Asian Studies

Professors Kemper (Anthropology), Chair (fall semester), Hirai (History), Strong (Religion), Chair (winter semester and Short Term)(on leave, fall semester), and Grafflin (History); Associate Professor Strong (Japanese); Assistant Professors Yang (Chinese), Maurer-Fazio (Economics), and Shankar (English); Ms. Ofuji (Japanese) and Ms. Miao (Chinese)

Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to acquaint students with the cultures, economies, histories, literatures, languages, and religions of Asian societies. The Program offers a major in East Asian Studies and a secondary concentration in South Asian Studies (see below). Students majoring in East Asian Studies may also pursue a secondary concentration in Chinese or Japanese. Students interested in majoring exclusively in Chinese or Japanese should consult the descriptions of those majors in this catalog under the Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages and Literatures.

The East Asian Studies major has the following requirements:
1. At least two years (four courses) of Chinese or Japanese language. Two courses of this four-course requirement may be waived for students who prove proficiency in the language in tests approved by the Program. Students who obtain such a waiver must fulfill their major requirement by taking two non-language courses to substitute for the waived language courses.

2. History 171 or 172.

3. Two courses from two of the following three groups: a) Chinese 207 or Japanese 240; b) Economics 227 or 229; c) Religion 208 or 209.

4. Three more courses (or two courses and one unit) from the list of courses in East Asian Studies. At most one of these courses may be a language course.

5. A senior thesis normally written under the direction of a faculty advisor in East Asian Studies with one course of appropriate preparatory work to be determined in consultation with the advisor. Honors candidates must complete East Asian Studies 457 and 458 and sustain an oral defense of their thesis.

6. Distribution requirements: In fulfilling their major requirements, students must make sure that they take at least one course dealing primarily with China and one dealing primarily with Japan. Students are urged to take at least one course dealing with pre-modern culture (China or Japan) and one course dealing with the modern period (China or Japan).

7. It is recommended that East Asian Studies majors spend their junior year or at least one semester at a College-approved program in Taiwan, mainland China, or Japan. Majors interested in Japan are advised, though not required, to spend their junior year at the Associated Kyoto Program (AKP).

Students may petition the Program to have courses taken during their study abroad applied toward the fulfillment of major requirements 1-4. The Program normally approves a maximum of two language courses and two non-language courses toward this end.

Courses
360. Independent Study. Independent research by an individual student under the direction of a faculty member. Students must submit a research proposal to both the faculty sponsor and the Program Chair prior to registration. Periodic conferences and paper(s) required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Students register for East Asian Studies 457 in the fall semester and for East Asian Studies 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both East Asian Studies 457 and 458. Prerequisite: one course of appropriate preparatory work to be determined in consultation with the advisor. Staff.

The following courses may be taken to fulfill the East Asian studies major requirements:

Chinese 101-102. Beginning Chinese.
Chinese 201-202. Intermediate Chinese.
Chinese 301-302. Upper-Level Modern Chinese.
Chinese 401. Advanced Chinese.
Chinese 415. Readings in Classical Chinese.
Chinese 207. Masterworks of Chinese Literature in Translation.
Chinese 209. Modern China Through Film and Fiction.
Chinese 261. Self and Society in Chinese Culture: Classics and Folktales.
Chinese s24. Chinese Language and Culture in Beijing.
Chinese s25. New Chinese Cinema.
Chinese s30. Chinese Calligraphy and Etymology.

Economics 229. Economics of Greater China.
Economics s25. Women and Work in Taiwan.
Economics s32. Seminar on the Role of Public Policy in East Asian Development.
FSA Nanjing 1997. China's Current Economic Situation: Achievements and Controversial Issues.

English 121G. Asian American Women Writers.

History 171. East Asian Civilizations: China.
History 172. East Asian Civilizations: Japan.
History 274. China in Revolution.
History 275. The Emergence of Modern Japan.
History 276. Japan Since 1945 Through Film and Literature.
History 374. Readings on China: Intellectual History.
History 390A. World War II in the Pacific.
History 390L. Shanghai, 1927-1937.
History s25. A Brief History of Korea.
History s25A. Japanese-American "Relocation" Camps.

Japanese 101-102. Beginning Japanese I and II.
Japanese 201-202. Intermediate Japanese I and II.
Japanese 301-302. Intermediate Japanese III and IV.
Japanese 401-402. Advanced Japanese I and II.
Japanese 240. Japanese Literature: A Survey
Japanese 250. Modern Japanese Women's Literature.
Japanese s20. Kawabata and Mishima.
Japanese s25. Haiku Poetry.
Japanese s32. Appreciation of Japanese People and Society Through Films.

Religion 208. Religions of East Asia: China.
Religion 209. Religions of East Asia: Japan.
Religion 307. Religions of Tibet.
Religion 308. Buddhist Texts in Translation.
Religion 309. Buddhism in East Asia.

Secondary Concentration in South Asian Studies
The secondary concentration in South Asian Studies may be attained by completing six of the following courses: Anthropology 239, 240, 244, s26; English 395G; Religion 249, 250, 307, 308; South Asian Studies 360.

In addition, the Program recommends that secondary concentrators spend a semester abroad on the ISLE program in Sri Lanka, the SITA program in South India, or at some other Program-approved study abroad program in South Asia. Students may petition the Program to have courses taken in their study abroad program applied toward the fulfillment of secondary concentration requirements.

Courses
360. Independent Study. Independent research by an individual student under the direction of a faculty member. Students must submit a research proposal to both the faculty sponsor and the Program Chair prior to registration. Periodic conferences and paper(s) required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

Courses in South Asian Studies:
Anthropology 239. Hill Farm, Paddy Field, City, World.
Anthropology 240. Peoples and Societies of South Asia.
Anthropology 244. Buddhism and the Social Order. This course is the same as Religion 263.
Anthropology s26. Gandhi.

English 395G. Postcolonial Literatures and Theory.

Religion 249. Religions of India: The Hindu Tradition.
Religion 250. The Buddhist Tradition.
Religion 263. Buddhism and the Social Order. This course is the same as
Anthropology 244.
Religion 307. Religions of Tibet.
Religion 308. Buddhist Texts in Translation.

© 1997 Bates College. All Rights Reserved. Last modified:10/21/97 by jPc