CNSE B101, B102 Third Year Chinese
A focus on overall language skills through reading and discussion of modern short stories, as well as on students' facility in written and oral expression through readings in modern drama and screenplays. Readings include representative works from the May Fourth Period (1919-27) to the present. Audio- and videotapes of drama and films are used as study aids. Prerequisite: Second Year Chinese or permission of instructor. (Chiang, Division III)
CNSE B201, B202 Fourth Year Chinese
Development of language ability by readings in modern Chinese literature, history and/or philosophy. Speaking and reading skills are equally emphasized through a consideration of the intellectual, historical and social significance of representative works. Prerequisite: Third Year Chinese or permission of instructor. (Lin, Division III)
Japanese
JPNSE H001, H002 First Year Japanese (Intensive)
An introduction to the four basic skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), with special emphasis on the development of conversational fluency in socio-cultural contexts. Six hours per week of lecture and oral practice. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit. (Koike)
JPNSE H003, H004 Second Year Japanese
A continuation of First Year Japanese, with a focus on the further development of oral proficiency, along with reading and writing skills. Five hours per week of lecture and oral practice. Prerequisite : First Year Japanese or equivalent. (Tanaka)
JPNSE H101, H102 Third Year Japanese
A continuation of language study with further development of oral proficiency. Emphasis on reading and discussing simple texts. Advanced study of grammar and kanji; introduction to composition writing. Three hours of class, one hour of oral practice. Prerequisite: Second Year Japanese or equivalent. (Tanaka)
JPNSE H201, H202 Fourth Year Japanese
Advanced study of written and spoken Japanese utilizing texts and audio-visual materials. Prerequisite: Third Year Japanese or equivalent and consent of the instructor. (Glassman, Koike)
East Asian Studies
EAST H120 Chinese Perspectives on the Individual and Society
A survey of philosophical, literary, legal, and autobiographical
sources on Chinese notions of the individual in traditional
and modern China . Particular emphasis is placed on identifying
how ideal and actual relationships between the individual and
society vary across class and gender and over time. Special
attention will be paid to the early 20th century, when Western
ideas about the individual begin to penetrate Chinese literature
and political discourse. (Smith)
EAST H129 The Lotus Sutra: Text, Image, and Practice
An exploration of the Lotus Sutra, arguably the most important
text in the history of East Asian Buddhism. We will examine
its narrative and doctrinal dimensions, study artistic representations
of its stories, and explore the practice and cult of the text.
(Glassman, Division III; cross-listed in Writing Program and
Religion.) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST B131 Chinese Civilization
A broad chronological survey of Chinese culture and society from
the Bronze Age to the present, with special reference to such
topics as belief, family, language, the arts and sociopolitical
organization. Readings include primary sources in English translation
and secondary studies. (Staff, Division I or III; cross-listed
as History 131.)
EAST H132 Japanese Civilization
A broad chronological survey of Japanese culture and society from the earliest times to the present, with special reference to such topics as belief, family, language, the arts and sociopolitical organization. Readings include primary sources in English translation and secondary studies. (Glassman, Division I or III)
EAST H200 Sophomore Seminar: Methods and Approaches in East Asian Studies
Introduces current and prospective majors to the scope and methods
of East Asian Studies. Employs readings on East Asian history
and culture as a platform in critical analysis, bibliography,
cartography, and the formulation of research topics and approaches.
Culminates in a substantial research essay. A prerequisite
for East Asian Studies majors, the course should be taken in
the second semester of the sophomore year; occasionally in
the second semester of the junior year. Prerequisite: Required
of East Asian Studies majors and minors; open to History majors
and other interested students. Enrollment limited to 25 students.
(Wooldridge, Division III)
EAST H201 Introduction to Buddhism
Focusing on the East Asian Buddhist tradition, the course examines
Buddhist philosophy, doctrine and practice as textual traditions
and as lived religion. (Glassman, Division III) Not offered
in 2007-08.
EAST B206 Modern Chinese Literature and Film
Introduces the development of modern Chinese literature and related
film since the 19th century in terms of the significant motifs
of enlightenment and decadence. The course enriches the understanding
of heterogeneous "modernities" rather than the homogeneous "modernity" in
modern China. (Staff, Division III) Not offered in
2007-08.
EAST B210 Topics in Chinese Literature and Cultural History
Course content varies.
Fall 2007
Topic:
Marco Polo to 18th Century
This course is a broad chronological survey of Chinese
history with a focus on foreign relations. In this period,
China stood at the center of the emerging world economy. The
rise of Inner Asian armies on horseback led China to be ruled
by Mongolian and Manchurian leaders, fostering new notions
of the empire. Interactions with Europeans became more common,
from Marco Polo near the beginning of the period to British
merchants at the end. Students are encouraged to relate these
changes to their understanding of present-day China. (Wooldridge,
Division III)
EAST
B212 Introduction to Chinese Literature: Literature in Everyday
Life
The rituals of everyday life mark the passing of our
personal histories: they include the basics for sustenance, as
well as the extravagant and serendipitous occurrences; there is
a rhythm to daily life, and there are interruptions to that rhythm.
At the same time, records of daily life also reflect a given period,
its culture, people or the individual writers. This course explores
everyday life beginning from the earliest times with the Book of
Songs to the great 18th-century novel, the Dream of the Red Chamber.
Topics include: farm life and gardens, the “things” in
life, travels, courtship, dreams, tea culture, and food. (Lin,
Division III)
EAST H217 Chinese Calligraphy as an Art Form
Studio art course. Students learn fundamental techniques of the
art of Chinese calligraphy. Considers its impact on Western
artists. Students create art projects inspired by Chinese calligraphy.
No knowledge of the Chinese language is necessary. (Li) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST
225 Topics in Modern Chinese Literature: Modern China through
Literature, Art and Film
This course explores modern China from the early 20th century to the present
through its literature, art and films, reading them as commentaries of their
own time. We will begin with the May Fourth Movement and conclude with the social
and ecological effects of China 's recent economic boom. Materials will include
literary works of Lu Xun, Ba Jin, Zhou Zuoren, Zhang Ailing; artworks of Xu
Beihong, Zhang Dali, and the modern experimentalists; films by the Chinese Fourth,
and Fifth, Generation filmmakers, as well as documentaries by Carma Hinton and
Antony Thomas. (Lin, Division III; cross-listed as HART B225 and HIST B220)
EAST B226 Introduction to Confucianism
An introduction to Confucianism, arguably the most influential
intellectual and cultural tradition in East Asia. In the first
half, this course will train students to read the condensed
style of the Confucian canons -- the Analects, the Book of
Mencius, the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean --
by examining different commentators' explanations of select
passages. In the second half, we will analyze Confucianism
in light of contemporary discussions of issues such as human
rights, virtue ethics, women's history, economic development
and political authority. This course has no prerequisites and
assumes no background in East Asian culture. (Staff, Division
III; cross-listed as Philosophy B226 and Political Science
B226) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST H228 The Logos and the Tao
This course challenges the postmodern construction of " China " as
the (feminine) poetic " Other " to the (masculine) metaphysical " West " by
analyzing postmodern concepts of word, image and writing in relation
to Chinese poetry, painting and calligraphy. (Wright) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST
B229 Comparative Urbanism
Course Content Varies.
Topic for Fall 2007: 19th-
and 20th-Century Chinese Urban History
This course exams
the issues of colonialism, post-colonialism, and urbanism in
a Chinese context. As Chinese society transformed in the nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries, cities were at the forefront of
change, becoming symbols of both the promise and the discontents
of modernity. At the same time, Chinese cities maintained their
roles as centers of economic, political, and religious activity.
How did these shifts affect urban life? We will consider answers
to these questions with reference to hygiene, markets, military
bases, crime, imperialism and labor. (Wooldridge, Division I;
cross-listed as ANTH B229 and CITY B229)
Topic for Spring 2008: Colonial
and Post Colonial Cities
An examination
of approaches to urban development that focuses on intensive
study and systematic comparison of individual cities through
an original research paper developed through multiple drafts.
In 2007, the class will grapple with issues of power and discrimination
embedded in the colonial city, decolonization and post-colonialism,
focusing on Hong Kong, Belfast (Northern Ireland), French North
Africa and cities of the Mexican-American border, (McDonogh,
Division I; cross-listed as ANTH B229 and EAST B229)
EAST B234 Introduction to Korean Culture
This course examines the dynamics of Korean cultural and intellectual
history from the perspective of cultural identity. How did
Korea negotiate its position in the traditional Asian cultural
sphere? What is the significance of the so-called "Confucianization" of
Choson Korea? What events and conditions shaped Korea in the
20th century? What was the impact of Japanese colonialism on
Korea's modern transformation? This course explores these questions
through a variety of literary works as well as historical writing,
philosophical debates and the arts. No knowledge of Korean
language or history is required . (Jina Kim, Division III;
cross-listed as HIST B252) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST H240 Economic Development and Transformation: China vs. India
A survey of the economic development and recent transitional experience in China and India, giant neighboring countries, accounting for roughly one third of total world population. The course will examine the economic structure and policies in the two countries, with a focus on comparing China and India's recent economic successes and failures, their development policies and strategies, institutional changes, and factors affecting the transformation process in the two countries. (Jilani, Division I; cross-listed as Economics H240)
EAST H242 Buddhist Philosophy
An introduction to classical Indian Buddhist thought in a global
and comparative context. The course begins with a meditative
reading of the classical text -- The Dhamapada --
and proceeds to an in depth critical exploration of the teachings
of Nagarjuna, the great dialectician who founded the Madhyamika
School. (Gangadean) Not offered in
2007-08.
EAST H256 Zen Thought, Zen Culture, Zen
History
What are we talking about when we talk about Zen? This course is an introduction
to the intellectual and cultural history of the style of Buddhism known as Zen
in Japanese. We will examine the development and expression of this religious
movement in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. (Glassman)
EAST H261 Late Imperial China, 1600-1900
Surveys Chinese culture and society at the height of the imperial
era through the 18th century and the ensuing polit ical and
cultural crises catalyz ed by institutional decline and Western
imperialism in the 19th and early 20th centuries. (Smith) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST H262 Chinese Social History: Gods, Ghosts and Ancestors in Traditional Chinese Society
Surveys a rotating series of topics in the Chinese social
and cultural history. (Smith, Division III; cross-listed
as History H262) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST H263 The Chinese Revolution
Places the causes and consequences of the Communist Revolution
of 1949 in historical perspective, by examining its late-imperial
antecedents and tracing how the revolution has (and has not)
transformed China, including the lives of such key revolutionary
supporters as the peasantry, women, and intellectuals. (Smith)
EAST H264 The Social History of Chinese Religions
This course surveys the place of religion in China's
social, cultural, and political history during the imperial and
modern eras. The syllabus is organized chronologically, in an
effort to locate major themes (Daoism, Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism,
sectarianism, etc) in their appropriate historical context. The
main goals of the course are: [1] to introduce the interdependent
world of gods, ghosts, and ancestors and the ways they are worshipped
-- or kept at bay; [2] to underscore the importance of religious
institutions in China's past and present; [3] to explore the
scholarly literature in what is one of the most robust sub-fields
in Chinese studies; and [4] to sample some of the sources available
for the study of religion in Chinese society. (Smith,
Division III; cross-listed as History H264) Not offered in
2007-08.
EAST H265 Modern Japan
Explores selected topics in the rise of modern Japan
from the late-16th century to the Pacific War, including the
creation of the centralized Tokugawa state, the urban culture
of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Meiji Restoration and modernization
in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and the sources and
consequences of Japanese imperialism. (Smith, Division III; cross-listed
as History H265) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST B267 The Development of the Modern Japanese Nation
An introduction to the main social dimensions central
to an understanding of contemporary Japanese society and nationhood
in comparison to other societies. The course also aims to provide
students with training in comparative analysis in sociology.
(Takenaka, Division I; cross-listed as ANTH B267 and SOCL B267)
Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST B270 Japanese Architecture and Planning
The built environment in Japan does not resemble its American or European counterparts, leading visitors to characterize it as visually chaotic even as recent observers praise its lively traditional neighborhoods. This course explores characteristics of Japanese cities, their history and presence, and examine the particular cultural, political, economic and social contexts of urban form in Japan. (Hein, Division III; cross-listed as CITY B270 and HART B270) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST B272 Topics on Early and Medieval
China: Chinese Cities and City Culture
Cities are the political, cultural and economic centers of a
time and space; each is distinguished by geographic locale, architectural
details, inhabitants and its literary, artistic and historical
milieu. We investigate the literary and cultural artifacts: beginning
with magnificent Changían and Luoyang; on to medieval
Ye and Luoyang, the cosmopolitan eighth-century Changían,
and concluding with bustling 11th-century Bianjing. Extensive
use of visual materials, such as city plans and descriptions,
architecture and gardens, works by notable writers and painters.
(Lin, Division I; cross-listed as CITY B273) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST H282 Structure of Chinese
This course is designed to provide an overview of the
historical development of the Chinese language and its structures
in terms of phonetics/phonology, syntax and semantics. Students
of linguistics will have an opportunity to enrich and broaden
their understanding of linguistic theories and methodologies,
and to develop skills in analyzing a non-Indo-European language,
while students who have completed at least second-year Chinese
will be exposed to systematic analyses of the language to learn
the general patterns. Prerequisites: at least two of the following
three: Introduction to Syntax, Introduction to Semantics or second-year
Chinese or above; or consent of the instructor. (Huang) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST
299 Modern Japanese Literature and Its Encounter with the
West
Agnes Chen Memorial Lectureship in East Asian
Studies, established in honor of his sister by Francis J. Chen
'40. One of the defining features of Japanese literature is an
absorption of styles and concepts drawn from the West; yet Japanese
aesthetics and literary techniques have deep roots and continue
to be fertile in the literary soil of Japan . We will explore some
of the cross-cultural phenomena, such as the aesthetic ambitions
of imported romanticism; intellectualism and anti-intellectualism;
and the agonies of forging new literary traditions in the wake
of a cataclysmic world war. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or
above. (Zhou)
EAST H310 Religion and Gender in Premodern Japanese Literature
Examination of the intersection of religion and gender
in Japanese literature from the eighth through the 16th centuries;
from Japanese creation myths to Lady Murasaki's courtly Tale
of Genji and the homoerotic Buddhist literature of the late
medieval period. The course assumes no prior academic experience
in gender studies, literature, religion or Japanese culture.
All sources are in English translation. (Glassman, Division III;
cross-listed as Religion H310) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST B325 Topics in Chinese
History and Culture: Science and Colonialism
In this course, we will examine linkages between science
and colonialism in the East Asian context. In particular, we
will investigate whether theories based on Western colonizers
are equally appropriate for Qing and Japanese tactics of empire.
Topics will include: cosmology, race and ethnicity, industry
and military technology. (Wooldridge, Division III)
EAST B335 East Asian Development
Identifies the core economic and political elements of
an East Asian newly industrializing economies (NIEs) development
model. Assesses the performance of this development model in
Northeast (Korea and Taiwan) and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia
and Thailand) in a comparative perspective. Considers the debate
over the impact of interventionist and selective development
policies associated with this model on the development successes
and failures of the East Asian NIEs. Prerequisites: Economics
300 or 302, or permission of instructor. (Rock, Division I; cross-listed
as ECON B335) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST H342 Topics in Asian Philosophy: Buddhism in a Global Context
This advanced seminar focuses on the development of Zen (Japanese) Buddhism culminating in the work of Nishida and his influential Kyoto School of Zen Philosophy. The background in the Indian origins of Madhyamika dialectic introduced by Nagarjuna is traced through the Zen Master Dogen and into the flourishing of the modern Kyoto School founded by Nishida. The seminar focuses on texts by Dogen and on selected writings in the Kyoto School: Nishida, Nishitani and Abe. Nishida's thought is developed in dialogue with thinkers such as Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Husserl, Sartre and Heidegger, Nagarjuna and others. (Gangadean) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST H347 Topics in East Asian History
An exploration of China's place in the current world history from the first through the late 19th centuries, with equal focus on theoretical debates and primary-source observations. Recommended for junors and seniors with prior courses in history. (Smith) Not
offered in 2007-08.
EAST H349 The Medieval
Transformation of Eurasia, circa 1000-1400
This course surveys the nature of and linkages between
changes in Europe, the Islamic world, China and Japan , with
a primary focus on such literary sources as The Canterbury Tales
(Europe), The Arabian Nights (Middle East), Tale of the Heike
(Japan) and The Story of the Western Wing (China). (Smith)
EAST H370 Topics in Buddhist Studies: The Lotus
Sutra
Advanced course on a topic chosen annually by instructor.
The purpose of this course is to give students with a basic
background in Buddhist Studies deeper conversancy with a
particular textual, thematic, or practice tradition in the
history of Buddhism.
Topic for Spring 2008: The
Lotus Sutra: Image, Text, and Practice
Prerequisites: Introduction to Buddhism 201 (Glassman)
or
Buddhist Philosophy 242 (Gangadean)
or
Special Permission of Instructor (rarely granted)
(Glassman)
EAST B381 Topics in Japanese Art
A study of the visual culture of Japan from prehistory
to the present, seen through the lens of history, literature
and religion. Trends in contemporary Japanese art in the late
20th and early 21st centuries will also be considered, as will
the cultural interaction of Japan, China and the West. (Easton,
Division III; cross-listed as HART B381) Not offered in 2007-08.
EAST B398 Senior Conference
A semester-long research workshop culminating in the writing and presentation of a senior thesis. Required of all majors; open to minors and others by permission. (Glassman, Lin)
EAST B403 Supervised Work
EAST H415 Theory and Experience
This advanced research seminar is about Chinese material
culture in its historical and contemporary manifestations. Particular
attention will be paid to Chinese ceramics. Students will design & complete
individual research projects centered on objects, architectural
installations, and other manifestations of Chinese material culture
available in the Philadelphia area. (Gillette; cross-listed as
Anthropology H415) Not offered in 2007-08.
