Asian Studies

This seminar addresses how specific historical events are commemorated in Southeast Asia and beyond (China, Japan, Korea). Students learn how historical memory is shaped by textbooks, museums, memorial sites, and debated in film, television and other forms of cultural production. This courses offers a n overview of the country's history at the beginning of each session.

This course studies the major political and social transformations that have affected China, Japan and Korea from the 19th century and the present day. The survey begins with an overview of these societies respective histories prior to 1800, and then shifts to looking at the impact of western imperialism on east Asia. The class then examines Japanese imperialism, and cultural interactions between Asia and Europe/North America, WWII, and the emergence of east Asian economic and political influence up to the 1980s.

This course examines written Tibetan and some basic spoken Tibetan. It covers important grammatical structures, the Tibetan script pronunciation and essential speaking skills. The course also introduces cultural contexts of the Himalayan region.

The course examines the development of international relations in East Asia from the Opium War to the Korean War. It discusses major international events, such as conflicts, treaties, and alliances, and examines the interplay between domestic and foreign affairs, the spread of political ideologies, and the rise of nationalism and racial/ethnic identities.

This course examines the history of Asian immigrants in America and their literary and visual representation in American popular culture. It covers the early Asian immigration and discusses the cultural representation of Asians through watching several historical documentaries and reading literary texts. The course analyzes Asian American plays in order to see how each playwright uses different strategies and styles in order to communicate his or her political messages and ideologies to the audience. Considerable attention is given to understanding how diasporic experience and diasporic sensibility may be differ in terms of gender, ethnicity, and generation. For the first few weeks, the course provides an overview of the history of Asian American immigrants and European/American representation of Asians on stage, starting from the late nineteenth century. Next the course examines first generation of Asian American writers' major plays, essays, and critical writings in theatre and drama since the 1960s to 1980s, together with critical issues in Asian American communities. And finally, the course explores various themes, dramatic strategies, and aesthetics of contemporary Asian American playwrights including Korean American writers.

This course introduces students to the myriad of musical genres and their historical, political, and social contexts. Genres to be introduced include aboriginal music, traditional music of the Hokloand Hakka peoples and of the mainlanders, and popular music. Emphasis is placed on auditory and participatory experiences through in-class workshops by invited performers, concert attendance, fieldtrips, homework assignments, and group fieldwork projects. Each class consists of a two-hour lecture by the instructor followed by one-hour discussion period led by teaching assistants.

This course examines the features of the music of China, including genres and styles of Chinese Music. It covers musical works, sounds, and structures, as well as trying to understand the social, regional, and political contexts in which they developed, and the aesthetics and ideology that inspired the performers, composers, and listeners--as well as the writers of music history.

This course provides opportunities for both international and domestic students to develop a better understanding of Miyagi's traditional culture through learning about the Sendai Tanabata festival. Students will not only learn about the historical background of the festival, but also design and create Tanabata decorations.

The course aims to provide:          
1. Fundamental knowledge of the Sendai Tanabata festival.
2. An understanding of Miyagi's traditional culture, by studying the historical background of the Sendai Tanabata festival and its meaning to local community and businesses.
3. Effective engagement in interpersonal communication as well the exchange of information and opinion.