- Introduction
- About Amherst College
- Admission & Financial Aid
- Regulations & Requirements
- Amherst College Courses
- Five College Programs & Certificates
- Honors & Fellowships
Introduction
Introduction
BackAsian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
About Amherst College
About Amherst College
BackAsian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
Admission & Financial Aid
Admission & Financial Aid
BackAsian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
Regulations & Requirements
Regulations & Requirements
Back- General Regulations
- Terms and Vacations
- Conduct
- Attendance at College Exercises
- Records and Reports
- Pass/Fail Option
- Examinations and Extensions
- Withdrawals
- Readmission
- Deficiencies
- Housing and Meal Plans
- Degree Requirements
- Course Requirements
- The Liberal Studies Curriculum
- The Major Requirement
- Departmental Majors
- Interdisciplinary Majors
- Comprehensive Requirement
- Degree with Honors
- Independent Scholar Program
- Field Study
- Five College Courses
- Academic Credit from Other Institutions
- Cooperative Doctor of Philosophy
- Engineering Exchange Program with Dartmouth
Asian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
Amherst College Courses
Amherst College Courses
Back- American Studies
- Anthropology and Sociology
- Architectural Studies
- Art and the History of Art
- Asian Languages and Civilizations
- Biochemistry and Biophysics
- Biology
- Black Studies
- Chemistry
- Classics
- Colloquia
- Computer Science
- Creative Writing
- Economics
- Educational Studies
- English
- Environmental Studies
- European Studies
- Film and Media Studies
- First Year Seminar
- French
- Geology
- German
- History
- Latinx and Latin American Studies
- Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Mellon Seminar
- Music
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Physics and Astronomy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Religion
- Russian
- Sexuality Wmn's & Gndr Studies
- Spanish
- Theater and Dance
- Courses of Instruction
- 01- Bruss Seminar
- 02- Kenan Colloquium
- 03- Linguistics
- 04- Mellon Seminar
- 05- Physical Education
- 06- Premedical Studies
- 07- Teaching
- 08- Five College Dance
Asian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
Five College Programs & Certificates
Five College Programs & Certificates
Back- Five College Courses
- African Studies Certificate
- Asian Pacific American Studies Certificate
- Biomathematics
- Buddhist Studies Certificate
- Coastal and Marine Sciences Certificate
- Culture Health Science Certificate
- Ethnomusicology Certificate
- International Relations Certificate
- Latin American Caribbean Latino Studies Certificate
- Logic Certificate
- Middle Eastern Studies Certificate
- Native American and Indigenous Studies Certificate
- Queer and Sexuality Studies Certificate
- Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Certificate
- Russian East European Eurasian Studies Certificate
- Sustainability Studies Certificate
Asian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
Honors & Fellowships
Honors & Fellowships
BackAsian Languages and Civilizations
Professors Maxey, Morse (Chair), Rice*, Ringer, Tawa, and Van Compernolle; Assistant Professors Gomes, Qiao, and Ying*; Senior Lecturers Brown*, Kayama, Miyama, Shen, and Teng; Visiting Lecturer Fukube; Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan; Five College Lecturer Alswaid.
Asian Languages and Civilizations is an interdisciplinary exploration of the histories and cultures of the peoples of Asia. Through a systematic study of the languages, societies, and cultures of the major civilizations that stretch from the Arab World to Japan, we hope to expand knowledge and challenge presuppositions about this large and vital part of the world. The purpose is to encourage in-depth study as well as to provide guidance for a general inquiry into the problem of cultural difference and its social and political implications, both within Asia and between Asia and the West.
Major Program: The major in Asian Languages and Civilizations is an individualized course of study. All majors are required to take a minimum of ten courses dealing with Asia. At least six of these, including two content courses, must be taken at Amherst College. A maximum of six language courses may be counted toward the ten courses required for the major. These courses will be chosen in consultation with the advisor and should constitute a coherent program of study subject to departmental approval. The program of study may be thematic, regional, disciplinary, or interdisciplinary in focus. It should include one course with a substantial independent research component. Students counting the language courses towards their major will show a certain minimum level of competence in one language, either by achieving a grade of a B or better in the second semester of the third year of that language at Amherst or by demonstrating equivalent competence in a manner approved by the department. Students taking their required language courses elsewhere, or wishing to meet the language requirement by other means, may be required, at the discretion of the department, to pass a proficiency examination. No pass-fail option is allowed for any courses required for the departmental major.
Comprehensive Exam: Majors must satisfy a comprehensive assessment by participating in the department’s undergraduate student conference in the final semester of the senior year. Students seeking departmental honors will be expected to present on their senior thesis. Students not writing a senior honors thesis will be expected to present research undertaken in one of their courses in the department.
Departmental Honors: Students who wish to be candidates for Departmental Honors must submit a thesis to the Department, and, in addition to the ten required courses and the capstone presentation, enroll in ASLC 498 and 499, the thesis writing courses, in their final two semesters. Thesis students are required to complete a senior thesis on an independently chosen topic, and to participate in an oral defense of the thesis with three faculty members chosen jointly by the student and the department.
Study Abroad: The department encourages study abroad in the language of concentration. A student majoring in the department who studies abroad may petition to have a maximum of two courses or the equivalent count toward the major for each semester spent abroad. These courses can be a combination of up to two each of language and content courses (i.e. the petition cannot be for three language courses, even for two semesters spent abroad). The request is subject to departmental approval.
The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship: This fellowship at Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, is open to a graduating senior or Amherst alum (who graduated the year before the fellowship is awarded) to participate in the cultural life of the University in Kyoto, Japan -- the center of traditional Japanese culture. The Fellow resides at the university, but is not enrolled as a student. Instead, the Fellow on occasion assists a Japanese professor with English language classes, meets with English language learners one-on-one through office hours, and serves as an ambassador of present-day Amherst College to the community of Doshisha University for one year, normally from September to August. The fellowship offers a stipend shared between Amherst and Doshisha including an allowance for travel (during February and March) and incidental expenses. It is administered through the Asian Languages & Civilization department and awarded by faculty in that department with approval from the Board of Trustees.
*On leave 2022-23.
Arabic
101 First-Year Arabic I
This course starts by thoroughly studying the Arabic alphabet. It introduces the basics of Modern Standard Arabic and a brief exposure to one of the Arabic dialects through the listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. By the end of this course students should be at the Novice-Mid/ Novice-High level and they should be able to:
Accurately recognize the Arabic letters, identify a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including cognates, derive meaning from short, non-complex texts that convey basic information for which there is contextual or extra-linguistic support. Re-reading is often required;
Recognize and begin to understand a number of high-frequency, highly contextualized words and phrases including aural cognates; begin to understand information from sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts where there is contextual or extra-linguistic support;
Communicate minimally by using a number of learned words and phrases limited by the particular context in which the language has been learned, initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world, talk about themselves, their education, and family with native speakers of Arabic accustomed to interacting with learners of Arabic as a foreign language;
Write short, simple sentences or a short paragraph about self, daily life, personal experience relying mainly on practiced vocabulary and sentence structures, produces lists, short messages, simple notes, postcards;
Understand aspects of Arab culture including commonly used culturally important expressions and differentiate between formal and colloquial spoken Arabic in limited contexts.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of First-Year Arabic I. Emphasis is on the integrated development of all language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking – using a communicative-oriented, functional approach. By the end of this semester, learners should be at the Intermediate Low level according to the ACTFL language proficiency levels. Students will acquire vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and language skills necessary for everyday interactions as well as skills that will allow them to communicate with a limited working proficiency in a variety of situations, read and write about a variety of factual material and familiar topics in non-technical prose. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers in this level rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Students will be able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. Reading texts are non-complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high-frequency vocabulary.
Understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions.
Successfully handle a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target-language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information; for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, and some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases.
Meet some practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are re-combinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational-style sentences with basic word order. They are written in present or past time. Topics are tied to highly predictable content areas and personal information.
Requisite: ARAB 101 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Arabic I
This course expands the scope of the communicative approach, as new grammatical points are introduced (irregular verbs), and develops a greater vocabulary for lengthier conversations. Emphasis is placed on reading and writing short passages and personal notes. This second-year of Arabic completes the introductory grammatical foundation necessary for understanding standard forms of Arabic prose (classical and modern literature, newspapers, film, etc.) and making substantial use of the language.
Requisite: ARAB 102 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Arabic II
This is a continuation of Second-Year Arabic I. We will complete the study of the Al-Kitaab II book sequence along with additional instructional materials. In this course, we will continue perfecting knowledge of Arabic integrating the four skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a communicative-oriented, proficiency-based approach. By the end of this semester, you should have sufficient comprehension in Arabic to understand most routine social demands and most non-technical real-life conversations as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to particular interests and special fields of competence in a general professional proficiency level. You will have broad enough vocabulary that will enable you to read within a normal range of speed with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material and be able to write about similar topics. Also by the end of this semester, you should have a wide range of communicative language ability including grammatical knowledge, discourse knowledge and sociolinguistic knowledge of the Arabic language. You should expect text assignments as well as work with DVDs, audio and video materials and websites. Exercises and activities include essay writing, social interactions, role plays and in-class conversations, oral and video presentations that cover the interplay of language and culture, extra-curricular activities and a final project.
Requisite: ARAB 201 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Arabic I
The goal of this course is to help students achieve an Intermediate Mid/ High level of proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Students engage with Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic colloquial variety using the four-skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) approach. By the end of the course, students will consistently be able to:
Read texts on unfamiliar topics and understand the main ideas without using the dictionary. Text types will address a range of political, social, religious, and literary themes and will represent a range of genres, styles, and periods;
Understand sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts dealing with topics of current political, social and cultural interests;
Speak about themselves and others, initiate and sustain conversations on a variety of subjects, describe and narrate in all major time frames;
Engage in written discourse dealing with impersonal and/or abstract topics.
Continue to deepen knowledge of Arab cultures, including their histories, politics, and literatures, learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to your active vocabulary.
Requisite: ARAB 202 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Arabic II
Arabic 302 expands on previously acquired foundations in Third-Year Arabic I in speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with special attention focused on learner production of Modern Standard Arabic and one Arabic dialect. Coursework includes readings and listening materials on a variety of social, historical and cultural topics related to the Arab world, practical and reflective written assignments, and discussions on essential cultural patterns. The work in this course is designed to help students solidify Upper Intermediate High/ Advanced Low proficiency in Arabic. In addition, students will continue to learn and use increasingly sophisticated grammatical and rhetorical structures and practice Advanced-level linguistic tasks, such as presenting cohesive essay-length discourse, defending opinions on abstract topics, and add approximately 500 new words and expressions to active vocabulary. By the end of the course students will be able to:
Understand fully and with ease short texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. Students will be able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration;
Understand, with ease and confidence spoken Arabic-language short discourse stretches and derive substantial meaning from some connected texts;
Demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with some control of aspect and converse with ease and confidence when dealing with routine tasks and a variety of social situations.
Write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. Narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations of a short essay length.
Increase engagement with different aspects of Arabic cultural life
Requisite: ARAB 301 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Teachers of Arabic.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Arabic: Media Arabic
Media Arabic is an advanced Language fourth-year level course. Students are required to complete a set amount of media-related material during the semester. The course introduces the language of print and the Internet news media to students of Arabic seeking to reach the advanced level, according to the ACTFL standards. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish fact from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. The course enables students to:
Read extended Arabic Media texts with greater accuracy at the advanced level by focusing on meaning, information structure, vocabulary and language form, and markers of cohesive discourse;
Understand the main idea and most supporting details of Arabic media presentations and news and follow stories and descriptions of some length and in various time frames;
Converse comfortably in Arabic in familiar and some unfamiliar situations, and deliver detailed and organized presentations on familiar as well as unfamiliar concrete media topics using various time frames;
Write clear, detailed texts on media related topics, synthesizing and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources and translating pieces of news from English into Arabic;
Show understanding of cultural differences reflected in the Arabic Media discourse and make appropriate cultural references when interacting in Arabic.
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture
This advanced Arabic course covers a number of topics that survey the linguistic, geographical, historical, social, religious, cultural, and artistic aspects of the Arab world. Special emphasis will be on varieties of the Arabic language, Arabic literature, Arabic political discourse, religions in the Middle East, Arabic folkloric traditions, Arabic Media and film, women in the Middle East and Arabic cuisine and music. The course provides students with an opportunity to engage with the diversity of the Arabic cultural traditions in the past and present times through interacting with the Arabic cultural products, perspectives, practices and processes of interaction. The course materials are entirely in Arabic and will be explored through discussions, readings and videos. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Follow academic, professional and literary texts on a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar subjects;
Follow narrative, informational and descriptive discourses on most topics and can understand standard dialects;
Express themselves freely and spontaneously and deliver presentations with accuracy and clarity on a variety of topics and issues;
Write clear well-structured short essays about a range of subjects, underling the relevant issues and supporting points of view at some length;
Gain intercultural communicative competence with regard to the rich cultural aspects of the Arab world;
Requisite: ARAB 302 or equivalent. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Five College Senior Lecturer Hassan.
2022-23: Not offeredOther years: Offered in Spring 2024
Asian Languages & Civilization
108 China: Continuity and Change
(Offered as POSC 108 and ASLC 108) This is an introductory intensive writing course on China. As such, we will focus on the fundamentals of reading and writing to help students develop clear and persuasive writing styles. We will also pay close attention to understanding and critiquing academic sources. Students will be expected to engage in frequent in-class writing and attend regular writing consultations.
Chinese politics is replete with tensions between opposing forces: modernity and tradition, economic growth and societal protections, central government and local government, top-down mandates and bottom-up pressures, ideology and expertise, state control and market forces, continuity and change. This course examines these tensions and their effects on state-society relations and authoritarian governance during communist party rule in China (1949-present). We will learn how to apply different reading strategies to examine a variety of sources that shed light on these tensions, including speeches, films, government documents, news media, and academic sources. Through frequent short papers, students will incorporate different types of evidence to make compelling arguments regarding the strategies that the Chinese party-state has used to maintain stability amid myriad challenges.
Limited to 12 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
114, 214 Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World
(Offered as HIST 114 [AS/US/TR/C], AMST 114 and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Five College Associate Professor Chu.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
148 Arts of Japan
(Offered as ARHA 148 and ASLC 148) A survey of the history of Japanese art from neolithic times to the present. Topics will include Buddhist art and its ritual context, the aristocratic arts of the Heian court, monochromatic ink painting and the arts related to the Zen sect, the prints and paintings of the Floating World and contemporary artists and designers such as Ando Tadao and Miyake Issey. The class will focus on the ways Japan adopts and adapts foreign cultural traditions. There will be field trips to look at works in museums and private collections in the region.
Fall semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
152 Introduction to Buddhist Traditions
(Offered as RELI 152 and ASLC 152) This course is an introduction to the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism from its origins in South Asia to its geographical and historical diffusion throughout Asia and, more recently, into the west. We will explore the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and how they each provide refuge for those suffering in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth). We will engage in close readings of the literary and philosophical texts central to Buddhism, as well as recent historical and anthropological studies of Buddhist traditions.
Spring Semester. Professor M. Heim.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
171 History of Dynastic China
(Offered as HIST 171 [AS/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 171)
This introductory course provides a broad overview of China’s long history and major cultural traditions from its very beginnings to the eve of modernity. No familiarity with China or previous experience in the study of history is assumed or required. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate long-term economic, social, and cultural transformations in Chinese history. We will examine a broad array of issues, such as the role of geography in shaping history, the glorified antiquity in traditional Chinese political thought, the rise and fall of dynastic empires, China’s troubled relationship with the Inner Asian steppe and nomadic societies, cycles of peasant rebellions and civil wars, emergence of major philosophical schools and the canonization of Confucian thought, establishment of the civil examination system and a bureaucratic state, the formation of a literati elite and its culture, rise of Buddhism and Daoism, evolution of gender, family, and kinship structures, and China’s engagement with the outside world through trade and diplomacy. In this course, students will engage a wide range of primary sources—ancient classics, poems, films, paintings, novels, and memoirs—and learn to develop skills in reading these sources in their historical contexts. At several points in the semester, we will also look at how this history has been used and recycled in contemporary politics and popular culture and reflect upon the continuing legacies of this history for China and the world today. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
172 Troubled Transformations: History of Modern China
(Offered as HIST 172 [AS/TC/TE/TS] and ASLC 172) The transformation of China from a declining dynastic empire in the nineteenth century to today’s rapidly ascending global super-power with a communist party at its helm has been both dramatic and traumatic. This course introduces students to the drama and trauma of China’s modern transformations and investigates the epic events and historical processes that have come to shape the fate of the country and its people. We will begin with the opium war and the subsequent colonial incursions by multiple Western powers and the gradual disintegration of a two-millenia-old imperial system. We will then discuss China’s search for modernity with experimentations in industrialization, political modernization, and cultural regeneration. We will study the causes and consequences of China’s many civil wars, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Nationalist and Communist Revolutions in the early twentieth century. And finally, we will try to understand the lived experiences under the tumultuous Communist rule since 1949 that has witnessed fundamental social changes, massive political chaos, and unprecedented economic growth. This course will be of interest to anyone trying to understand contemporary Chinese politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Qiao.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
176 Japan's Modern Revolutions: 1800–2000s
(Offered as HIST 176 [AS/TC/TE] and ASLC 247) The transformation of the Japanese archipelago from a relatively secluded agrarian polity in the early-nineteenth century into East Asia’s leading economic power with a global footprint by the end of the twentieth century is one of the most dramatic stories of modern history. This course introduces the history of this transformation through two “revolutions”: the formation of an imperialist nation-state and the post-World War II creation of a pacifist democracy. Situating these revolutions within regional and global contexts, we will pay close attention to the political debates and social conflicts that accompanied Japan’s dramatic transformations. We will begin with the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, follow the rise of the modern Japanese nation-state through colonial expansion and total war, and conclude with post-1945 economic recovery, democratization, and the socio-political challenges facing the Japanese nation-state in the twenty-first century. Along the way we will explore in the specific context of Japan themes relevant to the history of global modernities: the collapse of a traditional regime, the creation of a nation-state, industrialization and the pursuit of empire, feminist and socialist critiques, total war, democratization, high economic growth and mass consumer culture, including so-called “otaku” culture. Classes will entail lectures combined with close readings and discussions that engage primary texts, interpretive essays, and film. This is a writing attentive course with requirements including short writing exercises and topical essays. Three class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Professor Maxey.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2022
177 Popular Culture and Modern China
This course examines the modern transnational phenomenon of “popular culture” and explores its manifestations in Chinese communities in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and North America. We will delve into a wide selection of topics such as late Qing fiction, cinema in 1930s Shanghai, theater during the Cultural Revolution, post-Mao rock music, Chinese faces in Hollywood films, and videogames and e-sports of the twenty-first century. The course investigates how China modernized in relation to the global circulation of a variety of “popular” media forms, and how Chinese communities have helped enrich the theory and practice of “popular culture.” In addition to different media texts, we will also discuss important theoretical questions about gender, nation, class, memory, and the concept of the popular. No prior knowledge of China or the Chinese language is assumed. All readings are in English. Requirements include reflection postings, two short papers, and a final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Fall semester. Visiting Professor Chen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2022
190 Middle Eastern History: 500–1700
(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 126) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.
Fall Semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2022, Spring 2024
206 Sino-Soviet Bromance? Emancipation and Catastrophe
(Offered as ASLC 206 and RUSS 206) This course probes into the sustained interactions between China and Russia throughout the twentieth century. It traces the convoluted trajectory of their transnational and transcultural contact against the political backdrop of global Communism. Major units include the Chinese iconoclasts’ fascination with Russian fiction, the Soviet modernist longing for an “authentic” China, the Maoist reinvention of socialist realism, and the Cold War vicissitudes of Sino-Soviet friendship. The course highlights the capacity of aesthetic forms to mediate political and social relationships across borders. We explore the creative space opened up by literature, drama, and film in which internationalist and cosmopolitan ideals are both embraced and questioned. Having charted the emancipatory promises and limits of revolutionary romance, the course concludes by pondering its contested legacies that continue to haunt the post-socialist present, both within and beyond the Sino-Russian spheres.
All readings are in English. Prior knowledge of modern China or the Soviet Union is not assumed. Requirements include reading posts on Moodle, two short papers, and one final paper. Two class meetings per week.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Hua.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023208 Power and Politics in Contemporary China
(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms. Next, we will interrogate the relations between various social groups and the state, through an analysis of contentious politics in China including the ways in which the party-state seeks to maintain social and political stability. Finally, we will examine the major policy challenges in contemporary China including growing inequality, environmental degradation, waning economic growth, and foreign policy conflicts.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
218 China and the Developing World
(Offered as POSC 218, HIST 218 [AS/TR], & ASLC 218) As one of the world’s great powers, China has had a profound impact on the developing world. Through financial, military, and political means, China has shaped the economies, cultures, and environments of nations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This course examines the historical and political aspects of this influence with the aim of better understanding the implications of China’s global presence. The course pays particular attention to how racialized narratives have complicated the relationships between Chinese actors abroad and their host communities as well as the experiences of migrants from the developing world in China. Using readings and other media from a wide range of fields and diverse perspectives, we will look at the deep historical roots of this power, while also examining the contemporary ramifications of China’s aspirations and actions beyond its national borders. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these themes.
Limited to 30 students. Priority given to sophomores. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan and Professor Melillo.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012
232 Bollywood Cinema
(Offered as ASLC 232 and FAMS 319) India’s popular cinema is commonly known as Bollywood and includes films that are dismissed for predictable stories, fantastical visual spectacle, and distracting dance numbers. In this course, we will take the “excesses” of Indian films seriously, and examine how they critique our cultural assumptions. A selection of feature films from different times will lead us to a historically-grounded understanding of the material and technical aspects of Indian film. Scholarly essays will help us treat film as a “cultural production” of importance not only for India but also our understanding of world cinema. We will learn to formulate interdisciplinary approaches to film through collaborative projects and debates, practice visual and narrative analysis in class, write critical responses and position papers, and provoke each other to assess our own pleasures in this visual and narrative medium.
Spring semester. Visiting Professor Sinha.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023234, 320 Japan on Screen
(Offered as ASLC 234 and FAMS 320) This course places equal emphasis on the two key terms of its title, “Japan” and “screen.” Is the concept of national cinema useful in the age of globalization? What is the place of cinema in a history of screen culture in Japan? This course aspires to rethink the idea of Japanese cinema while surveying the history of cinema in Japan, from early efforts to disentangle it from fairground spectacles and the theater at the turn of the last century, through the golden age of studio cinema in the 1950s, to the place of film in the contemporary media ecology. This course will investigate the Japanese film as a narrative art, as a formal construct, and as a participant in larger aesthetic, social, and even political contexts. This course includes the major genres of Japanese film, influential schools and movements, and major directors. Additionally, students will learn and get extensive practice using the vocabulary of the discipline of film studies.
Fall semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2022
244 Kyoto: City, Image, Text
(Offered as ASLC 244 and ARHA 244)
Kyoto was established as the capital of Japan in 794 and remained the site of the imperial palace until 1868. For much of its history the city was home to Japan’s most influential religious thinkers, writers, and artists and while today Kyoto is a modern city of over a million people, it still is thought to define traditional Japanese culture. This class will explore the intersection of the art and literature produced in the city throughout its long history. Both were deeply influenced by Buddhism and Shinto, so the class will examine some religious texts as well as novels, poetry and folk tales, painting, sculpture, architecture and crafts. Among the topics that will be covered are the high value placed on artistic accomplishment within the aristocratic culture of the eleventh century, millenarianism in the late Heian period, multiple civil wars, Zen culture and the arts and architecture of the late medieval era, the birth of drama in Japan, and modern writers’ and artists’ nostalgia for the past.
Spring semester. Professors Morse and Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2024
260, 261 Buddhist Art of Asia
(Offered as ARHA 261 and ASLC 260) Visual imagery plays a central role in the Buddhist faith. As the religion developed and spread throughout Asia it took many forms. This course will first examine the appearance of the earliest aniconic traditions in ancient India, the development of the Buddha image, and early monastic centers. It will then trace the dissemination and transformation of Buddhist art as the religion reached South-East Asia, Central Asia, and eventually East Asia. In each region indigenous cultural practices and artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art. Among the topics the course will address are the nature of the Buddha image, the political uses of Buddhist art, the development of illustrated hagiographies, and the importance of pilgrimage, both in the past and the present.
Spring semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2021
273 Epic Tales of the Ramayana
Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
279 Making of Modern South Asia
(Offered as HIST 279 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS] and ASLC 279 [SA].)The Indian subcontinent, the home of more than a billion people, has a rich and dynamic history. This 200-level survey is a history of the making of modern South Asia with a focus on India. Spanning the period from the sixteenth century to the present, the course introduces students to the history, politics, culture, and societies of the Indian sub-continent. It covers the consolidation of the Mughal empire, successor states in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, British imperial rule, resistance to colonialism, anti-colonial movements and political thought, decolonization in the subcontinent, postcolonial social movements, and the new rise of ethnic nationalism. The course outlines this long and complex history through themes including caste, labour, gender, the economy, and political thought and institutions. Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023285 The Qur'an and Its Controversies
(Offered as RELI-285 and ASLC-285) An exploration of several salient questions concerning the Qur’ān, the Islamic Revealed Book. How have Muslims explained the Qur’ān’s own proclamation of its supernatural origin and its miraculous quality? How does the Qur’ān engage with and respond to the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures? Who has the authority to interpret the Qur’ān and why? These are just a few of the tantalizing questions that will occupy us over the course of the semester. We will also discuss the ways that the Qur’ān has been read as a work of law, theology, and mysticism, and how it has shaped theories of the state. Finally, we will isolate the Qur’ān from the Islamic tradition and explore the many ways that it can be read as a work of literature.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
318 Chinese Childrearing
(Offered as ANTH 318 and ASLC 318) This course examines Chinese childrearing, focusing primarily on childrearing in mainland China. We will look at differences as well as similarities between childrearing in Chinese families of different socioeconomic status within China, as well as between childrearing in mainland China and in childrearing in Chinese and non-Chinese families worldwide. We will also look at dominant discourses within and outside of China about the nature of Chinese childrearing and ask about relationships between those discourses and the experiences of Chinese families. Students will work together to conduct original research about childrearing in China, drawing on data from the instructor’s research projects. Course assignments will be tailored to the interests, skills, and academic background of each student, so first-years, sophomores, and students with no Chinese language skills are welcome and just as likely to succeed as juniors, seniors, and students with Chinese language skills.
Chinese language skills or ANTH 112, 115, 288, 318, 323, or 332, or a similar course. Limited to 20 students. Admission with consent of the instructor. Spring semester. Professor Fong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020
355, 393 Early Islam: Construction of an Historical Tradition
(Offered as HIST 393 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 355) This course examines in depth the formative period of Islam between c. 500-680. Using predominantly primary material, we will chart the emergence, success, and evolution of Islam, the Islamic community, and the Islamic polity. The focus of this course is on understanding the changing nature over time of peoples’ understanding of and conception of what Islam was and what Islam implied socially, religiously, culturally and politically. We concentrate on exploring the growth of the historical tradition of Islam and its continued contestations amongst scholars today. This course will familiarize students with the events, persons, ideas, texts and historical debates concerning this period. It is not a course on the religion or beliefs of Islam, but a historical deconstruction and analysis of the period. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 15 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2022
376, 377 Sex, Gender, and the Body in South Asian History
(Offered as HIST 376 [AS/TC/TE/TR/TS/], ASLC 376 [SA] and SWAG 377) This course explores how categories of sex, gender, and the body have been configured in South Asian history. We will draw upon primary sources including texts, images, films, and documentaries. We will also read scholarly literature that explores South Asian history through the analytics of sex, gender, and body. We will begin by exploring gender in early South Asian history through poetry in translation as well as selections from epic texts, including sections of the Kāmasūtra that may be widely known but are rarely analyzed within their original historical and courtly contexts in South Asia. Through these poetic and literary texts, we will explore notions of pleasure, love, and intimacy, analyze the intersections between imperialism, sexuality, gendered bodies and colonial rule, and critically examine colonial debates and legal regimes around “widow burning” or sati in colonial South Asia. Finally, we will examine connections between masculinity and the operation of exclusionary nationalisms through the policing of bodies, agency, and love in contemporary South Asia. Throughout, we will pay attention to how social, political, and ethical formations have interacted with gendered bodies and selves in South Asian history.
Two meetings per week.
Spring semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2022, Spring 2024
381 Islam: Authors and Texts
(Offered as ASLC-381 and RELI-381) Close readings from different school traditions in Islam. Topics may include: belief and unbelief; salvation, language and revelation; prophecy, intellect and imagination; ritual and prayer; human responsibility.
Authors will vary from year to year. In Fall 2022, we will focus on the Mu‘tazila, a religious movement in Islam that became a dominant school in the ninth and tenth centuries. Our goal will be to understand, across a great cultural and chronological chasm, how the Mu‘tazila negotiated the meanings, principles, and implications of Islamic belief and practice; and how their ideas were adopted, perpetuated, and institutionalized within both the Sunnī and Shī‘ī traditions of Islam.
Fall semester. Professor Jaffer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2014, Fall 2022
383 The Tea Ceremony and Japanese Culture
(Offered as ARHA 383 and ASLC 383) An examination of the history of chanoyu, the tea ceremony, from its origins in the fifteenth century to the practice of tea today. The class will explore the various elements that comprise the tea environment-the garden setting, the architecture of the tea room, the forms of tea utensils, and the elements of the kaiseki meal. Through a study of the careers of influential tea masters and texts that examine the historical, religious, and cultural background of tea culture, the course will also trace how the tea ceremony has become a metaphor for Japanese culture and Japanese aesthetics both in Japan and in the West. There will be field trips to visit tea ware collections, potters and tea masters. Two class meetings per week.
Limited to 20 students. Fall Semester. Professor Morse.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2018, Spring 2020, Fall 2022
389 Ottoman Modern
(Offered as HIST-389 [ME/TC/TE] and ASLC 389)
The Ottoman Empire underwent a process of intense reform in the nineteenth century. Reformers were determined to strengthen their country’s sovereignty vis-à-vis increasingly aggressive European imperial powers. They embarked on a series of measures designed to improve their economies, political institutions and militaries. Reformers were also concerned to generate a new public, and to develop modern citizens imbued with new civic, political, literary and artistic sensibilities. Europe served as one important source of inspiration for Ottoman reformers. Reformers were in conversation with European modernity, even as they were in conversation with their own traditions.
This course explores the complex relationship between preservation and change, between admiration and rejection, both of Ottoman and European ideas, institutions and cultures, that characterized the nineteenth-century reform process. We will move beyond the oversimplification and distortion inherent in the paradigm of ‘adoption vs. rejection’ and instead seek to conceptualize modernization as a process of translation from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern.’
The course focusses on the construction of an Ottoman modern through an examination of literature, art, ideas and institutions. Class is conducted as a seminar. Written work includes a research seminar paper.
Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
392 Inside Iran
(Offered as HIST 392 [ME/TC/TE] and ALSC 359) This course explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The course provides an overall understanding of the modern history of Iran, with a focus on the way Iranian history has been variously constructed and deployed. We will utilize a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S. state department documents, in addition to secondary sources. Course conducted as a seminar. Frequent short papers based on class readings and short final research paper. Seminar paper optional. Two meetings per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Ringer.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
430 Ozu Crossing Borders
(Offered as ASLC-430 and FAMS-430)
Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963) was almost completely unknown outside Japan until the early 1970s but is now considered among the most important artists in cinema history. He spent his entire career in a major Japanese studio, where he developed a signature style that some have called an “anti-cinema.” Ozu’s career began in 1929 with comedies inspired by Hollywood slapstick and ended in the high-growth era with the contemplative films for which he is best known. This course will use this remarkable body of work to tell an Ozu-centered history of the cinema. Weekly screenings of select films spanning the late silent era to his final film in 1962 will acquaint students with Ozu’s oeuvre. A variety of readings will help us position these films within broad aesthetic, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will work in small groups to help trace the lines of influence that reached Ozu in the beginning of his career and the lines that reach outward after his death, crossing borders to the rest of the world. Coursework includes a final project.
Requisite: A prior course in FAMS or consent of the instructor. Limited to 18 students. Spring semester. Professor Van Compernolle.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2021
431 Crisis Governance and Authoritarianism
(Offered as POSC 431 and ASLC 431) Do crises demand different approaches to governing? This course will examine how different regimes respond to crises and the implications for good governance and human rights. The course will utilize China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a central case study. We will study how Chinese politics shaped the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also compare China's pandemic politics with other East Asian states, the US, and other cases as appropriate. Finally, we will use the case of the pandemic to examine how states might effectively respond to future crises, such as climate change. Students will write about, discuss, and present on topics related to these questions.
Requisite: At least one POSC course (200 level or above). Recommended previous experience or coursework related to China is strongly preferred. Previous coursework in the social sciences will be an asset.
Limited to 20 students. Spring semester. Associate Professor Ratigan.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in January 2021, January 2022, Spring 2022
472 The Indian Ocean World
(Offered as HIST 472 [AF/AS/ME/TC/TE/TR/TSP] and ASLC 472 [SA]) This research seminar will explore connections across South and Southeast Asia as part of the Indian Ocean world. We explore how our understanding of the world is transformed when studied through the lens of the Indian Ocean rather through nation-state histories. We will analyze primary sources including pottery shards, Old Javanese texts, seals, Sanskrit inscriptions, sculptural reliefs, poetry, and paintings. We will also read the works of scholars who have used different approaches to understand interactions across the Indian Ocean. Throughout the module, we will pay attention to how pilgrims, traders, rulers, and scholars traveled and interacted across the ocean space. We will seek to understand the histories of South and Southeast Asia both in their similarities as well as in their historical differences as part of the Indian Ocean world. Ultimately, we will see how placing the histories of South and Southeast Asia within the Indian Ocean world deepens and widens our understanding of the history and the world. One meeting per week.
Limited to 18 students. Fall semester. Professor Gomes.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2021, Fall 2022
498, 499 Senior Departmental Honors
Fall semester. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Chinese
101 First-Year Chinese I
This course, along with CHIN 102 in the spring semester, is an elementary introduction to Mandarin Chinese offered for students who have no Chinese-speaking backgrounds. The class takes an integrated approach to basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and it emphasizes pronunciation and the tones, Chinese character handwriting, and the most basic structure and patterns of Chinese grammar. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
102 First-Year Chinese II
A continuation of CHIN 101. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a good command of Mandarin pronunciation, the basic grammar structures, an active vocabulary of 700 Chinese characters, and basic reading and writing skills in the Chinese language. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh). This course prepares students for CHIN 201 (Second-year Chinese I).
Requisite: CHIN 101 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
201 Second-Year Chinese I
This course is designed for students who have completed first-year Chinese classes. The emphasis will be on the basic grammatical structures. The course reinforces the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through vigorous drills and practices. There will be three class meetings and two drill sessions each week.
Requisite: CHIN 102 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
202 Second-Year Chinese II
This course is a continuation of CHIN 201. By the end of the semester, most of the basic grammatical structures will be addressed. This course continues to help students develop higher proficiency level on the four skills. Class will be conducted mostly in Chinese. There will be three meetings and two drill sessions each week. This course prepares students for CHIN 301.
Requisite: CHIN 201 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Teng.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
301 Third-Year Chinese I
This course, alongside Chinese 302 in the spring semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 202 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
302 Third-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 301 in the fall semester, is our third-year class offered for students who have completed the first two years of Mandarin Chinese. We continue to emphasize pronunciation and intonation, practice listening and speaking, and work to improve our command of grammar with more complex syntax structures. The class will see a switch from textbook materials to selective authentic texts for the general Chinese reader, and introduce the students to a variety of topics, genres, and speech types ranging from literary works to media and popular cultural materials. Exposed to a significantly larger vocabulary, the students read and write with the aid of a dictionary as the class prepares them to become independent readers of idiomatic Chinese for the fourth-year level. The course meets five times per week (lectures on MWF and drill sessions on TTh).
Requisite: CHIN 301 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Tong.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2024
401 Fourth-Year Chinese I
This course, along with Chinese 402 in the spring semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 302 or equivalent. Fall semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
402 Fourth-Year Chinese II
This course, as the continuation of Chinese 401 in the fall semester, is the most advanced class in our Chinese language curriculum. Giving consistent emphasis to listening, speaking, writing, and grammar, the course focuses on advanced reading of authentic and idiomatic texts of Mandarin Chinese. With a balanced consideration to various topics, genres, and speech types, literary works will make up the principal part of the fourth-year reading materials. Exposed to a large and sophisticated vocabulary, and with the aid of a dictionary, the students read independently as they become sensitive to the linguistic nuances and cultural references in the texts, and able to appreciate the aesthetic shades of the language. In this semester, we will also spend three weeks doing a selective introduction to classical Chinese as part of our four-year curriculum at Amherst. The course meets three times per week (MWF).
Requisite: CHIN 401 or equivalent. Spring semester. Senior Lecturer Shen.
2022-23: Offered in Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2024
490 Special Topics
Independent Reading Course.
Fall and spring semester. Members of the Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Japanese
101 Introduction to the Japanese Language
This course is designed for students who have never previously studied Japanese. The course will introduce the overall structure of Japanese, basic vocabulary, the two syllabaries of the phonetic system, and some characters (Kanji). The course will also introduce the notion of “cultural appropriateness for expressions,” and will provide practice and evaluations for all four necessary skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
102 Review and Progress in Japanese
This course is designed for students who have already begun studying Japanese in high school, other schools, or at home before coming to Amherst, but have not finished learning basic Japanese structures or acquired a substantial number of characters (Kanji). This course is also for individuals whose proficiency levels of the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) are uneven to a noticeable degree. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: Some Japanese instruction in high school, home, or college. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Kayama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
103 Building Survival Skills in Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning by each student in the class by means of the materials in the course website and individualized or small group discussions with the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. By the end of this course, students are expected to be familiar with most basic Japanese structures, to have acquired a substantial vocabulary, and to have gained sufficient speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels, which will enable the students to survive using Japanese in Japan. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages.
Requisite: JAPA 101 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturers Kayama and Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
201 Functional Japanese
The course will emphasize active learning from each student in the class by the use of the materials on the course website and individual or small group discussions with the instructor. By the end of this course, students are expected to be able to use multiple Japanese structures with a substantial vocabulary and to have attained post-elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels. As for literacy, a few hundred new characters (Kanji) will be added by reading and writing longer passages. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
202 Communicating in Sophisticated Japanese
The course will emphasize the development of all four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) at a more complex, multi-paragraph level. For example, students will be trained to speak more spontaneously and with cultural appropriateness in given situations using concrete as well as abstract expressions on a sustained level of conversation. As for literacy, students will be given practice reading and writing using several hundred characters (Kanji). Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 201, or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2022
203 Experience with Authentic Japanese Materials
The course will provide sufficient practice of reading authentic texts and viewing films to prepare for the next level, JAPA 301, in which various genres of reading and films will be introduced. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred characters (Kanji) will be part of the course. The class will be conducted mostly in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 202 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Senior Lecturer Miyama and Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
209H Conquering Kanji I
Japanese uses three different writing systems, one of which is called Kanji, with characters that were borrowed from China. A linguist, R.A. Miller (1986) in his book Nihongo (Japanese), writes: “The Japanese writing system is, without question, the most complicated and involved system of script employed today by any nation on earth; it is also one of the most complex orthographies ever employed by any culture anywhere at any time in human history.” The difficulty lies not merely in the number of characters that students must learn (roughly a couple of thousand), but also in the unpredictable nature of the ways these characters are used in Japanese. It is not possible in regular Japanese language courses to spend very much time on the writing system because the students must learn other aspects of the language in a limited number of class hours. This writing system is, however, not impossible to learn. In this half course, the students will learn the Japanese writing system historically and metacognitively, in group as well as individual sessions, and aim to overcome preconceived notions of difficulty related to the learning of Kanji. Each student in this course is expected to master roughly 500 Kanji that are used in different contexts.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
210H Conquering Kanji II
This half course serves either as a continuation of JAPA 209H or the equivalent of 209H. See JAPA 209H for the course content.
Requisite: JAPA 103 or its equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
290, 290H, 390, 390H, 490, 490H Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Full course. Fall and spring semesters.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
301 Introduction to Different Genres of Japanese Writing and Film
This course will introduce different genres of writing: short novels, essays, newspaper and magazine articles, poems, expository prose, scientific writings, and others. Various genres of films will also be introduced. Development of higher speaking and writing proficiency levels will be focused upon as well. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 203 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
302 Moving From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn" in Japanese
This course will be a continuation of JAPA 301. Various genres of writing and film, of longer and increased difficulty levels, will be used to develop a high proficiency level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening throughout the semester. At this level, the students should gradually be moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” This important progression will be guided carefully by the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group. Students will be required to practice with the materials that are on the course website at the college.
Requisite: JAPA 301 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
401 Introduction to Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is designed for advanced students of Japanese who are interested in readings and writings on topics that are relevant to their interests. Each student will learn how to search for the relevant material, read it, and summarize it in writing in a technical manner. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 302 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
402 Thematic Reading and Writing
This course is a continuation of JAPA 401. In addition to learning how to search for relevant material, read it with comprehension, and produce a high level of writing, students will learn to conduct a small research project in this semester. The course will also focus on the development of a high level of speaking proficiency through discussions with classmates and the instructor. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 401 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
411 Introduction to Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover book reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 402 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022
412 Great Books and Films in the Original
This course is a continuation of JAPA 411. The course is designed for students who possess a high proficiency level of speaking but need training in cover-to-cover reading or film comprehension. Class materials will be selected from well-known books and films. Writing assignments will be given to develop critical and creative writing skills in Japanese. Small groups based on the students’ proficiency levels will be formed, so that instruction accords with the needs of each group.
Requisite: JAPA 411 or equivalent. Fall and spring semesters. Professor Tawa.
2022-23: Offered in Fall 2022, Spring 2023Other years: Offered in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022