Committee on Regional Studies--East Asia
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-3777 (phone); 617-495-4306 (fax)
EAST ASIAN COURSE LISTING
2009-2010
Important Note:
What follows is a listing of courses available to students in the Regional Studies--East Asia A.M. degree program in the academic year 2009-2010, both within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and at other schools at which it is possible for RSEA students to cross-register. Every effort has been made to include all courses that deal specifically with East Asia, and in addition a number of courses that touch tangentially upon East Asia, or are more methodologically oriented, but may be of interest and relevance to RSEA students, have also been listed.
In determining upon the courses in which they enroll, RSEA students are not necessarily limited to these courses alone, but may also choose others appropriate to their particular academic interests. Nor is inclusion on this list a guarantee that the course in question will count towards satisfaction of the basic RSEA course requirements. Most students spend two full academic years in the RSEA program, during which time they will take some sixteen courses (which are confusingly called "half-courses" at Harvard); the minimum course requirement for the RSEA A.M. degree, which most students will significantly exceed, is eight half-courses which together satisfy the following guidelines:
Bear in mind that these requirements represent a framework within which RSEA students will design their individual programs. They do not imply, for example, that students may take only two cross-registered courses, or no more than two courses in non-East Asian subjects. Students who spend two years in the program will have very significant flexibility in their choice of courses, and must simply be careful to ensure that they have eight courses, which together satisfy the minimum requirements. Please refer to the RSEA office for any clarification of these guidelines.
Table of Contents
FAS Courses on East Asia
Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Courses on East Asian Studies
Courses on East Asian Buddhist Studies
Courses on China
Courses on Japan
Courses on Korea
Courses on Manchu
Course on Tibetan and Himalayan Studies
Courses on Uyghur
Courses on Vietnam
Courses on China
Course on East Asia
Course on Inner Asia
Other Courses of Interest
Courses on China
Courses on East Asia
Courses on Japan
Other Course of Interest
Course on China
Course on Japan
Course on Vietnam
Other Course of Interest
Department of History of Art and Architecture
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies
Courses on East Asia
Course on Korea
Other Courses of Interest
Courses on China
Courses on Japan
Course on Korea
Course on Vietnam
Other Courses of Interest
Cross-Registration Courses on East Asia
Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard Graduate School of Education
HARVARD FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES (FAS)
The following is a listing of courses with East Asian content drawn from the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Courses of Instruction for 2009-2010. Course titles, instructors, descriptions, term and time offered, and other informational notes where relevant are provided. There is also, naturally, the ongoing introduction of new courses, details of which are generally not known much in advance of the new academic year.
The following are explanations of special markings or codes used in course titles:
1 - 99(9) Lower Group courses, primarily for undergraduates
100(0) - 199(9) Middle Group courses, for undergraduates and graduate students
200(0) - 299(9) Upper Group courses, primarily for graduate students
300(0) - 399(9) Upper Group graduate courses of Reading and Research
"a" and "b" mark half-courses which form a logical sequence and use the same number. In most cases "a"-courses are given in the fall term and "b"-courses in the spring term.
"ab" indicates an intensive course, equivalent to two half-courses completed in a single term.
"hf" indicates a half-course that extends throughout the two terms of the academic year and so meets appropriately less frequently than the typical half-course completed in a single term.
"r" designates a course that may be repeated for credit.
"*" before a course title indicates that enrollment is subject to the formal consent of the instructor.
All of the courses listed here are open to graduate students, although the instructor's consent should be sought informally in the case of the General Education and Core courses, which are designed for the undergraduate curriculum. The primary source of instruction in East Asian studies at Harvard is the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and all courses offered by that department are listed first, subdivided in the categories of East Asia, Buddhist Studies, China, Inner Asia, Japan, Korea, Manchu and Mongolian, and Vietnam. Courses on East Asia offered by other departments within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences follow, subdivided into courses relating to China, Japan, Korea, East Asia, Vietnam, Inner Asia, and other courses of interest. Undergraduate General Education and Core courses on East Asia are also listed. In some academic years, other departments, including Comparative Literature and Music, may also offer East Asian courses.
DEPARTMENT OF EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
East Asian Studies 140. Major Religious Texts of East Asia
Ryuichi Abe
Half course (spring term). W., 2-4:30.
This course aims at enabling students to read and analyze in depth major religious texts of East Asia, representing diverse traditions and genres. The course encourages students to take up their reading of texts not only as ways to acquire knowledge on Asian religious traditions, but as practice, labor, and play in which their ordinary way of understanding/experiencing the world and themselves will be challenged, reaffirmed, and renewed.
East Asian Studies 160. Writing Asian Poetry
David McCann
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
Readings in selected Chinese, Japanese, and Korean verse forms, and composition or imitation in English. Study of Li Po and Tu Fu (Chinese couplet), Basho (haiku and haibun mixed prose and poetry), Yun Son-do and other Korean poets (shijo), and composition/imitation. Final project, an extended suite of poems or mixed prose and poetry.
Note: No Asian language knowledge is required; all writing will be in English.
East Asian Studies 175. The History of Modern Science and Technology in East Asia
Members of the department
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Historical examination of the adoption and transformations of modern science and technology in East Asia; the interaction of local traditions with global knowledge and techniques.
East Asian Studies 191. Zen: History, Culture, and Critique - (New Course)
James Robson
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This course is an introduction to the religious history, philosophy and practices of Zen Buddhism. Zen is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chan, which is itself a transcription of the Sanskrit word dhyâna, meaning meditation. While meditation is the backbone of the Zen tradition, we will see that Zen has a number of different faces and will examine the rich diversity of the Zen tradition as it developed in China, Korea, and Japan.
East Asian Studies 195. Fighting Poverty in China: Redistribution, Social Rights & NGOs in Comparative Perspective - (New Course)
Nara Dillon
Half course (spring term). M., 1-3.
This course is a research seminar on the political economy of poverty and inequality in China. Because China has tried such a wide variety of methods to combat poverty, it provides a useful "laboratory" for exploring the origins and impact of many different anti-poverty policies. After an introduction to cross-national concepts of poverty, inequality and social rights, students will examine famine relief, land reform, the welfare state, NGOs, and development programs targeted to the poor.
East Asian Studies 200. The Uses and Meaning of the New Arts of Presentation
Shigehisa Kuriyama
Half course (fall term). M., 2-5.
Exploration of the new horizons of communication created by current media technology and their implications for the future of teaching and scholarship. The seminar will combine theoretical readings and reflection with practical, hands-on experiments using podcasts, media-intensive lectures, and iMovies for conveying academic research.
Note: Limited enrollment.
East Asian Studies 240. Arts of Asia (Graduate Seminar in General Education) - (New Course)
Melissa M. McCormick
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). W., 1-3.
Explores Asian art pedagogy through original research of museum objects and a survey of the scholarship on Asian art. The seminar will design and develop a General Education course on these themes for undergraduates.
East Asian Buddhist Studies 241. Major Issues in the Study of East Asian Buddhism - (New Course)
Ryuichi Abe
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A graduate seminar that critically examines major academic works in English on East Asian Buddhism. It is aimed at preparing EALC graudate students for their general examinations in the fields relevant to Buddhism.
East Asian Buddhist Studies 255. Readings on Chinese Religions: Recent Work on Buddhism, Daoism and Popular Religion - (New Course)
James Robson
Half course (fall term). W., 1-4.
This seminar aims to discuss significant new works in the field of Chinese Religions (Buddhism, Daoism, Popular Religion). The primary focus will be on recent works representing the "state of the field" of Chinese Religions.
East Asian Buddhist Studies 256. Chinese Buddhist Texts: The Canon, Tools, and Early Translations - (New Course)
James Robson
Half course (spring term). W., 1-4.
This seminar focuses on the careful textual study and translation of a variety of Chinese Buddhists texts (biographical, doctrinal, ritual, historical-geographical) through the medieval period. All of the primary readings will be in classical Chinese.
Chinese Ba. Elementary Modern Chinese
Qiuyu Wang and Shengli Feng
Half course (fall term). Sections Tu., Th., 9, 10, 12, or 2, and three additional hours to be arranged.
Nonintensive introduction to modern Chinese pronunciation, grammar, conversation, reading, and writing.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Chinese Bb. Elementary Modern Chinese
Qiuyu Wang
Half course (spring term). Sections Tu., Th., 10, 11, 12, or 2, and three additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Chinese Ba.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese Ba or equivalent.
*Chinese Bx. Elementary Chinese for Advanced Beginners
Hui-Yen Huang
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10 or 2, and two additional hours to be arranged.
For students with significant listening and speaking background. Introductory Modern Chinese language course, with emphasis on reading and writing. Covers in one term the equivalent of Chinese Ba and Bb.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail. Students must pass a test in listening and speaking to take the course.
Chinese 120a. Intermediate Modern Chinese
Xuedong Wang
Half course (fall term). Sections Tu., Th., at 10, 12, or 2, and three additional hours to be arranged.
Modern texts, conversation, reading, and composition.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese Bb or equivalent.
Chinese 120b. Intermediate Modern Chinese
Xuedong Wang
Half course (spring term). Sections Tu., Th., at 10, 12, or 2, and three additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Chinese 120a.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 120a, or equivalent.
Chinese 123xb (formerly Chinese 123b). Intermediate Modern Chinese for Advanced Beginners
Hui-Yen Huang
Half course (spring term). Sections M., W., F. at 10 or 2, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Chinese Bx. Covers in one term the equivalent of Chinese 120a and 120b.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese Bx, or instructor's permission.
Chinese 130a. Advanced Modern Chinese
Kening Li
Half course (fall term). Sections Tu., Th., at 10, 11, or 2, and three additional hours to be arranged.
A study of writings selected from modern Chinese literature, academic works and newspaper articles, aimed at enhancing and further developing the student's proficiency in modern Chinese language.
Note: Conducted in Chinese. No auditors. May not be taken pass/fail.
Prerequisite: Two years of modern Chinese.
Chinese 130b. Advanced Modern Chinese
Kening Li
Half course (spring term). Sections T., Th., at 10, 11, or 2, and three additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Chinese 130a.
Note: Conducted in Chinese. No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 130a.
Chinese 130xa. Advanced Modern Chinese for Heritage Students
Binnan Gao
Half course (fall term). Section I: M., W., F., at 10; Section II: M., W., F., at 2.
Designed for heritage learners and covers the equivalent of Chinese 130a and other materials for reading and writing.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 123b, Chinese 125ab, or with permission of instructor.
Chinese 130xb. Advanced Modern Chinese for Heritage Students
Binnan Gao
Half course (spring term). Sections I: M., W., F., at 10, and 2 additional hours to be arranged; Section II: M., W., F., at 2, and 2 additional hours to be arranged.
Designed for heritage learners and covers the equivalent of Chinese 130b and other materials for reading and writing.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 130xa.
Chinese 140a. Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese
Miaomiao Wang
Half course (fall term). Sections M., W., F., at 10, or 2, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Rapid reading of selections from books and articles.
Note: Conducted in Chinese. No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 130b.
Chinese 140b. Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese
Miaomiao Wang
Half course (spring term). Sections: M., W., F., at 10, or 2, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Chinese 140a.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 140a.
Chinese 142a. Advanced Conversational Chinese
Congmin Zhao
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30, and one additional hour to be arranged.
Spoken Chinese for advanced students.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail. No native speakers allowed. May not be used for citation.
Prerequisite: Chinese 140a or equivalent.
Chinese 142b. Advanced Conversational Chinese
Congmin Zhao
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30. One additional hour of speaking practice to be arranged.
Spoken Chinese for advanced students.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail. No native speakers allowed. May not be used for citation.
Prerequisite: Chinese 130b or equivalent.
Enrollment: Limited to 12 per lecture section.
Chinese 150a. Formal Chinese Writing and Speaking
Lei Yan
Half course (fall term). Sections M., W., F., at 9, or 12, and two additional hours to be arranged.
The purpose of this course is to enable students to acquire a comprehensive written grammar with sufficient formal vocabulary in modern Chinese. Formal patterns generated by combining single characters are used for the foundation of written grammar. This course also offers students authentic academic readings in order to improve their abilities in academic writing and formal speech. Students are required to write and present their essays in formal Chinese.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 140b or equivalent.
Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Chinese 150b. Formal Chinese Writing and Speaking
Lei Yan
Half course (spring term). Section I: M., W., at 9; Section II: M., W., at 12.
Continuation of Chinese 150a.
Note: No auditors. May not be taken Pass/Fail.
Prerequisite: Chinese 150a.
Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Chinese 163. Business Chinese
Congmin Zhao
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Designed for students interested in international business or for students who intend to work or travel for business in Chinese-speaking communities (including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore), or for students who desire to improve their Chinese language proficiency. An introduction to business and economic climates, practices and customs of these communities. Students learn specialized business and economic vocabulary and the principles of business correspondence.
Note: Conducted in Chinese. May not be taken Pass/Fail, but may be taken Sat/Unsat by GSAS students.
Prerequisite: At least three years of modern Chinese or equivalent (with instructor's permission).
Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Chinese 187. Art and Violence in the Cultural Revolution
Xiaofei Tian
Half course (spring term). W., 2-4.
Examines the cultural implications of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). We will examine how art was violent towards people and how violence was turned into an art. We will also consider the link between violence, trauma, memory and writing. Materials include memoir, fiction, essay, "revolutionary Peking Opera," and film.
Note: Most readings in Chinese. Discussions in Chinese. Count toward Language Citation in Modern Chinese. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Literature and Arts C or Foreign Cultures, but not both.
Prerequisite: Four years of Mandarin or equivalent (with instructor's permission).
Literary Chinese Courses
Chinese 106a. Introduction to Literary Chinese
Chen Zhang
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
Basic grammar and the reading of simple historical narrative.
Note: An additional lecture slot may be added if enough students enroll, with times to be arranged.
Prerequisite: At least one year of modern Chinese, or familiarity with Chinese characters through knowledge of Japanese or Korean.
Chinese 106b. Introduction to Literary Chinese
Chen Zhang
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
Introduction to pre-Qin philosophical texts.
Note: An additional lecture slot may be added if enough students enroll, with times to be arranged.
Prerequisite: Chinese 106a or permission of instructor.
Chinese 107a. Intermediate Literary Chinese
Chen Zhang
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30, and an additional hour to be arranged.
A second-year course designed to prepare students for reading and research using materials written in Literary Chinese. The focus in the fall semester will be prose from the Tang and Song dynasties.
Prerequisite: One year of literary Chinese (Chinese 106 or equivalent).
Chinese 107b. Intermediate Literary Chinese
Chen Zhang
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30, and an additional hour to be arranged.
A continuation of Chinese 107a, introducing more prose styles as well as poetry and lyric.
Prerequisite: Chinese 107a or equivalent.
Chinese Linguistics 200. Introduction to Teaching of Modern Chinese Language
Shengli Feng
Half course (spring term). Th., 2-4.
Introduction to teaching Modern Standard Chinese as a second language at college level. Reviews concepts and publications relating to trends in second language teaching, pedagogical issues and materials concerned with teaching MSC, observation of teaching.
China: History Courses
Chinese History 113. Society and Culture of Late Imperial China
Michael A. Szonyi
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This course is a survey of the social and cultural history of China from the Song to the mid-Qing (roughly from 1000 to 1800). The main topics discussed include urbanization and commerce; gender; family and kinship; education and the examination system, and religion and ritual. The main goal of the course will be to explore the relationship between social and cultural changes and political and intellectual developments.
Chinese History 118. Beyond the Great Wall: History of Relations between China and Inner Asia
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (spring term). T., Th., at 1 with an additional discussion section to be arranged.
The interaction between sedentary and nomadic civilizations is one of the great themes of human history. This course focuses on the classic case of relations between China and Inner Asia from ancient times to the 21st century. Approaching the problem from historical and theoretical perspectives, the course addresses the political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of the storied Great Wall frontier.
Chinese History 200r (formerly Chinese History 200). Computational Methods for Historical Analysis
Peter K. Bol
Half course (spring term). M., 2-4.
History takes place through the actions of people who live in time and space. Modern computational methods provide means of analyzing changes in patterns of behavior and thought among large numbers of people spread across many regions. This course introduces the use of GIS, relational databases, social network analysis, text-mining, and topic modeling for the analysis of geographic information, biographical data, and the content of texts. Separate labs will provide introductory instruction in various computational techniques.
Chinese History 228. Introduction to Neo-Confucianism
Peter K. Bol
Half course (fall term). M., 1-4.
Introduces major Neo-Confucian texts for close reading and analysis. Selections from the writings and records of spoken instruction by Zhou Dunyi, Zhang Zai, Cheng Yi, Cheng Hao, Zhu Xi, Liu Jiuyuan, and others.
Chinese History 232r (formerly Chinese History 232). Topics in Han History
Michael J. Puett
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1-3:30.
Examines various topics in the history of the Han Dynasty.
Chinese History 251. Confucian Ethics: Conference Course
Wei-Ming Tu
Half course (spring term). M., 1-4.
An exploration of salient features in the Confucian mode of moral reasoning. Primarily for students in Chinese thought, religion and history.
Chinese History 256r (formerly Chinese History 256). Documents for the Study of Chinese Local History
Michael A. Szonyi
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This seminar introduces the different types of primary materials useful for study of the local history of late imperial China. Course meetings are spent translating and discussing these materials.
Prerequisite: Fluency in classical Chinese is required.
Chinese History 265r. Topics in the History of China and Inner Asia - (New Course)
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Review of scholarship on the history of China's Inner Asian frontiers from pre-imperial times to the present. The focus in particular years may vary. This course is designed to aid in preparations for the general examinations and in developing a dissertation topic.
China: Literature Courses
Chinese Literature 130. Screening Modern China: Chinese Film and Culture
Members of the department
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 1.
How do Chinese films between the two fin-de-siecles create the spectacle of "China" at home and abroad? Course topics include: the cinematic histories of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong; the origins of early Chinese cinema; film's relationship to literary and pop culture discourses; violence and the martial arts genre; history and spectacle (Nanjing Massacre, Beijing Olympics) in film and new media.
Note: Lectures and readings in English, plus weekly film screenings. No prior background in subject matter required.
Chinese Literature 132. Chinatowns
Eileen Cheng-yin Chow
Half course (fall term). Th., 1-3.
Explores ways that "Chinatown" has circulated as 'memory, fantasy, narrative, myth' in the dominant cultural imagination the last century and a half, and how realities of overseas communities, Asian American history, and conceptions of 'Chineseness' have engaged with real and phantom Chinatowns. Though emphasis is on cultural and theoretical issues rather than socio-historical study of the "Chinatown" phenomenon, participants are encouraged to pursue multi-disciplinary approaches, such as studies in urban history, economics, or creative projects.
Note: Primarily for undergraduates; graduate students may enroll with permission of instructor.
Chinese Literature 150. Old Tales in New Media: The Appropriation of Folklore in Modern and Contemporary China
Wilt L. Idema and David Der-Wei Wang
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11.
This class will look at China's most famous traditional tales, such as Mulan, Meng Jiangnu, The White Snake and Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. We will study both the richness and variety of these tales in premodern times, and the way in which modern and contemporary artists and intellectuals have reflected on these tales in their essays and novels, and adapted them for the stage and the screen in their search conituity between the Chinese past and the Chinese present.
Chinese Literature 152. Masterworks of Chinese Fiction: Tradition and Modernity - (New Course)
Wai-yee Li
Half course (fall term). W., 1-3.
An introduction to the masterworks of Chinese fiction from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Beyond close readings of excerpts from some of the best known Ming-Qing novels, we will explorethe contexts that establish their cultural significance: the traditions they build on, their social and intellectual contexts, the commentaries and sequels they generate, and their reverberations in contemporary culture.
Note: Readings are in both Chinese and English. For works in classical Chinese, students are allowed to consult translations into modern Chinese or English. The course will be taught in Chinese.
Chinese Literature 200. Pre-modern Chinese Literary Studies
Xiaofei Tian
Half course (fall term). Th., 1-4.
An introduction to the study of pre-modern Chinese literature, its history and customs, sources and resources, tools and methods, and theoretical issues.
Note: Primarily for first- and second-year graduate students in Chinese literature.
Chinese Literature 226. Honglou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber) and Its Contexts: Seminar
Wai-yee Li
Half course (spring term). W., 1-4.
A close reading of the masterpiece of Chinese fiction, Honglou meng, drawing on commentary traditions and modern interpretations. We will explore how Honglou meng sums up and rethinks various aspects of the Chinese tradition.
Chinese Literature 227r (formerly Chinese Literature 227). Early Chinese Historical Writings: Shiji
Wai-yee Li
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1-4.
Studies the Shiji (Records of the Historian) in the context of Warring States and Han thought and historical developments. Uses the text to explore conceptions of rhetoric, narrative, history, and interpretation in early China. Readings are in classical Chinese, but some of the materials will also be available in English translation.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of classical Chinese.
Chinese Literature 229r. Literature and Culture of Early Medieval China
Xiaofei Tian
Half course (spring term). M., 1-4.
Focus for 2009-10: Examines various topics in the literature and culture of Eastern Han through Western Jin.
Chinese Literature 248. Modern Chinese Literature: Theory and Practice
David Der-Wei Wang
Half course (fall term). Th., 2-4.
Survey of the concepts, institutions, canons, debates, experiments, and actions that gave rise to, and continually redefined, modern Chinese literature. Equal attention given to theories drawn from Chinese and Western traditions.
Chinese Literature 252. Readings in Chinese Shuochang wenxue - (New Course)
Wilt L. Idema
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2-4.
Examples will be read and discussed of seven of the major genres of shuochang wenxue: bianwen, zhugongdiao, baojuan, cihua, liqu, zidishu, and tanci. Building on my chapter on these genres for the Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, the class also will offer an introduction to the secondary scholarship on these genres.
Note: Students will be expected to have good reading skills in modern Chinese and basic reading skills in Classical Chinese.
Chinese Literature 255. Readings in Yuan Drama
Wilt L. Idema
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2-4.
This course will focus in class on the close reading and translation of a small number of selected plays, which will illustrate the textual development of the genre.
Chinese Literature 268r. Topics in Song and Yuan Literature
Stephen Owen
Half course (fall term). M., 1-4.
Readings in the history of Song lyric (ci).
Japanese Ba. Elementary Japanese
Yuko Kageyama-Hunt
Half course (fall term). Sections M., W., F., at 9, 10, or 1, and two additional hours to be arranged for Tu. and Th.
This course aims to develop a basic foundation in modern Japanese leading to proficiency in the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Emphasis is placed on the use of these skills to communicate effectively in authentic contexts of daily life. Mastery of hiragana, katakana, and 29 Kanji (Chinese characters.)
Japanese Bb. Elementary Japanese
Yuko Kageyama-Hunt
Half course (spring term). Sections M., W., F., at 9, 10, or 1, and two additional hours to be arranged for Tu. and Th.
Continuation of Japanese Ba, with an additional 151 Kanji.
Prerequisite: Japanese Ba or equivalent.
Japanese 106a. Classical Japanese
Edwin A. Cranston
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 11.
Introduction to classical grammar and texts.
Prerequisite: Japanese 130b.
Japanese 120a (formerly Japanese 101a). Intermediate Japanese I
Members of the department
Half course (fall term). Sections M., W., F., at 9, 10, or 1 and two additional hours on Tu and Th to be arranged.
Second-year intermediate level course aimed at consolidation of the basic grammatical patterns of Japanese and development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to the level necessary for communication in everyday life in Japanese society. Introduction of approximately 300 Chinese characters beyond those introduced in Bb.
Prerequisite: Japanese Bb or equivalent.
Japanese 120b (formerly Japanese 101b). Intermediate Japanese I
Members of the department
Half course (spring term). Sections M., W., F., at 9, 10, or 1 and two additional hours on Tu and Th to be arranged.
Continuation of Japanese 120a. Approximately 300 additional Chinese characters.
Japanese 130a (formerly Japanese 103a). Intermediate Japanese II
Satomi Matsumura
Half course (fall term). M., through F., at 9, 10, or 1.
Third-year intermediate advanced course. Development of skills in reading authentic materials from contemporary Japanese media and fiction and in aural comprehension of contemporary television news and drama with decreased reliance on pedagogical aids. Development of speaking and writing skills to an increasingly sophisticated level. Introduction of approximately 300 additional Chinese characters beyond those introduced in 120b.
Prerequisite: Japanese 120b or equivalent.
Japanese 130b (formerly Japanese 103b). Intermediate Japanese II
Satomi Matsumura
Half course (spring term). M., through F., at 9, 10, or 1.
Continuation of Japanese 130a. Approximately 300 additional Chinese characters.
Japanese 140a (formerly Japanese 104a). Advanced Modern Japanese
Emi Yamanaka
Half course (fall term). Sections: M. through F., at 10 or 1.
Readings of modern texts in both rapid and in-depth modes. Comprehension of media news and drama. Advanced conversation and composition on topics related to the preceding.
Prerequisite: Japanese 130b.
Japanese 140b (formerly Japanese 104b). Advanced Modern Japanese
Emi Yamanaka
Half course (spring term). Sections: M. through F., at 10 or 1.
Continuation of Japanese 140a.
Japanese 150a (formerly Japanese 110a). Readings and Discussion in Japanese Social Sciences
Emi Yamanaka
Half course (fall term). M.,W., F. at 9.
Selected readings and discussion in contemporary Japanese on topics in social studies, culture, education, politics, business, economy, psychology, and anthropology, supplemented by selections from audiovisual materials on current social issues.
Note: Conducted in Japanese.
Prerequisite: Japanese 140b.
Japanese 150b (formerly Japanese 110b). Readings and Discussion in Japanese Social Sciences
Emi Yamanaka
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 9.
Continuation of Japanese 150a.
Prerequisite: Japanese 150a.
Japanese 210a (formerly Japanese 209a). Reading Scholarly Japanese for Students of Chinese and Korean
Wesley M. Jacobsen
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., 9, and an additional 90 minutes weekly to be arranged.
Development of skills in reading and translating academic genres of Japanese, with special attention to Japanese scholarship on Chinese and Korean studies. Introduction to old kana usage and classical forms commonly used in scholarly writing.
Prerequisite: Japanese 120b, and graduate standing in some field of Chinese or Korean studies.
Japanese 210b (formerly Japanese 209b). Reading Scholarly Japanese for Students of Chinese and Korean
Wesley M. Jacobsen
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 9.
Continuation of Japanese 210a.
Prerequisite: Japanese 210a.
Japan: History Courses
Japanese History 115. Religion and Society in Edo and Meiji Japan
Helen Hardacre
Half course (fall term). W., 1-3.
Examination of religion and society in Japan from 1600-1912, beginning with an era of state control over religious institutions and religious affiliations of the populace, followed by the demise of the Edo-period system and diversification of religious practice in context of rapid social change, modernization, and imperialism during the Meiji period. Separate section for students able to utilize primary sources in Japanese will explore the Maruzen Meiji Microfilm collection in the Harvard-Yenching Library.
Prerequisite: General knowledge of Japanese history and religion is helpful.
Japanese History 120. Religion and Society in Twentieth-Century Japan
Helen Hardacre
Half course (spring term). W., 1-3.
An examination of religion and society from the end of the Meiji period (1912) to the present. This course explores the meaning of the modern in Japanese religions, the development of the public sphere and religion's relations with it, religion and nationalism, and the interconnections of religion and social change with materialism, consumerism, pacifism, and spiritualism.
Prerequisite: General knowledge of Japanese history and religion is helpful. Enrollment in Japanese History 115 recommended but not required.
Japanese History 145. Lady Samurai in Medieval Japan - (New Course)
Tomoko Kitagawa
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This course will offer a look at gender representation found in original historical records such as letters and diaries, and examine women's roles in society, ways of life, and sexuality in Japan from the 12th century to the end of 16th century with a comparison to their male contemporaries - the Samurai.
Japanese History 146. Kyoto: The Capital of Medieval Japan - (New Course)
Tomoko Kitagawa
Half course (spring term). Th., 11:30-1.
Throughout the medieval times, Kyoto remained the capital of Japan. As the residence of emperors, this capital saw a unique set of physical and cultural developments. This course examines the various cultural elements of medieval Kyoto, as well as the conditions and changes in daily life, material productions and consumptions, and religious practices.
Japanese History 255. Topics in the Study of Shinto
Helen Hardacre
Half course (spring term). W., 4-6.
State Shinto: an examination of aspects of Shinto history and practice, 1868-1945, emphasizing recent scholarship seeking to clarify the proper use and definition of the term State Shinto.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of modern Japanese.
Japanese History 260r. Topics in Japanese Cultural History
Shigehisa Kuriyama
Half course (spring term). M., 2-4.
Focus for 2009-10: the imagination of money, and its relationship to the science, pictures, and writings of the Edo period. Special attention to the transition from cultures of curiosity to cultures of irony.
Prerequisite: Advanced reading knowledge of Japanese with some acquaintance with (or at least concurrent study of) bungo and kambun.
Japanese History 265. The Muromachi Period: Culture and Context - (New Course)
Melissa M. McCormick
Half course (fall term). Th., 2-4.
This graduate seminar surveys the most significant scholarly literature on the cultural history of Japan's Muromachi period (ca. 1392-1573), with an emphasis on recent publications. Topics to be explored include the built environment of the capital and its institutions; cultural patronage and politics; gender and representation; the material culture of death rituals, funerals, and religious ritual; and the status of the imperial institution during this period.
Japan: Literature Courses
Japanese Literature 124. The Tale of Genji in Word and Image
Melissa M. McCormick
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1-3.
Introduces students to The Tale of Genji, often called the world's first novel, authored by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu around the year 1000 CE. In addition to a close reading of the tale, topics for examination include Japanese court culture, women's writing, and the tale's afterlife in painting, prints, drama, manga, and film.
Japanese Literature 161. Introduction to Japanese Animation - (New Course)
Tomiko Yoda
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 1, and additional 2.5-hour weekly evening film screenings.
This course examines a wide range of contemporary animated films and TV series made in Japan through their generic conventions, formal aesthetics, and narrative themes. Special attention will be paid to the relations between anime and various other commercial as well as non-commercial mediums such as manga, live-action films, video games, pop music, character merchandises, and fanzines.
Japanese Literature 162. Girl Culture, Media, and Japan - (New Course)
Tomiko Yoda
Half course (spring term). M., Tu., at 1 and some additional evening screenings to be arranged.
The course examines the ways in which girlhood and girl culture have figured in the construction of gender, nation, and popular medias in modern to contemporary Japan, from the 1920s to the present. We will study visual and textual mediums, including novels, magazines, films, manga, and animation, paying attention to principal transformations that have marked the history of modern girl culture in Japan. No prior knowledge of Japanese language or history is expected.
Japanese Literature 163. Pre-modern Japanese Literature in Translation - (New Course)
David James Gundry
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This course provides an overview of literary works produced in Japan from the 7th century to the early 19th century. The texts examined range from imperial court poetry of a rarified decorousness to bawdy tales produced by and for members of the urban middle class and a gorily melodramatic kabuki play. We will examine these diverse genres in light of the radically different social contexts in which they were produced and consumed.
Japanese Literature 164. Romance and Eros in the Fiction of Pre-modern Japan and China - (New Course)
David James Gundry
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
This course focuses on fiction produced in early-Tokugawa Japan and in Ming- and Qing-dynasty China, namely, selections from Ihara Saikaku's tales and novels, and portions of The Plum in the Golden Vase and Cao Xueqin's The Story of the Stone/Dream of the Red Chamber. However, because of the importance of literary allusion in Saikaku's works, the course will begin with a brief examination of texts produced in Heian-period Japan and Tang-dynasty China.
Japanese Literature 221. Gender, Nation, and Japanese Literature - (New Course)
Tomiko Yoda
Half course (spring term). M., 3-5.
This course explores the interrelated formation of gender, nation, and literature in the history of Japanese literature and literary criticism. The readings will include premodern and modern literary texts, as well as other historical and theoretical sources.
Japanese Literature 233r. Nara and Heian Court Literature
Edwin A. Cranston
Half course (fall term). W., 2-5.
Topic: Man ’yoshu
Prerequisite: Japanese 106a or equivalent.
Japanese Literature 265. Selected Fiction of Ihara Saikaku: Seminar - (New Course)
David James Gundry
Half course (fall term). Th., 2-5.
This course covers a wide range of fiction by Ihara Saikaku (1642-1693) and examines the issues of sexuality, prose style, literary allusion, parody, social critique, chonin cultural aspirations, and interactions between chonin and samurai characters.
Prerequisite: Japanese 106a or equivalent
Korean Ba. Elementary Korean
Sang-suk Oh
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 11, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Introduction to modern Korean: basic grammar, reading of simple texts, conversational skills, and writing short letters. After successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to handle a limited number of interactive, task-oriented, and social situations and to have sufficient control of the writing system to interpret written language in areas of practical needs.
Korean Bb. Elementary Korean
Sang-suk Oh
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 11, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Korean Ba.
Prerequisite: Korean Ba or equivalent.
Korean Bxa (formerly Korean Bx). Elementary Korean for Advanced Beginners
Mi-Hyun Kim
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 9, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Designed for students with significant listening and speaking background, either from prior formal learning or previous exposure to a Korean speaking community. Introductory Korean course, with emphasis on reading and writing. After successful completion of this course, students are expected be able to understand main ideas and/or some facts from the simple connected texts dealing with basic personal and social needs and to be able to meet a number of practical writing needs.
Korean Bxb (formerly Korean 102x). Elementary Korean for Advanced Beginners
Mi-Hyun Kim
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 9, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Korean Bxa.
Korean 120a (formerly Korean 102a). Intermediate Korean
Mi-Hyun Kim
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of elementary Korean to consolidate students' knowledge of the fundamental grammatical structures of Korean with an aim to increase their abilities to communicate using Korean in a wide range of daily-life transactional situations. After successful completion of second-year Korean, students are expected to handle most uncomplicated communicative tasks and social situations and read consistently with understanding of simple connected texts dealing with personal and social needs.
Prerequisite: Korean Bb or equivalent.
Korean 120b (formerly Korean 102b). Intermediate Korean
Mi-Hyun Kim
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 10, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Korean 120a.
Prerequisite: Korean 120a or equivalent.
Korean 130a (formerly Korean 103a). Pre-advanced Korean
Mi-Hyun Kim
Half course (fall term). W., F., at 2, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of intermediate Korean, to consolidate the student's knowledge of the grammatical structures of Korean with an aim to increase their abilities to communicate using Korean in a wide range of familiar and everyday topics, current societal events, and factual and concrete topics relating to personal interests. After successful completion of third-year Korean, students are expected to be able to describe and narrate about concrete and factual topics of personal and general interest.
Prerequisite: Korean 120b or equivalent.
Korean 130b (formerly Korean 103b). Pre-advanced Korean
Mi-Hyun Kim
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 2, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Korean 130a.
Prerequisite: Korean 130a or equivalent.
Korean 140a (formerly Korean 104a). Advanced Korean
Sang-suk Oh
Half course (fall term). Th., 2-4; Tu., 4-6.
Development of skills in reading materials from contemporary Korean media and fiction and in aural comprehension of contemporary television news and drama with decreased reliance on pedagogical aids. After successful completion of fourth-year Korean, students should be able to satisfy the requirements of various everyday, school, and work situations and follow essential points of written discourse which are abstract and linguistically complex, and also to write about a variety of topics in detail with precision.
Prerequisite: Korean 130b or equivalent.
Korean 140b. Advanced Korean
Sang-suk Oh
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 2-4.
Continuation of Korean 140a.
Prerequisite: Korean 140a or equivalent.
Korean 150a (formerly Korean 110a). Readings in Cultural Studies
Sang-suk Oh
Half course (fall term). Th., 4-7 p.m.
Selected readings in contemporary Korean on topics in art, film, drama, and cultural studies, supplemented by selections from audio-visual media on traditional and current cultural events. After completion of Korean 150a and 150b, students are expected to be able to participate in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, professional, and abstract topics and read with almost complete comprehension and at normal speed expository prose on unfamiliar subjects and a variety of literary texts.
Prerequisite: Korean 140b or equivalent.
Korean 150b (formerly Korean 110b). Readings in Cultural Studies
Sang-suk Oh
Half course (spring term). Th., 4-7 p.m.
Continuation of Korean 150a.
Prerequisite: Korean 140b or equivalent.
Korea: History Courses
Korean History 111. Traditional Korea
Sun Joo Kim
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10:30-12.
Survey of the history of Korea, from earliest times to the 19th century. Examines various interpretive approaches and issues in the political, social, economic, intellectual, cultural, and diplomatic history of premodern Korea.
Korean History 118. Social History of Premodern Korea
Sun Joo Kim
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1-3.
Reading and discussion of Chosôn society and culture. We will try to understand social and political structures and institutions by examining the daily life of various groups of people from top to bottom.
Korean History 230r. Readings in Premodern Korean History
Sun Joo Kim
Half course (spring term). Th., 1-3.
A study of social, political, economic, and intellectual history of premodern Korea reviewing major scholarship in the field. Designed primarily for graduate students preparing for the general examination. All readings are in English.
Prerequisite: Korean History 111 or equivalent.
Korean History 240r. Selected Topics in Premodern Korean History: Seminar
Sun Joo Kim
Half course (fall term). W., 1-3.
Reading and research of selected primary sources and secondary works on premodern Korean history.
Prerequisite: Korean History 111 or equivalent and reading proficiency in Korean. Reading ability in classical Chinese and Japanese helpful.
Korean History 253r. Modern Korean History: Proseminar
Carter J. Eckert
Half course (fall term). W., 3-5.
An introduction to some of the current issues in modern Korean history through selected readings. Designed primarily for entering graduate students.
Korean History 260r (formerly Korean History 260hfr). Readings in Modern Korean History
Carter J. Eckert
Full course (indivisible). Th., 2-4.
Explores the history of the field through an examination of major scholarship. Designed primarily for graduate students preparing for the general examination.
Korea: Literature Courses
Korean Literature 140. Contemporary Korean Narratives in Film and Fiction - (New Course)
Young-Jun Lee (Harvard University)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 2-3:30.
This course offers a broad cultural examination of Korean narratives in contemporary film and fiction in historical context. We start with some post-democratization period fictions and films in the 1990s and work our way to the very recent works of the "New Women Writers" and the "New Wave Korean Films." Prerequisites: None. All readings are in English, and films are subtitled.
Korean Literature 230. Critical Approaches to Modern Korean Literature - (New Course)
Young-Jun Lee (Harvard University)
Half course (spring term). F., 2-5.
This course discusses current theoretical approaches to modern Korean literature and reexamines primary materials. Course Format: Proseminar for graduate students.
Prerequisite: Third year level Korean, one course on Korean literature or history.
Manchu 120a. Intermediate Manchu
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Readings in a wide variety of Manchu texts. English to Manchu translation exercises.
Manchu 120b. Advanced Manchu
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Intensive reading in Manchu archival materials, other historical texts and literary texts. Some texts in pre-diacritical form. English to Manchu translation exercises.
Tibetan History 100. A Cultural and Political History - (New Course)
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This lecture class will examine the rich history of the Tibetan Plateau. Special attention will be paid to the rise of the Tibetan Empire (7th-9th centuries), the period when "Tibet" was part of the "Great Mongol Land" (1240-ca. 1350), and the formation of Ganden Podrang government in Lhasa (1643-1959), headed by the Dalai Lamas. The historical development of Tibetan Buddhism will also be examined, together with several of its most noteworthy institutions, including that of the reincarnate lama as exemplified by especially the Dalai and Panchen Lamas.
Uyghur A. Elementary Uyghur
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 8:30-10.
Introduction to Uyghur, the Turkic language spoken in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and throughout Central Asia. Course covers grammar, reading and writing (in the modified Arabic alphabet adopted in the PRC), and conversation practice.
Uyghur B. Elementary Uyghur
Mark C. Elliott
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 8:30-10.
Continuation of Uyghur A. Completion of basic Uyghur grammar, listening and speaking practice with the aid of audio-visual materials, selected readings from Uyghur literature and academic prose.
Vietnamese Ba. Elementary Vietnamese
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). M. through F., at 9.
Surveys the fundamentals of Vietnamese phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary to provide students with basic ability to understand, speak, read, and write Vietnamese. Conversational ability is stressed through an interactive, communication-oriented approach.
Vietnamese Bb. Elementary Vietnamese
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). M. through F., at 9.
Continuation of Vietnamese Ba, with introduction of additional Vietnamese texts and excerpts from Vietnamese newspapers to enhance reading skills.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese Ba or permission of the instructor.
Vietnamese 120a. Intermediate Vietnamese
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Further development of speaking, reading, writing, and aural comprehension. Texts on Vietnamese geography, history, culture, and customs will be used, as well as audiotapes and videos. Students are expected to speak Vietnamese in all class discussions.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese Bb or permission of the instructor.
Vietnamese 120b. Intermediate Vietnamese
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). M.,W., F., 10 and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Vietnamese 120a.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 120a or permission of the instructor.
Vietnamese 130a. Advanced Vietnamese
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). M., W., F. at 11, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Development of high proficiency in Vietnamese. Introduction of complex grammar and vocabulary, using authentic Vietnamese texts, audiotapes, videos, and translation of English news articles into Vietnamese. Discussions focus on selected short stories and poems.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 120b or permission of the instructor.
Vietnamese 130b. Advanced Vietnamese
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 11, and two additional hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Vietnamese 130a.
Note: Conducted entirely in Vietnamese.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 130a or permission of the instructor.
Vietnamese 140a. Advanced-High Vietnamese - (New Course)
Binh Ngo
Half course (fall term). Tu., at 3, Th., 3-5.
Development of near-native fluency in oral and written expression. Modern Vietnamese literature, including short stories, excerpts from novels, and poems in the original, that were published in Vietnam from the 1930s to the present day is used to introduce the complex grammar, idioms, proverbs and some slang expressions commonly used in contemporary Vietnamese. Discussion focuses on Vietnamese culture and issues related to Vietnamese society during that period.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 130a and 130b.
Vietnamese 140b. Advanced-High Vietnamese - (New Course)
Binh Ngo
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Vietnamese 140a.
Prerequisite: Vietnamese 140a.
*Anthropology 1881. China After Mao: Seminar
James L. Watson
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1-3.
New work on the anthropology of China will be the focus of this course. Special attention will be given to issues of: nationalism, consumption and globalization, impact of the one-child policy, gender inequality, changing family relations, individualism, and private lives.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Anthropology 2855. Deep China: What Medical Anthropology and Psychiatry Contribute to the Study of China Today
Arthur Kleinman (Medical School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 1-3.
What do accounts of depression, suicide, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, SARS, HIV/AIDS, starvation and the personal and family trauma of political violence teach us about China and the Chinese over the last few decades?
Anthropology 1690. The Culture Machine: Youth Culture, Networks and Commodities in East Asia
Michael Fisch
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This course will look at the production, dissemination and consumption of commodities in contemporary East Asia. It will question the significance in the present of conventional notions of the commodity, labor theory of value, mass media and mass consumption. Particular attention will be paid to the role of youth in the production and consumption of culture, and to processes of national branding.
Anthropology 1668. Muslims in the Lands of the "Militant Godless": Post-Socialism, Religion and Identity - (New Course)
John S. Schoeberlein
Half course (fall term). W., 1-3.
By 1989, the preeminence of atheism ended in Communist countries inhabited by Muslims in Eurasia from Mongolia and China to Central Asia, Russia, and Bosnia. Two decades of "transition" have seen dramatic change in Islam's social role. This course explores emerging fields of anthropology of post-Socialism and Islam in the former Soviet Bloc, focusing on Islam between state and society, social transformations occurring under the "transition" from Communism, and changing identities and cultural forms.
Anthropology 1815. Empire, Nation, Diaspora: Asians in the U.S. - (New Course)
Ajantha Subramanian
Half course (spring term). M., 1-3.
The U.S. is commonly described as a multicultural society and Asian Americans as "model minorities" with strong group identities. But when did multiculturalism become a defining characteristic of American society? What is its relationship to race and class? Why did migrants from Asia come here and how has their reception changed over time? When do they call themselves "Asians" and when do they privilege other self-representations? We will explore these questions through history, anthropology, literature, and film.
Economics 1490. Growth and Crisis in the World Economy - (New Course)
Dale W. Jorgenson
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 2:30-4.
This course assesses the future of the tri-polar world economy - Asia, Europe, and North America. The course analyzes the resurgence of the US economic growth, the emergence of asset pricingbubbles, and the ensuing financial and economic crisis. We will discuss the sources of Asian growth miracles and the convergence and subsequent divergence of Europe and North America. What growth rate is sustainable and who will lead? What are the forces that threaten long-term prosperity?
Prerequisite: Social Analysis 10 and Mathematics 1a
*Government 1280. Government and Politics of China
Nara Dillon
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
General introduction to the politics of contemporary China. Basic objectives are to provide a working knowledge of Chinese political programs and practices, and to encourage a critical evaluation of the positive and negative aspects of China's socialist experiment.
Enrollment: Approval of instructor needed for Graduate Students to enroll in this class.
Government 2284. Chinese Authors on Chinese Politics
Roderick MacFarquhar
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2-4.
An examination of how PRC authors have analyzed the politics of their country and comparisons with relevant Western accounts.
Prerequisite: A good reading knowledge of Chinese and previous course work on Chinese politics.
*Government 2285. Political Science and China
Elizabeth J. Perry
Half course (spring term). Th., 2-4.
This graduate seminar gives students control over the secondary literature on Chinese politics, with special attention to competing theoretical and methodological approaches.
Note: Requires background in contemporary Chinese history/politics.
Government 1760. International Relations of East Asia
Alastair Iain Johnston
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 1.
Introduction to the historical, military, political, economic, and cultural features of interstate relations in East Asia and the Pacific. The course also presents some theoretical and methodological tools for more systematic analysis of these issues. The goal is to understand changing levels of conflict and cooperation in the region.
Enrollment: Limited to 50.
Government 1765. Asia-Pacific Security - (New Course)
Christopher W. Hughes
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
Surveys key security dynamics, actors and issues in the Asia-Pacific. Topics include: the US alliance system in the Asia-Pacific; China's military rise; Japanese militarization; the security capabilities of the Koreas and Southeast Asia, Australia, and Russia; insurgency and transnational terrorism; territorial disputes; North Korea and Taiwan; nuclear proliferation; MD; arms races; maritime security, energy security, and transnational crime; and multilateral security. All issues are studied in conjunction with major paradigmatic and critical theoretical approaches.
*Government 1273. The Political Economy of Japan
Kay Shimizu
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11.
Examines the history of Japan's political economy, its recent success and its current problems. Why did Japan succeed in becoming the first non-Western society to industrialize? Did Japan develop a particular brand of capitalism? What role did the political system play? What are its advantages and disadvantages of the Japanese model? Can it overcome the current technological changes and global pressures? Or is it no longer a viable model to emulate?
Enrollment: Limited to 35. Approval of instructor needed for Graduate Students to enroll in this class.
Government 2776. Japan and East Asian Security - (New Course)
Christopher W. Hughes
Half course (fall term). Th., 2-4.
How does Japan's remilitarization impact upon East Asia? Topics include: Japan's strategy and policy-making; JSDF military power; the US-Japan alliance; Japan and North Korea, China and Southeast Asia; defense production; Japan's nuclear policy; and multilateral security.
Government 1132. Comparative Political Economy, Developed Countries - (New Course)
Torben Iversen
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2-4.
This course is a survey of topics and theories in comparative political economy with a focus on developed democracies in Western Europe, North America, and East Asia. The course applies insights from both political science and economics to explain why economic performance, distribution, and economic policies vary across countries. The course complements "Comparative Political Economy, Developing Countries", although one is not a prerequisite for the other.
*History 86a (formerly *History 1828). Christianity and Chinese Society
Henrietta Harrison
Half course (spring term). M., 3-5.
Examines the history of Catholic and Protestant Christianity in China from the 16th century to the present. The focus is on non-elite Chinese believers and the ways in which Christianity affected their lives.
Note: Graduate students may enroll with the instructor's permission.
Enrollment: Limited to 15.
History 1627. China in the Wider World, 1600-2000 - (New Course)
Henrietta Harrison
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 11.
This course examines China's modern history from the point of view of its interconnections with the rest of the world. It provides a general overview of the history of modern China, and some standard theoretical frameworks for China's foreign relations, but also considers the many different ways in which China has shared in world history ranging from environmental history and the spread of global religions, to international trade and the development of modern nationalism.
History 2623 (formerly History 2823). Readings in Modern Chinese History: Proseminar
Henrietta Harrison
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4.
A graduate colloquium designed for students preparing for general examinations in modern Chinese history or interested in the historiography of modern China.
History 1623 (formerly History 1851). 20th-Century Japan
Andrew Gordon
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12.
Explores Japan's emergence as a world power and the Japanese experience of modernity. Examines politics, social movements, and culture of the imperial era; the experience of World War II and postwar occupation; the "economic miracle" and postwar political economy; social and cultural transformation. Concludes by considering historical context for issues of the present day ranging from economic crisis to tensions with Japan's Asian neighbors.
*History 2651 (formerly *History 2851). Japanese History: Seminar
Andrew Gordon
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2-4.
Students write research papers on topics of their own choosing drawing on sources in Japanese, and other languages as appropriate.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Japanese.
Enrollment: Limited to 15.
History 2653 (formerly History 2853). Historiography of Modern Japan: Proseminar
Andrew Gordon
Half course (spring term). Th., 2-4.
A critical introduction to the historiography of modern Japan, with emphasis on English-language scholarship.
History 1619 (formerly History 1820). Premodern Vietnam
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 2.
Vietnamese history from antiquity to the founding of the Nguyen dynasty in 1802 with emphasis on the period following independence from China in the 10th century. Topics include the Sinicization of Vietnam and the sources of Vietnamese national identity; tensions between aristocratic and bureaucratic rule; territorial expansion and national division; first contacts with the West; the changing status of women.
History 1620 (formerly History 1821). Modern Vietnam
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10.
Survey of Vietnamese history from 1802 to the present. Covers the period of unified rule under the Nguyen dynasty, French colonial conquest, the struggle for independence, the Vietnam War, and the recent unification under Communism. Major topics include the relationship between the state, the village, and the individual; the transformation of Vietnamese society, culture, and politics under French rule; the rise of nationalism and Communism; the causes and consequences of the Vietnam War.
*History 74p. Afro-Asian Encounters - (New Course)
Denise Khor
Half course (spring term). W., 1-3.
This course surveys the convergences between Asian and Black communities that bridge the histories of the Atlantic and the Pacific. Though often regarded as separate entities, these oceanic passages have well worn parallel routes that connect the histories of racialization, labor, militarism, social movements, and intercultural contact.
Note: Graduate students may enroll with the instructor's permission.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
*History 76c (formerly *History 90g). Major Themes in World History: Colonialism, Imperialism, and Post-Colonialism
Hue-Tam Ho Tai
Half course (spring term). M., 2-4.
A general introduction to theories of imperialism, nationalism, and post-colonialism. Case studies to include Asia and Africa. Will combine the study of theory with examination of particular anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements.
Note: Graduate students may enroll with the instructor's permission.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
*History 76d. Asian and African Encounters with Empire - (New Course)
Raja Adal
Half course (fall term). M., 3-5.
This course introduces you to Western expansion from the perspective of Asian and African societies. It begins with theoretical approaches to the role of Western expansion in the modernization of Asian and African societies. It then turns to case studies of Western expansion, asking how five Asian and African societies reacted to the threat of Western arms and the attraction of Western goods and sciences.
Note: Graduate students may enroll with the instructor's permission.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
*History 79f. Empire and Nation in Russia and China - (New Course)
Terry D. Martin and Mark C. Elliott
Half course (fall term). W., 2-4.
Examines comparatively how imperial rule functioned in the Eurasian empires of Russia and China, and how the imperial heritage affected the transition to national and communist state forms. Theories of empire and nationalism based on European paradigms will be interrogated. Topics will include discourses of empire, the production of imperial knowledge, ethnicity, the frontier, colonization, Communism and national self-determination, Russification and Sinicization, religion, gender, and language. All readings will be in English.
Note: Graduate students may enroll with the instructor's permission.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
History 1285. Russia and the Great Eurasian Steppe
Kelly A. O’Neill-Uzgiris
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11.
Introduction to the history of Russian interactions with the peoples and states of the Eurasian steppe from the rise of Chinggis khan to the fall of the Romanovs. Topics include the legacy of Mongol conquest, the importance of trade, and the Russian-Ottoman struggle for dominance in the region. How did the experience of Russia's Muslim inhabitants change over time? Did Russia civilize the steppe? Emphasis on incorporating non-European voices into the narrative of Russian history.
History 1437. Asian American History - (New Course)
Denise Khor
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 10.
This course explores the major concepts and themes in Asian American history from the mid 1800s to the present. The course contextualizes the communities and politics of Asian immigrants with the history of state power, capitalism, and social inequalities.
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE
History of Art and Architecture 186p. Post-Medium Art in Post-Socialist China - (New Course)
Eugene Wang
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1-3.
The course examines contemporary Chinese art in the throes of the post-medium condition since the 1980's. The eclipse of the Maoist utopian ideology and the rise of market economy in the age of globalization parallels the erosion of traditional medium purity (painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, etc.). Reorientation and repurposing visual mediums and the trans-media experimentations have created new platforms for staging contemporary Chinese experience and thinking outside the boxes, old and new.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
History of Art and Architecture 282m. Buddhist Art of Body in East Asia - (New Course)
Eugene Wang and Ryuichi Abe
Half course (spring term). M., 3-5.
Examines visual and textual evidence related to Buddhist relics and mandalas to reconstruct the culture of body across China, Japan, and Korea from the seventh through thirteenth centuries. Covers related sites, crypts, shrines, caves, ritual manuals, sutras, and treatises: Kamonsa, Horyuji, Famensi, Chaoyang-ta, etc.
Note: Proficiency in Chinese or Japanese required.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
History of Art and Architecture 188j. Japanese Architecture
Yukio Lippit
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 12.
A survey of the diverse architectural traditions of the Japanese archipelago from the prehistoric era through the twentieth century. Various building types--including the Shinto shrine, Buddhist temple, castle, teahouse, palace and farmhouse--will be studied through representative surviving examples. Issues to be explored include the basic principles of timber-frame engineering, the artisanal culture of master carpenters, and the mixed legacy of the functionalist interpretation of Japanese architecture.
History of Art and Architecture 287k. Rinpa Painting - (New Course)
Yukio Lippit
Half course (spring term). W., 3-5.
This seminar explores one of early modern Japan's most important painting lineages, "Rinpa" or "School of Korin." Special emphasis will be placed on the relationship of Rinpa painters to other media and urban context.
Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Linguistics 176. History and Prehistory of the Japanese Language
Wesley M. Jacobsen
Half course (spring term). Th., 2-4.
An examination of evidence from the comparative method, internal reconstruction, and written documents for reconstructing prehistoric stages of the Japanese language and an overview of major developments in Japanese phonology and grammar from the Nara period through the present day.
Prerequisite: Knowledge of Japanese equivalent to Japanese 120b, or familiarity with historical linguistics, or permission of the instructor.
DEPARTMENT OF NEAR EASTERN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
Early Iranian Civilizations 102. Old Iranian Religion/Zoroastrianism
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (spring term). F., 1-3.
Introduction to and readings in Mazdaism/Zoroastrianism (on the basis of translated texts).
Early Iranian Civilizations 103. Manicheism
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term). F., 1-3.
Introduction to and readings in Iranian Manicheism (on the basis of translated texts).
*Regional Studies—East Asia 300. Reading and Research
Members of the Committee
Designed to provide students with the opportunity to do reading and research in an approved area of their choice under the direction of a member of the Committee.
Note: Limited to students affiliated with the Regional Studies—East Asia program.
*Regional Studies—East Asia 310. Thesis Development
Members of the Committee
Designed to allow students to develop previous research or a previously written paper into the AM thesis, under the direction of an appropriate faculty advisor.
Note: Limited to students affiliated with the Regional Studies—East Asia program. Counts as course credit, but not towards the basic course requirements for the degree.
Religion 2070. Topics in Modern Japanese Religions - (New Course)
Helen Hardacre
Half course (fall term). W., 4-6.
This graduate seminar examines significant topics shaping Japanese religious life from the Meiji Restoration of 1868 to the present. Each year's offering will focus on reading and discussion of relevant primary texts and secondary literature. Topic for 2009: Religion, Law and State in 20th Century Japan. An examination of capital punishment in the context of the history of changing understandings of the person (variously, embedded in family community, subject of the empire, possessing human rights) within changing social and legal frameworks (the Meji Civil Code, the Meiji constitution, the postwar constitution).
Prerequisite: Modern Japanese
Religion 1433. Christianity Along the Silk Road - (New Course)
Charles Stang
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1-3, weekly section to be arranged.
This course will introduce students to the ancient and medieval expansion of Christianity eastward from Syria to China by tracing the history of the so-called "Nestorian" Church, or "Church of the East." Particular attention will be paid to the emergence of this church community in the wake of the Christological controversies of the 5th century and its intellectual heritage in Antioch. Subsequent units will focus on particular areas where the Church of the East established itself, including Syria, Persia, India, Central Asia along the Silk Road, and finally Tibet, China, and Mongolia. Considerable attention will be paid to the interactions between Christianity and other religions in these areas, including Judaism, Islam, Manichaeism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
Religion 1701. Introduction to Buddhist Scriptures and Their Critical Interpretations
Charles Hallisey
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 9 and hour to be arranged.
An introduction to basic issues in the contemporary understanding of textuality, history, and interpretation and their relevance to the study of Buddhist scriptures. Examples of Buddhist scriptures will be drawn primarily from the Mahayana traditions.
Religion 1702. The Buddha in Myth, Image, and Ritual
Donald K. Swearer
Half course (spring term). W., 3-6.
Is the Buddha a spiritual exemplar, the founder of a religion, the iconic locus of devotional ritual, a cosmological principle, or all of the above? This seminar will explore the multifaceted nature of the figure of the Buddha primarily within the context of Theravada Buddhism with a particular focus on the Buddha image consecration ritual. Narrative and doctrinal constructions of the Buddha will be informed by recent studies of icons, images, relics, and ritual.
Prerequisite: Previous work in Buddhism.
Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Religion 1722. Buddhist Ethics - (New Course)
Charles Hallisey
Half course (fall term). W., 3-5:30.
A systematic exploration of the place of moral reflection in Buddhist thought and practice. The scope of the course is wide, with examples drawn from the whole Buddhist world, but the emphasis will be given to the particularity of different Buddhist visions of human flourishing. Attention will also be given to the challenges and promises of describing Buddhist ethics in a comparative perspective.
Religion 1741. Modern Buddhism and Fiction - (New Course)
Charles Hallisey
Half course (spring term). W., 3-5:30.
A consideration of fiction as a vehicle for religious reflection in the modern Buddhist world. Attention will also be given to examples of fiction in which Buddhist themes or ideas are taken up for reflection by non-Buddhist authors and audiences.
Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Religion 2735. Buddhist Bodies and Their Moral Cultivation: Seminar - (New Course)
Janet Gyatso
Half course (spring term). W., 3-5.
This seminar will study Buddhist sources for what they suggest about how the human body exists, perceives, engages with others, learns, and participates in moral and artistic development. Readings will be drawn from Buddhist writings on the body and the senses, ritual, discipline, ethics, and artistic practice, along with personal memoirs from South Asia, Tibet, and East Asia. The seminar will also study continental philosophy of the body, including Bergson and Merleau-Ponty, as resources for vocabulary and conceptualization.
Enrollment: Limited to 20.
DEPARTMENT OF SANSKRIT AND INDIAN STUDIES
Courses on Tibetan and Himalayan Studies
Tibetan 101a. Elementary Classical Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
Tibetan 101b. Elementary Classical Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
Prerequisite: Tibetan 101a.
Tibetan 102a. Intermediate Classical Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An intermediate classical Tibetan course emphasizing reading and translation of various Tibetan texts covering different genres, such as religious history, biography of Tibetan masters and folk literature writings. Please check the course website for the most updated information.
Prerequisite: Tibetan 101a and 101b or equivalent courses.
Tibetan 102b. Intermediate Classical Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 4-5:30.
Continuation of 102a.
Prerequisite: 101a, 101b or equivalent courses.
Tibetan 104ar. Elementary Colloquial Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Tibetan 104br. Elementary Colloquial Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Tibetan 104ar.
Tibetan 105ar. Intermediate Colloquial Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Tibetan 105br. Intermediate Colloquial Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Tibetan 106ar. Advanced Colloquial Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Prerequisite: Tibetan 101 and 102, or equivalent.
Tibetan 106br. Advanced Colloquial Tibetan
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp and assistant
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Prerequisite: Tibetan 101 and 102, or equivalent.
Tibetan 219. Tibetan Religious Literature
Janet Gyatso
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This seminar will read an early Brug-pa treatise that attempted to conjoin mainstream tantric ideas about the enlightened buddha-body with Indian Ayervedic medical conception of the everyday secular body.
Prerequisite: At least one previous year of classical Tibetan is required.
Tibetan 230. Readings in the Life of the Kashmirian Scholar Shakyashribhadra - (New Course)
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Various Tibetan biographies of the life of this influencial scholar will be examined and special problem areas will be analyzed in full detail.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Tibetan.
Tibetan 231. Introduction to Tibetan Historiography - (New Course)
Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Readings will be excerpted from different Tibetan chronicles
Prerequisite: Tibetan 101 or equivalent.
Sociology 237. Contemporary Chinese Society: Seminar
Martin K. Whyte
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1-3.
A seminar devoted to the intensive analysis of a particular aspect of contemporary Chinese society. This year the focus will be on trends in inequality and stratification in China.
Sociology 229. Comparative Institutions and Inequality: East Asia (Graduate Seminar in General Education) - (New Course)
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (fall term). W., 1-3.
Analyzes the relationship between economic development, social change, and patterns of inequality in Japan, South Korea, and China. Students will actively help shape a new Harvard undergraduate General Education course in this area.
Culture and Belief 11. Medicine and the Body in East Asia and in Europe
Shigehisa Kuriyama
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 11, and a 90-minute weekly section to be arranged.
Comparative historical exploration of the striking differences and unexpected similarities between traditional conceptions of the body in East Asian and European medicine; the evolution of beliefs within medical traditions; the relationship between traditional medicine and contemporary experience.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Societies of the World 29. Inequality in Society in 21st Century East Asia - (New Course)
Mary C. Brinton
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10.
East Asian economies burst onto the center stage of global capitalism in the late 20th century. How were the lives of ordinary people in this part of the world affected? Who has gained and lost in the process of economic development? This course uses ethnography as well as "hard data" to study these questions in Japan, South Korea, and
Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 35. Korea Indigenous
David McCann
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged.
This course starts with Korea's self-presentation through the Korea Wave, then turns to the features of twentieth century modernity. The third part examines historical case studies in cultural survival. Korea Indigenous pursues two modes of study, academic and aesthetic: the study of texts, pictures and other formulations of Korean identities, through discussions and writing; and the creation of the aesthetic, for example through writing poems in the Korean sijo form.
Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 18 (formerly Literature 10). Writing Across Cultures: Literatures of the World (to 1750)
Stephen Owen and David Damrosch
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1, and a weekly section to be arranged.
An overview of world literatures from the earliest texts to the Enlightenment, treating multi-ethnic classical literatures (Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Chinese, Arabic), the formation of ethnic vernacular literatures, and zones in which literary cultures met. Through lectures and close reading of selected texts, we will examine how cultural identity was constructed and continuously reconstructed in literature. We will observe how and why canons are retrospectively created, including the canon of "world literature," now in the process of formation.
Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding 19 (formerly Literature 11). Writing Across Cultures: Literatures of the World (from 1750 to the present)
David Damrosch
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1-2:30, and a weekly section to be arranged.
An overview of world literature in the modern period through a series of international styles and literary and social movements. Reading imaginative texts from around the world, we will examine the interplay of local, national, regional, and global languages, literatures, and cultures, exploring the ways writers have responded to the tensions and the opportunities of an emerging modernity.
Culture and Belief 25 (formerly Religion 70). Studying Buddhism, Across Place and Time
Janet Gyatso
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30-1.
A critical introduction to key ideas, values, people and practices in Buddhist traditions. The courses offers a chance to explore Buddhism's distinctive doctrines about human experience, to appreciate the richness of its disciplinary and meditative practices, and to read its best literary gems. It highlights the way that Buddhism shifted as it spread across Asia and adapted to new cultural contexts, a process that still continues, now across the world. This allows us to study both the historical contributions of Buddhism to the philosophies and self-cultivation traditions of Asia, and the new ways it serves as a global human heritage today.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Culture and Belief 33. Introduction to the Study of East Asian Religions - (New Course)
James Robson
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30.
This course provides an introduction to the study of East Asian religions. It covers the development of Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Shinto. It is not a comprehensive survey, but is designed around major conceptual themes, such as ritual, image veneration, mysticism, meditation, death, and category formation in the study of religion. The emphasis throughout the course is on the hermeneutic difficulties attendant upon the study of religion in general, and East Asian religions in particular.
Ethical Reasoning 20 (formerly Humanities 11). Self, Serenity, and Vulnerability: East and West
Michael J. Puett and Roberto Mangabeira Unger
Half course (spring term). Th., 5-7 p.m.
A comparative inquiry into forms of moral consciousness and their metaphysical assumptions in the high cultures of Eurasia. How should one live one's life? What relationship should one have to the world around one, and what are the implications of such a relationship for one's ethical behavior? To think through the complexity of these issues, we will look at exemplary writings–from several distinct traditions--Chinese, South Asian, ancient Greek, and modern European.
Societies of the World 22. Asia in the Making of the Modern World - (New Course)
Shigehisa Kuriyama and Parimal G. Patil
Half course (spring term). Tu., 11:30-1, and a 2 hour section to be arranged.
This course spotlights familiar aspects of everyday life in contemporary America, and reveals how a deeper understanding of them often requires study of peoples and events in distant places and times. In addition to making startling discoveries about global history, students will also learn the creative use of electronic databases and archival resourses, and gain experience with multimedia presentations (mini-documentaries, podcasts).
Foreign Cultures 48. The Cultural Revolution
Roderick MacFarquhar
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged.
From 1966 to 1976, the People's Republic of China was wracked by civil strife, student violence, political intrigue, and military plots. What had once seemed the best disciplined and most stable of dictatorial states seemed about to dissolve into disunity, even anarchy, and as a result of the actions of the man who had done more than anyone else to create it: Chairman Mao Zedong. The Cultural Revolution is traced to pinpoint Mao's aims and to explore the deeper political, social, economic, and cultural issues that his actions raised for the Chinese, and for the rest of us as well.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Foreign Cultures 67. Popular Culture in Modern China
David Der-wei Wang
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. Four additional sessions to be arranged for screening of films.
This course provides a comprehensive examination of modern Chinese popular culture in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. From literature to film, from music to theatre, this course will probe popular culture as it has manifested itself, and trace its sociopolitical, aesthetic, and affective impact on modern Chinese.
Foreign Cultures 81. The Culture of Everyday Life in China
Peter K. Bol and Michael A. Szonyi
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10, and a weekly two-hour section to be arranged.
An inquiry into social and cultural life in China, past and present, through an exploration of the patterns of everyday life over the last thousand years in a single region. Uses writings from local women and men in the past, interviews with their descendants today, the ancestral halls and genealogies of multi-generational families, shrines and temples of local gods, and extensive photo documentation as sources for understanding how life was experienced by the inhabitants of a community, farmers and scholars alike, and how that community was related to the larger world.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Historical Study A-13. China: Traditions and Transformations
Peter K. Bol and William C. Kirby
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged.
Modern China presents a dual image: a society transforming itself through economic development and social revolution; and the world's largest and oldest bureaucratic state, coping with longstanding problems of economic and political management. Whatever form of modern society and state emerges in China will bear the indelible imprint of China's historical experience, of its patterns of philosophy and religion, and of its social and political thought. These themes are discussed in order to understand China in the modern world, and as a great world civilization that developed along lines different from those of the Mediterranean.
Literature and Arts A-63. Women Writers in Imperial China: How to Escape from the Feminine Voice
Wilt L. Idema
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged.
Despite the dominance of men as authors, subjects, and readers of literature in imperial China (221 BCE-1911), this same period also saw the emergence and development of a rich tradition of women's literature. We will discuss what kinds of women have left literary works, and how the marginal status of women's literature affected the genres women wrote in and the subjects they could deal with. As China's male literature developed its own tradition of writing in the voice of women, we will pay special attention to the question of how women found their own voice despite this pre-existing "feminine" tradition.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Moral Reasoning 78. Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory
Michael J. Puett
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged.
How should one make moral choices? What is the best way to live a moral life? How should the state be organized to best encourage proper human behavior? And what happens if the state comes to be formed as an empire? What are the proper moral ways to respond? Questions such as these were at the heart of classical Chinese philosophical debates. This course will be the study of how the classical Chinese thinkers wrestled with these questions and what responses they gave. As we will quickly see, the views that arose in China were among the most powerful and influential in human history. Regardless of whether one agrees with these views or not, they should be studied and taken seriously by anyone who cares about ethics and politics.
Foreign Cultures 84. Tokyo
Theodore C. Bestor
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 1, and a weekly section to be arranged.
Tokyo has been one of the world's great metropolitan centers since the 17th century, both the urban hub of Japanese society and culture, and the intersection between Japanese domestic society and trends of global influence. This course examines trajectories of change in Tokyo's urban culture, lifestyles, social structure, and spatial environment across the city's history, using ethnography, history, literature, diaries, architecture, photography, art, cartography, animation, film, and the Internet to explore Tokyo as an urban culture in comparative perspectives drawn from anthropology, history, and other social sciences.
Foreign Cultures 94. Buddhism and Japanese Culture
Ryuichi Abe
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30, and a weekly section to be arranged.
This course is designed to enable students to analyze a wide range of Japanese cultural creations--such as Noh Theater, Haiku poetry, art of tea, manga, and anime--by illustrating the influence of Buddhism both on their forms and at their depths. The first part of the course is a study of major Buddhist philosophy and its impact on Japanese literature. The second part observes Buddhist ritual practices and their significance for Japanese performing arts. The last part traces the development of Japanese Buddhist art, and considers the influence of Buddhism on diverse contemporary popular Japanese art media.
Historical Study A-14. Japan: Tradition and Transformation
Andrew Gordon
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged.
From the emergence of a court-centered state 1500 years ago to a warrior-dominated society centuries later, the people, institutions, and ideas of premodern Japan will be our initial focus. We then turn to the extraordinary transformations of Japan's modern era. We examine the invention of new traditions as one crucial aspect of the tumultuous process of change from the mid-19th century through the present and explore how people in Japan have dealt with the dilemmas of modernity that challenge us all. We give particular attention to placing Japan in the context of Asian and global history.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Literature and Arts B-23. The Japanese Woodblock Print
Yukio Lippit
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged.
This course provides a thorough introduction to the woodblock print -- Japan’s most celebrated artistic medium -- from its emergence in the mid 17th century to the present. Technical developments, major genres, and master designers are explored within the context of the print's relationship to the urban culture of early modern and modern Japan. Other issues to be studied include censorship, theatricality, the construction of social roles, Western influence, the representation of war, and Japonisme. Special emphasis is placed on an examination of habits of pictorial representation and protocols of viewing unique to the Japanese print medium.
Historical Study A-75. The Two Koreas
Carter J. Eckert
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged.
This course seeks to provide a broad historical context in which to understand the contemporary political division on the Korean peninsula. It examines key historical forces that have created and shaped the two Koreas before, during, and after the actual partition of the country in 1945. Topics include nascent nation-building efforts between 1876 and 1910, the impact of Japanese colonialism and the Cold War, and North/South development and interaction after 1948. The course interweaves political, socioeconomic, and cultural themes within an historical framework centered on nation-building while also highlighting a number of major historiographical issues in modern Korean history.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Historical Study B-68. America and Vietnam: 1945-1975
Hue-Tam Ho Tai and Brett Flehinger
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged.
Examines modern conflicts in Vietnam and their implications for the US from 1945-75, from both Vietnamese and American perspectives. Seeks to provide an understanding of the complexity of the war and the ethical dilemmas it raised by examining issues ranging from the power-politics assumptions of decision makers to the personal experiences of those caught in the war. Covers both background and consequences of the war, but the main focus is on the 30-year period during which the fortunes of America and Vietnam became intertwined.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2010-11.
Moral Reasoning 40. Confucian Humanism: Self-Cultivation and Moral Community
Wei-Ming Tu
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged.
Explores a style of moral reasoning informed by Confucian humanism, which takes self-cultivation as the basis for the development of a moral community. Focuses on the perception of the self as a center of relationships and the conviction that society ought to be a community of trust. Although our main concern is to understand Confucian ethics as care ethics, a form of "virtue-centered" morality, attention is also given to a critical analysis of the limits of Confucian ethics in light of contemporary discussions of such issues as human rights and political authority.
Social Analysis 70. Food and Culture
Theodore C. Bestor
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 1 and a weekly section to be arranged.
Food is examined for its social and cultural implications; nutritional or dietetic concerns are of secondary interest. Topics include food taboos and restrictions, gift giving and reciprocity, food symbolism and social boundaries, food panics, globalization of food industries, food security and agroterrorism, and the world standardization of food preferences. Examples are drawn from China, Japan, Korea, India, Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Pacific, and the US.
CROSS-REGISTRATION COURSES
This is a list of some of the courses on East Asia offered by other schools at which it is possible for RSEA students to cross-register. These schools include:
Students are reminded that the possibilities for cross-registration are not limited solely to those courses specifically on East Asia.
JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
PED-312 The Political Economy of Transition in China
Anthony Saich
(spring term). Tu., Th., 10:10-11:30.
Chinas incremental reforms have been compared favorably as a transition strategy with the "shock therapy" attempted in Eastern Europe and Russia. Reality is more complex, progress is mixed, and the country is now facing major challenges from delayed reforms, especially in the industrial and financial sectors. How are the states priorities set? Relevant theories on socioeconomic development and transitions will be analyzed through a detailed study of the policymaking process in China. China provides an interesting empirical testing ground for comparative theory, as it has moved from a statist model of development to one that makes greater use of market forces within an authoritarian political structure. The course first evaluates Chinas evolving development strategies. Second, it analyzes the politics of the current transition, with detailed discussion of economic and social policy formulation and implementation.
1575 Doing Business in China in the Early 21st Century
William C. Kirby and Regina Abrami
Winter session (20 sessions).
What does it take to succeed in China? How do foreign businesses succeed-and fail-in the world's most dynamic economy? How do Chinese entrepreneurs move across private and public sectors? What are the leading opportunities in Chinese markets today? How are Chinese firms reshaping global business?
This course addresses these and other questions as it prepares students for a lifetime of business engagement with China. It is built around a sequence of new field cases, ranging from internet startups to revitalized SOEs, across a wide range of geographical and product markets. A new series of technical notes address the cultural, economic, political, labor, resource and environmental contexts that shape the business environment. CEOs of major Chinese firms will visit the class periodically.
Through cases, notes, discussion, and research, students explore the opportunities and risks of international and Chinese business in China and the outward expansion of Chinese firms. Key issues include:
Note: This course is suitable for any student interested in understanding emerging markets, government-business relations, and the impact of China's remarkable economic and political transformation on international business. No prior knowledge or experience with China's business environment is required.
LAW-95935A Japanese Law Film: Seminar
J. Mark Ramseyer
2 classroom credits (fall term). W., 7-9 p.m.
Through weekly screenings, we will explore the place that law plays within Japanese society, and examine the development of the post-war cinema. Expect to see a broad range of films -- from classics like Kurosawa, to the avant garde Oshima to modern horror masterpieces. Students will write three reviews. Popcorn provided (probably).
LAW-46261A Self, Serenity, and Vulnerability: East and West
Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Michael Puett
2 classroom credits (spring term). Th., 5-7 p.m.
This course is a comparative inquiry into certain forms of moral consciousness and their metaphysical assumptions in the high cultures of Eurasia. We organize discussion around a broad background concern as well as a focused foreground theme. The background concern is the meaning or meaninglessness of human life: comparison of some of the ways in which philosophy, religion, and art in the East and the West have dealt with the fear that our lives and the world itself may be meaningless. The foreground theme is the contrast between two answers to the question -- how should I live my life? One answer, valuing serenity achieved through disengagement from illusion and vain striving, is: stay out of trouble. Another answer, prizing the acceptance of vulnerability for the sake of self-construction and self-transformation is: look for trouble. The second answer has come to play a major part in the moral and political projects that command attention throughout the world today. We seek to understand this second answer and to assess it in the light of speculative ideas that have been prominent in Eastern and Western thought. Conversely, we use our chosen theme to explore how Eastern and Western speculation have dealt with the limits of insight into what matters most. To these ends, we consider exemplary writings from several traditions: Chinese, South Asian, ancient Greek, and modern European.
LAW-39115A-1/F / LAW-39115A-1/FS International Law Workshop: Global Governance
William P. Alford and Gabriella Blum and Dani Rodrik (Harvard Kennedy School)
2 classroom credits (fall term) or 4 classroom credits (fall and spring terms). W., 5-7 p.m.
Scholarly writing regarding international law, broadly defined, has changed enormously in recent years and appears likely to continue to do so. This workshop is intended to provide students with the opportunity to enmesh themselves in this scholarly transformation by bringing to the fall semester workshop a cross-section of scholars engaged in some of the most interesting new work in this field, with particular attention this year to the topic of global governance. Generally, our invited speakers -- some from law and some from other disciplines -- will present work in progress. Students in the class will be required to submit brief "reflection" pieces commenting on the paper to be presented and will also have the opportunity to question the presenter during the session. Some sessions will be reserved for meetings without outside speakers. There are no prerequisites for this workshop. Those students wishing to take the spring semester will have the opportunity to write an original paper on a topic of their choosing (in consultation with either Prof. Alford or Prof. Blum).
Note: Enrollment is limited to 50 students.
GSD 4329 Urbanization in the East Asian Region
Peter G. Rowe
Half course (fall term). M., 2-5.
This course provides an account of urbanization in the East Asian Region by way of a detailed examination of the historical development of selected cities, as well as by way of discussion of consequences of broader urban formations and sustainability, especially in China. More specifically, the aim will be to depict prevalent patterns of urbanization at appropriate levels; to characterize relevant political traditions that bear on forms of planning and urban administration; and to reveal pertinent underlying social, economic, cultural and environmental circumstances at work. The selected cities are Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and the three mid-sized Chinese cities of Suzhou, Wenzhou and Wuhan. While each is certainly distinctive, they do all share common characteristics. For instance, many have had colonial influences in the past; each has grown recently, or is in the process of expanding and modernizing rapidly, as well as going through "boom and bust" cycles. There are also differences. For example, governmental attitudes towards social and environmental costs have varied from place to place and from time to time, as have external and internal influences on urbanization and urban-architectural expression. Also, developments in some cities under examination have influenced other cities in the region. A broad question being addressed is whether there are distinctive forms to urbanization within East Asia, or whether it is largely a matter of satisfying demands for urban expansion within the ambit of relatively standard models of modernization and internationally available technologies. Student assignments will include two essays, each of around ten pages in length.
HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
GHP 541 Health System Reforms in China: Seminar and Field Study
Yuanli Liu
2.5 credits (winter term). January 4-22 , 2010 with preparatory seminars in December 2009.
Ever since publication of the 2000 World Health Development Report, there has been an increasing global interest in the critical role played by health systems in improving efficiency, equity, and quality of health care, and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). How health systems cope with the significant economic downturn is an important challenge facing many countries. This course introduces students to the basic methods for conducting health system analysis, sensitizes the participants on the global debate on health system reforms, and help the students gain some hands-on experiences by interacting with the major stake-holders in China. China represents an interesting country for conducting the field study on health system reforms, not only because it is the world's largest country and has a wide spectrum of health and health system issues, but also because China is at a critical stage of implementing new rounds of reforms. Students will be divided into theme groups. At the end of the trip, each group will submit a research paper (about 20 pages), analyzing a particular issue facing China's health system and proposing solutions. Each group will present and discuss the results of their diagnosis at one of the last days of the course in China, commented by invited policy experts and policy makers. Applications must be completed by Thursday October 8, 2009 and participants will be notified by October 19, 2009.
Enrollment: The program will require a minimum of eight students, with a maximum enrollment of fifteen.
Course Note: Enrollment limited to 15 students; pass/fail grading option only.
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
AH 516 Chinese Education in Comparative Perspective
Vanessa L. Fong
(fall term). F., 2-4 p.m.
This course teaches students about education in mainland China, and it encourages students to think about what Chinese parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers could do to improve Chinese education, as well as what parents, teachers, administrators, and policymakers in the US and other societies can learn from Chinese educational policies and practices. Students will learn skills related to designing and evaluating proposals for educational policies and practices by working in teams to design proposals about how to improve Chinese education (drawing on examples from the US and other societies) as well as how to improve education in another society using educational policies and practices that have been successful in China. These proposals will be submitted to the entire class for discussion. There are no prerequisites.
FLETCHER SCHOOL OF DIPLOMACY (TUFTS UNIVERSITY)
DHP D267 The Globalization of Central Asia and the Caucasus
Andrew Hess
(fall term). Tu., Th., 8:15-9:30 a.m.
DHP D270 Sino-U.S. Relations since 1900
Alan Wachman
(fall term). Tu., Th., 9:40-10:55 a.m.
DHP H203 International Relations of the China Seas
John Perry
(fall term). M., 3:20-5:20.
DHP H270 The United States and East Asia
Sung Yoon Lee
(fall term). M., W., 1:55-3:10.
DHP P274 The Politics of the Korean Peninsula: Foreign and Inter-Korean Relations
Sung-Yoon Lee
(fall term). Tu., 3:20-5:20.
DHP D264 History of the Turks and the International Politics of Eurasia
Andrew Hess
(spring term). Tu., Th., 8:15-9:30 a.m.
DHP D271 International Relations of the United States and East Asia: 1945 to present
Sung Yoon Lee
(spring term). M., W., 11:05-12:20.
DHP P270 Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China
Alan Wachman
(spring term). Tu., Th., 8:15-9:30 a.m.
DHP P275 Seminar on North Korean State and Society
Sung-Yoon Lee
(spring term). M., 3:20-5:20.
DHP P276m China’s Political Economy (in Chinese)
Gary Jefferson
½ credit -- full length of term (spring term), TBD.
EIB E254 The Political Economy of China
Garry Jefferson
(spring term). TBD.
EIB B272m Economics and Business Environments of Greater China
Jonathan Brookfield
½ credit - full length of term (spring term). M., 1:55-3:10.
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Anthropology 21A.470J Gender and Representation of Asian Women
M. Buyandelger
(spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Explores some of the forces and mechanisms through which stereotypes are built and perpetuated. In particular, examines stereotypes associated with Asian women in colonial, nationalist, state-authoritarian, and global/diasporic narratives about gender and power. Students read ethnography, fiction, and history, and view films to examine the politics and circumstances that create and perpetuate the representation of Asian women as dragon ladies, lotus blossoms, despotic tyrants, desexualized servants, and docile subordinates. Students are introduced to debates about Orientalism, gender, and power.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.021 Communicating Across Cultures
Jane Dunphy
(spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines a range of communication styles and techniques resulting from different cultural norms and traditions. Begins with a general theoretical framework and then moves into case studies. Topics include understanding the relationship between communication and culture, differences in verbal and non-verbal communication styles, barriers to intercultural communication, modes of specific cross-cultural communication activities (argumentation, negotiation, conflict resolution) and intercultural adjustment. Case studies explore specific ways of communicating in Asian and European cultures. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments. Taught in English. Enrollment: limited.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.027J Visualizing Cultures
Shigeru Miyagawa and John Dower
(spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Examines how visual images shape the identity of peoples and cultures. A prototype digital project looking at American and Japanese graphics depicting the opening of Japan to the outside world in the 1850s is used as a case study to introduce the conceptual and practical issues involved in visualizing cultures. Guest lecturers include professionals engaged in various aspects of collecting, analyzing, and presenting graphic images. Students create and present a project involving visualized cultures. Taught in English. 21F.590 is for students pursuing a minor in Japanese; students complete some assignments in Japanese.
Enrollment: limited.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.030 East Asian Culture: From Zen to Pop
Emma Teng
(spring term). Tu., Th., 1-2:30.
Examines traditional forms of East Asian culture (including literature, art, performance, food, and religion) as well as contemporary forms of popular culture (film, pop music, karaoke, and manga). Covers China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with an emphasis on China. Attention given to women's culture. The influence and presence of Asian cultural expressions in the US are also considered. Use made of resources in the Boston area, including the MFA, the Children's Museum, and the Sackler collection at Harvard. Taught in English.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.036 Advertising and Popular Culture: East Asian Perspectives
Jing Wang
(fall term). M., W., 1-2:30.
Examines modern advertising culture in East Asia (with a week devoted to India) with an emphasis on post-socialist China. Topics include the rise of transnational advertising agencies in East Asia since the 1980s; advertising and identity formation; the production of brand culture and its impact on youth culture; music marketing; the new paradigm of neo neo-tribes; media and advertising, and mobile culture and branding. Case studies of famous advertising campaigns for beer and beverage brands, clothing brands, and Internet portal brands. Lab sessions on how to brand your own imaginary product step by step. View award-winning ads presented at the Asia/Pacific Advertising Festivals and Chinese television commercials.
Note: Graduate credits offered through CMS 888. Taught in English. 21F.190 is for students pursuing a minor in Chinese; students complete assignments in Chinese.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.038 The Cultural Politics of Contemporary China
Jing Wang
(spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to the study of modern and contemporary China, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora. Themes include debates over "Cultural China" and "Chineseness"; state and (flexible) citizenship, and contemporary Mao Zedong fever; gender and the politics of pornography; the consumer revolution, leisure, and popular culture; ethnic minorities, globalization, and local responses. Students watch documentaries and feature films, and read essays that highlight dramatic moments in the transformation of Chinese societies in East Asia. Taught in English.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.039 Japanese Popular Culture
Ian Chondry
(spring term). Tu., Th., 12:30-2.
Examines Japanese popular culture as a way of understanding the changing character of media, capitalism, fan communities and cultural differences. Topics include manga (comic books), hip-hop and other popular music in Japan, anime (Japanese animated films) and feature films, sports (sumo, soccer, baseball), and online communication. Emphasis on contemporary popular culture and theories of gender, sexuality, race, and the workings of power in global culture industries. Several films screened outside of regular class meeting times. Taught in English. Students complete some assignments in Japanese.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction, and Drama
Emma Teng
(fall term). Tu., Th., 11-12:30.
Introduction to some of the major genres of traditional Chinese poetry, fiction, and drama. Intended to give students a basic understanding of the central features of traditional Chinese literary genres, as well as to introduce students to the classic works of the Chinese literary tradition. Works read include Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Margin, Dream of the Red Chamber, and the poetry of the major Tang dynasty poets. Literature read in translation. Taught in English.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.046 Modern Chinese Fiction and Cinema
Jing Wang
(spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Covers major works of Chinese fiction and film, from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Focusing on the modern period, subject examines how Chinese intellectuals, writers, and filmmakers have used artistic works to critically explore major issues in modern Chinese culture and society. Literature read in translation. Taught in English.
Enrollment: limited.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.063 Anime: Transnational Media and Culture
Ian Chondry
(fall term). Th., 7-10 p.m.
Explores anime (Japanese animated films and TV shows) as a study in flows among media and cultures. Discusses Japan's substantial share of the TV cartoon market and the reasons for anime's worldwide success. Focuses on cultural production and the ways anime cultures are created through the interactive efforts of studios, sponsors, fans, broadcasters and distributors. Uses anime scholarship and media examples as a means to examine leading theories in media and cultural studies, gender and sexuality, technology and identity, and post-industrial globalization. Taught in English. Students complete some assignments in Japanese.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.064 Introduction to Japanese Culture
Ian Chondry
(fall and spring terms). Tu., Th., 12:30-2.
Examines the major aesthetic, social, and political elements which have shaped modern Japanese culture and society. Readings on contemporary Japan and historical evolution of the culture are coordinated with study of literary texts, film, and art, along with an analysis of everyday life and leisure activities. This course relies on written texts from several genres, including scholarly works on Japanese history and culture, journalistic accounts of life in Japan (The Secrets of Mariko), and works in translation (Tale of Genji, Tale of Heike) as well as a wide range of multimedia. The media materials include documentary films (e.g., The Japanese Version, Inside Japan Inc.), Japanese popular music (from folk to hip-hop), fictional films and anime (e.g., Girl Who Leapt Through Time), and manga (Astro Boy, Nausicaa) as a means of showing the diversity of Japanese life ways. Taught in English. Students complete some assignments in Japanese.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.065 Japanese Literature and Cinema
Ian Chondry
(fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Surveys both cinematic and literary representations of diverse eras and aspects of Japanese culture such as the classical era, the samurai age, wartime Japan and the atomic bombings, social change in the postwar period, and the appropriation of foreign cultural themes, with an emphasis on the modern period. Directors include Akira Kurosawa and Hiroshi Teshigahara. Authors include Kobo Abe and Yukio Mishima. Films shown with subtitles in English. Taught in English.
Enrollment: limited.
Foreign Languages and Literatures 21F.191 Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl: Chinese East Asia
Staff
(fall term). W., 12:30-2:30.
Examines the experiences of ordinary Chinese people as they lived through tumultuous change in the twentieth century. Class discussion focuses on personal memoirs and films. Includes comparisons between the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Students complete assignments in Chinese.
Linguistics and Philosphy 24.946 Linguistic Theory and Japanese Language
Shigeru Miyagawa
(fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Detailed examination of the grammar of Japanese and its structure which is significantly different from English, with special emphasis on problems of interest in the study of linguistic universals. Data from a broad group of languages studied for comparison with Japanese. Meets with undergraduate subject 21F.514, but assignments differ. Assumes familiarity with linguistic theory.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.