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2008-2009 University of Pennsylvania Course Register

EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
(AS) {EALC}
 

General  

L/R 011. (COLL004, NELC085) Life and Death in Ancient China and Ancient Egypt. (M) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. Steinhardt/Silverman/Wegner.

Using materials excavated in tombs, this course investigates funerary cults, death rituals, beliefs about the afterlife, and the preparations for death during life in China from 1500 BCE to AD 1000 and in Egypt from 3000-1000 BCE.

East Asian Non-Language Courses in Literature, History and Culture  

L/R 001. Introduction to Chinese Civilization. (A) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Goldin.

Survey of the civilization of China from prehistoric times to the present

L/R 002. Introduction to Japanese Civilization. (B) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Staff.

Survey of the civilization of Japan from prehistoric times to the present.

005. (ANCH195, CLST195) Worlds Apart: Cultural Constructions of "East" and "West". (A) Humanities & Social Science Sector. Class of 2010 & beyond. McInerney/LaFleur.

Multiculturalism increasingly characterizes our political, economic, and personal lives.  This course will focus on real and perceived differences between the so-called "East" and "West." Taking a case study approach, we shall read and compare literary materials from classical Greece and Rome, a major source of "Western" culture, and Japan, an "Eastern" society.  Through analysis of these texts, we shall explore some of the concepts, values, and myths in terms of which "East" and "West" define themselves and each other: e.g., gender, sexuality, rationality, religion, society, justice, nature, cultural diffusion, work, leisure, life, and death.  Readings will include selections from Greco-Roman and Japanese myths, poetry, drama, essays, history, and philosophy.  Class format will be lecture with opportunity for questions and discussion.  Grading will be based on midterm and final examinations, a short paper, and class participation.  No prerequisites.

L/R 013. (ARTH103) Art and Civilization in East Asia. (D) Arts & Letters Sector. All Classes. Steinhardt.

Survey of the major artistic traditions of East Asia from Neolithic times through the 18th century.  Will serve as an introduction to upper level lecture courses that deal with the arts and civilizations of China, Korea, and Japan.  Students study and handle objects during weekly session in the Museum.

017. (COML187, GSOC187) Possessing Women. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Chance.

A man from Tennessee writes "Memoirs of a Geisha".  A Japanese novelist tells the story of the "comfort women" who served the Japanese army.  A tenth-century courtier poses as a woman writing the first woman's diary. Poets from Byron to Robert Lowell, through Ezra Pound to Li Po, have written as though they were women, decrying their painful situations.  Is something wrong with this picture, or is "woman" such a fascinating position from which to speak that writers can hardly help trying it on for size?  In this course we will look at male literary impersonators of women as well as women writers. Our questions will include who speaks in literature for prostitutes--whose bodies are the property of men--and what happens when women inhabit the bodies of other women via spirit possession.  Readings will draw on the Japanese traditions, which is especially rich in such cases, and will also include Western and Chinese literature, anthropological work on possession, legal treatments of prostitution, and film.  Participants will keep a reading journal and write a paper of their own choosing.

SM 029. Seminar on Chinese Archaeology. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Steinhardt. Freshman Seminar.

How has archaeology rewritten the history of ancient China and early Chinese art?  That is the question we will answer in this seminar.  Each week we will examine artifacts excavated in Chinese tombs to try to understand what they tell us about daily life and philosophical attitudes in ancient China.  We will explore famous tombs such as the Tomb of the First Emperor and less well-known artifacts of peoples such as the Scythians and Qidan.  We will compare the excavated material with what we can find out about ancient China from other sources, especially literature and standard historical accounts, to find out whether the ideas put forth in history and literature are accurate. Finally, we will study Chinese art in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Philadelphia Museum of Art in comparison to the excavated objects.

L/R 034. (RELS184) What is Taoism?. (A) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Goldin.

In this course, we will attempt to answer the question, "What is Daoism?" The bulk of the readings will consist of English translations of primary texts that have at one time or another been labeled as "Daoist," in order to sort out the different senses of the term, and consider what common features, if any, are shared by these influential texts.  The course begins with the Laozi, the one text affirmed by virtually all "Daoist" traditions as foundational. The readings include several other "Daoist" texts, covering a period of roughly one thousand years, and will conclude with a survey of meditation and longevity techniques, practices which sometimes have no textual basis whatsoever.  Drawing on various kinds of "Daoist" sources, we hope to answer the question that serves as the title of this course.  No knowledge of Chinese is presumed.  Graduate students may not enroll in this course.

041. (HIST096) Late Imperial China. (C) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Fei.

From an Eurasian empire ruled by Mongols to an ethnically defined Han Chinese Ming dynasty, then again to a multi-ethnic empire ruled by a minority group of Manchus, the disruptions and transformations in the very idea of "China" in the past seven centuries defies our modern notion of China as a unitary nation with the world's longest continuous cultural tradtion.  How to understand the continuities and discontinuities of the last three imperial dynasties of China will be the central focus of our survey.  How did these different ethnic groups adjust to each other's way of life?  Did complicated cultural interaction prompt different visions of empires?  How did the meaning of "Chinese change over this time period?  How did international politics shape the fate of Chinese empires?

        With no assumption of prior knowledge, lectures open with an overview of Chinese society before the eve of the Mongolian invasion, and then trace the changing visions of ethnic and social orders in the subsequent regimes ruled by three different ethnic groups (Mongolian, Han Chinese, and Manchurian).  We will examine and compare bureaucratic operations, cultural ideals, domestic and international policies from above as well as the daily life experiences from below.  The course will conclude with an analysis of the collapse of the imperial order at the beginning of the twentieth century, after it was severely challenged by a semi-Christian Utopian movement from within and global drug trade imperialist attacks from without.

L/R 047. (HIST097) China in the 20th Century. (C) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Fei.

From an empire to a republic, from a communism to socialist-style capitalism, few countries have ever witnessed so much change in a hundred year period as China during the twentieth century.  How are we to make sense out of this seeming chaos?  This course will offer an overview of the upheavals that China has experienced from the late Qing to the Post-Mao era, interspersed that China has experienced from the late Qing to the Post-Mao era, intersperced with personal perspectives revealed in primary source readings such as memoirs, novels, and oral accounts.  We will start with an analysis of the painful transition from the last empire, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), to a modern nation state, followed by exploration of a century-long tale of incessant reform and revolution.  The survey will focus on three main themes: 1) the repositioning of China in the new East Asian and world orders; 2) the emergence of a modern Chinese state and nationalistic identity shaped and reshaped by a series of cultural crises; and finally 3) the development and transformation of Chinese modernity.  Major historical developments include: the Opium War and drug trade in the age of imperialism, reform and revolution, the Nationalist regime, Mao's China, the Cultural Revolution, and the ongoing efforts of post-Mao China to move beyond Communism.  We will conclude with a

        critical review of the concept of "Greater China" that takes into account Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora in order to attain a more comprehensive understanding of modern China, however defined, at the end of the last century.

SM 055. (CINE055) Monsters of Japan. (B) Chance, F.

Godzilla!  Mothra!  Rodan!  Totoro!  Pikachu!  If you know who they are, join us to discover the deeper meanings of monstrosity in Japan.  If you don't know who they are, learn the literal, metaphorical, and cinematic implications of these giant (and not so giant) beasts.  Watch Tokyo go down in flames, and discuss what that means for New York and Philadelphia!  Explore the history, literature, and films of Japanese monsters in this undergraduate seminar.

SM 063. Medicine, Literature, and Culture in Japan. (M) LaFleur.

This seminar is in many ways an exercise in comparison-by looking at how the practice of medicine in Japan differs from that in America.  Japan, where people enjoy good health and live very long lives, not only combines "Western" with "Eastern" medical practices but also is a place where questions of medical ethics and bio-technology are often faced differently than they are in America.  The fact that in modern times many Japanese writers had medical educations makes Japanese literature, studied here in translation, a rich context for exploring a wide range of such questions.  Film too will be a tool for our studies.  A comparative look at what we might think about the body, the mind, and healing or dying processes will be the central focus of this seminar.

SM 065. The Japanese Tea Ceremony - Principles and Practice. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. Permission of the instructor.

An introduction to Japanese cultural history and perspectives through a course that combines lectures, readings, and weekly practice of cha-no-yu.  This traditional ceremony, one involving a certain amount of bodily discipline, is widely regarded as a uniquely useful tool for understanding the dynamic interactions of traditional Japanese aesthetics, architecture, Zen, and social relationships.

069. (SOCI389) Japanese Popular Culture. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Harrington. Offered through the College of General Studies--See the CGS course guide.

This course is based upon the premise that popular culture is a legitimate object of study in today's universities, and that through the careful study of objects of Japanese popular culture such as anime (animated films), manga (comic books), films, short stories and popular music, each one of us will be able to write short histories of various aspects of contemporary Japan.  In order to further our individual historiographical projects, we will learn some theoretical methods for studying and writing about the relation between our everyday lives, the processes of globalization, and the pleasure or displeasure that we derive from the objects of popular culture.  Through the study of Japanese popular culture, we will learn to analyze critically some of the functions of these objects as sources of meaning, escape, and identity formation in our everyday lives.

        The topics we will study include the fiction of Banana Yoshimoto, such anime and manga as Akira, Barefoot Gen, Grave of the Fireflies and Miyazaki's Nausicaa, popular music, TV dramas, and the Pop Art of Yoshitomo Nara.

070. (HIST090) Pre-modern Japanese History. (A) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Hurst.

This course will survey the major political, economic, social and intellectual trends in Japan from the earliest epoch through the 16th century.  Interfaces with EALC 071, Modern Japanese History, in the spring semester.

071. (HIST091) Modern Japanese History. (B) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Dickinson.

This course will survey the major political, economic, social and intellectual trends in the making of modern Japan.  Special emphasis will be given to the turbulent relationship between state and society from 1800 to the present.

074. History of Kyoto. (M) Hurst.

For over a thousand years, the city of Kyoto served as the capital of Japan. For most of this time it was the primary urban settlement of the country, the residence of the nation's political and social elite, and the site of most cultural activity.  This course is a survey of the establishment and development of the city of Kyoto, cast within the broader context of Japanese history, and will proceed chronologically.  Topics include: Founding a New Capital; the City of Prince Genji; Kyoto under Warrior Rule; the Rise of Kyoto Merchants; Kyoto under Seige; Entertainers, Priests, and Poets; Kyoto and the Meiji Restoration; Modernizing Kyoto; etc.

080. Korean Civilization. (A) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in History & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Hurst.

Survey of the civilization of Korea from pre-historic times to the present.

081. (HIST120) Korean History Before 1860. (A) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Staff.

This course is a survey of the history of Korea from its origins to the late Chosen period.  Major interpretive issues in the social, political, and economic history of Korea are introduced.  Relations between Korea and the various Chinese and Japanese states form an important theme.

082. (HIST121) Korean History after 1860. (C) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Staff.

This course traces the history of Korea from the late Chos dynasty down to the 1990s.  It examines major social, political, and economic developments during this period, including early contacts with the west, colonial seizure by Japan, national division after World War II, the Korean War, ideological confrontation between North and South Korea, state-led economic development, military dictatorship, student protest and the democracy movement.

091. (HIST391) Korea: Remembering the Forgotten War. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Hurst/Hejtmanek.

Will involve Korean history, diplomatic history, and certainly some military history, in which we consider the major thrust of the military action: the North Korean attack, MacArthur's landing at Inch'on, battling the Chinese in the north, the UN retreat, and stalemate along the DMZ.  It will also involve a study of Korean politics, US politics--e.g., the MacArthur vs. Truman-MacArthur controversy; and international politics--the roles of stalin and Mao, the role of the war on US servicemen, sand on the Korean civilian populace.  We will look at the war in retrospect--the shaping of an America-Korean relationship, the Korean Diaspora in America.  And of course we will examine it as a war America didn't win.

        So "Korea: The Forgotten War Remembered" is a war course insofar as we conceive war as a totally engulfing social experience that effects the participating nations and societies in ways far deeper than simply statistics of how many casualties were suffered, how much territory was seized, and the like.  It will address larger issues than simply military strategy and tactics, great generals and poor leadership.  It will seek to capture more broadly the historical significance of the Korean War: it's impact on Koreans and Americans and the Korean-American relationship, it's role in determining US-China relations for a generation, and it's place in Cold War history.

103. (EALC503, HIST003, HIST403, SOCI230) Asia in a Wider World. (A) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Waldron.

Integrated introduction to the history of Asia from the middle ages to early modern times (roughly 1100-1800), including China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and the great empires of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, and the Turks, during the period of transition from cosmopolitan empires to nation-states.  Presumes no prior knowledge.  Emphasis is on Asia's place in world history, with basic narrative, consideration of connections through trade, navigation, and migration; examination of warfare and military technology, and comparisons of social, religious, cultural and identity structures.  Substantial attention is also paid to Russia, India, and the Middle East, and to relations with Europe. Readings include translated primary sources.

L/R 104. (EALC504, PSCI214, PSCI514) Political Economy of East Asia. (M) Amyx.

This course examines the interplay between politics and economics in East Asia.  A major course objective is to reconcile the regions past success with the difficulties experience in many of these countries more recently.  Another primary objective is to consider in what ways and to what degree the growth experiences of the high-performing economies in East Asia shed light on the prospects for long-term success of reforms currently underway in China.

L/R 105. (EALC505, HIST395) East Asian Diplomacy. (A) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Dickinson.

This course will survey the history of relations among the great powers in East Asia from 1600 to the present.  Special emphasis will be placed upon the peculiarities of cross-national exchange in Asia (as compared to Europe), particularly the difficulties of relations among states possessing fundamentally different cultural traditions.  We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of diplomacy in Asia over the past 400 years.

SM 114. (EALC514) Literati Arts of East Asia. (M) Chance, F.

What does it mean to be a poet and a painter?  How does being a visual artist link to being a literary person?  Americans know the cultures of Asia through such romantic images as The Last Samurai, but few are familiar with the history of calligraphy, painting, prose and poetry which have dominated the cultural history of Asia.  Using primary texts in translation, this course explores the complex relationship between poets and painters, intellectual creators and visual artists, over the history of China, Japan, and Korea, from the beginnings of the civil bureaucracy in China in the first century through the rise of women as literati artists in Japan.  Students will develop analytic skills through discussion of written texts and painted representations; they will become familiar with a variety of visual artists and forms as well as with the broad sweep of East Asian history.  Background inAsian language and culture is not required.

115. (EALC515) Buddhist Arts of East Asia: Sources, Iconography and Styles. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Chance, F.

Survey of art and architecture created for Buddhist religious purposes in China, Japan, and to a lesser extent Korea, Tibet, and Central Asia.  The course will include a brief overview of Buddhist monuments in South Asia, study of the iconography of Buddhist images in graphic and sculptural media, and analysis of a variety of Buddhist styles in painting, sculpture, and architecture.

118. (EALC518) Gender and Sexuality in Asia. (M) Kano. Graduate students may take this course as EALC 518 and should see the instructor to discuss additional requirements for graduate credit.

This introductory course will deal with issues such as stereotypes of Asian women and men, cultural construction of femininity and masculinity, international and sexual division of labor, traffic in women in the sex industries, representation of gender and sexuality in academic scholarship as well as literary texts and popular culture, local and global activism for the rights of women and sexual minorities.

SM 119. (EALC519) East Asian Ceramics. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Chance, F.

History of ceramic forms, techniques, and aesthetic principles in China, Korea, and Japan from neolithic times to the present century, illustrated by slides and examples, augmented by readings, field trips, and student presentations.  Aimed at students with general interest in Japan and/or ceramics history; particularly but not exclusively those majoring in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, East Asian Area Studies or History of Art; also art majors interested in ceramics.

121. (EALC521) Chinese Poetry & Prose: In translation. (A) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Mair. Prerequisite(s): None.

A wide variety of poetic & prose genres from the earliest times to the 19th century is introduced through English translation.  A few selections will also be studied in Chinese characters with romanized transcriptions.  There are no prerequisites for this course.

122. (EALC522) Chinese Fiction and Drama in Translation. (B) Arts & Letters Sector. All Classes. Staff.

This course introduces students to some of the great classics of Chinese literature, from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries.  This period saw the blossoming of many new literary forms, and the writing of many of the most creative and important works of the Chinese tradition (including the novels Journey to the West, Dream of the Red Chamber, and The Plum in the Golden Vase).  We will read adventure stories, historical dramas, romances, and erotic fiction.

L/R 125. (CINE220, EALC525) Cultural Chinas: 20th Century Chinese Literature and Film. (B) May be counted as a General Requirement Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Wang, X.

This course serves as a thematic introduction to modern Chinese literature and cinema in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and transnational Chinese communities in the twentieth century.  By discussing a wide range of key literary and filmic texts, this class looks into major issues and discourses in China's century of modernization: enlightenment and revolution, politics and aesthetics, sentimental education and nationalism, historical trauma and violence, gender and sexuality, social hygiene and body politics, diaspora and displacement, youth sub-culture and urban imagination.

L/R 127. (ARTH214, ARTH614, EALC527) The Arts of China. (C) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. Graduate students may take this course as EALC 527 and should see the instructor to discuss additional requirements for graduate credit.

A broad survey of Chinese architecture, sculpture, and painting from the Neolithic age through the nineteenth century.  Topics include excavated material from China's bronze age, Chinese funerary arts, Buddhist caves and sculpture (including works in the University Museum), the Chinese city, the Chinese garden, and major masterpieces of Chinese painting.

131. (EALC531) Introduction to Classical Chinese Thought. (K) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Goldin.

This course is intended as an introduction to the foundational thinkers of Chinese civilization, who flourished from the fifth to the second centuries B.C.  No knowledge of Chinese is presumed, and there are no prerequisites, although EALC 001 (Introduction to Chinese Civilization) is recommended. Graduate students may take this course as EALC 531 and should see the instructor to discuss requirements for graduate credit.  (Undergraduates must enroll in the courses as EALC 131.)

153. (EALC553) Loyal Warriors in Japanese Literature. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Chance.

From the earliest literature to the latest think piece on Japanese society, the roles of the "warrior" and of "loyalty" in Japanese culture have fascinated those both inside and outside of Japan.  In this course we will trace the development of paragons of loyalty and warrior prowess from the earliest literary works, through the epic Tales of the Heike, and on to the "Treasury of Loyal Retainers." We will read in the philosophy of fidelity and samurai codes to track the growing dedication to ideals of loyalty, exploring evidence of behavior less than loyal as we seek the real influence of these notions.  Related topics will include the extremes of vengeance and fanaticism.

SM 154. (EALC554) The Tale of Genji. (C) Chance, L.

"Crowning masterpiece of Japanese literature," "the world's first novel," "fountainhead of Japanese literary and aesthetic culture," "a great soap opera in the vein of Jacqueline Susann." Readers over the centuries have praised the Tale of Genji, the monumental prose tale finished just after the year 1000, in a variety of ways.  In this course we will read the latest English translation of Murasaki Shikibu's work.  We will watch as Genji loses his mother at a tender age, is cast out of the royal family, and begins a quest to fill the void she left.  Along the way, Genji's loyalty to all the women he encounters forges his reputation as the ideal lover.  We will consider gender issues in the female author's portrayal of this rake, and question the changing audience, from bored court women to censorious monks, from adoring nationalists to comic book adaptors.  Study of the tale requires consideration of poetry, imagery, costume, music, history, religion, theater, political and material culture, all of which will be components of the course.  We will also trace the effect of the tale's many motifs, from flora and fauna to murderously jealous spirits, on later literature and conceptions of human emotions.  All material is in English translation.  There are no prerequisites.

155. (EALC555) Modern Japanese Literature: From Meiji to World War II. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Kano.

This course surveys Japanese literature (novels, short stories, poetry, drama, essays) from 1868 to World War II.  The purpose is not only to read some of the most important and interesting literary texts of this period, but also to reflect on the ways we read and study literature, and how we draw connections between literature, self, and society.  The reading material will be entirely in English.

156. (EALC556) Post World War II and Contemporary Japanese Fiction. (C) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Kano.

Who are the most interesting and important writers in today's Japan?  What was literature's role in post-war reconstruction and in Japan's rise as economic super-power?  Where can we find the most complex depiction of shifting ideas about gender and sexuality in modern Japan?  Why did novelists Kawabata Yasunari (1968) and Oe Kenzaburo (1994) win Nobel Prizes in literature?  How have Japanese writers responded to the horrors of war and to the memories of Japan's imperial past?  We explore these and other questions by reading literature of various genres, such as novels, short stories, plays, film scripts, poetry, manga, as well as academic essays.  Class sessions combine lectures, discussion, use of audio-visual materials and creative as well as analytical writing excercises.  The course is taught in English, with all readings in English-translation.

157. (ARTH213, EALC557) The Arts of Japan. (M) Staff. Graduate students may take this course as EALC 557 and should see the instructor to discuss additional requirements for graduate credit.

A general survey of Japanese architecture, sculpture, and painting from Jomon pottery through Japanese woodblock prints.  Topics covered include art of the tumulus era, Buddhist art of the Nara and Heian periods, medieval scroll painting, the Japanese castle, screen painting, and later Japanese painting.

160. (EALC560) Introduction to Japanese Thought. (A) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Harrington.

This course introduces the major intellectual developments and problems within Japan's history.  Special attention will be given to explaining why and how Japanese thinkers only selectively absorbed Chinese thinking during Japan's first "opening" to outside influence and then later tried again to be selective when engaged with the West.  Japanese thinkers' differing way of understanding and utilizing Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity, and European philosophy will be considered.  So too, however, will be what are usually taken to be "native" patterns of thought--viz.  Shinto, The National Learning School, and what came to be called "the Code of the Warrior." Surfacing at various points in this course will be questions that could be addressed to any nation or people and their intellectual history--viz.  What does it mean for anyone to claim there might be "indigenous" modes of thought and appreciation?  Can thought and philosophy get free of being suspect as ways for the expression of nationalism in its various forms?  What are some of the practical consequences in and for a society, especially in our "globalized" world, when its intellectual trajectory differs from that of the "West" and important contemporary thinkers within wish to retain that divergence?  Because of its double and deep interaction with two "alien"

        thought modes--that of China and that of the modern West--Japan provides an especially fine venue for the exploration of such topics.

166. (EALC566, GSOC186, GSOC586) Gender and Sexuality in Japan. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Kano.

This seminar deals with issues which such as the cultural and historical constructions of femininity and masculinity; gendered division of education and labor; representation of gender and sexuality in literature, theater, and popular culture; and forms of activism for the rights of women and sexual minorities.  This course will use films, videos, and manga, as well as readings from anthropological, historical, literary, and theoretical texts. All readings will be in English, but Japanese materials will be available to those interested.

176. (EALC576, HIST276) Japan: Age of the Samurai. (C) History & Tradition Sector. All classes. Hurst. Offered through the College of General Studies - See the CGS Course Guide. Graduate students may take this course as EALC 576 and should see the instructor to discuss additional requirements for graduate credit.

This course deals with the samurai in Japanese history and culture and will focus on the period of samurai political dominance from 1185 to 1868, but it will in fact range over the whole of Japanese history from the development of early forms of warfare to the disappearance of the samurai after the Meiji Restoration of the 19th century.  The course will conclude with a discussion of the legacy of the samurai in modern Japanese culture and the image of the samurai in foreign perceptions of Japan.

180. Pre-Modern Korean Literature. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

This course surveys the history of Korean literature from the warring periods when the three kingdoms were each vying for dominance on the peninsula to the end of the long Choson dynasty in the 19th century.  Students will be introduced to the major authors, works and genres, as well as important historical figures and events in order to examine the development of Korean literature and culture during these periods of turbulence and peace.  Some of the topics we will explore are: literati versus folk culture; identity and language; gender and class relations; and the intersection between history and literature.  We will explore these issues through various texts and other media representations, such as film and historical television dramas.

186. (CINE221, COML186, EALC586) Screening Modern Korea: Korean Film and Culture. (M) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff.

Is Korean cinema experiencing a "renaissance" in the 21st century?  We will take the recent surge of success behind Korean cinema as a way to explore our object of study: Korea and the cinema.  We situate Korean cinema in broader (and at times narrow) cultural, social, and aesthetic contexts to investigate transnational media production and circulation, globalization, consumer culture, commercialization, Hollywoodization, and construction of national, ethnic, gender identities, etc.  The course focuses on the works of prominent filmmakers of Korea's past and present, such as Shin Sangok, Im Kwontaek, Kim Kiduk, and Lee Ch'angdong, as well as paying special attention to genres of Korean film such as the melodrama, slapstick comedy, and erotica.  No prerequisites.  All films with English subtitles.

SM 211. (EALC611) Life and Death in Han China. (C) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. Steinhardt.

Using wall painting, sculpture, and minor arts as evidence, the course will examine the attitudes toward life and death beliefs in Han (206 BCE-AD 220) China.

216. (EALC616) Chinese Art Under Mongols. (M) Steinhardt.

The Yuan Dynasty (1257-1368), the period of Mongolilan rule, was the only time in Chinese history when China was part of a larger empire that spanned the Asian continent.  Using architecture, sculpture, painting, and excavated evidence, this course examines the unique results of an international Asian world centered in China.

221. (CHIN491, EALC621) First Year Classical Chinese. (A) Mair.

Introduction to the classical written language, beginning with Shadick, First Course in Literary Chinese, followed by readings in a wide selection of texts with Chinese commentaries.  Readings are in part chosen to reflect student interests.  This course is taught in English and there are no prerequisites.

222. (CHIN492, EALC622) 1st Year Classical Chin II. (B) Mair.

No prerequisite required.  Students with a background in Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, Taiwanese, and other East Asian languages are welcome.  The course begins from scratch, and swiftly but rigorously develops the ability to read a wide variety of classical and semi-classical styles.  Original texts from the 6th century BC to the 20th century AD are studied intensively.

SM 223. (EALC623) Language, Script and Society in China. (M) Mair.

The Chinese writing system is the only major surviving script in the world that is partially picto-ideographic, Egyptian hieroglyphic and Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform having passed out of use about two millennia ago.  Partly because it is so unique, a tremendous number of myths have grown up around the Chinese script.  In an attempt to understand how they really function, this seminar will examine the nature of the sinographs and their relationship to spoken Sinitic languages, as well as their implications for society and culture.  We will also discuss the artistic and technological aspects of the Chinese characters and the ongoing efforts to reform and simplify them.  The use of sinographs in other East Asian countries than China will be taken into account.

224. (EALC624) The Story of the Stone. (M) Staff.

This course studies the eighteenth-century masterpiece -- and the most beloved of all Chinese novels -- The Story of the Stone (Shitouji, also known as Hongloumeng, or Dream of the Red Chamber).  Because the novel runs to 120 chapters (and five volumes in its sublime English translation), it is rarely taught in its entirety.  And yet, of all Chinese novels--it is perhaps the single one most conceived of as a unitary whole.  We will be reading the whole novel over the course of the semester.  All readings will be in English, and there is no prerequisite.

SM 226. (EALC626) East Asian Funerary Arts. (A) Steinhardt.

Study of tombs and tomb decoration of emperors and officials in China, Korea, and Japan from the pre-buddhist era through the 19th century.

L/R 227. (ARTH216, EALC627) Chinese Painting. (C) Steinhardt.

Study of Chinese painting and practice from the earliest pictorial representation through the late twentieth century.  Painting style forms the basis of analysis, and themes such as landscape and narrative will be considered with regard to larger social and cultural issues.  The class will pay particular attention to the construction of the concepts of the "artist" and "art criticism" and their impact on the field into the present.  Visits to look at paintings at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, PMA and/or local collections will be offered when possible.

228. (EALC628) Chinese Wall Painting. (M) Steinhardt.

Survey of mural painting in temples and tombs from the earliest exampls in the last BCE centuries through the Ming dynasty.  The course examines paintings that have been uncovered in the last few years, as well as famous examples in China and in North American museums.

229. (EALC629) Chinese Architecture. (C) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Steinhardt. Graduate-level option requires a 20-page paper and permission of the instructor.

Survey of Chinese buildings and building technology from the formative period in the second millennium B.C. through the twentieth century.  The course will deal with well-known monuments such as the Buddhist monasteries of Wutai, imperial palaces in Chang'an and Beijing, the Ming tombs and the Temple of Heaven, and less frequently studied buildings.  Also covered will be the theory and principles of Chinese construction.

SM 239. (EALC639) Sex and Society in Ancient China. (M) Goldin.

Ancient Chinese writers considered sexual activity to be an essential component of humanity, and the study of human sexuality to be essential to the study of human history.  Sexuality constituted a fundamental source of imagery and categories that informed the classical Chinese conception of social, political, and military relationships.  This course will survey the major sources dealing with sex and society in ancient China.  There are no prerequisites, and no knowledge of Chinese is presumed.

SM 240. (EALC640) Early Chinese History. (B) Goldin.

This seminar covers the span of Chinese history from the Bronze Age to the establishment of the empire in 221 B.C.  No knowledge of Chinese is presumed, but EALC 001 (Introduction to Chinese Civilization) is a prerequisite. Graduate students who wish to enroll should meet with the instructor to discuss additional requirements for graduate credit.

SM 241. (EALC641) Law in Pre-Modern China. (M) Goldin.

This course, intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates, offers a survey of the sources and research problems of pre-modern Chinese law.  For reasons to be examined in the course, traditional Sinological education has neglected law as a legitimate field of inquiry; consequently, the secondary literature is surprisingly meager.  Our readings will take us from the Warring States Period to the Qing dynasty--an interval of over two millennia--and will cover several varieties of legal documents, including statutes, handbooks, court records, and theoretical treatises.  All the readings will be in English, and no knowledge of Chinese is presumed. Graduate students should see the instructor to discuss requirement for graduate credit.

251. (EALC651, JPAN491) Readings in Classical Japanese I. (A) Chance. Prerequisite(s): JPAN 212 or equivalent.

Readings in classical texts drawn from the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo periods.  Introduction to the different styles of classical Japanese, and to classical Japanese as a whole.

252. (EALC652, JPAN492) Readings in Classical Japanese II. (B) Chance, L. Prerequisite(s): JPAN 212.

Readings in classical texts drawn from the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo periods.  Introduction to the different styles of classical Japanese, and to classical Japanese as a whole.

253. (EALC653, RELS279, RELS679) Buddhist Poets of Japan. (M) LaFleur.

Among the many poets of Japan some have over time gained attention both in Asia and the West for being especially concerned with Buddhist themes and perhaps with having an aesthetic informed by that tradition as well.  This course will involve reading at least the following in translation: Saigyo, Ikkyu, Ryokan, and Miyazawa Kenji.  There will, in addition, be selections from other poets as well as attention to some critical essays.

SM 254. (EALC654) War and LIterature in Japan: Tales of the Heike. (C) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Chance, L.

Our subject is Tale of the Heike, a multifaceted narrative of the twelfth-century battles that brought the Taira clan down and led to the establishment of Japan's first military government.  We will read the Heike tales with an eye toward how they fictionalize history and idealize certain types, most notably loyal women and warriors; the development of the warrior tale genre; central aspects of the Japanese ethos; and later works of literature based on episodes and characters from the Tale of the Heike.  All material is in English translation. (Students of Japanese language may learn to read a famous section in the original.) There are no pre-requisites.

SM 255. (COML385, EALC655, FOLK485, THAR485) Japanese Theater. (C) Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Kano. Prerequisite(s): Reading knowledge of Japanese and/or previous coursework in literature/theater will be helpful, but not required.

Japan has one of the richest and most varied theatrical traditions in the world.  In this course, we will examine Japanese theater in historical and comparative contexts.  The readings and discussions will cover all areas of the theatrical experience (script, acting, stage design, costumes, music, audience).  Audio-visual material will be used whenever appropriate and possible.  The class will be conducted in English, with all English materials.

258. (ARCH718, EALC658) Japanese Architecture. (M) Steinhardt.

An introduction to the visual, aesthetic, historical, religious, philosophical, and symbolic aspects of Japanese structures from earliest times to the mid-19th century.  Through a discussion of shrines, temples, palaces, tombs, cities, and gardens the student will explore what makes Japanese architecture distinctive and how the traditions of Japanese architecture evolve over time.

SM 263. (EALC663) Topics in Japanese Thought. (M) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. LaFleur. Prerequisite(s): EALC 002 is recommended.

Course focuses on a few selected topics for close attention.  Past topics have included the examination of certain current social and ethnical questions-- for instance those having to do with organ transplantation, abortion, suicide, euthanasia, political corruption, and "openness" as a society.  Readings will be on contemporary questions but include some pre-modern materials that influence the discussion.

265. (RELS276) Zen Buddhism. (B) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. LaFleur. Lectures and discussion.  Mid-term, paper, and final.

This course examines the history, doctrines, and practices of Zen Buddhism in China, Japan and the West.  Topics include the monastic life, notable Zen masters, Zen's cultural impact, and enlightenment.

SM 269. (EALC669, RELS489) Japanese Buddhism. (C) Distribution Course in Hist & Tradition. Class of 2009 & prior only. LaFleur.

An introduction to the history and cultural role of Buddhism in Japan. Emphasis is on Buddhism as a component in the religious, intellectual, and cultural life of the Japanese, especially in poetry and the visual arts. Includes a short review of prior Buddhism in India and China.

279. (EALC679) Contemporary Japanese Society. (M) Distribution Course in Society. Class of 2009 & prior only. Hurst. No background is necessary, although EALC 002 is desirable.  Graduate students may take this course as EALC 679 and should see the instructor to discuss additional requirements for graduate credit.

The course will cover a number of social issues in Japan today.  Since so much of postwar Japanese development has been based upon the nature of the relationship between the United States and Japan, we will begin with a consideration of the occupation of Japan as the crucible in which the partnership was formed and basic agreements reached.  We will examine the nature of the Japanese political economy, both the extraordinary growth of the economy until the late 1980s and its post-cold war stagnation.  Among the social issues we will examine are ethnic consciousness, marriage and the family, work and gender roles, school and education.  We will conclude with a consideration of Japan's imperialist role in the prewar and wartime era.

285. (EALC685) Arts of Korea. (M) Chance F.

The goal of this course is understanding the development of visual, performing, and literary arts in Korea and the historical, religious, and social contexts in which they flourished.  It serves as an introduction to the arts of Korea, with emphasis on painting, sculpture, ceramics, and architecture and additional consideration of dance, drama, poetry, and culinary arts.  Covers the whole history of Korea, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century.

SM 291. (EALC691) Archaeology of Central Asia. (C) Steinhardt.

A site by site investigation of Buddhist and non-Buddhist ruins in Central Asia.  Included are Nisa, Khwarezm, Pyandzhikent, Khalchayan, Ay-Khanum, Bamiyan, Miran, Tumshuk, Kizil, Kucha, Khotan, Adzhina-Tepe, Khocho, Khara-Khoto, and Bezeklik.

SM 301. Major Seminar on China. (C) Staff. Prerequisite(s): EALC001,no language required for undergraduates.

Topic varies year to year.

SM 302. Major Seminar on Japan. (A) Staff. Prerequisite(s): EALC002 no language required for undergrads.

Topic varies year to year.

503. (EALC103, HIST003, HIST403) Asia in a Wider World. (A) Waldron.

Integrated introduction to the history of Asia from the middle ages to early modern times (roughly 1100-1800), including China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and the great empires of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, and the Turks, during the period of transition from cosmopolitan empires to nation-states.  Presumes no prior knowledge.  Emphasis is on Asia's place in world history, with basic narrative, consideration of connections through trade, navigation, and migration; examination of warfare and military technology, and comparisons of social, religious, cultural and identity structures.  Substantial attention is also paid to Russia, India, and the Middle East, and to relations with Europe. Readings include translated primary sources.

L/R 504. (EALC104, PSCI214, PSCI514) Political Economy of East Asia. (M) Amyx.

This course examines the interplay between politics and economics in East Asia.  A major course objective is to reconcile the regions past success with the difficulties experience in many of these countries more recently.  Another primary objective is to consider in what ways and to what degree the growth experiences of the high-performing economies in East Asia shed light on the prospects for long-term success of reforms currently underway in China.

L/R 505. (EALC105, HIST395) East Asian Diplomacy. (A) Dickinson.

This course will survey the history of relations among the great powers in East Asia from 1600 to the present.  Special emphasis will be placed upon the peculiarities of cross-national exchange in Asia (as compared to Europe), particularly the difficulties of relations among states possessing fundamentally different cultural traditions.  We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of diplomacy in Asia over the past 400 years.

515. (EALC115) Buddhist Arts of East Asia: Sources, Iconography and Styles. (M) Chance, F. Prerequisite(s): Research in an East Asian language required for graduate credit.

Survey of art and architecture created for Buddhist religious purposes in China, Japan, and to a lesser extent Korea, Tibet, and Central Asia.  The course will include a brief overview of Buddhist monuments in South Asia, study of the iconography of Buddhist images in graphic and sculptural media, and analysis of a variety of Buddhist styles in painting, sculpture, and architecture.

518. (EALC118) Gender and Sexuality in Asia. (M) Kano.

This introductory course will deal with issues such as stereotypes of Asian women and men, cultural construction of femininity and masculinity, international and sexual division of labor, traffic in women in the sex industries, representation of gender and sexuality in academic scholarship as well as literary texts and popular culture, local and global activism for the rights of women and sexual minorities.

SM 519. (EALC119) East Asian Ceramics. (M) Chance, F.

History of ceramic forms, techniques, and aesthetic principles in China, Korea, and Japan from neolithic times to the present century, illustrated by slides and examples, augmented by readings, field trips, and student presentations.  Aimed at students with general interest in Japan and/or ceramics history; particularly but not exclusively those majoring in East Asian Languages & Civs, East Asian Area Studies or History of Art; also art majors interested in ceramics.

521. (EALC121) Chinese Poetry & Prose: In translation. (A) Mair.

A wide variety of poetic & prose genres from the earliest times to the 19th century is introduced through English translation.  A few selections will also be studied in Chinese characters with romanized transcriptions.  There are no prerequisites for this course.

522. (EALC122) Chinese Fiction and Drama in Translation. (B) Staff.

This course introduces students to some of the great classics of Chinese literature, from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries.  This period saw the blossoming of many new literary forms, and the writing of many of the most creative and important works of the Chinese tradition (including the novels Journey to the West, Dream of the Red Chamber, and The Plum in the Golden Vase).  We will read adventure stories, historical dramas, romances, and erotic fiction.

L/R