How has nationalism continued to matter in modern and contemporary East Asia? What factors have been behind territorial disputes, border conflicts, and other contests for control over land and peoples?

Despite the so-called flattening of the world, the nation-state remains vital to understanding it. This course focuses on nationalism, ethnicity, and state-building policies in East Asia: China/Taiwan, Japan, and the Koreas. The content will examine effects of nationalism on contemporary and historical political identities, state formation, definitions of citizenship, and migration policies. The course focuses on nation- and state-building policies East Asian nation-states have pursued over the 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st centuries in their efforts to make the boundaries of the nation coincide with borders of the state. The coursework will provide an understanding of the most prominent explanations of the formation of the nation-state, emergence of nationalism, and background knowledge with which to evaluate these developments. Discussions will highlight key events and periods (e.g., Meiji Restoration, Great Leap Forward, Park Chung-Hee Era, British return of Hong Kong to China, etc.) to highlight the importance of sovereignty in understanding regional society, culture, politics, and economics, as well as define and confront terms such as: state, nation, nationalism, patriotism, minorities, diasporas, identity, and ethnicity.

Grading:

• Participation/attendance: 10%
• Response Papers (select readings): 30%
• Oral (Virtual) Presentation:10%
• Online Discussion/Current Events Postings: 15%
• Midterm Exam: 15%
• Final Exam:20%

Explore the historical evolution of South Asian Performance practices such as dance, theater, and music in the diaspora from the 1930s to the present. Throughout we will seek to understand and question how cultural fusions and global dialogue affect traditional practices both in the native country and the diaspora, and investigate how South Asian artists navigate issues of identity, tradition, modernity, and national allegiance. Students will also have the chance to work with experts through workshops to experience the processes of making and staging performances. The course is open to those interested in South Asian culture and diasporic politics; no prior knowledge of South Asia or performance is required. 

Introduction to Chinese Culture and Civilization

Course Description:

This course will provide an introduction to major concepts and ideas from Chinese cultural traditions to construct a course inquiry into understanding Chinese culture and society. A guiding principle in this course inquiry will be to investigate the past to help inform the present.   Lectures and discussion will examine key concepts from art, history, language, literature, and thought that greatly shaped, and continue to influence, “Chinese” cultural and geopolitical entities.

This course is an introduction to South Asian cultures and histories, especially to areas of study pursued in the Department of Asian Studies and at UT-Austin. Students will be introduced to major thinkers, ideas, histories, issues, and movements of South Asia. While a clear set of factual information will be integral to the course, the equally important goal of the course is to learn how to engage South Asia on terms similar to other courses in the liberal arts. Stated plainly, we want to do more than learn about South Asia; we want to learn from it as well.  The institutional and traditional obstacle to this approach stems from the simple fact that most American students, whatever their ethnic origins, are taught that “our” intellectual heritage begins with the Greeks and ends with contemporary European and American thinkers. Who “we” are and what makes us a “we,” however, is not as clear as it seems. Most of us are simply not taught how and why to understand South Asian (or other area) literatures, art, religion, law, or other cultural expressions as sources for our own humanistic and ethical development. Thus, the primary goal of this course is to train students in how to “read” South Asia in such a way that it can mean something to them, rather than merely being what other people do—not to make South Asia “ours,” but to take the ideas, history, and people of South Asia seriously.

This course surveys the emergence of modern China from the nineteenth century to the present, covering the Qing dynasty, the Republic (1912-49), and the People's Republic (since 1949). Beginning with a review of the intellectual, economic, and sociopolitical trends in imperial China, it examines the rise of nationalism and the challenge of modernization in the midst of dynastic decline and foreign threats in the nineteenth century. Its coverage of the twentieth century emphasizes the struggles between the Nationalists and Communists for the making of a modern state and their experiments of contrasting political schemes. The course further examines recent changes in the post-Mao era, focusing on economic and political reforms as well as China?'s ongoing integration into the global system.

Textbooks:

Huaiyin Li, The Making of the Modern Chinese State, 1600-1950 (Routledge, 2020)
Kerry Brown, China (Polity, 2020)

Grading:

Four quizzes: 5% each Mid-term: 40% Final exam: 40%

Same as Asian Studies 341K. This course focuses on Japan’s early modern age, from the end of the warring-states period in the 1500s to the stirrings of the industrial revolution in the mid 1800s.  The central focus is on the period of government by the Tokugawa shoguns (1600–1867), a period that reveals the social-ecological dynamics of an island country at a time of chronic resource scarcity and unprecedented development of popular culture.  Topics include the classical and medieval heritage, social and economic change, national isolation and national opening, the Meiji revolution, and the origins of modern nationalism, imperialism, and democracy.   We pay special attention to the subjective experiences of Japanese men and women who lived and created Japan’s distinctive path to modernity.

This course introduces students to the history of the Indian subcontinent from approximately 1500 to 1750. In this period substantial part of South Asia was ruled by the Mughals, whose splendor introduced the word ‘mogul’ to the English language. The Mughal empire declined in the early 1700s and was gradually replaced by the British from 1750 onwards. We will study the political formations of the Mughals and other regional dynasties, cultural, religious, and socio-economic history of this period. Along with secondary scholarly works, students will engage with primary sources such as memoirs of the prominent royal women, and the stories told by awe-struck European visitors. The class will induce students to analyze and evaluate primary sources and encourage a critical reading of history.

Learning Objectives:

• To familiarize students with geography, prominent personalities, chronology, basic concepts, and the highlights of the history of South Asia.
• To encourage the critical reading of history.
• To teach how to read, analyze, and differentiate between the primary and secondary sources.
• To encourage the students to reflect on how history is remembered.

Readings:

1 Catherine Asher and Cynthia Talbot, India Before Europe, Cambridge, 2006.

2. Ruby Lal, Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World, Cambridge, 2005.

3. Gulbadan Begam, The History of Humayun, translated by Annette Beveridge, 1902 (available online at https://books.google.com/books?id=N7U51eZlJk0C&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=memoirs+of+gulbadan+begam&hl=en&source=newbks_fb#v=onepage&q=memoirs%20of%20gulbadan%20begam&f=false)

4. Jahangir, The Jahangirnama: Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India, translated by Wheeler
5. Thackston,1999.

5. Sumit Guha, “The Mughal India: economy, resources, and governance” In Oxford Handbook of the Mughal World, edited by Richard Eaton and Ramya Sreenivasan, 2020.

Grading:

Participation                     20% (including quizzes, short response papers, and class participation) Essay 1                              20% (6-8 pages)
Essay 2                              20% (6-8 pages)
Film review                       10% (3-4 pages)

Final essay                         30% (8-10 pages)

Since the end of the Cold War, South Asia has become a focal point of growing international attention and concern by nuclear proliferation, the rise of Islamic militancy and the anti-terror war, the emergence of India as a global power, and regional effort for cooperation. South Asian nations have also been experiencing a profound political evolution of democratization. This course provides students with a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the comparative political study of the eight nations of South Asia. Organized in a parallel fashion to facilitate cross-national comparison, the course sections on each nation address 2 several topical areas of inquiry: political culture and heritage, government structure and institutions, political parties and leaders, and social conflict and resolution. India, the preeminent power of the subcontinent, will receive more attention. In terms of the international relations of the region, this course will address several predominant region-wide issues: the India–Pakistan conflict, the rise of Islamic militancy and the AfPak war, and regional cooperation under the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Grading Policy

• Two mid-term exams (60%)
• One short term paper of 6-7 pages (30%, first draft 15% and final draft 15%)
• Overall class participation/attendance may be reflected in a plus or minus up to l0 points in determining the course grade.

PREREQUISITE: 6 SEMESTER HOURS OF LOWER-DIVISION COURSEWORK IN GOVERNMENT, INCLUDES CROSS-CULTURAL CONTENT.

Asia’s rise as a region will shape the future world order. This course first addresses the nature, functional principles, leadership, and policy-making process of contemporary Asian regionalism in comparison with the experiences of European integration. We also explore the linkage between the momentum of Asian integration and contemporary Asian nationalism. Then we will introduce and assess the origins and its developments of leading regional cooperation mechanisms: ASEAN, China-Japan-ROK Summit Meeting, SAARC/BIMSTEC, and SCO. Finally, in terms of engaging with the Asian multilateral cooperation we will discuss policies and strategies of major powers, particularly, the United States and China.

Grading Policy

• Two take-home essays (6-7 pages) 40%
• One 12-page term paper, 50% Note: Writing of the term paper includes the paper proposal, the first draft (15 points), and the second (revised) draft (25 points), and the final draft (10 points)
• Class participation, 10% Overall class participation/attendance may be reflected in a plus or minus up to l0 points in determining the course grade.

This course employs Chinese Language Cinema as an anchoring concept to explore the relationship between the contemporary cinemas from the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. These two cinemas produced some of the most important film auteurs known to the world in the last four decades, and also spawned impressive commercial hits in recent years. The common linguistic codes spoken on screen reveal shared cultural heritage, while the respective accents belie the divergent historical paths of the two connected political entities. This course first introduces students to major developmental milestones of both cinemas since 1949. It then focuses on mapping the patterns of cinematic exchanges between the two sides, which is informed by, but irreducible to, the evolving geopolitical power balance. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to reflect the relationships between culture and politics, nationalism and transnationalism, as well as cultural hegemony and resistance. All films have English subtitles. No knowledge of Chinese language will be necessary.

Grading

• Presentation 5%
• Quizzes 10%
• Attendance and participation 15%
• Film Response Journal 30%
• Research Paper 40%

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

In Spring of 2021, this course will focus on contemporary economic relations between the United States and Greater China (PRC, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Chinese diaspora) including interconnections and controversies.  The course will begin by exploring economic frameworks (e.g., state-led, market-led, mixed, etc.) and globalization.  Then, students will assess U.S.-Greater China linkages such as: trade, investment, supply chain integration, and technology transfer; global organizations and standards; non-profit cooperation, including educational exchanges; migration and the globalized work force; and the economic challenges and contributions of Asian Americans. Students will consider how these areas have evolved in the 21^st century and how they affect families, organizations, industries, and policies.  By the end of the course, students will understand key intentions, disputes, and trajectories in U.S.-Greater China economic relations.

[This course is open to all students – no previous background in Chinese language, culture or linguistics is required.]          

What is the relationship between language and culture? How is the interplay between cultures reflected in translation? What is “lost in translation” in communication between different cultures? How do we capture the culturally and linguistically elusive in the process of interpretation and translation?

Against the backdrop of China’s prominent international status and increasing global interest in the Chinese language, this course will delve into the study of translation with a focus on the Chinese language and culture, including discussion of Chinese regional cultures and dialects.  Emphasis will be given to the study of the modern Chinese language, with consideration given to the “Sino-languages” spoken in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.  Cultural and political contexts of these geopolitical entities will be explored in order to understand emerging differences of all that falls under the common nomenclature of “Chinese.”  Lectures and discussions will focus on the cultural, social, historical, and political background against which the Chinese language and translation has evolved and continues to evolve.  Of significance will be assessment of the increasing influence of usage of the English language and the Internet in China and Taiwan.

Given China’s increased foreign interaction, this course will also include a discussion of the history of translation of the Chinese language into different languages, In this context, with Chinese as a case study, translation theories and approaches will be studied. The main inquiry will be: What are cultural and linguistic decisions in “creating” translation?

Students will engage in a final project and “workshop” sessions that will apply translation theory to practice.  This final project will be:  1) a translation project from any foreign language into English; or 2) a comparison of different English-language translations of the same original language source.

Please check back for updates.

Why do we tell stories, and how do we go about it? In premodern China, individuals and groups told stories variously to philosophize and persuade, to commemorate and critique, to educate and entertain, to scandalize and to stimulate. In this course, we will trace the development of different Chinese storytelling traditions across various genres, including myths, legends, romances, ghost stories, morality tales, and fiction. In the process, we will come to appreciate how different groups in premodern China made use of stories to articulate a sense of identity and community, navigating issues related to class, gender, society, and politics. All readings and discussion for this course will be in English; no prior knowledge of Chinese language, history, or culture is required.

Grading

• Attendance and participation: 25%
• Weekly submissions: 20%
• Presentations: 20%
• Final take-home exam: 35%

The contents of this course cover the contexts, causes and short and long-term effects of the partition of British India in 1947 into two nation-states of India and Pakistan. The Partition rivals the Holocaust as one of the most horrific events of twentieth-century history. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives, millions lost their homes, migrations of unimaginable magnitude occurred. While most histories till the 1980s focused on the 'high politics' of the Partition, since then, historians have paid greater attention to the effects of these wide-ranging events on the lives, health, memories and amnesias of ordinary people caught up in the Partition. In order to understand these consequential effects on ordinary people, this course will use a variety of official and unofficial eye-witness accounts, as well as novels, short stories, oral histories recorded on film and video in subsequent decades, as well as films based on novels written by men and women who lived through those events.

Grading:

• Students will be expected to have read the materials before coming to class and should be willing to discuss their materials on a daily basis. Each day, one student will serve as discussion leader, and will write up a report of the discussion to be mailed in a week later (30 marks)
• Two short essays from each student -a book review (10 marks) another a review of a book and a film (20 marks)
• A final 10-page essay (40 marks)

This course examines what Japanese literature, film, and new media can and cannot do in response to disaster. As we explore a range of human-made conflicts and natural disasters from earliest times to the present, we will consider questions of history, representation, and mourning and memorialization. For example: How did writers narrate disaster in 13th century Japan before the advent of modern scientific thinking? How did responses after the firebombing of Tokyo and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki both elucidate and obscure the lived reality of traumatic experience? How do on-going artistic responses to Fukushima work to address traumatic pastsand give shape to the future? What differences do we see in accounts of slow, accumulative disasters, versus spectacular, shattering events? Readings will be in English. No prior knowledge of Japanese language or history is assumed or required.

Grading Rubric:

• Weekly postings: 15%
• Attendance and participation: 20%
• Midterm: 20%
• Analytic Paper: 20%
• Final: 25%

This class explores Sufism and other Islamic mystical traditions that color cultural milieus spanning four continents and fourteen centuries. The first half of the semester focuses on the historical developments in the Islamic theosophical traditions of the Arab and Persian worlds. In the second half of the semester, we move on to discuss the growth of Islamic mysticism over time and beyond the porous borders of Arabia and Iran. The relationship between Sufism and poetics, Sufism and colonialism, and Sufism and post-colonial resistance movements also constitutes a significant part of this course. Issues of authority, gender, sexuality, music, globalization, and religious pluralism are topics of discussion throughout the semester. Only one part of the class lecture springs from the readings so it is important for the students to carefully note that material which is not found in the assigned readings.

Grading:

• Two in-class Exams (40%)
• Comprehensive Final Exam (50%)
• Class Attendance & Participation (10%)

Please check back for updates.

This course will explore contemporary Korean society and culture during the post-Korean War period. By reading texts about compressed modernity, developmental state, social movements, gender politics, financial crisis and its aftermath, and globalization, this course will address the tensions between industrialization, nationalism, authoritarianism, democratization and neoliberalism in South Korea. At the same time, we will contemplate contemporary South Korea in the global context by exploring such topics as Cold War geopolitics, transnational migration and adoption, the globalization of Korean popular culture, and K-pop tourism. It is a reading- and discussion-extensive course.

Course Description

(No background in Chinese language, culture or history required.)

In Chinese history, food and healing shared the same set of cosmological assumptions, all of which had to do with harmonizing the “vital energy,” “breath” or “life force” (qi 氣) of the body with the mind. The Chinese holistic approach to the concept of “well-being” by eating, taking medicine and engaging in healing arts, was to ensure that all of these activities created a healthy balance. Lectures, discussion and coursework will focus on the cultural, historical, social, and scientific background against which the relationship of food and healing have evolved through history. The course will address how this holistic approach has manifested in China and Taiwan today and form the basis of the final research inquiry projects, some of which may also be applied to Austin and Houston locales.

Introduction – What is the connection of food and healing in Chinese history?

Section I – Concepts of well-being, the mind and body, “health and healing”

Section II – History of relationship between food and healing, food as medicine

Section III – Healing Practices in communities in Austin, China, Taiwan

There is no prerequisite for attending this course, but some background in Chinese history is recommended.

This course examines women and gender in China from imperial times to the present. Major themes include the changing conceptions of masculinity and femininity in Chinese cultural and religious contexts; gender roles and inequalities in the patriarchal family and society; the varying discourse on women and gender in the modern period; women’s dilemma in the Chinese Revolution; new challenges to women and new conceptions of gender and sexuality during the reform era since the 1980s. There is no prerequisite for attending this course, but some background in Chinese history is recommended.

Grading:

• Weekly report (20%)
• Class participation (20%)
• Mid-term exam (20%)
• Research paper (40%)

The course will provide you with a comprehensive historical overview of gender issues as they are represented in the great textual traditions of South Asia (these categories include Vedi materials, medical literature, treatises on law and sexual behavior, and tests that outline the great debates over questions of gender identity and salvation preserved for us in certain Jaoina and Buddhist materials). To make these classical tests more relevant, readings in recent anthropological studies of religions will also be included to enable you to trace recurring themes, images, and symbols. 

Grading:

• 2 short reactions papers (3-5 pages): 20%
• 1 research paper (15-20 pages): 30%
• 2 take-home essay exams: 50%

This course examines a variety of Japanese popular manga and anime, focusing mainly on those works Japan has exported since becoming an economic superpower in the 1980s. We will explore utopian/dystopian expression in Japanese sci-fi narratives, examine the ways that the Japanese entertainment industry has responded to changing notions of gender, and chart the evolution of traditional genre categories as they accommodate new hybridic representations of the posthuman body. We will also consider the significance of global fandom with the rise of the transnational otaku, and its relevance to Japan’s exercise of soft power.

Grading:

• Discussion Posts 20%
• Paper 20%
• Tests (5) 60%

This course explores Buddhist art throughout the world with an emphasis upon South Asia where it originated some 2500 years ago. We will look at visual forms and practices that first emerged in India, including pilgrimage to sites associated with the Buddha's life in order to consider how Buddhist traditions changed as the religion spread elsewhere.

Grading:

In addition to attending class, doing the assigned reading and participating in discussions, there will be three exams. Participation also includes short written answers to questions asked about assigned reading or class discussions that will be intermittently assigned through semester. Final Grades are based on 3 exams worth 25% each and participation worth 25% (includes attendance).

Spring 2021 Focus: Chinese Science-Fiction

This graduate seminar examines the construction of religious identity in premodern South Asia. We will discuss how individuals and communities defined their identities as ‘Buddhists’, ‘Brahmins’, ‘Jains’, ‘Muslims’, etc. (or particular variants of such traditions) in certain moments in history. Key questions are: How do the actors handle the existence of truth-claims and religious practices that they perceive as different from their own? How do they draw boundaries between ‘us’ and ‘them’? What rhetorical methods do they employ in defining insider-outsider relations (rational arguments, polemics, negotiations, etc.)? Are categories such as ‘missionary activity’, ‘religious market’ or ‘conversion’ useful for the analysis of South Asian religions? Which types of motivation (religious, economic, political, etc.) for drawing religious boundaries exist in particular historical situations? How does a person’s (or group’s) religious identity relate to their other identities (class, gender, ethnic, linguistic, etc.)?

HIS 381 - Gender and Decolonial Histories
Indrani Chatterjee, Professor
Judith Coffin, Associate Professor

Our goal in this course is to both historicize and pluralize regimes of gender: in other words, to understand that those regimes vary, often quite starkly, across and within cultures and change historically due to a variety of circumstances. Decolonizing gender in the present global context implies re-investigating plural epistemologies (ways of knowing), ontologies (ways of being, identifications and identities) and practices that gender histories of labor, love, sex, slavery, and family. We will investigate different forms of accommodation, confrontation, and appropriation within and across cultures and times stretching from pre- through post-colonial centuries.

This is a dual-track (reading and research) graduate seminar. Every student will follow the same track for the first 10 weeks. After that, each student will follow a path specific to either a reading track or a research track.

Those who choose the reading track will develop a historiographical final essay (see FAQs at the end of the document) made up of between 5 books or 10 articles, or a combination of these. At least 2 articles and 1 book in this combination should be from readings not included in this course. We recommend this track for early graduate students who want to prepare a preliminary review of literature on a theme that interests them.   

Those who choose the research track will use this opportunity to use some particularly significant primary archives or documents to chart part of an eventual chapter or research proposal.  


FIRST REQUIREMENT: Choose a track.

Reading Track Students: Complete all the required reading and attend all classes. For 6 class meetings (of your choice), write brief reviews of 2-5 pages for 5 marks each (6x5=30). On any one day in the syllabus, lead a class discussion (10). Participate actively in enabling your peers’ discussions (10). As a final project, reading-track students write a historiographic essay of 10-15 pages on a topic developed in conversation with the professor (50).  Finalize topic by Week 5 at the latest. Everyone gets Week 14 off to finish draft of the essay, which will be presented in class for feedback on last class day. Final drafts will be handed over on last day of class to the instructor.  
Research-track students: Attend at least ten classes, completing the assigned reading for those weeks. For 5 of those classes, write brief reviews of 2-5 pages for 5 marks each (5x5= 25). Choose one week when readings are most relevant to your area of interest and lead the class, including in your discussion of the readings an oral presentation in brief relating your own research interest to the reading (for 15 marks). Additional marks depend on your enabling your peers’ learning and discussion. (10). As a final project, write a research paper of 15-20 pages on a topic of relevance to your research proposal (50). Everybody gets Week 14 off to finish a draft of a final essay, which will be presented to peers in class, and then handed over to the instructor on the last day of class.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS COMMON TO BOTH TRACKS:
Though the reading list is currently incomplete, we look forward to teaching and discussing the following books:
1)     Khaled el-Rouayheb, Before Homosexuality in the Arab-Islamic World, 1500 – 1800, University of Chicago Press, 2009, pp. 1-12, 53-110.
2)    Francesca Bray, Technology, Gender and History in Imperial China: Great Transformations Reconsidered. 2013 pbk ISBN 9778-0-415-63959-0
3)    Cynthia Eller, Gentlemen and Amazons: Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory 1861-1900. 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0520266766/ ISBN-10: 9780520266766
4)    Devesh Soneji, Unfinished Gestures, UChicago, 2012. ISBN-10: 0226768104
5)    Glenda Gilmore, Gender and Jim Crow. Chapel Hill: UNC Press. 1996.  ISBN 0807845965
All other readings will be available on Canvas OR through the PCL. It remains the students’ responsibility to ensure they keep up to date with the syllabus and course requirements.


GRADING: This Course will use A, A-, B+, B. Graduate course work should not qualify for a C or lower. 20% of all graduate course work can be taken for Pass/Fail grade as well. If you choose this option for this course, you should find out the date by which you are required to register this option with your department’s graduate office. Making this decision does not exempt any student from the requirements of reading, writing and speaking as part of course-work.

Study of various Asian studies-related topics that do not focus on any single geographic region.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Study of various Asian studies-related topics that do not focus on any single geographic region.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Study of various Asian studies-related topics that do not focus on any single geographic region.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

Migration is one of the most widespread of human experiences yet generates tremendous conflicts and contradictions in constructions of identities, communities, and inequalities of power.  Perhaps the chief systems of differentiation troubled by migration are those of racial categorizations and nation-state formations. This reading seminar guides graduate students to develop a vocabulary and conceptual understanding for migration studies and its interventions into nation-based conceptual frameworks through transnational, diasporic, critical race, and ethnic studies projects.
 
This course fulfills the core course requirement for the portfolio in Asian American Studies with completion of the syllabus assignment.


Texts:
READINGs from Aihwa Ong, Melissa Brown, Mae Ngai, Adam McKeown, Philip Kuhn, Wang Gungwu, Natalia Molina, Madeline Hsu, Eiichiro Azuma, Vivek Bald, Lisa Lowe, Elaine Lynn-ee Ho, among others. 


25 % Class participation and attendance
10 % Historiographical class presentation
30 % Two 750-word book reviews
35 % Annotated bibliography or syllabus for “Introduction to Asian American History” course

Study of various Asian studies-related topics that do not focus on any single geographic region.  Specific offerings are listed in the Course Schedule.  Prerequisite: Graduate standing; additional prerequisites vary with the topic and are given in the Course Schedule.

In this graduate seminar we dive into the rich world of pre-modern Islamic humanities, exploring the traditions that formed the culture of an educated Muslim (almost-always) man. Students will familiarize themselves with Arabic writings ranging from linguistics and logic to literature, history, poetic criticism and adab – a category that defies modern classification but includes discussions of poetry, language and theology. Texts include Sibawayh, Jahiz, Tawhidi, Ibn Rashiq, Farabi, Avicenna, Jurjani, Ibn Khaldun, and more. Prerequisite: three years of Arabic at the university level (two years with instructor’s permission).

Evaluation: Attendance and participation: 30%, Presentations: 20%, Final paper: 50%