CEAS Courses 2024-2025
This list is subject to modification.
Some of the information contained here may have changed since the time of publication. Always check with the department under which the course is listed or on Yale University Course Search to make sure that the courses you are interested in are still being offered and that the times have not changed.
If you have questions about any of the courses listed here, please contact the offering department directly.
ANTH 213, EAST 313Contemporary Japan and the Ghosts of ModernityYukiko Koga This course introduces students to contemporary Japan, examining how its defeat in the Second World War and loss of empire in 1945 continue to shape Japanese culture and society. Looking especially at the sphere of cultural production, it focuses on the question of what it means to be modern as expressed through the tension between resurgent neonationalism and the aspiration to internationalize. The course charts how the legacy of Japan’s imperial failure plays a significant role in its search for renewal and identity since 1945. How, it asks, does the experience of catastrophic failure—and failure to account for that failure—play into continued aspirations for modernity today? How does Japanese society wrestle with modernity’s two faces: its promise for progress and its history of catastrophic violence? The course follows the trajectory of Japan’s postwar nation-state development after the dissolution of empire, from its resurrection out of the ashes after defeat, to its identity as a US ally and economic superpower during the Cold War, to decades of recession since the 1990s and the search for new relations with its neighbors and new reckonings with its own imperial violence and postwar inactions against the background of rising neonationalism. Instructor permission required. Japan |
ANTH 215, ARCG 215Archaeology of ChinaAnne Underhill Archaeology of China, one of the world’s oldest and most enduring civilizations, from the era of early humans to early empires. Methods of interpreting remains from prehistoric and historic period sites. China |
ANTH 324, EAST 324Politics of MemoryYukiko Koga This course explores the role of memory as a social, cultural, and political force in contemporary society. How societies remember difficult pasts has become a contested site for negotiating the present. Through the lens of memory, we examine complex roles that our relationships to difficult pasts play in navigating issues we face today. This course explores this politics of memory that takes place in the realm of popular culture and public space. The class asks such questions as: How do you represent difficult and contested pasts? What does it mean to enable long-silenced victims’ voices to be heard? What are the consequences of re-narrating the past by highlighting past injuries and trauma? Does memory work heal or open wounds of a society and a nation? Through examples drawn from the Holocaust, the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, the Vietnam War, genocide in Indonesia and massacres in Lebanon, to debates on confederacy statues, slavery, and lynching in the US, this course approaches these questions through an anthropological exploration of concepts such as memory, trauma, mourning, silence, voice, testimony, and victimhood. Instructor permission required. Japan, Transregional |
ANTH 326, ARCG 326Ancient Civilizations of the Eurasian SteppesWilliam Honeychurch Examination of peoples of the steppe zone that stretches from Eastern Europe to Mongolia. Overview of what archaeologists know about Eurasian steppe societies, with emphasis on the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron, and medieval ages. Attention both to material culture and to historical sources. Topics range from the domestication of the horse to Genghis Khan’s world empire, including the impact these events had on neighboring civilizations in Europe and Asia. Instructor permission required. Transregional, Mongolia |
ANTH 342, EAST 346Cultures and Markets in AsiaHelen Siu Historical and contemporary movements of people, goods, and cultural meanings that have defined Asia as a region. Reexamination of state-centered conceptualizations of Asia and of established boundaries in regional studies. The intersections of transregional institutions and local societies and their effects on trading empires, religious traditions, colonial encounters, and cultural fusion. Finance flows that connect East Asia and the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and Africa. The cultures of capital and market in the neoliberal and postsocialist world. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
ANTH 362Unity and Diversity in Chinese CultureHelen Siu An exploration of the Chinese identity as it has been reworked over the centuries. Major works in Chinese anthropology and their intellectual connections with general anthropology and historical studies. Topics include kinship and marriage, marketing systems, rituals and popular religion, ethnicity and state making, and the cultural nexus of power. Instructor permission required. China |
ANTH 414, EAST 417Hubs, Mobilities, and World CitiesHelen Siu Analysis of urban life in historical and contemporary societies. Topics include capitalist and postmodern transformations; class, gender, ethnicity, and migration; and global landscapes of power and citizenship. Instructor permission required. This course meets during reading period. China, Transregional |
ANTH 415Culture, History, Power, and RepresentationHelen Siu This seminar critically explores how anthropologists use contemporary social theories to formulate the junctures of meaning, interest, and power. It thus aims to integrate symbolic, economic, and political perspectives on culture and social process. If culture refers to the understandings and meanings by which people live, then it constitutes the conventions of social life that are themselves produced in the flux of social life, invented by human activity. Theories of culture must therefore illuminate this problematic of agency and structure. They must show how social action can both reproduce and transform the structures of meaning, the conventions of social life. Even as such a position becomes orthodox in anthropology, it raises serious questions about the possibilities for ethnographic practice and theoretical analysis. How, for example, are such conventions generated and transformed where there are wide differentials of power and unequal access to resources? What becomes of our notions of humans as active agents of culture when the possibilities for maneuver and the margin of action for many are overwhelmed by the constraints of a few? How do elites—ritual elders, Brahmanic priests, manorial lords, factory-managers—secure compliance to a normative order? How are expressions of submission and resistance woven together in a fabric of cultural understandings? How does a theory of culture enhance our analyses of the reconstitution of political authority from traditional kingship to modern nation-state, the encapsulation of pre-capitalist modes of production, and the attempts to convert “primordial sentiments” to “civic loyalties”? How do transnational fluidities and diasporic connections make instruments of nation-states contingent? These questions are some of the questions we immediately face when probing the intersections of culture, politics and representation, and they are the issues that lie behind this seminar. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Transregional |
ANTH 515, EAST 515Culture, History, Power, and RepresentationHelen Siu This seminar critically explores how anthropologists use contemporary social theories to formulate the junctures of meaning, interest, and power. It thus aims to integrate symbolic, economic, and political perspectives on culture and social process. If culture refers to the understandings and meanings by which people live, then it constitutes the conventions of social life that are themselves produced in the flux of social life, invented by human activity. Theories of culture must therefore illuminate this problematic of agency and structure. They must show how social action can both reproduce and transform the structures of meaning, the conventions of social life. Even as such a position becomes orthodox in anthropology, it raises serious questions about the possibilities for ethnographic practice and theoretical analysis. How, for example, are such conventions generated and transformed where there are wide differentials of power and unequal access to resources? What becomes of our notions of humans as active agents of culture when the possibilities for maneuver and the margin of action for many are overwhelmed by the constraints of a few? How do elites—ritual elders, Brahmanic priests, manorial lords, factory-managers—secure compliance to a normative order? How are expressions of submission and resistance woven together in a fabric of cultural understandings? How does a theory of culture enhance our analyses of the reconstitution of political authority from traditional kingship to modern nation-state, the encapsulation of pre-capitalist modes of production, and the attempts to convert “primordial sentiments” to “civic loyalties”? How do transnational fluidities and diasporic connections make instruments of nation-states contingent? These questions are some of the questions we immediately face when probing the intersections of culture, politics and representation, and they are the issues that lie behind this seminar. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Transregional |
ANTH 542, EAST 546Cultures and Markets: Asia Connected through Time and SpaceHelen Siu Historical and contemporary movements of people, goods, and cultural meanings that have defined Asia as a region. Reexamination of state-centered conceptualizations of Asia and of established boundaries in regional studies. The intersections of transregional institutions and local societies and their effects on trading empires, religious traditions, colonial encounters, and cultural fusion. Finance flows that connect East Asia and the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and Africa. The cultures of capital and market in the neoliberal and postsocialist world. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
ANTH 562Unity and Diversity in Chinese CultureHelen Siu An exploration of the Chinese identity as it has been reworked over the centuries. Major works in Chinese anthropology and their intellectual connections with general anthropology and historical studies. Topics include kinship and marriage, marketing systems, rituals and popular religion, ethnicity and state making, and the cultural nexus of power. Instructor permission required. China |
ANTH 726, ARCG 726Ancient Civilizations of the Eurasian SteppesWilliam Honeychurch Peoples of the steppe zone, stretching from Eastern Europe to Mongolia, have played a pivotal role in Old World prehistory, though much about their societies and lifeways is still shrouded in mystery. The archaeology of this macro-region has developed rapidly since the 1990s, and this course presents an overview of major topics and debates in the region based on what archaeologists currently know about Eurasian steppe societies of the past. Instructor permission required. Transregional, Mongolia |
ANTH 824Politics of MemoryYukiko Koga This course explores the role of memory as a social, cultural, and political force in contemporary society. How societies remember difficult pasts has become a contested site for negotiating the present. Through the lens of memory, we examine complex roles that our relationships to difficult pasts play in navigating issues we face today. The course explores the politics of memory that takes place in the realm of popular culture and public space. It asks such questions as: How do you represent difficult and contested pasts? What does it mean to enable long-silenced victims’ voices to be heard? What are the consequences of re-narrating the past by highlighting past injuries and trauma? Does memory work heal or open wounds of a society and a nation? Through examples drawn from the Holocaust, the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, the Vietnam War, genocide in Indonesia, and massacres in Lebanon, to debates on confederacy statues, slavery, and lynching in the United States, the course approaches these questions through an anthropological exploration of concepts such as memory, trauma, mourning, silence, voice, testimony, and victimhood. Instructor permission required. Japan, Transregional |
CHNS 110Elementary Modern Chinese I
Intended for students with no background in Chinese. An intensive course with emphasis on spoken language and drills. Pronunciation, grammatical analysis, conversation practice, and introduction to reading and writing Chinese characters. This course meets during reading period. China |
CHNS 112Elementary Modern Chinese for Heritage Speakers
First level of the advanced learner sequence. Intended for students with some aural proficiency but very limited ability in reading and writing Chinese. Training in listening and speaking, with emphasis on reading and writing. Placement confirmed by placement test and by instructor. China |
CHNS 120Elementary Modern Chinese II
Continuation of CHNS 110. After CHNS 110 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. China |
CHNS 122Elementary Modern Chinese for Heritage Speakers
Continuation of CHNS 112. After CHNS 112 or equivalent China |
CHNS 130Intermediate Modern Chinese I
An intermediate course that continues intensive training in listening, speaking, reading, and writing and consolidates achievements from the first year of study. Students improve oral fluency, study more complex grammatical structures, and enlarge both reading and writing vocabulary. After CHNS 120 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 132Intermediate Modern Chinese for Heritage Speakers
The second level of the advanced learner sequence. Intended for students with intermediate oral proficiency and elementary reading and writing proficiency. Students receive intensive training in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, supplemented by audio and video materials. The objective of the course is to balance these four skills and work toward attaining an advanced level in all of them. After CHNS 122 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. China |
CHNS 140Intermediate Modern Chinese II
Continuation of CHNS 130. To be followed by CHNS 150. After CHNS 130 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. China |
CHNS 142Intermediate Modern Chinese for Heritage Speakers
Continuation of CHNS 132. After CHNS 132 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 150Advanced Modern Chinese I
Third level of the standard foundational sequence of modern Chinese, with study in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Use of audiovisual materials, oral presentations, skits, and longer and more frequent writing assignments to assimilate more sophisticated grammatical structures. Further introduction to a wide variety of written forms and styles. Use of both traditional and simplified forms of Chinese characters. After CHNS 140 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 151Advanced Modern Chinese II
Continuation of CHNS 150. After CHNS 150 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 152Advanced Modern Chinese for Heritage Speakers
This course is intended for heritage speakers with intermediate high to advanced low speaking and listening skills and with intermediate reading and writing skills. The class follows CHNS 142 in the heritage track. The goal of the course is to help students effectively expand their skills in reading and writing while concurrently addressing the need to improve their listening and oral skills in formal environments. The materials cover a variety of topics relating to Chinese culture, society, and cultural differences, supplemented with authentic video materials. After CHNS 142 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 153Advanced Modern Chinese for Heritage SpeakersPeisong Xu This course is intended for heritage speakers at the low advanced level with advanced low speaking and listening skills and with intermediate high to advanced low reading and writing proficiency. This course follows CHNS 152 in the heritage track. The goal of the course is to help students effectively expand their skills in reading and writing while concurrently addressing the need to improve their listening and oral skills in formal environments. The materials cover a variety of topics relating to Chinese culture, society, and cultural differences, supplemented with authentic video materials. After CHNS 152, CHNS 156, or equivalent. China |
CHNS 156Advanced Modern Chinese through Film for Heritage SpeakersNinghui Liang This course is designed to consolidate students’ grasp of the language through the use of films, TV programs, videos on social media, and authentic written materials. Activities include presentations, group discussions, written assignments, and projects. Open to heritage learners with intermediate to advanced oral proficiency and intermediate-low reading and writing proficiency. After CHNS 142 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 157Advanced Modern Chinese through Film for Heritage SpeakersNinghui Liang This course is designed to consolidate students’ grasp of the language through the use of films, TV programs, videos on social media, and authentic written materials. Activities include presentations, group discussions, written assignments, and projects. Open to heritage learners with intermediate to advanced oral proficiency and intermediate-low reading and writing proficiency. After CHNS 152, CHNS 156, or equivalent. China |
CHNS 158Advanced Modern Chinese III through Films and Stories
Fourth level of the standard foundational sequence of modern Chinese, with study in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Readings in a wide range of subjects form the basis of discussion and other activities. Students consolidate their skills, especially speaking proficiency, at an advanced level. Materials use both simplified and traditional characters. After CHNS 151 or equivalent China |
CHNS 159Advanced Chinese IV through Films and Stories
Continuation of CHNS 158. After CHNS 158 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 162Advanced Chinese through History and CultureRongzhen Li This course is intended for both heritage and non heritage learners with advanced proficiency. Students develop sophisticated language skills through working with authentic written materials, images, and videos concerning historical events, historical figures, artists, writers, and philosophers. Activities include working with translation tools, discussions, debates, presentations, oral and written exercises on platforms such as Playposit and Perusall, and collaborative projects. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159, or equivalent. China |
CHNS 164Chinese for Reading Contemporary FictionWei Su Selected readings in Chinese fiction of the 1980s and 1990s for the purpose of developing advanced language skills in reading, speaking, and writing. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159, or equivalent. China |
CHNS 165Readings in Modern Chinese FictionWei Su We read and discuss modern short stories, most written prior to 1949, for the purpose of developing advanced language skills in reading, speaking, and writing. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159, or equivalent. China |
CHNS 166Chinese for Current Affairs
Advanced language course with a focus on speaking and writing in formal styles. Current affairs are used as a vehicle to help students learn advanced vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, complex sentence structures, news writing styles and formal stylistic register. Materials include texts and videos selected from news media worldwide to improve students’ language proficiency for sophisticated communications on a wide range of topics. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, or CHNS 159. China |
CHNS 167Chinese for Current AffairsWilliam Zhou Advanced language course with a focus on speaking and writing in formal styles. Current affairs are used as a vehicle to help students learn advanced vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, complex sentence structures, news writing styles and formal stylistic register. Materials include texts and videos selected from news media worldwide to improve students’ language proficiency for sophisticated communications on a wide range of topics. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159, or equivalent. Permission of instructor required. China |
CHNS 168Chinese for Global EnterprisesMin Chen Advanced language course with a focus on Chinese business terminology and discourse. Discussion of China’s economic and management reforms, marketing, economic laws, business culture and customs, and economic relations with other countries. Case studies from international enterprises that have successfully entered the Chinese market. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 169Chinese for Global EnterprisesMin Chen Advanced language course with a focus on Chinese business terminology and discourse. Discussion of China’s economic and management reforms, marketing, economic laws, business culture and customs, and economic relations with other countries. Case studies from international enterprises that have successfully entered the Chinese market. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 170Introduction to Literary Chinese IPauline Lin Reading and interpretation of texts in various styles of literary Chinese (wenyan), with attention to basic problems of syntax and literary style. Course conducted in English. After CHNS 151, CHNS 153, CHNS 157 or equivalent. China |
CHNS 171Introduction to Literary Chinese IIPauline Lin Continuation of CHNS 170. After CHNS 170 or equivalent China |
CHNS 172Chinese for Scholarly ConversationJianhua Shen This course aims to prepare students for the language requirements of advanced research or employment in a variety of China-related fields. Materials include readings on contemporary social, cultural, and political issues, which are written by prominent scholars in related fields. This level is suitable for students who have had four years of college Chinese or who have taken three years of an accelerated program for heritage speakers. After CHNS 153, CHNS 157, CHNS 159 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. China |
CHNS 570Introduction to Literary Chinese IPauline Lin Reading and interpretation of texts in various styles of literary Chinese (wenyan), with attention to basic problems of syntax and literary style. After CHNS 151, 153 or equivalent. Instructor permission required. China |
CHNS 571Introduction to Literary Chinese IIPauline Lin Continuation of CHNS 570. After CHNS 570 or equivalent. Instructor permission required. China |
CPLT 612, EALL 588, EAST 616, RSEE 605, RUSS 605Socialist '80s: Aesthetics of Reform in China and the Soviet UnionJinyi Chu This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of the complex cultural and political paradigms of late socialism from a transnational perspective by focusing on the literature, cinema, and popular culture of the Soviet Union and China in 1980s. How were intellectual and everyday life in the Soviet Union and China distinct from and similar to that of the West of the same era? How do we parse “the cultural logic of late socialism?” What can today’s America learn from it? Examining two major socialist cultures together in a global context, this course queries the ethnographic, ideological, and socio-economic constituents of late socialism. Students analyze cultural materials in the context of Soviet and Chinese history. Along the way, we explore themes of identity, nationalism, globalization, capitalism, and the Cold War. Students with knowledge of Russian and Chinese are encouraged to read in original. All readings are available in English. China |
EALL 025, RUSS 025Russian and Chinese Science FictionJinyi Chu What can we learn about Russian and Chinese cultures through their fantasies? How do Russian and Chinese writers and filmmakers respond to the global issues of animal ethics, artificial intelligence, space immigration, surveillance, gender and sexuality? How are Russian and Chinese visions of the future different from and similar to the western ones? This course explores these questions by examining 20th-21st century Russian and Chinese science fictions in their cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts. All readings and discussion in English. Sci-fi authors and translators will be invited to give guest lectures. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Permission of instructor required. China |
EALL 150, CLCV 121, EAST 307, PHIL 100Writing Philosophy: Weakness of Will in Ancient China, Greece, and TodayJames Brown-Kinsella “Grant me chastity and strength of will—but not yet!” In this infamous prayer, Augustine wrestles with a perennial problem for human agency: the apparent gap between knowing that we should do something and actually wanting to do it. How wide is the gap? How can we bridge it? How pervasive is the problem? This course introduces first-year students to writing in the discipline of philosophy by tracing the contours of these questions and exploring their answers in ancient China, ancient Greece, and modern analytic philosophy. We begin by considering the traditional account of weakness of will as akrasia (i.e., doing what one knows one shouldn’t do) and explaining how such a gap in our agency is or isn’t possible. Next, we consider an alternative account, that of acedia (i.e., not doing what one knows one should do), and assess strategies for helping an agent bridge this kind of gap. Finally, we reassess the phenomenon of weakness of will in light of arguments that position it in a broader context, approach it from a new perspective, or try to rewrite our understanding of the phenomenon altogether. China |
EALL 200, CHNS 200, EAST 240, HUMS 270The Chinese TraditionTina Lu An introduction to the literature, culture, and thought of premodern China, from the beginnings of the written record to the turn of the twentieth century. Close study of textual and visual primary sources, with attention to their historical and cultural backdrops. Students enrolled in CHNS 200 join a weekly Mandarin-language discussion section. No knowledge of Chinese required for students enrolled in EALL 200. Students enrolled in CHNS 200 must have L5 proficiency in Mandarin or permission of the course instructor. China |
EALL 269Topics in Modern Korean LiteratureKyunghee Eo In this course, students read key works of Korean literature in English translation from the early twentieth century to the present day. The specific course topic varies by semester. Primary sources include long-form novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction writing by representative authors, as well as literary scholarship on themes and historical context relevant to the materials. The readings in this course are arranged in roughly chronological order, requiring us to examine Korea’s colonial modernization process in the first half of the twentieth century, the authoritarian regimes of South Korea from 1948 to 87, and South Korea’s integration into the neoliberal world order after democratization. Supplementary audio-visual materials such as artwork, video clips and music may be presented to students in class. All class materials are in English translation, and no previous knowledge of Korean language is required. Korea |
EALL 271, FILM 448Japanese Cinema after 1960Aaron Gerow The development of Japanese cinema after the breakdown of the studio system, through the revival of the late 1990s, and to the present. No knowledge of Japanese required. Japan |
EALL 280, EAST 260, FILM 307East Asian Martial Arts FilmAaron Gerow The martial arts film has not only been a central genre for many East Asian cinemas, it has been the cinematic form that has most defined those cinemas for others. Domestically, martial arts films have served to promote the nation, while on the international arena, they have been one of the primary conduits of transnational cinematic interaction, as kung-fu or samurai films have influenced films inside and outside East Asia, from The Matrix to Kill Bill. Martial arts cinema has become a crucial means for thinking through such issues as nation, ethnicity, history, East vs. West, the body, gender, sexuality, stardom, industry, spirituality, philosophy, and mediality, from modernity to postmodernity. It is thus not surprising that martial arts films have also attracted some of the world’s best filmmakers, ranging from Kurosawa Akira to Wong Kar Wai. This course focuses on films from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea—as well as on works from other countries influenced by them—covering such martial arts genres such as the samurai film, kung-fu, karate, wuxia, and related historical epics. It provides a historical survey of each nation and genre, while connecting them to other genres, countries, and media. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EALL 288, EAST 316, LITR 303, RUSS 316, RSEE 316Socialist '80s: Aesthetics of Reform in China and the Soviet UnionJinyi Chu This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the study of the complex cultural and political paradigms of late socialism from a transnational perspective by focusing on the literature, cinema, and popular culture of the Soviet Union and China in 1980s. How were intellectual and everyday life in the Soviet Union and China distinct from and similar to that of the West of the same era? How do we parse “the cultural logic of late socialism?” What can today’s America learn from it? Examining two major socialist cultures together in a global context, this course queries the ethnographic, ideological, and socio-economic constituents of late socialism. Students analyze cultural materials in the context of Soviet and Chinese history. Along the way, we explore themes of identity, nationalism, globalization, capitalism, and the Cold War. Students with knowledge of Russian and Chinese are encouraged to read in original languages. All readings are available in English. China |
EALL 300, EAST 340Sinological MethodsPauline Lin A research course in Chinese studies, designed for students with background in modern and literary Chinese. Explore and evaluate the wealth of primary sources and research tools available in China and in the West. For native speakers of Chinese, introduction to the secondary literature in English and instruction in writing professionally in English on topics about China. Topics include Chinese bibliographies; bibliophiles’ notes; specialized dictionaries; maps and geographical gazetteers; textual editions, variations and reliability of texts; genealogies and biographical sources; archaeological and visual materials; and major Chinese encyclopedias, compendia, and databases. Prerequisite: CHNS 171 or equivalent. China |
EALL 319The Vernacular Short Story in Early Modern ChinaTina Lu Introduction to the literary genre huaben, or the vernacular short story. Seventeenth century texts, written in a version of spoken Chinese, provide an unparalleled view of life in early modern China. Discussions of book culture, commercial publication, and the social role of the vernacular. Prerequisite: ability to read modern Chinese (L5). China |
EALL 351Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese LiteratureJing Tsu An introduction to literary criticism and history using texts in the original language. Fiction and nonfiction written in Chinese in different parts of the world, with a focus on the period from the nineteenth century to the present. Readings in Chinese; texts in both simplified and traditional characters. After CHNS 163, 164, 165, or equivalent. Instructor permission required. China |
EALL 548Modern Chinese LiteratureJing Tsu An introduction to modern Chinese literature. Topics include Sinophone studies, East Asian diaspora, theories of comparison, technologies of writing and new literacies, realism, translation, globalization, scientism, and culture. Instructor permission required. China |
EALL 569Topics in Modern Korean LiteratureKyunghee Eo In this course, students read key works of Korean literature in English translation from the early twentieth century to the present day. The specific course topic varies by term. Primary sources include long-form novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction writing by representative authors, as well as literary scholarship on themes and historical context relevant to the materials. The readings in this course are arranged in roughly chronological order, requiring us to examine Korea’s colonial modernization process in the first half of the twentieth century, the authoritarian regimes of South Korea from 1948 to 1987, and South Korea’s integration into the neoliberal world order after democratization. Supplementary audio-visual materials such as artwork, video clips and music may be presented to students in class. All class materials are in English translation, and no previous knowledge of Korean language is required. Korea |
EALL 571, FILM 882Japanese Cinema after 1960Aaron Gerow The development of Japanese cinema after the breakdown of the studio system, through the revival of the late 1990s, to the present. Japan |
EALL 600, EAST 640Sinological MethodsPauline Lin A research course in Chinese studies, designed for students with background in modern and literary Chinese. Students explore and evaluate the wealth of primary sources and research tools available in China and in the West. For native speakers of Chinese, introduction to the secondary literature in English and instruction in writing professionally in English on topics about China. Topics include Chinese bibliographies; bibliophiles’ notes; specialized dictionaries; maps and geographical gazetteers; textual editions, variations, and reliability of texts; genealogies and biographical sources; archaeological and visual materials; and major Chinese encyclopedias, compendia, and databases. China |
EALL 619The Vernacular Short Story in Early Modern China (Huaben)Tina Lu This course introduces students to the genre often called huaben, or the vernacular short story. These stories are written in a version of spoken Chinese, and for texts dating from the 17th century are quite easy to read, while providing an unparalleled window onto everyday life. We will be reading a wide range of these stories, in significant volume, and the class will culminate in the student’s writing a final paper. China |
EALL 761Topics in Early Chinese ThoughtMick Hunter An examination of certain key problems in the study of early Chinese thought. Topics vary from year to year but in general include intellectual typologies and affiliations, relating received texts and excavated manuscripts, the role of Han editors in shaping pre-Han textual traditions, ruling ideology, and comparisons with other parts of the ancient world. Discussions and papers are in English. Because readings are different each year, this course may be repeated for credit. China |
EALL 808Queer East Asian StudiesKyunghee Eo In this graduate seminar, we explore cultural representations of non-normative sexualities and gender variance produced in East Asia and its diaspora and survey the scholarly field that is broadly referred to as “queer East Asian studies.” The materials in this course include primary sources such as poetry, fiction, narrative and documentary films, as well as critical writings on LGBTQ history, culture, and activism in Japan, Korea, and the Sinophone world. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EALL 823, CPLT 953, EAST 623Topics in Sinophone and Chinese StudiesJing Tsu This recurring graduate research seminar and symposium examines different areas, periods, genres, and conceptual frameworks in Chinese and Sinophone studies. The topic this year is 1950s–2020. Prerequisite: reading fluency in modern and semi-classical Chinese. Enrollment is restricted; no auditors. China |
EALL 872, FILM 880Theories of Popular Culture in Japan: TVAaron Gerow Exploration of postwar theories of popular culture and subculture in Japan, particularly focusing on the intellectual debates over television and new media. Japan |
EAST 410, EALL 234Japanese Detective FictionLuciana Sanga This class offers an overview of modern Japanese literature with a focus on detective fiction. Through detective fiction we can examine key concepts in literature such as narrative voice, point of view, genre, modernism and postmodernism, and learn about debates in Japanese literature, the distinction between highbrow and popular fiction, and the relation between Japanese literature and translated fiction. Detective fiction also allows for the exploration of key issues in Japanese history and society such as consumerism, colonialism, class, gender, and sexuality. Readings include a wide range of texts by canonical and popular writers, as well as theoretical texts on genre and detective fiction. All texts are available in English and no prior knowledge of Japanese or Japan is needed. Instructor permission required. Japan |
EAST 414, HSAR 615Mapping and Translating Spaces, Cultures, and Languages (1500–1700)Angelo Cattaneo This course combines the methods of history with those of linguistics and translation studies to promote an innovative interdisciplinary analysis of the processes of cultural (mis)communication and (mis)translation among communities across the Iberian Empires and Royal Patronages between 1500 and 1700. This course has three main objectives: 1) mapping the emergence of multilingual communities in early modernity involving cultures and languages that were previously unknown in Europe; (2) drawing up a comprehensive typological catalogue of overlooked, dispersed metalinguistic and multilingual sources (reports, letters, Christian doctrines, maps, word lists, lexicons, grammars, visual material which described linguistic practices and\or display bilingual or three-lingual evidence) produced mostly in missionary contexts; and (3) within this broad “horizontal” survey, highlighting specific area studies to carry out an in-depth “vertical” comparative analysis of cultural-linguistic contacts and translations in America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, specifically chosen because they were paradigmatic, coeval, and sometimes antithetical cases detailing the different shades of cultural translations in colonial, imperial, and missionary contexts. The integration of two working strategies—the extensive typological mapping of intercultural multilingual sources and the analysis of case studies—allows us to undertake a comparative analysis of the processes related to the learning, imposing or rejection of cultures and languages in the “troubled pasts” of missionary and colonial contexts. The course aims to document the largest possible corpora of translations in early modernity and offers new ideas on the relevance of linguistic and cultural interactions and on our multicultural and multilingual “troubled present.” Participants also have the opportunity to analyze a selection of historical multilingual and metalinguistic documents (dictionaries, grammars, doctrines, maps) in the John Carter Brown Library collections, in Providence, RI, to discover how these documents have variously embodied cultural lenses, religious beliefs, and political concerns. China, Japan |
EAST 420, RLST 229Buddhist EthicsMeghan Howard Masang This course explores ethical action in a range of Buddhist traditions, with an emphasis on Mahayana Buddhism in India and Tibet. Rather than starting with the categories of Western philosophy, we seek to develop an account that emerges from Buddhist sources. We begin by establishing a working model of karmic acts—describing the status of agents and patients, the mechanics of karma, and the cosmological and soteriological contexts for action. We then examine the paradigmatic ethical act of giving as embodied by two great virtuous exemplars: the Buddha (archetypal renunciate) and Vessantara (archetypal layman). From there, we turn to case studies of ethical cultivation and negotiation in three realms of Buddhist practice: the Vinaya precepts governing monastic life, the altruism and skillful means of bodhisattvas, and the antinomian ethics of Buddhist tantra. The course concludes with a reflection on the intersection of aesthetics and morality in Buddhist thought. China |
EAST 421, ANTH 421Introduction to Remote Ethnography: The Xinjiang Crisis
Methods such as participant observation, interviews, surveys, and ethnography are based on the assumption of access to a field. This course looks at whether and how one can understand a society if access is restricted and dangerous for local participants. We study the cluster of concepts known as “remote ethnography”—studying on-the-ground conditions from a distance—through the case of Xinjiang, China. It looks critically at methods used by journalists, social scientists, governments, corporations and others in situations where access is not possible, including open-source research, close reading of official texts, social media analysis, digital survey techniques, remote imaging, and diaspora interviews. In particular, we ask if these can be done without detailed knowledge of local context, culture and history, and study how these sources relate to recent ethnographic knowledge about people’s lives in rural southern Xinjiang. Students become familiar with the main concepts of remote ethnography and acquire basic tools for their own research. By the end of the semester, they also prepare to critically assess the methods used by anthropologists, social scientists, journalists and others in studying closed societies. China |
EAST 423, HIST 385Tibet in the Modern World—A 20th Century History
This course delves into Tibet’s modern history, covering the late nineteenth century to the present. It situates Tibet’s history within the emerging ideological and political landscape shaped by the globalizing force of colonial modernity. By examining pivotal moments in twentieth-century Tibetan history, this course discusses the gradual transformation of the Tibetan world as it encountered new ideas, institutions, and practices from the modern West, often mediated through modern China and colonial and post-colonial India. Emphasizing that the present state of Tibet’s future was not predetermined, the course delves into the diverse visions for Tibet’s destiny that emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century. By exploring these overlooked and unrealized possibilities, it underscores the contingent and contested nature of Tibet’s modern history. As such, this course may particularly interest students exploring themes of modernity, nationalism, colonialism, and exile. Through the incorporation of primary sources, students engage directly with first-hand accounts and historical materials, fostering a more intimate understanding of modern Tibetan history. China |
EAST 424, EALL 277, MUSI 148Music In Flux: Blendings, Exchanges, and Cultural Significances
This course examines how music is transmitted by various factors and how its styles and meanings can change in a new context. Through various scholarly approaches, this class aims to enhance your understanding of the mobility of music and its meanings. We will examine the processes and conditions in which music is exchanged and blended and consider how such “mashups” function as cultural indicators and symbols for emergent and migrant communities. We will also examine the impact of technology on musical globalization, localization, and glocalization. In doing so, this class explores issues of identity, representation, authenticity, tradition, nationalism, and transnationalism. By examining music in- or as-culture, students will understand some of the political, cultural, and social aspects of music, as well as the contextual meanings of musical practices. The class will utilize audio/video sources, incorporate discussions based on academic articles and chapters, and require student analysis that connects music to its context. While this class focuses mainly on music from East Asian countries, we will also examine case studies from others around the world. No background in music or prior knowledge of East Asia is required. Korea, Transregional |
EAST 428, ANTH 425, ARCG 425Archaeology of Protohistoric Japan
Where and when are the origins of Japanese culture? In this seminar we will examine the archaeology of the Japanese archipelago from the introduction of paddy rice agriculture through the end of the 8th century with an eye toward this question. Examining excavated materials and early textual accounts, we will confront myths—both ancient and modern—of Japanese origins, and interrogate the framing of these time periods. Students will explore the interplay between event and process; and between local developments and outside influence through topics including the arrival of immigrant populations and rice agriculture, political and trade relationships within the archipelago as well as on the Asian continent, and the emergence of political “statehood.” Japan |
EAST 429, EALL 225A Culinary History of China
Food is a central aspect of a culture, and culinary traditions often become tokens of identity. There are complex historical and social factors behind culinary choices. The Chili peppers now widely used in Chinese cooking were introduced in the region only in the 16th century. What socio-economic changes made this new spice so prevalent in Chinese cuisine so quickly? This seminar uses food as a lens to study major developments in Chinese history. We will think of food particularly in three ways; as a material actor, whose presence or absence affected historical events; as a metaphor, used by intellectuals to discuss proper government and other political topics; as a cultural mediator to shape identities in the social imaginary. China |
EAST 470Independent Study
For students with advanced Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language skills who wish to pursue a close study of the East Asia region, not otherwise covered by departmental offerings. May be used for research, a special project, or a substantial research paper under faculty supervision. A term paper or its equivalent and regular meetings with an adviser are required. Ordinarily only one term may be offered toward the major or for credit toward the degree. Permission to enroll requires submission of a detailed project proposal, signed by the adviser, by the end of the first week of classes and its approval by the director of undergraduate studies. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 470Independent Study
For students with advanced Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language skills who wish to pursue a close study of the East Asia region, not otherwise covered by departmental offerings. May be used for research, a special project, or a substantial research paper under faculty supervision. A term paper or its equivalent and regular meetings with an adviser are required. Ordinarily only one term may be offered toward the major or for credit toward the degree. Permission to enroll requires submission of a detailed project proposal, signed by the adviser, by the end of the first week of classes and its approval by the director of undergraduate studies. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 480One-Term Senior Essay
Preparation of a one-term senior essay under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Students must receive the prior agreement of the director of undergraduate studies and of the faculty member who will serve as the senior essay adviser. Students must arrange to meet with that adviser on a regular basis throughout the term. Permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 480One-Term Senior Essay
Preparation of a one-term senior essay under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Students must receive the prior agreement of the director of undergraduate studies and of the faculty member who will serve as the senior essay adviser. Students must arrange to meet with that adviser on a regular basis throughout the term. Permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 491Senior Research Project
Two-term directed research project under the supervision of a ladder faculty member. Students should write essays using materials in East Asian languages when possible. Essays should be based on primary material, whether in an East Asian language or English. Summary of secondary material is not acceptable. Permission required. Credit only on completion of both terms. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 492Senior Research Project
Two-term directed research project under the supervision of a ladder faculty member. Students should write essays using materials in East Asian languages when possible. Essays should be based on primary material, whether in an East Asian language or English. Summary of secondary material is not acceptable. Permission required. Credit only on completion of both terms. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 900Master’s Thesis
Directed reading and research on a topic approved by the DGS and advised by a faculty member (by arrangement) with expertise or specialized competence in the chosen field. Readings and research are done in preparation for the required master’s thesis. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 900Master's Thesis
Directed reading and research on a topic approved by the DGS and advised by a faculty member (by arrangement) with expertise or specialized competence in the chosen field. Readings and research are done in preparation for the required master’s thesis. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 910Independent Study
By arrangement with faculty and with approval of the DGS. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
EAST 910Independent Study
By arrangement with faculty and with approval of the DGS. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
GLBL 6285China's Challenge to the Global Economic OrderHanscom Smith In the decades after 1979, China’s adherence to key tenets of the U.S.-backed liberal international economic system enabled it to achieve middle income status. After the 2008-9 global financial crisis, however, weaknesses in the U.S. model combined with China’s own sustained growth increased Beijing’s confidence in an alternative, state-oriented model that increasingly underpins China’s foreign economic engagement. This course examines the Global Security and Belt and Road initiatives, trade, investment, and development policies, international organization advocacy, business practices, and other aspects of China’s growing international economic footprint. These factors are analyzed from the perspective of China’s internal dynamics, competition with the United States, and overall foreign policy goals, and are evaluated for their impact on the prevailing global economic order. The course is taught by a practitioner who spent over a decade managing U.S. Government economic policy in and on China. Instructor permission required. China |
HIST 081Afterlives of Co-Prosperity: World War Two and Displacement Across AsiaHannah Shepherd The global movement of people that occurred in the aftermath of the Second World War is often evoked today. It’s used as a benchmark against which the scale and scope of the current global refugee crisis is measured. However, histories of this ‘global’ post-1945 crisis of displaced people have mainly focused on Europe, especially the aftermath of the Holocaust. This was a global war, but historical work on its aftermath for those displaced by fighting, genocidal regimes, and wartime mobilization is far less global in scope. Unlike in Europe after 1945, where, as historian Tony Judt writes, “boundaries stayed broadly intact and people were moved instead,” in East Asia, “both people and boundaries moved.” In this seminar, we look at the histories of the wartime and postwar movement of people in Asia, especially those mobilized or displaced by the wartime expansionist Japanese state, its colonial governments, and military forces. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
HIST 303Japan's Modern RevolutionDaniel Botsman A survey of Japan’s transformation over the course of the nineteenth century from an isolated, traditional society on the edge of northeast Asia to a modern imperial power. Aspects of political, social, and cultural history. Japan |
HIST 321, EAST 220China from Present to PastValerie Hansen Underlying causes of current issues facing China traced back to their origins in the premodern period. Topics include economic development, corruption, environmental crises, gender, and Pacific island disputes. Selected primary-source readings in English, images, videos, and Web resources. Preference given to first years and sophomores. China |
HIST 326J, EAST 326Yale and JapanDaniel Botsman Exploration of Yale’s rich historical connections to Japan. Focus on use of the University’s museum and library collections to learn about various aspects of the Japanese past, from ancient times to the post-World War II era. Knowledge of Japanese helpful but not required. Instructor permission required. Japan |
HIST 365JLaw and History in ChinaMaura Dykstra This seminar takes scholars on a journey through the laws and the history of China. We encounter a series of case studies: scholarly analyses of sets of historical materials from different periods and various contexts that illustrate types of law and ways of writing history. Students read and analyze a wide variety of case materials: legal sources, trial accounts, printed records, and archival materials from different times and places in Chinese history to familiarize themselves with a range of texts used to narrate and analyze histories of law. At the same time, students familiarize themselves with materials used to study the law, and discuss and critique a diverse range of case studies written for various audiences. Working simultaneously with case materials and case studies, students become familiar with both the range of sources and the variety of methods used to study law and history in China. The seminar is open to students with all levels of Chinese language comprehension. Instructor permission required. China |
HIST 502, ANTH 531, CLSS 815, EALL 773, HSAR 564, JDST 653, NELC 533, RLST 803Archaia Seminar: Law and Society in China and RomeValerie Hansen, Noel Lenski An introduction to the legal systems of the Roman and post-Roman states and Han- and Tang-dynasty China. Emphasis on developing collaborative partnerships that foster comparative history research. Readings in surviving law codes (in the original or English translation) and secondary studies on topics including slavery, trade, crime, and family. course serves as an Archaia Core Seminar. It is connected with Archaia's Ancient Societies Workshop (ASW), which runs a series of events throughout the academic year related to the theme of the seminar. Students enrolled in the seminar must attend all ASW events during the semester in which the seminar is offered. China |
HIST 782Topics in the Historiography of Modern ChinaOdd Arne Westad This reading seminar surveys major themes in Chinese history since the late nineteenth century. Through reading both classic and recent research, students familiarize themselves with key debates that have shaped the historical understanding of modern China. Instructor permission required. China |
HIST 870Social History of the Silk RoadValerie Hansen An introduction to the social history of the Silk Road from 200–1000 CE through close examination of six archaeological sites in China and one in Uzbekistan. Emphasis on excavated documents (as opposed to transmitted documents) and what they reveal about local society, trade relations, and religious change in the first millennium CE. Those who read classical Chinese meet separately to read handwritten documents, but knowledge of classical Chinese is not required. China |
HIST 877The History of Early Modern ChinaMaura Dykstra This course examines the periodization, parameters, and implications of some of the many ways that China’s path to modernity has been theorizing by reviewing scholarship on what defines and constitutes China’s Early Modern era. From early twentieth-century adaptations of social and historical theories from European languages into Chinese historiographical discussions to post-Mao attempts to trace the “sprouts of capitalism” that might justify China’s socialist revolution as a valid one, from theories of Song dynasty absolutism and Ming autocracy, from the Great Divergence to urban history, this course surveys the many ways in which the study of China’s pre-modern experiences have been shaped to answer questions about China’s particular path to modernity. China |
HIST 884Readings in the History of Modern JapanDaniel Botsman This course offers students an opportunity to explore recent English-language scholarship on the history of modern Japan (post-1868). Japan |
HIST 889, EMST 689, EAST 889Research in Japanese HistoryFabian Drixler, Hannah Shepherd After a general introduction to the broad array of sources and reference materials available for conducting research related to the history of Japan since ca. 1600, students prepare original research papers on topics of their own choosing in a collaborative workshop environment. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Japanese. Japan |
HSAR 016, EAST 016Chinese Painting and CultureQuincy Ngan This course focuses on important works of Chinese painting and major painters from the fourth century CE to the twentieth century. Through close readings of the pictorial contents and production contexts of such works of art, this course investigates the works’ formats, meanings, and innovations from social, historical, and art-historical perspectives. In this course, students become familiar with the traditional Chinese world and acquire the knowledge necessary to be an informed viewer of Chinese painting. Discussions of religion, folkloric beliefs, literature, relationships between men and women, the worship of mountains, the laments of scholars, and the tastes of emperors and wealthy merchants also allow students to understand the cultural roots of contemporary China. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Preregistration required; see under First-Year Seminar Program. Instructor permission required. China |
HSAR 210, EAST 119Asian Art and CultureQuincy Ngan This introductory course explores the art of India, China, Japan, and Korea from prehistory to the present. We consider major works and monuments from all four regions. Themes include the representation of nature and the body, the intersection of art with spirituality and politics, and everything from elite to consumer culture. All students welcome, including those who have no previous experience with either art history or the study of Asian art. This class makes frequent visits to Yale University Art Gallery. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
HSAR 290Arts of the Silk RoadMimi Yiengpruksawan This course offers a visual history of the art objects and other material goods that people set in motion, physically and imaginatively, across the Silk Roads regions of Eurasia from antiquity through the beginnings of the medieval era. It ranges across a variety of cultural productions and sites encompassing the agrarian and nomadic zones of Eurasia from the Bronze Age through the 7th-century rise of the first Caliphates in the west and the efflorescence of the Sui-Tang cosmopolis in the east. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
HSAR 357Arts of Japan IMimi Yiengpruksawan Survey of major monuments in the visual arts of ancient and early medieval Japan with attention to the conditions and thought worlds of cultural production. Emphasis on the arts practices and philosophies of Buddhism and Shintō in juxtaposition with the courtly arts from narrative handscrolls to integrations of poetry and painting in landscape screens and picture albums. Japan |
HSAR 457Japanese GardensMimi Yiengpruksawan Arts and theory of the Japanese garden with emphasis on the role of the anthropogenic landscape from aesthetics to environmental precarity, including the concept of refugium. Case studies of influential Kyoto gardens from the 11th through 15th centuries, and their significance as cultural productions with ecological implications. Japan |
HSAR 469, EAST 469Contemporary Art and Culture in ChinaQuincy Ngan This course is an introduction to the art and culture of contemporary China, covering the period from 1960s to the present day. It focuses on art objects, performances, propaganda, and exhibitions produced by the government, the business sector, curators, and avant-garde artists in Mainland China. We also look at China’s Olympic stadiums, the Three Gorges Dam, and skyscrapers (including those in Hong Kong and Taiwan). Class meetings discuss the required readings and investigate artworks, films, and events that speak to China’s political ideologies, society, and economy, as well as its role in globalization and international conflicts. To establish a cross-cultural interpretation, this class also explores how Euro-American artists and filmmakers used their arts to express their views on contemporary China. Instructor permission required. China |
HSAR 520, EAST 512, EMST 710Chinese Art ModernityQuincy Ngan This seminar uses the visual and material cultures of China to examine the notion of “modernity” and the relations among the “medieval,” “early modern,” and “modern” periods. By comparing these concepts with the historiographical frameworks of “Song-Yuan-Ming transition” and “late imperial China,” we will become familiar with the methodological concerns and contradictions that complicate these relativized temporal frameworks. Works by Craig Clunas, Jonathan Hay, and Wu Hung, along with the insights from historians, inform our discussions of Chinese prints, paintings, ceramics, and other decorative objects in the long-term development of global art history. This class is most suitable for graduate students who have background in Asian art history, the history of China, East Asian studies, or early modern studies. Instructor permission required. China |
HSAR 814Japan’s Global BaroqueMimi Yiengpruksawan The intersection of art, science, and diplomacy at Kyoto and Nagasaki in the time of Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch cultural and mercantile interaction in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with attention to the entangled political relations linking the shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Philip II of Spain, Jesuit missionaries such as Alessandro Valignano, and the Christian daimyō of Kyushu and the Inland Sea. Focus on Japanese castle architecture, nanban screens, world maps, arte sacra, and tea ceremony practices as related to the importation of European arte sacra, prints and drawings, scientific instruments, and world atlases such as Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Includes inquiry into back-formations such as “baroque” and “global” to describe and/or interpret sixteenth- and seventeenth-century cultural productions. Instructor permission required. Japan |
JAPN 110Elementary Japanese I
Introductory course for students with no previous background in Japanese. Development of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, including hiragana, katakana, and kanji characters. Introduction to Japanese culture and society. Individual tutorial sessions to improve oral communication skills. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 120Elementary Japanese II
Continuation of JAPN 110, with supplementary materials such as excerpts from television shows, anime, and songs. Introduction of 150 additional kanji. After JAPN 110 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 130Intermediate Japanese I
Continued development in both written and spoken Japanese. Aspects of Japanese culture, such as history, art, religion, and cuisine, explored through text, film, and animation. Online audio and visual aids facilitate listening, as well as the learning of grammar and kanji. Individual tutorial sessions improve conversational skills. After JAPN 120 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 140Intermediate Japanese II
Continuation of JAPN 130. After JAPN 130 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 150Advanced Japanese I
Advanced language course that further develops proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Reading and discussion materials include works by Nobel Prize winners. Japanese anime and television dramas are used to enhance listening and to develop skills in culturally appropriate speech. Writing of essays, letters, and criticism solidifies grammar and style. Individual tutorial sessions improve conversational skills. After JAPN 140 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 151Advanced Japanese II
Continuation of JAPN 150. After JAPN 150 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 156Advanced Japanese IIIHiroyo Nishimura Close reading of modern Japanese writing on current affairs, social science, history, and literature. Development of speaking and writing skills in academic settings, including formal speeches, interviews, discussions, letters, e-mail, and expository writing. Interviews of and discussions with native speakers on current issues. Individual tutorial sessions provide speaking practice. After JAPN 151 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 157Advanced Japanese IV
Continuation of JAPN 156. After JAPN 156 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Japan |
JAPN 170Introduction to Literary Japanese
Introduction to the grammar and style of the premodern literary language (bungotai) through a variety of texts. After JAPN 151 or equivalent. Japan |
JAPN 171Readings in Literary Japanese
Close analytical reading of a selection of texts from the Nara through the Tokugawa periods: prose, poetry, and various genres. Introduction to kanbun. After JAPN 170 or equivalent. Japan |
JAPN 570Introduction to Literary Japanese
Introduction to the grammar and style of the premodern literary language (bungotai) through a variety of texts. After JAPN 151 or equivalent. Japan |
JAPN 571Readings in Literary Japanese
Close analytical reading of a selection of texts from the Nara through Tokugawa period: prose, poetry, and various genres. Introduction of kanbun. After JAPN 570 or equivalent. Japan |
KREN 110Elementary Korean I
A beginning course in modern Korean. Pronunciation, lectures on grammar, conversation practice, and introduction to the writing system (Hankul). This course meets during reading period. Korea |
KREN 120Elementary Korean II
Continuation of KREN 110. After KREN 110 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Korea |
KREN 130Intermediate Korean I
Continued development of skills in modern Korean, spoken and written, leading to intermediate-level proficiency. After KREN 120 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Korea |
KREN 132Intermediate Korean for Advanced Learners IAngela Lee-Smith Intended for students with some oral proficiency but little or no training in Hankul. Focus on grammatical analysis, the standard spoken language, and intensive training in reading and writing. This course meets during reading period. Korea |
KREN 140Intermediate Korean II
Continuation of KREN 130. After KREN 130 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Korea |
KREN 142Intermediate Korean for Advanced Learners II
Continuation of KREN 132. After KREN 132 or equivalent. This course meets during reading period. Korea |
KREN 150Advanced Korean I: Korean Language and Culture through K-Pop MusicAngela Lee-Smith An advanced language course with emphasis on developing vocabulary and grammar, practice reading comprehension, speaking on a variety of topics, and writing in both formal and informal styles. Use storytelling, discussion, peer group activities, audio and written journals, oral presentations, and supplemental audiovisual materials and texts in class. Intended for nonheritage speakers. After KREN 140 or equivalent Korea |
KREN 151Advanced Korean II: Language and Culture through MediaAngela Lee-Smith This course is content and project-based to further develop integrated language skills-spoken and written, including grammar and vocabulary, as well as intercultural competence through Korean media. Through a variety of media, such as print media, publishing, digital media, cinema, broadcasting (radio, television, podcasting), and advertising, students explore and reflect on a wide range of topics and perspectives in Korean culture and society. The course learning activities include interactive, interpretive, and presentational communication; critical analysis; creative and authentic language applications in formal/informal contexts. After KREN 150 or equivalent. Korea |
KREN 152Advanced Korean III: Contemporary Life in Korea
This course is an advanced language course designed to further develop language skills through topics related to contemporary Korea, including lifestyle, society, culture, and literature, supplemented with authentic media materials. This course aims to expand students’ understanding of Korea while enhancing their multiliteracy. Intended for both non-heritage speakers and heritage speakers. Prerequisite: After KREN 142 or KREN 151, or equivalent. Korea |
KREN 153Advanced Korean IV: Korean Sociocultural Practices and Perspectives
This course is an interdisciplinary content-based advanced course in modern Korean. It aims to advance language skills in all four areas and cultural competence to communicate with fluency and accuracy. Students build up wide-ranging vocabulary and grammar, while registering and deepening their understanding of cultural aspects through authentic materials and communicative tasks across a variety of topics, such as social, academic, or career interests. After KREN 152, or with permission of instructor. Korea |
KREN 154Advanced Korean V: History and Society
An advanced language course designed to develop reading and writing skills using Web-based texts in a variety of genres. Students read texts independently and complete comprehension and vocabulary exercises through the Web. Discussions, tests, and intensive writing training in class. After KREN 152 or equivalent. Korea |
PLSC 357, EAST 310, GLBL 309The Rise of ChinaDaniel Mattingly Analysis of contemporary Chinese politics, with focus on how the country has become a major power and how the regime has endured. Topics include China’s recent history, state, ruling party, economy, censorship, elite politics, and foreign policy. China |
PLSC 371Japanese Politics and Public PolicyCharles McClean This class introduces students to 13 important puzzles about contemporary Japanese politics, domestic policy, and foreign policy, discusses various ways in which scholars have attempted to solve these puzzles, and suggests pathways for future research. Together, we seek to explain public policy outcomes across a wide range of topics, including constitutional revision, defense, economic growth, energy, gender, immigration, income inequality, population aging, territorial disputes, and trade. In the process, we learn (1) the important actors in Japanese politics (e.g., voters, politicians, parties, bureaucrats, and firms); (2) the positions that different actors take with respect to various policies, as well as the sources of these policy preferences; and (3) how political institutions block or enhance the representation of these actors’ interests. Japan |
RLST 102, EAST 390Atheism and BuddhismHwansoo Kim A critical examination of atheism and religions (Buddhism), with a focus on intellectual, religious, philosophical, and scientific debates about God, the origin of the universe, morality, evolution, neuroscience, happiness, enlightenment, the afterlife, and karma. Readings selected from philosophical, scientific, and religious writings. Authors include some of the following: Charles Darwin, Bertrand Russell, Christopher Hitchins, Richard Dawkins, Deepak Chopra, Sam Harris, Owen Flanagan, Stephen Batchelor, and the Dalai Lama. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
RLST 175, EAST 431North Korea and ReligionHwansoo Kim Ever since the establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 1948 and the Korean War (1950–1953), North Korea has been depicted by the media as a reclusive, oppressive, and military country, its leaders as the worst dictators, and its people as brainwashed, tortured, and starving to death. The still ongoing Cold War discourse, intensified by the North Korea’s recent secret nuclear weapons program, furthers these negative images, and outsiders have passively internalized these images. However, these simplistic characterizations prevent one from gaining a balanced understanding of and insight into North Korea and its people on the ground. Topics other than political, military, and security issues are rarely given attention. On the whole, even though North Korea’s land area is larger than South Korea and its population of 25 million accounts for a third of all Koreans, North Korea has been neglected in the scholarly discussion of Korean culture. This class tries to make sense of North Korea in a more comprehensive way by integrating the political and economic with social, cultural, and religious dimensions. In order to accomplish this objective, students examine leadership, religious (especially cultic) aspects of the North Korean Juche ideology, the daily lives of its citizens, religious traditions, the Korean War, nuclear development and missiles, North Korean defectors and refugees, human rights, Christian missionary organizations, and unification, among others. Throughout, the course places North Korean issues in the East Asian and global context. The course draws upon recent scholarly books, articles, journals, interviews with North Korean defectors, travelogues, media publications, and visual materials. Korea |
RLST 327, EALL 238, EAST 394Buddhist Monastic ExperienceHwansoo Kim Is monastic life relevant in contemporary society, where religion is increasingly considered less significant in our secular lives? Can we find valuable aspects of a monastic lifestyle that can be integrated into our daily lives? If so, what are these aspects, and how can we incorporate them? This seminar represents a collaborative effort to gain insight into one of the major monastic traditions: Buddhist monasticism. Throughout this seminar, we delve into various facets of Buddhist monastic life, examining its origins, historical development, monastic identity, rules and regulations, practices, and the dynamics between monastics and the laity. We also explore the tensions that often arise between the ideals of monasticism and the realities it faces in today’s world. As part of this exploration, we embark on an eight-week monastic life project, during which students create their own set of daily rules (precepts), adhere to these rules, engage in meditation and other relevant practices, and establish a regular communal gathering with fellow students. Instructor permission required. China, Japan, Korea, Transregional |
RLST 486, EALL 221Introduction to Chinese Buddhist LiteratureEric Greene This class is an introduction to Chinese Buddhist literature. Although written in classical Chinese, Buddhist texts in China were written in a particular idiom that was much influenced by the Indian languages and which can be difficult to understand without special training. This class introduces students who already have some reading ability in literary Chinese to this idiom and the tools and background knowledge needed to read and understand Chinese Buddhist literature. We read a series of selections of some of the most influential Chinese Buddhist texts from various genres including canonical scriptures, apocryphal scriptures, monastic law, doctrinal treatises, and hagiography. Secondary readings introduce the basic ideas of Indian and Chinese Buddhist thought to the extent necessary for understanding our readings. Prerequisite: CHNS 171 (Literary Chinese II) or equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Students of Japanese or Korean literature who can read basic kanbun or gugyeol are also welcome to enroll; no knowledge of modern, spoken Chinese is required. Instructor permission required. China |
RLST 568, EALL 521Introduction to Chinese Buddhist LiteratureEric Greene This class is an introduction to Chinese Buddhist literature. Although written in classical Chinese, Buddhist texts in China were written in a particular idiom that was much influenced by the Indian languages and which can be difficult to understand without special training. This class introduces students who already have some reading ability in literary Chinese to this idiom and the tools and background knowledge needed to read and understand Chinese Buddhist literature. We read a series of selections of some of the most influential Chinese Buddhist texts from various genres including canonical scriptures, apocryphal scriptures, monastic law, doctrinal treatises, and hagiography. Secondary readings introduce the basic ideas of Indian and Chinese Buddhist thought to the extent necessary for understanding our readings. Prerequisite: CHNS 571 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Students of Japanese or Korean literature who can read basic kanbun or gugyeol are also welcome to enroll; no knowledge of modern, spoken Chinese is required. Instructor permission required. China |
RLST 574Chinese Buddhist TextsEric Greene Close reading of selected Chinese Buddhist texts in the original. Instructor permission required. China |
SOCY 081, ER&M 081, MUSI 081Race and Place in British New Wave, K-Pop, and BeyondGrace Kao This seminar introduces you to several popular musical genres and explores how they are tied to racial, regional, and national identities. We examine how music is exported via migrants, return migrants, industry professionals, and the nation-state (in the case of Korean Popular Music, or K-Pop). Readings and discussions focus primarily on the British New Wave (from about 1979 to 1985) and K-Pop (1992-present), but we also discuss first-wave reggae, ska, rocksteady from the 1960s-70s, British and American punk rock music (1970s-1980s), the precursors of modern K-Pop, and have a brief discussion of Japanese City Pop. The class focuses mainly on the British New Wave and K-Pop because these two genres of popular music have strong ties to particular geographic areas, but they became or have become extremely popular in other parts of the world. We also investigate the importance of music videos in the development of these genres. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program. Instructor permission required. Korea, Transregional |