East Asian Studies (2022 - 2024)

The courses listed below are intended to show the range of choices available; students are not limited to these courses in fulfilling the major or minor.

Language Courses

Elementary Chinese I
EAST-UA 201 Prerequisite: none. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Designed to develop language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing as it relates to everyday life situations. Objectives: to master the Chinese phonetic system (pinyin and tones) with satisfactory pronunciation; to understand the construction of commonly used Chinese characters (both simplified and traditional) and learn to write them correctly; to understand and use correctly basic Chinese grammar and sentence structures; to build up essential vocabulary; to read and write level-appropriate passages (100 to 150 characters long).

Elementary Chinese II
EAST-UA 202 Prerequisite: Elementary Chinese I (EAST-UA 201, 9201) or equivalent. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Objectives: to continue mastering the Chinese phonetic system (pinyin and tones); to become further familiar with the construction of commonly used Chinese characters (both simplified and traditional); to understand and use correctly basic Chinese grammar and sentence structures; to continue building up essential vocabulary; to read and write level-appropriate passages (150 to 200 characters long).

Intermediate Chinese I
EAST-UA 203 Prerequisite: Elementary Chinese II (EAST-UA 202, 9202) or equivalent. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Designed to consolidate and develop overall aural-oral proficiency. Objectives: to obtain information from more extended conversation; to express and expound on, at greater length, feelings and opinions on common topics; to develop vocabulary needed to discuss common topics and begin learning to decipher meaning of compound words; to develop reading comprehension of more extended narrative and expository passages; and to write at greater length (200 to 250 characters long) personal narratives, informational narratives, and comparison and discussion of viewpoints with level-appropriate vocabulary and grammatical accuracy, as well as basic syntactical cohesion.

Intermediate Chinese II
EAST-UA 204 Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese I (EAST-UA 203, 9203) or equivalent. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Designed to continue consolidating and developing overall aural-oral proficiency, gradually focusing more on semi-formal or formal linguistic expressions. Objectives: to further develop competence in obtaining information from more extended conversation; to express and expound on, at more extended length, feelings and opinions on socio-cultural topics; to develop more specialized vocabulary needed to discuss these topics; to improve ability to decipher meaning of compound words; to further develop reading comprehension of extended narrative, expository, and simple argumentative passages; to learn to solve syntactical problems independently; and to write at greater length (250 to 300 characters long) informational narratives and expository and simple argumentative passages with level-appropriate vocabulary and grammatical accuracy, as well as with basic syntactical cohesion.

Advanced Chinese I
EAST-UA 205 Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese II (EAST-UA 204, 9204) or equivalent. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Designed to further consolidate and develop overall language proficiency through studying articles on socio-cultural topics relevant to today's China. Objectives: to learn to apply formal linguistic expressions in speaking and writing; to acquire specialized vocabulary and patterns necessary for conducting formal discussions of socio-cultural topics; to develop reading comprehension of texts with more advanced syntax; to learn to make context based guesses about the meanings of new words; to further enhance ability to analyze as well as produce sentences with more complex syntactical features; to learn to write expository and argumentative passages at greater length; and to learn to employ basic rhetorical devices in writing.

Advanced Chinese II
EAST-UA 206 Prerequisite: Advanced Chinese I (EAST-UA 205, 9205) or equivalent. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Designed to further enhance oral and written communicative competence using formal linguistic expressions; to further expand specialized vocabulary and patterns necessary for conducting formal discussions of socio-cultural topics relevant to today's China; to further improve reading comprehension of texts with more advanced syntax; to further develop competence in making context-based guesses about the meaning of new words; to further enhance ability to analyze as well as produce sentences with more complex syntactical features; to further improve ability to write expository and argumentative passages at greater length; and to improve ability to effectively employ basic rhetoric devices in writing.

Topics in Conversational Chinese
EAST-UA 207 Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese II (EAST-UA 204) or permission of the instructor. May be repeated once for credit as content changes. Lecture. Offered every semester. 2 points.
Expands students' vocabulary and grammatical knowledge while strengthening their skills in spoken Chinese. Emphasizes presentations, discussions, debates, and development of descriptive and narrative skills. Draws topics from students' autobiographies as well as issues of community, national, or international interest.

Topics in Advanced Conversational Chinese
EAST-UA 208 Formerly Advanced Conversational Chinese II (4 points). Prerequisite: Advanced Chinese II (EAST-UA 206) or permission of the instructor. May be repeated once for credit as content changes. Lecture. Offered every semester. 2 points.
Develops intensive speaking and listening skills using a wide range of topics (general interest, current affairs, special fields of interest). Strengthens students' ability to give detailed narratives, respond to unanticipated complications, confidently discuss and support opinions and hypotheses, and master basic structures of the spoken language.

Translating Chinese
EAST-UA 210 Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese II (EAST-UA 204, 9204) or Intermediate Chinese for Advanced Beginners (EAST-UA 232). 2 points.
A selection of classical Chinese passages from philosophical and historical texts. Selection of texts may vary by term and instructor.

Learning Chinese Through Media
EAST-UA 211 Prerequisite: Advanced Chinese II (EAST-UA 206, 9206) or permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Designed for students who want to further improve their Chinese through exposure to various media sources, such as films, magazines, newspapers, TV, Internet, and user-created content (UCC). Students will learn conversation and composition from the sources, further develop communication skills in Chinese, and discuss various topics related to contemporary issues in China.

Readings in Chinese Poetry I
EAST-UA 213 Prerequisite: Advanced Chinese II (EAST-UA 206, 9206) or permission of the instructor. Offered every fall. 2 points.
Integrates language learning with poetry study, introduces the formal structure of Chinese classical poetry, and surveys its stylistic variations at different historical conjunctures. Conducted primarily in Chinese, with English translations of the poems provided as references from time to time. Poems are generally selected from the time of the Book of Poetry (approximately 3,000 years ago) to the Tang Dynasty.

Readings in Chinese Poetry II
EAST-UA 214 Prerequisite: Readings in Chinese Poetry I (EAST-UA 213) or permission of the instructor. Offered every spring. 2 points.
Continuation of Readings in Chinese Poetry I, with poems selected from Tang and post-Tang period.

Reading Confucius in Chinese
EAST-UA 215 Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese II (EAST-UA 204 or 9204) or permission of the instructor. Offered every two years. 2 points.
Combining methods from philology and philosophy, undertakes translation and interpretation of a selection of some 40-50 passages from the primary source of Confucius' life and sayings, the Analects (Lunyu). Reference to related texts which developed or criticized ideas in the Analects.

Readings in Chinese Culture I
EAST-UA 221 Prerequisite: Advanced Chinese II (EAST-UA 206, 9206) or permission of the instructor. Offered every fall. Liao. 4 points.
Chinese language at fourth-year level. Designed to enhance Chinese proficiency through studying authentic materials rich in cultural connotations. Objectives: to develop language skills needed for semi-formal and formal presentation on academic topics; to further improve reading comprehension and develop skills needed to conduct textual analysis of passages with sophisticated syntax and semantic nuance; to develop responsiveness to and ability to interpret stylized usage; and to advance strategies for autonomous learning of Chinese language from an analytical perspective. Reading materials will generally be selected from China's modern period (1919-1949).

Readings in Chinese Culture II
EAST-UA 222 Prerequisite: Readings in Chinese Culture I (EAST-UA 221) or permission of the instructor. Offered every spring. 4 points.
Continuation of Chinese language at fourth-year level, with reading materials generally selected from contemporary sources.

Politico-Philosophical Texts in Classical Chinese
EAST-UA 223 Formerly Chinese Philosophy in Chinese. Prerequisite: Introduction to Classical Chinese (EAST-UA 226) or permission of the instructor. 4 points.
A continuation of Introduction to Classical Chinese (EAST-UA 226). Through close reading and understanding of selected foundational texts, aims to further familiarize students with important linguistic features unique to classical Chinese and develop their reading comprehension skills in this highly stylized linguistic form. Readings from The Analects, Mencius, Mozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Book of Lord Shang, and Springs and Autumns of Master Lü, as well as from writings by Han Dynasty thinkers such as Chao Cuo and Jia Yi.

Narrative Texts in Classical Chinese
EAST-UA 224 Prerequisite: Introduction to Classical Chinese (EAST-UA 226) or permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
A post-advanced level intensive reading class for undergraduate students who already have attained advanced proficiency in modern Mandarin and basic knowledge of classical Chinese, and who need a command of classical Chinese for their future research and study.

Chinese Language and Structure
EAST-UA 225 Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese II (EAST-UA 204, 9204) or equivalent. 4 points.
Designed for non-heritage students who wish to review and reinforce what they have learned at the intermediate level. Through intense and systematic study of essential Chinese grammatical points covered in earlier courses, it aims to provide students with a solid grounding before they take Advanced Chinese I and/or II (EAST-UA 205/9205, 206/9206).

Introduction to Classical Chinese
EAST-UA 226 Prerequisite: Advanced Chinese II (EAST-UA 206, 9206) or permission of the instructor. Offered every fall. 4 points.
An introduction to basic syntax, grammar, and vocabulary with close readings of historically significant and canonical texts that are extremely rich in Chinese cultural connotation. A variety of genres: historical literature, philosophical and political writings, written correspondence, poetry, and essays. Aims to develop students' reading comprehension skills in this highly stylized form of written Chinese, acquainting students not only with the classical Chinese cultural heritage but also with the underlying working mechanism that is in many ways relevant to the form and usage of today's Mandarin Chinese.

Country and City: Readings in Modern Chinese Literature and Film
EAST-UA 227 Prerequisites: Readings in Chinese Culture II (EAST-UA 222) and permission of the instructor. Does not count toward the major or minor. Offered every year. J. Wang. 4 points.
Post-advanced level and intensive readings in Chinese. The aim is to develop students' skills in reading literary and cultural texts in their original language and sociohistorical context. Organized by an overall theme relevant to Department of East Asian Studies majors' and graduate students' training and professional development, such as country and city in modern China or women and revolution. Under the chosen rubric, reading materials are organized to both introduce students to major works in modern Chinese literature and culture and prepare them for further reading and independent research.

Reading The Dream of the Red Chamber
EAST-UA 228 Prerequisite: Readings in Chinese Culture II (EAST-UA 222) and permission of the instructor. Offered every year. J. Wang. 4 points.
The Dream of the Red Chamber is, by popular and scholarly consensus, the greatest literary achievement of vernacular fiction from imperial China. Through close reading and small-group discussion, students develop a high level of skill in literary translation, textual and discourse analysis, and critical interpretation, in addition to gaining an intimate knowledge of Chinese language, literary genres, cultural norms, and social conventions. The reading and discussion are conducted in Chinese.

Elementary Chinese for Advanced Beginners
EAST-UA 231 No prerequisite. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Intended for students who can converse in Mandarin Chinese about matters related to everyday life situations but cannot read and write at the same level. Students with no language background should enroll in Elementary Chinese I (EAST-UA 201).

Intermediate Chinese for Advanced Beginners
EAST-UA 232 Prerequisite: Elementary Chinese for Advanced Beginners (EAST-UA 231). Offered every semester. 4 points.
Designed for students with intermediate level Mandarin speaking proficiency who can understand and speak, with near-standard pronunciation and without major grammatical errors, conversational Chinese related to daily life situations and simple sociocultural topics. It aims to further strengthen students' correct pronunciation and intonation, grammatical accuracy, and overall competence in reading and writing.

Elementary Japanese I, II
EAST-UA 247, 248 No previous training in the language is required for EAST-UA 247. Prerequisite for EAST-UA 248: EAST-UA 247 with a minimum grade of C-. Offered in the fall and spring. 4 points.
Modern spoken and written Japanese. Designed to develop fundamental skills in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Gives contextualized instructions to develop both communicative and cultural competency. Systematically introduces the Japanese writing system (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji).

Intermediate Japanese I, II
EAST-UA 249, 250 Prerequisite for EAST-UA 249: Elementary Japanese II (EAST-UA 248) with a minimum grade of C-. Prerequisite for EAST-UA 250: EAST-UA 249 with a minimum grade of C-. Offered in the fall and spring. 4 points.
Stresses reading comprehension, spoken fluency, and composition, with materials organized around social and cultural topics. Continues to introduce new Kanji characters.

Advanced Japanese I, II
EAST-UA 252, 253 Prerequisite for EAST-UA 252: Intermediate Japanese II (EAST-UA 250) with a minimum grade of C+. Prerequisite for EAST-UA 253: EAST-UA 252 with a minimum grade of C+. Offered in the fall and spring. 4 points.
Stresses reading comprehension, spoken fluency, and composition; uses original materials, such as newspaper/magazine articles, TV news, and video. Introduces additional Kanji characters. Advanced use of Japanese and character dictionaries.

Elementary Korean I, II
EAST-UA 254, 255 No previous training in the language is required for EAST-UA 254. Prerequisite for EAST-UA 255: EAST-UA 254 or placement exam. Offered in the fall and spring. 4 points.
Introduces the Korean language and alphabet, Hangul. Provides a solid foundation in all aspects of the language, including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students study the language's orthographic and phonetic systems, grammar, syntax, and vocabulary within social and cultural contexts.

Intermediate Korean I, II
EAST-UA 256, 257 Prerequisite for EAST-UA 256: Elementary Korean II (EAST-UA 255) or placement exam. Prerequisite for EAST-UA 257: EAST-UA 256 or placement exam. Offered in the fall and spring. 4 points.
Covers phonetics, grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Emphasizes the development of communicative skills in speaking, reading, and writing. Develops the language's major social and cultural contexts. Requires students to write about and discuss various topics.

Advanced Korean I, II
EAST-UA 258, 259 Prerequisite for EAST-UA 258: Intermediate Korean II (EAST-UA 257) or placement exam. Prerequisite for EAST-UA 259: EAST-UA 258 or placement exam. Offered in the fall and spring. 4 points.
Continuing development of skills in conversation, reading, and writing. Reading Korean newspapers and visiting Korean websites are integrated as part of instruction.

Media Korean
EAST-UA 261 Prerequisites: Advanced Korean II (EAST-UA 259) and permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Fourth-year Korean. Improves students' understanding of written and spoken Korean through exposure to various media sources, such as film, magazine, newspaper, TV, Internet, and user-created content (UCC). Students learn Korean sentence patterns and vocabularies from the sources, develop advanced communication skills in Korean, and discuss various topics related to contemporary issues in Korea.

Readings in Contemporary Japanese Writings
EAST-UA 266 Prerequisites: Advanced Japanese II (EAST-UA 253) with a minimum grade of C+ and permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Fourth-year Japanese. Close readings of contemporary Japanese writing in such genres as social commentary, history, and literature. Emphasizes further reading and writing skills and, to a lesser extent, speaking and listening. Students develop further strategies for autonomous learning.

Readings in Modern Japanese Writings
EAST-UA 267 Prerequisites: Advanced Japanese II (EAST-UA 253) with a minimum grade of C+ and permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Fourth-year Japanese. Further develops proficiency in speaking, listening, writing, and reading comprehension. Texts are drawn from modern Japanese literature, social commentary, and history. Students learn and practice a wider range of useful vocabulary and expressions, with reinforcement of previously learned grammatical patterns and structures.

Japanese for Reading Proficiency
EAST-UA 268 Prerequisites: by placement examination and permission of the instructor only. Offered every semester. 4 points.
Covers all grammatical structures and essential Kanji characters (550+) introduced in elementary and intermediate level study. Intended for students with a post-intermediate level of oral-aural skills. A self-paced study leading to proficiency in reading and writing for students seeking exemption from the CAS foreign language requirement or enrollment (by permission) in advanced Japanese courses.

Japanese Language and Structure in Mass Media
EAST-UA 269 Prerequisites: Intermediate Japanese I (EAST-UA 249) with a minimum grade of C+ and permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Covers dynamic challenges posed to the formal structure of the language (for instance, grammar) as it is practiced in multiple mediums such as television, film (including anime), and print culture (graphic novels, and genre literature such as crime novels). Addresses the practice of translation (such as the grammar of cinematic modes juxtaposed with the grammar of literary language). Intended for post-Intermediate I through Advanced II students aiming to develop more oral-aural skills. (Post-Advanced II students should take Conversation and Composition in Japanese, EAST-UA 262.)

Writing Japanese in New Media
EAST-UA 272 Prerequisites: Intermediate Japanese II (EAST-UA 250) or equivalent and permission of instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Designed to further develop students' writing skills using forms of new media, such as wikis and blogs. Explores various forms and genres of writings and audiovisual materials.

Elementary Korean for Advanced Speakers
EAST-UA 281 No prerequisites. Offered every year. 4 points.
Covers first-year Korean in one semester. Designed for students who can understand and speak basic to intermediate conversational Korean but do not have previous formal language training in reading and writing. Aims to develop students' correct pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, and overall competence in reading and writing.

Intermediate Korean for Advanced Speakers
EAST-UA 282 Prerequisite: Elementary Korean for Advanced Speakers (EAST-UA 281) or equivalent language proficiency. Offered every year. 4 points.
Covers second-year Korean in one semester. Designed for students with intermediate-level speaking proficiency but with reading and writing ability equivalent to a student who has completed elementary level Korean, and who can understand and speak (with near-standard pronunciation and without basic major grammatical errors) conversational Korean related to daily situations and simple socio-cultural topics. Aims to further strengthen students' correct pronunciation and intonation, grammatical accuracy, ability to understand differences in nuance, and overall competence in reading and writing.

Structure of Korean
EAST-UA 283 Prerequisite: Advanced Korean II (EAST-UA 259) or equivalent language proficiency. Offered every year. 4 points.
Covers the various aspects of the Korean language, focusing on its uniqueness in light of general linguistics. Begins with a brief introduction to language structure in general and proceeds to genetic affiliation, historical development, lexicon, writing system, sound patterns, word structure, and sentence structure.

Readings in Modern Korean
EAST-UA 299 Prerequisites: Advanced Korean II (EAST-UA 259) and permission of the instructor. Offered every year. 4 points.
Fourth-year level. Provides students the opportunity to enhance their Korean literacy skills while doing some concentrated reading on issues, areas, and genres of their own interest. A wide range of texts is used in class, including fiction, poetry, social and cultural criticism, and journalism.

Business Chinese I
EAST-UA 603 Formerly Advanced Business Chinese I. Prerequisites: Advanced Chinese II (EAST-UA 206, 9206) or placement exam, and a basic background in business and/or economics. 4 points.
China’s economic reforms, its integration into the global economy, and the subsequent challenges and opportunities for its economy, companies, and society at large. Teaches the specialized vocabulary, phrases, and syntax used for oral and written communication in authentic Chinese business settings. Assigns journal articles on various aspects of China’s economic development and its evolving macroeconomic and microeconomic policies, as well as case studies of both domestic and foreign companies operating in China.

Business Chinese II
EAST-UA 604 Formerly Advanced Business Chinese II. Prerequisite: Business Chinese I (EAST-UA 603) or permission of the instructor. 4 points.
Students continue to expand their business vocabulary and develop their command of grammar. Emphasis on close reading of journal articles and honing of formal oral presentation skills.  

Civilization Courses

East Asian Art I: China, Korea, Japan
EAST-UA 91 Identical to ARTH-UA 510. 4 points.
See description under art history.

Topics in World Cinema
EAST-UA 300 4 points.
Topics vary semester by semester.

Belief and Social Life in China
EAST-UA 351 Identical to RELST-UA 351. 4 points.
See description under religious studies.

China and Taiwan
EAST-UA 529 Identical to HIST-UA 529. Karl. 4 points.
Examines 20th-century Taiwan and China in their interrelationship and their divergent paths. Rather than a diplomatic or international relations approach, takes up crucial issues in the history of each polity and society. Substantial reading requirements and expectations for student participation.

Mao and the Chinese Revolution
EAST-UA 535 Identical to HIST-UA 546. Karl. 4 points.
The revolution made Mao as much as Mao made the revolution. We investigate Mao's thoughts and theories as products of the revolutionary situation in China and the world in the 20th century, and of the revolutionary collective that gathered around Mao prior to and throughout his leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.

Gender and Radicalism in Modern China
EAST-UA 536 Identical to HIST-UA 536, SCA-UA 536. Karl. 4 points.
See description under history.

History of Modern Japan
EAST-UA 537 Identical to HIST-UA 537. Solt. 4 points.
See description under history.

Asia's Revolutions: China/India/Vietnam, 1885-1962
EAST-UA 538 Identical to HIST-UA 538. Roberts. 4 points.
A comparative approach to national independence movements and their contexts. Examines figures who led India and Vietnam from colonial subordination to independent nationhood and China from its semi-colonial status to liberation. Principal figures include Mohandas Gandhi, Mao Zedong, and Ho Chi Minh, with attention to Gokhale, Tilak, Jinnah, and Nehru (India); Li Hongzhang, Sun Yatsen, Chen Duxiu, La Dazhao, and Chiang Kai-shek (China); and Phan Boi Chau (Vietnam).

Chinese Film and Society
EAST-UA 540 Coderre. 4 points.
Examines Chinese films in their social, political, and cultural contexts. The specific topics vary from filmic representation of revolution and socialism to avant-garde experimentation in post-Mao China. The approach is comparative and analytical, with a focus on the particular experiences of Chinese modernity as reflected in visual images and cultural politics.

Seminar: Cold War in Asia
EAST-UA 552 4 points.
Examines U.S. foreign policy in Asia since 1945 and how U.S. global interests and concerns sought to shape Asian realities (and were shaped in turn by them). Topics: the occupation of Japan and early U.S. global economic visions; the U.S. and the Chinese revolution; the Korean War and the isolation of China; the Vietnam War and the Kennedy/Johnson years; Nixon's global geopolitical vision and policies; Carter and human rights diplomacy; Reagan and the Asian issues involved in an intensified Cold War against Russia; George H. W. Bush and Asia's place in "a New World Order"; and the Clinton and George W. Bush years.

Topics in East Asian Studies
EAST-UA 569 Topics determine prerequisites. May be repeated three times for credit (taken four times in total) as topics change. Seminar. Offered every year. 4 points.
Topics vary.

History of Modern Korea
EAST-UA 609 4 points.
Starts in the late 19th century and proceeds through the colonial period (1910-45), national partition (1945), the Korean War (1950-52), and the establishment of a "division system." Examines issues of national sovereignty, class and gender, and democracy within a broader, East Asian/global context.

Korean Modernism
EAST-UA 610 4 points.
Considers the problem of colonial modernism through a close reading of literary and other cultural texts from early 20th-century Korea. Questions the relationship among imperialism, writing, and subjectivity.

20th-Century Korean Literature in Translation
EAST-UA 611 4 points.
Traces literary development under the competing influences of tradition, history, and the West. Readings include drama, poetry, and fiction from modern and contemporary periods. Occasional lectures on classical forms of Korean literature and drama.

Japanese Cinema
EAST-UA 613 4 points.
Examines key theoretical and methodological issues in the study of Japanese cinema, such as the connections between Japanese films and cultural traditions, the effect of Americanization and modernization, the formation of national identity and specificity, and the "otherness" of Japanese cinematic form.

Aesthetics and Politics of Vision in Premodern Japan
EAST-UA 615 Looser. 4 points.
A broad and interdisciplinary cultural history of Japan, roughly from the eighth century through the mid-19th. The focus is on visual regimes—differing conventions and practices of seeing—and on the changing role of aesthetics. These visual regimes are used to understand fundamental transformations in structures of power, community, and subjectivity. Draws on a range of materials, from literature to landscape gardens, visual arts, architecture, and technologies.

Approaches to Chinese Cinema
EAST-UA 618 4 points.
The development of cinema in 20th-century China is inextricably linked to the emergence of the modern Chinese nation-state. Emphasizes the thematic, cultural, and historical content of films, as well as formal filmmaking techniques. Explores all periods from the earliest Chinese cinema to contemporary fifth- and sixth-generation film, Hong Kong, and contemporary transnational Chinese cinema.

Mass Culture: Japan
EAST-UA 707 Looser. 4 points.
Covers the early 20th century to life in Japan today. Considers differing theoretical positions on mass culture, everyday life, and modernity. Examples from cinema, animation, literature, and theatre, as well as new media and the fine arts. Utilizes a comparative perspective with the rest of Asia and with the West.

Japanese Animation and New Media
EAST-UA 708 Looser. 4 points.
Examines how anime might, or might not, shift earlier modes of expression (both literary and animated): the prevalence of mythology in animation and the tension between mythology and ideology; the importance of genre; and the impact of "old" and "new" media on narrative structure and reception. Implications of these conditions for thinking about "Japanese" culture are considered.

Epic Romances of Asia: China, Japan, and Vietnam
EAST-UA 718 Roberts. 4 points.
Comparative coverage of three romantic classics: one Vietnamese (Tale of Kieu), one Japanese (Tale of Genji), and one Chinese (Dream of the Red Chamber), with selections from Buddhist texts. Topics: the role of heroines, the relationship of romance and marriage to political power and social customs, and the authority of parents and elders. Confucian secular concepts of authority co-exist and contend with Buddhism's reinterpretation of the secular world and offer of escape from worldly suffering.

Topics in Japanese Literature
EAST-UA 719 4 points.
Topics vary by semester.

Readings in Chinese Philosophy and Culture
EAST-UA 722 Formerly Introduction to the Civilization of Imperial China. Roberts. 4 points.
Coverage from the era of Confucius (d. 479 B.C.E.) to the unification of the realm in 206 B.C.E., the pre-imperial period that is also known as the warring states. Begins with the Analects to establish the key elements of Confucius' ethical and political philosophy and then examines his critics and followers. Concludes with Sima Qian's Record of the Historian (excerpts) and the novel The Three Kingdoms. The former addresses the establishment of the Qin and Han dynasties; the latter chronicles the fall of the Han dynasty some four centuries later and the reconstitution of a unified realm.

Historical Epics of China and Japan
EAST-UA 726 Roberts. 4 points.
Comparative treatment of the two major military epics of China, Three Kingdoms and Outlaws of the Marsh (Sanguo yanyi and Shuihu zhuan), and the major military epic of Japan, The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari). Themes: nature of dynastic rule, qualifications for kingship, relation of civil to military authority, diplomatic and military strategies, and the roles of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism in these complex narratives.

Topics in East Asian Classics
EAST-UA 728 Offered every two years. 4 points.
Topics vary by semester.

Traditional Drama of China and Japan
EAST-UA 729 Roberts. 4 points.
Compares a selection of Chinese and Japanese pre-modern dramas and explores contrasts and parallels of incident, character, plot design, and theme in the two theatrical traditions. Attention to the historical background of each work and the social conditions and customs that each reflects. The cultural salience of each work is also considered.

20th-Century Chinese Literature in Translation
EAST-UA 731 4 points.
Explores changing trends in literary writing and how this relates to the social and historical contexts of the period. Literature as reflection on/of the culture and self-understanding of modern China.

Modern Chinese Fiction
EAST-UA 732 4 points.
Literature from the late Qing period to the present day. Engages in close, critical readings of significant works of fiction from a selection of authors (primarily from mainland China). Offers students a more nuanced understanding of modern China and the role that fiction has played as both an agent of modernity and a reflection of modern Chinese life.

Modern Japanese Literature and its Filmic Expression
EAST-UA 733 4 points.
Literature in its historical context. Topics include: the individual versus the bureaucracy, the struggle against the feudal past, intra-familial and generational conflict, the despised caste called Eta, the instability of gender roles, and the sources of political fanaticism.

Japan Through Its Literature
EAST-UA 734 No knowledge of Japanese required. Roberts. 4 points.
Covers about 10 major Japanese literary works, starting with the 11th-century Tale of Genji. Includes the Zen diary Essays in Idleness, texts of Noh plays, the Chushingura, and plays of Chikamatsu. Moves on to a series of modern novels starting with Ukigumo and followed by The Broken Commandment, Sound of the Mountain, and The Waiting Years.

Modern Korea and the Korean Diaspora
EAST-UA 735 4 points.
Explores migration and displacement as primary driving forces that shape modern Korean culture, economy, history and politics. As Korea (formerly Chosun) became part of global capitalism in the late 19th century, class relations and land ownership underwent dramatic changes, which caused many Koreans’ displacement and landlessness.

Vietnam: Its History
EAST-UA 737 Identical to HIST-UA 737. 4 points.
Focus on the American War in Vietnam. Begins by examining Vietnamese cultural and national identity and the impact of French colonialism and then examines: the war of 1946-54 between the French and the Viet Minh; the early American OSS links with Ho Chi Minh and the Truman administration's deepening commitments to the French; the policies of the Eisenhower administration, from Dien Bien Phu and the Geneva Conference in 1954 to the decision to back Ngo Dien Diem; the deepening commitment of the Kennedy administration; the escalating war of the Johnson years; and the end of the war under Nixon and Ford. Concludes with legacies and interpretations of the war.

Introduction to Buddhism
EAST-UA 832 Identical to RELST-UA 832. 4 points.
See description under religious studies.

Topics in Asian Studies
EAST-UA 950 4 points.
Topics vary by semester.

Topics in Korean Studies
EAST-UA 951 4 points.
Topics vary by semester.

Topics in Chinese Studies
EAST-UA 952 4 points.
Topics vary by semester.

Topics in Japanese Studies
EAST-UA 953 4 points.
Topics vary by semester.

Internship
EAST-UA 980, 981 2 or 4 points per term.

Independent Study
EAST-UA 997, 998 2 or 4 points per term.