East Asia

ASCL 60.01 Traditional Chinese Short Fiction

This is a survey course of the Chinese narrative tradition in the form of short fiction, spanning roughly from the third century BCE to the second decade of twentieth century CE. We will discuss the birth and development of this literary form, including its esthetic and linguistic conventions, themes, and its relationships to other literary forms. We will also explore the philosophical, intellectual and sociopolitical atmospheres and circumstances, impacting the different stages of its long history. The goal of the course is to acquaint the student with this unique and important form of traditional Chinese literature. The material will be presented in chronological order. Knowledge of Chinese is not required.

• Mowry
• Dist: Lit; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.02 Women in China: A Literary Approach

This is a survey course of Chinese ideas and practices concerning women. The pursuit of this theme will take the student through a wide variety of Chinese literary genres and materials, including the classics, poetry, fiction, drama, biography, familiar essay, and law. The use of women as a focus in the organization of the course provides the selectivity that makes such comprehensiveness possible. The aim is to provide the student with an intimate portrait of the development of Chinese culture as a whole through the examination of one of its central systems. The course is designed with the presumption that an understanding of Chinese thoughts about women will lead to an enhanced understanding of Chinese thoughts about Chinese people and life in general. The material will be presented in chronological order, keeping in mind the broader time perspectives. Knowledge of Chinese is not required.

• Mowry
• Dist: Lit; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.03 Frontier in Traditional Chinese Thought: Beyond the Great Wall and the Becoming of China

The conceptions of frontier, frontier-heartland relations, unity and territoriality are crucial to the formation of the Chinese cultural and spatial identity from the ancient time to today. At the moment, the frontier space beyond the Great Wall takes up more than half of the entire Chinese territory. The ways Chinese people deal with their ethnic minority regions, differentiate the northerners and the southerners, view their own culture and cultural others and imagine their regional and global roles can all be related to the spatial conceptions with regard to the frontier in pre-modern China. This course will trace the development of these conceptions through a variety of philosophical, cosmological, religious, historical, geographical, and literary texts and images. Classical Chinese texts however are not categorized by discipline but represent a body of interdisciplinary knowledge that reflects the culture's thoughts and values. The course will deal with the materials in a way that relive their a-disciplinary nature while maintaining a critical perspective on them. When relevant, the course will also examine broader theoretical issues such as political morality, gender and sexuality, and border-crossing.

• Xie
• Dist: TMV; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.04 Modern Chinese Literature Across Time, Space and Media

This upper level survey course will introduce participants to major works in modern Chinese literature and related media forms, as well as academic discussions surrounding them. Using a variety of sources, including literary texts, films, music, ballet, installation, and digital arts, students will closely examine each in terms of their content and form. Students will look at associated original texts, undertake critical analyses of their social contexts, consider their influences and the challenges they face in China and the world, and compare different media and genres. By highlighting the temporal development of modern Chinese literature as well as the spatial dissemination of the texts, the course will allow participants to realize both the depth and range of modern Chinese literature.

• Xie
• Dist. LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.05 Love and Desire in Modern Chinese Literature

Spanning a selection of short stories and novels from the early twentieth century to the turn of the millennium, this course explores connections between themes of filial piety, nationalism, revolutionary idealism, nostalgia for the past, ideological constraints placed on love, and attempts to subvert those constraints. Readings and discussions will relate the works covered to key intellectual and political movements, connecting ideas of individual romance and disillusionment to larger issues of modernity and globalization.

• Gibbs
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• 21F: 2A

ASCL 60.07 Chinese Painting, Poetry and Philosophy

A systematically trained traditional Chinese scholar was expected to achieve perfection in all the three areas – classical poetry, calligraphy, and traditional Chinese painting. Thus, the poetry-calligraphy-painting "Three Perfections" represents certain significant aspects of the Chinese culture. Since none of the "Three Perfections" is possible beyond the intellectual context of Chinese philosophy, and also, since the traditional Chinese painting has to be written (in the way of Chinese calligraphy) rather than painted, the Chinese painting/calligraphy, poetry, and philosophy are indeed the key for understanding the Chinese culture. By introducing the basics of traditional Chinese painting/calligraphy, classical Chinese poetry, Chinese cosmology, philosophy and religions, this course is the gateway to the Chinese manuscript culture that defines the written tradition of the Chinese culture. The first-hand experience of basic brush-and-ink techniques of traditional Chinese painting/calligraphy provides the student with visual and enjoyable illustrations of the relationship between traditional Chinese art and cosmology. Reading through the oriental tradition of Chinese painting, poetry, and philosophy, the student will be able to view the same universe from a different but an artistic, literary, intellectual, and written perspective.

• Xing
• Dist: ART; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.09 Classical Chinese Poetry

This is an introduction to classical Chinese poetry from its beginning to the last imperial dynasty in China, Qing (1616-1911) dynasty. By reading, discussing and writing on the representative works of classical Chinese poetry, the students will familiarize themselves with the key genres of classical Chinese poetry, such as archaic style poem, fu rhapsody, modern style poem, ci lyric and qu musical lyric, as well as the major poets who have had an enduring impact on the Chinese literary tradition. We will study both the Chinese originals, and their English translations in this course. The poems will be examined in their cultural, historical, intellectual and literal contexts. Prerequisite: CHIN 51 or permission of the instructor.

• Xing
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.19/LING 11.02, Languages of China

In this course, we will survey both the history of language in China, and the current linguistic situation. Topics will include geographical and genealogical classification of languages in China; the phonological and grammatical systems of representative languages; the reconstruction of Middle and Old Chinese; ways of writing both Sinitic and non-Sinitic languages; language as a marker of ethnic identity; and past and present language policies, both governmental and non-governmental.

• Pulju
• Dist: SOC; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.20 Languages and Scripts of Gender, Class, and Nation

While language is commonly believed to be a great "tool" with which we describe our feelings and physical phenomena, it is also the portal through which we understand the world. In other words, language defines, constrains, and colors human experiences. With this premise as the basis, this course attempts to expand our horizons by examining the ways the spoken languages of Japan, Korea, and China convey concepts such as masculinity, femininity, affection, status, and solidarity. In the latter half of the term, we will also explore the layers of complexity embedded in the writing systems of these three nations. In so doing, we will shed light on each society's historical negotiation of its national identity, Sinophilia, and desire to become a first-class nation of the modern world. No previous knowledge of an Asian language is required.

• Schmidt-Hori
• Dist: INT or TMV; WCult: NW
• 21F: 11

ASCL 60.21 Body Politics in Japan: Beauty, Disfigurement, Corporeality

The body is a tangible, self-evident entity. Or is it? The premise of JAPN 62.01 is that the body is a political, ethical, sociocultural, and historical phenomenon deeply ingrained in our perceptions of self, other, and the world. This course is an endeavor to understand the politics of the body in premodern and modern Japan through a wide range of primary and secondary texts. In order to consider the multiple perspectives of the body across time, the readings are organized thematically, covering topics from physical beauty as virtue/vice, symbolic meanings of hair and clothing, aesthetics of the Tale of Genji, to disfigurement, disability, aging, race, among other things. This course is open to everyone and no knowledge of Japanese literature or language is required.

• Schmidt-Hori
• Dist: INT or TMV; WCult: NW
• 20F: 10

ASCL 60.22 Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Premodern Japan

With a mythical transgendered Sun Goddess, amorous noblemen in pursuit of beautiful ladies, vengeful women wreaking revenge on unfaithful lovers, and Buddhist priests and samurai in same-sex love affairs, classical Japanese literature is populated by figures with a surprisingly diverse range of gender types. The course will cover, in chronological order, myths, courtly tales, poetry, martial epics, ghostly drama, and medieval short stories from the 8th to 16th centuries, and through these texts depicting the interrelationship of gender, sexuality, and power, students will come to an understanding of how historical, political, linguistic and cultural forces shape subjectivity. The course is open to all students; it is taught in English and there are no pre-requisites.

• Schmidt-Hori
• Dist: TMV; WCult: NW
• 21F: 10

ASCL 60.23 Critiquing Modern Japan through the Works of Murakami Haruki

The students will read and discuss several works of Japan's best-known contemporary author, Murakami Haruki. Through focusing on the recurrent themes of violence, isolation, disconnection, materialism, apathy, and sexuality in Murakami's fictions, the students will consider the various societal issues of post-1970s Japan.

• Schmidt-Hori
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.24 Image and Text in Modernizing Japan

Images and text have been variously combined in the Japanese tradition, from the ancient picture scrolls to today's manga (comics). This course traces the evolution of such media in early modern Japan, with a focus on the late nineteenth century shift from the "communal reading" of visually-oriented texts to the silent, solitary reading of fiction. Some consideration will also be given to the re- emergence of the visual imagination in film, manga, and animation.

• Dorsey
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.25 The Art of War: Stories, Paintings, Films, and Propaganda from Japan's Modern Wars

In this course we will examine the relationship between a wide variety of cultural artifacts and modern Japan's experience of war, particularly WW II. Topics addressed within this context include: government censorship, literary subversion, popular culture versus high culture, visual versus written media, postwar cultural memory, the ideology of suicide squads, and the mentality of victimhood. No Japanese language is required for the course, but students with sufficient ability will be expected to make use of original sources.

• Dorsey
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• 22W:10A

ASCL 60.91 Meta-Japanese: Reading about the Japanese Language in Japanese

This class focuses on a range of sociolinguistic issues in contemporary Japan with the goal of challenging the narrowly defined syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of the Japanese as a Foreign Language the students have been exposed to through textbooks, lectures, and media. The students will also read about and discuss the issue of linguistic hegemony of English in Japan, which is designed to help them understand the meaning of learning a vastly different foreign language in an academic setting.

• Schmidt-Hori
• Dist:LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.92 Theory and Practice of Translation

If the act of translation is straightforward, why are there so many Japanese words for it—honyaku, gendaigo-yaku, eyaku, chokuyaku, iyaku, and even chōyaku? This course will explore the theory and practice of translation, considering the various strategies translators have used in working across English and Japanese, two utterly different languages. We'll look at Japanese and English textbook translations, manga and young adult "translations" of classics like the Tale of Genji, Murakami Haruki's translation of Salinger and Jay Rubin's translations of Murakami. In conversation with some seminal texts of translation theory (read in English), we'll try our hand at translating poetry, jokes, songs, puns, prose and more. Open to students who have completed Japanese 31, the equivalent, or with the permission of the instructor.

• Dorsey
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• 22W:10

ASCL 60.93 Countercultures of Japan's 1960s

Like their American counterparts, Japanese youth in the 1960s occupied university administration buildings, protested war and imperialism, and denounced discrimination, exploitation, and the status quo. This course will explore their counterculture through the music, fiction, film, and comics (manga) of that decade. Topics include ambivalent attitudes towards the U.S., generational discord, new conceptions of love and sex, the legacy of war and the relationship of culture to politics. Most of the course will be conducted in Japanese, but some theoretical and historical issues will be researched and discussed in English.

• Dorsey
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.94 Chinese Martial Arts Fiction

Martial arts fiction has a long history in China and is a very popular contemporary Chinese literary genre. Focusing on the most successful and influential Chinese martial arts fiction writer Louis Cha's (Jin Yong 金庸) novels in both Chinese originals and English translations, this course will not only introduce a typical Chinese literary genre that does not exist in the Western literary tradition, but also present the wonders of Chinese martial arts. By reading selections of Yitian tulong ji 倚天屠龙记 (The Tale of Relying on Heaven to Slay the Dragon) in Chinese and Shujian enchou lu 书剑恩仇录 (The Book and the Sword) in both Chinese and English, the student will examine the literary representations of both the external and internal Chinese kungfu 功夫, as well as their cultural contexts, including but not limited to Chinese calligraphy, cosmology, history, music, philosophy, poetry, and traditional Chinese medicine, etc. Supplementary readings on related topics, in particular, Taijiquan 太极拳, will also be provided. Most classroom reading materials will be in Chinese

• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Xing
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 60.95 Modern Chinese Poetry:

Resisting against over two thousand years of poetic tradition, Chinese poems in the twentieth century represent one of the major achievements of modern Chinese literature and reflect splendid brilliance of modern Chinese young literary talents. An introduction to the representative poets, schools and works of modern Chinese poetry, this course examines the language, style and merits of the newly developed modern Chinese poetic tradition. Works covered in this course, in both Chinese original and English translation, include those pioneering early vernacular poems by Hu Shi 胡适 (1891-1962) and Liu Bannong 刘半农 (1891-1934), etc. and contemporary experimental poems by the controversial avant-garde poets

• Xing
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 61.01/REL 10 The Religions of China

An introduction to China's three major religions—Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism—through the reading of classic texts. Also, a look at important elements in Chinese folk religion: ancestor worship, temples, heavens and hells, and forms of divination. Special attention will be paid to the importance of government in Chinese religious thought and to continuity and change in the history of Chinese religion.

• Raz
• Dist: TMV; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 61.05/REL 19.29 Women and Religion in Japan

This course examines how Japanese religious traditions (such as Shinto, Buddhism, and others) have informed the lives of women in premodern and modern Japan, and the roles that women have played as nuns, patrons, lay practitioners, and religious specialists. We will examine both what religious traditions said about women and womanhood, and how women interacted with religious views and practices, many of which denigrated or limited women's participation.

• Dist: TMV
• Simpson
• 21W: 12

ASCL 61.06/REL 19.31 Religions of Japan

This course examines the historical development of the various religious traditions of Japan, from prehistoric to contemporary times. While prehistoric artifacts indicate what early Japanese religion may have looked like, the bulk of Japanese history features interactions between native, local Japanese practices and beliefs and the influence of continental traditions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and geomancy. Here, we will consider how the Japanese have adapted, combined, and redefined religious traditions over the centuries while interrogating what the word "religion" means within the context of each religion, sect or locality. Open to all.

• Simpson
• Dist: TMV
• 20X: 12

ASCL 61.07/REL 19.32 Buddhism in Japan and Korea & Shinto: Foundations, Festivals, and Fox Shrines

Shinto has been called the way of the gods, a nature religion, a native Japanese religion, a nationalist religion, to name but a few of its many descriptions. In this class, we will spend a great deal of time figuring out what Shinto is and is not, debating the relative merits of these classifications. We will see that Shinto is, to say the least, a multifaceted tradition with a complex history and countless local variations. Open to all.

• Simpson
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 61.08/REL 41.06 Buddhism in Korea and Japan: From Tribute Missions to Temple Tourism

Buddhism has long been an established religious tradition and important aspect of cultural heritage in both Korea and Japan. However, there are key differences in how Buddhism developed and how the religion functions today. In South Korea, most people classify themselves as Buddhist or Christian; in Japan, the majority consider themselves non-religious, yet visit Buddhist temples and hold Buddhist funerals; in North Korea, roughly 10,000 Buddhists remain in spite of religious persecution by the state. Clerical marriage is widely accepted in Buddhist sects throughout Japan, whereas the practice has been the subject of heated debate in South Korea since the 1950s. How did these differences emerge, and what common ground remains?

• Simpson
• Dist: TMV; WCult: NW
• 22W: 3A

ASCL 61.09 Yin Yang and Feng Shui: Chinese Cosmology, Divination and Arts of Placement

This is an introduction to the yin yang and feng shui (geomancy) cosmological and self-cultivation theories and practices. On the one hand, Chinese yin yang and feng shui cosmology is the foundation to understand traditional Chinese art, architecture and culture. On the other hand, they provide us with effective practices for our self-cultivation and to fight against COVID-19. We will learn the basics of the related Chinese cosmological classics, such as I Ching (Yijing易经 or Zhouyi 周易), the Classic of Changes, which has also been considered one of the earliest masterpieces in Chinese literary and intellectual traditions, as well as the arts and theories to improve our lives by creating balanced and optimal environments outside and inside our bodies.

• Xing
• Dist: TMV; WCult: NW
• 20X: 2A

ASCL 62.01 Chinese Calligraphy

This is an introduction to the art of Chinese calligraphy as well as a survey of the major script types in the Chinese writing system. Following the history of Chinese calligraphy, the student will examine the major scripts and styles of Chinese characters as well as the same technical and philosophical origins of Chinese calligraphy and painting, learn and practice the traditional basic writing (and painting, as optional) techniques, and study the basic laws of Chinese characters. Classroom practice will give the student hands-on experience of using the traditional Chinese writing tools that are full of Chinese cultural significance.

• Xing
• Dist: ART; Wcult NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 62.02 Traditional Performance in China: Past and Present

From folksong collection in Confucian times to current efforts at preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage, this course begins by introducing traditional ideas about the folk and folk culture in China, and how the relationship between folk and elite has changed over time, with special emphasis on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Through the examination of local traditions of storytelling, epic singing, folksongs, ritual, and local drama from various time periods and geographical areas, students will gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the diversity of regional and ethnic expressive forms within China and how they continue to develop over time through the present day. During this course, you will also become familiar with important theories from folklore studies and learn to apply them in analyzing performances and texts—skills that can be fruitfully extended to both personal and professional areas of your life in the future.

• Gibbs
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 62.06 Exploring Korea Through Film

This course explores cinematic representations of Korean history and the diverse interpretations of social, cultural, and political issues portrayed in modern and contemporary Korean films. The course is structured by thematic issues, including Korean ideas about politics and monarchy, North Korea's self-identity, rapid industrialism, South Korea's democratic movement, and Korean's concept of love. The class will view Korean films, and also read novels depicting similar issues and compare and contrast the theatrical and literary representations.

• Kim
• Dist: SOC; WCult: NW
• 21S: 3A

ASCL 62.07/ARTH 32.11 Introduction to Korean Art

This course will introduce the arts and culture of Korea from the prehistoric period through the twentieth century. Significant examples of painting, ceramics, sculpture, and architecture will be closely examined in their political, social, and cultural (Chinese and Japanese) contexts. We will explore how different cultures and ideas produced distinctive aesthetics, and how East Asian motifs were incorporated into traditional Korean art. We will see how Korea struggled to find its artistic identity within the international context during the 20^th century. No prior knowledge of Korean art or history, or of the Chinese or Korean language, is expected.

• Kim
• Dist: ART; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 62.08/ARTH 62.20 Modern and Contemporary Korean Art

This course examines the art and culture of Korea from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century. During this period Korea experienced the fall of its 500-year-long dynasty, annexation to Japan, the Korean war, division into two Koreas, and internationalization/globalization. The class will explore how visual art, including paintings, photographs, posters, ceramics, and film, reflected and expressed the political, socio-economic, and cultural changes and concerns of each period, in both South and North Korea.

• Kim
• Dist: ART, WCult: NW
• 22W: 2A

ASCL 62.09 /FILM 47.19 Japanese Anime and the Idea of the Posthuman - Krieger's Virtual Girlfriend

An examination of major trends in popular visual culture in Japan since the 1980s focused on the growth in production and distribution of animated films, tv series, and video games. Screenings will include works by Miyazaki Hayao, Rintaro, Takahata Isao, and Kon Satoshi. Readings will include both critical and historical sources that will provide the social and economic contexts for the development of the anime industry, theories of animation, and the global impact of Japanese popular culture.

• Washburn
• Dist: ART; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 62.10/ARTH 32.21 Sacred Art and Architecture of Japan

Drawing on examples from the prehistoric to the contemporary eras, this course examines the relationship of Japan's sacred architectural, sculptural and painting traditions to doctrinal sources and ritual practices while considering the social and political contexts in which these arts were created and utilized. This course provides a thorough overview of Japanese belief systems and related cultural practices. There are no prerequisites for this course.

• Hockley
• Dist: ART; WCult: NW
• 21F: 10

ASCL 62.11/ARTH 32.22 The Japanese Painting Tradition

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Japanese painting tradition from the prehistoric era through the late twentieth century. The intention is to define the unique aesthetic experience offered by Japanese sacred and secular painting by surveying a broad range of themes, formats, and styles. It will explore, in particular, the dynamic between indigenous sensibilities and the traditions Japanese artists borrowed from continental Asia and the West.

• Dist: ART; WCult: NW
• Hockley
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 62.12/ARTH 62.30 Japanese Prints

A survey of the Japanese print tradition from its inception in the seventeenth century through modern prints in the early twentieth century, this course emphasizes the relationship between prints and the political, social, and cultural milieu in which they circulated. The curriculum includes applications of recent critiques and theoretical approaches from fields as diverse as sexuality and gender studies, mass culture and media studies, aesthetics of popular arts, and the sociology of consumption.

• Hockley
• Dist: ART, WCult: NW
• 21S: 10

ASCL 62.13/ARTH 62.81 Women, Gender, and Art in East Asia

This course will focus on women as the subjects, the creators, and the patrons of art in China, Korea, and Japan from the 16th century to the present. It will be organized chronologically, culturally, and thematically. This will involve an exploration of powerful matrons of art and their aspirations, a historical survey of women artists and their artistic contributions, and an examination of the religious and secular images of women and its limitations. The course will also look at contemporary artists and investigate their artistic discourses, messages, and experimentations. Extensive attention will be given to the creation, modification, and persistence of these images throughout history, due to various social, economical, psychological, and intellectual conditions. This course will develop students' thinking skills in the history of art and improve their ability to conduct research and communicate both orally and in writing within the discipline.This course requires no previous coursework or experience, but is intended for those who like interdisciplinary approaches to art and culture.

• Kim
• Dist: ART; WCult: NW
• 21S:10A

ASCL 63.01/ANTH 045 Asian Medical Systems

This course investigates systems of healing practiced in, and derived from, Asia. We will focus primarily on three Asian medical systems: Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and Tibetan medicine. We will strive to understand how these medical systems are based on coherent logics that are not only biologically but also culturally determined. We will also analyze the deployment of these medical systems in non-Asian contexts and examine the relationship between Asian systems and "western" biomedicine.

• Armbrecht
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 64.01 Cultural Struggles in Colonial Korea

This course explores Korean history between 1876 and 1945, as Korea entered the modern period. First, we will examine how Japan, China, and Korea responded to Western imperialism in the 19th century, and then how China and Korea responded to Japanese imperialism early in the 20th century. The second half of the class will explore the Japanese colonial government's assimilation policy during the colonial period in Korea, and how Korea was affected by and reacted to various aspects of this policy. The establishment of historiography, formulation of aesthetic and cultural cannons, and shaping of images of Koreans and their land will be explored by examining diverse media including literature, photographs, exhibition catalogues, and other primary sources. The class will conclude with the continuing legacy of the Japanese colonial period. All readings are in English. No prior knowledge of Korea or Korean language assumed.

• Kim
• Dist: ART or INT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 64.03/HIST 78.02 North Korea, Origins and Transition

This course explores the history of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) from a global perspective. Topics include the Japanese colonial legacies; liberation, division, and foreign occupation between 1945 and 1950; the meanings of the Korean War; comparing Kim Il-Sung's North Korean revolution with Park Chung-hee's state building in the South; the reality of "Self-Reliance"; social control and everyday life; and issues around human rights, famine, and defectors.

• Suh
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 64.04/HIST 78/REL 32 Christianity in Korea

This course examines Korean Christians' beliefs and practices, which have shaped and brought tensions to current socio-religious phenomena. Topics include the Korean origins of Christianity, the encounter between Catholicism and Neo-Confucianism in the eighteenth century, Protestant missionaries' role in medicine and education, the rise of nationalism and Christianity under Japanese colonialism, churches in North Korea, Pentecostalism under South Korea's rapid industrialization and democratization, Korean missionaries around the world, and Christian musicians and entertainers in Korea, as well as the interface between gender and Korean Christian culture.

• Suh
• Dist: TMV, WCult: NW
• 21W: 10

ASCL 64.05/HIST 78.03 The Two Koreas, 1948-Present

This course explores the emergence of the two Koreas, from a global perspective. Beginning with the legacies of the Chosŏn Dynasty, we will examine the impact of Japanese colonialism on the divergence of the two nation-states: the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). Analyzing scholarly writings and primary sources, the course will focus on the domestic and international processes through which the two regimes clashed and competed in the context of the Cold War. We will primarily focus on drastic differences manifested between the two countries' ideologies, cultures, and political economies, but also pay attention to unexpected parallels experienced by Koreans across the hostile division. Students will pursue a final research project, in consultation with the instructor, on a comparison of their choice related to the themes of this course. No prior knowledge of the Koreas or the Korean language is expected.

• Suh
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• 22W: 12

ASCL 64.08/HIST 05.03 The History of China since 1800

This survey course traces China's social, political, and cultural development from the relative peace and prosperity of the high Qing period, through the devastating wars and imperialist incursions of the nineteenth century, to the efforts, both vain and fruitful, to build an independent and powerful new nation. Open to all classes.

• Crossley
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 64.09/HIST 72.01 Late Imperial China in Global Context

China's history, from the 3rd century BCE to the twentieth century, examined in the context of global developments in demography, economy, urbanization, technology, trade, and the arts. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

• Crossley
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 64.11/HIST 5.05 The Emergence of Modern Japan

A survey of Japanese history from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Topics to be covered include the building of a modern state and the growth of political opposition, industrialization and its social consequences, the rise and fall of the Japanese colonial empire, and the postwar economic 'miracle.'

• Ericson
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• 20F

ASCL 64.12/HIST 079 Postwar Japan

This course examines the internal and external forces that have shaped Japan's government, economy, and society since 1945. Topics to be treated include American Occupation reforms, the conservative hegemony in politics, rapid economic growth and its costs, the mass middle-class society, and Japan's changing world role. Open to all classes.

• Ericson
• Dist: SOC, WCult: NW
• 21S: 10A

ASCL 64.13/HIST 74 Intellectual History of East Asia

A comparative exploration of Chinese and Japanese thought, from the formation of Confucianism in the Warring States period to the confrontation between traditional thought and the imported ideologies of the twentieth centuries. In writing assignments, students may concentrate upon either Chinese or Japanese topics. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

• Crossley
• Dist: TMV; WCult: NW
• 21F:2A

ASCL 64.14/HIST 78.04 Slaves and Rebels in Korea, 1392-1910

This course explores the history of Choson Korea (1392-1910) through the experiences of outcasts and commoners. By examining the desires and despair of peasants, slaves, rebels, entertainers, and religious minorities, this course assesses the foundation of the state and the operation of society as manifested at the margins of society. How did the religious and intellectual heritage of Korea legitimize hereditary status, slave ownership, gender division, and regional discrimination? In what ways did ordinary people conform to or struggle against elite governing? Docs the longevity of the Chason dynasty testify to the successful control of the status system by those at the top? Or does the stability elucidate social mobility and dynamic interactions across the status divisions? Focusing on various status groups illuminates the mechanisms of domination, compliance, and resistance carried out at the micro level. The experiences of the underrepresented shed light on the transition to modern Korea and present the complicated process of constructing Korean identity over time. A background in Korean history is not required.

• Suh
• Dist: SOC; WCult: NW
• 21F:12

ASCL 67.01 /GOVT 40.03 Politics of Japan

This course offers a survey of Japanese politics with a focus on understanding the electoral and policy-making processes in Japan from theoretical and comparative perspectives. No prior knowledge of Japanese politics is required. The course will explore electoral systems and voting behavior, candidate selection and electoral campaign, dynamics of party competition, executive-legislative relationships, local politics and central-local relationships, the roles of the mass media and civil society in policy making, etc.

• Horiuchi
• Dist: INT or SOC; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 69.01 Chinese Traditions

ASCL 69.02 Writing Across China

ASCL 69.03 Engaging Beijing

Beijing is an engaging place, but how do you engage with this place and the people around you? You have come to Beijing to study Chinese language and culture, but paradoxically often find yourself stuck in your dorm studying. This course will force you to go out, look, listen, and ask questions, and—hopefully—it will help you to facilitate a deeper experience during your time here. Throughout the course, we will be reading and discussing articles about various aspects of Beijing—including its history, layout, communities, parks, people, restaurants, museums, and more. You will also be acquiring the toolbox of an ethnographer through a series of readings, exercises, and class discussions, which will give you various lenses through which to engage with the places and people around you. These theoretical "tools" deal with how people use spaces and are influenced by spaces (proxemics), how to describe and analyze a scene, as well as performances (broadly understood) within those scenes, how to interview people and transcribe, translate, interpret and represent what they say, and how to document places through photographs (visual anthropology). Your final project will incorporate all of these tools as you create a textual (10-page paper) and visual (series of photographs) analysis of a field site (or multiple sites) of your choosing.

• Gibbs
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 69.20 Japanese Language and Culture through Studio Ghibli Films

This class engages in Ghibil films as "audio-visual texts" that provide a window into culture and the spoken language of contemporary Japan. The first half of the class time is allocated for discussions of the linguistic aspect of the assigned excerpt, and the second half will be spent on discussing the cultural aspect of the film. After the course, successful students will acquire a better understanding of human relations, traditional Japanese customs/objects portrayed in the films, as well as a wide range of speech styles and colloquial expressions.

• Schmidt-Hori
• Dist: WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 69.21 Love, Gender, and Marriage in Japanese Popular Culture

Using Japanese language primary sources and some English language background and theoretical readings, this course examines representations of love, gender, and marriage in Japanese popular culture. We will examine how romance, sexuality, and gender roles have evolved since the end of WW II as well as how such information is encoded in song, graphic novels, advertising, and various other pieces of ephemera. Most class sessions will be conducted in Japanese, and the polishing of language skills is an integral part of the course. Open to students who have completed three quarters of Japanese language study, the equivalent, or with the permission of the instructor.

• Dorsey
• Dist: LIT; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 69.22 Reading Edo-Tokyo: An Interdisciplinary Approach

For the past two centuries, Edo-Tokyo has been the spatial, temporal, and conceptual focal point of Japan's political, economic, and aesthetic modernization. We will explore the city's historical and cultural transformation between the early nineteenth century and the present using three separate but interrelated disciplinary rubrics for "reading" the city: (1) urban visuality, (2) literary and filmic textuality, and (3) ethnography. While the course moves through these three rubrics roughly in order, our goal will to be develop synthetic approaches to analyzing the broader urban "text" known as "Edo-Tokyo."

• Toback
• Dist: Soc; WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S

ASCL 69.23 Shogun and Samurai: Japan in the Age of the Warrior

This course explores the origins and development of the warrior class that dominated and redefined the political economy and high culture of Japan between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries. Through readings, discussions, lectures, and films, we will examine such topics as the rise of the samurai, the transition from imperial to warrior government, the evolution of samurai values and beliefs, and the legacy of warrior rule and culture for modern Japan.

• Ericson
• Dist: INT or SOC, WCult: NW
• Not to be offered in the period from 20F through 21S