AST 100 Introduction to Asian Studies
Instructor: Robert Foster
Prerequisite: None
Offered: Every spring term
Through a series of regional case studies, this course introduces the geography, history, and major themes of Asian Studies. Students will learn about the development and interaction of the major cultures of Asia. By the end of the course, the student should be able to identify major regions, nations, and cities in Asia; be able to define key cultural themes within these various regions both historically and in the present; and demonstrate that they grasp basic skills required for research in a number of disciplines that contribute to Asian Studies. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement AND Introductory Course Requirement for Asian Studies Major or Minor.
1 Course
AST 123 History of Japan (HIS)
Instructor: Robert Foster
Prerequisite: None
Offered: Every spring term
Japan has developed from an isolated chain of islands at the edge of East Asia into a modern economic giant. Through close reading of documents, focused analytical writing, open discussion and lecture, we will examine the complexity of the culture that gave rise to Zen Buddhism, the samurai, and Japan’s current position as one of the world’s most powerful economies. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 135 Religions of Japan
Instructor: J. L. Richey
Prerequisites: None
Offered: Every spring term
A study of the principal religious traditions of Japan: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintō. 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 204 Yoga (HHP)
Instructor: Nashwa Cahill
Prerequisite: HLT/PEH 100 or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Every fall and spring term
A study of the asanas (poses) included in the practice of Hatha Yoga. The focus will be on connecting breath with movement, developing ease and comfort in poses and developing skills in using yoga as a tool for increased self-awareness. The content will include basic history of yoga and asanas. Students will be required to purchase a yoga mat that they will keep throughout the term. Partially fulfills Physical Education requirement.
1/4 Course
AST 206 Introduction to Asian Cinema
Instructor: Gordon Gray
Prerequisite: GSTR 110 or waiver
Offered: Every spring term
Asian cinematic traditions have produced some of the most famous and accomplished directors (such as Japan’s Kurosawa and Ozu or India’s Satyajit Ray), some of the largest audiences (Bollywood films have immense global audiences), as well as unique artistic visions and styles (the Chinese “Fifth Generation” of filmmakers). Beyond these issues, viewing cinema also tells us much about the cultures in which those cinematic products were produced. Therefore, the films viewed also tell us much about Japan, India, China, and the cultural, aesthetic, and dramaturgical traditions of those countries. To that end, students will critically view a series of Asian feature films and then provide analysis of these films via three term time 5-8 page reviews that include topics, themes, and subject matter relevant to the particular films and of relevance to their major. Fulfills Arts and International (Non-Western) Perspective Requirements.
1 Course
AST 229 Modern Imperialism (HIS)
Instructor: Rebecca Bates
Prerequisites: AST 100 or GSTR 210
Offered: Every spring term
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 Methods requirement for Asian Studies major/minor. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective AND Methods Course Requirement for Asian Studies Major or Minor.
1 Course
AST 324-C Topics in Asian History: Philosophy, Technology, and Power in Classical China (HIS)
Instructor: Robert Foster
Prerequisites: AST/HIS 229 or AST/SOC/WGS 240 or AST/HIS 243 or PSC 250 or permission of instructor
Offered: As instructor availability and student interest permit
Classical China (ca. 11th to 3rd centuries BCE) saw the rise of East Asia’s foundational philosophies, the development of new technologies, and increasing competition for power. This course examines the ways that new developments in thought and technology led to changes in social and political structures, and vice-versa. We will examine archaeological finds, read classical texts, and engage historical analyses of the period to understand the foundations of Chinese culture. Students will also spend a significant amount of time on individual research projects to help prepare for their capstone courses. Fulfills the International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement AND the pre-1700 and Asian distribution requirements for History majors.
1 Course
AST 325-A Topics in Asian Studies: Oriental Ornaments, Model Minorities, The “Preferred” Other? Introduction to Asian American and Diasporic Literatures (ENG 205/305)
Instructor: Amrita Mishra
Prerequisites: AST/HIS 229 or AST/SOC/WGS 240 or AST/HIS 243 or PSC 250 or permission of instructor
Offered: As instructor availability and student interest permit
This course introduces students to Asian diasporic literatures in the United States but also in the broader Americas of the nineteenth century to our contemporary moment. Central to our explorations of these texts will be the question of how the Asian subject has historically been constructed as simultaneously an Other to fear, hate, and violate, as we see in imaginings of the “Yellow Peril,” brown terror, the “China-flu” carrier in our contemporary moment. At the same time, the Asian subject is constructed to be the good immigrant, or the “preferred” Other: submissive model minorities who aspire to assimilate, but also highly sexualized “ornaments” of the Orient. Through these literary works we will ask together: how have Asian American and other Asian diasporic writers grappled with issues of race, imperialism, diaspora, citizenship, and gender in the project of constructing and reimagining Asian American identity? What can these novels teach us about the intimate relationship between US foreign policy, various empires, war, and Asian immigration in the US? How can we make sense of the senseless rise of violence and hate crimes against Asian communities during the pandemic by situating these instances in a longer history of Asian diasporas in the Americas? And how do novels that represent Asian American identities also offer us paths forward? We will frame Asia expansively to explore different racializations of Asian diasporic communities, ranging from East Asian to Middle Eastern identities. Works may include: Palestinian American Hala Alyan’s Salt Houses, Vietnamese American Thi Bui’s graphic memoir The Best We Could Do, Filipino American Elaine Castillo’s novel America is Not the Heart, Korean American Chang Rae Lee’s Native Speaker, Pakistani American Kamila Shamsie’s Kartography, and/or Indo-Caribbean Ramabai Espinet’s The Swinging Bridge. Fulfills AAAW Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 325-C Topics in Asian Studies: Images of Women in Chinese Narratives (ENG 340)
Instructor: Jianfen Wang and Beth Crachiolo
Prerequisites: AST/HIS 229 or AST/SOC/WGS 240 or AST/HIS 243 or PSC 250 or permission of instructor
Offered: As instructor availability and student interest permit
This course will explore how women and women’s expected roles are represented in early Chinese narratives. China is known as a patriarchal/patrilineal society, but “it is in China alone, among all the societies in Asia, that we find a singularly voluminous record of legendary female figures whose narrated lives fill tome after tome, dynasty after dynasty, from earliest recorded history right up to the present” (Mann, 2000). Many of the legendary women’s stories have been told and retold throughout history in various media forms. Why and how does a patriarchal society like China foreground stories of women? What implications can we draw about China’s gender constructions, family structures, and society? What might the representations of women tell us about how Chinese women constructed, negotiated, and performed their (expected) gender? What roles have the stories played and may play in feminist movements past, present, and future? How are the stories adapted for different audiences? We will seek our own answers to these questions by closely reading selected stories from translated primary sources (including texts and films) and reviewing scholarly papers. The stories and knowledge will facilitate your understanding of more sophisticated concepts in traditional Chinese philosophy and of the Chinese literature and art you encounter in and beyond the course. You will design and produce your own research project that explores your particular interests. No prior knowledge of the Chinese language is required. Fulfills International Non-Western Perspective requirement.
1 Course
CHI 102 Introduction to Chinese II
Instructor: Jianfen Wang
Prerequisite: CHI 101 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor
Offered: Every spring term
Continued emphasis on Chinese oral/aural and written communication skills.
1 course
CHI 210 Intermediate Chinese
Instructor: Jianfen Wang
prerequisite: CHI 103 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor
Offered: Every spring term
Continued emphasis on Chinese oral/aural and written communication skills.
1 course
JPN 102 Introduction to Japanese II
Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: JPN 101 w/ C or higher or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Every spring term
Continued development of Japanese speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills along with a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.
1 Course
JPN 210 Intermediate Japanese
Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: JPN 103 w/ C or higher or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Every spring term
Completion of the two-term intermediate level of Japanese language instruction; continued practice of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, fully integrated with culture.
1 Course