Coordinator: Associate Professor Bayliss (History)
Affiliated Faculty: Janet Bauer (International Studies), Jeffrey Bayliss (History), Xiangming Chen (International Studies and Sociology), Ellison Findly (Religion and International Studies), Alice Hyland (Fine Arts), Michael Lestz (History), Naogan Ma (Languages and Culture Studies and International Studies), Beth Notar (Anthropology), Vijay Prashad (International Studies), Yipeng Shen (Languages and Culture Studies and International Studies), Rieko Wagoner (Languages and Culture Studies and International Studies), James Wen (Economics and International Studies).
A concentration in Asian studies offers an interdisciplinary framework for the examination of the societies and cultures of Asia. Students may focus on East Asia, South Asia, or a comparative theme linking these two regions. The goal of the concentration is a comprehensive understanding of the region of choice from historical, social, and cultural perspectives. Nevertheless, a thorough grasp of the interrelations among regions is crucial to this concentration.
Requirements for the concentration:
The concentration consists of 15 courses, distributed as follows:
(1) Required courses for all international studies majors (three courses):
(2) Language (four courses): If the focus in the concentration is East Asia, students must take Chinese or Japanese through the intermediate level. If the focus is South Asia or a comparative theme, students are required to take at least three credits in a language approved by the coordinator. Language credits can be earned either abroad or through the Self-Instructional Language Program (which includes instruction in Hindi, Korean, Nepali, Thai, Tibetan and Vietnamese.) Students can also pursue a study of a combination of languages upon the approval of the coordinator.
(3) A two-semester history sequence (please pick one of the regional tracks).
(i) China
· HIST 241. History of China, Shang to Ming
· HIST 242. History of China, Qing to Present
(ii) Japan
· HIST 222. Japan from the Dawn of Human History to the 17th Century
· HIST 223. Japan into the Modern World
(iii) South Asia
· INTS. 120 Introduction to South Asia
· INTS. 121 Modern India
(4) Three additional area courses (from at least three of the four disciplines)
(i) Arts
· AHIS 103. Introduction to Asian Art
· AHIS 207 The Arts of China
· AHIS 208. The Arts of Japan
· AHIS 306. The Arts of the Ming Dynasty
· MUSC 214. Topics in World Music: South Asia
· RELG 253. Indian and Islamic Painting
· RELG 254. Buddhist Art
· THDN 209. Indian Dance
(ii) Literature and Culture
· AMST 260. Exploring Asian American Experiences
· HIST 117. Tokyo Story
· HIST 345. Warring States: The United States and Vietnam
· HIST 362. The Samurai Warrior in History, Myth, and Reality
· HIST 363. Living on the Margins of Modern Japan
· HIST 402. From Treaty Port to Megacity: The Modern Transformation of Shanghai.
· INTS 236. Japanese Crime Literature and Film.
· INTS 237. 20th Century Chinese Literature.
· JAPN 233. Japanese Novels in Translation
· JAPN 233. Life After Death: Japanese Literature
(iii) Social Science
· ANTH 244. Borderlands of East and Southeast Asia
· ANTH 247. China through Film
· ECON 208. Asian Economics
· ECON 216. Globalization, Rivalry and Coordination
· INTS 202. Pacific Asia: Fall and Resurgence
· INTS 226. Gandhi, King, and Nonviolence
· INTS 261. The South Asian City
· POLS 233. Asian Politics
· POLS 302. Government and Politics of Modern Japan
· POLS 330. Government and Politics of Contemporary China
(iv) Religion
· INTS 209. Buddhism and Ecology
· RELG 151. Religions of Asia
· RELG 181. Islam
· RELG 252. The Asian Mystic
· RELG 255. Hinduism
· RELG 256. Buddhist Thought
· RELG 335. Hindu Views of War and Peace
· RELG 353. Buddhism in America
(5) Electives (three courses): Typically, electives are chosen from Asian studies courses, or else in consultation with the adviser and director, from among the many global offerings INTS 200, 201, 203, 204, 212, 221, 234, 249, 250, 307, 311, 315, 317). Students are encouraged to take an additional language course to fulfill the elective.