Course Descriptions
Contact
Asian Studies Department OfficeHumanities Building, Room 106 651-696-6485
kflanner@macalester.edu
Asian Studies
ASIA 111 - Introduction to Asian Studies
This course introduces students to foundational legends, epics, novels, and poetry from across Asia. Studying core texts from the Arab World, India, China, Korea, and Japan will provide windows into the ancient cultures that produced these works. We will also examine these tales' enduring power today. We will analyze the many changes these tales underwent as they spread across Asia and appeared in diverse media including visual arts and film. Texts include: The Journey to the West, The Arabian Nights, The Tale of Genji, and The Ramayana.
Frequency: Every year.
ASIA 112 - Buddhist Literature
Buddhist Literature introduces students to the forms, style, and usages of Buddhist literatures, as well as considerations of their content as well as their histories of creation, commentary, and social use. We will examine the structure of Buddhist canonical literatures but will also be focused on non-canonical literatures such as stories of past-life memories, biographies, and narrative visual and physical arts. Texts from multiple traditions of Buddhism, including Theravāda and Mahāyāna, will be included. This course's primary activities will be reading, discussion, and reflective work.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: RELI 112
ASIA 113 - Introduction to Buddhism
Buddhism is increasingly well-known in the USA, but what is it, and how does Buddhism encourage people to organize and think about their lives? Organized on the basis of the Eightfold Noble Path, with a focus of 'morals, the Buddhist psychology of mind, and meditation,' this course offers an introduction to the personalities, teachings, and institutions of Buddhism. Beginning in India at the time of the Buddha, this course focuses on Theravada Buddhism, asking students to think historically, philosophically, and anthropologically. Many Friday sessions will be dedicated to an exploration of the variety of Buddhist meditative techniques.
Cross-Listed as: RELI 111
ASIA 114 - Introduction to Asian American Studies
This course introduces the basic issues and concepts of Asian American Studies. We begin by looking at the birth of Asian American Studies as a field in response to student protests in the late 1960s. We then proceed to an overview of Asian American history beginning with U.S. imperialism in Asia and moving up to the present moment. For the remainder of the course, we'll focus on particular topics such as: the model minority myth; anti-Asian violence; multiracial Asian American identity; and Asian American activism. The approach of this course is interdisciplinary; it draws on theoretical and methodological insights from academic disciplines such as history, ethnic studies, and sociology.
Frequency: Fall semester only.
Cross-Listed as: AMST 114
ASIA 123 - Masterpieces of Chinese Literature
This course introduces students to masterpieces of Chinese poetry, drama, philosophy, and history. We begin with ancient folk songs and poems and progress historically to the twentieth century. The Chinese word for "literature" - "wenxue" - literally means "the study (xue) of patterns (wen)." In class we will search for thematic, rhythmic, stylistic, and philosophical patterns that structure individual texts. We will also discover broader social patterns that transcend individual works and bind the tradition together. All texts will be read in English translation; no knowledge of Chinese language or literature is expected. There will be frequent writing assignments.
Cross-Listed as: CHIN 123
ASIA 124 - Dharma and Dao: Big Ideas in India and China
An introduction to the study of Asian religious traditions in South and East Asia (India, China and Japan). Open to everyone but especially appropriate for first and second year students.
Frequency: Every year.
Cross-Listed as: RELI 124
ASIA 127 - Religions of India
An introductory level course on the popular, classical and contemporary religious traditions of South Asia. Topics include Advaita Vedanta and yoga, popular devotionalism, monastic and lay life in Theravada Buddhism, the caste system, Gandhi and modern India.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): RELI 124 or permission of instructor.
Cross-Listed as: RELI 127
ASIA 140 - Introduction to East Asian Civilization
This course introduces the cultures and societies of China, Japan and Korea from the earliest times to the present day. Primarily an introductory course for beginners in East Asian civilization, this course considers a variety of significant themes in religious, political, economic, social and cultural developments in the region.
Frequency: Every year.
Cross-Listed as: HIST 140
ASIA 150 - Language and Gender in Japanese Society
Japanese is considered to be a gendered language in the sense that women and men speak differently from each other. Male characters in Japanese animation often use "boku" or "ore" to refer to themselves, while female characters often use "watashi" or "atashi." When translated into Japanese, Hermione Granger (a female character in the Harry Potter series) ends sentences with soft-sounding forms, while Harry Potter and his best friend Ron use more assertive forms. Do these fictional representations reflect reality? How are certain forms associated with femininity or masculinity? Do speakers of Japanese conform to the norm or rebel against it? These are some of the questions discussed in this course. Students will have opportunities to learn about the history of gendered language, discover different methodologies in data collections, and find out about current discourse on language and gender.
Frequency: Offered alternate years.
ASIA 172 - Cambodia: Empire to Today
This survey course examines aspects of the histories and cultures of Cambodia. Emphasizing an interdisciplinary focus, we will examine aspects of geography, language, art, and religion, moving from the enormous and significant Angkor empire to contemporary Cambodia.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: RELI 172
ASIA 194 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ASIA 205 - Chinese and Sinophone Music
This course explores the multitude of music as practiced and listened to among Chinese-identifying communities by closely studying selected genres, musicians, and styles in various temporal and geographical localities. Course contents cover the musical procedures and performance practices of such genres as operas, chamber instrumental music, folk singing, pop and jazz, film and theatrical music, modern concert repertoire, as well as ancient court and ritual music.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): No prior knowledge of musical instrument, notation, or Chinese languages is assumed.
Cross-Listed as: MUSI 205
ASIA 211 - Asian Philosophies
Did Confucius really say all those things? What does it mean to call something "zen"? The popularity of mindfulness and meditation made "Eastern Philosophy" fashionable, but what exactly does that entail? This class will be an introduction to classical Chinese philosophy, focusing on Confucianism and its rivals (Daoism, Mohism, Buddhism). Many schools of thought in East Asia offered competing views on how to live a good life; we will explore these views and chart how they responded to each other. We'll also see how Chinese thoughts were received and developed by Korean and Japanese philosophers and assess ongoing influences of these philosophies in East Asia and beyond. Texts with English translations.
Frequency: Spring semester.
Cross-Listed as: PHIL 211
ASIA 220 - Foreign Policy: The Evolution of China's Grand Strategy, 1950-2050
An exploration of US foreign policy as it relates to a country or region of pressing interest or particular significance in global political life. For the next several years, the focus of the course will be on the foreign policy challenges posed by a "rising" China. It is organized around the following questions: What are the cultural, political, economic and strategic interests shaping the evolution of Chinese foreign policy? What is China's "peaceful rise" policy? What are the systemic implications of this policy? What are the implications of China's rise for US regional and global interests? And how should the US respond to the rise of China as a regional and global great power?
Frequency: Every year
Prerequisite(s): POLI 120 recommended, but not required.
Cross-Listed as: POLI 220
ASIA 236 - Sanskrit and Classical Religion in India
Like Latin and Greek in Europe, Sanskrit is a highly inflected language of scholarship and revered as the perfect medium for discourse on everything from science and sex to philosophy and religion. It flourished in its classical form after the age of the Buddha (5th century BC) and served as a scholarly lingua franca in India until the Islamic period. This course serves as an introduction to the grammar an script of Sanskrit, and we will advance to a point of reading simplified texts from the classical epic Ramayana.Students will be expected to attend class regularly and spend at least ten hours a week outside class studying the grammar and vocabulary. Without this sort of effort, no progress is possible in such a complex language. In addition to the rigorous study of the language, we will consider both the role of the language in classical Indian culture and religion, and some texts from the Ramayana, looking at both English translation and Sanskrit originals.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ASIA 241 - Reclaiming Zen, Yoga and Church: Asian American Religions
Asian Americans are often overlooked in the study of religion in the U.S., and yet the impact of Asian religious practices can be seen at every turn: yoga studios, mindfulness meditation, "zen" aesthetics of minimalism, and so on. What do we make of the gap between how Asian religions are practiced in Asian American communities and how these traditions have been reinterpreted by predominantly white, educated, middle class adherents? How do Asian American Christians negotiate their identities in the context of non-Asian Christian churches or the intergenerational tensions within their own ethnic churches? The approach of this course is interdisciplinary (and sometimes counterdisciplinary); it draws on theoretical and methodological insights from ethnic studies, religious studies, history, and sociology. Topics include: race and the racialization of Asian Americans; the politics of cultural and religious exchange; the commodification of Asian religious practices; and issues of assimilation and hybridity within Asian American Christian traditions.
Frequency: Spring semester only.
ASIA 244 - The Political Economy of Asia
Whether the twenty-first century will be dominated by the "rising Asia" has spurred recurring debates in policy and academic circles. But what is Asia? How can we understand this diverse region where more than half of the world's population resides? In this course, we will first deconstruct the idea of Asia as a cartographic entity to excavate the layered social-cultural meaning and geographical diversity of the "Asias." We will also place the "Asias" in a global context to reveal how contemporary Asia anchors the changing world political economy and cultural imaginations outside the West. We will begin with important theoretical debates on (East) Asian development that prevailed in the 1980s and 1990s, including discussions about the colonial past, the path-dependency of development and uneven industrialization, regional disparities and mega-urbanization. We will then use these debates as the foundation to explore the contemporary globalizing Asia. What are the important connections between Asian countries, and with other parts of the world? What are the roles of the "Asias" in international governance and geo-politics? Can China replace the United States as the dominant geo-economic power? These are the questions we will explore in this course.
Frequency: Every year; fall semester.
Cross-Listed as: GEOG 244
ASIA 251 - Cramming for the Exam: Education in Chinese Literature and History
China is known for its grueling examination culture. How did this culture evolve? This course examines the imperial civil service examination system, the benchmark of social and political success in imperial China. We will read the core texts of the Confucian curriculum - the Four Books and the Five Classics - to examine the values these texts promoted. We will also study frustrated scholars' fictional accounts of the unfairness of the exam system, Europeans' praise of it as a model meritocracy, and women's struggles to participate in a system that explicitly excluded them. The course invites reflection on contemporary educational practices, and culminates in a recreation of the civil service exam.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
ASIA 254 - Japanese Film and Animation: From the Salaryman to the Shojo
This course surveys the history of Japanese film from the "golden age" of Japanese cinema to the contemporary transnational genre of anime. While introducing methodologies of film analysis and interpretation, it develops knowledge of how major works of Japanese film and animation have expressed and critiqued issues of modern Japanese society. In doing this, we trace the development of two related archetypes: the middle-class salaryman and the adolescent girl (shojo). These figures - as well as their incarnations as cyberpunks and mecha-warriors, sex workers and teen rebels - help us explore Japanese film's engagement with the strictures of middle-class society, the constrained status of women, fantasy and escapism, sexuality and desire. Weekly screenings and discussion will be supplemented by readings in film theory and cultural criticism. Directors include Ozu Yasujiro, Akira Kurosawa, Oshima Nagisa, Miyazaki Hayao, Anno Hideaki, and Hosoda Mamoru. No prior knowledge of Japanese required.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: JAPA 254
ASIA 255 - China on Screen
This course is an overview of China on the silver screen. Adopting the "nation" as its primary structuring device, the course examines how Chinese films represented the national identity, national issues, and the national past. The topics under discussion include how women's virtues became emblems of a nation that strived for modernity in the early 20th century; how films were politically appropriated for socialist purposes; how the revolutionary past was cinematically constructed, remembered and critiqued in the post-Mao era; how the national legacy and tradition were consciously or unconsciously re-created and revised as a spectacle to meet the curious gaze of the global market; and how Taiwan and Hong Kong cinema constantly reflected cultural and national identities. The course starts from the silent film period and extends to the fifth generation directors, underground filmmaking, and the revival of the martial arts genre in greater China. Feature films from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong will be screened and discussed. Secondary articles and books are also assigned in conjunction with the films. The course is organized thematically and moves chronologically. No prior knowledge of China or Chinese is required.
Cross-Listed as: CHIN 255
ASIA 256 - India and its Neighbors: The Anthropology of South Asia
Introduces students to anthropological knowledge of the peoples and cultures of South Asia and to the ways in which Western knowledge of that region has been constructed. The course examines the historical and social processes that have shaped the culture and lifeways of the people who live on the subcontinent and that link the modern states of South Asia to the world beyond their frontiers.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: ANTH 256
ASIA 258 - Gender and Sexuality in China
How are masculinity and femininity defined and transformed in modern and contemporary Chinese culture? How is the social construction of gender related to a larger social context? Through a rigorous analysis of the content and structure of modern and contemporary novels and films, this course examines the literary representation of gender and sexuality and its relation to tumultuous social transformations. Themes to be explored include: May Fourth enlightenment, anti-Japanese war, Socialist construction, the Cultural Revolution, and the liberalization of the post-Mao era. This course seeks to help students develop critical views of Chinese society and culture from a gendered perspective and gain familiarity with major authors, genres, and literary movements. This course assumes no prior knowledge of China or Chinese, and all reading materials are in English.
ASIA 260 - Narratives of Alienation: 20th Century Japanese Fiction and Film
The sense of being out of place in one's society or one's nation, estranged from one's self or the world - this is the feeling that has motivated many of the narratives of modern Japanese fiction. Through stories of precocious adolescents, outcast minorities, vagabond women, disillusioned soldiers, and rebellious youth, this course examines the social implications of narrative fiction (including film, anime, and manga) within the context of modern Japanese history. While introducing methods of literary analysis and developing a familiarity with major works of Japanese fiction, the course aims to cultivate an understanding of how stories can be used to engage and think abou the quandaries of modern society. We will explore the way these narratives express marginal experiences, rethink the foundations of human and societal bonds, and articulate new ways of being in the world. Works covered include stories by Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Kawabata Yasunari, Oe Kenzaburo, Mishima Yukio, and Murakami Haruki, as well as films by Akira Kurosawa, Koreeda Hirokazu, and Otomo Katsuhiro. No knowledge of Japanese required.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: JAPA 260
ASIA 265 - Contemporary Mongolia: Livelihoods, Economies and Environments
The "land without fences" has long existed in the travelers' mind as a place of expansive landscapes and nomadic cultures. After emerging from more than 60 years of communism, Mongolia transitioned to a democratic form of governance and capitalist economy in 1989 and by 2013 Mongolia's economy was noted as one of the fastest growing in Asia, although this growth has since slowed. Along with these monumental changes in governance structure and economy, Mongolia's peoples witnessed profound changes in their livelihoods and experienced a rapid transition to new and emerging economies. This course takes a thematic, geographic perspective on the contemporary issues facing Mongolia and its citizens and bringing together such themes as development, gender, environment, migration, ethnicity and culture in this rapidly changing region of the world. Our task for the semester will be to consider the multiplicity of changes occurring across Mongolia and contextualize these within broader debates within the discipline of geography.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Cross-Listed as: GEOG 265
ASIA 270 - Religious Images/Spaces Asia
This course contemplates the definition of Sacred Art and Sacred Space by focusing on religious visual culture in Asia and examining how intangible concepts of the divine have become tangible in art and architecture. To better understand the multilayered functioning of devotional objects and spaces associated with religious doctrines such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintoism, the class will explore foundations in iconography and then compare different religious objects and spaces through concepts such as gender, state power, the body, nature, ritual, the grotesque, and death. To account for the shifting meaning of religious icons over time, the class also reflects on how the significance of religious objects changes in the space of a museum. Ultimately, this course allows us to contemplate the multifaceted ways religious beliefs have been visualized and how these manifestations exemplify systems of cultural exchange in Asia.
Cross-Listed as: ART 270
ASIA 272 - Art of China
This course examines the art and visual culture of China from the Neolithic era to the twenty-first century. Lectures and readings will teach methods of formal visual analysis as well as provide the opportunity for students to think critically about how scholars write the artistic history of the region. Through this class, students will engage with a broad array of media, from jade carvings, Buddhist cave painting, architecture, calligraphy and monumental landscape paintings to ceramics, imperial palaces, and contemporary installations. While examining the intended meanings and functions of these objects and spaces, we will discuss the varied contexts and value systems that have informed visual production in China.
Frequency: Fall semester.
Cross-Listed as: ART 272
ASIA 273 - Art of Japan
This course examines the art, architecture, and visual culture of Japan, spanning a broad temporal frame from the ancient Neolithic era to our own contemporary moment. We will discuss a diverse array of art and architecture from ancient Jomon pottery, Shinto shrines, and print media to Buddhist sculpture, painting practices during World War II, anime (cartoons) and manga (comics). In addition to learning methods of formal visual analysis, students will gain insight into how these works articulated complex artistic, social, economic, political, and religious trends. Through this course, students will develop skills to reflect critically on the production of narratives of Japanese culture, while considering concepts such as tradition, hybridity, value, authority, authenticity, sexuality, commodity flows, nationalism, and militarism.
Cross-Listed as: ART 273
ASIA 274 - The Great Tradition in China before 1840
A study of the culture and society of China from earliest times to the eighteenth century, when the impact of the West was strongly felt. The course will feature themes in Chinese history, including the birth of the Great Philosophers, the story of the Great Wall, the making and sustaining of the imperial system, the Silk Road and international trade and cultural exchange, the emergence of Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, Genghis Kahn and his Eurasian Empire, the splendid literary and artistic achievements, the Opium War and its impact on modern China. Lecture/discussion format.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: HIST 274
ASIA 275 - The Rise of Modern China
A study of leading institutions and movements of nineteenth- and twentieth-century China. Major emphases include the impact of Western imperialism, the transformation of peasant society through revolution, the rise of Mao Tse-Tung, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Special attention will be given to U.S.-China relations.
Frequency: Every year.
Cross-Listed as: HIST 275
ASIA 276 - The Great Tradition in Japan before 1853
A survey of the major political, social, religious, intellectual, economic and artistic developments in Japan from earliest times to the opening of Japan in the 1850s. The course will revisit Japan's emperor system, Shintoism, feudalism, Samurai as a class, selective borrowing from China, Korea, and the West, and the background of Japan's rapid modernization after the Meiji Restoration.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: HIST 276
ASIA 277 - The Rise of Modern Japan
Japan's rapid industrialization in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and its phenomenal rise as the number two economic power in the world after the devastation wrought by World War II, have led many scholars to declare Japan a model worthy of emulation by all "developing" nations. After an examination of feudal Japan, this course probes the nature and course of Japan's "amazing transformation" and analyzes the consequences of its strengths as a nation-state. Considerable study of Japanese art, literature, and religion will be undertaken and American attitudes toward the Japanese and their history will also be examined.
Frequency: Every year.
Cross-Listed as: HIST 277
ASIA 282 - Language and Identity in Japanese, Asian-American, and Other Communities
This course aims to investigate the complex relationship between language and identity in Japanese, Asian American, and other diasporic communities. Language plays a significant role in conveying one's identity, as do other semiotic means such as clothing. By exploring scholarship that considers language as it relates to identity, students will discover how speakers/writers use their agency in expressing their identity and how identity emerges as a social and cultural phenomenon. They will learn about multiple interrelated factors that affect how speakers/writers view and use language such as race, ethnicity, nationality, and multilingualism. No knowledge of Asian languages is required.
Frequency: Alternate years.
ASIA 283 - Bruce Lee, His Life and Legacy
This discussion-based course is entirely focused on Bruce Lee, the actor and leading martial arts icon of the 20th century. Using American Studies and Critical Race Studies frames to examine the construction of racialized and gendered bodies, we will discuss Bruce Lee in terms of his biography, identities, politics, philosophy, and filmography. We will take time to appreciate the entertainment value and athleticism that Bruce Lee brought to his work, but we will also learn to distinguish the commercialized, commodified Bruce Lee (from t-shirts to posters to action figures) from the serious historical figure who symbolized the spirit of cultural independence and political sovereignty around the world. Among the required books and movies: The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, and "Way of the Dragon" (1972).
Frequency: Every year.
ASIA 289 - Not Your Model Minority: Japanese Americans from Incarceration to Redress and Beyond
In 1966, sociologist William Peterson published an article in the New York Times titled, "Success Story, Japanese-American Style," which praised Japanese Americans, their family structure, and their culture for achieving education and financial success despite having been incarcerated en masse during World War II. This marks the first articulation of model minority myth, which stereotypes Asian American as being successful, hardworking, law-abiding, and dutiful, relative to other minoritized groups. So, how did Japanese Americans go from being perceived as enemy spies to the original "model minority"? This course will examine the history and experience of Japanese Americans from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, with an eye toward Japanese American activism and resistance. Topics will include: U.S. imperialism in Asia; the effects of incarceration during World War II; Japanese Americans in Hawai'i; Japanese American organizing against Islamophobia and the mass incarceration of migrants at the border; and Japanese American solidarity with the civil rights movement and reparations for African Americans.
Frequency: Spring semester only.
Cross-Listed as: AMST 289
ASIA 294 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ASIA 315 - U.S. Imperialism from the Philippines to Viet Nam
In this discussion-based seminar, we will examine U.S. Global presence through the lenses of empire, diaspora, and transnationalism. We will look specifically at U.S. involvement in the Philippines and Viet Nam from 1898 to 1975 as moments of military occupation and cultural domination, as well as turning points for U.S. nation-building. What is "imperialism" and how is it different from "hegemony"? How did U.S. imperial adventures in Asia help to recreate a Western geographic imaginary of the "East"? How did they reshape or reconfigure "American" positions and identities? Under what circumstances were former imperial subjects allowed to generate racialized communities? To what extent are memories of U.S. conflicts in Asia cultivated, proliferated, twisted, or suppressed? What lessons can be garnered for the contemporary historical moment? Other topics for exploration include: internment, transracial adoption, commemorations of war, and anti-imperialist/anti-war movements.
Frequency: Spring semester.
ASIA 320 - Asian Cities
Since the last century, Asia has experienced rapid urbanization. It is now home to over half of the world's most populated cities. By 2010, the urban population in the Asia-Pacific region has surpassed the population of the United States and the European Union combined. In this course, we will focus on cities in East, Southeast and South Asia. We will first contextualize the rapid urbanization in the region's changing political economy, and identify urban issues that are unique to this region. We will further explore different theoretical approaches to understand Asian cities; several of them challenge mainstream urban theories rooted in the experiences of West European and North American cities. Upon the completion of this course, students will acquire substantive knowledge on contemporary trends of urban development in Asia, and develop familiarity with related ongoing theoretical debates. In addition, students will conduct individual research projects to develop deeper and more concrete understanding of the contemporary urbanization processes in Asia.
Frequency: Every spring.
Cross-Listed as: GEOG 320
ASIA 327 - Japanese Art and the (Inter)National Modern
This course addresses the art and visual culture of Japan from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century, a period of Japanese history marked by dramatic cultural, political, and social change. The concepts of 'modernism' and 'modernity' were crucial elements in this change, sparking revolutionary shifts in the conception of art, empire, and identities (both personal and national) in Japan that would persist into the 21st century. Our class will discuss at length the visual arts from the 1850s to 1945, a time that saw foundational cultural, political, and social transformation in Japan as the nation developed from fledgling global power into a ultranationalist military hegemon in Asia; we will also consider artistic practices in the postwar era to understand the "crisis of the modern" that developed in the decades after the war as artists struggled to find their individual and national voices. Drawing on a diverse array of artistic forms and visual media, including painting, prints, sculpture, architecture, fashion, anime (Japanese cartoons), film, and photography, we will explore how themes such as trauma, nationalism, imperialism, war, protest, hybridity, and performativity have intersected with shifting notions of modern artistic and national identities inside and outside Japan.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites required; First Years are welcome.
Cross-Listed as: ART 327
ASIA 336 - Japanese Sociocultural Linguistics
This course aims to give students the opportunity to find the joy of analyzing Japanese language by enhancing their understanding of its complex and rich sociocultural meanings. In Japanese language courses, students learn the norms (i.e., what is considered to be correct and proper) regarding honorifics, speech levels, orthography, the so-called gendered language, and other linguistic forms. In this linguistics course, they will find out how actual speakers/writers observe or deviate from the norms to create sociocultural meanings and how the adherence to or subversion of the norm often reflects language ideologies. In the process they will reflect on their own as well as others' speech and writing, and learn how to critically evaluate and analyze language in the media. In addition to reading and discussing academic articles in English, students will collect and analyze authentic Japanese data such as anime, TV drama, films, manga, novels, and blogs. Japanese Language and Culture majors who are juniors and seniors may count this course as their capstone experience. The course also fulfills the Asian Studies, Japanese, and Linguistics major and minor requirements.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): JAPA 204 or permission of the instructor.
ASIA 340 - Living on the Edge: The Asian American Experience
The Asian American experience will be used to examine the role of cultural heritage in how one views oneself, one's own ethnic group and the dominant culture. This interdisciplinary course consists of experiencing the art, reading the literature and history, and discussing the current issues of several Asian American communities. Topics include the role of women, stereotype, racism and assimilation.
ASIA 350 - Embodiment and Subjectivity in Later Chinese Art
The development of art and identities in China over the last 400 years has been, literally, revolutionary. From the Manchu rule of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and the emergence of the Chinese Republic (1912-1949) to the radical changes at work during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) under Mao Zedong and the appearance of complex reactionary artistic voices since the late 1970s, we have seen the dynamic development of modern subjectivities, evolving cultural connoisseurship, ethnic tensions, new definitions of citizenry, and counter-movements led by cynical agitators. Art and design have played a critical role in these developments, functioning as a formal and symbolic language through which communities and notions of personhood could form. This class draws on themes such as gender, sexuality, militarism, ethnicity, and commodity culture to delve into the rich resonance between the representation of the human figure and the expression of diverse identities. Students will not only learn to look closely at and write critically about a variety of media including paintings, calligraphy, prints, films, posters, performance art, and installations, but will also relate this historical cultural production to contemporaneous artistic, social, and political discourses. In the process, we will complicate notions of "Chinese" art and "Chinese" identity in Asia and on the global stage.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Cross-Listed as: ART 350
ASIA 352 - Translating Chinese
What aspects of texts are selected and translated? How is translation conducted, contained, and transformed in larger cultural, social, and historical contexts? What kinds of power dynamics and ideology are involved in the process of translation? This course is to develop a critical awareness of the practice of Chinese-English translation as a cross-cultural dialogue. It will critically examine major concepts and issues such as equivalence, faithfulness, invisibility, etc. Along with different translation theories, the course will follow the chronological order of Chinese literature being translated at different historical periods. Students will learn theories of translation and do hands-on practice in translation.
Frequency: Spring semester only.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 305 or its equivalent.
Cross-Listed as: CHIN 352
ASIA 353 - Cyber China: Internet and Contemporary Culture
What is the "Great Firewall of China?" What does it say about the symbolic power of the state, the civilians, censorship and resistance politics? The Internet has played an increasingly important role in shaping contemporary Chinese life in many ways. Technology-enabled spaces have expanded to encompass a vast array of cultural forms. They have become an arena of intense contention and contestation among multiple political forces. This senior capstone course explores various aspects of the Internet culture in mainland China, combining close examination of up-to-date online content in original Chinese language with evaluation of scholarly discourse on the Chinese internet. The goal of the seminar is to look at different ways of conceptualizing Chinese internet culture. This course also considers the implications of online communication and cultural production both for contemporary Chinese culture in general and for students' own research in particular.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 204, the equivalent language proficiency, or permission of instructor.
Cross-Listed as: CHIN 353
ASIA 378 - War Crimes and Memory in East Asia
This course's main goal is to introduce evidence of the major crimes and atrocities during World War II in East Asia such as the Nanjing Massacre, biochemical warfare (Unit 731), the military sexual slavery ("comfort women") system, the forced labor system, and inhumane treatment of POWs. The course will also help students understand the contemporary geo-political and socio-economic forces that affect how East Asians and Westerners collectively remember and reconstruct World War II.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Cross-Listed as: HIST 378
ASIA 394 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ASIA 494 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
ASIA 611 - Independent Project
Juniors and above may pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member in or associated with Asian Studies.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and two other courses related to Asia and permission of instructor and department chair must be obtained prior to the start of the semester. Junior or Senior standing.
ASIA 612 - Independent Project
Juniors and above may pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member in or associated with Asian Studies.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and two other courses related to Asia and permission of instructor and department chair must be obtained prior to the start of the semester. Junior or Senior standing.
ASIA 613 - Independent Project
Juniors and above may pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member in or associated with Asian Studies.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and two other courses related to Asia and permission of instructor and department chair must be obtained prior to the start of the semester. Junior or Senior standing.
ASIA 614 - Independent Project
Juniors and above may pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member in or associated with Asian Studies.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and two other courses related to Asia and permission of instructor and department chair must be obtained prior to the start of the semester. Junior or Senior standing.
ASIA 621 - Internship
Sophomores and above may extend their learning beyond Macalester by working for an organization or institution related to Asia, usually in the Twin Cities.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ASIA 622 - Internship
Sophomores and above may extend their learning beyond Macalester by working for an organization or institution related to Asia, usually in the Twin Cities.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ASIA 623 - Internship
Sophomores and above may extend their learning beyond Macalester by working for an organization or institution related to Asia, usually in the Twin Cities.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ASIA 624 - Internship
Sophomores and above may extend their learning beyond Macalester by working for an organization or institution related to Asia, usually in the Twin Cities.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): ASIA 111 and permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
ASIA 631 - Preceptorship
Students may be invited by a faculty member in Asian Studies to assist in the preparation and teaching of an Asian Studies course.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ASIA 632 - Preceptorship
Students may be invited by a faculty member in Asian Studies to assist in the preparation and teaching of an Asian Studies course.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ASIA 633 - Preceptorship
Students may be invited by a faculty member in Asian Studies to assist in the preparation and teaching of an Asian Studies course.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ASIA 634 - Preceptorship
Students may be invited by a faculty member in Asian Studies to assist in the preparation and teaching of an Asian Studies course.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
ASIA 641 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Instructor permission required.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ASIA 642 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Instructor permission required.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ASIA 643 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Instructor permission required.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
ASIA 644 - Honors Independent
Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Instructor permission required.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.