2022-2023

The second quarter of the East Asian civilization sequence covering what are now China, Japan, and Korea from roughly 1600 to 1895. Major themes include demographic and economic change; the social and cultural effects of widespread but uneven commercialization; state formation, rebellion, and political change; migration, urbanization, and territorial expansion; changes in family and gender roles; changes in the "natural" environment, particularly as related to agricultural expansion; changes in religion, ideology, and relationships between "elite" and "popular" culture; and increasingly consequential encounters with Western Europeans, Russians, and Americans, especially in the nineteenth century. The course aims to treat East Asia as a single interacting region, rather than as three (or more) sharply separated proto-nations; however, it will also call attention to the enormous diversity both among and within China, Japan, and Korea, treating those differences as constantly evolving and as something to be explained rather than assumed.

The first quarter of the East Asian civilization sequence examines the politics, society, and culture of East Asia from ancient times until c. 1600. Our focus will be on examining key historical moments and intellectual, social, and cultural trends with an emphasis on the region as a whole. Students will read and discuss culturally significant texts and be introduced to various approaches to analyzing them.

This colloquium is intended for graduate students preparing for a field exam in Japanese history and others interested in reading recent scholarship on the social, political, and cultural history of modern Japan.

PQ: Open to MA and PhD students only.

This course examines the distinctive history of the island of Taiwan, from seventeenth-century Spanish colony to outpost of the Dutch empire, from multiethnic pirate cove to Qing coastal fortress, from an essential point of origin for Austronesian languages and cultures to Japan's first model colony, and from decades living under martial law to today's vibrant democratically elected government. There may never have been a time when Taiwan's future was so heatedly debated, or viewed as so central to global politics, as it is at this moment. Readings spanning three centuries and an array of governing regimes. We will explore the historical arguments and narratives that constitute the cultural identity of this diverse and contested place. In addition to reading primary sources and historiography over the quarter, students will develop and share their own research. This will culminate with either a paper or public history project.

As a continuation of Beginning Korean, this course is to help students increase their communication skills (both oral and written) in the Korean language. Through an integrated framework of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, this course aims to increase fluency and accuracy in Korean. Videotapes and additional reading materials will be used in a supplementary fashion and approximately 100 Chinese characters will be introduced for the achievement of basic literacy. Classes are conducted mostly in Korean and meet for fifty-minute periods five times a week. Must be taken for a letter grade.

This course studies a selection of popular Korean song lyrics, treating them under the rubric of poetry. Its prerequisite is Korean proficiency of the 4th-year level and above and the student should have the Instructor’s approval in advance.

As a continuation of Beginning Korean, this course is to help students increase their communication skills (both oral and written) in the Korean language. Through an integrated framework of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, this course aims to increase fluency and accuracy in Korean. Videotapes and additional reading materials will be used in a supplementary fashion and approximately 100 Chinese characters will be introduced for the achievement of basic literacy. Classes are conducted mostly in Korean and meet for fifty-minute periods five times a week.  Must be taken for a letter grade.

Must be taken for a letter grade. As a continuation of Beginning Korean, this course is to help students increase their communication skills (both oral and written) in the Korean language. Through an integrated framework of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, this course aims to increase fluency and accuracy in Korean. Videotapes and additional reading materials will be used in a supplementary fashion and approximately 100 Chinese characters will be introduced for the achievement of basic literacy. Classes are conducted mostly in Korean and meet for fifty-minute periods five times a week.

This course focuses on learning spoken Japanese that is aimed at native speakers. The goals are getting accustomed to that sort of authentic Japanese and being able to speak with a high degree of fluency. To keep a balance, writing and reading materials are provided. Watching videos and practicing speaking are the keys to success in this course.

This course focuses on learning spoken Japanese through full-length Japanese animated films. To ensure balance in learning, writing and reading materials are also provided. Students at this level are able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. The class meets for five fifty-minute sessions each week. All courses in this sequence must be taken for a quality grade. No auditors permitted.