Undergraduate

This course will investigate the various understandings of the nature of consciousness—its extent and function, its grounding or groundlessness, its relation to body and will, its distinction from or identity with experienced physical entities and envisioned ethical ideals--in pre-modern Chinese philosophies. Readings will include early Confucian, Daoist and syncretic speculations (Mengzi, Xunzi, Zhuangzi, Huainanzi), medieval Buddhist idealisms and omnicentrisms (Tiantai, Huayan, Chan), and the representative thinkers of the various branches of Neo-Confucian thought (Zhang Zai, Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming). All readings will be done in English, with optional supplemental reading sessions of the original texts for students proficient in classical Chinese.

Are there too many people in the world? Is human reproduction a right, a duty, or an interest? In 1798, a pamphlet titled An Essay on the Principle of Population was published anonymously in London. The author claimed that a growing population increases the supply of labor, inevitably lowering wages and living standards. The author warned that future improvements for humanity would be hindered if governments failed to address the issue of overpopulation. What is now known as the Malthusian Law of Population sparked continuous debate among politicians, economists, statisticians, and philosophers for over two centuries.
Today, however, the global population debate has shifted. While concerns over overpopulation remain in some contexts, many parts of the world are now grappling with a fertility crisis. Declining birth rates have become a pressing issue, raising urgent questions about aging populations, shrinking workforces, and the sustainability of economic and social systems. Historically accounting for approximately one-fifth of the world's population, China holds a unique position in demography and politics. In the current landscape of falling birth rates across East Asia—affecting China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan—and rising skepticism toward globalization, this course offers essential insights into the historical and ongoing dynamics of population control, economic inequality, and shifting global demographics.

Focusing on roughly 1200-1900 CE in East Asia, this course considers the social functions of East Asian paintings and craft objects in conjunction with their subject matter, materiality, and style. Art historian Timon Screech has observed that the function of most paintings in early modern Japan was to radiate positivity and auspiciousness --a fact also connected to Wu Hung's observations about the absence of 'ruins' in traditional Chinese art. How can we put a finer point on a painting's auspicious qualities, and what were some other functions that paintings were fulfilling during this time period, either in tandem with auspiciousness or in place of it?

This course registration is by consent only

One of the world’s largest and most populous cities, Tokyo has long captivated the imaginations of Japanese artists, especially ukiyo-e (woodblock print) designers, who returned repeatedly to the tradition of the “100 Views” (hyakkei) of the city in an effort to capture its mystery, majesty, and constant transformations.
This course is related to the planning phase of a special exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It posits a periodization of Tokyo based around four major ukiyo-e series of “100 Views" from Hiroshige in the 1850s, to Kobayashi Kiyochika's 1876-1882 series in the Meiji period, and continuing on to the “100 Pictures of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era” (Showa dai Tokyo hyakuzue) by Koizumi Kishio (1893-1945), issued from 1927-1940. These prints will allow investigation of the creeping nationalism and rise in imperialism that would characterize the newly expanded “Great Tokyo” (Dai Tokyo) during the 1930s. The course concludes with an examination of a collaborative work entitled “100 Views of Tokyo: Message to the 21st Century” made from 1989-1999, which will allow investigation of new printing techniques, such as lithography and linocuts, as well as the culture and economy of “The Metropolis of Tokyo” (Tokyo-tou) in the post-Bubble era, concluding with Takashi Murakami’s famed commissions for the real estate development Roppongi Hills.

This course explores the styles and functions of Chinese independent documentary since 1989, with particular attention to the social and political contexts that underpin its flourishing in Mainland China and Taiwan. We will discuss the ways in which recent Chinese documentaries challenge current theories of the genre, how they redefine the relationship between fiction and non-fiction, and the problems of media aesthetics, political intervention, and ethics of representation that they pose. We will look at their channels of circulation in Asia and elsewhere, and will discuss the implications and limits of the notion of independence. Readings will include theorizations of the documentary genre in relation to other visual media and narrative forms, analyses of specific works, and discussions on the impact of digital media.

This course introduces “interregional art history” as an alternative to the dominant nation-state-based framework in the study of Asian art. The robust discourse on global art history in recent decades has generated a range of methodological approaches, including comparison, transnationalism, internationalism, regionalism, and the global contemporary. These approaches are also reflected in practice, as seen in artist-led collaborations, traveling exhibitions, and biennales. To capture the diversity of interregionalist thought and praxis, the course adopts a case study approach. Key themes include artistic engagements with Pan-Asianism, the 1955 Bandung Conference, Southeast Asian regionalism and ASEAN, Afro-Asia, Transpacific migration, the construction of the Third World and Global South, and the Asia Pacific Triennial (1993–present). While the course materials focus on East and Southeast Asia, students with diverse geographical interests are welcome. A significant portion of class time and assignments will be devoted to critically assessing the strengths, limitations, and future directions of global art history.

This course aims to provide a comprehensive social science perspective on contemporary China. Here, contemporary Chinese society is loosely defined as the society that emerged after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating readings from various social science disciplines, including history, sociology, political science, anthropology, economics, and law.

From K-pop and K-drama to K-beauty, “Korea” is spreading across the world as a brand through popular culture.However, Korean popular culture’s heterogeneous forms and styles, varying responses to different sociopolitical stakes, and constant negotiations with global agents demonstrate the need to think critically about the use of “Korea” as a category or a method. This introductory level course aims to recognize and address this issue by examining a selection of materials including film, television, literature, music and fashion from the 20th and 21st centuries that are associated with Korea. While gaining knowledge of Korea’s modernization and developing an understanding of popular culture’s involvement in and reflection of society, students will put Korea at the center to reassess the various traditions and contentions in global popular culture. All required readings will be in English and all viewing materials will be available with English subtitles. Undergraduate students of every level and major with an interest in Korea or film and media more broadly are welcome.

This seminar examines a selection of modern and contemporary Korean fiction in dialogue with East Asian and Western literary traditions and critical theory. Students analyze how Korean literature engages with and can be interpreted through literary movements and theoretical frameworks developed in other contexts, while exploring its distinctive characteristics.  Through these investigations, the course explores how linguistic, cultural, geopolitical, and ethnic factors—along with readers' individual perspectives—shape the reading experience and understanding of concepts like "national literature," "world literature," and "global literature," and ultimately, the nature of literature itself. While all required readings will be available in English, students who can read Korean are encouraged to engage with original texts at their level of proficiency.

In this course, we will survey contemporary Western Sinologists' major works concerning early Chinese civilization. For each class we will consider one major scholar who has contributed to our understanding of ancient China, reading one or more of their representative works. Scholars to be considered may include Roger Ames, Sarah Allan, William Baxter, Erica Brindley, Constance Cook, Scott Cook, Lothar von Falkenhausen, Paul Goldin, Marc Kalinowski, Maria Khayutina, Donald Harper, Martin Kern, Mark Lewis, Li Feng, John Major, Dirk Meyer, Michael Nylan, Yuri Pines, Michael Puett, David Schaberg, Roel Sterckx, Wu Hung, and Robin Yates, though not necessarily in that order. All readings will be in English. Students will also be expected to select one scholar not treated in the course, to make a class presentation and to write a term-paper introducing the scholar and her contributions to the field