EAST - East Asian Studies
EAST 140
Traditional East Asian Civilization
An introductory survey of East Asia from the dawn of indigenous civilization to the 16th century. Focus on the growth of a Sinitic center and its interaction with the sedentary and nomadic peoples on its Inner Asian and Pacific rims. Emphasis on the diverse peoples and societies of the area and the historical processes that bound them together through a common tradition. Units: 6.
Also listed as History 160, Ethnic Studies 121
EAST 150
Modern East Asian Civilization
An introductory survey of the modern history of East Asia, examining the efforts of traditional states, particularly China and Japan, to respond to Western intrusion into the region after 1600. Focus on social and cultural problems created by attempts to modernize yet defend tradition and on the differing results of Chinese and Japanese approaches. Units: 6.
Also listed as History 165
EAST 175
Introduction to the Arts of China and Japan
An introductory survey of the traditional arts of China and Japan from prehistoric times until the beginning of the modern era. The course will examine representative examples of painting, sculpture, architecture, garden designs, and the decorative arts in the context of religious practices and historical developments. Units: 6.
Also listed as Art History 175
EAST 191
Directed Study in East Asian Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
EAST 216
Buddhism in China and Japan
An introductory survey of Buddhist thought and practice in China and Japan. The history of key Buddhist concepts and schools in East Asia is the primary focus. Readings include translations from East Asian Buddhist canonical works. Units: 6.
Also listed as Religious Studies 216
EAST 255
Special Topics in Ceramics: Asian Craft and Design
A combination of research and studio practice. Through slide lectures, readings, and discussions, this course will survey the historical development of traditional through contemporary crafts and design in China, Korea, and Japan and focus on the diverse craft customs of Japan in particular. Emphasis will be placed on independent research to develop ideas and critical thinking and on building a variety of ceramic skills to achieve a personal body of work. Units: 6.
Also listed as Studio Art 255
Prerequisite: ART 100 or ART 110; ARHI 175 recommended
EAST 260
East Asian Classics in Translation
This introductory course explores encounters with nature in East Asian texts through close reading of primary texts in English translation — Taoist philosophy, lyric poetry, personal memoirs, fiction and film — from the traditional periods of China and Japan, ending with a mid-1990s account of life in a river town in SW China. Particular attention is paid to literary form, voice, aesthetic concerns, and issues relating to humans’ relationship with nature. Units: 6.
Also listed as Environmental Studies 206, Chinese and Japanese 260
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 140 recommended
EAST 265
Introduction to Japanese Language and Culture
A survey introducing major characteristics of Japanese language with reference to the structure of Japanese society. Topics include honorifics, use of pronouns, loan words, age and gender differences in the language. The course will also familiarize students with various aspects of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. Units: 6.
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 265, Linguistics 265
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; CHJA 211 recommended
EAST 310
Introduction to East Asian Linguistics
Survey of genetic, regional, and typological classification of East Asian languages; writing systems for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan languages; descriptive and comparative analyses of phonological, morphological, and syntactic structures of East Asian languages. More than one language may be investigated in detail. Units: 6.
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 310, Linguistics 310
Prerequisite: LING 150 and sophomore standing
EAST 350
Modern Chinese Literature and Cinema in Translation
A survey of 20th-century Chinese fiction and cinema. Iconoclastic works of modern Chinese vernacular fiction from 1919 through the post-Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) will be juxtaposed alongside films dealing with the same period, such as Red Sorghum (1987) and Farewell, My Concubine (1992) made by the so-called Fifth Generation of film directors (born after 1949, when the People’s Republic was founded). Class conducted in English. No knowledge of Chinese required. Units: 6.
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 350, Film Studies 350
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 150 recommended
EAST 358
Race and Ethnicity in East Asia
This course will explore the use of the concepts of race and ethnicity in China and Japan to show how identity is constructed and used in forging national identity. The course will also examine transnationalism and the formation and articulation of ethnicity in East Asia. Units: 6.
Also listed as History 358, Ethnic Studies 334
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
EAST 359
Introduction to Tibetan Culture and History
This course seeks to provide an introduction to Tibetan civlization and its history from its earliest recorded origins to the present. The course examines what civilizational forces shaped Tibet; the religious/cultural life of Tibet will be central to our study. Thematic topics, such as the economy and material culture, structures of power and legal codes will be examined in each chronological period. Units: 6.
Also listed as History 359
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
EAST 364
Ethnography of East Asia
A critical and comparative examination of key areas of sociocultural change in present-day East Asia. What do we mean when we speak of "tradition" in the East Asian context? Does tradition refer to an imagined past, or to actual practices that have been discarded in response to demographic, economic or political forces? Using ethnographic studies, we will see how society shapes assumed realms of private experience in Japan, China, and South Korea such as gender, identity, work, and the family, and how these realms of private experience are undergoing marked change. We will then address new areas of research in East Asian anthropology such as the body politic, sexuality, pop culture, consumption and national cultural identities. Units: 6.
Also listed as Anthropology 364
Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of the instructor
EAST 366
Ethnography of Japan
Critical examination of social and cultural (re)presentations of Japan from the postwar to the postmodern. Exploration of diversities of lived reality and social change in contemporary Japan. Topics include: nationalism and historical consciousness, family and gender ideologies, invisible and visible others, sexuality, pop culture, and the Heisei recession. Units: 6.
Also listed as Anthropology 366
Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or sophomore standing
EAST 390
Tutorial Studies in East Asian Studies
Individualized advanced study under regular staff direction on topics not covered in lower-level courses. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
EAST 391
Directed Study in East Asian Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
EAST 399
Independent Study in East Asian Studies
Individualized advanced research under staff guidance to prepare a substantial paper, usually for submission for honors. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
EAST 410
Chinese Government and Politics
This survey course examines the political development of China from the Communist revolution to the present. Among the issues addressed are the legacies of the Maoist era, China’s contemporary economic transformation and its social effects, political participation and protest in the contemporary era and the apparent perpetuation of authoritarianism. Units: 6.
Also listed as Government 445
Prerequisite: Junior standing and one of EAST 150, GOVT 245, or HIST 360; or consent of the instructor
EAST 420
Contemporary China
A discussion course on selected issues in the social and cultural history of modern China. Literature, films, documents, and historical studies are examined to explore the intimate side of personal, family, and social life and the nature and impact of social and cultural changes in 20th-century China. Units: 6.
Also listed as History 360
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor; HIST 165 recommended
EAST 491
Borderlands in Modern East and Inner Asia: History, Culture, and Identity
Seminar on Euro-Asian borderlands, with a focus on East Asia during the Modern Period. Adopting a transnational approach, the course examines the fluidity of the concept of the “frontier,” along with various understandings of what borderlands are, from the perspective of both indigenous peoples and those from afar. Units: 6.
Also listed as History 491
Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor
EAST 510
Seminar on Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism is perhaps the most widely known form of Buddhism in the West and also the most widely misunderstood. This course provides a detailed look at the history and doctrines of Zen Buddhism in China and Japan. Combining the use of original source materials (in translation) with an emphasis on intellectual history, the course covers specific doctrines that have differentiated the major schools of Zen. Units: 6.
Also listed as Religious Studies 510
Prerequisite: RLST 220 or RLST 216
EAST 520
Seminar in Chinese Literature
An introduction to some of China’s greatest literary texts of a single genre, period, author, or theme. Issues addressed include gender relations, responses to traditional roles, and the development of fiction in China. Knowledge of Chinese not required. Advanced students of Chinese language may take concurrently CHJA 391 or CHJA 591, for three units, and work with the instructor to read excerpts in the original Chinese. Units: 6.
Also listed as Chinese and Japanese 520
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing; EAST 140 recommended
EAST 590
Tutorial Studies in East Asian Studies
Individualized advanced study under regular staff direction on topics not covered in lower-level courses. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
EAST 591
Directed Study in East Asian Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
EAST 599
Independent Study in East Asian Studies
Individualized advanced research under staff guidance to prepare a substantial paper, usually for submission for honors. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
EAST 690
Tutorial Studies in East Asian Studies
Individualized advanced study under regular staff direction on topics not covered in lower-level courses. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.
EAST 691
Directed Study in East Asian Studies
Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. Units: Variable.
EAST 699
Independent Study in East Asian Studies
Individualized advanced research under staff guidance to prepare a substantial paper, usually for submission for honors. Units: Variable.
Prerequisite: Counter Registration Required.