The courses above will be cross-listed with the courses below, which may be taken instead for Global Asian Studies minor field elective credit:
STUDY ABROAD: Several programs with trips to Asia are offered, including short-term programs to Hawai’i, the Philippines, India, Japan, Vietnam, and China.
AAS 205
INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL ASIAN STUDIES
This course examines contemporary experiences of Asians in America and the diaspora. The historical focus is post-1965 and encompasses immigrant groups such as: Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Indians, Koreans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Southeast Asians. Formerly AAS 100.
AAS 200
ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY
This course examines the creation of Asian America by first and second-generation Asian migrants to the Americans from the 1840s to World War II. The course provides a historical, legal, social and cultural framework for understanding the resurgence of Asian migration since the 1960s.
AAS 203
ASIAN AMERICAN ARTS AND CULTURE
This course will examine Asian American arts and cultural productions in relation to the histories of people and groups with roots in Asia and the Pacific. The course will focus on contemporary visual arts from the emergence of Asian American movements in the 1960's and 1970's, to the multiculturalism of the 1980's and 1990's to our present transnational moment. Formerly AAS 201.
AAS 202
ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE
This course will serve as an overview of Asian American literature in a socio-historical context. Special emphasis will be placed on tracing the various paradigms through which these works have been produced, from texts written prior to the movement towards self-determination during the 1960s; to works identified with the "cultural nationalism" promoted during the 1960s and 1970s; to the pluralism of the 1980s which explored how gender, sexual orientation, and class complicate earlier essentialist conceptions of racial identity; and finally to the transnational and diasporic interests of the 1990s. Texts covered will include primarily fiction (novels and short stories), but also critical essays, plays, movies, and poetry.
AAS 220
AMERICAN BUDDHISM
This course critically analyzes the origins Buddhism in the United States in order to fully understand how and why Buddhism has flourished in Asian and White American communities, and to understand the conflict and controversy surrounding the racial dynamics of religious choice. Cross-listed with AMS 220.
AAS 223
TALES OF INDIA
Before the modern nation-states of India and Pakistan came into being, the term "India" referred to the South Asian region, a region that has been and is the home of many cultures and societies. These cultures have also reached beyond the region to create rich and paradoxical diaspora experiences in Europe and the Americas. Tales of India will explore a variety of literatures, ancient and contemporary, that illuminate the worlds of South Asian peoples in their homelands and in the transnational life of the diaspora. Themes will include love, power, religious meaning/religious identity, and cultural difference.
AAS 290
TOPICS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
This course, which varies from quarter to quarter, explores topics in Asian-American studies.
AAS 343
JAPANESE AMERICAN HISTORY IN THE US/CHICAGO
The second course in a sequence of three content-based courses designed for advanced high learners and native speakers of Japanese to discuss authentic cultural, historical, or literary materials. Topics vary with offering: see current schedule for details. Recommended for students who have completed JPN 201-202-203 and JPN 311-312-313, or have equivalent proficiency in Japanese.
AAS 350
ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH: ADAPTATION, IDENTITY AND DEVELOPMENT
Utilizing an ecological systems perspective, this course examines the challenges and resiliencies faced and acquired by ethnic minority youth. This course will closely examine developmental issues during adolescence that are complicated by being an ethnic minority, or child of immigrant parents. Issues examining the intersection of socio-political power dynamics, with acculturation/cultural adaptation, ethnic identity formation, and intergenerational family conflict will particularly be examined.
AAS 395
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
Independent study. Variable credit.
AMS 265
PACIFIC WORLD: NORTH AMERICA AND THE PACIFIC, 1776 - 1945
This course will examine the nature of American identity in the west. Hawai'i and California represent the extreme edge of the American frontier. The focus will be on the shifting meanings of "native" and "stranger:" How did the status of indigenous peoples foster a sense of identity and place for migrants? How did immigrants understand their role in the political economy? How did racial discourses on the frontier shape the shifting definitions of citizenship? How did race effect America's ambivalent approach to imperialism?
AMS 220
AMERICAN BUDDHISMS: RACE AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
This course critically analyzes the origins Buddhism in the United States in order to fully understand how and why Buddhism has flourished in Asian and White American communities, and to understand the conflict and controversy surrounding the racial dynamics of religious choice.
AMS 250
IN THEIR OWN VOICES: AMERICAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
This course presents a range of American autobiographies, from different places and from times ranging from Colonial to modern. The selected authors represent varying backgrounds and races.
AMS 395
TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES
Topics in American Studies.
INTC 337
ASIAN-AMERICAN MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS (Formerly CMNS 337)
The course takes an interdisciplinary approach in the analysis of the media images and explores issues of power, identity, race, gender, class, sexual orientation and the interaction of these factors in the representation of Asian Americans. (Formerly CMNS 337)
ENG 272
LITERATURE AND IDENTITY
Studies in the literary expression and representation of identity. This course is not repeatable.
ENG 367
TOPICS IN AMERICAN STUDIES
Selected authors, genres, and topics in American literature and culture. PREREQUISITE(S): One previous literature course.
HAA 397
SPECIAL TOPICS/HISTORY OF ART & ARCHITECTURE
Focused study on a specific topic from the history of World art. Formerly ART 397.
INT 320
WEST AND SOUTH ASIAN AREA STUDIES I
A general interdisciplinary survey of the social, political, and economic institutions, and the cultural history of selected regions within West or South Asia.
INT 388
SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Special Topics In International Studies
JPN 343
ADVANCED HIGH JAPANESE II
The second course in a sequence of three courses designed for advanced high Japanese learners to practice reading and discussion of authentic cultural, historical, or literary materials. Topics vary with offering: see current schedule for details. Recommended for students who have completed fourth year of Japanese courses (JPN 301 - 303) or have equivalent proficiency in Japanese.
LST 300
SPECIAL TOPICS IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
SPECIAL TOPICS IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
MCS 350
TOPICS IN GLOBAL CINEMA
This course is designed as a critical study of global filmmakers and the issues surrounding cinema and its transnational circulation. The class will examine specific aspects of the growth and evolution of cinema and look at points of contact between different cultural discourses, national cinematic styles, genres, and reception. Artistic, social, political, and industrial issues will be examined to provide different models of cinematic creation and consumption. Recent topics have included Latin American Cinemas, Asian Cinemas, Transnational Cinema, New German Cinema, History of French Film, Contemporary Global Directors, etc. Lab for film viewing required.
MCS 532
ASIAN CINEMA/MEDIA
This seminar examines the cultural, social and economic contexts to Asian cinema/media. The course focuses on national and regional cinema/media industries and their transnational contexts of production, circulation and reception. Students consider questions of identity and cultural difference, particularly in relation to immigration, Diasporas, transnationalism, youth culture, class, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity. As well as an historical survey, the course considers recent develops as digital technologies impact Asian media cultures.
MOL 243
JAPANESE POETRY IN TRANSLATION
Survey of Japanese poetry in English translation, with selections of representative authors from the Classical and Modern periods.
MOL 308
TOPICS IN JAPANESE LITERATURE
Variable topics. Taught in English. Consult schedule for current offering.
MOL 310
JAPANESE CULTURE
Japanese Culture--Geisha: Our Fantasy, Their Reality is a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exploration of a symbol of authentic Japanese feminine beauty and a cultural icon of the American kitsch, the geisha.
MOL 320
MODERN JAPANESE LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION
Covers modern Japanese literature in English translation from the Meiji era to the present. Themes for study include tradition and modernization, the individual and society, gender, and nostalgia. In addition, beginning with excerpts from Tsubouchi Shoyo's 1886 essay "The Essence of the Novel," students will trace the development of the novel in modern Japan.
MOL 321
CLASSICAL JAPANESE LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION
Classical Japanese literature, in English translation, from the earliest periods up to the Meiji era.
MOL 325
QUEER JAPAN
This course surveys representations of same-sex sexuality in Japan from the 14th century to the present day. We will explore the intersection of history, politics, art, and culture through historiography, literature, film, photography, music, cartoons, and animation, examining "traditional" male-male sexuality, the emergence in the modern era of texts reflecting female-female sexuality, as well as the formation of new consciousness and subjectivities throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. We will look at critical issues for sexual minorities in Japan, including coming out and AIDS activism, paying particular attention to their potential relevance to sexual minorities and politics in the US. Texts will include material translated to English for the first time.
PSC 369
ADVANCED TOPICS IN PUBLIC LAW
Advanced topics in public law.
REL 202
ETHICAL WORLDS: MORAL ISSUES ACROSS CULTURES
An exploration of religion and ethics from a comparative and international perspective. Ethical dimensions of diverse world religious traditions will be investigated within their own particular historical and cultural contexts, and students will be asked to consider and evaluate their own ethical orientations in the light of these studies.
REL 221
RELIGION IN SOCIETY
Sociological study of religious groups, institutions, behavior, and belief systems in human life and society.
REL 223
LITERATURE AND THE SACRED
Variable topics. How human beings across cultures express their intimations of ultimate meaning in a variety of genres ranging from aphorisms and autobiographies to mythic and fictional narratives.
REL 242
HINDU THOUGHT AND CULTURE
Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions, but it is also the world's most diverse religion. Despite its variety, certain themes have remained throughout the ages--karma and ethical responsibility, liberation from the bonds of worldly existence through yoga and devotion, communication with the divine through ritual, and the many forms, male and female, that God can take. This course traces the development of Hinduism from 5000 years ago to the present, with emphasis on change and continuity in those themes.
REL 243
BUDDHIST THOUGHT IN CULTURAL CONTEXT
A study of Buddhism from its beginnings as a "non-orthodox" renunciant and monastic movement in ancient India, through its development into a myriad of religious expressions and practices, philosophical tendencies, and social forms over its twenty-five hundred year history.
REL 245
RELIGION IN JAPANESE HISTORY, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE
Explores the specific interplay between religion and culture in Japan. Taking historical and cultural factors into account, it considers prehistoric Japanese religion, ancient imperial myths, the assimilation of Buddhism, Confucianism, and continental (Chinese/Korean) culture, the religious and aesthetic worlds of the court nobility and the warrior class, popular mountain cults, the revival and systematization of Shinto, the impact of western culture, Japanese ultranationalism, and the religious situation in the post-war period.
REL 246
TRADITIONS OF CHINESE POPULAR CULTURE
Promotes an understanding of Chinese worldview and life in the perspective of the common Chinese people from ancient to modern times. Based on historical and modern texts in translation, some historical and ethnographic studies, as well as visual and aural materials, the course explores gender and generational relations and conflicts, ancestor veneration, the worlds of ghosts and gods, festivals, art, and entertainment, but also aspects of misery and social unrest. Although the course will draw largely on popular and entertaining sources, it will also pay attention to historical developments, the relationship between popular and elite traditions, as well as sociological and anthropological issues arising from these contexts.
REL 247
LITERATURE AND RELIGION IN JAPAN
Focuses on the pervasive influence of religious thought and sentiment on Japanese literature from ancient to modern times and explores the intricate relationship between religion, aesthetics, and the arts in Japanese culture. Considers original works including ancient Japanese mythology and poetry, the memoirs of court ladies and Buddhist hermits, romance, epics, folktales and social satire, with attention to their historical, social, religious and social dimensions, as well as to the individual experience expressed in them.
REL 248
LITERATURE AND RELIGION IN CHINA
Focuses on the interpretation of literature and religion in China. Considers original works of literature and explores the religious origins of Chinese script and writing itself, poetry and mystical philosophy, cosmology and revealed scripture, popular tales, ballads, plays and novels, and the reworking of contemporary Chinese American authors of their literary and religious heritage, with attention to their historical, social, religious and social dimensions, as well as to the individual experience expressed in them.
REL 259
RELIGION AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
An investigation of the ways in which various religious traditions engage the social order. Traditions, persons and movements that form the focus of the course will vary from section to section. The course will integrate theory and practice in studying forms of religious engagement. All students will perform some service to a community or within a community organization or agency.
Prerequisites:
Sophomore standing is a prerequisite for this class.REL 260
RELIGION AND POLITICAL CONFLICT
An examination of the role of religions and religious movements in political conflicts. Particular sections will examine the relationship of religions to violence and peacemaking in different areas of the world.
REL 262
RELIGION AND GLOBALIZATION
An examination of the moral, religious, and social dimensions of the phenomenon of globalization. Through a critical assessment of both the positive and the negative dimensions of globalization, students will seek to understand more fully the ethical implications of globalization for economics, culture, and society.
REL 263
RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
An exploration of Judaism, Christianity and Islam as they develop and interact in the Middle East, historically and in terms of contemporary religious and political issues. Includes a study of personal narratives of people from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities.
REL 266
ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES (CROSS-LISTED WITH IWS 266)
An examination of the story of Islam in the United States in three historical periods: antebellum America, the first half of the 20th century, and the latter half of the 20th century. Explores Muslim slave life; the possibilities of retentions of Islam in slave culture; the religious, social/economic, and political life of Muslims at the beginning of the 20th century; the emergence of Islamic thought in the U.S. through an overview of the works of Ismail as-Faruqi, Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Fazlur Rahman.
REL 271
THE QUR'AN AND ITS INTERPRETERS (CROSS-LISTED WITH IWS 271)
A study of the origin, transmission, and interpretation of the Qur'an.
REL 272
MUSLIM WOMEN IN TEXTS (CROSS-LISTED AS IWS 272)
Explores major current approaches to the study of Muslim women, focusing on the Qur'anic conversation on women, on the commentaries provided by men, and on the emerging voices of Muslim women and non-Muslims.
REL 341
TAOISM: CHINA'S INDIGENOUS HIGH RELIGION
A study of Taoist thought, imagination and expression, through sacred literature, the organization of clergy, and the nature and function of its institutions in interaction with the authority of the Chinese state, with Buddhism, and with the broader scheme of popular Chinese culture and religion.
REL 342
ZEN MIND
A study of the thought and practice of Zen Buddhism, focusing on the role of Zen in shaping ideas, ethics and the arts in Japan and America.
REL 343
MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS IN CHINA
An exploration of Chinese ethics the philosophical, religious and socio-political traditions which shaped them and were formed by them. Considers the major philosophical schools of China's classical age--Confucianism, Monism, Taoism, and Legalism--with Han dynasty cosmology, the ethical orientations of the Taoist and Buddhist religions, neo-Confucianism, and also the traumatic encounter with western power and thought. Addresses comparative issues concerning traditional Chinese values in relation to western views, particularly in terms of modern relations between China (and East Asia) and the west.
REL 344
YOGA AND TANTRA
An examination of the history, philosophy and cultural meaning of body-oriented liberative techniques as they developed on the Indian subcontinent and Himalayan region in Hinduism and Buddhism. Students registering for this course are expected to have studied one or both of these traditions in courses such as REL 142, 143, 242, or 243, or in other courses. Background in theory is also useful.
SOC 290
SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY
In-depth examination of selected and timely social issues. Topics vary from quarter to quarter. Topics may be initiated by students.
SOC 308
CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND POLITICS
Explores the cultures and forms of organization of various groups in the United States, including music, art, community politics, and social movements. Specific topics vary.
SOC 495
SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY
Special courses will be offered as students and faculty identify selected topics of common interest.
WGS 290
SPECIAL TOPICS
See course schedule for current offerings.
WGS 394
WOMEN, SELF, AND SOCIETY SEMINAR
Women, Self and Society Seminar (cross-listed as Women's and Gender Studies 480 and Master's of Liberal Studies 468). Variable Topics. See course schedule for current offerings.
AAS 210
PRINCIPLES OF ASIAN ART
An introduction to major developments of art and architecture across Asian including South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and East Asia and their counterparts in America. This course examines not only painting, sculpture, and architecture, but also gardens, ceramics, and prints. Special emphasis will be places on religious arts of Buddhism and Hinduism, along with landscape and figural painting. Cross-listed with HAA 115.
AAS 211
BUDDHIST ART
This course explores the traditional visual culture of the Buddhist world, examining art as a reflection of religious belief and practice. The works come from South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and America. An emphasis is placed on painting, sculpture, and architecture made for or related to Buddhist practice. Cross-listed with HAA 220.
AAS 222
RELIGION AND POLITICAL CONFLICT: SOUTH ASIA
An examination of the role of religions and religious movements in political conflicts. Particular sections will examine the relationship of religious violence and peacemaking in different areas of the world (in this case, South Asia).
AAS 224
HINDU THOUGHT AND CULTURE
An exploration of Hinduism as a civilization whose key reference points are religious in the sense understood in the West (ritual and transcendence), yet which finds expression in a "high culture" of literary works, political and social theory, art and architecture, music and dance, and folk and popular stories, songs and plays. Cross-listed with REL 242.
AAS 225
RELIGION AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT: SOCIALLY ENGAGED BUDDHISM
An investigation of the ways in which various religious traditions engage the social order. Traditions, persons and movements that form the focus of the course will vary from section to section (in this case the focus is on Buddhism). The course will integrate theory and practice in studying forms of religious engagement. All students will perform some service to a community or within a community organization or agency.
Prerequisites:
Sophomore standing is a prerequisite for this class.AAS 226
ETHICAL WORLDS: MORAL ISSUES ACROSS CULTURES: ATOM BOMB DISCOURSE
An exploration of religion and ethics from a comparative and international perspective. Ethical dimensions of diverse world traditions (in this case the development and use of atomic weaponry) will be investigated within their own particular historical and cultural contexts, and students will be asked to consider and evaluate their own ethical orientations in the light of these studies.
AAS 248
CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY
An introduction to the art of Chinese calligraphy. Hands-on practice as well as history and theory of the art. This course is open to students with no background in Chinese calligraphy, language, literature, or culture. Cross-listed with MOL 248.
AAS 305
RELIGION AND CULTURE IN SOUTH ASIA
This course examines the interplay between religion and society in pre-modern and contemporary South Asia. The course will use such materials as epic texts, poetry, novels, journalism, film, music and art to explore how religion, gender, social class and politics are experienced in the lives of people in India and Pakistan. Cross-listed with REL 305.
AAS 367
LITERATURE OF THE VIETNAM WAR
This course examines novels, short stories, and essays on the Vietnam war and its aftermath, Vietnamese society, literature of the Vietnam Era.
AAS 325
QUEER JAPAN
This course surveys representations of same-sex sexuality from the 14th century to the present day in Japan. We will explore the intersection of history, politics, art, and culture through historiography, literature, film, photography, music, cartoons, and animation, examining "traditional" male-male sexuality, the emergence of the modern era of texts reflecting female-female sexuality, as well as the formation of new consciousness and subjectivities throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Cross-listed with MOL 325.
AAS 337
ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA REPRESENTATION
This course examines the ways in which Americans of Asian descent are portrayed in popular media such as television, film, newspapers, and advertisement.