Spring

Independent reading course.

For course description contact East Asian Languages.

The course will review anthropological literature and case studies of craft production and craft specialization in ancient civilizations. It also takes a multi-disciplinary approach by adopting perspectives developed in history and art history. Topics discussed in the course include organization of production, craft production and the elite, chaîne opératoire, status and identity of artisans, and political economy and craft production. Students are expected to become familiar with prevalent theoretical discussions and are encouraged to apply, adopt, or revise them in order to analyze examples of craft production of their own choice.

This seminar will consider exemplary texts from the Madhyamaka school(s) of Buddhist philosophy, particularly focusing on notable points of divergence and/or concord between the Indian schools with which the tradition originated, and the various Chinese schools that reflect China's distinctive appropriation of the tradition. Brook Ziporyn and Dan Arnold

The Chinese 1980s are now remembered as a highly creative period in literature and arts, and as a time of diverse political aspirations that culminated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Many debates and experiments throughout the decade revolved around the notion of “culture.” What did this term mean in 1980s China, why was it considered important, and how to situate its meanings historically, both in relation to the Mao Era and to the changes that came after 1989? These are some of the questions we will address in this course, which will examine a variety of texts including poetry, fiction, interviews, diaries, and documentaries from and about the cultures of an exciting time. Texts will be in Chinese and in English.

This course engages with the various uses of sound in Japanese literary texts, ranging from the late Edo period through the contemporary era. We will also read recent sound-oriented approaches to literary and cultural studies in both Japan and Anglo-American criticism. Readings will be in both English and Japanese.

This course examines changes in the working lives of East Asian women from the late nineteenth to the 21st century. Most of the readings will be on China but we will also discuss Korea and Japan. All readings are in English. 

“Bronze Age” in China conventionally refers to the time period from ca. 2000 to about 500 BC, during which bronze, an alloy of copper and other metals such as tin and lead, was the predominant medium used by the society, or to be more precise, the elite classes of the society. Bronze objects, in the forms of vessels, weapons, and musical instruments, were reserved for the upper ruling class of the society and were used mostly as paraphernalia during rituals and feasting. “Bronze Age” in China also indicates the emergence and eventual maturation of states with their bureaucratic systems, the presence of urban centers, a sophisticated writing system, and advanced craft producing industries, especially metal production.

This course surveys the important archaeological finds of Bronze Age China, and the theoretical issues such as state formation, craft production, writing, bureaucratic systems, urbanization, warfare, and inter-regional interaction, etc.  It emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach with readings and examples from anthropology, archaeology, art history, and epigraphy. This course will also visit the Smart Museum, the Field Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago to take advantage of the local collections of ancient Chinese arts and archaeology.

An exploration of the writings of Lu Xun (1881-1936), widely considered as the greatest Chinese writer of the past century. We will read short stories, essays, prose poetry and personal letters against the backdrop of the political and cultural upheavals of early 20th century China and in dialogue with important English-language scholarly works.