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Courses
Below is a basic list of Asian Studies courses. For more information, please contact Professor
Ikumi Kaminishi.
Anthropology
120 Contemporary Chinese Society
A descriptive and analytical survey
of Chinese society in traditional, contemporary, and overseas contexts. China
serves as a case study in the anthropological analysis of a complex non-Western
society. Topics include family and kinship, religion, political and economic
systems, and social change. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or consent.
122 Women and Modernity in Asia
Position of women within Asian social
systems, as shaped by social structure, economics, and ideology. Examines
traditional systems of China, Japan, and Southeast Asia and the impact of
widespread literacy and formal education, market penetration, and multinational
labor recruitment, and nonindigenous ideologies (Christianity, Islamism,
socialism) on women's lives in contemporary Asia. Prerequisite: sophomore
standing or consent.
185 Health, Power, and Society in South Asia
Globalization,
outsourcing, urban migration, rural development. National politics, religious
identities, women's movements, family dynamics. These are some of the elements
affecting health and health care in South Asia today. This course will examine
health conditions in South Asia, and the forces and factors that give shape to
illness, disease, healing, reproduction, and access to care. We approach broad
social, cultural and political themes by way of case studies such as the Bhopal
disaster, vaccination campaigns, pharmaceutical markets, changes in indigenous
medicine, comparative models of schizophrenia, and trauma and its aftermath. In
all cases, we will ask how the historical, political, social, and cultural
contexts of South Asia are part of the picture of health and healing, living and
dying.
Art and Art History
11 Buddhist Art (Cross-listed as Comparative Religion 11)
A survey
of the Buddhist art of India, China, and Japan. Painting, sculpture, and
architecture in relation to changing liturgical requirements. Changes in form
and iconography that occurred when Buddhism encountered indigenous traditions.
Offered in alternate years. Kaminishi
10 Japanese Art and the West
Artistic exchange between Japan and the
West from the sixteenth century to the present. Focus on Japan's Occidentalism
and the West's Japonisme movements; also Japanese nationalists' rebellion
against cultural and artistic invasions from the West. Major artists include
Hokusai, Degas, Aoki Shigeru, and Van Gogh. (May be taken at 100 level with
consent; see below.) Kaminishi
13 The Arts of China
Survey of Chinese painting, sculpture,
metalwork, ceramics, and architecture from Neolithic times through the Ch'ing
dynasty, with emphasis on major achievements of each epoch. Offered in alternate
years. Kaminishi
14 The Arts of Japan (Cross-listed as Comparative Religion 14)
Study
of traditional painting, sculpture, architecture, and ceramics from pre-Buddhist
times to the Meiji Restoration (1868). Particular focus on national modes of
expression developed in response to foreign cultural influences. Offered in
alternate years. Kaminishi
15 Japanese Architecture (Cross-listed as Comparative Religion 15)
Historical survey of major developments in Japanese religious and secular
architecture and gardens from pre-Buddhist times to the modern age. (May be
taken at 100 level with consent; see below.) Kaminishi
105 Japanese Architecture
(See Art History 15 for course
description.) Extra assignments and class meetings. Kaminishi
106 Japanese Narrative Painting
The concepts and development of this
major genre of Japanese art from the Heian (794-1185) through the Edo
(1615-1867) periods. Focus will be on the subjects, methods of representation,
narrative devices, and the relationship between text and image. Trips to museum
collections. Prerequisite: Art History 14 or consent. Kaminishi
107 The Japanese Landscape Tradition
Major styles and movements in
monochrome ink and color. The role of Zen Buddhism in establishing the tradition
and changes affected by new patronage groups and foreign influences. Trips to
museum collections. Prerequisite: Art History 14 or consent. Kaminishi
110 Japanese Art and the West
(See Art History 10 for course
description) Extra assignments and class meetings. Kaminishi
191 Seminar in Asian Art
Kaminishi
Chinese
191, 192 Special Topics
Courses and seminars for advanced students.
Members of the program
193, 194 Advanced Directed Study
Guided independent study in Chinese
language, literature, and culture. Prior consent of instructor is required.
Members of the program
61 Classical Chinese Literature
Survey of representative works from
the eleventh century B.C. to the fourteenth century A.D., with emphasis on
recurrent themes, generic developments, and their cultural and historical
contexts. Readings include The Book of Poetry, Songs of the South, early
historical narrative, Han rhyme-prose and folk ballads, Six Dynasties nature
poetry and protofiction, Tang-Song poetry, lyrics and short stories, Yuan songs
and drama. No prerequisites. (May be taken at the 100 level with consent; see
Chinese 161 below.) Staff
62 Modern Chinese Literature
Survey of representative works from the
fourteenth century to the present, with emphasis on recurrent themes, generic
developments, and their cultural and historical contexts. Readings include Ming
short stories, poetry, and drama; Qing novels and lyrics; modern and
contemporary fiction, drama, and poetry. No prerequisites. (May be taken at the
100 level with consent; see Chinese 162 below.) Zhong
70 Defining Chinese Culture Today
Modern perspectives on the problem
of defining Chinese culture and locating Chinese tradition in a contemporary
context. Selected readings in the popular culture, mass media, and literature of
pre- and post-1949 China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States, together
with scholarship from these and other areas. No prerequisites. (May be taken at
the 100 level with consent; see Chinese 170 below.) Zhong
71 Introduction to Religions of China (Cross-listed as
Comparative Religion 53)
Historical introduction to texts and contexts of major
Chinese religions from Shang Dynasty shamanic practices to debates about
religion in contemporary China. Historical and literary approaches to the study
of religions in China. Interactions between folk and elite traditions, and
alternating syncretism and competition between religions.
75 Chinese Mythology
Introduction to Chinese mythology and
its literary traditions. Readings in selected Chinese stories of myth and
legend, and studies of their historical context, narrative and poetic
traditions, and underlying cultural values and worldviews. Terminology and
approaches of Chinese literary studies and comparative mythology will also be
introduced. No prerequisites. Taught in English.
76 The Chinese Ghost Story
The forms and uses of the ghost
story in classical Chinese cosmographic, philosophical, historiographic, and
literary traditions from the third century B.C. to the eighteenth century.
Special emphasis on the poetics and politics of the ghost story in classical
Chinese moral, political, and literary discourses. No prerequisites. Taught in
English.
78 Youth and Culture in Modern China
How "youth" came to be
conceptualized in modern China and for what reasons. Reading, watching, and
discussing modern Chinese fiction, poetry, essays, film, and scholarly writings.
How, as a modern political, social, and cultural category, youth has played a
unique role in China's quest for modernization. No prerequisites. Taught in
English.
80 Chinese Cinema: 1930s-1980s
Evolution of Chinese film over the
last half-century and how cinematic changes reflect social, cultural, and
political changes. Cinematic styles and techniques employed by generations of
filmmakers and the different subject matter that has preoccupied them.
Relationships between Chinese film and politics, culture, Western and
traditional Chinese aesthetic values, Hollywood, and the unsolved issues of
modernity. No prerequisites. Zhong
81 Cinema of Greater China: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the PRC
A comparative exploration of films made in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the PRC in
recent decades. Examination of how political, economic, and ideological contexts
affect filmmaking in these different "Chinese" regions; how these differences
help demonstrate diversities, specificities, contradictions, as well as
interactions within and between these Chinese communities. No prerequisites.
Zhong
91, 92 Special Topics
101 Foundations of Chinese Thought
Early Chinese intellectual
tradition from its beginnings in the second millennium B.C. to the third century
B.C. Confucianism, Daoism, Maoism, Legalism, and yin-yang philosophy. Basic
orientations of Chinese thought vis-a-vis Western philosophy; relationship
between traditional Chinese values and Marxism/communism; the cultural relevance
of Chinese thought to the contemporary world. No prerequisites.
111 Cultural Perspectives on Chinese Literature
Major aspects of
traditional Chinese culture via texts in poetry, prose, philosophy, fiction, and
drama. Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist world views and ideals of life as
expressed in literature; cultural heroes; voices of women and the common people;
the literati's quest for cultural identity; reclusion and utopianism; man and
nature; attitudes toward love, family, war, time, and death; comparison with
Western perspectives. No prerequisites. Staff
112 Women and Modernity in Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature
Discussion from a gendered perspective of issues confronting China and Chinese
writers in the twentieth century. Focus on the May Fourth period (1920s-30s) and
the post-Cultural Revolution period (1980s). How does modern Chinese history
"overdetermine" literary representations of men and women? How do men and women
writers respond to social/cultural changes? Anxieties of male writers and the
recent debate over "real" men and "real" women. No prerequisites.
Zhong
191, 192 Seminars on Special Topics
193, 194 Directed Study
Comparative Religion
43 Asian Religions
A survey of the living religions of Asia from a
historical point of view. Special attention is given to historical development,
the major tenets of faith, and the distinctive ceremonies. Religions studied
include Shintoism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
44 Introduction to Hinduism
In this course, we will be examining
various aspects of Hinduism, focusing on aspects of continuity and change. The
course will begin with some of the more important texts of the Hindu tradition
and we will look at issues relating to ideas of God, Gods, the soul, ritual and
caste duties. We will also look at modern Hindu practices in India, the Hindu
epic The Ramayana and its impact on religious practices and politics in modern
India. Walser
45 Introduction to Buddhism
This course will be a study of the history and doctrine of Buddhism as it has
developed in India, Sri Lanka, China, Korea and Japan. We will cover the various
theories of the Buddha, meditation, Nirvana, and the Buddhist doctrine of the
"Age of Decline." This course will provide a balance between doctrinal,
historical, and social approaches to the study of Buddhism. Walser
53 Introduction to the Religions of China (Cross-listed as
Chinese 71)
Historical introduction to texts and contexts of major Chinese
religions from Shang Dynasty shamanic practices to debates about religion in
contemporary China. Historical and literary approaches to the study of religions
in China. Interactions between folk and elite traditions, and alternating
syncretism and competition between religions.
54 Japanese Religion
A study of Shinto and Japanese Buddhism and
their roles in Japanese society and culture, with attention to recent
developments, including nationalistic Shinto and the new religions of Japan.
141 Indian Philosophies
This seminar will examine in detail the doctrine and the
arguments of the major schools of Indian Philosophy. We will examine the way
that these schools attempt to ground their religious doctrine and methods in
sound logical argumentation. Specifically we will cover the range of Indian
arguments concerning the soul, God, Nirvana, and the path leading to it. To this
end, we will cover the Samkhya, Buddhist, Vedanta, Nyaya-Vaisesika and
Navya-Nyaya Schools of Indian Philosophy. Walser
144 Tantra
Advanced seminar examining the origins and
practices of Asian tantra and its connections to indigenous medical and
alchemical theories. Focus on theory and social context of two systems: Saivism
and Buddhist Vajrayana. Prerequisite: consent.
Drama and Dance
49 Asian-American Theatre and Film
[This is an
Asian-American course. Only one Asian-American course counts toward Asian
Studies Major.] Survey of Asian-American film and live performance from the
1970s to the present, with emphasis on their exploration of cultural and racial
difference, gender, sexuality, family, generational conflict, ethnicity, and
identity. Weekly or bi-weekly film screenings required. No prerequisite. (May be
taken at 100 level for graduate credit.) Conceison
68 Twentieth Century Chinese Theatre
Survey of spoken drama
as it was imported from the West and adapted to Chinese social, cultural, and
political contexts throughout the twentieth-century. Particular attention to
representational politics and avant-garde theatre since the 1980s. Conceison
144 Asian Performance
Survey of performance traditions and
contemporary forms from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia (including
both text-based and non-textual performance) in the context of theories such as
interculturalism, Orientalism, and postcolonialism. No prerequisite. Conceison
History
03GL US Imperialism in Asia
Theories of imperialism. U.S. involvements in Asia and the Pacific from the
overthrow of the Hawai'ian monarchy in 1893 to the present. Comparative
perspectives of British, Japanese imperialisms. U.S. acquisition of the
Philippines and Guam in 1898; suppression of the Philippines Insurgency;
U.S.-Japan rivalry to 1945; the Korean and Vietnam Wars; U.S. involvement in the
Middle East, Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. The Cold War; geopolitics of oil; the
"manufucture of consent" in the mainstream media. Two substantial research
papers; no prerequisites. Leupp
42XX Introductory Special Topics: East Asia/South Asia
42GL Religion in Asian History [CR42: Religion in Asian History]
Religion in ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley; among Indo-Iranian
peoples. The Vedas; Brahmanistic philosophical speculation; Zoroastrianism and
Mithraism in Persia. Origins and development of Judaism. Jainism and Buddhism;
diffusion of Buddhism throughout Asia. Christianity and its development in
southwest Asia; Christian Gnosticism in Syria; Nestorian Christianity. Chinese
religion; Daoism and Confucianism. Buddhism in China, Korea and Japan. Japanese
prehistoric religion; Shinto and the ruling family cult. Neo-Confucianism and
religious eclecticism. Islam, its diffusion, and interaction with other belief
systems in Asia. The Kyoto school of philosophical Zen. Twentieth century
Marxist critiques of religion in India, China and Japan. Leupp
43 China to the Opium War
A broad survey of China's
political, social, economic, and cultural history to 1943. Ancient worldviews
and philosophies, legitimacy and structure of the imperial system, identity and
function of the social elite, evolving sense of Chinese identity. Kuo
44 Modern China, 1839 to the Present
A broad survey of
China's political, social, and cultural history from the Opium War to the
present. China's long struggle for modernization in a global context; the
everyday lives of the Chinese people as well as major events; the complexity and
diversity of modern China in historical perspective. Kuo
47 Japan to 1868
Prehistoric times to the eve of the Meiji
Restoration. Emphasis upon early continental ties; Shinto, Buddhist, and
Confucian traditions; Japanese feudalism; struggles for control of land and
peasants; the changing composition of the ruling class; incipient capitalism of
the Tokugawa period; breakdown of the Tokugawa order. Primary materials used in
translation. Leupp
48 Japan from 1868 to the Present
From the eve of the Meiji
Restoration to the twentieth century. Topics include the unequal treaties with
Western powers, the Meiji Restoration, early industrialization, growth of the
imperialist state, fascism, war, defeat, recovery, and recent role as a member
of the Western camp. Leupp
51 South Asia, 1000-2000
Society, economy, and politics in
South Asia (mainly present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) from c. 1000 to
c. 2000. India's ancient heritage, Indo-Islamic society and culture, the Mughal
empire, eighteenth-century regional states, the establishment of British
dominion, social and religious reforms, nationalism before and after Gandhi, and
partition of India and recent developments. Significant use of audiovisual
material. Jalal
53 South Asia in the Twentieth Century
A comparative
historical analysis of state structures and political processes in late-colonial
and postcolonial South Asia, particularly India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Themes include the reasons for the partition of 1947, the nature of the colonial
legacy, the origins of democracy and military authoritarianism, the history of
development, the shifting balance between central and regional power, and the
ongoing clash between so-called secular and religiously informed ideologies.
Jalal
62XX Introductory Special Topics: Middle East/Central Asia
64 The Mongol Empire
History of the nomad empires of Eurasia, from
the development of mounted nomadism to its decline in the seventeenth century.
The Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan and its many successor states that
lasted into the modern period. Political traditions, the relation of nomads to
settled peoples, the legacy of the Mongol Empire in both settled and nomad
worlds. Manz
132 Religion in Japanese History
(Cross-listed as Religion 136.)
Traces development of religious ideas and institutions from prehistory to the
present, stressing connections to broad socioeconomic and cultural trends.
Topics include Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, Christian missions, and new
religions. Leupp
133 Japanese History through Literature
Reading and discussion of
primary sources with both historical and literary interest, including
representative samples of chronicles, courtly diaries, war tales, novels, kabuki
dramas. Leupp
134 Tokugawa Japan. Japanese history from 1603 to 1868
Emphasis upon
the Tokugawa legacy to modern Japan. Topics include commercial growth, the urban
tradition, feudal-bureaucratic rule, philosophical and religious thought,
education, gender and sexuality, and peasant rebellions. Prerequisite: History
69 or consent. Leupp
135 Gender and Sexuality in Japanese History
Discussion of ancient
matriarchy, marriage customs, the status of women in ancient courtly and
medieval military society, female samurai, childhood, initiation rites, monastic
and samurai homosexuality, male and female prostitution, ruling-class
"deployment" of sexuality, and the appeal of androgyny in theater and other
arts. Leupp
139 Nationalism and its Critics in South Asia
South Asian
nationalisms in a theoretical and comparative context. This course reassesses
the equation between anticolonialism and nationalism as well as the binary
opposition between secular nationalism and religious communalism. Jalal
140 Religion, Law, and Misplaced Secularity in South Asia
(Cross-listed as Comparative Religion 140.) The historical relationship between
religion and law in the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial periods. A
reconceptualization of the separation of public and private, secular and
religious. How Indian self-perceptions of religiously informed identities were
shaped by the challenge of colonial modernity, and their influence upon
anticolonial nationalism and postcolonial national ideologies. Jalal
141 Decolonization in Asia
Comparative historical study of
the processes of decolonization in Asia with particular reference to the end of
the British Raj in South Asia. The independence and partition of India will be
compared to British withdrawal from Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Burma, and Malaya.
Jalal
142 Nationalism and Ethnic Relations in Central Asia
History of inner
Asia from the eighteenth century to present. Expansion of Russia and China into
Mongolia, Turkestan, and the Caucasus, and the history of minority nationalities
in the Russian and Chinese empires. Special attention to the formation of
national republics and ethnic relations in the Soviet Union. Manz
182 Seminar in East Asian History
183 Seminar in South Asian History
192 Special Topics in East Asian History
193 Special Topics in South Asian History
Japanese
93, 94 Directed Study
Guided independent study in Japanese language
and culture. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department
191J, 192J Seminar on Special Topics
Intensive reading on selected
topics. Conducted entirely in Japanese. Prerequisite: Japanese 124 or
equivalent. Hirata, Inouye
61 An Introduction to Japanese Culture
Fundamental principles of
Japanese thought and sensibility: animism and communion with the dead,
transience, the beauty of sorrow. China as a source of high culture. Focus on
the Noh plays and their literary sources. Cross-cultural comparisons. No
prerequisites. (May be taken at the 100 level with consent; see Japanese 161
below.) Inouye
62 Modern Japanese Literature
A study of modernity and the meaning of
postmodernity. Crucial Japanese texts from 1600 to the Second World War. No
prerequisites. (May be taken at the 100 level with consent; see Japanese 162
below.) Inouye
63 Postwar Japanese Literature: Modern to Postmodern
Introduction to
representative writers of the postwar period, including Tanizaki, Kawabata,
Mishima, Tsushima, and Murakami. Examines the nature of Japanese culture after
the War, focusing on such issues as the devastation of the War, the effect of
the occupation, the "economic miracle" of reconstruction, and changing work and
gender roles. Taught in English. No prerequisites. (May be taken at the 100
level with consent; see Japanese 163 below.) Hirata
80 Japanese Film
Survey of important Japanese films, including
internationally renowned works by the "masters," Mizoguchi, Ozu, and Kurosawa;
the '60s avant-garde cinema of Oshima and Shinoda; and some innovative works by
contemporary filmmakers such as Itami and Morita. Understanding Japanese culture
through its cinema and exploring that cinema's relation to Western cultural
hegemony. Taught in English. No prerequisites. Hirata
81 The World of Japanese Animation: Culture, Cult, and
Commerce
The themes, directors, and imagery of Japanese animation (anime).
Analysis of animation as a medium. Discussion of relation between
manga and anime and cultural roots of both media. Study of major
themes--elegiac, carnival-esque, and apocalyptic. From prewar
military propaganda to the contemporary work of Satoshi Kon, Hayao
Miyazaki, Mamoru Oshii and Katsuhiro Otomo. The anime industry and
the spread of anime worldwide. A consideration of otaku culture.
Taught in English. Napier
84 East-West Perspectives of Fascism: Germany and Japan
(Cross-listed
as German 84 and World Civilizations 22.) Comparative study of fascism, its
history and foundations in social and political developments and ideologies;
philosophical and historical concepts through literature, art, myth. The
structure of fascism and fascist iconography. Fascist tendencies in modern Japan
and Germany. In English. Satisfies the humanities distribution and world
civilizations requirement. Innouye, Martin
91, 92 Special Topics
Courses on selected themes and authors.
Conducted in English.
110 Major Japanese Writers
A study of major Japanese men and women
novelists, their works, and their social contexts. Selection of authors varies
year to year, but normally includes Soseki, Enchi Furniko, Mishima, Kawabata,
Oe, Yoshimoto Banana, Murakami Haruki. Inouye, Hirata
111 Japanese Poetry
A study of Japanese poetry from its classical
forms of waka and haiku to its modern transformations through various Western
modernist movements. Encompasses both classical and modern modes. Investigation
of changes in the function of poetry through history. The reciprocal
relationship between Western and Japanese poetics. Hirata
112 Major Japanese Film Directors
An in-depth study of one or two
important Japanese film directors, such as Kurosawa, Ozu, and Oshima. Enrollment
limited to 15. Prerequisite: Japanese 80 or consent. Hirata
113 Japanese Visual Culture
Examination of the roots of manga (comic
books) and anime (animation) through a study of the Japanese narrative tradition
and its close ties to the visual arts. Emphasis on illustrated gesuku (frivolous
letters) texts, the theater, and the woodblock prints of the Edo and Meiji
periods. Comparison with the manga of Osamu Tezuku, and with the anime of
Miyazaki Hayao. Inouye
114 Gender in Japanese Culture
The role of femininity and masculinity in Japanese culture, from the
writings of Muraskai Shikibu, creator of "The Tale of Genji" to the
heroines of contemporary Japanese animation (anime). Our sources
will include , literature, film, essays, television series, manga
(comics) and anime. The role of women as a repository of tradition,
the use of women in contemporary horror films, the rise and fall of
the iconic salaryman, the crisis in contemporary masculinity, and
issues in queer sexuality. Taught in English. Napier
116 The Writings of Natsume Soseki
The essays and novels of the brilliant yet tortured Natsume Soseki ,
one of modern Japan's most important writers. A consideration of his
turbulent times and of his major themes--woman as oasis, modern
masculinity, redemption, the omnipresent allure of death. An
assessment of his role in the formation of the modern Japanese
literary canon. Taught in English. Napier
161 An Introduction to Japanese Culture
(See Japanese 61 for course
description.) Additional readings in the original Japanese; extra class
meetings. Inouye
162 Modern Japanese Literature
(See Japanese 62 for course
description.) Additional readings in the original Japanese; extra class
meetings. Inouye, Hirata
163 Postwar Japanese Literature: Modern to Postmodern
(See Japanese
63 for course description.) Additional readings in the original Japanese; extra
class meetings. Hirata
170 The “Orient” in the Mind of the West
Two centuries of the role of Asia in the Western mind. Edward'
Said's "Orientalism" and its subsequent critiques. The "Orient" vis
a vis the West in global power relations. Rudyard Kipling's "Kim",
Puccinis's "Madama Butterfly" and tropes of Asia. How these
stereotypes have played out in both high and popular Western
culture. Student research papers and class presentations on the
interflow of images between the civilizations of the West and those
of China, India, and Japan. Napier
191E, 192E Seminar on Special Topics
Special seminar on selected
topics in Japanese literature and culture. Enrollment limited to 15. Members of
the department
193, 194 Advanced Directed Study
Guided independent study of Japanese
language and culture. Prerequisite: consent.
Music
27 The Music of Asia
Musical systems, musical instruments, music in
its historical, social, and cultural context. Topics from the musical traditions
of diverse Asian cultures. No prerequisite. (May be taken at the 100 level with
consent, see below.) Hahn
29 Japanese Performing Traditions
The music of selected Japanese
performing arts, such as noh, kabuki, and nihonbuyo, considered in light of
Japanese traditional and contemporary culture. Focus on the musical repertoires
of these inherently multi-arts genres. Secondary topics in aesthetics, religious
ethos, gender, media, kinesthesia. Learning modes include performance study,
meditation, lecture, discussion, and reading. Prerequisite: Music 2 or 27 or 41
or consent. (May be taken at the 100 level with consent, see below.) Hahn
72 Tufts Javanese Gamelan Ensemble
Traditional repertory of Javanese
court music played on an orchestra of gongs, chimes, and xylophones; use of
authentic instruments; no prior music performance experience required. One-half
course credit. Drummond
127 The Music of Asia
(See Music 27 for course description.) Extra
assignments and class meetings.
129 Japanese Performance Traditions
(See Music 29 for course
description.) Extra assignments and class meetings.
Political Science
120 Seminar: Power and Politics in China
Advanced seminar
on sources of political power and resistance in post-Mao Chinese politics.
Debates in recent research over state strength, origins of political reform,
development of civil society, prospects for democratization, corruption,
censorship, religion, and protest. Prerequisite: PS 126 or HIST 44, or consent.
Remick
126 Chinese Politics
Survey of the domestic politics of the People's
Republic of China. The development of Communist Party power through the
political campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. The political, cultural, economic,
and social challenges faced by post-Mao reformers. Brief consideration of
foreign policy. Remick
128 Gender, Work, and Politics in East Asia
Gendered
experiences of work in the East Asian economic "miracle." The state's role in
creating, challenging, or mitigating gender considerations in work, the
centrality of women's labor in development, and women's work as an international
relations issue. Readings on factory, office, domestic, and sex work. Sophomore
standing. Remick
131: Democracy and Capitalism in Japan (formerly PS 138J) Survey of
the world's second largest economy and postwar Asia‚s most stable democracy.
Investigates whether Japan's democracy is fundamentally different from the one
practiced in the West; whether Japan's capitalism offers an alternative model
that is more efficient and equitable; and whether Japan should adopt more
assertive foreign policy in the post-Cold War world. Fujihira
137 Seminar: State Building in Europe and Asia
Inquiry into the
origins of the national state in Western Europe and Asia. Theories of the
development of national states and nationalism out of feudalism in early modern
Europe and their triumph over other state forms. Examination of how this state
model developed in Asia. Prerequisite: junior status. Remick
The following courses, with at least one-quarter Asian content, may be taken
for Asian Studies credit provided the student focuses upon some Asian Society in
required coursework. For example, if a research paper is required, the student
must choose an Asia-related topic.
Anthropology 132 Myth, Ritual, and Symbol
(Cross-listed as Religion
134.) Various approaches to myth, ritual, and symbol including functionalist,
structuralist, and psychological. Topics include dreams, landscape shamanism,
and fairy tales, along with issues of performance, representation, authenticity,
and history. Prerequisite: Anthropology 10. Guss
Anthropology 145 Power, Politics, and Protest
Anthropological
perspective on power and authority, and on the economic and social bases of
politics. Varieties of political forms, from societies without a formal
political sphere to state systems. The colonial encounter. Nationalism in a
multiethnic context. Local politics and protest in the context of overarching
power systems, both national and global. Prerequisite: Anthropology 10 or
consent. Park
Economics 136 Topics in Economic Development
Selected major current
problems in various less-developed countries. Students will be asked to utilize
and extend the theoretical insights from Economics 35 by applying them in
specific cases. Topics will include problems in energy, agriculture, balance of
payments, and industrialization. Elements of benefit-cost analysis will also be
covered. Prerequisites: Economics 11 and 35. Economics 13 suggested. Members of
the department
Music 41 Music as Culture
An introduction to ethnomusicology, the
study of music in human life. The anthropological view of music as a response to
the natural environment and social experience. Comparative method using case
studies from diverse world traditions. Summit, Locke, Hahn
Music 194 Seminar: Ethnomusicology
History, method, and theory of
ethnomusicology; transcription/analysis, fieldwork, current trends in the field.
Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent. Hahn, Locke
In addition, the program may also extend Asian Studies Program credit to
certain other courses, including those taught on a temporary basis, e.g. in the
Experimental college.
Staff taught courses, the Asian content of which varies from semester to
semester might also be recognized by the program upon the decision of its
faculty. Relevant courses offered by the Fletcher School of International Law
and Diplomacy may also be open to some seniors.
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