Asian Studies

I. Program Courses

[ 101. Approaching Asia: Challenges in a Globalizing Era ] (1)

An introductory course in Asian Studies that is multi-disciplinary and global in approach and/or multicultural in area. May be repeated for credit when a new topic is offered.

This course surveys some major challenges facing Asian countries entering the age of globalization. Major topics include economic development, democratization, security, energy, environment, population, and regional institutionalization. It attempts to highlight convergence as well as divergence in this dynamic region. One major objective of this course is to arouse students’ interests in more in-depth examination of Asian politics, economy, and society in advanced courses. Mr. Su.

[ 101. Approaching Asia: Literary Paradigms of Traditional Asia ] (1)

An introductory survey of the classical literary and cultural traditions of East and South Asia. The course focuses on the foundational ideals of Asian cultures as well as their "prevailing paradigms" found in literature, fine arts, and philosophical texts whose influence continues on to this day. Topics include (from India) Vedic Hymns, Epics, the Presence of the Buddha; (from Japan) the Way of the Warrior, the "Lover" from the Tales of Genji, and the Aesthetics of Emptiness; (from China) the Philosophy of Taoist Way of Zhuangzi, and the Dream of the Red Chamber. Mr. Jarow.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

[ 111. Social Change in South Korea Through Film ] (1)

(Same as Sociology 111) This course explores cultural consequences of the dramatic and tumultuous transformation of South Korea, in four decades, from a war-torn agrarian society to a major industrial and post-industrial society with dynamic urban centers. Despite its small territory (equivalent to the size of Indiana State) and relatively small population (48 million people), Korea became the eleventh largest economy in the world. Such rapid economic change has been accompanied by Korea's recent rise to a major center of the global popular cultural production in Asia. In particular, Korean movies have enjoyed growing popularity in the region. Employing the medium of film and scholarly articles, we examine multifaceted meanings of the Korean War, industrialization, urbanization, and the recent process of democratization for the lives of ordinary women and men. Ms Moon.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

122b. Encounters in Modern East Asia (1)

(Same as History 122). Mr. Shimoda.

152a and b. Religions of Asia (1)

(Same as Religion 152) This course is an introduction to the religions of Asia (Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Zen, Shinto, etc.) through a study of practices, sites, sensibilities, and doctrines. The focus is comparative as the course explores numerous themes, including creation (cosmology), myth, ritual, action, fate and destiny, human freedom, and ultimate values. Mr. Jarow, Mr. Walsh.

Open to all students.

Two 75-minute periods.

[ 214. The Tumultuous Century: Twentieth Century Chinese Literature ] (1)

(Same as Chinese and Japanese 214) Mr. Liu.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

216b. Food, Culture, and Globalization (1)

(Same as Sociology 216) Ms. Moon.

217a. Japan in the Age of the Samurai (1)

This course explores pre-modem Japan from the late-1100s to the mid-1800s, when it was ruled by a warrior class, or the samurai. Social and cultural developments at the popular as well as elite levels are emphasized, and assigned readings include many primary materials in translation. The most distinctive feature of the course is a weekly screening of classic Japanese feature films dealing with the course themes. This course offers not only an historical introduction to pre-modern Japanese society and culture, but also a graphic impression of how the past is visualized in contemporary Japan. Mr. Shimoda.

One 75-minute period.

One 2-hour film screening.

218a. Global Asia (1)

(Same as Geography 218a) Thematic exploration of the magnitude of Asia's rise in the global economy, politics, culture, and the environment. This course provides an in-depth discussion on some central topics with pan-Asia significance as well as a methodological introduction to multidisciplinary studies. To illuminate interactions among Asian countries and their relationships with the rest of the world, this course focuses on the following themes: positioning Asia in global history, the emergence of Asian nationalisms, the U.S. military empire in Asia in post-1945 era, Asian economies and globalization, and postcolonialities in Asia. This course has a unique format in which Asian Studies faculty members lead the thematic sections in their areas of specialty with one instructor being responsible for the organization of the course. Ms. Zhou.

Two 75-minute periods.

222b. Narratives of Japan: Fiction and Film (1)

(Same as Japanese and Media Studies 222) This course examines the characteristics of Japanese narratives in written and cinematic forms. Through selected novels and films that are based on the literary works or related to them thematically, the course explores the different ways in which Japanese fiction and film tell a story and how each work interacts with the time and culture that produced it. While appreciating the aesthetic pursuit of each author or film director, attention is also given to the interplay of tradition and modernity in the cinematic representation of the literary masterpieces and themes. No previous knowledge of Japanese language is required. Ms. Qiu.

Prerequisite: one course in language, literature, culture, film or Asian Studies, or permission of instructor.

231a. Hindu Traditions (1)

(Same as Religion 231a). Mr. Jarow.

[ 233. Buddhist Cultures ] (1)

(Same as Religion 233) Mr. Walsh.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

235a. Religion and State in China (1)

(Same as Religion 235) An exploration of Chinese religiosity within historical context.  We study the seen and unseen worlds of Buddhists, Daoists, and literati, and encounter ghosts, ancestors, ancient oracle bones, gods, demons, buddhas, dragons, imperial politics, the social, and more, all entwined in what became the cultures of China.  Some of the questions we will try to answer include: how was the universe imagined in traditional and modern China?  What did it mean to be human in China?  What is the relationship between religion and culture?  What do we mean by ‘Chinese religions’?  How should Chinese culture be represented?  Mr. Walsh.

[ 236. The Making of Modern East Asia ] (1)

(Same as Geography 236) Ms. Zhou.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

237a. Indian National Cinema (1)

(Same as Film 237a) Ms. Harvey.

[ 238b. China: National Identity and Global Impact ] (1)

(Same as Geography 238b) Ms. Zhou.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

252b. Modern South Asian History (1)

(Same as Asia 252b). Instructor to be announced.

254b. Chinese Politics and Economy (1)

(Same as Political Science 254b) This course offers a historical and thematic survey of Chinese politics, with an emphasis on the patterns and dynamics of political development and reforms since the Communist takeover in 1949. In the historical session, we examine major political events up to the reform era, including China's imperial political system, the collapse of dynasties, civil war, Communist Party's rise to power, land reform, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and launch of reform. Thematic session deals with some general issues of governance, economic reform, democratization, globalization and China's relations with Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States. This course is designed to help students gain some perspectives to comprehend political issues in contemporary China. Mr. Su.

Two 75-minute periods.

255a. Subaltern Politics (1)

(Same as Political Science 255a) What does it mean to understand issues of governance and politics from the perspective of non-elite, or subaltern, groups? How do subalterns respond to, participate in, and/or resist the historically powerful forces of modernity, nationalism, religious mobilization, and politico-economic development in postcolonial spaces? What are the theoretical frameworks most appropriate for analyzing politics from the perspective of the subaltern? This course engages such questions by drawing on the flourishing field of subaltern studies in South Asia. While its primary focus is on materials from South Asia, particularly India, it also seeks to relate the findings from this area to broadly comparable issues in Latin America and Africa. Mr. Muppidi.

[ 257. Reorienting America: Asians in American History and Society ] (1)

(Same as Sociology 257 and American Culture 257) Ms. Moon.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

[ 262a. India, China, and the State of Postcoloniality ] (1)

(Same as Political Science 262a) Mr. Muppidi.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

[ 275. Comparative Education ] (1)

(Same as Education 275 and International Studies 275) Mr. Bjork.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

272a. Political Modernity in Turkey (1)

(Same as Political Science 272a) Mr. Davison.

274b. The Ideology of the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1)

(Same as Political Science 274b). Mr. Davison.

277b. Post-Orientalist Hermeneutics (1)

(Same as Political Science 277b). Mr. Davison.

290a or b. Field Work (1/2 or 1)

Prerequisites: 2 units of Asian Studies Program or approved coursework and permission of the program director.

298a or b. Independent Study (1/2 or 1)

Prerequisites: 2 units of Asian Studies Program or approved coursework and permission of the program director.

300-301. Senior Thesis (1/2)

A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters.

302a or b. Senior Thesis (1)

A 1-unit thesis written in the fall or spring semester. Students may elect this option only in exceptional circumstances and by special permission of the program director.

[ 306b. Women's Movements in Asia ] (1)

(Same as Sociology 306b and Women's Studies 306b) Ms. Moon.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

[ 345. Violent Frontiers: Colonialism and Religion in the Nineteenth Century ] (1)

(Same as Religion 345) Mr. Walsh.

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

358b.. Seminar in Asian Art (1)

(Same as Art 358) Topic for 2009/10: The Body in East Asian Art. This course examines various ways in which the human body has informed the production and consumption of art in East Asia. Topics for discussion include: how and where works of art position the human body within/out; ways in which certain works appeal to physical senses other than the visual; the body in East Asian art theories and treatises; Geomancy (fengshui), the qi (breath, life-force, energy), and the yin-yang opposition in art; and representations of women and gender relations. Ms. Hwang-Gold. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. One 2-hour period.

360b. Imagining Asia and the Pacific: Asian Studies Senior Seminar (1)

The Senior Seminar addresses topics and questions that engage several areas of Asia and Asian Studies as a discipline. Topic may change yearly. The senior seminar is a required course for Asian Studies senior majors; ordinarily it may be taken by other students as well.

Topic for 2009/10b: Imagining Asia and the Pacific. (Same as Anthropology 360b) Does "the Orient" exist? Is the Pacific really a Paradise? On the other hand, does the "West" exist? If it does, is it the opposite of Paradise? Asia is often imagined as an ancient, complex challenger and the Pacific is often imagined as a simple, idyllic paradise. This course explores Western scholarly images of Asia (East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia) and of the island Pacific. It also traces the impact of Asian and Pacific ideas and institutions on the West. Each time offered, the seminar has at least three foci, on topics such as: Asia, the Pacific and capitalism; Asia, the Pacific and the concept of culture; Asia, the Pacific and the nation-state; Asia, the Pacific and feminism; Asia, the Pacific and knowledge. Ms. Kaplan.

363. Decolonizing International Relations (1)

(Same as Political Science 363) Mr. Muppidi. Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

363b. Transcending the Limit: Literary Theory in the East-West Context (1)

(Same as Chinese 363b) Mr. Liu.

[ 369a. Political Economy of Development Aid ] (1)

(Same as Economics 369a) Instructor to be announced.

Not offered in 2009/10.

374a. The Origins of the Global Economy (1)

(Same as Economics 374a) Ms. Jones.

385b. Asian Healing Traditions (1)

(Same as Religion 385b). This seminar offers a comprehensive view of the traditional medical systems and healing modalities of India and China and examines the cultural values they participate in and propound. It also includes a "laboratory" in which hands-on disciplines (such as yoga and qi-gong) are practiced and understood within their traditional contexts. From a study of classical Ayur Vedic texts, Daoist alchemical manuals, shamanic processes and their diverse structural systems, the seminar explores the relationship between healing systems, religious teachings, and social realities. It looks at ways in which the value and practices of traditional medical and healing systems continue in Asia and the West. Mr. Jarow.

Prerequisites: Hindu Traditions (Religion 231) or by permission of instructor.

387b. Remembering War in East Asia (1)

(Same as History 387b) More than a half-century after World War II, pitched battles continue to rage throughout Asia—this time on the field of historical memory. Even as the war itself recedes into the distant past for countries such as China, Japan, and Korea, questions about how to remember their shared experiences grow only more complex and politicized. Recent conflicts over war memory have brought down ministers of state, sparked mass protests, and engendered much diplomatic wrangling. How has this devastating tragedy been remembered, forgotten, and contested by all sides involved? This seminar takes a multi-disciplinary approach—historiographical, political, literary, and visual—to examine topics including the Nanjing Massacre, "comfort women," atomic bombs, rehabilitative postwar literature, and cinematic representations of war. Mr. Shimoda.

No prerequisites.

One two-hour period.

[ 388. The Spiritual Gifts of Modern India ] (1)

(Same as Religion 388) Since Swami Vivekananda brought the message of "raja yoga" to the Parliament of World Religions on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1893, a number of spiritual teachers from India have achieved notoriety on the world stage and have had a major impact in the formulation of a world and secular "spirituality" in our time. Through phenomenological and historical studies, as well as through close reading and study of primary texts, this course considers the works of these major figures, including Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, Ananda Mayi Ma, and Bhagavan Sri Osho Rajneesh. Mr. Jarow.

Prerequisites: Religion 152 and /or Religion 231 (231 gets priority)

Alternate years: not offered in 2009/10.

399a or b. Senior Independent Study (1/2 or 1)

Prerequisites: 2 units of Asian Studies Program or approved coursework and permission of the program director.

II. Approved Courses

In addition to the Program courses listed above, there are approved courses given in other departments and programs. These can count towards an Asian Studies major or correlate. Look under the respective departments for course descriptions and semester or year offered. An updated list of approved courses is available in the Asian Studies Program Office and on-line on the Asian Studies Program web site before preregistration. Students are also urged to consult the additional course offerings of Asian Studies Program faculty members listed under their home departments; while these courses may not focus specifically on Asia, they often include case studies, examples, or materials related to regions of Asia.

Anthropology 240 Cultural Localities (when topic is Asian) (1)

Anthropology 360 Problems in Cultural Analysis (when topic is Asian) (1)

Anthropology 363 Nations, Globalization, and Post-Coloniality (when topic is Asian) (1)

Art 257 The Arts of China (1)

Art 258 The Arts of Japan (1)

Art 358 Seminar in Asian Art (1)

Chinese 160 Introduction to Classical Chinese (1)

Chinese 215 Masterpieces of Traditional Chinese Literature (1)

Chinese 216 Classics, Canon, and Commentary in China (1)

Chinese 217 Chinese Film and Contemporary Fiction (1)

Chinese 360 Classical Chinese (1)

Chinese and Japanese 120 Introduction to Chinese and Japanese Literature: Traditions, Genres, and Methodology (1)

Chinese and Japanese 250 Special Topics in Chinese and Japanese (1)

Chinese and Japanese 350 Seminar in Chinese Philosophy: Comparative Methodology (1)

Chinese and Japanese 361 Chinese and Japanese Drama and Theatre (1)

Chinese and Japanese 363 Seminar in Transcending the Limit: Literary Theory in the East-West Context (1)

English 229 Asian/American Literature, 1946-present (1)

English 370 India Elsewhere (1)

Film 280 Contemporary Southeast Asia Cinemas (1)

Geography 276 Spaces of Global Capitalism (1)

Geography 340 Advanced Regional Studies (when topic is Asian) (1)

History 223 Modern Chinese Revolutions (1)

History 224 Modern Japan, 1868 - Present (1)

History 255 The British Empire (1)

History 279 The Vietnam War (1)

History 381 Love and Death in Tokugawa Japan 1603-1868 (1)

Japanese 222 Narratives of Japan: Fiction and Film (1)

Japanese 223 The Gothic and Supernatural in Japanese Literature (1)

Japanese 224 Japanese Popular Culture and Literature (1)

Japanese 364 The West in Japanese Literature since the Nineteenth Century (1)

Music 212 Advanced Topics in World Musics (1)

Philosophy 110 Early Chinese Philosophy (1)

Philosophy 210 Neo-Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism (1)

Political Science 150 Comparative Politics (when taught by an Asian Studies faculty member) (1)

Political Science 160 International Politics (when taught by an Asian Studies faculty member) (1)

Political Science 268 The Politics of Globalization (1)

Political Science 272 Political Modernity in Turkey (1)

Political Science 358 Comparative Political Economy (when taught by an Asian Studies faculty member) (1)

Political Science 363 Decolonizing International Relations (1)

Political Science 366 Worlding International Relations (1)

Religion 250 Across Religious Boundaries: Understanding Differences (when topic is Asian) (1)

Religion 320 Studies in Sacred Texts (when topic is Asian) (1)

Religion 350 Comparative Studies in Religion (when topic is Asian) (1)

Religion 355 The Politics of Sacred Space (1)