AST 101 Introduction to Japanese I (JPN)
Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: None
Offered: Typically every Fall Term
Introduction to Japanese as it is spoken in Japan today. Speaking and listening comprehension will be emphasized.
1 Course
AST 103 Introduction to Japanese III (JPN)
Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: JPN 102 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor
Offered: Typically every Fall Term
Continued development of Japanese speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
1 Course
AST 122 History of China (HIS)
Instructor: Robert Foster
Prerequisite: None
Offered:Typically every Fall Term
China has one of the foundational civilizations in human history. It gave rise to social structures, political systems, and philosophies that deeply influenced the development of East Asia. Through close reading of documents, focused analytical writing, open discussion, and lecture, students will develop their own understanding of the evolution of China from its Neolithic origins to its present status as a world power. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 132 Religions of China (REL)
Instructor: Jeffrey L. Richey
Prerequisite: None
Offered: Typically alternate years
A study of the principal religious traditions of China: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. The course includes readings in the classical primary texts of each tradition as well as attention to ritual and practice. Fulfills International (Non-Western) and Religion Perspective requirements.
1 Course
AST 186 US-East Asia Foreign Policy (PSC)
Instructor: Lauren McKee
Prerequisite: None
Offered: As required by faculty/student interest
This course aims to familiarize students with the process and content of United States (US) foreign policy to the East Asian states of China, Japan, and North and South Korea. By using various explanatory foreign policy models, the overall goal is to come to a conceptual and practical understanding of US-East Asian foreign policy challenges as well as the reasons for and implications of policy decisions on both sides. Fulfills International (Non-Western) and Social Science Perspective requirements.
1 Course
AST 229 Modern Imperialism (HIS)
Instructor: Rebecca Bates
Prerequisite: HIS 102, AST/HIS 122, AST/HIS 123, or GSTR 210
This course is a selective exploration of imperialism using a comparative historical perspective. Beginning with a reflection on the meanings of “empire,” the course explores the rise of European empires during the “high colonialism” of the 19th and 20th centuries. This course then will explore the expansion of European colonialism and regional responses–including local resistance, national revolutions, and the development of the Soviet and Japanese Empires. After examining the dynamics of imperial decline between 1919 and 1945, the course will conclude by considering the status of empires in the post-World War II period. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 286 Social Change in Post-War Vietnam (SOC)
Instructor: Gordon Gray
Prerequisite: GSTR 210, or permission of instructor
Offered: As required by faculty/student interest
With links to both East and Southeast Asia, the country’s long history of war and threats of invasion, and the rapid changes that have undergone particularly since the 1980s mean that Viet Nam is a fascinating country to study. This course will focus on the rapid and dramatic changes that Viet Nam and the Vietnamese people have experienced and continue to experience. From 1986, Viet Nam has been transitioning from a Communist and largely agricultural economy to a vibrant free market economy. These political-economic changes reflect and are reflected in changes in Vietnamese social and cultural life. What are these changes are and how have they affected people’s daily lives? This course will provide students with insight into the historical, political, economic, and military contexts for these changes. Further, through close analyses of academic texts and popular culture products, students will also investigate the interrelations between these changes, what these changes have meant for Viet Nam in the wider global political sphere, and how Vietnamese people make sense of their rapidly changing society. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 401 Senior Seminar in Asian Studies
Instructor: Robert Foster
Prerequisite: Senior standing, or permission of instructor
Offered: Annually
Through common readings and independent work, students will explore various views of Asia, past and present, from within Asia and from without. Through the common readings, students will deal with central questions regarding geographic visions of Asia, the reality or unreality of “Asia,” key issues for the region, etc. Through regular presentations of ongoing individual projects, students will learn from each other about diverse Asia-related issues. For example, one day, students might all read an address written by the President of the American Association of Asian Studies, followed by individual presentations on aspects of Shinto religion, followed by the politics of the partition of India, followed by current concerns with North Korea. The course is intentionally open-ended and free-flowing both to encompass specific student interests and to develop the ability to think broadly about Asia.
1 Course