Course Description

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ANTH 3160 - Chinese Society and Culture
This course provides a general introduction of the culture and social structure of China. Topics of discussions include the origin of the Chinese culture, family and social organization, religion, ideology, and tradition vs. modernization. Prerequisites: ANTH 1200 or department head approval.  
 
GEOG 3050 - Geography of Asia
Introduction to the physical and cultural geography of Asia. Prerequisites: Any 1000-level GEOG course or department head approval.   
 
HIST 2810 East Asia from Antiquity to 1600
This course covers the history of East Asia from antiquity to 1600, with particular focus on China, Japan, and Korea. Examining the histories and social structures of pre-modern China, Japan, and Korea, this class will cover not only the political narrative of these areas but also focus on literary, philosophical, cultural, and artistic achievements. Pre or Corequisites: ENGL 1010, or ENGL 1011, or ENGL 1020, or HIST 2100, or UHON 1010, or department head approval. 
 
HIST 2820 - Modern East Asia
This course examines the emergence of modern nations from the rich and diverse cultures of East Asia and their transformations since 1600, with particular focus on China, Japan, and Korea. The course analyzes linkages within Asia and with other regions. This course focuses on how modernity, imperialism, and nationalism shaped each area and the region. Pre or Corequisites: ENGL 1010, or ENGL 1011, or ENGL 1020, or HIST 2100, or UHON 1010, or department head approval. 
 
HIST 3620 - Modern China
This course examines the emergence of China from about 1600 to the present. It explores the national history of China, as well as China’s place in East Asia and the world. Topics include High-Qing society and culture, revolution, internal and external migration, Euro-American-Japanese imperialism, nationalism, socialism, rural-urban divide, industrialization, war, globalization, the environment, and the re-emergence of China as an economic superpower. 
 
HIST 3640 - Modern Japan
This course surveys the history of Japan from about 1600 to the present. It explores the political, economic, social, and cultural histories of Japan, as well as Japan’s place in East Asia and the world. Topics include the Tokugawa class system and ideology, famine, international trade and urban culture, Meiji reforms, foreign policy, migration, political movements, imperialism, colonial Okinawa, Taiwan, and Korea, WWII, U.S. Occupation, postwar social change, and Japan’s role as an economic superpower.
 
HIST 4620 - Gender and Sexuality in Modern East Asia  
This course examines the history of East Asian women and men from approximately the seventeenth century to the present. East Asian countries shared religious traditions, experiences with imperialism, the central role of women and the construction of gender in modernity, and the physical movement of women and men among these countries. However, they also have differences. This course will explore changes over time in sexualities, work experiences, the gendered state, and marriage and family in East Asia. The focus will be on China, Japan, and Korea, with a brief discussion on Okinawa and Taiwan.
 
HIST4630 - Memories of WWII in East Asia  
This course examines how different groups in various countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia have remembered the Pacific theater of WWII in the many years since its end. What is history? What is memory? How does history shape memory? How does memory shape history? This course will attempt to answer these questions by covering the history of the war and the postwar era with an emphasis on how postwar history shaped the memories of World War II in East Asia. How have different people in different social and temporal contexts remembered the war and understood its significance, such as through films and in museums? How have memories differed from group to group, such as feminists and ultranationalists? How have they changed over time? In what ways are the memories of the war made meaningful for the present? How do these memories influence relations between Japan and other countries in the postwar and contemporary periods? We will examine how these processes have unfolded primarily in East Asia, namely China, Japan, Korea, Okinawa, and Taiwan. 
 
PHIL 2120 - Introduction to Asian Philosophy
An introduction to some of the foundational texts and figures of Chinese, Indian, and Buddhist philosophical traditions from ancient times to the contemporary world. May be registered as REL 2120. No credit in both PHIL 2120 and REL 2120. 
 
PHIL 3430 - Philosophies of India 
A survey of the philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent focusing on classical traditions, especially orthodox Brahmanical (Hindu) schools such as Nyāya, Yoga, and Vedānta as well as heterodox schools such as Buddhism, Jainism, and materialism.  Some coverage of contemporary Indian thought such as Gandhi, Ambedkar, feminism, and postcolonial theory.  Topics may include the self, knowledge, skepticism, the nature of reality, ethics, rebirth, theism, atheism, happiness, and the meaning of life. May be registered as REL 3430. No credit in both PHIL 3430 and REL 3430.
 
REL 1050 - Introduction to Islam: History, Religion, Culture
An introduction to global Islamic traditions that focuses on key Muslim histories, the Qur’an, diverse religious practices, arts and architecture, and legal and theological traditions. Considers contemporary issues from a global perspective, including attitudes towards gender and sexuality, unity and diversity in the community, and the problem of Islamophobia.
 
REL 1070 - Buddhism: Teachings, Practices, and Socio-cultural History  
Introduction to the core beliefs, values, practices, and history of all three major Buddhist traditions: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. The life of the Buddha, Buddhist suttas/sutras, fundamental concepts of karma & rebirth, the Four Noble Truths, nibbana/nirvana, emptiness, etc. Core practices of meditation, devotionalism, and chanting. The Buddhist monastery and temple. Traditions are covered within their respective cultures and geographical locations. Modern Buddhism and the transmission of Buddhism to the West.
 
REL 2110 - Religions of the East
An introduction to the major religious traditions of Asia, including Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. 
 
REL 3160 - The Qur’an
An introduction to the Qur'an, the primary scripture of the Islamic religious tradition. This course focuses on themes in the Qur’an and its history, the text’s style and poetics, practices of recitation, the Qur’an as a source of law and theology, and the relationship of the text to contemporary debates on politics, gender justice, and Muslim sexualities.
 
REL 3200 - Religions of India
Examination of the conceptual and historical development of religions on the Indian subcontinent. Attention will also be paid to the interaction among religions of India and their relationships to Indian culture. Alternate years. 
 
REL 3210 - Religions of China
Examination of the conceptual and historical development of religions in China. Attention will also be paid to the interaction among religions of China, the impact of Indian religions and culture on China, and the relationship of religion to Chinese culture. Alternate years.
 
REL 4160 / WGSS 4160 - Gender and Sexuality in Religion
How do ideas about gender and sexuality offer new ways to understand religion, society, and culture? In this course we explore the diversity of sexual difference in context of contemporary global religions, especially Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Course themes include: the tension between theory and practice, authority and gender, women’s lives, masculinities, gender fluidity, and the role of the nation in constructing gender and sexuality in religious communities. The course approach is interdisciplinary and includes readings from religious primary sources, history, anthropology, and literature. May be registered as WGSS 4160. Credit not allowed in both REL 4160 and WGSS 4160