Courses

For the most current information, please refer to the following web-site:
http://www.college.emory.edu/current/courses/atlas/fall.html

Fall 2007

Max number of Asian Studies students able to register in cross-listed courses
can be found in each description below the instructor name and class time.
Please contact Angie Brewer at 404-727-2108, angie.brewer@emory.edu, if you have any questions.

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ASIA 102: Introduction to South Asian Civilization
Ruby Lal , TuTh 11:30-12:45, (Same as MESAS 102)
(Max: 5)

Content:

Texts:

Particulars:

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ASIA 190: Drums and Gongs: Asian Music Performance
Tong-Soon Lee , Tu 1-3:30, (Same as MUS 190)
(Max: 5)

Content: In this course, students will learn about Asian music by learning to perform Javanese gamelan and Korean percussion. Using these two traditions as a framework, we will explore other Asian musical traditions to understand the history, structure, and performance practices of music in different Asian cultures.

Texts: There is no required text for this seminar. Articles, book chapters, and sound recordings will be assigned throughout the course and made available in the library.

Particulars: No prerequisites. Certain sections of the course may require knowledge of music analysis, but proper guidance will be provided to ensure adequate understanding.  Please note that although this course is based primarily on performance, students should expect a significant amount of reading, writing, and listening throughout the semester. Assessment for this course is based on written tests, essays, class presentations, and performance.

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ASIA 210: Classic Religious Texts: The Classical Texts of Vedanta: Its Origins, Meaning and Relevance
Majmudar, TTh 10:00-11:15, (Sames as REL 210)
(Max: 5)

Content: What is “Vedanta?” Is it “religion” or “philosophy” or both? Is it synonymous with “Hinduism?” What are some of the misconceptions about Vedanta? After addressing these preliminary questions, the teacher will introduce students to the basic terminology, propositions and teachings of Vedanta, and examine the roots of Vedantic thought in the ancient Indian sacred texts of Hinduism: the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and in the commentaries of Shankara, the greatest proponent of Advaita or the non-dualistic school of Vedanta. Travelling back in time to the Vedic and Upanishadic periods in Indian religious history (placed approximately between 2500-600 B.C.), we shall enter the ancient mystical world of the forest-dwelling Rishis or seers, who deeply meditated upon the true nature of the ultimate Reality (Brahman). Through their own direct inner vision and contemplation, they realized the truth that the human soul (atman) in its true essence was none other than the Brahman itself; the latter only remained to be realized in the infinite depths of the human Self. Because of the layers of ignorance (avidya), ego (ahamkara), and the veil of misperception (maya), the self becomes oblivious of its true identity. These false layers of identity can be removed by Self-realization through deep meditation (samadhi), and through the paths of devotion (bhakti), Knowledge (jnana), selfless action (karma), or through rigorous ascetic practices (Raj yoga). The aim of Vedanta is to realize the Truth of That art thou (Tat tvam asi). Statement of Purpose The purpose of this course is (1) to introduce students to the meaning, teachings and the relevance of Vedanta; (2) to provide a basic understanding of the terms, concepts and the four major utterances (maha-vakyas) of Vedanta through the study of selected Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Shankara’s Advaita philosophy; (3) to trace the development of the Vedantic thought from the Vedic-Upanishadic periods in Indian history through its first exposure to America by Swami Vivekananda in Chicago at the Parliament of World Religions (1893), and up to its further spread over the continent.

Texts:
Required Textbooks:

Torwestern, Hans (TH). Vedanta: Heart of Hinduism. Adapted by Loly Rosset; translated from the German by John Phillips. New York: Grove press, 1991.

Pravarajika Vrajaprana (PV). Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West. Hollywood: California: Vedanta Press, 1994.

Olivelle, Patrick (OP). Upanishads. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Klostermaier, Klaus K. Hinduism: A Short History (KSH): Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2000.

Miller, Barbara Stoler (MBS). Trans. The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna’s Counsel in Timeof War. New York: Bantam Books, 1986.

Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli and Charles Moore (R&M). A Sourcebook of Indian Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1957.

Recommended Readings:

Knott, Kim (KKH). Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Swami Ashokananda. Ascent to Spiritual Illumination: Ten Lectures on Spiritual Practice. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 2001.

Swami Nikhilananda. Atma-bodh. Self-Knowledge of Sri Sankaracharya (Atma-bodha). Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math or Vedanta Book Center, Chicago: Ill. 60615.

K. R. Krishnaswamy. Adi Shankara’s Vivekachudamani. Bangalore: India: Srivastava Brothers. Banashankari Stage II, Bangalore- 560 070, 1999, 1991.

Sister Nivedita. The Master as I Saw Him. Kolkata: Udbodhan Office, 2001. (distributed by Vedanta Press, Hollywood, California 90068).


Particulars: Students must fulfill three basic requirements: Attendance, Attention, and Active participation (Three As). If, for an unavoidable reason, you have to miss a class, you must have the Instructor’s prior permission and submit a written explanation. Students will take three short review exams in the class during the term, and they will write one final research paper toward the end of the term. All students are required to read their assignments prior to each class, and bring their textbooks to the class. We strongly encourage you to participate in class discussions.

The Complete Grading Chart:

Attendance, Attention, Active participation: (10 % each) 30 %

Three short exams in the class: (10 % each) 30 %

One final research paper 40 %

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ASIA 212: Asian Religious Traditions
Doyle, TTh 11:30-12:45, (Sames as REL 212)
(Max: 5)

Content: This “theory-practice-learning” (TPL) class is an introduction to a number of prominent texts and associated religious practices found within the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of South Asia. Texts will include Vedic hymns, selections from the Upanishads, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the Devi-mahatmya, medieval bhakti poetry, Ashvaghosa’s Buddha-carita, the Satipatthana Sutta, Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara, and selections from Buddhist tantras. In line with the TPL nature of this course, students will also witness important rituals and/or festivals at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta and Wat Buddha Bucha, study about and practice Hindu yoga and Buddhist meditation, and watch performances of Carnatic devotional music and Tibetan chanting. All these will be studied within historical and contemporary contexts, thus revealing both the continuity and innovativeness of these two major religious traditions.

Texts: Eck, Darsan; Shantideva, Way of the Bodhisattva; Thich Nhat Hanh, Heart of Understanding; and photocopied sourcebook of articles.

Particulars: Class participation (15%), three 2 page reflection papers (30%), mid-term exam (25%), and final exam (30%).

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ASIA 310: Modern Buddhism: Religious Identity in Asia and America
Doyle, TTh 1:00-2:15, (same as REL 310)
(Max: 5)

Content: During the last two centuries, many Buddhist communities have been stimulated to forge new religious identities, movements, and organizations in response to rapidly changing, often culturally traumatic, socio-political conditions. This course will investigate some of the ways people from Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and Tibet have responded to these changes, in their home countries and/or here in the USA. Particular areas of focus will be: the impact of colonialism and orientalist constructions of knowledge on Buddhist communities; Buddhist revival movements and their relationship to nationalist and/or communal struggles; re-workings of the “past” to explain and/or legitimate new religious/cultural forms; the influence of western-style social activism and feminism on Buddhist reform movements; and the ways in which various Asian immigrant and refugee communities have dealt with the dilemma of simultaneously maintaining and adapting their Buddhist traditions while living in the United States. An integral component of this course will be fieldtrips to local Buddhist temples and meditation centers.

Texts: Bond, Buddhist Revival in Sri Lanka; Gunesekera, Reef; Sangharakshita, Ambedkar and Buddhism; Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step; and a reader of articles.

Particulars: Class participation (10%), 3 Essays (60%), Site visits and resentations (30%).

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ASIA 360: Chinese Women in Film and Fiction
Cai Rong, MWF 2:00-2:50 (Same as CHN 360 and WS 360)
(Max: 5)

Content: This course is an examination of woman as trope in modern Chinese cinema and literature in the twentieth century. It explores how "the modern woman" became a cultural construct and how that construct has redefined gender role and femininity. Special attention will be paid to such issues as self-identity, love, marriage, family, and social opportunities. All readings are in English translation. Knowledge of Chinese language is not required.

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ASIA 363: Literary and Visual Culture in Japan
Crowley, TTh 2:30-3:45 (Same as JPN 363 and ARTHIS 363)
(Max: 2)

Content: The goal of this course is to develop visual literacy in Japanese images and iconography. The course will begin with explorations of basic vocabulary and theory related to visual culture. We will then view examples of Japanese visual art from the 6th century to the present day, discussing ways to "read" paintings, picture scrolls, painted screens, sculpture, woodblock prints, theatrical performances, films, animated films, and comic books in the context of discussion of literary texts and aesthetic treatises contemporary to these works.

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ASIA 365: Buddhist Philosophy: Mind and Mental Transformation
Dunne/Lobsang Tenzin, TT 4:00-6:30 (same as REL 365)
(Max: 30)

Content: This course serves both as an introduction to Buddhist thought and also an exploration of a particular theme. This fall, the course focuses on Buddhist theories of mind and emotions as they relate to the "Mind Training" tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. This theme will form the focus of lectures to be presented during much of the semester by a distinguished visiting Tibetan philosopher, Kyabje Rizong Rinpoche.

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ASIA 372: Introduction to Modern Japanese Literature
Shan, TTh 1:00-2:15 (Same as JPN 372)
(Max: 5)

Content: This course is a survey of Japanese literature from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. One goal of the course is to introduce students to the nature and range of literary genres as they developed in the context of Japan's confrontation with modernity. Another is to present and open for discussion issues in contemporary literary theory in order to understand and analyze important aspects of Japanese literature and culture, such as modernity, gender, nationalism, intertextuality, Orientalism, and identity. All texts are in English translation.

Readings include: Kokoro, Natsume Sôseki; Naomi, Tanizaki Jun’ichirô; A Wild Sheep Chase, Murakami Haruki; and Kitchen, Yoshimoto Banana.

Particulars:  This course counts toward the Asian Studies major and Japanese major and minor.

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ASIA 378: Postwar Japan Through its Media
Shan, TTh 5:00-5:15 (Same as JPN 378)
(Max: 5)

Content: This course examines the way the postwar Japanese experience has been reflected (and constructed) through various types of popular media. Through film, television, magazines, newspapers, music, and manga, we will explore the various ways in which Japanese society has narrated its experiences of recovery and rebuilding after World War II, and the role these media sources have played in this reconstruction. Whenever possible, class discussions will incorporate methodologies of cultural criticism that elaborate the relationships between media, representation, and national or racial identity.

Texts: TBA

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ASIA 395: Time/Space/History in Chinese Cinema
Cai Rong, M 4-7 (Same as CHN 395, CPLT 333, and FILM 396)
(Max: 2)

Content: The course explores the history and development of Chinese cinema. It discusses "film in China" and "China in film" by focusing on the function of cinema and continual reconfigurations of time, space, gender, and history in Chinese films under different historical conditions since the early twentieth century.

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ASIA 495: Directed Study Honors Thesis
Faculty
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ASIA 497: Directed Study
Faculty
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TBT 101: Tibetan Language 101
McClintock, MWF 10:40-11:30,Tu 10:00-11:15
(Max: 15)

Content: This course is an introduction to spoken and literary Tibetan for students with little or no prior exposure to the language. The emphasis in the first semester will be on oral expression and comprehension, as well as on learning to accurately read and write the most common Tibetan script (dbu can). Students will also be introduced to aspects of Tibetan culture that impact social interaction, such as the use of honorific speech and particular gestures and body language. Classroom activities will include skits, dialogues, games and songs to remind us that learning a foreign language can be fun!

Required Texts: Tournadre, Nicolas and Sangda Dorje. Manual of Standard Tibetan: Language and Civilization. Translated from the French by Charles Ramble. Snow Lion Publications, 2003.

Recommended Text: Goldstein, Melvyn C., ed. The New Tibetan-English Dictionary of Modern Tibetan. University of California Press, 2001. [This text will be required in subsequent semesters.]

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TBT 192: Tibetan Conversation
McClintock, Tu 10:00-11:15
(Max: 15)

Content: This one-credit conversation course is designed to help students maintain or improve their conversation skills in colloquial Tibetan. All students must have at least one semester of prior Tibetan language instruction to register. Students returning from Emory’s Tibetan Studies Abroad Program in Dharamsala who wish to enter Tibetan 102 in the Spring semester are especially encouraged to attend. Please contact Dr. Sara McClintock (slmccli@emory.edu) to find out more about this course.

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For Asian language courses listed in REALC or MESAS, please visit the following web site:

CHINESE COURSES:
Please see Russian and East Asian Languages and Culture:http://www.emory.edu/REALC/index.html for courses related to Chinese language, literature and culture.

HINDI LANGUAGE COURSES:
Please see Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies: http://www.mesas.emory.edu/course.atlas/fall06.htm for Hindi Language Courses

JAPANESE COURSES:
Please see Russian and East Asian Languages and Culture: http://www.emory.edu/REALC/index.html

SANSKRIT COURSES:
Please see Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies: http://www.mesas.emory.edu/course.atlas/fall06.htm

 

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