Asian Studies

This course examines the intersection of involuntary labor, transnational migration, and sexual exchange, broadly categorized under “human trafficking.” While this issue has gained urgency with the adoption of the United Nations’ Palermo Protocol (2000), historical inquiries reveal that commercial sexual labor has existed in various forms and under different guises throughout history. This course situates contemporary human trafficking within a continuum with historically similar practices, some of which were considered “indigenous” to Asia. This course looks at traditional forms of servitude and sexual exchange in east and southeast Asia, as well as the contemporary transnational migration of women for the sex industry. It engages with historiographic and ethnographic accounts on slavery, dependency, and other forms of servitude in Asia as a necessary background to the examination of modern practices of using women for sexual services.  

The course delves into the social and economic conditions that have historically facilitated the growth of the sex industry, including colonial establishments, and military mobilization, and the so-called “white slave” trade that spurred abolitionist movements by feminist and religious groups in the early 20th century. For contemporary cases, it examines practices that have been associated with human trafficking, such as prostitution and international brokered marriages. The course investigates the possibility of agency among exploited women, potentially challenging the predominant victimhood narrative. It concludes with a discussion on the social norms surrounding payment for intimate relations. 

This course examines pressing global issues and the efforts of international organizations to address them in recent decades. The course explores the six principal organs of the United Nations and various UN Funds and Programmes as well as UN Specialized Agencies. The course also emphasizes the efforts made by national governments, including Japan's foreign policy towards the UN and Japan's ODA policy. 

This course examines the modern Japanese sense of cultural, social and national identity, as analyzed by social scientists, cultural historians, and scholars of Japanese thought. Well known studies of the Japanese self by psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists and sociolinguists will be discussed, supplemented by a historical perspective focusing on the samurai heritage and the ideas behind the Meiji Restoration. 

This course provides an introductory overview of Korean history up until the early 1800s, with a special focus on the Chosŏn era and its foreign relations. The course explores Korea’s ancient history, cultural developments, and interactions with neighboring countries, offering insights into the foundation of Korea’s social and cultural identity. Class activities include visits to museums or historical sites in Korea, providing opportunities to deepen understanding of Korean history and culture. 

This special topics, seminar-style course selects one or more topics related to West Asian civilization and language and consists of in-depth coverage, analysis, and discussion of issues related to the topic. The topic of this course may change each time it is offered. For example, the Spring 2025 semester topic was Islam and Inequality: A Historical Perspective, focusing on socioeconomic inequality.  

This course introduces an overview of the cultural tradition of East Asia by examining classical Chinese narratives translated into English. It explores how these narratives depict the essence of humanity and the world, discussing their influence on modern East Asian culture. Through the course, students identify the cultural characteristics inherent in East Asian civilization and develop a critical understanding of its contemporary discourses. 

Student will be able to: 1. Understand the cultural concepts that underlie the individual, the family, and the state in East Asia 2. Learn the historical development of China, Japan, and Korea and their relationships with each other 3. Practice reading East Asian texts in their own literary tradition and relating them to cultural contexts 

This course compares communication phenomena of East Asian societies using student-led international discussions, group studies, and special lectures. Topics include understanding of Chinese, Japanese and Korean media, as well as comparing western and eastern media characteristics. 

This course challenges the limitations of border-based thinking about and explores diverse aspects of (East) Asian society, particularly Korea, Japan, China, and beyond, through the layers of histories, networks, and complex sociotechnical entanglements. Drawing from the methods and theories in Communication and Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Asian/Global Studies, and Science and Technology Studies (STS), the course takes a critical, historically informed, and locally grounded approach to examine both the material and immaterial layers constituting the location in question. Through this course, students reflect on their experiences and perceptions of Asia, practice synthesizing theory with practice, and produce contextualized knowledge about Asia.    

This course provides a detailed, vivid introduction to the origin and distinctive artistic features of Chinese traditional culture, namely, the culture of RITES and MUSIC. Arranged in fifteen lectures, the course will first trace the culture foundation imbedded in archeological artifacts (bronzeware, musical instruments, etc.) as well as in Confucian canons. The course will then dive into three perfections of traditional Chinese arts (calligraphy, painting, and poetry) to analyze those “suggestive but not articulate” features in specific artworks. It will also explain the philosophical ideas, aesthetic interests and humanistic values of Chinese culture.

This course covers the major events that have shaped the US-China relationship today (ping-pong diplomacy, the US-China trade dispute, Tiananmen Square, and COVID-19) and how they have affected the US-China relationship. The course examines events from an objective perspective based on data. Students explore the idea and definition of data and examine data analysis methodologies and how to apply them.  

Based on the past and current relationship between the two countries, the course ultimately discusses the future relationship between the two countries and their impact on the globe.