FALL 2004 COURSES

FALL 2004 Anthropology Courses

ANTHRCUL 232. Genes, Genealogies, Identities: Anthropological Perspectives

Credits: 4

Instructor: Jennifer E. Robertson (jennyrob@umich.edu)

Course Description: This interdisciplinary, multi-media course highlights, from anthropological, historical, and ethical perspectives, the various ways in which various people around the world have connected genes (and genetics) with genealogies and identities. The main focus is on how knowledge about genes and genetics, and ideas about ancestry and genealogical beliefs, contribute to ongoing processes of identification rather than to the fixing of 'permanent' identities. How and to what end genetic knowledge has been mapped onto dominant or 'common sense' concepts of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and kinship is critically analyzed. The ethical dilemmas posed by the intersections of genetics, racism or ethnocentrism, identity politics, and the market economy are debated, and the various images of genetics in the global mass media, advertising, and popular genealogy websites are surveyed.

ANTHRCUL 532. Politics and Practice of Ethnography

Credits: 3

Instructor: Jennifer E. Robertson (jennyrob@umich.edu)

Course Description: 'Ethnography' contains two distinct senses: fieldwork and writing. It is as a category of anthropological writing that we will explore current discourses on ethnography, and the place of archival research and fieldwork (and especially field notes) therein. In reading ethnographies published from the turn of the century to the present, we will investigate the articulation of: form and content, figure and ground, and theory and practice, and analyze narrative styles and structure, the relationship between field notes and published texts, and uses of illustrations and photographs, foreign languages, acknowledgments, bibliographies, and various other political (and politicized) ethnographic forms and practices. An author's professional and social position and identity will be included as grist for our analytical mill, and we will situate each ethnography within its historical and academic context. By the same token, each text will serve as a point of departure for an exploration of historically situated ethnographic methods, including archival work and anthropological theories. The formation and revision of anthropological canons, and coevality of theoretical approaches is a part of this exploration.

FALL 2004 - Asian Languages and Cultures: Asian Studies Courses

ASIANLAN 101. First Year Chinese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Hilda Hsi-Huei Tao (htao@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: (5). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Chinese are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 103. Laboratory fee ($10) required.

Course Description: ASIANLAN 101 is an introductory course for students who do not understand or speak any Chinese. (If you speak Chinese, this is not the right course for you. Take the placement exam in the fall for ASIANLAN 104.) In this course, students are expected to achieve control of the sound system (especially the 4 tones), basic sentence patterns, aural comprehension, daily conversations and writing characters. 374 characters will be introduced in this course. Students are required to perform skits in front of the class almost every week. A written quiz or test will be given every Tuesday and Thursday. This is a 5 credit course. Students have class an hour per day. Tuesdays and Thursdays are lectures; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are recitations. Students are required to register for both a lecture section and a recitation section. Attendance is taken every day. Textbooks: (1) Integrated Chinese (Level One, Part i) - Textbook, Workbook, Character Workbook (all in Traditional Character Edition); (2) Getting Around in Chinese — Chinese Skits for Beginners. No visitors are allowed.

ASIANLAN 104. Reading & Writing Chinese I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Karen Gu (guk@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Permission of instructor. (4). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 101, 102, 103.

Course Description: This course is designed for students with native or near-native speaking ability in Chinese, but little or no reading and writing ability. ASIANLAN 104 meets four hours per week; focuses on reading and writing Chinese and will cover the regular ASIANLAN 101-102 reading materials. Students will be graded on the basis of daily classroom performance, daily quizzes, periodic tests, and homework assignments. Students must have the permission of the instructor in order to register for this course. Most students will receive this permission via the placement exam to be held on the day before classes begin for a new academic term. For test information, please refer to http://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/chinese/testinfo.html.

ASIANLAN 125. First Year Japanese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Rumi Terao (rterao@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Japanese are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 127. Laboratory fee ($7) required.

Course Description: The goal of the course is the simultaneous progression of four skills (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) as well as becoming familiar with aspects of Japanese culture which are necessary for language competency. Recitation sessions are conducted in Japanese emphasizing speaking/reading in Japanese contexts at normal speeds. Analyses, explanations, and discussions involving the use of English are specifically reserved for lectures. It is expected that, by the end of the year, students will have basic speaking and listening comprehension skills, a solid grasp of basic grammar, reading and writing skills in Hiragana and Katakana, and the ability to recognize and produce approximately 140 Kanji in context.

Texts: Situational Functional Japanese Vol. 1-2. Tokyo: Tsukuba Language Group, 1991.


ASIANLAN 135. First Year Korean I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Ju-Hee Park (npak@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: (5). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Korean are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 137.

Course Description: This first-year course is for those who have no or minimal proficiency in Korean. This course will introduce the basic structure of Korean while focusing on the development of reading, writing, and speaking skills. Class regularly meets five times a week — two hours of lecture and three hours of aural/oral practice — and daily attendance is expected. In addition, students are required to do additional hours of work for practice on their own in the computer lab. Through lectures, students will learn Korean characters, be able to read sentences with considerable fluency, and understand the basic grammatical structures of Korean. Based on the knowledge obtained through lectures, recitation classes will help the students develop an ability to use basic conversational expressions freely. The checkpoints for evaluation include homework assignments, weekly quizzes, reading aloud, and oral interviews. The textbook for the course is College Korean by Clare You (University of California Press). Those who successfully complete the course will gain sustained control of basic conversation.

ASIANLAN 165. First Year Tibetan I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Gareth Sparham (gsparham@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: (4). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Graduate students should elect BUDDHST 501.

Section 001- Meets with BUDDHST 501.001

Course Description: This is a course for those with little or no understanding of Tibetan. The course will focus on development of aural comprehension, speaking, and reading skills. Students will be expected to achieve an ability to correctly produce the Tibetan sound system, master and reproduce basic sentence patterns, and achieve the ability to engage in basic Tibetan conversation. Students will also be expected to demonstrate an ability to spell a basic number of words and write them in dbu-can letters. Students are required to attend four hours of classes per week and make use of the tapes. There will be a quiz each week on the material covered. Textbook: William A. Magee, et al., Fluent Tibetan (Snow Lion Publications). Criteria used in evaluation include regular class attendance, homework assignments, quizzes, reading aloud, and expertise in conversation.

ASIANLAN 201. Second Year Chinese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Wei Liu (weilyao@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 102 or 103 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Chinese are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 203.

Course Description: Native or near-native speakers of Chinese are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 203 (Intensive Second Year Chinese). Students electing ASIANLAN 201 should have mastered the language material in Integrated Chinese Level 1. The goals of ASIANLAN 201 are to help students: (a) improve their spoken and aural proficiency; (b) achieve a solid reading level with the roughly 500 new vocabulary entries introduced over ten lessons; and (c) learn to express themselves clearly in writing on a variety of covered topics using learned grammar patterns and vocabulary. These goals are approached through grammar and reading-writing lectures, classroom drills, listening and speaking activities, and written quizzes and tests. An underlying theme of the course is that, insofar as language is a systematic reflection of culture, understanding the link between language and culture can make the language easier — and more fascinating — to learn. The text for the course is Integrated Chinese Level II (Cheng & Tsui Co., 1997).

ASIANLAN 207 (CHIN 225). Chinese Calligraphy

Credits: 1

Instructor: Chen Li (chensl@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 101 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (1). (Excl). May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 3 credits. Laboratory fee ($10) required.

Course Description: To explore the richness of Chinese calligraphy, this course is designed to include a series of fundamental introductions to the history of Chinese calligraphy and a brief theoretical framework for evaluation and appreciation; in addition, a practice session will be held in each class to facilitate a hands-on learning process.

ASIAN 225. Second Year Japanese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Sadanori Horiguchi (silvia@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 126 or 127 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Japanese are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 227. Laboratory fee ($9) required.

Course Description: Further training is given in all four language skills (speaking, reading, listening, and writing) for students who have acquired a basic language proficiency. The introduction to basic Japanese grammar items will be completed around the 4th week of the second term of 2nd-year Japanese. The aim of the oral component is to provide the student with the speaking and comprehension skills necessary to function effectively in more advanced practical situations in a Japanese-speaking environment. In the reading and writing component, emphasis is on reading elementary texts, developing an expository style, and writing short answers/essays in response to questions about these texts. Approximately 500 of the essential characters are covered. Discussions on the social and cultural use of language are provided through various video tapes. Students are required to attend five hours of class per week: two hours of lecture and three hours of recitation. Recitation sessions emphasize speaking/reading in Japanese at normal speed with near-native pronunciation, accent, and appropriate body language and are conducted entirely in Japanese. Analyses, explanations, and discussions involving the use of English are reserved for lectures.

Texts: Situational Functional Japanese Vol. 2-3. Tokyo: Tsukuba Language Group, 1991.

ASIANLAN 228 (JAPANESE 225). Japanese Calligraphy

Credits: 1

Instructor: Masae Suzuki (shoyo@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 125 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (1). (Excl). May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 3 credits. Laboratory fee ($10) required.

Course Description: The goals of the course are to help you learn how to practice Japanese calligraphy and cultivate your mind through the practice. Six subjects, including Kanji and Hiragana, will be introduced with the foucs on basic skills such as the manner of using brushes, balancing characters, etc. Throughout the course, students will work on clarity of thought throughout the writing of characters in a tranquil setting, concentrating on maintaining correct posture and behavior throughout the writing process.


ASIANLAN 235. Second Year Korean I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Ok-Sook Park (ospark@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 136 or 137 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (LR). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Korean are not eligible for this course. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 237.

Course Description: This is an intermediate course in spoken and written Korean. It will emphasize the aural/oral skill, but attention will also be given to grammatical structure. Class regularly meets five times a week — two hours of lectures and three hours of aural/oral practice — and daily attendance is expected. Through lectures, students will learn relatively complex structural patterns of Korean, build up their vocabulary, and get acquainted with various aspects of Korean culture and society. Based on the knowledge obtained through lectures, recitation classes will help the students develop an ability to carry on survival-level conversation. In evaluation, weight will be placed on homework assignments, biweekly quizzes, and oral interviews.

ASIANLAN 265. Second year Tibetan I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Gareth Sparham (gsparham@umich.edu)

Section 001- Meets with BUDDHST 511.001

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 166 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (4). (LR). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: Students taking ASIANLAN 265 should have taken ASIANLAN 165 and 166 or an equivalent. They should have a basic vocabulary of about 400 words and be able to read and engage in basic conversation. The goal of ASIANLAN 265 is to greatly improve (a) both aural comprehension and speaking ability and (b) reading skill. The course will consist of continual in-class drilling of more complex constructions and set passages for reading and comprehension. These passages will form the basis for in-class discussion and conversation. Students will be graded on regular class attendance, homework assignments, quizzes, and written tests. Textbook: Melvyn C. Goldstein, Modern Spoken Tibetan (Available through the instructor.)

ASIANLAN 301. Third Year Chinese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Yi Lin (hliang@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 202 or 203 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in ASIANLAN 303 or 304.

Course Description: ASIANLAN 301 is the continuation of ASIANLAN 202 (Second Year Chinese II). All four basic skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are equally stressed. The textbook is A New Text for a Modern China (Cheng & Tsui Co., 1999). Students are required to listen to audio tapes every day and actively participate in class activities. The course meets five hours per week. Of these, the first two are devoted to understanding and discussing the reading material. The third hour is for pattern drilling, the fourth is reserved for oral presentations, discussions, and skits. The fifth is used for taking quizzes or tests. Student work is evaluated on the basis of daily attendance, exercises, dictations on Monday and Wednesday and one quiz or test per week. There is no final examination. The class is conducted mainly in Chinese. Note: Native or near-native speakers of Chinese are not eligible for this course. ASIANLAN 304 (Reading and Writing Chinese III) is the equivalent designed for such students.

ASIANLAN 304. Reading and Writing Chinese III

Credits: 4

Instructor: Yi Lin (hliang@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 204 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). Conducted solely in Chinese. (4). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: This course is designed for students who have native or near-native speaking ability in Chinese and who have completed Reading and Writing Chinese II. The major textbook is A New Text for a Modern China (Cheng & Tsui Co., 1999). In this course, students primarily learn the strategies and skills required for reading Chinese newspapers and gain a basic understanding of cultural and social aspects of modern China. In addition, students will have a plenty of opportunities to practice writings at discourse level.

ASIANLAN 305. Advanced Spoken Chinese I

Credits: 2

Instructor: Laura Ann Smith Grande (lsgrande@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 202 or 203 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (2). (Excl). May be elected twice for credit.

Course Description: This course, designed as a spoken supplement to post-second year Chinese core courses, is intended to help non-native-speaking students further strengthen their oral competence. Students will have two hours a week to talk, talk, and talk through brief speeches and discussions on topics selected by the class. The instructor will serve as a coordinator to encourage and coach students in speaking Chinese, rather than to teach them how to speak it. Vocabulary lists will be provided before and after each discussion session. Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation in discussions, oral presentations, and vocabulary quizzes. Graduate students who want to earn credit for this course can contact the instructor for arrangements. Native or rear-native speakers of Mandarin cannot earn credit for this course.

ASIANLAN 307 (ASIAN 401). Mandarin for Cantonese Speakers I

Credits: 2

Instructor: Laura Ann Smith Grande (lsgrande@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 302 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (2). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: The course is specifically designed for Cantonese-speaking students who have advanced Chinese reading and writing skills but lack oral Mandarin (Putonghua) competence. Classroom activities, based on intensive pinyin drills, consist solely of guided oral practice and corrections. Cantonese native speakers who lack advanced reading and writing skills are encouraged to attend Chinese core courses or, if qualified, ASIANLAN 305.

ASIANLAN325. Third Year Japanese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Junko Kondo (jkondo@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 226 or 227 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Japanese are not eligible for this course.

Course Description: Advanced training is given in all four language skills. Practice in the use of spoken Japanese is contextualized within simulated Japanese social settings. A variety of selected modern texts (essays, fiction, and newspapers) are read, with emphasis on expository style. The goal is to produce self-sufficient readers who can read and discuss most texts with the aid of a dictionary. Recitation sessions are conducted all in Japanese with an emphasis on speaking and reading Japanese at normal speed with near-native pronunciation, accent, intonation, and appropriate body language. Lectures will also be conducted in Japanese, with occasional English explanation if necessary, and will focus on Japanese grammar and culture. Texts: Selected reading materials


ASIANLAN 335. Third Year Korean I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Ok-Sook Park (ospark@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 236 or 237 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit. Native or near-native speakers of Korean are not eligible for this course.

Course Description: Third-Year Korean will help students improve their skills, both spoken and written, up to intermediate-high level. Class meets five hours per week — two hours of lecture and three hours of recitation. In lecture classes, the students will learn Chinese characters, and thereby build up their vocabulary and heighten reading ability. The reading materials will inform the students of various cultural aspects of Korea. Through weekly writing assignments, the students will also learn more accurate syntax, pragmatic ways of expression, and logical ways of thinking in Korean. In recitation classes, strengthened aural/oral training will be given. The students will tell a short story, have free group-discussion, and learn songs. Evaluation will be based on attendance, homework assignments, exams, class activities, and various oral performances.

ASIANLAN 401. Fourth-Year Chinese I

Credits: 5

Instructor: Qinghai Chen (chenq@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 302, 303, or 304 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (5). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: ASIANLAN 401 and 402 are standard fourth-year Chinese language courses for students with three years of Chinese studies to further develop their skills in modern Chinese. The textbook Intention and Strategy: An Advanced Course in Chinese, of which the instructor is a co-author, will be supplemented by other materials. All aspects of the language — listening, speaking, reading, and writing — will be emphasized by way of carefully selected texts and meticulously developed exercises. Through various forms of language activities, students are expected to enhance their general language foundation and, in particular, to improve their productive skills, oral and written, at the discourse and rhetorical levels. Classes are conducted in Chinese. There will be no final exam. Assessment will be based on attendance, participation, homework, tests, and exams.

ASIANLAN 404. Reading and Writing Chinese IV

Credits: 4

Instructor: Qinghai Chen (chenq@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 304 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). For advanced native speakers who wish to further their Chinese language studies. (4). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: This course is designed for Chinese native-speaking students who have acquired a relatively high level of language competence (typically through years of regular education in a Chinese-speaking country or area) and want to further their Chinese language studies. It may also be taken as the continuation of ASIANLAN 304, Reading and Writing Chinese III. Requirements include both reading and writing assignments in modern Chinese, in a variety of subjects and genres, and an individually designed term project. Emphasis is placed on actual language use rather than on linguistic knowledge. Instruction and discussion are conducted in Chinese. There is no final exam. Assessment is based on attendance, participation, and quality of work.

ASIANLAN 409. Literary Chinese I

Credits: 4

Instructor: William H Baxter III (wbaxter@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 202 or 203 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (4). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: For more than three thousand years, down to the early 20th century, the vast majority of Chinese texts were written in Literary Chinese (wenyan). For a considerable period of history, Literary Chinese also served as the international written language for the countries of East Asia. Wenyan literature is an important part of the cultural heritage of all humankind.

Although after the May Fourth Movement (Wu-si yundong) of the early twentieth century, baihua or colloquial-style language replaced wenyan as the literary norm, wenyan expressions and constructions are still frequently encountered in written and even spoken Chinese, and it is difficult to go far beyond the basic level in modern Chinese without some knowledge of wenyan. The purpose of the course sequence 'Literary Chinese I - II' (ASIANLAN 409-410) is to help students gain access to this heritage.

In Literary Chinese I, our goal is to build a foundation in the grammatical structures, basic vocabulary, and rhetorical patterns of Literary Chinese, all of which are significantly different from those of modern Chinese. Completion of second-year Chinese (ASIANLAN 202 or 203, in the new numbering system) or the equivalent is a prerequisite for the course. Both English and Chinese may be used in class, and the use of Chinese is encouraged; generally, oral translations may be done into either English or modern Chinese. Some written assignments will require Chinese-English translation, however.

ASIANLAN 425 Fourth Year Japanese I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Shoko Emori (semori@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 326 or 327 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (4). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: The goal of the course is the acquisition of linguistic, pragmatic, and sociocultural competence in all four skills at an advanced level. A TV drama is used as the main textbook with the focus on the improvement of speaking and listening competence, and variety of reading materials on Japanese sociocultural issues that are related to the content of the TV drama are used to further develop reading and writing skills. The two hour class period is devoted to the verification and discussion of the drama content, use of new vocabulary and expressions as well as the acquisition of more complex, advanced grammar pattern usages. The techniques of improving reading skills is taught during the class period, and the actual reading of the materials and writing of the reaction papers will be assigned as homework.

ASIANLAN 429. Business Japanese I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Rumi Terao (rterao@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 326 or 327 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). Permission of instructor. (4). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: This course stresses the effective use of the Japanese spoken language in contexts likely to be encountered by a career-oriented professional in Japan. Topics include organization, business travel, meeting, bureaucracy, distribution, expansion, annual reports, business ritual, and socializing. In addition, the course will include practice in rapid reading and transcription/dictation of moderately difficult texts, newspaper articles, and news broadcasts.

ASIANLAN 465. First Year Classical Tibetan I

Credits: 3

Instructor: Gareth Sparham (gsparham@umich.edu)

Course Description: An introduction to the classical language as it is encountered in translations and original Tibetan literary works. This is a course designed for students with a good comprehension of basic spoken Tibetan. Passages from classical texts from different periods of Tibetan history will be read. Students will be expected to prepare translations from the assigned texts which will be presented in class. Considerable time will be given to the analysis of syntax. Students will be expected to gain mastery of the basic vocabulary, grammar, and syntax necessary to read classical Tibetan. During the course some passages from traditional Tibetan works on grammar and poetics will be assigned for memorization.

ASIANLAN 469. Advanced Classical Tibetan I

Credits: 3

Instructor: Gareth Sparham (gsparham@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 468 (Prerequisites enforced at registration). (3). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: Designed to train students in basic skills necessary for reading Tibetan literature. Much time is spent reading Buddhist literature (autochthonous as well as in translation from Indic languages). The course offers explanations and exercises in the phonology of literary Tibetan ('Lhasa Dialect'), nominal derivation, syntax of the nominal particles, verbal conjugation and suffixes, and the standard script (dbu-can).

FALL 2004 ASIAN STUDIES COURSES


ASIAN 204(121) / History 204. East Asia: Early Transformations

Credits: 4

Instructor: Hitomi Tonomura (tomitono@umich.edu)

Course Description: This course is an introduction to the history of East Asia before 1700, with an emphasis on China, Korea, and Japan. It aims to provide an overview of the main trends which not only transformed the society, politics, economy, and culture of each country but also laid the ground for future shaping of this region into three distinctly different but closely connected modern nations. Confucian style governments, gender relations, popular religions, peasant rebellions, technological innovation, and demographic shifts are some of the topics we will cover.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

ASIAN 230 / PHIL 230 / RELIGION 230. Introduction to Buddhism

Credits: 4

Instructor: Donald Lopez (dlopez@umich.edu)

Course Description: This course is an introduction to the study of Buddhism as a religious tradition, with attention to its moral and philosophical teachings, its modes of practice (e.g., meditation, ritual), and its social and institutional contexts. The course takes a historical approach, concentrating on the traditions that developed in India, and the transformations of those traditions in Tibet and East Asia. Students attend three hours of lecture and a one-hour discussion section each week. No previous knowledge of the subject is required. The course is arranged both thematically and historically, but does not pretend to cover the full range of Buddhist beliefs and practices. Among the themes linked to historical questions are: the Buddha in legend and history; Buddhist monks, nuns, and monasteries; lay practices; contemporary Buddhism, and Buddhism in the history of Southeast Asia and Japan. Themes discussed cross-culturally and across historical periods include: meditation, rituals and festivals, philosophy, and Buddhist images and ritual objects. The latter themes will include topics in Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism as well. Readings consist of five short books and a course pack that includes selected chapters from a textbook and primary texts in translation.

The course combines lectures (3/wk) with discussion (once/wk). Student evaluation will be based on participation in discussion sections (attendance required), five unannounced quizzes, two short (3 page) papers, and a comprehensive final examination.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

ASIAN 252. Undergraduate Seminar in Japanese Culture
Section 001 Food, Identity, and Community in Japan

Credits: 3

Instructor: Ken Ito (kenkito@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: No knowledge of Japanese language is required. May be elected twice for credit. Repetition requires permission of the department.

Course Description: Students will explore the place of food in a community's understanding of itself and of others. Using modern Japanese fiction and film as our main texts, we will examine how the discourse of food defines regional and
national identities, and how communities are represented through patterns of consumption or deprivation. We will probe the tension between the role of certain foods as markers of cultural authenticity and the reality of cuisine as a historically dynamic, hybrid enterprise. We will investigate the connections of gender and class to food and its preparation, and study how the sharing of food affects human alliances. In short, we will be asking what it means to eat sushi.

ASIAN 252. Undergraduate Seminar in Japanese Culture
Section 002

Credits: 3

Instructor: E. Ramirez-Christensen (qmz@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: No knowledge of Japanese language is required. (3). (HU). May be elected twice for credit. Repetition requires permission of the department.

Section 001 - Haiku Poetry & Philosophy

Course Description: The seminar will examine the world's briefest known poem, the haiku. How does this 17-syllable, 3-line poem signify? What assumptions about the nature of language and meaning lie behind its composition and interpretation? What social milieu produced it? What is its link to Zen practice and other Zen arts? Readings will be from the poetry and critical commentaries of the master Bashô and his disciples, with later poets such as Buson and Issa, as well as haiga ( haiku paintings), providing opportunities for comparative study. The Western understanding of haiku in the Imagist movement, Ezra Pound, the beat generation, and Barthe's Empire of Signs will also be examined. Secondary sources are available in English, but given the brevity of the poems, analysis of some Japanese texts and their various English renditions will often be possible. Requirements: 4 short papers, a 36-verse haikai linked sequence by the class, and individual English haiku compositions through the academic term.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation


ASIAN 254. Undergraduate Seminar in Korean Culture

Credits: 3

Instructor: Eun-Su Cho (eunsucho@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: No knowledge of Korean language is required. (3). (HU). May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 6 credits. Repetition requires permission of the department.

Section 001- Buddhist Nuns in Korea

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

ASIAN 263 / PHIL 263. Introduction to Chinese Philosophy

Credits: (3; in the half-term)

Instructor: unknown

Course Description: This course focuses on the major philosophical schools of Classical China (through the unification of China in 221 B.C.). Special consideration is given to the ethical, religious, and political thought of the Confucian, Mohist, and Daoist schools. The doctrines associated with these early Chinese philosophical movements, along with Buddhism which came to China around the first century A.D., affected cultural developments in art, philosophy, religion, science, and politics throughout Chinese history. The course concentrates on the theories of human nature that were associated with these early Chinese thinkers and the ways in which these theories served as the foundation for their ethical, religious, and political views. No knowledge of Chinese is required. Readings are in translation. All students are required to write one page weekly reaction papers to the assigned readings and a final 10-12 page paper.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

ASIAN 301 / WOMENSTD 301. Writing Japanese Women

Credits: 4

Instructor: E. Ramirez-Christensen (qmz@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Taught in English; a knowledge of Japanese is not required. (4). (HU). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: This is a course on writing by and about women — women's self-representation and male major authors' representations of women — in Japanese culture. It begins by a feminist reading of one of the world's oldest (9th-11th century) traditions of women's writing: the memoirs, poetry, and fiction of the Heian court ladies who produced the country's first canonical literature and permanently marked its cultural self-image. It moves on to examine the semiotics of the feminine in Japanese culture using the popular image of women (including the portrayal of Heian women authors and their works) in medieval didactic and gothic tales; in the narrative painting scrolls; in the No and Kabuki stage, where male actors performed the 'quintessentially feminine' to admiring audiences; in wood-block prints of 'beauties' (courtesans or geisha); and in stories of 'amorous women' in the thriving new merchant culture. The third section focuses on modern women's writing, in particular its resistance to the intervenng representations of the feminine and its own productive rereading of the Heian 'mothers' in the process of recuperating women's ancient place in the critical representation of Japanese society. Along with primary sources in literature and the visual arts, secondary sources will include theoretical readings in the psychology of sex, love, and death by Freud, Kristeva, Lacan, and Bataille; in the field of cultural production by Bourdieu; and in feminist theories of reading in the Anglo-American academy. Materials and focus will vary from year to year.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation


ASIAN 361. The Pursuit of Happiness in the Chinese Tradition

Credits: 4

Instructor: Shuen-Fu Lin (lsf@umich.edu)

The thematic focus of this course is what the philosopher-psychologist William James observed a century ago:

Course Description: 'How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do, and of all they are willing to endure.'

Although the idea of the 'pursuit of happiness' has a privileged place in American thinking, reflections on the happiness question can readily be found in many other cultures through the ages as well. In this course, we will study texts from Chinese civilization as their creative and thinking authors pondered this age-old question and the meaning of life. We will discuss such issues as the generally life-affirming world views of the Chinese; the debates on how to construct a perfect society; what constitutes a good life; the fulfillments of spiritual cultivation, love and marriage, having a family and friends, work and play, and public service and/or private artistic and scholarly pursuit; and attitudes towards fate, suffering, evil, war, and death. Texts selected will be works of literature in the broad sense of the word, including philosophical, historical, and religious texts as well as belles-lettres. The course covers mainly the period from early times to the 12th century, but several works from later eras will also be included. Sample readings are: texts in Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and Buddhism; the historical account of the First Emperor of Qin who created the Chinese empire in 221 BCE; the works of China's greatest recluse-poet Tao Qian (365 - 427); the song lyrics of the woman poet Li Qingzhao (1084 - ca. 1151); The Plum in the Golden Vase, an anonymous 16th-century novel that passionately depicts the dying of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) through the main characters' relentless indulgence in the four vices of 'wine, lust, greed, and anger'; and Six Chapters of a Floating Life by Shen Fu (1763 - after 1809), a true story about an ordinary artistic couple who were ostensibly failures in life, but happy in their failures.

The format of the course consists of three lectures and one recitation session per week. A few brief reaction papers, three short papers (four or five pages each), and a final examination are required. A distinctive feature of the course is the inclusion, along with printed texts, of material from visual culture such as film, painting, and illustration.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Upper Level Writing

ASIAN 380. Topics in Asian Studies

Credits: 3

Instructor: Christi Ann Merrill (merrillc@umich.edu), Rachel Lara Sturman (rsturman@umich.edu)

Section 001- Partition: Stories of Violence and Identity in Twentieth-Century South Asia. Meets with HISTORY 392.003

Course Description: In 1947, India achieved independence from British colonial rule, but freedom brought a devastating partition into two separate nations: India and Pakistan. 15 million fled across the newly-formed borders, and a million were killed. The violence and dislocation have shaped post-colonial identities in both nations, and continue to inform border disputes and communal conflicts a half-century later. This course brings together a literary scholar and a historian to discuss what it means for the survivors of partition and the succeeding generations to remember details of these traumatic experiences in fiction, film, and personal testimony, and how these memories continue to form ideas about history, nation, community, family, self. Students will be expected to write an informal one-page reading response for each class, to participate actively in discussion, and to take a midterm and a final open book examination.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

ASIAN 455. Topics in Asian Studies

Credits: 3

Instructor: Miranda Brown (mdbrown@umich.edu)

Section 001 - Chinese History before the Mongols (As Seen from the Perspective of Non-Conformists, Women, and Gossips)

Course Description: This course is intended to introduce students to major issues and (especially) controversies in pre-modern Chinese History. The course covers the political, cultural, social, and material history from the Neolithic to the Mongol conquest (in the 13th century), with focus on themes, rather than standard political chronology. Some of the questions we will address: Is "China" the oldest continuous civilization? Was it culturally and ethnically homogenous? Were the pre-modern Chinese insular, xenophobic, or racist? Was Chinese traditional culture and society "patriarchal"? To what extent was the state authoritarian and successful in penetrating into the daily lives of individuals? Course
assignments will focus on primary sources (unofficial and official histories, political polemics, philosophical writings, gossip, and legal cases). In addition, students will be asked to analyze visual sources, which provide clues about the daily life of the peasants and elite. The final grade will be based on 2 papers (6-8 pages each), weekly reaction
papers (1-2 paragraphs), class participation, and multiple oral presentations. All welcome. No assumed knowledge of Chinese history, culture, or language required.

ASIAN 480 / PHIL 457 / RELIGION 480. Topics in Buddhism – Buddhist Hells and Utopias

Credits: 3

Instructor: Luis O. Gómez (lgomez@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIAN 220 or 230. (3). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation , It will include about a 33% of Chinese (Buddhist and non-Buddhist) materials

ASIAN 500 (650). Seminar in Asian Studies

Credits: 3

Instructor: Shuen-Fu Lin (lsf@umich.edu)

Section 001 - Deconstructing a Great Text in Ancient Chinese Philosophy and Literature

Course Description: This is an invitation to study the Zhuangzi (aka Chuang Tzu), one of the greatest texts in ancient Chinese philosophy and prose literature which has had a profound influence on Chinese life, art, literature, philosophy, religion, and aesthetic theory during the last two millennia. We will do a close examination of selected sections of the text, including the Inner Chapters and such Outer and Mixed Chapters as "Autumn Floods," "Supreme Happiness," "Imputed Words," and "Below in the Empire." Students are expected to read all of these chapters from the text either in the Chinese original or in one of the good translations (such as those by Burton Watson, A. C. Graham, and Victor Mair).  But students will be required to read a manageable number of particular sections of these chapters for in-depth discussion in class. While enjoying this great text itself, we will also investigate such broad issues as: the first "philosophic breakthrough" in Chinese civilization--one of the major philosophic breakthroughs in the history of humankind--as discussed in "Below in the Empire" chapter; textual problems and interpretive strategies; ancient myths and the Zhuangzi; language and thought; philosophical essays as rhetorical constructs; the literary values of the Zhuangzi. In addition to selected chapters from the Zhuangzi, some readings of secondary sources in Chinese and English will also be assigned. Active participation in discussion, oral reports, and a substantial term paper are required.

Prerequisites & Distribution: Graduate standing.

ASIAN 536 (CHIN 660). Proseminar in Traditional Chinese Fiction

Credits: 3

Instructor: David Rolston (drolston@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 302; Graduate standing and permission of instructor. (3). May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 9 credits.

No Description Provided. Contact the Department

ASIAN 554 (JAPANESE 554). Modern Japanese Literature

Credits: 3

Instructor: Ken K. Ito (kenkito@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ASIANLAN 326 and 428. May be elected up to three times for credit. Repetition requires permission of the instructor.

Course Description: This seminar explores the fiction written amidst the epistemic rupture of the American Occupation of Japan following World War II. The years from 1945 to 1952 saw the destruction of Japanese imperial nationhood, the occupation of the country by a foreign power, and the imposition of "democracy." John Dower's magisterial cultural history, Embracing Defeat:
Japan in the Wake of World War II (Norton, 1999), will provide a lens through which to read the fiction produced during these years of despair and transformation. The effort will be to explore the relationships between fiction and the larger discourses of the period and to see how writers responded to the forced postwar reconfigurations of national, gender, class, and sexual identities. The readings will consist of works by Dazai Osamu, Sakaguchi Ango, Tamura Taijiro, Hara Tamiki, Ooka Shohei, Mishima Yukio, Kawabata Yasunari, Hayashi Fumiko, and others.

The seminar will be organized so that readings may be done either in Japanese or in English translation; graduate students in fields other than Japanese literature are welcome to participate and upperclass undergraduates may register with the permission of the instructor.

FALL 2004 BUDDHIST COURSES


BUDDHST 501. Beginning Modern Tibetan I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Gareth Sparham (gsparham@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Graduate standing. (4). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: In this course students will learn how to speak, read and write Tibetan. Pronunciation will follow Central Tibetan dialect, but not slavishly. The course is designed to meet the needs of those interested in speaking modern colloquial Tibetan and those interested in future textual studies in classical Tibetan. The Tibetan script will be used during the class. After the introduction to the script and pronunciation, we will go through the lessons of the textbook. Students will be expected to spend considerable time using the CD to familiarize themselves with Tibetan pronunciation and sentence structure.

Grading: Grading is based on weekly homework and quizzes and on class attendance and participation.

Textbook: We will be using Nicolas Tournadre's Manuel de Tibetain Standard in English translation. Because it will not be published until later this year the publisher has allowed us to photocopy the manuscript. The cost to us is not yet determined but will probably be between 50 and 75 dollars.

BUDDHST 511. Intermediate Modern Tibetan I

Credits: 4

Instructor: Gareth Sparham (gsparham@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: BUDDHST 502. Graduate standing. (4). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: Students taking BUDDHST 511 should have taken BUDDHST 501 and 502 or an equivalent. They should have a basic vocabulary of about 400 words and be able to read and engage in basic conversation. The goal of BUDDHST 511 is to greatly improve (a) both aural comprehension and speaking ability and (b) reading skill. The course will consist of continual in-class drilling of more complex constructions and set passages for reading and comprehension. These passages will form the basis for in-class discussion and conversation. Students will be graded on regular class attendance, homework assignments, quizzes, and written tests. Textbook: Melvyn C. Goldstein, Modern Spoken Tibetan (Available through the instructor.)

FALL 2004 CENTER FOR CHINESE STUDIES COURSES


CCS 501 / HISTORY 549. Social Scientific Studies of Historical and Contemporary China

Credits: 3

Instructor: James Lee (jkl@umich.edu), Ching Kwan Lee (chinglee@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Permission of instructor. (3). May be elected twice for credit.

Section 001- China Social Science. Meets with SOC 895.001 and ASIAN 500.001

Course Description: CCS 501 is part of a two-semester Interdisciplinary Seminar in Chinese Studies intended for M.A. and Ph.D. students from all disciplines. Disciplinary departments create barriers between shared problems, methods, and sources. ISCS is designed to recover and highlight the connecting links of Chinese Studies: the multidimensional study of China encompassing all social groups and the entire range of human experience, from literature and the visual arts to politics and economics. There are no formal prerequisites, except permission of the instructors.

CCS 501, taught by James Lee (History and Sociology) and Ching Kwan Lee (Sociology), will introduce graduate students to current issues in social scientific studies of China, emphasizing different methodological approaches drawn from multiple disciplines. The course will address four common themes — family and social organization, poverty, social stratification and social mobility, and political economy — that intersect the multiple social science disciplines. Each class will discuss one or more disciplinary approaches to a common subject through class discussion of exemplary studies of China. We will discuss the existing state of the field on each subject and emphasize the different research design and data available for such studies.

CCS 700. Master's Thesis in Chinese Studies

Credits: 1 - 3

Instructor: unknown

Prerequisites & Distribution: MA student in the Center for Chinese Studies; and permission of instructor. (1-3). (INDEPENDENT). May be elected twice for a maximum of 3 credits. This course has a grading basis of "S" or "U."

Course Description: The Master's thesis is a substantial research paper reflecting interdisciplinary training and the ability to use Western language literature and Chinese language sources. Thesis research is undertaken under the supervision of a faculty or research associate of the Center of Chinese Studies, usually in the last term of the degree program.

FALL 2004 CHINESE COURSE


CHIN 695 / HISTART 690. Topics in the Theory and Criticism of Chinese Art

Credits: 3

Instructor: Qiang Ning (qning@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: One 400-level or higher Chinese Art History or Chinese literature course and 2 years Chinese language. Graduate standing. (3). May not be repeated for credit.

This Course Meets With: See HISTART 690.001. for course description.

FALL 2004 CENTER FOR JAPANESE STUDIES COURSE


CJS 450. Topics in Japanese Studies

Credits: 1

Instructor: Kazue Muta

Section 001 — Women, Family and Sexuality in Japan

Meets: 10/6, 10/13, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10. 11/17, 12/1, and 12/8. Taught in English.

Prerequisites & Distribution: Upperclass standing

Course Description: This course examines Japanese society from a sociological perspective. The topics covered in the course include education, family, labor market, gender, and social inequality. The course will introduce a Japanese version of the general social survey, so that the students will have a chance to examine opinions and attitudes of Japanese people.

FALL 2004 CORPORATE STRATEGIES AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COURSES


CSIB 503. THE WORLD ECONOMY

Credits: 1.5 Core

Instructor: Linda Lim (lylim@umich.edu)

Section 451- meets with section 002 in room D1275.

Course Description: The march of globalization continues, and international markets are pivotal to the operations of virtually all corporations. As companies intensify their international presence, the need to understand the economic and political challenges associated with the global environment increases. Such challenges are the focus of this course. We will explore the theories and concepts that are crucial to understanding the global location and structure of industries, the politics of trade and investment, and the impact of globalization on firm strategy. Various learning methods are used in the course, including in-class lectures, discussion of current events in the world economy, and case analysis.


CSIB 584. BUSINESS IN ASIA.

Credits: 3 Elective Prerequisites: CSIB 503/510

Instructor: Linda Lim (lylim@umich.edu)

Section 1

Course Description: This 14-week course deals with business in 12 Asian economies – Japan; the East Asian newly-industrialized economies (NIEs) of South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong; the Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam; and the large emerging economies of China and India. Together, these economies include nearly half of the world's population and (excluding Japan) over half of the population in emerging markets.

Course material is organized into four broad categories:
(1) Regional and national business environments,
(2) Business enterprises and strategies,
(3) Industry cases and trends,
(4) Management and social issues/disputes/problems.

FALL 2004 ECONOMICS COURSES


ECON 454. Economics of Japan
Comparative Economic Systems and National Economies

Credits: 3

Instructor: Gary R Saxonhouse (grsaxon@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ECON 101 and 102. (3). May not be repeated for credit. Rackham credit requires additional work.

Course Description: Analysis of Japan's economic organization, structure, and performance. Special emphasis is placed on the character of Japanese economic policy making and the behavior of Japanese enterprises and financial institutions, the Japanese labor force, and the Japanese household. There also will be ample discussion of Japan's international economic relations and its current macroeconomic and structural problems. The course will have a lecture format, but questions are welcome. The course grade will be determined by two one-and-one-half hour examinations and a final.

ECON 455. The Economy of the People's Republic of China
Comparative Economic Systems and National Economies

Credits: 3

Instructor: Albert Francis Park (alpark@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: ECON 101 and 102. (3). May not be repeated for credit. Rackham credit requires additional work.

Course Description: This course will examine the process of institutional change and economic development through the experiences of mainland China and Taiwan. Emphasis is on economic reforms in mainland China since 1978, including agricultural reforms, rural industrialization, reform of state-owned enterprises, international trade and foreign investment, fiscal and financial reforms, and regional inequality and poverty. Other topics: record of socialist planning in China; pace and sequence of reform in socialist economies; Taiwan's structural transformation; and China's entry into the World Trade Organization.

FALL 2004 FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES COURSE


FILMVID 441. National Cinemas
Gender and Society in Korea Cinema, Section 005

Meets with ASIAN 455, Section 002

Credits: 3

Instructor: Hye Seung Chung (chunghs@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: FILMVID 230 or 236 or 360. (3). (Excl). May be elected for a maximum of 6 credits. May be elected more than once in the same term. Laboratory fee ($50) required.

Course Description: This course aims to help students understand the importance of gender in Korean society and history through film and video. Cinematic representations of women will be examined within various historical, political, and socio-cultural contexts. An emphasis will be placed on investigating the ways in which traditional patriarchal values and colonial/postcolonial situations have oppressed and marginalized women, both real and cinematic, throughout Korea's turbulent modern history — a period bookended by the Chosun Dynasty and the contemporary era. In addition, the course will spotlight exemplary films and videos directed by Korean and Korean American women — works which challenge the hegemonic disposition of the male status quo and amplify alternative, heretofore repressed voices. The critical issues central to our discussion include: modernization, nationalism, colonialism, postcolonialism, femininity, masculinity, class, race, ethnicity, otherness, and diaspora.

FALL 2004 HISTORY COURSES


HISTORY 204/ ASIAN 204. East Asia: Early Transformations

Credits: 4

Instructor: Hitomi Tonomura (tomitono@umich.edu)

Course Description: This course is an introduction to the history of East Asia before 1700, with an emphasis on China, Korea, and Japan. It aims to provide an overview of the main trends which not only transformed the society, politics, economy, and culture of each country but also laid the ground for future shaping of this region into three distinctly different but closely connected modern nations. Confucian style governments, gender relations, popular religions, peasant rebellions, technological innovation, and demographic shifts are some of the topics we will cover.

HISTORY 250. China From the Oracle Bones to the Opium War

Credits: 3

Instructor: Chun-shu Chang (cschang@umich.edu)

Course Description: This course consists of a survey of early Chinese history, with special emphasis on the origins and development of the political, social, and economic institutions and their intellectual foundations. Special features include class participation in performing a series of short dramas recreating critical issues and moments in Chinese history, slides especially prepared for the lectures, new views on race and gender in the making of China, intellectual and scientific revolutions in the seventeenth century, and literature and society in premodern China.

HISTORY 392. Topics in Asian History

History of Chinese Science, Section 002. Meets with ASIAN 380, Section 001

Credits: 3

Instructor: Miranda Brown (mdbrown@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: May be elected twice for credit.

Course Description: This course is intended as an introduction to the basic problems and issues in pre-modern Chinese medicine, astronomy, chemistry, and mathematics. In addition to examining the content of Chinese science, we will also explore religious, philosophical, social, political, and cultural factors that contributed (or hampered) the development of science. Some questions that we will pursue: What were Chinese attitudes towards nature and the past and how did they differ from those in the West? Why did the Science Revolution not happen in China (or did it)? Readings will focus on primary source materials (in translation). Students will give oral presentations and write several short papers. No knowledge of Chinese or Chinese history is required. This course is not open to students who have taken ASIAN 251 (Fall 2002 or Winter 2003) with me.

HISTORY 451. Japan Since 1700.

Credits: 3

Instructor: Leslie Pincus (lpincus@umich.edu)

Course Description: In this course, we explore the history of Japan from the transformation and decline of a semi-feudal system in the 18th and early 19th century to Japan's rise as a world economic power in the latter half of the 20th century. We will cover a number of major historical themes that emerge from these centuries of radical change: the deterioration of official forms of control during the latter part of the Tokugawa era (1600-1867) and the rise of new commoner social and cultural spheres; Japan's entry into a world market in the mid-19th century and the establishment of the modern Japanese nation-state; industrial modernization and its social effects; the changing status of women; new forms of social protest and mass culture in the early 20th century; the rise of Japanese imperialism in Asia; the Pacific Asian War and its aftermath; the U.S. Occupation and postwar recovery; 'high-growth economics' and its social-environmental costs; culture and political economy in 'post-industrial' Japan. The course focuses on the diversity of historical experiences as well as the conflicts that have shaped the history of modern Japan.

HISTORY 549 / CCS 501. Social Scientific Studies of Historical and Contemporary China

Credits: 3

Instructor: James Lee (jkl@umich.edu), Ching Kwan Lee (chinglee@umich.edu)

Section 001 - China Social Science. Meets with SOC 895.001 and ASIAN 500.001

Prerequisites & Distribution: Permission of instructor. May be elected twice for credit.

See CCS 501.001. for course description.

HISTORY 592. Topics in Asian History
Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East

Credits: 3

Instructor: Hitomi Tonomura (tomitono@umich.edu)

Section 001 - Keywords/Concepts in Japanese Society and History

Prerequisites & Distribution: Upper-class standing. May be elected twice for credit.

No Description Provided. Contact the Department.

HISTORY 755. Seminar in Early Chinese History

Credits: 3

Instructor: Chun-shu Chang (cschang@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Reading knowledge of Chinese. Graduate standing. (3). May not be repeated for credit.

No Description Provided. Contact the Department.

HISTORY 796. Topics in History

Credits: 3

Instructor: Leslie Pincus (lpincus@umich.edu)

No Description Provided. Contact Department.

FALL 2004 HISTORY OF ART COURSES


HISTART 292. Introduction to Japanese Art and Culture

Credits: 3

Instructor: Kevin Carr

Section 001 - III.2, 3.

Prerequisites & Distribution: (3). (HU). May not be repeated for credit. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in HISTART 495.

Course Description: This lecture course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the history of Japanese visual culture, introducing the history of the art of the Japanese archipelago from ancient times through the present day. Although primarily a chronological examination of key artistic monuments, the class will also discuss issues such as the materiality of art, cultural exchange, the meaning of nature, and the relationships between artistic production and religion, class, and society. Two brief quizzes, three writing exercises, and a final exam will be required. All are welcome.

Required Text : Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art. Abrams, 1993 (Reprint: Prentice Hall 2002)$90; Readpak.

HISTART 411. Interpretations of Landscape

Instructor: Martin Powers (mpow@umich.edu)

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: Upperclass standing, and HISTART 102 or 103. (3). May not be repeated for credit. Rackham credit requires additional work.

Course Description: This course singles out the evolution of the taste for landscape painting as a special topic in the history of art, with special emphasis on the landscape painting of China. In the course of surveying the evolution of landscape in China, the class will bear in mind several key questions, including: Under what sorts of conditions does landscape arise as a genre? Why does landscape appear late in history relative to figure painting? What kinds of issues have been addressed through the landscape genre? What sorts of social groups have supported the landscape genre and what sorts of values can be encoded, debated, or negotiated through the forms of landscape? In order to consider these questions in historical context the class will review, among other things, the relationship between landscape painting and land ownership, the impact of gardening practices on the taste for landscape and the development of critical conventions for theorizing about landscape painting. Although the course concentrates on traditions of landscape painting in China, we shall read and discuss secondary sources on English and American landscape so as to provide a basis for comparative discussion. In addition the course will culminate with a reconsideration of the European encounter with Chinese garden traditions between the 17th and early 19th centuries in England and France. There will be a midterm, a final, a paper and study questions. The paper may focus on a specific Chinese landscape painting in local collections.

HISTART 482. Buddhist Art

Credits: 3

Instructor: Qiang Ning (qning@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Upperclass standing. (3). May not be repeated for credit. Rackham credit requires additional work.

Course Description: This course will present a detailed survey of the Buddhist architecture, sculpture, and painting of India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China and Japan, with particular emphasis on the development of these arts in response to the evolution of Buddhist doctrine and changes in devotional practices. Students should therefore bring to the course an interest in Buddhism as a religion, as well as some prior knowledge of the history and culture of the countries involved. The main requirements will be a final exam and a term paper on a subject of the student's choice.

HISTART 690 / CHIN 695. Topics in the Theory and Criticism of Chinese Art

Credits: 3

Instructor: Qiang Ning (qning@umich.edu)

Section 001 - III.4. Visual Culture in 20th-Century China

Prerequisites & Distribution: One 400-level or higher course in Chinese art history and 2 years Chinese language. Graduate standing. (3). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: A fundamental transition from an ancient civilization to a modern society took place in China in the last century. How was this transition revealed in the visual culture of the time? How were the visual media, including painting, sculpture, architecture, drama, dance, cinema, photography, television, and woodblock print, used by varied social groups and individuals to express their political and aesthetic ideas? China also experienced frequent foreign economical, cultural, and military invasions in this time. How did the foreign invasions influence the Chinese society and change the visual culture of China?

This seminar examines the exciting visual phenomena such as political posters, national art shows, 'model operas,' experimental films, and popular TV series from the perspective of national identity, gender role, visual tradition, personal choice, and collective memory. Reading knowledge of Chinese desirable but not required. In addition to the art history students, students of Chinese history, literature, drama, and politics are extremely welcome.

HISTART 694. Special Studies in the Art of China - Problems of Style in Song Painting.  

Credits: 3

Instructor: Martin Powers (mpow@umich.edu)

Section 001 - III.3.

Prerequisites & Distribution: Graduate standing and permission of instructor. (3). May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 9 credits.

Course Description: The problem of style is fundamental for the study of art, both past and present. Today we understand the term as central to the modern discipline of art history, but the fact is that terms and theories about the distinctiveness of art and artists need to evolve wherever objects come to be collected as 'art.' The historian of art, whatever the field of expertise, is faced with the dual problem of constructing her own, object-based understanding of style, as well as coping with period categories for style. This is not a two-track process but a dialectical one, since any hypotheses in the one realm will be constantly checked against one's understanading of the other. If performed carefully, though, the historian hopes to gain insight into the value-coding of objects, and to understand better how style evolves, and why disputes over style could acquire such intensity-to the point of imprisonment or death-throughout time. The seminar is conceived as an interdisciplinary workshop with a specific focus in time and place but a concern for general issues of style across history and region. Consequently it is open to graduate students in all fields of culture studies. The aim will be to jointly hone our skills in the problematics of style. Each student will focus on a specific painting in the UMMA or the Freer Gallery and will work outward from the painting to issues of style. Depending upon the student's background, some may wish to investigate the rich vocabulary of style in Song period writings, while others may situate their work within more recent historiography. Still others may take a comparative approach. By way of preparation we will read together important and problematic essays on the topic of style, both historical and recent. In order to enrich the group's understanding, individuals will present a midterm paper on an essay of their choice, making full use of whatever special linguistic skills they bring to the class. The seminar will include a trip to the Freer Gallery of Art for the purpose of viewing closely those pieces students have chosen to work on. Grading will be based upon the quality of the student's midterm presentation, workshop discussion, final presentation and final research paper.

FALL 2004 HONORS COURSE


Honors 251 - Sophomore Seminar

Credits: 3

Instructor: Donald Lopez (dlopez@umich.edu)

Section 003 - The Lotus Sutra Across Asia and Beyond

Prerequisites & Distribution: Open to Honors students with sophomore standing. (3). (HU). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: The Lotus Sutra is arguably the most influential of all Buddhist texts. Composed in India in the first century of the Common Era, it purports to be the Buddha's highest teaching, although it appeared some four centuries after his death. It offers a powerful critique and radical reinterpretation of the Buddhist path, with the Buddha claiming that his previous teachings were only an illusion. The Lotus Sutra went on to become one of the defining texts of the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle, and was widely commented upon and cited by the Indian Buddhist schools.

In China, the Lotus Sutra served as the central text of one of the most influential of the schools of East Asian Buddhism, the Tiantai. However, the Lotus Sutra also had more wide-ranging effects in the cultures of China, Japan, and Korea. A chapter in the sutra tells of a bodhisattva who set himself afire in homage to the Buddha; this led to a practice of self-immolation (or sometimes the burning of the little finger) in China, a practice that continued into the 20th century; the Lotus Sutra describes the enlightenment of a female deity; and it contains the famous chapter on Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion, the most highly revered deity in China. A male bodhisattva in India, Guanyin became the female, 'the goddess of compassion' in China, and her chapter in the Lotus Sutra has been memorized, copied, and recited by thousands of devotees over the centuries.

In Japan, the Lotus Sutra was made the foundation of the radical views of Nichiren (1222-1282), who claimed that it was the only appropriate teaching for the current degenerate age, that all other forms of Buddhism were heresy, and that one need only chant its title in order to find enlightenment. A branch of Nichiren's school developed into a right-wing sect after the Second World War, and gained adherents around the world, including among the African-American community in the US. Today it has 15 million members around the world.

This course will serve as an introduction to Buddhism for first and second-year students, seeking to understand the development of Buddhism over the past two millennia through the lens of a single text that was composed in India and then made its way across Asia, and now to the West. Adopting a seminar format, the course will begin with a close reading of the sutra itself (about 400 pages in length in the best English translation). From there, students will be assisted in creating individual projects that will examine the sutra and its effects across the Buddhist world.

FALL 2004 LAW COURSE


LAW 700. Japanese Law

Credits: 3

Instructor: Mark D. West (markwest@umich.edu)

Course Description: This course examines the role of legal rules, actors and institutions in the Japanese political, economic and sociohistorical context. Subjects covered include the roles of Chinese, German and American law in the development of modern Japanese law, the formal structure of the legal system (including the roles of the judiciary and the bureaucracy), the legal profession, formal and informal dispute settlement mechanisms, and attitudes toward law and its operation. Selected areas of substantive law to be examined include contracts, torts, constitutional law, corporate law, economic regulation, family law, labor law and criminal law.

No Japanese language skills or other Japan-related experience is required.

FALL 2004 MUSICOLOGY COURSE


MUSICOL 466 / 566 MUSIC OF ASIA I.

Credits: 3

Instructor: Joseph S.C. Lam (jsclam@umich.edu)

Course Description: Examines the music of East Asia (China, Japan and Korea) as sonic and cultural expressions

FALL 2004 PHILOSOPHY COURSES

PHIL 230 / ASIAN 230 / RELIGION 230. Introduction to Buddhism

Credits: 4

Instructor: Patrick Arthur Pranke (ppranke@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: (4). (HU). May not be repeated for credit. May not be included in a concentration plan in philosophy.

See ASIAN 230.001. for course description.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

PHIL 263 / ASIAN 263. Introduction to Chinese Philosophy

Credits: 3

Instructor: unknown

Section 001 - Taught in English

Prerequisites & Distribution: (3). (HU). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: This course focuses on the major philosophical schools of Classical China (through the unification of China in 221 B.C.). Special consideration is given to the ethical, religious, and political thought of the Confucian, Mohist, and Daoist schools. The doctrines associated with these early Chinese philosophical movements, along with Buddhism which came to China around the first century A.D., affected cultural developments in art, philosophy, religion, science, and politics throughout Chinese history. The course concentrates on the theories of human nature that were associated with these early Chinese thinkers and the ways in which these theories served as the foundation for their ethical, religious, and political views. No knowledge of Chinese is required. Readings are in translation. All students are required to write one page weekly reaction papers to the assigned readings and a final 10-12 page paper.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

PHIL 457 / ASIAN 480 / RELIGION 480. Topics in Buddhism

Credits: 3

Instructor: Luis O. Gómez (lgomez@umich.edu)

Section 001- Buddhist Paradise, Hell, and Utopia

Prerequisites & Distribution: RELIGION 202 or PHIL 230. (3). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit. May not be included in a concentration plan in philosophy.

See ASIAN 480.001. for course description.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

FALL 2004 POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSE


POLSCI 356 (456). Government and Politics of Japan

Credits: 3

Instructor: John C. Campbell (jccamp@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: POLSCI 140 or upperclass standing. (3). (SS). May not be repeated for credit.

Course Description: Japan is an ever-more interesting country to study, due both to its obvious importance, and to the fact that it is the only post-industrial non-western country. This course offers an overview of contemporary Japanese politics, designed for students with a general interest in Japan as well as political science concentrators. Special attention is given to how politics has affected and been affected by cultural patterns, social organization, economic growth, and Japan's position in the world. Grading will be by examination and short papers.

Other Requirements/Course Groupings Fulfilled: Upper Level Writing

FALL 2004 RELIGION COURSES



RELIGION 230 / ASIAN 230 / PHIL 230. Introduction to Buddhism

Credits: 4

Instructor: Patrick Arthur Pranke (ppranke@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: May not be repeated for credit.

Other Requirements/ Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

RELIGION 480 / ASIAN 480 / Phil 457. Topics in Buddhism
Buddhist Paradise, Hell, and Utopia

Credits: 3

Instructors: Luis O. Gomez (lgomez@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: RELIGION 202 or 230. (3). (Excl). May not be repeated for credit.

Other Requirements/ Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation

FALL 2004 WOMEN'S STUDIES COURSE


WOMENSTD 301 / ASIAN 301. Writing Japanese Women
Gender, Culture, and Representation

Credits: 4

Instructor: E. Ramirez-Christensen (qmz@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: Taught in English; a knowledge of Japanese is not required. (4). (HU). May not be repeated for credit. (Gender, Culture, and Representation).

Course Description: This is a course on writing by and about women — women's self-representation and male major authors' representations of women — in Japanese culture. It begins by a feminist reading of one of the world's oldest (9th-11th century) traditions of women's writing: the memoirs, poetry, and fiction of the Heian court ladies who produced the country's first canonical literature and permanently marked its cultural self-image. It moves on to examine the semiotics of the feminine in Japanese culture using the popular image of women (including the portrayal of Heian women authors and their works) in medieval didactic and gothic tales; in the narrative painting scrolls; in the No and Kabuki stage, where male actors performed the 'quintessentially feminine' to admiring audiences; in wood-block prints of 'beauties' (courtesans or geisha); and in stories of 'amorous women' in the thriving new merchant culture. The third section focuses on modern women's writing, in particular its resistance to the intervenng representations of the feminine and its own productive rereading of the Heian 'mothers' in the process of recuperating women's ancient place in the critical representation of Japanese society. Along with primary sources in literature and the visual arts, secondary sources will include theoretical readings in the psychology of sex, love, and death by Freud, Kristeva, Lacan, and Bataille; in the field of cultural production by Bourdieu; and in feminist theories of reading in the Anglo-American academy. Materials and focus will vary from year to year.

Other Requirements/ Course Groupings Fulfilled: Foreign Literature and Culture in English Translation