ASIA 132. Introduction to Modern East Asia. 3 Units.

This course is an introduction to the histories of modern China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam from the "dawn of the global world" in the 17th century to present. Taken together these regions make up the geographic and cultural unit commonly referred to as "East Asia." Over the course of the term, we will investigate the usefulness of this concept of "East Asia" by examining its origins as well as the sometimes convergent, sometimes divergent relations between this region and the rest of the world. We will also challenge the stereotype of a monolithic and static East Asia and see to develop a critical understanding of the internal and external forces integrating and dividing this region. We will examine how international diplomatic, commercial, military, religious, and cultural relationships shaped the individual countries as well as their relationships with each other and the world. The course sweeps over large regions of time and space. It aims to put the contemporary discussion of globalization into historical perspective by examining the long-lasting interactions of East Asian countries with each other and the rest of the world. These connections were economic, political, cultural, and psychological. Topics include: global silver and trade flows, warfare and military technology, imperial domination and revolutionary resistance, and the role of historical memory, as in Nanking or Hiroshima. Sources include historical documents, pictures, films, and memoirs. As we move through the course material our goal is not to gain total knowledge of modern East Asia, nor of China, Japan, Korea nor Vietnam. Rather, by the end of the term you should be able to identify some of the main organizing themes in modern East Asian history and develop a greater understanding of the construction and nature of historical knowledge itself. Offered as HSTY 132 and ASIA 132. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course.

ASIA 217. Buddhism. 3 Units.

From India to Indonesia, from Tibet to the United States, the reach of Buddhism has been pervasive and persistent throughout the past millennia. What makes Buddhism so popular? Why are there so many Buddhist traditions all over the world, and what are those? What makes them different, and what sets of core tenets do they share, if any? In this course, we will explore together the basic teachings of Buddhism in its manifold emanations. Using Buddhism as an example, we will also begin to think about religion as a tool of social organization or resistance, as a cosmopolitan language to converse with other cultures, and as an integral part of human lives past and present. Offered as ASIA 217 and RLGN 217. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.

ASIA 288. Imperial China: The Great Qing. 3 Units.

This course is an introduction to the history of Imperial China, from the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644 to the creation of the Chinese republic in 1912. We will explore the major historical transformations (political, economic, social, and cultural) of the last imperial dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911), and develop an understanding of the major social, political, economic, and intellectual cultural forces shaping the formation of modern China. Contrary to commonly-held ideas in both West and in China that traditional Chinese society was timeless or stagnant, historians now see dramatic and significant changes during this period--to the economy, to gender relations, to religion, and to many other aspects of life. This course surveys the social, political, economic, and cultural history of this era, with emphasis on recent research. The main goals of the course will be to acquaint students with the key changes and to show the interplay between economic, social, and cultural changes on the one hand and political developments on the other. By the end of the semester you should have a good sense of how Chinese society was transformed over the course of the 17th through early 20th centuries. The topics we will discuss include urbanization and commerce; gender, family and kinship; education and the examination system; opium and free trade; and ethnicity and nationalism. Offered as ASIA 288 and HSTY 288. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course.

ASIA 289. Reform, Revolution, Republics: China 1895 to Present. 3 Units.

Completes a two-term sequence of the Chinese history survey, although HSTY 288 is not a prerequisite for this course. Beginning with the First Sino-Japanese War (1895), we review the historical development of intellectual discourse, public reaction, and political protest in later Imperial China through the creation of the People's Republic in 1949 forward to contemporary times. In contrast to the conventional description of China from a Western point of view, this course tries to explain the emergence of modern China in the context of its intellectual, political, and socio-economic transformation as experienced by Chinese in the late 19th and into the 20th century. By discussing the influence of the West, domestic rebellions, and political radicalism, we examine how the Chinese state and society interacted in search for modernization and reforms, how these reforms were continued during the Republican period, and to what extent historical patterns can be identified in China's present-day development. Offered as ASIA 289 and HSTY 289. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course.

ASIA 320. Chinese Popular Culture. 3 Units.

In this course we are going to study Chinese (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese Diaspora) popular culture since the 1980s. By examining different forms of popular culture, including popular literature, film, music, TV programs, posters, the Internet, etc., we will be looking into their political, ideological, sociological, cultural, and psychological mechanisms. The film viewing will take place outside the class. Offered as CHIN 320, ASIA 320 and WLIT 320. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course.

ASIA 330. Chinese Cinema. 3 Units.

This course is an exploration to the history of and critical issues in Chinese cinema: we will discuss early film making in Shanghai, leftist melodrama, Socialist films, the Chinese New Wave, underground films, the film making in the era of globalization, and etc. Themes and genres that will be investigated include melodrama, the "Fifth Generation", underground film making, filmic representations of women, minority films, and historical epics. Films from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and diasporic communities will be discussed to illuminate what it means to be "Chinese." All of the films in this course come with English subtitles; the film viewing will take place outside the class. Offered as CHIN 330 and ASIA 330. Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course.

ASIA 398. Honors Thesis. 1 - 4 Units.

Intensive study of a topic or problem under the direction of a faculty member, resulting in the preparation of an honors thesis.

ASIA 399. Independent Study. 1 - 3 Units.

Tutorial in Asian Studies.