Spring Term 2017 Courses
AST 102 Introduction to Japanese II (JPN)
Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: AST/JPN 101 w/ C or higher or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
Continued emphasis on Japanese oral/aural communication skills and an introduction to the Japanese written language.
1 Course
AST 104 Introduction to Japanese IV (JPN)
Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: AST/JPN 103 w/ C or higher or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Typically 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
AST 123 History of Japan (HIS)
Instructor: Robert Foster
Offered: Typically 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 186-RF The Game of Go and East Asian Culture
Instructor: Robert Foster
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
Chess Master Edwin Lasker once said, “if there are sentient beings on other planets, then they play Go.” Two thousand years ago, one of China’s foremost historians described the way that Go was linked to Chinese perceptions of the world: “The board has to be square, for it signifies the Earth, and its right angles signify uprightness. The pieces of the two sides are yellow and black; this difference signifies the Yin and the Yang — scattered in groups all over the board, they represent the heavenly bodies. These significances being manifest, it is up to the players to make the moves, and this is connected with kingship. Following what the rules permit, both opponents are subject to them — this is the rigor of the Tao” Through literature, film, and the game of Go (weiqi in Chinese, baduk in Korean) students will be introduced to various facets of both ancient and modern East Asian culture. Roughly half the time will be spent discussing works as diverse as classical works in Chinese philosophy to modern novels and manga. The remainder of time will be devoted to learning to play one of the most fascinating games ever invented, and one which intimately links Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 204 Yoga (HHP)
Instructor: Nashwa Cahill
Prerequisite: HLT/PEH 100 or permission of Instructor
Offered: Typically every 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. Fulfills part of Physical Education requirement.
1 Course
AST 205 Tai Chi (HHP)
Instructor: Martha Beagle
Prerequisite: HLT/PEH 100 or permission of instructor
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
Because of its movement and mind/body focus, the benefits of Tai Chi on dynamic balance, relaxation, and sustained mental attention have been recognized by those who engage in all kinds of activities. Students of Tai Chi will learn the Yang (short form) style of Tai Chi as well as the mind-body connection in accordance with the principles and techniques of Tai Chi to help enrich one’s life. Tai Chi is scientifically designed to help all students maintain a healthy body through stretching, breathing and meditation. Fulfills part of Physical Education requirement.
1/4 Course
AST 206 Introduction to Asian Cinema
Instructor: Gordon T. Gray
Prerequisite: GSTR 110 or waiver
Offered: Typically 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. The work culminates in a final essay. Fulfills Arts and International (Non-Western) Perspective requirements.
1 Course
AST 229 Modern Imperialism (HIS)
Instructor: Rebecca Bates
Prerequisite: HIS 102, AST/HIS 122, AST/HIS 123, or GSTR 210
Offered: Typically every other year
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 249 Seminar in Asian Art: The Arts of Buddhism (ARH)
Instructor: Ashley Elston
Prerequisite: GSTR 110 or waiver
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
The course will explore the broad span of art and architecture connected to Buddhism in Asia from its initial development in the fifth century BCE to the seventeenth century CE. We will study the major monuments and examples of Buddhist art and architecture in India, China, Tibet, Korea, the Himalayas, and Japan. Emphasis will be placed on understanding this region’s visual culture within its historical, political, and social contexts. The work culminates in a final essay. Fulfills Arts and International (Non-Western) Perspective requirements.
1 Course
AST 286-LM Politics and Literature in Japan
Instructor: Lauren McKee
Prerequisite: GSTR 110 or waiver
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
Students in this course will work toward an understanding of “the modern Japanese experience” by reading and analyzing fiction and non-fiction texts. Focusing on the period beginning with the Meiji Restoration and continuing to contemporary times, students will work toward a simultaneous understanding of political and social change in Japan as well as analyzing how literature written during the time treats those changes. The reading of the texts will be heavily grounded in a historical context and will be read both for style and content as reflections of modern social, political, and economic changes. In this way, students will learn over the course of the semester about Japanese history and politics, literary trends and influences, author biographies, and literary analysis. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course
AST 322 Seminar in Chinese History (HIS)
Instructor: Robert Foster
Prerequisite: AST/HIS 122, AST/HIS 123, or junior standing
Offered: Typically every other year
The goal of this course is two-fold. Through examining a key period in Chinese history, students both will develop a deeper appreciation for Chinese culture and a better understanding for the various methodologies that historians employ in analyzing complex societies. By reading key primary documents and secondary material from important historians, students will develop a picture of the way social, economic, political, and cultural issues interact and shape the period. May be repeated for credit, provided the topic differs from those studied previously. 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: Typically every Spring Term
Continued emphasis on Chinese oral/aural and written communication skills.