EAS 299 - Independent Study
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.
Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.
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. Topics vary according to instructor, but include aspects of the histories, literatures, languages, religions and cultures of East Asia.
The practical application, on an individual basis, of previously studied theory and the collection of data for future theoretical interpretation.
Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of instruction and practice in actual service in a department, program, or discipline. Teaching formats may include seminars, in-depth studies, laboratory work and patient study.
Specialized work on an individual basis, consisting of instruction and practice in actual service in a department, program, or discipline. Teaching formats may include seminars, in-depth studies, laboratory work and patient study.
The course examines multiple meanings of gender and sexuality among peoples in Asia. Topics include family and kinship; desire, affect and happiness; sexed bodies, femininity and masculinity; gender and sexual norms; political economy; queer cultural and political activisms and projects.
This course examines conflict, typically expressing itself in violence and often resulting in wars and revolutions, as defining moments in the modern history of East Asia when opposing social movements, and their affiliated ideas about political, cultural, and economic organization, confront one another over questions of power and autonomy. The course explores how conflict introduces new social dynamics that may have led to revolutionary changes in ideas and institutions.
This class will be an introduction to Asian philosophies, including Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism. Many schools of thought in Asia offer competing views on how to live a good life. We will explore these views and trace how they responded to each other. Well also see how ancient and medieval Asian thoughts continue to influence culture and current affairs in Asia and beyond.
Asian American Studies is an interdisciplinary field that arose out of the shared concerns of students of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Seeing that their universities had neglected Asian Pacific American (APA) perspectives, these students sought courses and research on the contribution of APAs to the United States. Accordingly, this course will introduce neglected and overlooked histories and perspectives of APAs. In the process, we will explore key issues in Asian American politics, racial formation, and culture. Themes includes identity, migration, class, gender, sexuality, panethnicity, youth culture, and social movements. Moreover, the process of unearthing hidden histories will provide practice for students of nearly any background to identify patterns of missing information and to formulate strategies to rediscover it.
What does it mean to imagine the Buddha? This course guides students in narrating the lives of Buddhist images by tracing their creation and movement in Asia as well as in cultural encounters within Europe and the U.S. Today art critics continue to discuss "Buddhist" elements in the work of iconic artists like Georgia O'Keefe and Mark Rothko, Tibetan mandala coloring books are being used for stress relief, and "Zen" aesthetics inform a broad range of fashion and design platforms. This course provides tools for critically reexamining the categories of "East" and "West" within this cultural moment. Through creative processes such as drawing, writing, and conversation, students interact with diverse imagery such as Chinese painted caves, Himalayan esoteric portraits of enlightened reality, and Japanese temple complexes. They interpret Buddhist texts describing the construction of buddha bodies in art, ritual, and in the mind. Students also engage with the work of contemporary performance artists inspired by Buddhist ideals of discipline and impermanence. Reflecting upon these experiences, students uncover how the categories of "East' and "West" have obscured the understanding of Buddhist art, artists, and communities. They document the ways in which power dynamics of colonialism and Orientalism have been integral to making these categories. In response to their findings, students work together to generate a virtual exhibition reimagining images of Buddhism and telling their stories.