Courses

Spring 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 Melissa Rubins at 404-727-2108, mrubins@emory.edu, if you have any questions.

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ASIA 210WR: Classic Religious Texts: The Lives of the Ramayana, An Indian Classic
Courtright
MWF 9:30-10:25 (same as REL 210WR)
MAX: 5

Content: The course will focus on the great Indian epic, the Ramayana, through its various versions from Valmiki, Kamban, Tulsidas, oral recitations, to contemporary television and comic book renditions, and its Thai version, the Ramakien. Issues of narrative, characterization, theology, and themes such as moral order ( dharma), marriage, devotion, heroism, and sacrifice will be explored.  Exploration will also be made of how the visual and performative arts depict key episodes of the story. The course will conclude with modern uses of the Ramayana story and the figure of Rama in contemporary Indian politics and national identities.  

Texts:

• Swami Venkatesanda, trans., The Ramayana of Valmiki

• Paula Richman, ed., Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition

• Paula Richman, ed., Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia

• Peter Van der Veer, Religious Nationalism

Particulars: In-class writing, short assignments, and a term paper (submitted in first-draft and final draft stages). This course fulfills General Education Requirement IV.A (Humanities) and the Writing Requirement.

 

ASIA 232WR: Language Usage in Japanese Society
Horibe (Same as JPN 323WR)
TT 1:00-2:15
Max: 3

Content:  This course aims to provide opportunities for reading authentic materials and discussion on the content of the materials, as well as for learning how to write with systematic instruction on composition. Students will write essays on chosen topics such as jibun-shi (autobiography). Satisfies G.E.R. post-freshman writing requirement.

Required Texts: Course Packet (TBA).

Particulars:  Prerequisite is JPN301 or consent of the instructor. There will be tests, essay compositions, homework assignments, and quizzes, in addition to preparation for and participation in class.

 
ASIA 270WR: Introduction to Japanese Culture
Crowley (Same as JPN 270WR)
1:00-2:15
Max: 5

Content:  An introduction to aspects of the study of the culture of modern Japan. We will explore such issues as writing and writing systems, gender, memory and history, geography and the environment, science, aesthetics, and the formation of national identity. No background in Japanese studies is required. Special attention will be given to these questions: When is Japanese culture? How do the Japanese view their culture and tradition, and how is it viewed by non-Japanese? How have these views changed throughout history? .

Required Texts: Texts will include (but not be limited to) Helen McCullough, Genji and Heike, Ryusaku Tsunoda, et al., eds., Sources of Japanese Tradition; Yoshida Kenko, Essays in Idleness, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, Conrad Totman, Japan Before Perry, and films.

Particulars:  No Prerequisite.

 

ASIA 271WR Modern China in Film and Fiction
Van Fleit Hang (Same as CHN 271WR)
MWF 2:00-2:50
Max: 5

Content: This course is an examination of twentieth-century Chinese society through cinematic productions and a critical reading of the writings of major Chinese writers in translation. Emphasis on self and society in a changing culture and the nature and function of literature in the modern nation-building. Satisfies G.E.R. post-freshman writing requirement and G.E.R. area V.C.

Texts: TBA

Particulars: All readings are in translation. Knowledge of Chinese language not required. Course requirements include three short written assignments, a term paper, persentation, and active class participation.

 

ASIA 301: Early & Medieval Hinduism
McClintock, MWF 2:00-2:50 (same as REL 301)
MAX: 5

Content: The purpose of this course is to provide an historical overview of the origins of the religious movements in India we now call "Hinduism." Through the reading of mythological, philosophical and poetic primary texts, as well as historical and anthropological studies, we will show how such a tradition was constructed through a set of ongoing tensions: between ascetic and sacrificer, between villager and city-dweller, between outcaste and brahmin, between poet and philosopher. In tracing these tensions throughout Indian history, we will: 1) examine the roots of Indian tradition; 2) master the basic terminology of Indian thought; 3) use that terminology to study the development of Indian philosophy and popular religious movements. We will focus in particular on the mediation of religious conflict, and how Hindus have served as intriguing figures in this regard.

 

ASIA 307: East Asian Buddhism
Reinders
TTh 1:00-2:15 (same as REL 307)
MAX: 5

Content: Chinese Buddhism is not just “Indian Buddhism, in China”; neither are Chinese and Japanese Buddhism the same thing. As Buddhism came to terms with Chinese culture, Buddhism transformed and was transformed by Chinese culture. As Buddhism went into Japan from China and/or via Korea, it was again transformed into something uniquely Japanese.

This course surveys the history and wide variety of different forms of Buddhism in China and Japan, with particular focus on the interactions of Buddhism with Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto; on monasticism; on the structure and iconography of Buddhist temples; on sacred mountains; on Buddhist poetry; on Chan and Zen Buddhism, and on Pure Land Buddhism.

Texts:

May include:
The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
John R. McRae, Seeing Through Zen
Bea Grant, Daughters of Emptiness: Poems of Chinese Buddhist Nuns
Joseph A. Fitzgerald, Honen The Buddhist Saint: Essential Writings and Official Biography

 

ASIA 310S: Modern Buddhism: Becoming the Buddha in America
Doyle (Same as REL 310S )

Content : This seminar investigates the complex historical and sociological processes by which Buddhism has been transplanted in American soil during the last two centuries, focusing particu­larly on Buddhist groups and institutions within easy reach of Emory. Discussions, films, and fieldtrips to temples are integral to this course. Throughout, we will also investigate such issues as Orientalism, cultural accommodation, identity formation, immigration, conversion, and religious pluralism in our attempts to understand the various Buddhisms that exist today in the U.S.A.

Texts: Seager, Buddhism in America; Tatz & Gottlieb, Letters to a Buddhist Jew; Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace; Willis, Dreaming Me: From Baptist to Buddhist; and two xerox readers of articles.

Particulars: requirements include 1) a short presentation on a late 19 th-century person involved in the transplanting of Buddhism in American soil, 2) a short paper on some aspect of the early history of Asian Buddhism in North American, 3) a group presentation on a local Buddhist temple or center, and 4) a research paper on some aspect of Socially Engaged Buddhism.

 

ASIA 361WR: The Genji: Sensuality and Salvation
Crowley (Same JPN 361WR)
Tu/Th 2:30-3:45
Max: 4
4 credits

Content:   Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari), has been called the world's first psychological novel.  Written by a noblewoman in the 11th century, it provides a sensitive, poetic portrait of life in the imperial court in the Heian period -- Japan's classical age -- and in subsequent generations served as a primary source book for literature and culture in Japan.  The work is central to the genre of "literature in the women's tradition" (joryû bungaku) and as such provides rich ground for investigation of gender issues in Japanese art and life.  This course will use the text of Genji as a center point from which to explore various issues in poetry, aesthetics, the visual arts, and cultural memory in Japan.

Texts:
The Tale of Genji, trans. Edward Seidensticker, Murasaki Shikibu
The Bridge of Dreams: A Poetics of the Tale of Genji, Haruo Shirane
The Splendor of Longing in the Tale of Genji, Norma Field
Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji, Richard Bowring
The Tale of Genji (videorecording), Asahi Publishing Co., Asahi National Broadcasting Co. Ltd., and Nippon Herald Films, Inc.
The Illustrated Handscroll Tale of Genji (videorecording), Video Champ
Emaki: Narrative Scrolls from Japan, Miyeko Murase

Particulars: No Prerequisite

 

ASIA 365: Buddhist Philosophy
Dunne/Negi
Tue 4:00-6:30 (same as REL 365)
MAX: 5

Contents: This course serves both as introduction to Buddhist thought and also an exploration of a particular theme. This year, the course focuses on the relationship between interdependence and emptiness, and this theme will form the focus of lectures to be presented during part of the semester by a visiting Tibetan philosopher, Sharpa Cho-Je Losang Tenzin.

 

ASIA 370: Dance & Embodied Knowledge in the Indian Context
Flueckiger and Penumarthi
MWF 11:45-12:35 (Same as REL 370R; Dance 385)
MAX: 6

Content: This is an interdisciplinary course in religion, dance, and South Asian studies. The course will provide a context in which to experience and analyze the nature of embodied knowledge and the creative power of performance, particularly in the Indian context. The focus of this class is to explore ways in which the body knows and participates in ritual and religious knowledge. We will pay particular attention to differences in the ways in which the body and dance are perceived in myth, sculpture/image, aesthetic theories, and dance itself. One class period (Fridays) will be spent learning basic movements of Kuchipudi classical dance under the instruction of master dancer, choreographer, and teacher Sasikala Penumarthi. The other two class periods will frame dance movement with discussions of Indian aesthetic theories, Hindu mythology (Kuchipudi dance choreography draws from Hindu mythological tradition), and western performance theories. We will consider "how and what performance creates" in practice, rather than just theory. No dance experience is necessary, but full participation is required.

Texts may include:

• Rasa: Performing the Divine in India (Schwartz 2005)
• Selections from the Natyasastra [foundational dance manual of Indian classical dance practice & theory]
• a course packet of articles on Hindu mythology, performance, & dance theory

Particulars: Four short response papers, mid-term and final exams, attendance at two out-of-class performances of Indian dance, and class participation (including dance classes). Prerequisites: None.

 

ASIA 370: From Gandhi to Google: Technology and National Identities in Indian History
Chopra
Tu/Thurs 2:30 - 3:45.  (Same as IDS 385WR)
Max: 5

Content: In recent years, the emergence of India as a global technological power has captured the imagination of the international media, transnational corporations, and governments and policymakers across the world.  In discussions about outsourcing American jobs to India, the migration of skilled IT workers from India to the West, or the India-US nuclear deal, Indian technological expertise is often characterized as a national characteristic--- an innate cultural ability that is the hallmark of modern Indian identity.  Within India, there appears to be a consensus among social elites, bureaucrats, and industry, that technology is the key to national development in a globalized world.  In this perspective too, Indian technological ability and scientific aptitude are emphasized as highly desirable individual and national characteristics.

The idea of technological ability as an 'Indian' quality, however, is not a recent development.  Rather, it is the product of a long and intriguing history, in which understandings of technology have been linked in fundamental ways to understandings of what it means to be Indian for the better part of three hundred years.  The course will examine the relationship between technology and national identity in India from the era of British colonialism in the eighteenth century to the present context of globalization and new media technologies such as the internet.  Topics addressed will cover: the reaction of Indians to Western science and technology in the colonial period; the views of Indian nationalist leaders such as Gandhi and Nehru on industrial development and national progress; technological initiatives in the post-independence context of socialist nation-building; and the use of the internet by diasporic Indian communities to articulate new notions of what it means to be Indian.  

Texts: We will read and analyze a range of texts including historical materials, political writings, and websites.

 

ASIA 370: Political Economy of Development 
Doner (Same as POLS 385)
TT 1:00-2:35
Max: 10

Content: The challenge for developing counties is no longer whether to participate in the global economy but how to do so in a way that provides for sustainable and equitable growth. This class focuses on the political factors influencing economic development with an eye to the following two questions: How do countries reconcile national autonomy, sustainability and equity on the one hand, with engagement with foreign firms and markets on the other? How do we explain why some countries and regions have done better than others in taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the global economy? The course begins with a discussion of different concepts of development and of globalization, especially with regard to specific economic sectors. After examining contending explanations for what one economist has termed the surprising “divergence, big time” in economic growth rates among countries, the course proposes an explicitly political approach. The rest of the course (around two thirds) uses this approach as a lens through which to examine specific development issues. These will include, for example, 1) industrial development, e.g. textiles, autos, 2) agricultural development; 3) the position of labor and related issues such as education/training, unionization, job loss; 4) health issues, such as HIV/AIDS. The course should be of interest not only to political science students, but also majors in econ, anthropology, sociology, and business. More than half of the course’s empirical material will be drawn from Asian cases. 

Texts: TBA

Particulars:
Examinations: Midterm and Final
Research Paper: 15-20 pages
Suggested Prerequisites: POLS 120, 110, or 319. ECON course in economic development

 

ASIA 370: Violence, Culture, and Identity
MacLean (Same as Anthro 385)
Tue/Th 4:00-5:15
Location: TBA
Max: 6

Particulars: This course will introduce students to a range of anthropological theories regarding violence, culture, and identity. This course is divided into two main parts. The first part focuses on the conceptual issues relevant to the course, whereas the second part explores them in cultural and historical context via a series of case studies drawn from conflict zones in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Possible topics include studies of (auto-) genocide, “communal” conflict, ethnic separatism and counter-insurgency, sectarian strife, and class struggle as well as efforts to attain justice for the dead and the living via tribunals, reconciliation commissions, and memory projects (museums, shrines, films, etc.). Readings and assignments are intended to encourage critical discussion and to challenge our preconceived notions concerning the relationship different forms of violence have to cultural beliefs and practices as well as the kinds of identity that result over time. Discussion will also explore some of the ethical and methodological dilemmas that arise for survivors and researchers alike. T here are no formal prerequisites for this course, but students should have a strong interest in the topic and be able to discuss the materials, which will sometimes contain graphic images and descriptions of violence, maturely.

 

ASIA 370S, Representations of Asian America
Nickerson, W 9-12 (Same as ILA 790/ AMST 362S) 
Max: 5

Content : This course examines the ways in which artists, writers, scholars, and political groups have depicted many kinds of encounters between the people, ideas, and aesthetics of Asia and North America. .Major issues in the course will include the typology and cultural history of Asian American stereotypes; the uses of anti-Asian feeling in political and labor debates; the role of the model minority myth in the history of American racial and inter-ethnic politics; the limits of realism in literary and visual representation. Other materials for the course from a wide range of historical and sources by and about Asian Americans, including: history, fiction, poetry, and autobiography; documentary, Hollywood, and experimental film; political cartoons; advertisements; sculpture and painting; popular music.

Texts : The main texts for the course will include Robert Lees Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture, Sheng Mwi Mas The Deathly Embrace, and Helen Zias Asian American Dreams.

Particulars : Students will choose from a variety of projects and papers to create a portfolio of work. For students with prior background and training, it may be possible to include film, web, or other media projects in that portfolio. Please be aware that there will be at least three mandatory film screenings over the course of the semester.

 

ASIA 375: Foreigners in Imperial China
Kurtz (Same as CHN 274)
TT 2:30-3:45
Max: 5

Content: Far from being a closed empire encircled by an impenetrable Great Wall, China was always integrated into global circulations of goods, knowledge, and people. Foreigners were a constant presence in the Middle Kingdom throughout its history, even if they were not always welcome. This course will follow the trails and travails of some men and women, from Europe, Asia, and America, who fell prey to the “lure of Cathay” in their searches for riches, influence, employment, adventure, or spiritual gratification. Our aim is to explore not only the changing fortunes of individual travellers, but also to examine the historical origins of many ideas that continue to shape our understanding of Chinese civilization and its place in the world.

Required Texts: Polo, Marco. The Travels. Translated by Ronald Latham. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books 1958. Spence, Jonathan D. To Change China. Western Advisers in China, 1620-1960. Boston: Little, Brown 1969. Waley-Cohen, Joanne. The Sextants of Beijing: Global Currents in Chinese History. New York: Norton 1999. Whitfield, Susan. Life Along the Silk Road. Berkeley: University of California Press 1999.

Particulars: Prerequisites: Knowledge of Chinese is NOT required. Grading: class participation, written assignments, exams, paper.

 

ASIA 375SWR: Tradition in Modern China
Kurtz (Same as CHN 471SWR)
TT 11:30-12:45
Max: 3

Content: This seminar examines the multiple ways in which traditions have been attacked, defended, revised, and reinvented in twentieth-century China. Our aim is to disentangle the anxieties, interests, and rhetorical devices that have shaped modern Chinese answers to the question of historical continuity. In our explorations, we will scrutinize representations of the past in scholarly works, including histories of Chinese thought, science and literature, as well as depictions of historical events and personalities in historiography, film, fiction, music, monuments, and art.

Satisfies G.E.R. post-freshman writing requirement and GER area I.C. (Advanced seminar).

Required Texts: Course readings on Reserves Direct.

Prerequisite: Completion of one China or East-Asia related seminar or lecture course. Knowledge of Chinese is desirable but not required. Grading: class participation, written assignments, exams, research paper.

 

 

ASIA 378WR: Postwar Japan Through Its Media
Bullock (Same as JPN 378WR)
Tu/Th 2:30-3:45
Max: 5

Content: This course examines the way the postwar Japanese experience has been reflected (and constructed) through various types of popular media. Using film, manga, and other cultural products, we will explore the various ways in which Japanese society has narrated its experiences of recovery and rebuilding since 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.

Required Texts: TBA

Particulars:  No prerequisites.

 ASIA 497: Directed Reading Honors

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TBT 102: Tibetan 102
McClintock
MWF 10:40-11:30
Tue 2:30-3:45

Content: This course is an introduction to spoken and literary Tibetan for students with one prior semester or the equivalent of Tibetan language study. The emphasis will be on oral expression and comprehension, integrated with the introduction to literary Tibetan. Students will learn to accurately read and write a second, semi-cursive Tibetan script (dbu med). We will also continue to study 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 is fun!

Required Texts:

Dunne, John and Sara McClintock. First Year Primer of Literary Tibetan. Unpublished manuscript to be distributed in class.

Goldstein, Melvyn C., ed. The New Tibetan-English Dictionary of Modern Tibetan.
University of California Press, 2001.

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

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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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