Course Descriptions
This course explores the wide diversity among the minority peoples in China. It examines ethnic minority peoples' histories, cultures, and relationship to the Han majority and other minority populations. It also discusses theories of ethnicity, nationalism and globalization. Graduate-level requirements include extra meeting per week; extra readings; longer papers with minimum source requirements.
The course introduces students to the anthropological literature on contemporary China. It examines various social and cultural aspects of everyday life such as family, body, sexuality, consumption, citizenship, urbanization, and property ownership. Graduate-level requirements include an extra meeting per week; extra readings; longer and research papers with minimum source requirements.
Study of advanced modern (Mandarin) Chinese through readings in social science texts for non-native speakers. Native speakers may not take this course. Graduate-level requirements include more translations and additional reading.
Study of advanced modern (Mandarin) Chinese through readings in modern literature. for non-native speakers. Native speakers may not take this course. Graduate-level requirements include more translations and additional reading.
Linguistic study of the phonological, morphological, and syntactic systems of modern Chinese, with particular attention to linguistic analysis. Graduate-level requirements include two presentations and one term paper.
Linguistic study of the phonological, morphological, and syntactic systems of modern Chinese, with particular attention to linguistic analysis. Graduate-level requirements include two presentations and one term paper.
Introduction to pre-20th-century Chinese styles through readings in classical Chinese literature. Graduate-level requirements include additional assignments relating to translation skill and research methodology.
Graduate-level requirements include additional assignments relating to translation skill and research methodology.
The origin and florescence of Chinese culture and civilization from an archaeological perspective. An in-depth survey of Chinese prehistory and early history from the early Pleistocene to the third century BC. Graduate-level requirements include a 20 to 30 page research paper.
Studies of Chinese American literature and film centered on the experience of immigration and Diaspora. Graduate-level requirements include a longer and more substantive paper than that required of the undergraduate student, one which demonstrates advanced knowledge of either American literature, literary theory or Asian studies, as well as familiarity with the relevant research tools.
Theory, practice, and aesthetics of Chinese brush writing, with emphasis on individual training and development. Graduate-level requirements include an independent project assignment with instructor.
This course investigates social, cultural,economic, and political aspects of mas media and visual culture in China. It examines various types of media, including print, mechanical, electronic, and digital media. It focuses on major theoretical perspetives and models. Graduate-level requirements include extra meeting per week; extra readings; longer papers with minimum requirements.
Advanced readings in Chinese poetic genres.
Readings in selected texts from literary, philosophical, and historical traditions; includes selections from the Five Classics and the great prose masters of the Han-Qing. Variable content.
This course is an introduction to the major themes and genres of Chinese literature from the pre-imperial period (before 221 BCE) to the Tang (618-907 CE) dynasty. Primary readings will be in Chinese, though translations will be available. Secondary readings will be in English. The course is intended to be an opportunity for advanced language learners to use their skills to read and translate premodern literature, and for graduate students to gain an understanding of major trends in the study of premodern Chinese literature.
This course is an introduction to the the major themes and genres of Chinese literature from the Song (960-1279) to the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Primary readings will be in Chinese, though translations will be available. Secondary readings will be in English. The course is intended to be an opportunity for advanced language learners to use their skills to read and translate premodern literature, and for graduate students to gain an understanding of major trends in the study of premodern Chinese literature.
Introduction to the theory and practice of English-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-English translations including study of the role of translation in China-West encounters and learning the craft of translation. Graduate-level requirements include much longer and more difficult assignments.
Analysis of the role of women in Chinese society with equal emphasis on traditional and modern periods. Graduate-level requirements include a 15-page term paper.
Survey of political, social, economic and cultural transformations undergone by China from ca. 1800 to the present. Provides students with a sense of both the major themes and the substance of the last two centuries of history of one of the world's major civilizations, as well as a better understanding of China's prominent position in the world today. Graduate-level requirements include an in-depth research paper and additional readings.
This course asks how the city was understood and urban space was experienced in China from the late imperial period to the twentieth century, from the walled cities of Ming and Qing to the neoliberal remaking of Beijing and Shanghai, passing through the modernist experiments of the Communist and Republican periods. Examining some of the key social, cultural and political factors that shaped urban life, we will address such questions as: how did changes in media shape conceptions of urban space and one's place within it, what did the Chinese urban landscape look like, what were some of its key features, and how did political changes at the national level affect life and governance in the city? Our investigations will also lead us into the realm of cultural and intellectual history. We will look at how such notions as cosmopolitanism, nation-mindedness, and scientific rationality developed in and around the city. In more general term, we will use the case of China to investigate how a history of "modern urban life" and urban space can be written, and what its significance might be. This course maintains a focus on the distinctive character of various Chinese cities while attempting to elucidate deeper commonalties and similarities that shape urban experience in China and elsewhere. Comparisons with other national experiences as well as theoretical reflections on issues of urbanism and urban life will then be integral part of the course. Graduate level requirements: In addition to the undergraduate assignments, you will have to submit a book review every other week. 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced. (No web posting or short paper when a book review is due). Graduate-level work is expected from graduate students in all assignments.
Formation of ancient Chinese society; organization of families and clans; social stratification, mobility, conflict, and control in traditional China; and transformation from traditional to modern society. Graduate-level requirements include an extra term paper.
The overarching goals of this course are two-fold. First, it aims to introduce students to the continuity as well as heterogeneity of the Chinese language(s) in the Sinophone world, including not only Mainland China but Taiwan and Hong Kong as well. Through highlighting issues related to language variation and change, and their relationship to social identity, the course is intended to guide students to understand the complex interaction between linguistic practices and social stratification as well as cultural changes. It focuses on sociolinguistic aspects that are particularly salient to Chinese, such as language and dialect, place, gender, pragmatics, cross-cultural communication, as well as language policy and planning. Secondly, this course strives to provide students with a comparative approach by incorporating studies on Chinese sociolinguistic and those based on other languages such as English. In so doing, it hopes to encourage the students to reflect upon their everyday linguistic experience here in Tucson and compare that with what is happening in the Sinophone world. Graduate-level requirements include reviewing a book and presenting it to the class as well as extra reading in Chinese.
The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Individual research, not related to thesis or dissertation preparation, by graduate students.
Research for the master's thesis (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or thesis writing). Maximum total credit permitted varies with the major department.
Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing).
Buddhism in China, Korea and Japan with emphasis on the relationship between East Asian Buddhist thought and practice and the various historical contexts in which they emerged. Graduate-level requirements include assigned readings in primary Chinese or Japanese sources and in modern Chinese and/or Japanese secondary sources, together with a research paper based in part on such sources.
Studies of major works and authors of fiction, drama, prose narrative and poetry in Asian American literature, in their relevant political, cultural and historical contexts. Graduate-level requirements include longer papers and having an additional meeting (one every two weeks) to discuss extra topic-related critical reading material.
The origins and subsequent development of prehistoric cultures in China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Siberia and Southeast Asia. Broad concepts such as cultural change and environmental adaptation are stressed in order to draw parallels among these geographically and culturally diverse regions. Graduate-level requirements include a 20 to 30 page research paper.
The origin and florescence of Chinese culture and civilization from an archaeological perspective. An in-depth survey of Chinese prehistory and early history from the early Pleistocene to the third century BC. Graduate-level requirements include a 20 to 30 page research paper.
This course explores the Weberian thesis on the relation between culture and capitalist economy by investigating East Asia and its connection with global capitalism. Special attention will be paid to the formation of the dominating East Asian intellectual and religious traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism and their impact on business ethics and practices in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Reading of translations of primary texts and case studies of East Asian entrepreneurs will be emphasized. To be able to make enlightened judgments about the depth and scope of East Asian thought and capitalist culture, we need to situate the current subject in the global context. As conceived in this course, the following topics will be covered with greater emphasis: 1. The formation of global capitalism and the role of East Asia 2. Life and thought of influential East Asian thinkers 3. Impact of their thoughts on East Asian business culture 4. Cultural and ethical aspects of East Asian economy and business.
The course provides graduate training in the theories and methods of religious studies and guides students in contextualizing their own work within this discourse. It is an opportunity to learn how religion became an object of study, to explore the approaches of key theorists, and to assess the efficacy of these approaches. Controversies surrounding ritual, canon, culture, power, translation, and "experience" will inform our conversations. Students will develop a more nuanced understanding of the relationship of religious studies and area studies, in terms of historical and continuously-evolving dynamics. Finally, this course challenges students to evaluate the broader role of religious studies in the humanities and to set goals for their professional contributions to this discourse.
The course investigates ways in which humanities engage in the global creative economy. It examines key concepts such as creativity, aesthetics, and contemporaneity in humanities, and examines how they become inseparable to the rise of the global creative economy, whether through culture industries, digital media, creative spaces, artistic activisms, or urban development. It focuses on the connections and intersections between aesthetics and art, knowledge and information, and creative economies around the world. Examples of the creative economy include cities from Asia, America, Europe, and Africa. This course is suitable for students who are interested in humanities, global studies, media arts, e-society, visual culture and media studies, urban planning, economics, business, and even those dealing with intellectual property laws. Graduate-level requirements include longer papers, additional readings and research, reading reports, additional meetings with instructor, and significant longer presentations in class.
This course explores the mutual impact of culture and nature - how the natural environment has shaped culture, and how humans have impacted the natural environment (and to take this full circle, how human-induced changes in the natural environment subsequently impact societies). The relatively rapid and thoroughgoing transformations in East Asia over the past century allow us an ideal setting to explore the interaction between culture and nature. Focusing largely on China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, this course explores how the relatively new field of environmental history opens new dimensions of historical inquiry. Graduate-level requirements include extra reading of additional translations of primary sources, extra discussion time with the instructor, a research-oriented paper, and a different grading scheme.
Though China and Japan share many civilizational traits, they have produced radically different political systems. Using the intellectual prism of "nationalism", this course explores how Japan and China have reacted to the "every people a polity" principle (nationalism). Graduate-level requirements include writing longer papers and meeting with the instructor six times for additional instruction. Graduate students may be asked to conduct a lecture.
This course introduces its students to the theories, principles and techniques underlying qualitative research and its application in applied linguistic research. Students apply the data collection and analysis tools and conduct their own qualitative projects during the semester . We begin by exploring the epistemology of qualitative research. The focus is on principles in designing a qualitative research project, such as constructing the research relationship, choosing among different approaches, and situating events in context . We then move to discuss how these theoretical positions are realized in practice through examining common data collection and analysis methods. In the final part, the students present their own projects and reflect on how qualitative methods can contribute to their understanding of specific issues in applied linguistics. Throughout the semester, we also engage in reading and critique of representative qualitative research in applied linguistics- within and beyond the East Asian context.
This class is intended to prepare students to teach a second/foreign language. It will provide students with the essential foundations in language teaching methodology and theory, pedagogical grammar, curriculum and materials development, classroom management, and formal and informal assessment techniques. In addition, students will gain practical knowledge through video practicum components, which allow them to watch and reflect on actual classroom teaching. Students will complete this program with the pedagogical knowledge and practical understanding necessary to be confident and effective language teachers.
The three major East Asian languages, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, are becoming increasingly popular in American K-16 schools. EAS 480/580 is for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students who wish to become language educators and/or specialists in one of these languages. The first half of the semester focuses on linguistic issues and pedagogical challenges specific to teaching the three East Asian languages (e.g., tones and syllabic features, writing systems,), and we then continue with sociocultural and sociopolitical dimensions of East Asian language teaching.
What is ritual? Tantric Buddhism employs ritual in radical ways to work towards the goal of enlightenment in this very lifetime. This course provides an introduction to the principles of tantric ritual, including themes of guru devotion, rites of consecration, vows of secrecy, and visualization practice. In particular, the course guides students in contemplating what it means to imagine oneself as a deity as a means of attaining enlightenment. The importance of ritual to the practice of Tantric Buddhism invites us to reflect upon the larger significance of "ritual" for understanding tantra, Buddhism, and religion at large. The course culminates in an in-class colloquium aimed at defining ritual in dialogue with tantric materials. Graduate-level requirements include additional class presentations on research topics which will build upon the themes of the class to provide additional context, investigate a particular topic in greater depth, or diversify the scope of the material.
Buddhism in China, Korea and Japan with emphasis on the relationship between East Asian Buddhist thought and practice and the various historical contexts in which they emerged. Graduate-level requirements include assigned readings in primary Chinese or Japanese sources and in modern Chinese and/or Japanese secondary sources, together with a research paper based in part on such sources.
The primary objective of this course is the development of language teachers' assessment literacy, which includes knowledge of key assessment principles and skill in creating or adopting assessment tools and procedures for the language classroom. Participants in this course will develop their knowledge and skills related to assessing all skill areas in the language classroom, including productive skills (writing, speaking), receptive skills (reading, listening), and assessing grammar and vocabulary. Grading and student evaluation will also be important topics of consideration and exploration in this course. Designed specifically for in-service (and pre-service) language teachers, the course combines theory with practice by covering essential principles of effective classroom assessment and the development of effective assessment tools for classroom use. Participants completing this course will become more assessment literate and better able to evaluate student performance in their classrooms fairly and effectively.
Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.
The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.
The exchange of scholarly information and/or secondary research, usually in a small group setting. Instruction often includes lectures by several different persons. Research projects may or may not be required of course registrants.
The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.
he development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.
The development and exchange of scholarly information, usually in a small group setting. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
The exchange of scholarly information and/or secondary research, usually in a small group setting. Instruction often includes lectures by several different persons. Research projects may or may not be required of course registrants.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Individual research, not related to thesis or dissertation preparation, by graduate students.
Research for the master's thesis (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or thesis writing). Maximum total credit permitted varies with the major department.
Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing).
Introduction to general issues of gender and language use, specific gender-related differences in the Japanese language, and gender roles in Japan. Graduate-level requirements include a substantial term paper and may include extra readings and an additional weekly meeting.
An introduction to the pre-modern Japanese literary language (termed hereafter Classical Japanese (CJ)), approached through the translation of texts from the 8th to 13th century into English. There will be an introduction to the language - its history, structure, and relationship to Modern Japanese (MJ) - after which it will proceed through in-class reading and translation of prepared passages taken from the literary texts specified below. Certain classes will be set aside for quizzes as well as seminar discussion of specific topics. Graduate-level requirements include a research paper based on a translation project (involving extra group and individual meetings with the instructor in the second half of the semester).
Phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics of the Japanese language. Graduate-level requirements include a substantial term paper and a class presentation based on that paper.
Advanced readings in Japanese and English on specific topics in Japanese linguistics. Graduate-level requirements include a substantial term paper and a class presentation based on that paper.
How does Japan fit into the modern world? What are the commonalities, contrasts, and connections among Japan and other societies and states? By exploring how various historical processes and developments - such as industrialization, state-building, nationalism, neo-imperialism, new political institutions and legitimacy, capitalism, economic class-played out in Japan, a number of issues are illuminated: what are the traits of "modernity"? Are there meta-narratives of historical change? Is all history only local or regional? In what ways is the world "global"? We will explore these questions by approaching the pertinent issues from three angles: (1) the modern history of Japan; (2) comparing Japan to other geographical/cultural areas; and (3) adopting major themes which will act as conceptual prisms. Graduate-level requirements include a double-length research paper, meeting with the instructor six times for additional instruction, and conducting one lecture.
Reading and discussion in Japanese of a variety of advanced-level materials, including newspaper articles, short stories, and poetry. Graduate requirements include extra readings and an extra translation project.
Reading and discussion in Japanese of a variety of advanced-level materials, including newspaper articles, short stories, and poetry. Graduate-level requirements include extra readings and extra translation project.
This course provides a rigorous introduction to the phonetics and phonology of Japanese. Some related topics in morphology are also covered. Students develop a sophisticated understanding of some of the problems encountered in teaching Japanese to non-native speakers. Graduate-level requirements include a substantial term paper and a class presentation based on that paper.
This course explores Japanese society employing anthropological methods. Topics include politics, social structure, gender, sociolinguistics, education, religion, and popular culture. The main theme of this course is to learn how to distinguish between images and realities. Graduate-level requirements include fulfilling the assignments in the syllabus and writing longer papers. Graduate students meet with the instructor six times for additional instruction and may be asked to conduct a lecture.
This course focuses on the work of Haruki Murakami (1949-), the most popular and widely read novelist working in Japan today, and a major literary figure worldwide. We will read a substantial amount of Murakami's writings, all in English translation, beginning with his short stories, and covering his major novels. We will explore the major themes of Murakami's writings and develop a comprehensive view of his development as a writer. At the same time we will locate Murakami in the context of modern Japanese and world literature, and discuss his relationship with modern American literature, and his work as a translator and writer of non-fiction. Graduate-level requirements include: weekly oral reports to the class on English and Japanese articles/essays on Murakami, as well as published interviews with the author; leading class discussion as a group on two assigned class days; writing a 20-page research paper using sources in English and Japanese (where appropriate) and reporting orally to the class on the results of their research.
Introduction to Japanese sociolinguistics: questionnaire studies, variation analysis, ethnography of communication, conversation analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, and language and social interaction. Graduate-level requirements include a substantial term paper and may include extra readings and an additional weekly meeting when the class is convened with JPN 436.
Survey of modern Japanese literature with readings in English translation: Meiji to World War Two. Graduate-level requirements include additional readings and a research paper.
Survey of pre-modern Japanese literature, with readings in English translation: Court literature, to 1330. Graduate-level requirements include an extra seminar meeting a week, additional readings, and a research paper.
Survey of pre-modern Japanese literature, with readings in English Translation: 14th to 19th centuries. Graduate-level requirements include use of Japanese as well as English sources, higher level readings, leading classroom activities, presentations and a research paper.
This discussion-centered, research seminar examines strange and ambiguous bodies prominently featured in premodern Japanese literature. Reading literary works in translation from the 8th to the 19th century, we will engage with a variety of rich depictions of ambiguous and mysterious bodies, including mythical creatures, vengeful spirits, shape-shifting foxes, strange apparitions, and incorporeal or invisible figures. Our topics of investigation include how ambiguous bodies challenge and reinforce social boundaries; the significance of gender dynamics in premodern sexuality; how the trauma of war is inscribed onto bodies; political authority over corporeal and incorporeal bodies; and the transformation of sacred spirits into the everyday grotesque. We will read a wide range of primary materials in translation, including mythologies, official historical records, literary tales, Buddhist didactic stories, women's diaries, and war-tales. We will also engage with scholarship on the cultural history of the body, religious beliefs, and theories of the monstrous, in addition to various theoretical frameworks related to post-colonial thought and gender studies.
Survey of modern Japanese literature with readings in English translation: Postwar and Contemporary Literature. Graduate-level requirements include additional readings and a research paper.
This course offers students an in-depth look at the history and historiography of Edo Japan (1600-1868). Each week explores a different key theme in the social and cultural atmosphere of Japan under Tokugawa rule to provide a holistic view of life during the "Great Peace." Topics include the emergence of order from a time of instability and upheaval, exchange and tensions with the outside world and between social groups, and the political stakes of Edo's flowering popular culture. Class discussions will also provide an overview of the latest English-language scholarship on the Edo period to familiarize advanced undergraduates and graduate students with the styles of research and interpretation that inform our understanding of Japanese history today. We will pay particular attention to the major epochs in historiography and how their unique concerns influenced the diverse meanings attributed to Edo Japan over the last half century.
This course offers students an in-depth look at the history and historiography of Modern Japan (1868-Present), with a special emphasis on the relationship between empire and everyday life in Japan's modern experience. The course is divided into four chronological units spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and students will have the opportunity to crowdsource their reading materials from a list of recommended and representative books within each unit. Class discussions will provide an overview of the latest English-language scholarship on Japan's modernity to familiarize advanced undergraduates and graduate students with the styles of research and interpretation that inform our understanding of history today.
A selective survey of Japanese religious history from earliest times through the 11th century. Topics covered may include prehistoric religions; the development of Shinto; Nara-period state Buddhism; tantric Buddhism in the Heian period; and spirit possession and exorcism. Graduate-level requirements include oral presentations and longer, more in-depth papers.
Selective survey of the history of religions in Japan from the 11th century through the 16th. Topics covered may include the medieval worldview; apocalyptic thought and related practices; Pure Land Buddhism; Zen; and proselytization and religious competition in medieval Japan. Graduate-level requirements include oral presentations and longer, more in-depth papers.
A selective survey of the history of Japanese religion from the 16th century through the present. Topics may include Shinto and Buddhism; Christianity and its suppression; Edo-period official and popular religion; State Shinto; and Japan's "new religions" and "new new religions." Graduate-level requirements include oral presentations and longer, more in-depth papers.
Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of training and practice in actual service in a technical, business, or governmental establishment.
This seminar explores topics related to pre-modern and modern Japanese literature. Topics vary by year and participants conduct in-depth discussion, reading and research related to the topic.
This course involves the development and exchange of scholarly information on specific topics in the field of linguistics. Course rotates between various topics and may be taken up to four times. The scope of work shall consist of research by course registrants, with the exchange of the results of such research through discussion, reports, and/or papers.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.
Research for the master's thesis (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or thesis writing). Maximum total credit permitted varies with the major department.
Research for the doctoral dissertation (whether library research, laboratory or field observation or research, artistic creation, or dissertation writing).
This course is designed to examine different topics in Korean studies, including the politics of modern Korea, late capitalism and social changes, new media and society, inter-Asia cultural flows and cosmopolitanism, youth culture, gender and sexuality, and beyond. Under this same course title, each year will focus on one of the listed topics. Students will be able to explore a variety of significant issues in Korean studies in relation to their own research agenda through this course. Graduate-level requirements necessitate more in-depth reading, thinking, and writing than an undergraduate level course.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 599, 699, or 799.