Course Catalog 2012-2013

Michael Tangeman, Director

Wei Cheng (Music), John Cort (Religion), John Davis, (Sociology/Anthropology), Sherry Harlacher (Denison Museum Director), Barry Keenan (History), Minggang Li (Modern Languages), Xinda Lian (Chinese), Taku Suzuki (International Studies), Michael Tangeman (Japanese), Peggy Wang (Art History), Ping Yang (Communication)

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. Approved programs of study in the People’s Republic of China include programs in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Xian. In Japan, students may study on programs in Tokyo, Nagoya and Sapporo. The availability of semester-long, year-long or summer courses depends on the respective program.

Summer Research Through Denison's Young Scholar Awards. No separate East Asian awards exist. Guidelines are on the Gilpatrick Center's homepage under student 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 $3,700. Dormitory housing is provided. Meals are excluded. Applications: Submit by late January for the coming summer.

Summer Internships. There are no special grants for East Asian Studies internships. However, the Center for Career Exploration & Development 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 Brian Collingwood (collingwoodb@denison.edu) in Career Exploration & Development for the names of other organizations. Limited financial support is available from his office for students on need-based financial aid.

The Language and Culture Program. is an exciting residential option that gives students the opportunity to hone their language skills and to participate in special cultural events. Students who choose this residential option will live in a small community of their peers who share their enthusiasm for foreign languages and cultures. Special extracurricular activities and programming in the Language House support language acquisition and permit a closer relationship with professors and languages assistants from the Department of Modern Languages.

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

Buddhism (EAST-105).  A historical and thematic survey of the Buddhist tradition from the time of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, until the present. Emphasis upon the way in which Buddhist teachings and practices have interacted with and been changed by various cultures in Asia, and more recently in North America. 4

Asian Art and Visual Culture (EAST-131).  An introduction to the art and visual culture of India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia focusing on historical, religious and social issues and the function of both art and visual culture. 4

Traditional East Asian Civilization (EAST-141).  The civilization of China, Japan and Korea from classical times to 1600 C.E. Themes include: the earliest Chinese schools of social and 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; the Korean development of Neo-Confucianism. 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

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. 4

Religions of China (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. 4

Art of Japan (EAST-231).  An introduction to 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

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 JAPN 235. 4

Introduction to Japanese Genre Fiction (EAST-239).  Genre fiction (sometimes called “commercial fiction”) around the world has been broadly categorized as less-refined, or less literary. Postmodern thinkers have demonstrated, however, that popular fiction can serve as a fascinating lens through which to read place (society, race, gender, etc.) and time (historical period). This class will serve as an introduction to Japan’s long, rich tradition of genre fiction. In addition to reading recent criticism of the genres discussed, we will consider representative works, primarily by twentieth-century authors, in three genres: historical/period fiction, mystery/detective fiction, and horror fiction. This course is taught in English. No Japanese language required. This course is cross-listed with JAPN 239. 4

Chinese Economy (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

Special Topics (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

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

Art of China (EAST-332).  This course is an introduction to Chinese visual culture from prehistoric times through the Mao era. Organized around a selection of key objects and images, this course explores a variety of art forms from China through diverse contexts such a ritual, gender, imperial patronage, literati ideals, and political icons. 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

Cold War in East Asia (EAST-348).  Japan’s military occupation of most of Pacific Asia halted with Japan’s unconditional surrender in 1945. Indigenous nationalism naturally emerged in each country or region Japan had occupied: China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In many countries the post-colonial hatred of outside domination was the greatest force at play. The freezing winds of the Cold War generated by the United States and the USSR had to find support within this nationalist anger. The course will end with a look at today’s post-Cold War trade networks in East Asia that are less dependent on Japan and its inseparable 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 Senior Seminar: Research (EAST-408).  In this required course, senior majors will research and prepare the senior thesis. 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 culminates the major and is completed in either semester of the senior year. 4

Senior Research (EAST-451). 4

Senior Research (EAST-452). 4