Professors Kemper (Anthropology), Hirai (History), Strong (Religion), and Grafflin (History), Chair; Associate Professors Strong (Japanese) and Yang (Chinese); Assistant Professors Maurer-Fazio (Economics), Shankar (English)(on leave, winter semester), and Wender (Japanese); Ms. Miao (Chinese), and Ms. Ofuji (Japanese)

Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed to acquaint students with the cultures, economies, histories, literatures, languages, and religions of Asian societies. The program offers a major in East Asian studies and a secondary concentration in South Asian studies (see below). Students majoring in East Asian studies may also pursue a secondary concentration in Chinese or Japanese. Students interested in majoring exclusively in Chinese or Japanese should consult the descriptions of those majors in this catalog under the Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages and Literatures.

Winter 2000 East Asian Studies Addendum Notes

The East Asian Studies major has the following requirements:

1. At least two years (four courses) of Chinese or Japanese language. Two courses of this four-course requirement may be waived for students who prove proficiency in the language in tests approved by the program. Students who obtain such a waiver must fulfill their major requirement by taking two non-language courses to substitute for the waived language courses.

2. History 171 or 172.

3. Two courses from two of the following three groups: a) Chinese 207 or Japanese 240; b) Economics 229; c) Religion 208 or 209.

4. Three more courses (or two courses and one unit) from the list of courses in East Asian studies. At most one of these courses may be a language course.

5. A senior thesis normally written under the direction of a faculty advisor in East Asian studies with one course of appropriate preparatory work to be determined in consultation with the advisor. Honors candidates must complete East Asian Studies 457 and 458 and sustain an oral defense of their thesis.

6. Distribution requirements: In fulfilling their major requirements, students must make sure that they take at least one course dealing primarily with China and one dealing primarily with Japan. Students are urged to take at least one course dealing with pre-modern culture (China or Japan) and one course dealing with the modern period (China or Japan).

7. It is recommended that East Asian studies majors spend their junior year or at least one semester at a College-approved program in Taiwan, mainland China, or Japan. Majors interested in Japan are advised, though not required, to spend their junior year at the Associated Kyoto Program (AKP).

Pass/Fail Grading Option: No restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major.Added 11/5/99. Effective beginning with Winter 2000 semester.

Courses

173. Korea and Its Culture. The course examines the distinctive evolution of Korean civilization within the East Asian cultural sphere, from its myths of origin through its struggles to survive amidst powerful neighbors, to the twentieth-century challenges of colonial domination and its poisonous legacies of civil war and division, and the puzzles of redefining a hierarchical Neo-Confucian state in the context of global capitalism. This course is the same as History 173. (East Asian)(premodern). M. Wender, D. Grafflin.

360. Independent Study. Independent research by an individual student under the direction of a faculty member. Students must submit a research proposal to both the faculty sponsor and the program chair prior to registration. Periodic conferences and paper(s) required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Students register for East Asian Studies 457 in the fall semester and for East Asian Studies 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both East Asian Studies 457 and 458. Prerequisite: one course of appropriate preparatory work to be determined in consultation with the advisor. Staff.

The following courses may be taken to fulfill the East Asian studies major requirements:
(Please click on a course to view it's description.)

Chinese 101, 102. Beginning Chinese I and II.
Chinese 201-202. Intermediate Chinese.
Chinese 301-302. Upper-Level Modern Chinese.
Chinese 401. Advanced Chinese.
Chinese 415. Readings in Classical Chinese.

Chinese 207. Masterworks of Chinese Literature in Translation.
Chinese 209. Modern China through Film and Fiction.
Chinese 261. Self and Society in Chinese Culture: Classics and Folk Tales.
Chinese s24. Chinese Language and Culture in Beijing, China.
Chinese s30. Chinese Calligraphy and Etymology.

Economics 229. Economics of Greater China.
Economics s25. Women and Work in Taiwan.

English 121G/Women's Studies 121G. Asian American Women Writers.

History 171. China and Its Culture.
History 172. East Asian Civilizations: Japan.
History 274. China in Revolution.
History 275. Japan in the Age of Imperialism.
History 276. Japan since 1945 through Film and Literature.
History 374. Readings on China: Intellectual History.
History 390A. World War II in the Pacific.
History 390L. Shanghai, 1927-1937
History s25. A Brief History of Korea.
History s25A. Japanese American "Relocation" Camps.

Japanese 101-102. Beginning Japanese I and II.
Japanese 201-202. Intermediate Japanese I and II.
Japanese 301-302. Intermediate Japanese III and IV.
Japanese 401, 402. Advanced Japanese I and II.

Japanese 240. Japanese Literature: A Survey.
Japanese 250. Modern Japanese Women's Literature.
Japanese 280. Ethnicity and Gender: United States, Japan, and Korea.
Japanese s25. Haiku Poetry.
Japanese s32. Appreciation of Japanese People and Society through Films.

Religion 208. Religions of East Asia: China.
Religion 209. Religions of East Asia: Japan.
Religion 308. Buddhist Texts in Translation.
Religion 309. Buddhism in East Asia.

Women's Studies 121G/English 121G. Asian American Women Writers.

Secondary Concentration in South Asian Studies

The secondary concentration in South Asian Studies may be attained by completing six of the following courses: Anthropology 240, 244; English 395G; Religion 249, 250, 307, 308; South Asian Studies 360.

In addition, the program recommends that secondary concentrators spend a semester abroad on the ISLE program in Sri Lanka, the SITA program in South India, or at some other course-approved study abroad program in South Asia. Students may petition the program to have courses taken in their study abroad program applied toward the fulfillment of secondary concentration requirements.

Pass/Fail Grading Option: No restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major.Added 11/5/99. Effective beginning with Winter 2000 semester.

Courses

360. Independent Study. Independent research by an individual student under the direction of a faculty member. Students must submit a research proposal to both the faculty sponsor and the program chair prior to registration. Periodic conferences and paper(s) required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

Courses in South Asian Studies:
(Please click on a course to view it's description.)

Anthropology 240. Peoples and Societies of South Asia.
Anthropology 244/Religion 263. Buddhism and the Social Order.

English 395G. Postcolonial Literatures and Theory.

Religion 249. Religions of India: The Hindu Tradition.
Religion 250. The Buddhist Tradition.
Religion 263/Anthropology 244. Buddhism and the Social Order.
Religion 308. Buddhist Texts in Translation.

© 1999 Bates College. All Rights Reserved. Last modified: 1/24/00 by Mary Meserve