economic, and political legacies of 1960s civil rights protest for the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.329. Animals in Chinese and Japanese History. 3 Credits.
Everyday, we all have encounters with animals: the mosquito that bites our arm, the rat that runs in front of us on the sidewalk, the dog that greets us upon our return home. These interactions are quotidian, but rarely reflected in the histories that we read. In this class, we will bring the animal back into the narratives that we tell by considering history from a multispecies perspective. Taking the examples of China and Japan, we will see how animals, both real and metaphoric, played a critical role in the political, economic, religious, and social lives of our historical, human, actors. We will see how the inclusion of animals in history bolsters and challenges history as it has been written and gain a deeper understanding of how our current mores regarding animals came to be. Our class will begin with a discussion of Japan and China in the 17th century and end with contemporary controversies surrounding Japanese whaling and shark fin soup. Throughout the course we will consider the ethical and philosophical ramifications of our inquiries like the agency of non-human animals. Designed for upper-level undergraduate students interested in the history of East Asia, prior knowledge of the region will be useful but is not required.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.330. National Identity in 20th Century China & Japan. 3 Credits.
Using primary sources, including literature and film, we will explore the changing ways in which ideologues, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens defined national identity in 20th century China and Japan.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.100.332. Early Asian Latin America. 3 Credits.
From 1565 to 1815, the Manila galleons sailed between Spanish colonies in the Philippines and Mexico. Thousands of free and enslaved Asians from all over coastal Asia disembarked these ships at Acapulco and, within decades, could be found throughout Mexico, Central America, and Peru. A second and larger migratory wave of Chinese and South Asian contract laborers arrived in the Caribbean and South America during the nineteenth century. This course examines these two waves and their entanglements to chart the trajectories of the earliest Asian diasporas in the Americas. In the evaluation of these topics, we will pay close attention to racialization, cross-cultural exchange, lived experience, and unfree labor.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.347. Early Modern China. 3 Credits.
The history of China from the 16th to the late 19th centuries.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.348. 20th-Century China. 3 Credits.
Survey of the history of China from ca. 1895 to ca. 1976.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.422. Society & Social Change in 18th Century China. 3 Credits.
What did Chinese local society look like under the Qing Empire, and how did it change over the early modern era?
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.482. Historiography of Modern China. 3 Credits.
How has the history of modern China been told by Chinese, Western, and Japanese historians and social thinkers, and how did this affect popular attitudes and government policies toward China?
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.100.613. Modern Japanese and Korean Histories. 3 Credits.
This graduate-level seminar provides an overview of innovative works in the overlapping histories of modern Japan and Korea. We will read both “classic” and recent works that will help us analyze the following: 1) trends in the historiographies of Japan and Korea; 2) analytical, conceptual, and political challenges in the writing of Japanese/imperial and Korean/colonial history; and 3) recent global, microhistorical, and transnational methodologies. Discussions will focus as much on the craft of writing history as on the content of it.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS.100.623. Telling Japanese Histories. 3 Credits.
A graduate-level seminar on the political, social, and intellectual concerns that have both shaped and undermined dominant ways of telling Japanese history, especially in Japan and the U.S. since 1945.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS.100.733. Reading Qing Documents. 3 Credits.
Open also to advanced undergraduates with at least one semester of Classical Chinese. This course has several objectives. First and foremost, it is a hands-on document reading class designed to familiarize students with the skills, sources, and reference materials necessary to conduct research in Qing history. To that end, we will spend much of our time reading documents. At the same time, we will engage in problem solving exercises designed to develop and enhance basic research skills. Finally, we will consider important archive-based secondary works which demonstrate the ways in which historians have made use of Qing documents in their scholarship.
AS.100.756. Reading Seminar in Chinese History. 3 Credits.
This reading seminar will introduce graduate students and advanced undergraduates (by permission) to recent English-language scholarship in the field (mostly) of early modern Chinese history.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
History of Art
AS.010.290. Women, Gender, and Sexuality: An Introduction to the History of Chinese Art. 3 Credits.
An introduction to Chinese Art, with a focus on the (often absence of) women, through the lens of gender and sexuality.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.010.327. Asia America: Art and Architecture. 3 Credits.
This course examines a set of case studies spanning the last century that will enable us to explore the shifting landscape of Asian transnational art and architecture. Each week will focus on a different artist, group, exhibition, architect, urban space, or site to unpack artists' and architects' engagements with the changing landscape of immigration policies, movements to build solidarity with other artists of color, and campaigns for gender and sexual equality. The course will situate these artists within American art, and build an expansive idea of AsiaAmerica to include the discussion of artists whose work directly addresses fluidity of location and transnational studio practice.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.010.341. Asian Modernisms. 3 Credits.
This course aims to introduce students to the multiple modalities of modernism in Asia. We will acquire the critical tools to understand the complex and rich discussions surrounding “modernism” in the art traditions in Asia, and challenge a few fraught preconceptions: Firstly, instead of treating “Asia” as the monolithic “other” to the West, we acknowledge the plurality and multiculturality in Asian art that are eclipsed in the term “Asia” and learn the many different traditions and norms that the practitioners and theorists of modern art grappled with. Secondly, we examine how Asian artists dynamically engage with issues and ideas of modernisms that are circulated in global modern art. Thirdly, we discuss the interstitial spaces created by Asian modern artists in their engagements with both traditions and the modern art world. Last but most importantly, we challenge the notion that modernism is a Euro-American invention and exclusively in the Western art historical context. Instead, we locate these practices of modernism in Asia in each of their own histories, and understand how they try to reconfigure modern art in their contexts. The period we cover is what is considered modern and contemporary, ranging from the late 19th Century to present, but with a focus on the 20th Century. We study movements, artworks, artists, concepts changes in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Asian diaspora in the world (the list of countries are in alphabetic order). Students are also encouraged in this course to explore areas and topics that the course does not explicitly cover but need innovative research in.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.010.356. Landscape in World Cinema. 3 Credits.
Landscape in narrative cinema has silent enunciating power. The choice of location shots alone constitutes a set of complex considerations. We may wonder, why was Monument Valley featured in so many westerns? Is it only because of the site’s marvelous photogenicity, or its geographic location, or its social and historical significance? The formal and stylistic choices filmmakers made regarding how landscape is represented on screen, whether as a real or a fictional site, also reveal critical engagements with both social reality and the pictorial conventions of landscape art. Does it look barren or lush? sublime or banal? What is the concept of nature, what is a “view,” or picturesque, and how are these critical questions in representations of landscape framed and mediated in cinema? Does the representation of landscape work for or against the storyline unfolding on screen? What does it tell us about social reality, ecological concerns, and political commentary?This course examines landscape in narrative cinema not only as subject or part of the mise-en-scene but also as a way of seeing, a site of expression, and locus of social, historical, and political meaning. Each week we explore a film genre or a film movement, for example, Western, or Japanese New Wave, and study how landscape functions in that genre. Students are expected to watch films, read, and analyze both the readings and films carefully prior to coming to class. As a term project, each student selects a particular site (any site of their choice) for the focus of their study and research of cinematic landscape in the course. These sites can be a place personal to you, or a place you think is interesting or important in cinema. There will be workshops during the course of the semester to help complete the final project.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
AS.010.373. Art and Politics in Modern China. 3 Credits.
Art has always been intertwined with politics; one can even say art is always political. In modern China, this statement is especially poignant. The relationship between art and politics has been at the core of art production in China in the past century, and a perennial preoccupation of those in power, including now. This course will therefore examine three major threads: the documents, dictums, and decrees by the artists and by the regimes concerning the nature, function, and practice of art and artists in the 20th century, for example, Mao’s famous Yan’an talk in 1942; artists’ response to and art’s participation in the important political events and historical moments, for example, the 1989 democracy movement; we will also examine the space of resistance, intervention, and alterity that art created in modern China, concerning topics of gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, ecocriticism, privacy, and questions of historiography. The period we examine will begin at the end of the 19th century when artists struggled with a crumbling empire facing the onslaught of modernity, to the present.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.010.386. Modern Art in a Global Frame. 3 Credits.
This course will grapple with modern art as it emerges in critically important locations around the world over the course of the twentieth century, with an emphasis on Asia, Africa, and South America. Anti-colonial movements, national formations, geopolitical alliances, institution-building, exhibition, fair, and biennial histories, art group manifestos, and the intertwined relations of race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender, class, and sexuality. Museum visits to view works of art in person will be incorporated into the course.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Writing Intensive
AS.010.451. Script, Character, Scribble: Writing and Pseudo-Writing in Modern and Contemporary Art. 3 Credits.
Almost readable, but not quite: artists in the twentieth and twenty-first century played with script of all kinds, from ancient glyphs and Persian script to Roman typefaces and Korean Hangul. Artists also scribbled in ways that evoke writing without script or meaning. This course takes on the question of meaning-making in art through the form of script—flirting with that tantalizing feeling that we can almost read the work of art through the marks on its surface. We will engage with artists from around the world whose work grapples with knowledge, meaning, and script, and discuss the limits and possibilities of legibility, knowing, and language. In addition to painting and drawing, we will also discuss conceptual art, installation, video, architecture, tapestry, ceramics, graphic novel forms, book arts, and sculpture. We will have opportunities to situate these works within longer histories of script and pseudo-script and image-text relations. Our discussion-driven seminars will be guided by readings in art history and theory. The course carries no expectation that you are multi-lingual or have experience with multiple scripts. Central to our semester will be group trips to see art in person in DC and Baltimore. Assignments include an option for short, focused writing with feedback and opportunities to experiment with genre and to rewrite, or a longer seminar paper, chosen in consultation with the professor.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.010.662. Script, Character, Scribble: Writing and Pseudo-Writing in Modern and Contemporary Art. 3 Credits.
Almost readable, but not quite: artists in the twentieth and twenty-first century played with script of all kinds, from ancient glyphs and Persian script to Roman typefaces and Korean Hangul. Artists also scribbled in ways that evoke writing without script or meaning. This course takes on the question of meaning-making in art through the form of script—flirting with that tantalizing feeling that we can almost read the work of art through the marks on its surface. We will engage with artists from around the world whose work grapples with knowledge, meaning, and script, and discuss the limits and possibilities of legibility, knowing, and language. In addition to painting and drawing, we will also discuss conceptual art, installation, video, architecture, tapestry, ceramics, graphic novel forms, book arts, and sculpture. We will have opportunities to situate these works within longer histories of script and pseudo-script and image-text relations. Our discussion-driven seminars will be guided by readings in art history and theory. The course carries no expectation that you are multi-lingual or have experience with multiple scripts. Central to our semester will be group trips to see art in person in DC and Baltimore. Assignments include an option for short, focused writing with feedback and opportunities to experiment with genre and to rewrite, or a longer seminar paper, chosen in consultation with the professor.
Distribution Area: Humanities
Writing Intensive
AS.010.675. Transnational Asian Art: Modernism in Motion. 3 Credits.
This seminar will examine a constellation of readings and moments in the history of Asian art since c. 1900 through the lens of the transnational. We’ll unpack this term and some of its relations including cosmopolitan, diaspora, and global, and then turn to several case studies of exchange, contact, engagement across geographies in the long 20th century. These include: pan-Asian aesthetics as discussed in India-Japan exchanges in the 1910s, Chinese artists who study and live in Paris in the 1920s and (sometimes) return to China, the concept of “international contemporaneity” as articulated in 1960s Japanese art, India’s engagement with internationalism and “indigenism” in the 1960s, Japan–US interfaces in the 1960s and 1970s, Marxist art and art histories in India in the 1970s and 1980s, the “East Village” in Beijing and NYC in the 1980s and 1990s, and the Chinese avant-garde in a post-Maoist context.
Distribution Area: Humanities
History of Science, Medicine, and Technology
AS.140.149. Histories of Public Health in Asia. 3 Credits.
This class explores histories of diseases, epidemics, and therapeutics in Asia. We will examine the rise of public health and the nation-state and the social and political factors that guided the outcomes of public health campaigns. Who was helped? Who was harmed? Why? How? To answer these questions, we will compare both top-down and bottom-up movements to understand questions of access and ethics in different communities—ethnic, racial, and religious—and the handling of different diseases that were acute, infectious, and chronic.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.140.305. History of Science and Technology in East Asia. 3 Credits.
This course offers a survey of knowledge traditions in understanding/intervening nature and modern scientific/technological enterprises in East Asia and how they originated and have evolved over time. Material, philosophical, and social contexts/impacts will be highlighted throughout. Topics range from subjects recognized as traditional medicine, astronomy, classification, genetics, fishery, and biotechnology to themes regarding science and technology’s relations with the state, politics, colonialism, postcolonialism, and the environment. Class activities include lectures, discussions, research seminars, and a final research project/presentation.
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.140.334. Science, National Security, and Race: the US-East Asia Scientific Connections. 3 Credits.
America’s scientific connections with China, its East Asian allies, and the rest of the world are heavily shaped by geopolitics nowadays. This course traces the historical root of these connections and invites you to explore the movement of knowledge and people, the omnipresence of the state and concerns about national security, and the career of Asian American students and scientists. It aims to equip you with a set of analytical tools to understand the complicated dynamics of the transnational scientific community between America and East Asian countries. As nationalism regains momentum globally, it is time to look back on history and think about how we should approach the increasingly tumultuous world!
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.140.341. Robots: The Measure of the Human. 3 Credits.
Will we end up oppressed by robot overlords? Will robots become our lovers and caretakers? Can we solve societal problems by building yet more sophisticated robotic machines? Will we find ourselves out of work as technologies take over tasks once considered the exclusive domain of humans?In this course we will question our hopes and fears by examining the global development of robotics, the entanglement of technology with politics and economics, and the impact—real or imagined—that robots are having on society. We will marvel at the ingenuity of French and Japanese automata of centuries past, scrutinize assumptions about labor, race and gender in automation and “labor saving” technologies, examine how the “intelligence” of AI is understood differently in Japan vs the US, ponder the “uncanny valley” phenomenon, and meet a quirky cast of robotic prototypes including Shakey, Eliza, Wabot I and II, Aibo, Kismet, Paro, Asimo, Actroids, Repelees, Sophia, Pepper, and Hyodol. By contrasting technological and social histories of actual robots with fictional representations in literature, animation, and film, we will seek answers to persistent questions about our inevitable robotic futures.
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3)
Writing Intensive
AS.140.367. International Development in Action: America’s Cold War Technical Cooperation in East Asia. 3 Credits.
Technical cooperation has been one of the most favored formats of international development because it aims to provide internal capacity for future development. Nevertheless, technical cooperation has been a site of political conflicts where different countries, social groups, capital funds, forms of knowledge, expertise, and opportunities collide. This course critically analyzes the political, diplomatic, social, and cultural surroundings of technical cooperation projects between the United States and East Asia during the second half of the 20th century. The course has three parts, each focusing on 1) theoretical and conceptual approaches to technical cooperation projects in East Asia, 2) different stakeholders, and 3) specific examples that display how the projects unfolded in real-life situations. Throughout the course, students will analyze various formats of historical sources such as photography, diary, correspondence, pamphlet, interview transcripts, and more!
Distribution Area: Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.140.665. History of Science and Technology in Asia. 3 Credits.
The seminar introduces classic and recent scholarly literature for a series of discussions on significant themes and debates in history of science, medicine, and technology in East Asia. Students learn the necessary scholarly background to effectively evaluate ideas and approaches in the subject and gain critical perspectives for their own research. The final project can be either an historiographical essay or a term paper based on original research. Students are recommended to attend lectures in AS.140.305 when possible.
Distribution Area: Humanities
Writing Intensive
International Studies
AS.192.225. Economic Growth and Development in East Asia. 3 Credits.
Over the past three decades, East Asia has been the most dynamic region in the world. East Asia has a remarkable record of high and sustained economic growth. From 1965 to 1990, the twenty-three economies of East Asia grew faster than all other regions of the world mostly thanks to the ‘miraculous growth’ of Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand; these eight countries, in fact, have grown roughly three times as fast as Latin America and South Asia, five times faster than Sub-Saharan Africa, and significantly outperformed the industrial economies and the oil-rich Middle East and North Africa regions. Poverty levels have plummeted and human-development indicators have improved across the region. The course is divided into three parts to allow students to develop expertise in one or more countries and/or policy arenas, while also cultivating a broad grasp of the region and the distinct challenges of “fast-paced, sustained economic growth.” Part I will introduce the subject, consider the origins of Asian economic development, and analyse the common economic variables behind the region’s success. It will look at the East Asian Crisis and will consider its lessons and assess whether or not East Asian countries have learned them. While the course will show that there are many common ingredients to the success of the region’s economies, it will also show that each country is different, and that differences could be, at times, quite stark. Hence, Part II will focus on the development experiences of individual countries, with a special emphasis on the ASEAN economies, NIEs, Japan and China. Finally, Part III will consider various topics of special interest to Asia, including trends toward greater regional economic cooperation, both in the real and financial/monetary sectors, and issues related to poverty, migration, and inclusiveness in the region. NOTE: Contact Dr. Dore if prerequisites are not met.
Prerequisite(s): AS.180.101 AND AS.180.102
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.192.345. Trade Wars: Easy to Win, Good, or Fantastically Disruptive?. 3 Credits.
Changing technologies, economic and market conditions challenge the international system of rules governing trade and make it more susceptible to the possibility of trade wars. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach toward understanding current trade wars and the world trading system. You will learn what international trade policy is about, why it becomes politicized, how trade policies are formulated in the U.S., the European Union and East Asian countries, especially China, and how current trade policies are governed by international agreements and laws (i.e., the WTO). Along the way, the course will explore current trade trends and how they affect consumers, workers, firms, and industries globally, as well as whether trade wars boost the fortunes of countries/regions that remain outside the fray, have shaped and changed relationships among world’s big and small trade partners, aided or damaged bilateral, multilateral trade agreements, or the relevance of the WTO.
Prerequisite(s): AS.180.101 AND AS.180.102
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.192.404. Autocracy, Democracy and Development: Korea, Indonesia and Myanmar. 3 Credits.
East Asia’s “miracle growth” has not gone hand in hand with a decisive move toward democracy. Over the last 30 years, only eight East Asian countries have become democratic out of more than 60 countries worldwide, and they continue to struggle with the challenges of democratic consolidation, weak political governance, and limited citizens’ political engagement. This course explores the reasons why democratization proceeds slowly in East Asia, and seems to be essentially decoupled from the region’s fast-paced economic growth. The choice of Korea, Indonesia, and Myanmar as the case studies for this course results from their authoritarian past as well as their more recent institutional and political trajectories towards democracy.Contact instructor if prerequisites are not met.
Prerequisite(s): AS.180.101 AND AS.180.102
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
Philosophy
AS.150.241. Introduction to the History of Chinese Philosophy. 3 Credits.
This is a survey of the main philosophers and philosophical schools in China from the classical age to the early modern age. Special focus is given to three historical periods: the pre-Qin era, the Wei-Jin era, and the Song-Ming era. We will see how Chinese philosophers tackled important questions such as what the world is like, are human beings special, how we should live our lives, and how we should construct a political community. Some of the philosophers surveyed are Confucius (Kongzi), Laozi, Mencius (Mengzi), Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Guo Xiang, Zhu Xi, and Wang Yangming..
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
Political Science
AS.190.224. The Politics and Society of E. Asia. 3 Credits.
This introductory course seeks to examine the politics of China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan as part of a distinct region. We will seek to understand how individual polities responded to regional developments and trends, such as the tide of colonialism, socialism, regional economic developments, and democracy. The course will introduce students to the most pressing questions concerning the rise of China, the future of the innovation economy, and intra-regional tensions.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.330. Japanese Politics. 3 Credits.
This course introduces students to the major debates and issues of postwar Japanese politics. Topics include nationalism, electoral politics, civil society, and immigration.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.337. Politics of the Korean Diaspora. 3 Credits.
This seminar explores some of the core questions in the study of citizenship, migration, and racial and ethnic politics through the lens of Korean diasporic populations in the United States, Japan, China, and the former Soviet Union. We will examine how immigration, citizenship, and minority policies have structured and constrained the relationship of Korean communities to both the receiving and sending states. As a diasporic group, is there a collective self-identification among members of Korean communities that transcends territorial, hemispheric, linguistic, and cultural differences? Or is the Korean ethnic identity more a reflection of racial and ethnic politics in the receiving society? What factors determine the assimilability of a particular group at a given historical moment?
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.347. A New Cold War? Sino-American Relations in the 21st Century. 3 Credits.
“Can the United States and China avoid a new Cold War? One might think not given disputes over the South China Sea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights, trade, ideology and so much more. Moreover, competition for influence in the developing world and American concerns as to whether China will replace it as the preeminent world power suggest a new Cold War is in the offing. Nevertheless, their extensive economic ties and need to work together to solve common problems such as climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemics argues against a continuing confrontation. This course will examine whether cooperation or conflict will define Sino-American relations, and whether a new Cold War—or even a shooting war—lies in the future.”
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.348. Business, Finance, and Government in E. Asia. 3 Credits.
Business, Finance, and Government in East Asia explores the dynamics of East Asia's economic growth (and crises) over the last fifty years. We will examine Japan's post-war development strategy, the Asian tiger economies, and China's dramatic rise. Centered on case studies of major corporations, this course examines the interplay between politics and economics in East Asia, and considers the following questions: How have businesses navigated East Asia’s complex market environment? In what ways can the state foster economic development? How has the financial system been organized to facilitate investment? What are the long-term prospects for growth in the region?
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.370. Chinese Politics. 3 Credits.
This course is designed to help students better understand the politics of China. Lectures will focus on the tools of governance that China has employed to navigate its transition from plan to market, provide public goods and services to its citizens, and to maintain social control over a rapidly changing society. The course will draw heavily from texts covering a range of subjects including China's political economy, social and cultural developments, regime dynamics, and historical legacies. Students interested in authoritarian resilience, governance, post-communist transition, and domestic will find this course particularly instructive.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.413. Asian American Political Thought. 3 Credits.
Despite growing awareness in other subfields of political science of the importance of Asian Americans as a political constituency, Asian American political theory and thought has yet to be recognized. This course provides an opportunity to investigate and interrogate the possibility of a textual “tradition” of Asian American political thought, including writings by thinkers before the invention of “Asian American” as an analytic, political, and identity category. How do Asian American writers, thinkers, and activists conceive of core political concepts such as freedom, citizenship, inclusion, and justice in the face of longstanding historical injustices–ranging from legal and social exclusion to internment? How do Asian Americans understand, portray, and attempt to alter their social position and relation to state power? What tools of resistance were available to them, and how did they use those tools to negotiate and reconfigure central conceptual categories of political thought and politics? We will engage a wide-ranging group of Asian and Asian American writers as well as contemporary theorists, as well as a variety of genres.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.190.427. Political Economy of Japan and Korea. 3 Credits.
This upper-level seminar examines some of the major debates and issues of postwar Japanese and South Korean political economy. Topics include nationalism, gender politics, civil society, immigration, and US-Japan-South Korea trilateral relations.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1),
Projects and Methods (FA6)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Sociology
AS.230.175. Chinese Revolutions. 3 Credits.
This survey course situates China's political and cultural revolutions within broader transnational contexts from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It examines foreign influences and global entanglements through topics such as Christian missionaries and anti-dynastic revolutions, the contest between the New Culture Movement and the Confucian Revering Movement, Chinese overseas and federalist movements, and the international dimensions of Chinese nationalist projects between 1898 and 1949.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.230.228. Colonialism in Asia and Its Contested Legacies. 3 Credits.
This course examines the impact of colonialism on East and Southeast Asia from the long nineteenth century to the postwar era. Focusing on British Singapore and Hong Kong, and Japanese Korea and Taiwan, it explores colonial social and economic change, as well as postcolonial transformations. Topics include free-trade imperialism, capitalist exploitation, colonial modernity, Pan-Asianism, anticolonial movements, and nation-building in the Cold War.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
AS.230.239. Coffee, Tea and Empires. 3 Credits.
The course examines the modern transformation of social life from the prism of coffee and tea. It traces the mass consumption of these two caffeinated beverages from the expansion of Eurocentric capitalism from the long sixteenth century onwards. It shows the changes in the coffee and tea culture from their respective Asian contexts to the age of mass consumption at the turn of the twentieth century. The topics include cash-crop production, plantation and peasant economy, the public sphere, and food heritage and nationalism.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.230.275. Revolution, Reform and Social Inequality in China. 3 Credits.
This course will examine various aspects of social inequality in China during the Mao and post-Mao eras, including inequality within villages, the rural/urban divide, labor relations, education and health policies, gender and ethnic relations, and the social foundations of elite groups. Each of these topics will be tackled analytically, but the goal is also to understand what it was and is like to live in China as the country has undergone radical social transformations over the past seven decades. The course is writing-intensive and will be conducted as a discussion seminar.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.230.352. Chinese Diaspora: Networks and Identity. 3 Credits.
This course surveys the relationship between China and its migrants and their descendants from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. It highlights the transnational foundation of modern Chinese nationalism. It also compares the divergent formations of the “Chinese question” in North America and postcolonial Southeast Asia. Key concepts include transnationalism, diaspora, ethnic politics, racism, Orientalism, and “united front” work.
Prerequisite(s): Students may not have completed AS.230.217 previously.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
AS.230.377. Health disparities in America. 3 Credits.
This course evaluates contemporary health disparities in the United States through a sociological lens. In particular, this course examines how social positions, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, shape health patterns in the U.S. population. Students will learn how health disparities are defined and measured, potential causes, and strategies to mitigate observed health inequities.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Science and Data (FA2),
Ethics and Foundations (FA5)
AS.230.415. Social Problems in Contemporary China. 3 Credits.
In this course we will examine contemporary Chinese society, looking at economic development, rural transformation, urbanization and migration, labor relations, class structure, governance, and popular protest. The course is designed for both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates should have already completed a course about China.
Distribution Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Citizens and Society (FA4),
Democracy (FA4.1)
EN Foundational Abilities: Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive
Writing Seminars
AS.220.220. Reading Korean Literature in Translation: A Survey. 3 Credits.
An introduction for students unfamiliar with the Korean language but interested in Korean culture / literature. Students will read a variety of translated texts, especially of works written in the 20th and early 21st centuries by authors including Kim Tong-in, Hwang Sun-won, Pak Wanso, Hwang Sok-yong and Han Kang; there will also be classes on traditional sijo poetry. Students will become familiar with Korean literary genres and formal features, and develop a broad understanding of the historical and sociocultural context of Korean literature.
Distribution Area: Humanities
AS Foundational Abilities: Writing and Communication (FA1),
Culture and Aesthetics (FA3),
Citizens and Society (FA4)
EN Foundational Abilities: Creative Expression (FA3),
Engagement with Society (FA4)
Writing Intensive