This is an archive. The current Bates College catalog is available at https://www.bates.edu/catalog/

Catalog Archive

2018–2019

Catalog


Asian Studies

Professors Kemper (Anthropology), Maurer-Fazio (Economics), Ruppert (Japanese and Asian Studies, chair), and Yang (Chinese); Associate Professors Akhtar (Religious Studies), Fatone (Music), and Nguyen (Art and Visual Culture); Assistant Professors Chaney (History), Faries (Asian Studies), Liu (Asian Studies), Melnick (Religious Studies), and Wiesinger (Japanese); Lecturers Konoeda (Japanese) and Miao (Chinese)



Asian studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to acquaint students with the economies, histories, politics, arts, languages, literatures, and religions of Asian societies. Knowledge of Asian languages gives access to enduring, complex, and constantly developing societies in Asia. An understanding of Asian cultures complements language study, concentrating on ways Asians live their lives and interact with the larger world.

Planning for the Major or Minor

The program offers three majors, Chinese, Japanese, and East Asian studies. The major requirements and courses are listed below. Each of these majors gives students an opportunity to develop an understanding of East Asia by intensive study of Chinese or Japanese and to pursue topical courses introducing some of the most accomplished civilizations and dynamic societies in today's world. In addition to the majors, the Program in Asian Studies offers minors in Chinese, Japanese, and Asian studies. More information on the Program in Asian Studies is available on the website (bates.edu/asian/).

Chinese

The Chinese major is built around a structured sequence of instruction in language skills leading to competency in spoken and written Mandarin, with classical Chinese taught at the advanced level. Emphasis is placed on familiarizing students with the rich cultural heritage of China's 4,000-year history, which is transmitted and embodied by the native language of more than one billion people. The program strongly recommends that majors spend their junior year on a departmentally recognized study-abroad program in mainland China or Taiwan.

Major Requirements

The major consists of a minimum of twelve courses that must include:

1) Language:
a) CHI 101–102. Beginning Chinese I and II.
CHI 201–202. Intermediate Chinese I and II.
CHI 301–302. Upper-Level Modern Chinese I and II.
Students with previous experience in Chinese who begin their study of Chinese at the second-year level may elect to fulfill this requirement with CHI 201–202, 301–302, 401–402 or the equivalent.

b) One course at the 400-level from among the following:
CHI 401. Advanced Chinese I.
CHI 402. Advanced Chinese II.
CHI 415. Readings in Classical Chinese.
CHI s42. Readings in Modern Chinese Culture.
CHI 401 and/or 402 may be used in fulfillment of either this requirement or (a) above but not both.

2) Literature and Culture:
a) AS/CI 207. Traditional Chinese Literature in Translation.

b) Two courses from among the following:
AS/CI 223. Communism, Capitalism, and Cannibalism: New and Emerging Voices in Chinese Literature.
AS/CI 225. Art and Politics in China.
AS/RH 312. Kungfu Cinemas: Asia and Beyond.
INDS s10. Between Past and Future: Contemporary Chinese Art since 1980.
AS/CI s13. Literature and Culture of China.
CHI 415, 421, or s42 may also be used to fulfill part of this requirement if not being used toward fulfillment of requirement (1b) above.
Any first-year seminar on China.

Students may also apply, at most, one of the following courses toward the fulfillment of this requirement:
AS/EC 241. China's Economic Reforms.
AS/EC 242. Work and Workers in China.
AS/HI 171. China and Its Cultures.
AS/AV 234. Chinese Arts and Visual Culture.
AS/HI 274. China in Revolution.
AS/RE 208. Religions in China.
AS/RE 309. Buddhism in East Asia.
AS/RE 348. Epics of Asia: Myth and Religion.
AV/AS 175. Between Past and Future: Contemporary Chinese Art since 1980.
AV/AS 246. Visual Narratives: Storytelling in East Asian Art.
INDS 266. Environmental History of China.


3) Thesis Sequence:
a) ASIA 320. Individual and Society in East Asia.

b) CHI 457 or CHI 458. Senior Thesis. Students are expected to utilize some source materials in Chinese in conducting research for the thesis. Qualified students may elect to write the thesis in Chinese.

Courses Taken Abroad

Students may petition the program to have courses taken in their study-abroad program applied toward the fulfillment of requirements (1a) and (2b) above.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the Chinese major.

Advanced Placement

Students may receive credit for CHI 102 with a score of four on the Chinese Advanced Placement examination, or credit for CHI 201 with a score of five.

Minor

A minor requires seven courses, six of which must be in Chinese. At least one of the seven courses must involve the study of literature or culture. A student may petition to have up to three comparable courses, completed at other institutions in the United States or abroad, apply toward the minor.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the minor in Chinese.



Courses
CHI 101. Beginning Chinese I.
An introduction to spoken and written modern Chinese. Conversation and comprehension exercises in the classroom and laboratory provide practice in pronunciation and the use of basic patterns of speech. Enrollment limited to 19. Normally offered every year. L. Miao, S. Yang.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 102. Beginning Chinese II.
A continuation of CHI 101 with increasing emphasis on the recognition of Chinese characters. By the conclusion of this course, students know more than one quarter of the characters expected of an educated Chinese person. Classes, conducted increasingly in Chinese, stress sentence patterns that facilitate both speaking and reading. Prerequisite(s): CHI 101. Normally offered every year. L. Miao, S. Yang.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 201. Intermediate Chinese I.
Designed to enable students to converse in everyday Chinese and to read simple texts in Chinese. Classes conducted primarily in Chinese aim at further development of overall language proficiency. Prerequisite(s): CHI 102. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. L. Miao, Staff.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 202. Intermediate Chinese II.
A continuation of CHI 201. Prerequisite(s): CHI 201 Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. L. Miao, Staff.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

AS/CI 207. Traditional Chinese Literature in Translation.
An exploration of Chinese literature through reading and discussion of some of its masterworks of poetry, drama, fiction, and belles-lettres prose from ancient times through the premodern era. Not open to students who have received credit for CHI 207. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Normally offered every year. S. Yang.
Concentrations
AS/CI 223. Communism, Capitalism, and Cannibalism: New and Emerging Voices in Chinese Literature.
A survey of Chinese literature since 1911, including a wide range of fiction, poetry, and drama from mainland China and texts from the Chinese diaspora as well. Students gain a greater understanding of China's history and literary culture in three major periods: the May Fourth shift from traditional language and forms to vernacular literature; Socialist Realism and the Marxist theory of the first three decades of the People's Republic; and China's Reform Era, including expatriate authors like Ha Jin and China's two controversial Nobel Prize winners, Gao Xingjian and Moyan. Recommended background: AS/CI 207. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. Normally offered every year. N. Faries.
Concentrations
AS/CI 225. Art and Politics in China.
Winnie-the-Pooh is blocked on China's internet after memes appear of President Xi and the bear walking side-by-side. A Chinese artist is held without charges and then welcomed by foreign hosts into exile. The Western media clings to a narrative of Chinese art as authoritarian critique, but this is only one aspect of a complex relationship between art and politics in Chinese culture. What does "censorship" really mean? What are China’s mechanisms of control? Is there Chinese art that is neither dissent nor propaganda? This course considers these questions through close analysis of China’s visual arts, theater, and literary texts. Enrollment limited to 39. Normally offered every year. N. Faries.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

CHI 301. Upper-Level Modern Chinese I.
Designed for students who already have a strong background in spoken Chinese, the course gives an intensive review of the essentials of grammar and phonology, introduces a larger vocabulary and a variety of sentence patterns, improves conversational and auditory skills, and develops some proficiency in reading and writing. The course makes extensive use of short texts (both literary and nonfictional) and some films. Classes are conducted primarily in Chinese. Prerequisite(s): CHI 202. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. L. Miao, Staff.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 302. Upper-Level Modern Chinese II.
A continuation of CHI 301. Prerequisite(s): CHI 202. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. L. Miao.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.
CHI 365. Special Topics.
Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Instructor permission is required. Staff.
CHI 401. Advanced Chinese I.
This course is designed to further enhance students' ability to understand and speak idiomatic Mandarin Chinese. Included are readings of modern and contemporary literary works, journalistic writings, and other nonliterary texts. Classical texts may also be studied upon students' request. Prerequisite(s): CHI 302. Recommended background: three years or more of Chinese. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. Y. Liu.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 402. Advanced Chinese II.
A continuation of CHI 401. Prerequisite(s): CHI 302 or 401. Recommended background: three years of Chinese or more. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. S. Yang.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 415. Readings in Classical Chinese.
An intensive study of classical Chinese through reading selections of ancient literary, historical, and philosophical texts in the original, including excerpts from the Analects, the Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Shiji, Tang-Song prose, and poetry. Conducted in Chinese. Prerequisite(s): CHI 302 or 401. Open to first-year students. S. Yang.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 457. Senior Thesis.
An extended research project on a topic in Chinese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Chinese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Chinese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the committee. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

CHI 458. Senior Thesis.
An extended research project on a topic in Chinese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Chinese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Chinese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the committee. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

Short Term Courses
AS/CI s13. Literature and Culture of China.
Students explore several works of Chinese literature and film, then travel to sites in China to experience the connections between these texts and contemporary Chinese society. They read poetry about the Great Wall while standing on the Great Wall, live in the alleyway neighborhood where one of China's most famous fiction writers lived, read official and dissident narratives about Tian'anmen Square before walking on the same paving stones where protesters and patriots have gathered for decades. The course includes stays in three Chinese cities—Beijing, Xi'an, and Hong Kong—and is open to all students regardless of their Chinese language skills. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. N. Faries.
CHI s21. Chinese Language, Culture, Health, and Chinese Traditional Medicine.
Students undertake four weeks of intensive Chinese language study while they gain knowledge in traditional Chinese medicine, focusing on rural health and healing in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Language courses focus on the rapid improvement of comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Lectures on traditional Chinese medicine address acupuncture, Moxibustion, and cupping. Students learn to make herbal tea and experience Chinese foot massage. These studies are complemented by field trips to famous historical sites including those in Beijing and Xian. New course beginning Short Term 2019. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. L. Miao, N. Faries.
CHI s50. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.
Japanese

The major in Japanese presents an opportunity for an in-depth and focused study of Japanese language and culture. The major places emphasis on the student's acquisition of oral and written language proficiency as well as on the development of cultural awareness and competency. The program strongly recommends that majors spend their junior year at the Associated Kyoto Program or another approved year-long study-abroad program in Japan.

Major Requirements

The major consists of a minimum of twelve courses that must include:

1) Language:
a) JPN 101–102. Beginning Japanese I and II.
JPN 201–202. Intermediate Japanese I and II.
JPN 301–302. Intermediate Japanese III and IV.

Students with previous experience in Japanese who begin their study of Japanese at the second-year level may elect to fulfill this requirement with JPN 201-202, 301-302, 401-402 or the equivalent.

b) JPN 401. Advanced Japanese I or
JPN 402. Advanced Japanese II.

JPN 401 and/or 402 may be used in fulfillment of either this requirement or a) above but not both.

2) Literature and Culture:
a) AS/JA 125. Japanese Literature and Society.

b) Two of the following:
AS/JA 261. Cultural History of Japan: From Jōmon Pottery to Manga.
AS/JA 215. Film, Literature, and the Cultures of Postwar Japan.
Students may apply one of the following courses toward the fulfillment of this requirement:
AS/RE 209. Religions of Japan.
AS/RE 309. Buddhism in East Asia.
AS/RE 348. Epics of Asia: Myth and Religion.
AV/AS 236. Japanese Art and Visual Culture.
AV/AS 246. Visual Narratives: Storytelling in East Asian Art.
AV/AS 247. The Art of Zen Buddhism.

3) Thesis Sequence:
a) ASIA 320. Individual and Society in East Asia.

b) JPN 457 or 458. Senior Thesis.
Students are expected to utilize some source materials in Japanese when conducting research for the thesis. Qualified students may elect to write the thesis in Japanese.

Courses Taken Abroad

Students may petition the program to have courses taken in their study-abroad program (including the Bates Fall Semester Abroad) applied toward the fulfillment of requirements (1a) and (2b).

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the Japanese major.

Advanced Placement

Students may receive credit for JPN 102 with a score of four on the Japanese Advanced Placement examination and JPN 201 with a score of five.

Minor

A minor requires seven courses, six of which must be in Japanese. At least one of the seven courses must involve a study of literature or culture. A student may petition to have up to three comparable courses, completed at other institutions in either the United States or abroad, applied toward the minor. Advanced Placement courses may not be applied toward the minor. Majors and minors in Japanese may count no more than one course toward both the Asian Studies minor and their major.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses toward the minor in Japanese.

Courses
JPN 101. Beginning Japanese I.
An introduction to the basics of spoken and written Japanese as a foundation for advanced study and proficiency in the language. Fundamental patterns of grammar and syntax are introduced together with a practical, functional vocabulary. Mastery of the katakana and hiragana syllabaries, as well as approximately seventy written characters, introduces students to the beauty of written Japanese. Normally offered every year. K. Konoeda.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

JPN 102. Beginning Japanese II.
A continuation of JPN 101, this course is normally taken immediately following JPN 101 in order to provide a yearlong introduction to the language. Through dynamic exercises carried out inside and outside the classroom, students extend their proficiency speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Japanese. An additional seventy written characters are introduced. Prerequisite(s): JPN 101. Normally offered every year. K. Konoeda.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

AS/JA 125. Japanese Literature and Society.
This course examines major trends in Japanese literature and society from its beginnings to the modern period. Students consider well-known stories, plays, and novels from the classical, medieval, early modern, and modern periods, placing each text within its unique sociohistorical context. All readings are in English. [W2] Normally offered every year. J. Wiesinger.
Concentrations
AS/JA 130. Japanese Film: Exploring Japanese Horror Films from the Silent Era to the Present Day.
Horror films are a familiar pop-culture touchstone, and many Americans are somewhat familiar with horror films from Japan. To deepen their appreciation of such films, students consider Japanese horror films in the context of genre theory and cinematic, psychological, social, political, and artistic elements. Students have the opportunity to think critically about popular films: What intellectual and artistic value do we find in genre films? How do we evaluate the claims of film scholars? Students also explore theory related to both filmic expression and horror themes, including psychoanalytic theory, feminist theory, film theory, and trauma theory. What does horror film say about the social, temporal, and cultural context from which it emerges? What does horror film say about filmmaking itself? How are formal filmic techniques used to express and induce fear and anxiety? No prior familiarity with Japan is required. Conducted in English. J. Wiesinger.
Concentrations
JPN 201. Intermediate Japanese I.
A continuation of JPN 102, the course stresses the acquisition of new and more complex spoken patterns, vocabulary building, and increasing knowledge of cultural context through use of calligraphy, role play, video, and varied reading materials. Approximately seventy-five new written characters are introduced. A range of oral as well as written projects and exercises provides a realistic context for language use. Prerequisite(s): JPN 102. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. Staff.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

JPN 202. Intermediate Japanese II.
A continuation of JPN 201, this course is normally taken immediately following JPN 201. It stresses further acquisition of complex spoken patterns, vocabulary and cultural knowledge through exercises in culturally realistic contexts. Students extend proficiency in the written language through writing projects and the introduction of approximately seventy-five new characters. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. J. Wiesinger.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

AS/JA 215. Film, Literature, and the Cultures of Postwar Japan.
From monster movies to abstract poetry, this course explores the diverse cultural currents running through Japan's era of high-speed growth during its dramatic economic recovery following the widespread destruction of World War II. Students examine some of the major literary, cinematic, and artistic movements of the period, their interrelationships, and their global reach and reception. Analysis of individual works considers broad thematic trends and choices made by postwar artists, including engagement with—or breaks from—the cultural and historical past; varying degrees of social engagement; and use of realism, experimentalism, or abstraction. Conducted in English. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. One-time offering. H. Weetman.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/JA 261. Cultural History of Japan: From Jōmon Pottery to Manga.
This course starts with two questions: What is cultural history? Has there been just one culture in the history of the Japanese isles? The course considers cultural features of the prehistoric Japanese isles and then explores the development of aristocratic, warrior, and mercantile cultures in premodern and early modern Japan, focusing on literature, the arts, and religion. The course then considers culture in modern Japan. How have the premodern arts informed the cultural development of modern Japan? How does popular culture reflect earlier cultural concerns while reformulating them in novel ways? The aim of the course is to promote critical engagement with Japanese cultures. Readings are in English, and no previous familiarity with Japanese culture is required. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 35. Normally offered every year. B. Ruppert.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

JPN 301. Intermediate Japanese III.
A continuation of JPN 202, this course and its sequel, JPN 302, complete the introduction of essential Japanese syntactic forms and sentence patterns. Students continue development of oral skills through culturally realistic exercises involving a range of topics. Emphasis is placed on increased competence in the written language. Approximately one hundred new characters are introduced. Prerequisite(s): JPN 202. Normally offered every year. K. Konoeda.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

JPN 302. Intermediate Japanese IV.
A continuation of JPN 301, this course is normally taken immediately following JPN 301, and completes the introduction of essential Japanese syntactic forms and sentence patterns. Students continue development of oral skills through culturally realistic exercises involving a range of topics. Emphasis is placed on increased competence in the written language. Approximately one hundred new characters are introduced. Prerequisite(s): JPN 301. Normally offered every year. K. Konoeda.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

JPN 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.
JPN 401. Advanced Japanese I.
Through the discussion and study of contemporary literary texts and other journalistic modes, the course seeks to utilize, develop, and integrate skills acquired in the earlier stages of language learning. Particular emphasis is placed on reading and writing, and translation. Through class presentations and discussion students further develop oral skills and expand their understanding of Japanese culture. JPN 401 may be taken before or after JPN 402. Prerequisite(s): JPN 302. Normally offered every year. K. Konoeda.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

JPN 402. Advanced Japanese II.
This course covers materials in Japanese such as newspaper articles, other media material, and short stories. Through presentations and discussions students utilize, develop, and integrate spoken skills acquired in the earlier stages of language learning. Written skills are also emphasized; normally students complete a final research project on a topic of their choice. Students taking this course in conjunction with the thesis should also register for JPN 458. JPN 402 may be taken before or after JPN 401. Prerequisite(s): JPN 302. Normally offered every year. K. Konoeda.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

JPN 457. Senior Thesis.
An extended research project on a topic in Japanese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Japanese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Japanese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the committee. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.
JPN 458. Senior Thesis.
An extended research project on a topic in Japanese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Japanese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Japanese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the committee. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.
Short Term Courses
JPN s50. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

East Asian Studies

The East Asian studies major provides students with a broad introduction to the cultures and societies of East Asia and their interrelationships. The major includes, first, a core curriculum that consists of two years of Chinese or Japanese language study as well as two courses introducing the East Asian experience, and, second, a major concentration that focuses either on traditional or modern society and culture. East Asian studies majors are also encouraged to spend at least one semester at an approved program in mainland China, Taiwan, or Japan. Majors in Chinese or Japanese may count no more than two courses toward both their major in East Asian Studies and their major in Chinese or Japanese.

Major Requirements

Students majoring in East Asian studies must complete the core requirement, a major concentration, and the thesis sequence. Students must take at least two course dealing primarily with China and two dealing primarily with Japan.

The following core courses are required of all majors:
1) Either
Four courses of Chinese language and
AS/HI 171. China and Its Culture.
or
Four courses of Japanese language and
AS/JA 261. Cultural History of Japan: From Jōmon Pottery to Manga.

2) Each major elects a major concentration, either East Asian Cultural Traditions or Modern East Asian Society and Culture.

a) East Asian Cultural Traditions: Three courses on traditional East Asian culture from at least two of the following four groups:
I) Literature:
AS/JA 125. Japanese Literature and Society.
AS/CI 207. Traditional Chinese Literature in Translation.
AS/CI s13. Literature and Culture of China.
CHI 415. Readings in Classical Chinese.
FYS 386. Chinese Traditions, Great and Small.

II) Visual and performing art:
AVC 229. Modern Vietnamese Culture through Film.
AS/CI 225. Art and Politics in China.
AS/CI 312. Kungfu Cinemas: Asia and Beyond.
AV/AS 234. Chinese Visual Culture.
AV/AS 236. Japanese Art and Culture.
AV/AS 243. Buddhist Arts and Visual Cultures.
AV/AS 246. Visual Narratives: Storytelling in East Asian Art.
AV/AS 247. The Art of Zen Buddhism.
INDS s10. Between Past and Future: Contemporary Chinese Art since 1980.
AS/JA 130. Japanese Film.

III) Religion:
AS/RE 208. Religions in China.
AS/RE 209. Religions in Japan.
AS/RE 251. Religions of Tibet.
AS/RE 308. Buddhist Texts in Translation.
AS/RE 309. Buddhism in East Asia.
AS/RE 348. Epics of Asia: Myth and Religion.

IV) History:
AS/HI 171. China and Its Culture (if not taken as a core course).
AS/HI 301B. From Tibet to Taiwan: Frontiers in Chinese History, 1700 to the Present.
AS/JA 261. Cultural History of Japan: From Jōmon Pottery to Manga (if not taken as a core course).
INDS 266. Environmental History of China.
INDS 221. Venice to Tokyo: Religion and Trade Along the Spice and Silk Routes.

b) Modern East Asian Society and Culture: Three courses from the following list:
AS/CI 223. Communism, Capitalism, and Cannibalism: New and Emerging Voices in Chinese Literature.
AS/CI 225. Art and Politics in China.
AS/CI 312. Kungfu Cinemas: Asia and Beyond.
AS/CI s13. Literature and Culture of China.
AS/EC 241. China's Economic Reforms.
AS/EC 242. Work and Workers in China.
AS/PY 260. Cultural Psychology.
AS/HI 274. China in Revolution.
AS/HI s15. Sport, Gender, and the Body in Modern China.
INDS s10. Between Past and Future: Contemporary Chinese Art since 1980.
AS/JA 130. Japanese Film.

3) Two additional courses from the general lists of courses in Asian Studies, Chinese, or Japanese (i.e., any course with the designation ASIA, AS, CHI, CI, JA, JPN), with the exception of those courses that focus on South or Southeast Asia (AV/AS 245, AS/RE 249, 250).

4) Thesis Sequence:
a) Asia 320. Individual and Society in East Asia.
b) Senior Thesis (ASIA 457 or 458).

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the major in East Asian studies.

Courses Taken Abroad

Students may petition the Asian studies program to have relevant courses taken in their study-abroad program (including the Bates Fall Semester-Abroad) applied toward the fulfillment of the major requirements except for the thesis sequence.

Advanced Placement

Students may receive credit for CHI 102 or JPN 102 with a score of four on the corresponding language's AP examination, or credit for CHI 201 or JPN 201 with a score of five.

Minor in Asian Studies

Students may fulfill a minor in Asian studies by completing six courses from the list of courses in Asian studies, Chinese, and Japanese. In consultation with an Asian studies faculty member (chosen or appointed by the Asian studies chair) and in accordance with program guidelines, students may design their own course of study. Among the six courses, at least four should be related as a coherent group. Examples include a group of courses related to Buddhist studies, South Asia, gender issues, environmental concerns, a specific historical period, or the socioeconomic or political situation of a particular region.

The minor may include one Short Term course and a maximum of four language courses. No more than two of those language courses may be counted toward the coherent group. With the approval of the minor advisor, students may apply up to two courses taken on study abroad programs toward the minor, as well as courses taken on Bates Fall Semester Abroad programs in Asia. Majors in Chinese, Japanese, or East Asian studies and minors in Chinese or Japanese may count no more than one course toward both the Asian studies minor and their major or minor.

Additional Courses for the Minor

All courses designated ASIA, AS, CI, CHI, JA, or JPN may be taken to fulfill the minor in Asian studies. In addition, the following courses may be taken to fulfill the minor in Asian studies:

ANTH 240. Individual and Society in South Asia.
ANTH 263. Buddhism and the Social Order.
ANTH 264. India and Its World: Bhangra, Bollywood, and Buddhism.

AVC 248. The Art of Rock-Cut Architecture in Asia.

EN/GS 121G. Asian American Women Writers.
ENG 260. Passages to and from India.

FYS 439. Defining Difference: How China and the United States Think about Racial Diversity.

MUS 290C. Gamelan Ensemble (1 credit maximum counted toward Asian studies minor).
MUS s25. Performing Musical Art of Indonesia.

Pass/Fail Grading Option

Pall/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the minor in Asian Studies.

Courses
AS/HI 110. East Asia between Tradition and Modernity.
China, Japan, and Korea each had a watershed moment in which they transformed into modern, independent nations. This course first provides an introduction to traditional cultures, and then explores the violent changes that swept over East Asia from the mid-nineteenth century through the Chinese Civil War and the destruction of World War II. Imperialism, women's liberation, and cultural nationalism are examined through an interdisciplinary approach that draws from intellectual history, literature, and visual and performing arts. Enrollment limited to 49. Normally offered every year. N. Faries.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/JA 125. Japanese Literature and Society.
This course examines major trends in Japanese literature and society from its beginnings to the modern period. Students consider well-known stories, plays, and novels from the classical, medieval, early modern, and modern periods, placing each text within its unique sociohistorical context. All readings are in English. [W2] Normally offered every year. J. Wiesinger.
Concentrations
AS/JA 130. Japanese Film: Exploring Japanese Horror Films from the Silent Era to the Present Day.
Horror films are a familiar pop-culture touchstone, and many Americans are somewhat familiar with horror films from Japan. To deepen their appreciation of such films, students consider Japanese horror films in the context of genre theory and cinematic, psychological, social, political, and artistic elements. Students have the opportunity to think critically about popular films: What intellectual and artistic value do we find in genre films? How do we evaluate the claims of film scholars? Students also explore theory related to both filmic expression and horror themes, including psychoanalytic theory, feminist theory, film theory, and trauma theory. What does horror film say about the social, temporal, and cultural context from which it emerges? What does horror film say about filmmaking itself? How are formal filmic techniques used to express and induce fear and anxiety? No prior familiarity with Japan is required. Conducted in English. J. Wiesinger.
Concentrations
AS/RE 155. Introduction to Asian Religions.
An introduction to the major religious traditions of Asia, in both their classical and modern forms, with a focus on the lifestories of individual figures in the Hindu, Buddhist, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese traditions. The course explores their basic teachings, examines their historical and social contexts, and seeks answers to questions such as: What is the nature of religious experience? What are the functions of myth and ritual? How do Asian world views differ from each other and from those in the West? Enrollment limited to 39. A. Melnick, N. Trautz.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/HI 171. China and Its Cultures.
An overview of Chinese civilization from the god-kings of the second millennium and the emergence of the Confucian familial state in the first millennium B.C.E., through the expansion of the hybrid Sino-foreign empires, to the revolutionary transformation of Chinese society by internal and external pressures in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Enrollment limited to 48. Normally offered every year. W. Chaney.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AV/AS 175. Between Past and Future: Contemporary Chinese Art since 1980.
A book "from the sky" with imagined characters, Mao in a Mickey Mouse costume, a nude and pregnant self-portrait, the act of repeatedly "stamping" the water with a seal in Tibet: these are snapshots of Chinese contemporary art since 1980. This course examines the exhilarating last three decades of Chinese art. While focusing on the shadow of tradition in contemporary image making, topics also include gender and sexuality, political expression and activism, private and public spaces, and questions of historiography. Not open to students who have received credit for INDS s10. Enrollment limited to 39. Y. Liu.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/CI 207. Traditional Chinese Literature in Translation.
An exploration of Chinese literature through reading and discussion of some of its masterworks of poetry, drama, fiction, and belles-lettres prose from ancient times through the premodern era. Not open to students who have received credit for CHI 207. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] Normally offered every year. S. Yang.
Concentrations
AS/RE 208. Religions in China.
A study of the various religious traditions of China in their independence and interaction. The course focuses on the history, doctrines, and practices of Daoism, Confucianism, and various schools of Mahayana Buddhism. Readings include basic texts and secondary sources. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RE 209. Religions in Japan.
A study of the various religious traditions of Japan in their independence and interaction. The course focuses on the doctrines and practices of Shinto, folk religion, and various schools of Buddhism. These are considered in the context of Japanese history and culture and set against their Korean and Chinese backgrounds. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. B. Ruppert.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/JA 215. Film, Literature, and the Cultures of Postwar Japan.
From monster movies to abstract poetry, this course explores the diverse cultural currents running through Japan's era of high-speed growth during its dramatic economic recovery following the widespread destruction of World War II. Students examine some of the major literary, cinematic, and artistic movements of the period, their interrelationships, and their global reach and reception. Analysis of individual works considers broad thematic trends and choices made by postwar artists, including engagement with—or breaks from—the cultural and historical past; varying degrees of social engagement; and use of realism, experimentalism, or abstraction. Conducted in English. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. One-time offering. H. Weetman.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

INDC 221. Venice to Tokyo: Religion and Trade along the Spice and Silk Routes.
This course examines the intersection of religion and trade along the silk and spice routes that linked Venice and Istanbul with Isfahan, Malacca, Nanjing, and Tokyo in the medieval and early modern periods (800-1800 C.E.). Adherents of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and other spiritual traditions traversed these trade routes as merchants, diplomats, and pilgrims. As cultural brokers connecting Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia, these merchants transmitted objects as diverse as silk textiles, relics, and texts on philosophy and ethics. This course follows the transfer of culture and commerce along these trade routes, focusing on a key thematic question: How are urban economies impacted by religion and culture? Cross-listed in Asian studies, classical and medieval studies, and religious studies. Not open to students who have received credit for CM/RE 221. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. A. Akhtar.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

AS/CI 223. Communism, Capitalism, and Cannibalism: New and Emerging Voices in Chinese Literature.
A survey of Chinese literature since 1911, including a wide range of fiction, poetry, and drama from mainland China and texts from the Chinese diaspora as well. Students gain a greater understanding of China's history and literary culture in three major periods: the May Fourth shift from traditional language and forms to vernacular literature; Socialist Realism and the Marxist theory of the first three decades of the People's Republic; and China's Reform Era, including expatriate authors like Ha Jin and China's two controversial Nobel Prize winners, Gao Xingjian and Moyan. Recommended background: AS/CI 207. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. Normally offered every year. N. Faries.
Concentrations
AS/CI 225. Art and Politics in China.
Winnie-the-Pooh is blocked on China's internet after memes appear of President Xi and the bear walking side-by-side. A Chinese artist is held without charges and then welcomed by foreign hosts into exile. The Western media clings to a narrative of Chinese art as authoritarian critique, but this is only one aspect of a complex relationship between art and politics in Chinese culture. What does "censorship" really mean? What are China’s mechanisms of control? Is there Chinese art that is neither dissent nor propaganda? This course considers these questions through close analysis of China’s visual arts, theater, and literary texts. Enrollment limited to 39. Normally offered every year. N. Faries.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AV/AS 229. Modern Vietnamese Culture through Film.
Many people conceive of Vietnam through images of war rather than through its culture. This course offers students an opportunity to study modern Vietnamese culture through documentary and feature films produced by westerners and Vietnamese during the last fifty years. The course helps students to gain insight into a traditional culture that, in part, shaped the modern course of Vietnam's history. The course challenges the old stereotypical views of Vietnam advanced by Hollywood movies with the new cultural images presented through Vietnamese eyes. Not open to students who have received credit for AV/AS s29. Enrollment limited to 25. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AV/AS 234. Chinese Arts and Visual Culture.
This course introduces Chinese visual cultures, from the Neolithic period to the present day, focusing on a period of particular cultural significance from the Han to Qing dynasties. The course reveals interrelationships among Chinese art, literature, religious philosophy, and politics. Topics discussed include artists' places within specific social groups, theories of arts, questions of patronage, and the relation of traditional indigenous art forms to the evolving social and cultural orders from which they draw life. Principal objects include ritual objects, bronze vessels, ceramics, porcelain, lacquer ware, sculptures, rock-cut temples, gardens, painting, calligraphy, and wood-block prints. Recommended background: AS/HI 171, AS/RE 208, and CHI 261. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 45. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AV/AS 236. Japanese Arts and Visual Culture.
This course surveys the history of Japanese art and visual culture focusing on the development of pictorial, sculptural, and architectural traditions from the Neolithic to the present time. The course explores the relationship between indigenous art forms and the foreign concepts, art forms and techniques that influenced Japanese culture, and social political and religious contexts as well as the role of patronage for artistic production. Topics include architecture, sculpture, painting, narrative handscrolls, the Zen arts, monochromatic ink painting, woodblock prints, decorative arts, contemporary architecture, photography, and fashion design. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 29. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AS/EC 241. China's Economic Reforms.
China's economy, now among the world's largest, has grown more rapidly than any other nation's over the last three decades. In this course, students explore the dynamism of China's recent economic transformation and the challenges it faces in the context of the enormous structural changes China has experienced in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They address fundamental questions about the transition from socialism, the nature of market systems, and how institutions and institutional change affect economic development. Prerequisite(s): ECON 101 or 103. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] M. Maurer-Fazio.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/EC 242. Work and Workers in China.
In this course students investigate how China's economic reforms are affecting the working lives and well-being of its immense work force. Over the last three decades, China has experienced rapid structural change as tens of millions of Chinese have moved out of the agriculture sector and into the industrial and service sectors. The concomitant migration of workers from the countryside to urban areas is the largest migration in human history. Students focus on the distributional implications of China's reform experience. They consider which institutional legacies are shaping emerging labor markets, how far China has moved toward a market-determined labor system, and which segments of China's enormous population have benefited and which have been harmed by the reforms. Prerequisite(s): ECON 101 or 103. Enrollment limited to 25. [W2] M. Maurer-Fazio.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AV/AS 243. Buddhist Arts and Visual Cultures.
The course examines the history of Buddhist visual cultures. It provides a basic introduction to a broad spectrum of Buddhist art, beginning with the emergence of early Buddhist sculpture in India and ending with modern Buddhist visual works. It examines selected works of architecture, sculpture, and paintings in their religious, social, and cultural contexts. It also briefly surveys regional Buddhism and its arts. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every year. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AV/AS 245. Architectural Monuments of Southeast Asia.
This course examines the arts of Southeast Asia by focusing on significant monuments of the countries in the region. It examines the architecture, sculpture, and relief carvings on the ancient monuments and their relations to religious, cultural, political, and social contexts. Sites covered include Borobudur, Angkor, Pagan, Sukkhothai, and My-Son. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AV/AS 246. Visual Narratives: Storytelling in East Asian Art.
This course examines the important artistic tradition of narrative painting in China and Japan. Through study of visually narrative presentations of religious, historical, and popular stories, the course explores different contexts in which the works—tomb, wall, and scroll paintings—were produced. The course introduces various modes of visual analysis and art-historical contexts. Topics include narrative theory, text-image relationships, elite patronage, and gender representation. Open to first-year students. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AV/AS 247. The Art of Zen Buddhism.
The art of Zen (Chan) as the unique and unbounded expression of the liberated mind has attracted Westerners since the mid-twentieth century. But what is Zen, its art, and its culture? This course considers the historical development of Zen art and its use in several genres within monastic and lay settings. It also examines the underlying Buddhist concepts of Zen art. The course aims to help students understand the basic teachings of Zen and their expression in architecture, gardens, sculpture, painting, poetry, and calligraphy. Recommended background: AV/AS 243. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 29. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AV/AS 248. The Art of Rock-Cut Architecture in Asia.
This course explores the art of early Buddhist rock-cut temples. These temples appeared in India during the third century B.C.E., then spread along the ancient trade routes from India to eastern Asia. The rock caves not only chart artistic development, expressed through breathtaking architecture, sculpture, reliefs, and mural paintings depicting legends and stories, they also reveal the religious practice along the trade route, as well as international and local cultures. Recommended background: AV/AS 243. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
AS/RE 249. The Hindu Tradition.
This course examines Hindu rituals, practices, and doctrine with some consideration of their relation to Jainism and Indian Buddhism. Special attention is paid to the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita, as well as to the classical myths of Hinduism embodied in the Puranas, and to ritual and devotional practices. Students make use of primary and secondary texts as well as film and music. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. A. Melnick, N. Trautz.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RE 250. Buddhist Traditions.
The course focuses on the Buddha's life and teachings from early Buddhism in India and the rise of various Buddhist schools of thought up to modern American Buddhist traditions; the development of Mahayana philosophies; and rituals, meditation, and other forms of religious expression across the Buddhist world. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RE 251. Religions of Tibet.
Tibetan religions are a complex mixture of Indian, Chinese, and indigenous elements. This course focuses on the history, doctrines, practices, literatures, major personalities, and communities of the different religious traditions that are expressions of this mixture including monastic and tantric forms of Buddhism as well as Bön and "folk" traditions. The relationship between the political and the religion also is explored. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/MU 252. Musics of Southeast Asia.
Designed for students interested in performing arts cultures based outside the West, this course introduces selected historical and contemporary musical traditions of mainland and island Southeast Asia. The integration of music, dance, theater, and ritual is a unifying theme of the course. Special attention is given to historical and contemporary gong-chime cultures of the region. The study of Southeast Asian arts contributes to students' understanding of the region. Several practical sessions, in which students learn to play instruments of the Bates Gamelan Ensemble, enhance the grasp of formal principles common to a variety of Southeast Asian musics. Prerequisite(s): any course in music or Asian studies. Course reinstated beginning Fall 2019. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 29. [W2] G. Fatone.
Concentrations
AS/HI 259. Caravans, Khans, and Commissars: A History of Central Eurasia.
From Silk Roads to Chinggis Khan, an understanding of our world—and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience—demands that we grapple with Central Eurasia. This course covers millennia and journeys through steppe, desert, and mountain, from Mongolia to Hungary, to reveal the ways Central Eurasia and its peoples have shaped world history. Key topics include the emergence of pastoral economies, steppe-sown interactions, the exchange of both goods and ideas, and the rise of empire as well as Central Eurasia’s modern fate. Students consider these issues by examining scholarship and exciting primary sources, including epic poetry, art, and novels. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. W. Chaney.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/PY 260. Cultural Psychology.
This course provides an introduction to the theoretical perspectives and research findings of cultural psychology, with an emphasis on comparisons between North American and East Asian cultural groups. Topics include defining culture as a topic of psychological inquiry; the methods of conducting cultural research; the debate between universality versus cultural specificity of psychological processes; acculturation and multiculturalism; and cultural influences on thought, emotion, motivation, personality, abnormality, and social behavior. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 101. Enrollment limited to 29. Normally offered every year. H. Boucher.
Concentrations
AS/JA 261. Cultural History of Japan: From Jōmon Pottery to Manga.
This course starts with two questions: What is cultural history? Has there been just one culture in the history of the Japanese isles? The course considers cultural features of the prehistoric Japanese isles and then explores the development of aristocratic, warrior, and mercantile cultures in premodern and early modern Japan, focusing on literature, the arts, and religion. The course then considers culture in modern Japan. How have the premodern arts informed the cultural development of modern Japan? How does popular culture reflect earlier cultural concerns while reformulating them in novel ways? The aim of the course is to promote critical engagement with Japanese cultures. Readings are in English, and no previous familiarity with Japanese culture is required. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 35. Normally offered every year. B. Ruppert.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

INDC 266. Environmental History of China.
This course investigates the deep historical roots that lie behind China's contemporary environmental dilemmas. From the Three Gorges Dam to persistent smog, a full understanding of the environment in China must reckon with millennia-old relationships between human and natural systems. In this course students explore the advent of grain agriculture, religious understandings of nature, the impact of bureaucratic states, and the environmental dimensions of imperial expansion as well as the nature of kinship and demographic change. The course concludes by turning to the socialist "conquest" of nature in the 1950s and 1960s and China's post-1980s fate. Cross-listed in Asian studies, environmental studies, and history. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. W. Chaney.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

AS/HI 274. China in Revolution.
Modern China's century of revolutions, from the disintegration of the traditional empire in the late nineteenth century, through the twentieth-century attempts at reconstruction, to the tenuous stability of the post-Maoist regime. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 39. Normally offered every year. W. Chaney.
Concentrations
AS/PT 283. International Politics of East Asia.
This course examines the security, political, economic, and cultural relations of East Asia through a range of theoretical perspectives. The goal is to understand the character, causes, and consequences of international conflict and cooperation in East Asia. Historical and regional comparisons are drawn between the post-World War II and post-cold war periods, and between Northeast and Southeast Asia. The course considers foreign policy implications for the United States and other regional actors. Recommended background: PLTC 171. Enrollment limited to 29. J. Ko.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/HI 301B. From Tibet to Taiwan: Frontiers in Chinese History, 1700 to the Present.
This course investigates the twists and turns that attended the transition from imperial regime to modern nation in China. Perhaps two of the main legacies of China's last empire, the Qing (1644-1912), have been the territorial boundaries claimed by the People’s Republic and the tensions that have continued to erupt throughout the borderlands: Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, and Taiwan. This course deepens our understanding of modern China to show both why these frontiers are part of the contemporary nation-state and why their inclusion continues to be so contentious. Borderlands bring this transition into focus most clearly. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] W. Chaney.
Concentrations
AS/RE 308. Buddhist Texts in Translation.
This seminar involves the close reading and discussion of a number of texts representing a variety of Buddhist traditions. Emphasis is placed on several different genres including canonical sutras, commentarial exegeses, philosophical treatises, and popular legends. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RF 312. Kungfu Cinemas: Asia and Beyond.
Kungfu cinema has its icons—Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li—and new kungfu movies premiere every year. What is kungfu cinema? What are its origins, sources, influences, different schools, and contemporary manifestations in China, Japan, India, Europe, and Hollywood? How have kungfu films participated in fashioning national identity, body image, gender perception, and nation building in Asia and beyond? Students consider these questions by closely watching, analyzing, and interpreting a variety of kungfu films. Not open to students who have received credit for AS/CI 312 or AS/RH 312. Enrollment limited to 15. Y. Liu.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

ASIA 320. Individual and Society in East Asia.
This advanced seminar provides key tools for the study of modern and contemporary East Asia. It takes a multidisciplinary approach, giving attention to literature, film, music, visual and performing arts, and makes use of a heterogeneous body of texts including primary sources, theoretical framing, and secondary literature. Topics include the construction of national and personal identity, gender, sexuality, mass media, and consumer culture, and the continued relevance and redifinition of traditional culture in contemporary society. This course is designed for students who have traveled in East Asia or have a significant background in one or more aspects of East Asian cultures, as it lends theoretical perspectives to students' experiences. The course also aims to strengthen senior thesis proposals in East Asian studies. Prerequisite(s): two courses in Asian studies. Normally offered every year. Staff.
ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

AS/PT 324. Nationalism, Conflict, and Peace in East Asia.
How does nationalism affect interactions among states in East Asia? This course explores the different meanings of nationalism in international relations, including national identity, national images, and nationalistic sentiments, and how nationalism affects a state's foreign policy behavior, focusing on East Asian countries. The course provides an overview of distinct characteristics of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese nationalism, and examines how and to what extent nationalism shapes important foreign policy issues in the region, including territorial disputes, alliance politics, regionalism, and nuclear proliferation. Recommended background: PLTC 122 or 171. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] J. Ko.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/SP 338. Asia in the Hispanic and Lusophone Worlds.
Between 1571 and 1815, the galleon route between Acapulco and Manila linked Asia to the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking worlds and gave rise to a global exchange of culture, people, and commerce that still continues today. Through literature, film, and visual art, this course examines the variety of contacts and encounters that have shaped this particular East-West relationship, generated by processes of exploration, colonization, migration, and travel. Course materials include primary and second works from Asia (Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines), Europe (Spain and Portugal), and Latin America (Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil). Recommended background: AS/HI 110, 171; AS/JA 125; SPAN 230, 231. Enrollment limited to 15. D. George.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RE 348. Epics of Asia: Myth and Religion.
This course considers the intersection of religion and society in Asia through the lens of popular Asian myths. Students examine how religious doctrine, ideals, and art have influenced the creation and interpretation of this unique narrative form, while also learning about specific Asian traditions. Close study of several tales, including narratives from India, Thailand, China, Tibet, and Japan, include reading texts in translation as well as viewing cinematic and theatrical representations of myths intended for popular audiences. Students explore the dialogic process of myth by creating their own modern versions of one text. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

ASIA 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

ASIA 457. Senior Thesis.
An extended research project on a topic relevant to East Asian society and culture that adopts one or more of the disciplinary approaches represented in the Asian studies curriculum. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the Asian studies program committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the program committee. [W3] Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

ASIA 458. Senior Thesis.
An extended research project on a topic revelant to East Asian society and culture that adopts one or more of the disciplinary approaches represented in the Asian Studies curriculum. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the Asian studies program committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the program committee. [W3] Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)

Short Term Courses
AS/CI s13. Literature and Culture of China.
Students explore several works of Chinese literature and film, then travel to sites in China to experience the connections between these texts and contemporary Chinese society. They read poetry about the Great Wall while standing on the Great Wall, live in the alleyway neighborhood where one of China's most famous fiction writers lived, read official and dissident narratives about Tian'anmen Square before walking on the same paving stones where protesters and patriots have gathered for decades. The course includes stays in three Chinese cities—Beijing, Xi'an, and Hong Kong—and is open to all students regardless of their Chinese language skills. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. N. Faries.
AS/HI s15. Sport, Gender, and the Body in Modern China.
From kungfu to the Olympics, Jet Li to Yao Ming, sport is a central part of lived experience in China. There is more here than simply box scores and baskets: through sport, we see how China's twentieth-century revolutions radically transformed gender relations, conceptions of the body, and what it means to be modern. This course looks at sport and the rise of nationalism, the gendered dimensions of revolution, reform-era commercialization, and the persistence of racialized stereotypes. Students grapple with these issues by examining a range of sources such as novels, posters, kungfu film, and actual sporting events. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 29. W. Chaney.
Concentrations
AV/AS s16. Understanding Vietnam: Its History and Culture.
In this course students consider a wide range of Vietnamese history and culture through a multidisciplinary lens. Students explore Vietnam within the framework and context of specific historical and visual culture, ranging from ancient monuments to contemporary sites. Students visit a variety of field sites including national museums, historical monuments, imperial palaces and tombs, and traditional craft villages as well as important sites of battles during the Vietnam War. Students discuss background texts and field trip experiences in light of their historical and cultural contexts. Recommended background: AVC 245 or s29. Enrollment limited to 14. Instructor permission is required. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RE s26. The Buddhist Himalaya: Religion in Ladakh.
In this course, students learn about religious practice through firsthand interaction with traditionally Buddhist communities in rural and urban Ladakh. Students conduct ethnographic fieldwork relating to modern Buddhist practice, and examine these practices from historical, archeological, and literary perspectives. They observe rituals, interview practitioners, and participate in the daily life of the Buddhist community. This course includes a significant community-engaged learning component. Prerequisite(s): one course focused on Buddhism. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission is required. A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AS/RE s28. From Shangri-la to Radical Dharma: Buddhism in North America.
How did Buddhism first come to North America? How has it changed since its arrival? This course examines the development of Buddhism in the Americas since the nineteenth century. Students discuss different paths of Buddhist traditions from Asia to North America, and the ways that newly arrived Buddhists, and adopters of the tradition, have changed the face of what it means to be "Buddhist" in the "West." They consider shifting self-identification with the tradition, both among convert groups and in historically Buddhist communities, and the role of race and gender in the religion's development in the twenty-first century. The course includes brief trips to Dharma centers in New England as well as a "digital religion" component and several film screenings. New course beginning Short Term 2019. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 18. A. Melnick.
Concentrations

This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations

AV/AS s29. Modern Vietnamese Culture through Film.
Many people conceive of Vietnam through images of war rather than through its culture. This course offers students an opportunity to study modern Vietnamese culture through documentary and feature films produced by westerners and Vietnamese during the last fifty years. The course helps students to gain insight into a traditional culture that, in part, shaped the modern course of Vietnam's history. The course challenges the old stereotypical views of Vietnam advanced by Hollywood movies with the new cultural images presented through Vietnamese eyes. Not open to students who have received credit for AV/AS 229. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. T. Nguyen.
Concentrations
ASIA s50. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every year. Staff.
Interdisciplinary Programs

This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)