Course Catalog 2008-2009

Professor Barry Keenan, Director

John Cort (Religion), Lyone Fein (Religion), Todd Frolking (Geosciences), Carol Harvey (Communication), Ching-chu Hu (Music), Barry Keenan (History), Laurel Kennedy (Communication), HyeKyung Lee (Music), Xinda Lian (Chinese), Songhua Lin (Economics), Natalie Marsh (The Denison Museum), James Pletcher (Political Science), Michael Tangeman (Japanese), Ruth Toulson (Sociology/Anthropology)

To graduate with a degree in East Asian Studies requires a balance of courses in Chinese or Japanese language study with courses, selected from a variety of departments, focusing on the East Asian region (normally defined as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam). Study in China or Japan for a semester or a year on an approved program is encouraged. Every senior major will research a topic chosen by the student in consultation with professors from two disciplines.

The twenty-eight credits to fulfill the East Asian Studies minor include: two semesters of intermediate Chinese or Japanese, the two core courses, and three additional courses chosen from category III (see below). Only one independent study course, or one comparative course will count towards the minor.

Majors will choose courses in close consultation with a faculty advisor. Senior year the major will apply the methodologies of two disciplines to a research topic normally focusing on China, Japan, or their interaction. The major requires: (1) two semesters of intermediate Chinese or Japanese, (2) two core survey courses, one from II. A . and one from II. B., (3) five area studies courses with a maximum of two from III. B and C combined, and (4) a senior research project, that together will equal a total of forty credit hours. Advisors can help the student select which courses in approved study-abroad programs will meet the requirements below.

Study Abroad. Denison-approved programs of study in the People's Republic of China are available in Nanjing and Beijing for semester or year-long periods through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), as well as through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES). Applications can be considered for either semester, or for a year. In Hong Kong, the International Asian Studies Program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong is approved, and is normally two semesters in length. In Japan, the Waseda program is approved for a full year, and the Institute of Asian Studies programs at Nagoya or Tokyo for Spring semester or for the full year, and Nagoya for the fall semester are also approved.

Summer Research Through Denison's Young Scholar Awards. No separate East Asian awards exist. Guidelines are on Provost's homepage under summer research. The research must culminate in a written or artistic project and a presentation to other summer scholars. Student scholars will live on Denison's campus and the student stipend is $3,300. Dormitory housing is provided. Meals are excluded. Applications: Submit by early February for the coming summer.

Summer Internships. There are no special grants for East Asian Studies internships. However, the Careeer Services Library has a folder of reports by previous interns who found internships both domestic and abroad in which they learned about East Asia. These organizations were approached by Denison students when a special grant paid their travel and a stipend. The reports can identify some likely organizations, and then students should write them beginning in early October to research which ones have paid internships. Then contact Ashley Johnston (johnstona@denison.edu) in Career Services for the names of other organizations. Limited financial support is available from her office for students on need-based financial aid.

First Year Topical Seminars (EAST-102).  Topical seminars offered on a variety of subjects by faculty from all divisions of the college. Examples of recent seminars are: "The Mandate of Heaven in Dynastic China" and; " Modern Japanese Literature: A Response to Western Influences?". Course normally listed as a section under FYS 102. 4

Traditional East Asian Civilization (EAST-141).  The civilization of China and Japan from classical times to 1700 C.E.. Themes include: the earliest Chinese schools of social ad political thought; the genius of political and economic organization which contributed to the unusual longevity of Chinese dynastic institutions; the Japanese adaptation of Confucian and Buddhist practices in different eras; the unique development of Japan's unified feudalism. 4

Modern East Asian Civilization (EAST-142).  Beginning from an insider's view of how both prince and peasant saw the world around them before the encroachment of the West, this course analyzes the modern transformation of East Asia. Topics include: the conflict of Sinocentrism with modern nationalism in the Chinese revolution, the Japanese road to Pearl Harbor, and the colonization of Vietnam and Korea. 4

History of Asian Art Survey (EAST-157).  Survey of the arts of India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia emphasizing works in their historical, religious and social context. 4

Elementary Topics in East Asian Studies (EAST-199).  A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4

International Problems (EAST-200).  4

Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature (EAST-206).  Through close analysis of some of the most important recurrent themes, this course will examine how the Chinese and Japanese literary traditions reinvent and revitalize themselves in their development. Students will also study the distinctive features of the major genres in the two traditions. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4

Religions of China and Japan (EAST-216).  This course explores the basic teachings and historical development of the most influential religious traditions and schools of thought in East Asia, including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Shinto. Attention is given to classical texts, popular practice and the recent impact of Western culture on East Asian religion. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4

Buddhism (EAST-233).  A historical and thematic survey of the Buddhist tradition from the time of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, until the present. Emphasis upon the ways in which Buddhist teachings and practices have interacted with and been changed by various cultures in Asia, and more recently in North America. (Only offered Spring 2009) 4

Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature (EAST-235).  This course is designed to provide an introduction to modern Chinese and Japanese fiction for the student who has little or no background in the language, history, or culture of these countries. No prerequisite. This course cross-listed with EAST 235. 4

Religions of China (EAST-240).  4

The Mandate of Heaven in Classical China (EAST-241).  Classical China left two legacies of lasting importance: a political system that maintained the same tradition for the next two thousand years, and the Confucian ethical system that spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The course begins with the origins of Chinese history and moves through the first Empire from 220 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. 4

Japanese Wood Block Prints and the Floating World (EAST-262).  This course explores the development of a Japanese style of art known as Ukiyo-e, a school of art which flourished during the Edo period 1600-1868, and its most ubiquitous medium of production the woodblock print. The subject matter of the prints is tied to the development of Kabuki theatre and the pleasure districts; therefore our exploration of the subject will also include an examination of the rise of popular entertainment. The reproducible nature of the print medium and the popular subject matter place this art within a debate of the rise of popular culture and art in Japan. 4

Special Topics in East Asian Art History (EAST-264).  4

Modern Japan in Film and Literature (EAST-273).  This course uses film and modern literature to consider responses to political, economic, and sociological changes in Japanese society over the course of the twentieth century. This course taught in English. 4

Art of Japan (EAST-291).  A survey of Japanese architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts from prehistoric times to the 20th century, with an emphasis on the works in their cultural and religious context. 4

Art of China (EAST-292).  A survey of Chinese architecture, sculpture, painting and the arts from prehistoric times to the 20th century, with an emphasis on the works in their religious and cultural context. 4

Philosophical Taoism in Chinese Literature (EAST-305).  This course examines a special group of Chinese texts that will not only enlighten, but also delight modern readers: ancient Taoist text written in fascinating literary style, and a variety of literary works informed with Taoist spirit. No knowledge of Chinese is required. (Normally offered in the spring) 4

Japan's Modern Canon (EAST-309).  In this course we will read extensively from the works of the four twentieth-century Japanese authors who have been elevated to the status of canonized writers, that is, whose works are regarded both in and out of Japan as essential in the history of Japanese letters. Note that readings will vary from semester to semester. This course taught in English. 4

The Confucian Classics (EAST-341).  An examination of the basic Confucian texts of the East Asian cultural tradition that define the distinctive traits of what makes us human, and what norms define healthy and happy human relations. We shall read the Four Books of the Neo-Confucian tradition. In plumbing the subtleties of these texts we shall replicate the learning techniques employed in classical Confucian academies. Research essays concluding the course may focus on a Confucian thinker or concept in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese cultural traditions of East Asia. 4

Studies in Contemporary East Asian Studies (EAST-345).  4

East Asian Since World War II (EAST-348).  A systematic history of international relations in East Asia from 1940 to the present. The political histories of China, Vietnam, and Korea were transformed by Japan's Pacific War; and the indigenous nationalisms spawned by that war often conflicted with the objectives of the Cold War powers. Anti-colonial liberation movements in Indonesia and the Philippines to the south also followed the Japanese defeat. This course will conclude with an analysis of China's contemporary interest in an integrated Pacific Asia trade network less dependent on Japan and its inseparable post-war ally, the United States. 4

Directed Study (EAST-361).  1-4

Directed Study (EAST-362).  1-4

Independent Study (EAST-363).  1-4

Independent Study (EAST-364).  1-4

Art History Seminar: Problems in Art History (EAST-408).  Specialized topics in art history. Topics announced as class is offered. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Course normally listed as ARTH 408. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4

International Communication (EAST-409).  This seminar examines the nature of information flows within and between nations, the issues raised by such communication, and the institutions involved and patterns evident in the development of and relations between nation-states. The course explores issues surrounding the constituent role that the news and entertainment media have played in the formation and maintenance of the nation-state. Topics raised will include uses of information in domestic and foreign policy, the extension of cultural imperialism, corporate invasion of privacy, and incursions upon sovereignty and national security. In examining the resolution of such issues, the course analyzes how nations' power is distributed and utilized among multiple forces. 4

Senior Research Project: East Asian Studies (EAST-450).  Senior Project in East Asian Studies. Selecting two disciplines, the student chooses a topic in East Asian Studies and utilizes the skills of both disciplines to analyze that topic in a major research paper, directed by faculty members in those disciplines. This research project culminaties the major and is completed in either semester of the senior year. 4

Senior Research (EAST-451).  4

Senior Research (EAST-452).  4

Honors Project (EAST-461).  4

Honors Project (EAST-462).  4